Best mod for manual tranny xBs....
05-30-2017, 10:13 PM
#3
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the responses are so overwhelming!! I forget how dead this forum is... lol!
I bought a 2 inch shift rod extender....slows the shifts down a tiny bit so there is less accidental grinding when shifting between gears....makes shifting smoother and easier...just need to buy a longer shift boot now....
Next up is the manual tranny fluid change....
I bought a 2 inch shift rod extender....slows the shifts down a tiny bit so there is less accidental grinding when shifting between gears....makes shifting smoother and easier...just need to buy a longer shift boot now....
Next up is the manual tranny fluid change....
07-19-2017, 03:29 PM
#4
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 3
Get a TRD Short Shift Kit and Torque Solutions Delrin Bushings
I'll have to disagree with your solution. What is needed is less slop in the linkage, not a longer throw.
I felt like I was rowing a boat the first time I drove a manual XB. On top of that, third gear was alway a crap shoot.
There are two inexpensive mods that will make your manual transmission work like it should have worked from the factory.
First, buy the TRD Short Shift kit. Yes, the throws are shorter, which is the opposite of what you accomplished, but believe me, it is well worth it.
Second, while you're installing the Short Shift kit, throw away the old crappy rubber bushings Toyota installed and install a set of delrin shifter bushings from Torque Solutions (Scion XB Shifter Bushings). This will cure the 2nd to 3rd slop and generally remove slop throughout the shift linkage.
Both mods shouldn't take more than about an hour, but the space is a bit tight and the parts are small so have lots of patience and put a catch pan under the car in case you drop something.
Once you've done these two mods, you'll have a cable linkage that's pretty darn close in feel to a solid linkage. You'll have fewer missed shifts and they'll be a lot quicker to boot.
I felt like I was rowing a boat the first time I drove a manual XB. On top of that, third gear was alway a crap shoot.
There are two inexpensive mods that will make your manual transmission work like it should have worked from the factory.
First, buy the TRD Short Shift kit. Yes, the throws are shorter, which is the opposite of what you accomplished, but believe me, it is well worth it.
Second, while you're installing the Short Shift kit, throw away the old crappy rubber bushings Toyota installed and install a set of delrin shifter bushings from Torque Solutions (Scion XB Shifter Bushings). This will cure the 2nd to 3rd slop and generally remove slop throughout the shift linkage.
Both mods shouldn't take more than about an hour, but the space is a bit tight and the parts are small so have lots of patience and put a catch pan under the car in case you drop something.
Once you've done these two mods, you'll have a cable linkage that's pretty darn close in feel to a solid linkage. You'll have fewer missed shifts and they'll be a lot quicker to boot.
07-19-2017, 03:44 PM
#5
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I'll have to disagree with your solution. What is needed is less slop in the linkage, not a longer throw.
I felt like I was rowing a boat the first time I drove a manual XB. On top of that, third gear was alway a crap shoot.
There are two inexpensive mods that will make your manual transmission work like it should have worked from the factory.
First, buy the TRD Short Shift kit. Yes, the throws are shorter, which is the opposite of what you accomplished, but believe me, it is well worth it.
Second, while you're installing the Short Shift kit, throw away the old crappy rubber bushings Toyota installed and install a set of delrin shifter bushings from Torque Solutions (Scion XB Shifter Bushings). This will cure the 2nd to 3rd slop and generally remove slop throughout the shift linkage.
Both mods shouldn't take more than about an hour, but the space is a bit tight and the parts are small so have lots of patience and put a catch pan under the car in case you drop something.
Once you've done these two mods, you'll have a cable linkage that's pretty darn close in feel to a solid linkage. You'll have fewer missed shifts and they'll be a lot quicker to boot.
I felt like I was rowing a boat the first time I drove a manual XB. On top of that, third gear was alway a crap shoot.
There are two inexpensive mods that will make your manual transmission work like it should have worked from the factory.
First, buy the TRD Short Shift kit. Yes, the throws are shorter, which is the opposite of what you accomplished, but believe me, it is well worth it.
Second, while you're installing the Short Shift kit, throw away the old crappy rubber bushings Toyota installed and install a set of delrin shifter bushings from Torque Solutions (Scion XB Shifter Bushings). This will cure the 2nd to 3rd slop and generally remove slop throughout the shift linkage.
Both mods shouldn't take more than about an hour, but the space is a bit tight and the parts are small so have lots of patience and put a catch pan under the car in case you drop something.
Once you've done these two mods, you'll have a cable linkage that's pretty darn close in feel to a solid linkage. You'll have fewer missed shifts and they'll be a lot quicker to boot.
