Originally Posted by ejrives

Nope, not a novice. The last 4 cars I've owned have been sticks. 11 years of driving a manual ftw. I'm going to have to go with crappy build quality on the transmission for the root of the issue.

The new transmission is great !! I went for a 100 mile test after getting it back from the dealership. It feels like a completely different car. The most unexpected result is that I've no longer got the 1st to 2nd notorious clunk that so many are complaining about and the chattery sound when leaving first is greatly reduced. Each gear feels awesome and very firm with no issues shifting anymore. I'm stoked and feel like I actually got what I paid for now