that's why i think it's important to breakin the engine regardless if you think it's a myth or not. it gives you enough practice by 600 miles. i misshifted a couple times but by 600 the shift gate was secondnature with no mistakes..

 

Driver's error should not put burden of improvements on manufacture's shoulder.

 

With a light hand on the stick, you can't possibly misshift 3-2 instead of 3-4. Guys must be muscleing it in there to do this. As everyone has mentioned, the stick is weighted to stay in the middle. Calm down and lightly guide it 3-4.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by xviper

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CrazyPhuD
Hmmm...I wonder if the MY04 is less likely to blow the engine on a mis-shift?

Most failures from a mis-shift are due to the valve being impacted by the piston, either breaking or bending it right?
Well since the redline has been lowered, do you gain more safety from a mis-shift?

 

I can't resist chiming in on this one.

All manual transmission cars are set up to guide the gear shift to the most logical next gear. Those springs xviper mentions.

Normal cars almost always think you want to shift up. Normal cars need to be encouraged to downshift in almost all cases.

But the S2K, at least mine, guesses "downshift" over "upshift" any time there is ample rev room for a down shift. How cool is that!

The springs still resist down shift - the car guesses upshift - when downshifting would over-rev the motor.

For me, this is one of the neatest things about a car with all kinds of neat things. Every time I shift it, it says, with those subtle little spring pressures "Let's go!"

Cheers

 

Regarding this topic, is it correct that rev limiter won't protect the engine when you mis shift (downshift)? what is the nature of this rev limiter? why is it ok, let's say, i hit redline when i stay in any particular gear, but then it is not ok if i downshift and hit the redline?

i hit the redline in my MY04 today and i wished i hadn't done that. she was choked and lost power for a split second. have i done any damage to the engine? i am not feeling so good right now ...

 

The rev limiter is a fuel cut-off. When you go over the limiter, the ECU shut down the fuel so your engine cannot go any faster. If you mis-shift on a downshift when your rpm is already very high, you "mechanically" over-rev the engine. That is to say, your rear wheels drive the engine way past its save working speed. Your fuel will still be shut off due to the limiter, but this does not stop the car's forward momenum (via the rear wheels) from spinning the engine faster than the "electronic" limiter.

Hitting the fuel cut-off on an engine "powered" acceleration will not harm the engine if done occassionally. If you do it all the time, then something's going to give.

 

Honda should do what? It is silly. Take a driving school 3-day performance driving class. You will learn more about proper driving technique and skills than you have had in all your years to date, I promise you. One of the things I remember (from Bondurant and Skip Barber's advanced classes) was proper hand positioning for shifting. Most people wrap their thumb, index and middle fingers around the knob - we were taught that you position the heel of your hand behind the shift knob, and use the thumb and use your fingers (esp. thumb/pinkie) to position the knob for correct upshift. For down shifts, it is the reverse, with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers acting as "the heel". If the tranny you are using has "return springs", let them also be a guide. I seldom miss shifts, and when I do it is because I was not paying attention, not because of technique.

The other thing that few think of, but it is essential for racers, is fatigue of the hand (really the forearm) and the possibility of carpal tunnel problems over time. The normal attitude of the fingers most people use puts the wrist in an awkward position, and over time and many laps, and even years if you are a successful competition driver, it can take its toll.

 

Wow, I can not wait to test drive an S2000. I have to say I used to own an RSX-S with a revo short shift kit and it was one AMAZING gear box. I have driven my fair share of cars so I have some basis for comparrison when it comes to different gearboxes. If your saying that S2000 is much better, I cant wait to take it for a test drive!