1. tried the short shift kit...crunch, grind, etc unless I shifted WWAAYYYYYYY slow....synchros can't keep up with the short factory throw, much less making it even shorter...removed it
2. already have the Delrin bushings installed...didn't make any noticeable difference, but then again, my car only has 25k miles on it....
3. biggest difference in shifting was when I installed the more solid urethane front motor mount, stopped the motor flopping back and forth...
so yeah, after 25 years of dealing with the wonderful direct throw, short shift kit of my mk2 VW, this cable shift crap is just annoying, but hey, new cars have ____ like cable shift and ya just got to live with it...
07-19-2017, 04:10 PM
#6
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 3
As For The Grinding...
A fully synchronized transmission with good synchros should never grind if the clutch is completely disengaged.
If it isn't a right-hand/left-foot coordination anomaly (and believe me, we have all experienced that anomaly from time to time), then it could be that the clutch isn't disengaging completely between gears. Being that it is hydraulic, it may need bleeding.
The Scion xB clutch has got to have the worst "feel" of any clutch on any vehicle I've ever driven. I swear it engages as different points every time I release the pedal. And sometimes I find that even when I think I've pushed it in far enough, it still isn't far enough. I love my xB. I hate my xB's clutch. I'm looking for a better clutch and I've even toyed with the idea of changing it over to a cable from hydraulic.
If you haven't changed the tranny oil yet, I changed mine to AMSOIL Fully Synthetic Manual Transmission & Transaxle Gear Lube 75W-90. There was a noticeable difference, especially in cold weather.
It's an API GL-4 oil, whereas Toyota (and AMSOIL) recommend an API GL-5. However, there has been a lot of discussion on the two. Many experienced mechanics have stated that API GL-5 oils would actually cause additional wear on the softer metals inside the transmission of the xB and they were sticking with GL-4 oils for now. With 160,000 miles on my transmission, I can say that I recommended following their advice. YMMV.
Good Luck to you!
If it isn't a right-hand/left-foot coordination anomaly (and believe me, we have all experienced that anomaly from time to time), then it could be that the clutch isn't disengaging completely between gears. Being that it is hydraulic, it may need bleeding.
The Scion xB clutch has got to have the worst "feel" of any clutch on any vehicle I've ever driven. I swear it engages as different points every time I release the pedal. And sometimes I find that even when I think I've pushed it in far enough, it still isn't far enough. I love my xB. I hate my xB's clutch. I'm looking for a better clutch and I've even toyed with the idea of changing it over to a cable from hydraulic.
If you haven't changed the tranny oil yet, I changed mine to AMSOIL Fully Synthetic Manual Transmission & Transaxle Gear Lube 75W-90. There was a noticeable difference, especially in cold weather.
It's an API GL-4 oil, whereas Toyota (and AMSOIL) recommend an API GL-5. However, there has been a lot of discussion on the two. Many experienced mechanics have stated that API GL-5 oils would actually cause additional wear on the softer metals inside the transmission of the xB and they were sticking with GL-4 oils for now. With 160,000 miles on my transmission, I can say that I recommended following their advice. YMMV.
Good Luck to you!
07-19-2017, 04:19 PM
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 3
Wow.
All I can tell you is that the short shift kit with the delrin bushings cured all my shifting/linkage problems. It sounds like what you have is either a clutch release problem or something mucked up in the tranny.
I was going to compare the feel of the upgraded linkage to a VW GTI Mk1, but I didn't know if you'd get my meaning! I have a 1984 GTI I bought new. The xB is the closest car I have driven yet in terms of how my GTI drives.
Let us know when you get it straightened out and what the cure is.
All I can tell you is that the short shift kit with the delrin bushings cured all my shifting/linkage problems. It sounds like what you have is either a clutch release problem or something mucked up in the tranny.
I was going to compare the feel of the upgraded linkage to a VW GTI Mk1, but I didn't know if you'd get my meaning! I have a 1984 GTI I bought new. The xB is the closest car I have driven yet in terms of how my GTI drives.
Let us know when you get it straightened out and what the cure is.
07-27-2017, 04:21 AM
#8
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Wow.
All I can tell you is that the short shift kit with the delrin bushings cured all my shifting/linkage problems. It sounds like what you have is either a clutch release problem or something mucked up in the tranny.
I was going to compare the feel of the upgraded linkage to a VW GTI Mk1, but I didn't know if you'd get my meaning! I have a 1984 GTI I bought new. The xB is the closest car I have driven yet in terms of how my GTI drives.
Let us know when you get it straightened out and what the cure is.
