Hey guys, I saw the tons of threads on this topic. The question I have wasn't really answered. I have a 2001 S2000, 13k miles; I had a trans flush done with Honda MTF when I bought it. I have not flushed the clutch fluid. The car is notchy in upshifts 2nd/3rd when cold and a little when warm unless I'm shifting above 4-5k rpm, in which case it's buttery smooth 80-90% of the time. Downshifts are 100% smooth even when cold, though I revmatch. Is this normal? I had a 2008 S2000 with 75k miles before this, and it was a lot smoother, even when cold. It's not a huge deal if it isn't having any adverse effect. I'll probably do a shifter rebuild, clutch fluid flush, and check the slave and master. It does not grind, and the effort level to get into gear stays consistent from cold to warm. Anything to worry about?

 

Mine can be a little stubborn when stone cold (like on a cold overnight sit). I usually warm the car up a good minute or two before driving off in the morning. That seems to help.

I'm sure each S2000 is slightly different from each other, when it comes to shifting.

 

When box is cold and not used for a while,drive in first gear only 4k ish for 15 seconds,it aligns the syncro,try it !

 

• Is this Billman approved? I'll try it, but the car is put away for the winter. Hopefully I will remember to do it n the spring...

 

I got mine recently and it is very low mileage like yours, but not quite that low. First thing I did was swap the trans fluid to Royal Purple Syncromax and it seemed a tiny bit better but not much. I then swapped it out with the Honda MTF and it seems the same. I also bled the clutch fluid with Honda fluid. No change. I still get the notchy feeling that it doesn't quite want to go in 2nd or 3rd until it is warmed up. I have just given up on trying anything else other than taking it easy until it is fully warmed up then the problem goes away. I did try a different heavy weighted shifter and that didn't improve anything other than the fact that I like the way the shifter feels.

 

Get a proper clutch master cylinder adjustment and put in Pennzoil synchromesh. Its the best fluid I've ever used.

 

best fluid I ever used that helped cold temp shifting was Amsoil MTF, it made a big difference despite being thicker than stock Honda MTF.

 

not sure but helps the oil pump build psi

 

Nobody is going to be able to answer whether its something to worry about based on what you posted.

Its normal for these cars to be notchy, especially when cold. AP1's also have brass synchros vs your old AP2's carbon ones.

Reset to zero.
Make sure the clutch fluid is flushed and bled.
Make sure the clutch pedal freeplay is set to 6mm.
Make sure you have fresh Honda MTF in there.
Rebuild your shifter and use HT urea grease.

After that...go for a drive. That is how the transmission should feel. As long as your gears aren't grinding or there's no tangible issues, you're good.

 

Thanks for all the replies, I guess I'm just being OCD, no grinding or tangible issues; just feels different from my AP2 in 2nd and 3rd when cold, I guess it's normal. Appreciate everyone's input. As long as I'm not damaging the car, I'll just accept it as part of the experience.