First, I know how to shift gears and shift them well. Lets get this out of the way.

My question is, I have come across several '04 owners who mention a "grind" when shifting from 1st -> 2nd. This happens when the engine is cold and seems to go away rapidly when engine is warmed and hungry. I recently read a post where an '04 owner said this grind totally disappeared after a 1000 miles or so. Anyone have ideas as to what may cause this grind or why is it only between 1st/2nd gears?

 

A couple possibilities:

1) The manufacturing tolerances might not be exact enough. ("Stacking tolerances" is a common explanation for '00-'03 grinds, and might not have been fixed.)

2) The new carbon synchros might have a higher optimal working temp. ('00-'03 gearboxes grind mostly when hot.)

3) The shift from 1st to 2nd puts significantly more strain on the synchros than any other shift. Also, the high redline of the engine means a greater rotation speed difference between the input and output shafts than for a lower redline engine would require, so even more stress is put on the 2nd gear synchros.

For what it's worth, my '04 gearbox seems just as notchy now with 1000 miles as when I first picked it up. I haven't gotten a full-on grind yet, though. The notchiness goes away after a couple minutes of driving, fortunately.

 

[QUOTE=Elistan,Oct 1 2004, 09:26 AM]For what it's worth, my '04 gearbox seems just as notchy now with 1000 miles as when I first picked it up.

 

Elistan: You know your shit. Thanks, man. My other gears shift like butter but only from 1st --> 2nd is there a clicking. You're right though, mine too goes away after the car is warmed and the temps are running mid-range. Appreciate you taking the time to comment.

 

the cold 1-2 grind has totally disappeared in my 04 with 11K miles

 

There is a Honda TSB which declares this problem "normal."

 

7k miles, still happening. goes away after a coupla minutes though.

stopped worrying about it.

 

if you guys are worried, try double clutching on the 1-2 shift in normal driving. If you don't want to do that, shift with a little delay to allow the input shaft to spin down on its own. You can still do the occasional quick shift.

the 8000-5900RPM adjustment in a split second is very hard on a syncro. at 8000+ rpm, there is a lot of rotational energy to dissipate.

 

[QUOTE=steven975,Oct 1 2004, 12:59 PM] Shift with a little delay to allow the input shaft to spin down on its own.

 

yep got 6200 mi and i still get the 1-2 grind when car starts....
just do what everyone else does and double clutch shift slowly