All I can tell you is that the short shift kit with the delrin bushings cured all my shifting/linkage problems. It sounds like what you have is either a clutch release problem or something mucked up in the tranny.
I was going to compare the feel of the upgraded linkage to a VW GTI Mk1, but I didn't know if you'd get my meaning! I have a 1984 GTI I bought new. The xB is the closest car I have driven yet in terms of how my GTI drives.
Let us know when you get it straightened out and what the cure is.
I got an email with a response from you on this thread, but it is not on here anymore?
Anyway, to what you said in the email I got, I am sure a good bleed would help...and I totally agree that shifting these cars with the bad feel the clutch has, and the instant on and off of the throttle by wire makes shifting these cars consistently a huge challenge...
I am a fan Redline MTL, I used in in my GTI for the past 20 years, so I am going to use that when i replace the tranny fluid, its a GL-4 fluid that doesnt harm the softer metal synchros....
And, yes, if you come up with a cable clutch conversion fro these cars, PLEASE sign me up...I will break out the credit card right now!!
Heck, I wish someone would come up with a cable throttle as well...the car would drive so much better with both cable clutch and cable throttle...
Last edited by pdxgen2; 07-30-2017 at 08:07 PM.
07-30-2017, 07:24 PM
#9
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 1
I had to make a account just to post this....
I've been driving my new '15 xB for roughly 2 weeks. ...I don't understand this..grind? You sure your car is OK?
Mine slips right in without any noise at all. Something else is wrong with your xB.
Possibly a issue with the clutch not pulling back all the way?
I've been driving my new '15 xB for roughly 2 weeks. ...I don't understand this..grind? You sure your car is OK?
Mine slips right in without any noise at all. Something else is wrong with your xB.
Possibly a issue with the clutch not pulling back all the way?
Last edited by MR_LUV; 07-19-2018 at 04:50 AM.
07-30-2017, 08:12 PM
#10
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I had to make a account just to post this....
I've been driving my new '15 XB for roughly 2 weeks. ...I don't understand this..grind? You sure your car is OK? Mine slips right in without any noise at all....something else is wrong with your XB. Possibly a issue with the clutch not pulling back all the way?
I've been driving my new '15 XB for roughly 2 weeks. ...I don't understand this..grind? You sure your car is OK? Mine slips right in without any noise at all....something else is wrong with your XB. Possibly a issue with the clutch not pulling back all the way?
I am not use to the shifting of this car, which has lead to some gear grinding between first and second gear if I am not careful...youve never blown a shift and grinded the gears between shifts in any manual tranny car before?
07-19-2018, 04:38 AM
#11
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Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 9
I'll have to disagree with your solution. What is needed is less slop in the linkage, not a longer throw.
I felt like I was rowing a boat the first time I drove a manual xB. On top of that, third gear was always a crap shoot.
There are two inexpensive mods that will make your manual transmission work like it should have worked from the factory.
First, buy the TRD Short Shift kit. Yes, the throws are shorter, which is the opposite of what you accomplished, but believe me, it is well worth it.
Second, while you're installing the Short Shift kit, throw away the old crappy rubber bushings Toyota installed and install a set of Delrin Shifter bushings from Torque Solutions (Scion xB Shifter Bushings).
This will cure the 2nd to 3rd slop and generally remove slop throughout the shift linkage.
Both mods shouldn't take more than about an hour, but the space is a bit tight and the parts are small so have lots of patience and put a catch pan under the car in case you drop something.
Once you've done these two mods, you'll have a cable linkage that's pretty darn close in feel to a solid linkage. You'll have fewer missed shifts and they'll be a lot quicker to boot.
I felt like I was rowing a boat the first time I drove a manual xB. On top of that, third gear was always a crap shoot.
There are two inexpensive mods that will make your manual transmission work like it should have worked from the factory.
First, buy the TRD Short Shift kit. Yes, the throws are shorter, which is the opposite of what you accomplished, but believe me, it is well worth it.
Second, while you're installing the Short Shift kit, throw away the old crappy rubber bushings Toyota installed and install a set of Delrin Shifter bushings from Torque Solutions (Scion xB Shifter Bushings).
This will cure the 2nd to 3rd slop and generally remove slop throughout the shift linkage.
Both mods shouldn't take more than about an hour, but the space is a bit tight and the parts are small so have lots of patience and put a catch pan under the car in case you drop something.
Once you've done these two mods, you'll have a cable linkage that's pretty darn close in feel to a solid linkage. You'll have fewer missed shifts and they'll be a lot quicker to boot.
I see they have them on Amazon for $24.95.
Will order in a few months as I still have other stuff to do first.
Last edited by MR_LUV; 07-19-2018 at 04:52 AM.
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