(PSA) If you're considering a BRZ I personally don't recommend it

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

I'm thinking that maybe several of our members are too young to remember, back-in-the-day, with a car with three on the tree shifter and you were trying to teach your GF or younger sister how to drive a stick. GRIND was the sound made when they shifted from first to second gear - and forgot about the step where they were to push in on the clutch -


humfrz

Or drove an old army truck that didn't have synchros and screamed like a banshee if you forgot to double clutch or missed the sweet spot by five RPM. Without a tach. Once it started to yell all you could do was lay your whole body weight into the two foot long shift lever and hope things lined up eventually.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I am much more curious to know what everybody is referring to as a "grind". I tried making mine grind and the only way I could do it was by not having the clutch in all the way. The little stiffness I feel when really cold is so far from a grind that it is hard to understand that it does it for others.

Mine never grinds. oh wait....

Chalk up one for the AT crowd I guess.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Mine never grinds. oh wait....

Chalk up one for the AT crowd I guess.

Ahhhhh but if it ever does it will probably only do it once.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Or drove an old army truck that didn't have synchros and screamed like a banshee if you forgot to double clutch or missed the sweet spot by five RPM. Without a tach. Once it started to yell all you could do was lay your whole body weight into the two foot long shift lever and hope things lined up eventually.

Or, drive a loaded truck with a 5 speed MT and a two speed axle, going up a hill and go to shift and forget which side of the axle you were in. Either grind on gears till one of them accepted the shifter OR, just come to a stop and start all over again -


humfrz

[runfrodorun]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I am much more curious to know what everybody is referring to as a "grind". I tried making mine grind and the only way I could do it was by not having the clutch in all the way. The little stiffness I feel when really cold is so far from a grind that it is hard to understand that it does it for others.

I call it a grind when it sounds and feels like running a stick down a wash board, and makes an extremely loud grinding noise in the cabin. Anybody who has driven stick more than a month can tell the difference between irritating chunkiness and an all out grind. Chunkiness isn’t great for transmissions and it will wear them out but the grind is like throwing a pole in someone’s bicycle spokes.

The brz is chunky when it doesn’t grind. And believe me that drives me nuts too but you have to pick your battles. On days when it’s not grinding, I can shift lightly and with more springiness and it won’t be chunky either. But some days you just wake up and you’re not going to get a single shift in without an all out grind. And a long one too, we’re talking like a full second at its worst

Don’t forget I have had a transmission replaced, and it was because 4th gear was grinding, and incidentally, 4th gear is one of the main gears with an issue this time around as well.

[runfrodorun]

Originally Posted by ermax

I'm not really sure why people would have a problem with 2nd but not 3rd. 1, 2 and 3 are all triple cone. 4, 5 and 6 are single. Reverse even has a synchro on this car which explains why I never have to play games getting this tranny in reverse. My only guess is people abuse 2nd more than 3rd.

There’s a lot of variation from day to day but the gears I have the most trouble with are 4, 2, 5, 6, and 3, in order of how likely I seem to be to have issues. It seems like most people who have had ongoing transmission issues 4th gear is the offender, and it was the gear that wasn’t working on my first trans. I also hear a lot about issues with 2nd when it’s cold and have experienced this in addition to my usual issues.

The crazy thing is I’ve been on trips where it shifts fine too... it’s so stop and go ever since they flushed the oil.

[runfrodorun]

Originally Posted by humfrz

I'm thinking that maybe several of our members are too young to remember, back-in-the-day, with a car with three on the tree shifter and you were trying to teach your GF or younger sister how to drive a stick. GRIND was the sound made when they shifted from first to second gear - and forgot about the step where they were to push in on the clutch -


humfrz

My valiant is an unsynchronized 3 on the tree, and my neighbor has a model A. I haven’t forgotten, thats the weekend!!

