on any other manual, the shifts feel rubbery or even slippery smooth. on the S, esp with my shortshifter, it feels like metal grinding/rubbing/meshing together. why? note: all s2000s are like this. it's not that ive destroyed the syncros.

 

The shifter is at the end of the gearbox and there is little linkage, you almost directly move the shift forks in the gearbox.
What linkage there is, is steel rods with small hard plastic parts.
That is why the shifting feels "metallic".
And that is also why the S2000 gearbox shifts so good

 

I don't think there is any linkage - just direct to the gearbox, so no bushings to really soften up things. (?) Add to that your short shifter, and you are probably shifting faster than the syncros can smoothly mesh, especially when everything's cold.

 

The linkage is in the tailshaft. The design's kind of weird, it's like they took a FWD tranny and turned it sideways.

I don't know about "shifts so good". My Type-R swapped Civic has far better shifter feel. It kind of shocks me how crappy the S2K shifter feels compared to the civic and the Miata I once owned. Metallic and chunky is exactly how I'd describe it.

 

I love the gearbox beacuse it is so harsh - wouldnt feel like an S with a "civic" gearbox

 

You love it because it feels crappy?

 

i dont think it feels crappy i like the way it feels

 

i've noticed it varies... sometimes it feels invisible, sometimes chunky or clunky,
other times it feels like im shifting with a wooden spoon sifting thru dried flesh...

but the important thing is...
that its never been anything short of perfection at high rpm!

 

^ i notice the same..it feels different all the time.

 

This is how direct it is.
You move part #5 with the shifter and part #2 is connected to #5.
That is almost all the linkage there is.

Maybe the gearbox is less "forgiving" when your shift is a bit ... sloppy?
The gearbox lets you know when you are not really paying attention.
(I'm not saying I'm perfect, I have been told by my gearbox to pay attention too... )

And when your S2000 after driving another car you notice how well it shifts (among a lot of other things it does better too )

Personally I like the direct mechanical feel of the gearbox.