I have a 2017, and it need to be really cold. At 15F I only begin to feel a bit of notchyness on 2nd and 3rd gear. And colder it get much worse, below 0F it's almost imposible to shift in second unless i double clutch. But it's only for a short time, after driving for 1 minutes it's a lot better.
Next winter I'll consider changing to a different MT oil to see if that help.

I've changed mine every 25-30k miles. After about 30k miles the fluid / shifts aren't as good as on fresh fluid. Same for the diff, its quieter and operates better on fresh fluid.

The gearbox will always feel a bit hard to use on the first few shifts after cold start. I almost always double clutch into 2nd and 3rd gear on my warmup lap around the block to avoid snicking gears or grinds. After a couple double-clutch rev-matched upshifts and a bit of slow cruising, the gearbox is usually warmed up well enough for normal shifts.

I'm surprised to hear that. I'm in the same area, and have some fairly rough shifts right out of the garage.

Well, my 2013 FR-S MT with 25,000 miles and the OEM oil, is in the same general area as where you live and I never have experienced a rough shift, even when it's cold.

I do notice the 1-2 shift is a bit stiff, for the first few blocks.......:iono:


humfrz

My sense is that there a good bit of variation between these gearboxes. Not necessarily a dig on their quality control--rather that every car is just different.

After another week of driving, I think mine is loosening up a bit.

Well now, that could be.

However, I figure that the main variation is with the people doing the shifting ........:D


humfrz

No doubt. I won't claim to be the best :D

Ahhh.....well, you will get more used to it, as the miles and shifts go by.

Then, just as you think you have it mastered, you will get the "lazy leg" and occasionally not push the clutch all the way down and grind a gear. Or, "kill it" starting off on a slight hill ...... usually in heave traffic, with lots of people watching you......:sigh:

I kinda get the "feeling" from reading this forum, that most people that have more "trouble" shifting this transmission, are the people that are relatively new to manual transmissions.

Us old farts that were shifting transmissions, before automatics were available in most cars, seem to have the least trouble.

:burnrubber:


humfrz

I learned on a Case 380. Getting in a car with only one shifter, and a clutch pedal that didn't require 10 year old me to stand on it made it easy! Double clutching a straight cut 1-4 that leaked gear oil about as fast as you could pour it in was a rough way to learn, but it's made big boy clutches a cake walk. Screaming 'if you can find it, you can grind it!' while slapping the throttle lever up was standard fair in that brute.

So yeah, the transmission in the Twins is fine...

I swapped the factory fill for Motul Gear 300 around 15k. The trans wasn't too bad, but the diff was awful, as many people discovered.

we have -15f cold snaps now and again, and the car does fine. 2nd gear is a bit tough to get into smoothly at first, so I usually skip to third for the first shift, and I'm just very firm/intentional with the second shift into second.

There ya go folks, an old clutcher speaks ..... ;)


humfrz

So true,

Drove my dad's MK1 Karmann edition golf the other day... Not the same at all.. Only ever driven "Newer" MTs before that...Wasn't aware you used to have to actually find the gears and the clutch feels hard but not precise. however... Once you get used to it those are a joy and a half to drive.. I thought the FRS had a personality.. Good joke compared to these old beauties. I understood the appeal of the twins to "more seasoned drivers" right away.

"Old."

The reality is I grew up on a farm with old equipment. I'm 27. :lol:

:D .......OK.

I'll rephrase that ....... a clutcher of old things ........ :thumbsup:


humfrz

LOL - I'll lay claim to a bit of both both. I grew up not on, but around a farm. Spent lots of time on a Ford 9n and later an 8n. Not fancy or big, the sports cars of 1940s tractors. Nothing like shifting without any synchronizers at all. :thumbup: