Did I blow a synchro?
 

A few weeks ago, I seriously messed up a downshift from 4th to 3rd in my 2017 BRZ. I was driving spiritedly, so I was shifting quickly and with some force. I did a quick throttle blip to downshift from 4th to 3rd, but my clutch didn't disengage the transmission completely, when I thought it did. So I slammed the gear stick into 3rd to be met by grinding and a loud popping noise. I believe I have blown a synchro on 3rd gear as a result. But, I am not sure. Now, whenever I upshift from 2nd to 3rd, I am met by a slight crunch into 3rd, even with the clutch pedal fully depressed. There's no grinding noise though. Double clutching from 2nd to 3rd gets rid of the crunch, as well as just keeping the clutch fully pressed for a longer time than normal before upshifting to 3rd. Also, if I rev in 2nd up to 5K rpm and then go to 3rd normally, there is no crunch (I guess I automatically rev match the upshift when I upshift in 2nd late). What confuses me is that this crunch only happens on upshifting, when I blew the 3rd gear synchro downshifting into 3rd from 4th. I can downshift from 4th to 3rd quickly without rev matching and there is no crunch. Did I actually blow a synchro? How should I go about getting this fixed?

Yeah, something let go. I won't try to guess exactly what. I will suggest that you find the transmission from a wrecked one. They're plentiful now. You can find them with low mileage for easily under a grand. It would cost you as much or more to have your original repaired.

Now quit shifting all fast and furious. It's a skill to shift quickly without bearing down on the syncros.

Full disclosure - I have local friends that will bust my chops if I don't admit to having done exactly the same thing. :/

Best wishes on nabbing a solid replacement.

Damn, that's unfortunate. It was such a good transmission until I did that. Thanks for the tips on the salvaged transmissions.

Maybe I should try changing the transmission fluid first. But I doubt that will do anything. Less than 2000 miles on it so far.

Hello Kromeification and welcome to .... The Forum ...... :clap:

First off ....... :slap: ...... that's for speed shifting. No matter how fast (or slow) you shift, that won't be the reason the car beside you is ahead of you .... ;)

Yep, like @Ultramaroon said ....... most likely you messed up something in the transmission.

Back-in-the-day, we would just go to the junk yard and get another transmission ...... and if it didn't work right, we would tear both of them apart and re-build one case with the best parts from each one.

Yep, replace the transmission or just learn how to shift around the buggered up part.


humfrz

Shit, that thing is brand new. :brokenheart:

Are you serious?

Surely a car this new still has a warranty on it?

Here in Oz that's 3 years from date of purchase. In my experience there's no mention of poor shifting being a reason to refuse a warranty claim, and how would Toyota ever prove it was caused by a dodgy shift?

Any manual is expected to be capable of regular and harsh shifting and if it breaks during warranty it's a QC issue. The only exception would be if it's being used in competition I guess.

DO NOTHING TO THE TRANS! Don't go anywhere near it. It will give them a possible out!

Take it straight back to the dealer you bought it from and tell him 'it just broke when you were driving it!'. Simple and if they jack up get tough with them and demand to see someone higher up the tree..

I mean, he basically admitted to shifting with the clutch not fully disengaged and slamming into gear. That is not a manufacturing defect, that is operator error. I would be lying if I said I didn't muck up a few shifts here and there, and if I broke something as a result I would have no one to blame but myself.

I also have had my share of crunching synchros with gear switch when not fully disengaged clutch on this car aswell, dispite years of driving manual :( and not just on this car .. luckily it never resulted in permanent damage (though maybe because it usually happened at low rpms, eg. when several times switching reverse & 1st when parking or getting out of snow/ice). I guess OP simply had bad luck, and wish him for that to not cost much to repair.

Sounds like a warranty issue to me. The tranny shouldn't break just by "spirited driving" when he used the clutch. I actually don't think it's the OP's fault, I think the clutch is out of adjustment. re-read the orig post, sounds like the clutch failed to disengage fully.

It's a car specifically made for performance driving- the 86 is shaped like a car drifting for christ sake. It should be able to handle a quick downshift. Besides, what do you have to lose by asking for a warranty? The worst that can happen is that they say no.

Really? The clutch was out of adjustment for one shift? Ok for the rest but that ONE shift it just didn't work right?

Sounds like some people might have had a few drinks or maybe some of the legal weed.

It's a warranty issue.

It's worth mentioning that when the transmission was cold yesterday and I started driving, the car was stuck in neutral in between an upshift from 1st to 2nd. I had to fully depress the clutch 3 separate times for it to not grind into any gear. Maybe my clutch cable has air in it or something, or did I seriously mess up my transmission? This was 2+ weeks after I messed up the 3rd gear synchronizer.

Good point.

daaaaaa..... :bonk:

I must have been low on my blood stream meds .........:cry:


humfrz

That would be something to see!


The hard shift from 1st to 2nd when cold is a common complaint here so probably not related to any damage you may have caused. I would take it in and have it checked since in reality one missed shift should not blow a synchro unless you really. REALLY forced it in there.