The oil is thicker when the transmission is cold, and shifts have to be slower when the transmission is cold, so I doubt thicker oil is going to do anything more than making the problem worse. Still, if nothing else works, it might be worth a try.

 

Thicker oil will make it run hotter due to increased friction, no? I wouldn't do it . . .

 

I have an older nissan vehicle which uses steel porsche style syncros. The harder you yank on it the faster it shifts. With my new s2k the first time I tried this it ground so bad I figured I had damaged the tranny. With time and practice I found I could shift almost as fast as the datsun and not grind.

 

Do you folks really think a lighten flywheel will help?

If so why?

Would you go with the ACT Pro Street (~9 lbs), Toda ~(9Lbs), or the Competition Clutches (~11 lbs) version.

Seems that with a lighter flywheel, you will lose low end torque.

 

A lighter flywheel will allow faster shifts, but isn't likely to make driver induced shifting problems go away.
IOW, it depends.

 

After owning this car for four months (a CPO with 7,000 mi) I've finally figured out how to shift with out grinds on a cold trans with out double clutching. Most of it was due to reading various posts on the very subject of shifting.

These past few days have been rather cold in Clemson, SC again after several days of nice weather. To achieve grind free shifts on days where the the transmission is cold, I had to double clutch. But now, by paying attention of on how I shift, I've learn how little force is required to switch from gear to gear; probably no more than 5 pounds of force. If I pay close attention to how the shift moves from gear to gear, I can feel where the shifter engages the synchronizer, and hold it there until the shifter drops right into gear; smooth as silk, no grind. By shifting in this manner, it feels like I'm letting the synchronizer more time to slow down the input shaft so that it will drop into gear effortlessly. To some this can be annoying since the revs drop below what is necessary for the next gear, but I've learn how to drive it in this situation; just gas it enough to bring it up as you release the clutch. As the transmission warms up more, the amount of time necessary for the synchronizer to do its job, decreases and shifts can be completed very fast, fast enough that the revs don't drop below the proper speed for the next gear.

So, what do you guys think of this technique? Hope it helps.

 

After the transmission is warmed up it takes even less force to shift, as long as your timing isn't too screwed up. Learning to feel what the transmission is doing makes every shift easier.

 

This is slightly off subject, but I use a Comptech Lightened FW with an ACT PP and OEM disc. The benefit of the Comptech FW is it can be resurfaced where lighter ones (ACT and Toda) really can't. This setup is rock solid and my shifts are spot-on every time. The Comptech FW is a little lighter than 11lbs, where the Toda and ACT are closer to 9 lbs.
Nevertheless (and a little more on subject), I'm researching a number of companies that advertise lightened clutch setups. A lighter disc (not strictly mass - but where the mass is centered on the disc, resulting in a lower rotational inertia) will result in smoother shifting. A lighter pressure plate will have the same effect as a lightened flywheel.

For note: The first lightened FW I used was the Toda lightweight FW (Mugen PP). I had clutch slippage right out of the box. Both clutches and FWs were installed by the same experienced S2000 mechanic.
The Comptech FW, ACT PP, and OEM (or ACT) disc is probably the most popular and successful aftermarket clutch setup for stock, lightly modified, up to moderately modified S2000s. It's used by a number of supercharged S2000 owners with good results.

 

You don't loose torque per se; torque is 'stored' in the rotational mass of the flywheel - ultimately to assist the driver during initial takeoff. Heavier flywheels are great for unskilled manual drivers; play better to the least common denominator when mass-producing cars.
The more rotational mass that's in motion, the easier it is at takeoff. The stored energy acts to dampen the initial torque requirements on the engine.

Tradeoffs:
Greater rotational inertia (mass) makes the engine response slower because the engine has to expend more energy to accelerate the greater rotational mass (store energy in the rotational mass). As Newton described: a body in motion will tend to stay in motion until acted on by an external force. This goes both ways, and therefore greater force is also required to slow the heavier rotational mass, and subesquently (unless you increase the internal friction in your engine) your engine will rev-down more slowly. Heavier FW = slower engine response, but easier to drive.
Lower rotational mass requires greater clutch skills at takeoff, and extremely light flywheels require the driver to work harder to rev-match even during casual up-shifting. Otherwise, the engine RPMs drop below optimal shift RPM for the next higher gear, making shifts 'jerky' and increasing the stresses on the next synchro in sequence on the up-shift. Lighter FW = faster engine response, but requires increased level of skill and concentration.
For everyday use - I found the Comptech to be the best compromise.

Additionally, I didn't really notice a difference in performance between the Comptech and the Toda (except the Toda setup slipped under hard acceleration). This leads me to believe the rotational inertia of the two flywheels is close, even though the Comptech's static mass is about 1.7lbs more than the Toda. This leads me to believe the Toda cut too much of its weight from the center (and friction surface) and not enough from the outside radius.
The ACT has a lot of mass removed from the outside radius, which tells me it will have the lowest rotational inertia of the three flywheels (even though its static mass is about the same as the Toda).
I believe the Comptech FW is the perfect FW for daily use, street and occasional track use. The ACT is probably best used by skilled, frequent, competetive autocrossers that need that ever-so-slight edge over the competition (at the cost of daily driveability). I have no information or experience related to the Competition Clutch FW.

 

I and others have used Toda FWs for years without problem. I don't think these reported problems have had have anything to do with the FW but more likely the installation or adjustment.