[runfrodorun]

Originally Posted by Rampage

@runfrodorun What a painful thread to read. I will tell you what: I will fly up to Chicago and you can sign the title over to me and give me a bill of sale for the car. That way you will never have to look at it in your driveway again. It sounds like it would be a great deal for you so that you can get a grip and restore your sanity. I promise that I will never complain to you if a gear does grind and I certainly will not show up at your house to kill you if it happens.

You joke, and yet I’ve actually considered giving it away, not even kidding. I’m so disgusted with Subaru that looking at the emblem feels like it’s shortening my life. I would not take a brz from somebody if they paid me to.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by runfrodorun

You joke, and yet I’ve actually considered giving it away, not even kidding. I’m so disgusted with Subaru that looking at the emblem feels like it’s shortening my life. I would not take a brz from somebody if they paid me to.

I spun my #3 rod bearing which has me pissed off too. There are a handful of ridiculous problems on this car, tranny hasn’t been one for me. But I can feel your pain. I have no intention of buying anything powered by Subaru in the future that’s for sure.

[runfrodorun]

Originally Posted by ermax

I spun my #3 rod bearing which has me pissed off too. There are a handful of ridiculous problems on this car, tranny hasn’t been one for me. But I can feel your pain. I have no intention of buying anything powered by Subaru in the future that’s for sure.

If you track this car for significant lap counts you need to install an oil cooler and use heavier oil or it seems likely to happen, I’ve heard a lot of stories like this as well :/

Just based off the number of samples on this thread and the internet it sounds like the 2013 model year is an issue for the transmission... but yet I haven’t seen any documentation saying they changed the transmission design? Maybe this was the factory trans oil fill that the TSB was about that is the main difference?

[HKz]

Originally Posted by runfrodorun

If you track this car for significant lap counts you need to install an oil cooler and use heavier oil or it seems likely to happen, I’ve heard a lot of stories like this as well :/

Just based off the number of samples on this thread and the internet it sounds like the 2013 model year is an issue for the transmission... but yet I haven’t seen any documentation saying they changed the transmission design? Maybe this was the factory trans oil fill that the TSB was about that is the main difference?

virtually every cheap coupe to ever come out of Japan doesn't have an oil cooler because the majority of buyers don't really push their vehicles hard, let alone bring it to a track...all the few folks I've met who track their 350z/370z had one installed and they have a much bigger engine.. You only see a lot of stories because they are the ones that actually speak up...who is going to post a thread to claim they haven't had problems

quite sure for either the MT or AT transmission box itself, Toyobaru have never made up changes/updates or submitted any TSBs..the only changes made with the drivetrain beyond the engine is the ToB update and the gearing/FD with the 17+ MYs MT facelift.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by runfrodorun

If you track this car for significant lap counts you need to install an oil cooler and use heavier oil or that’s literally guaranteed to happen :/

My car was completely stock and only saw one autox before it went. Oil level was fine. I was running 5w-30. I got it used at 82k and it spun at 89k (about 4 months later). I see nothing to suggest the previous owner modded the car. It had 600tw tires on it so I doubt they were the type that was tracking their car. I know many people run dedicated rims but even on your daily rims I wouldn’t expect to see 600tw unless it’s a girl or someone who just goes from point A to B. I couldn’t wait to get rid of these tires.

There a gazillions of WRX’s and STi’s around my area and one thing they all have in common is they drive them like grandma. It’s like they know it’s a ticking time bomb. I drive my Suburban more aggressive than any of the Subaru drivers I see around my town do.

[ermax]

My old ass 1995 Integra GSR had an oil cooler and the Type-R had an even bigger one.

My car is a 2013. No tranny problems. As far as I know nothing changed on the tranny to this day. It must just be inconsistent manufacturing but Aisin isn’t new to making trannys. Can’t believe they have a manufacturing problem. Maybe their are a bunch out their with slightly off reverse lockout plates but that would only
Impact 1st and 2nd.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by HKz

gearing/FD with the 17+ MYs MT facelift.

Wait the gearing didn’t change did it? Just the FD which isn’t part of the tranny.