Gearbox feel in Z and other cars
 

I've been driving the Z for just about 2 weeks now and it's my first manual. I have a short throw shifter installed and the gearbox feels a little stiff and notchy, but I've grown to like it very much. I'm noticing 1st gear is starting to loosen up though.
My friend's that drive manual say it's just the gears smoothing out, but it will stay that way permanently and the other gears will be effected, as well, as you keep driving.
I've driven so far my friends' G35, RSX Type-S, and 09 WRX in the past 2 weeks just to get a feel for different clutches and gearboxes.
First thing I noticed was that all of their clutches grab low and it was very easy to just hop in and drive smoothly (even for a noob like me). I personally feel like I work their clutches better than the Z.
More importantly, all of their gearboxes feel loose. It felt like I could've literally used 1 finger to easily shift through all the gears if I wanted to. Is this how my gearbox will ultimately end up feeling?:ugh:

Probably not. The z's shifter stays pretty notchy. It's not
one of the better-feeling shifters out there.


I haven't driven a g35 in a while, but the rsx s gearbox is a dream, and the wrx is a long and light travel. The z just has a much notchier feeling shifter.

Newbs should stay away from shortshifters and just concentrate on practicing the one car they intend to drive first. Every car is different.

I only owned cars with manual transmissions. I've never noticed shifters getting smoother. Just the opposite.

Personally, I don't see the need for a short shifter in the Z. The throw is not that long.

by design
 

The Z is rough, loud, harsh because Nissan wants it that way.

Shift wise it feels heavy duty.

Let me ask this, "What did you think during/after the test drive?"

The first 4,000 miles or so, my shifter was pretty smooth transitioning from gear to gear. Then one morning, there was some resistance/notchiness going from 1st to 2nd. Now there is resistance moving into every gear.

Is this just the 370z gear box or do I have a problem? I'm at 6600 miles now and it hasn't gotten any better or worse really, but it's particularly annoying when trying to throw shifts quickly.

I thought the 370Z's shifter felt like butter, but then, it's a light-weight gearbox compared to the TKO500 and T56 I am used to.

Shifts rarely get smoother, but I have heard of such.

Yeah, it was at first on mine. I should probably have a tech look at it. I've heard stories of shitty syncros.

I agree that you shouldn't have installed the short throw shifter especially given that this is your first manual and that the throw isn't long to start with. A short throw shifter increases the effort required and isn't necessarily an upgrade, but rather a preference. On cars that have a ridiculously long throw (e.g. older Mustang) it was definitely an upgrade.

I agree. I installed a B&M and found the throws to be just a bit shorter but really not all that much compared to stock. I do like the lower height though. If i knew how it would really feel I would have not even purchased it.

Been driving mine for over a year now and it's still as stiff as ever (feels like it's having to work its way thorugh a bowl of cold molasses). I came from the RSX S and after driving the Z a while (and getting back in my wife's RSX), the RSX almost feels toyish. Don't get me wrong--I don't mind the RSX shifting--it just feels so "free" or something now. I'm not a fan of the manual in the Z but it's OK. Sometimes I wish I had gotten the auto (because it's faster, generally speaking, in the quarter) but it was a hefty price addition to pay. AND, there are a few people who have posted some negatives on the auto anyway (IIRC).

Z shifter can be slightly rough/sticky
I had a newer Civic Si and that shifter was butter compared to the Z.

Before my Z I had the RSX-S. The RSX-S manual is ok. I always had the third gear issue where I would hit a wall and it would not go into gear unless I played with it. It does feel smoother than the Z but I prefer the Z's manual over the RSX. I actually enjoy that notchy feeling.

Mine is really notchy when its cold, I have gotten accustomed to the way I have to drive while tranny is cold. I have noticed that the Z trans likes to be
shifted at around 3K, anything under and it's very clunky. I just ease the shifter
into gear, not forcing it, I can feel the teeth engage and then I finish the shift.

When it's all warmed up, it's like butter.

OP: Just shift it into gear and drive. However it feels is the way it is. All cars are different and you just need to focus on yours. Enjoy.

Driving my Z is pure sex! It is hot, loud, and rough!

because of the rest of the car is hard (for the nismo model at least), it wouldn't be right if the shifter was super light :)

Preference indeed. My '04 G35's shifter was notchy as well, and I found I preferred them that way. Honda's are indeed butter, but I lose and miss the effort to throw the lever.

Remember those gated shifters in the supercars that were common a ways back? I seldom see them anymore (now with DCT's emerging as the standard). Impossible to throw quickly, but I loved the "rowing" feel of them.

It's no S2000 tranny but it shifts good, and easy to powershift without lockout

I bought the Z with the short throw shifter already installed and the car had 2800 miles on it. At first it felt like I had to give more effort than I was comfortable with to shift but now I'm very used to it and prefer it this way, especially after I drove the other cars. I've never gotten a feel for how the normal shifter is on the Z except for when I was sitting in a Z in a dealership.
The cars that I mentioned driving were all quite loose and had too much play imo. As someone said, the WRX does have a longer throw.
I'm glad most of you have said the Z's gearbox stays stiff and notchy.

I was curious to if I'd want the cylindrical Nismo shift knob and I tested a similar one on the wrx, and i realized it's a matter of how you naturally hold it. I told it on top, so the stock ball-shape fits me. The cylindrical is better for those that grab it on the side. Other than that, since it was metal it was a bit cold and I'm assuming it's burning hot in the summer.

I've gotten the hang of the Z already to not stall and normally drive smoothly. I was curious to drive my friends' cars cause I heard of how every car's got a different feel to it so I thought why not.
I'm gonna have to eventually get the clutch adjusted to grab lower though. Makes life a lot easier

I had a Civic Si before the Z. The shifter is, as one reviewer said, like butter. I had my 3rd gear synchros fixed and never had another issue. The Z is definitely notchy, but I have had several other manuals that were the same way. The Z's shifter feels much beefier than any other car I have owned. I drove a friends Z06 and it has a notchy feel as well. I would not worry about it, this is just how the shifter is.

I also notice the clutch grabs VERY high, is there a way to "lower" it?

I've seen a thread or two about it over in Engine/Drivetrain.

it's in the manual in the clutch section

:tup: one of the best gear boxes i have ever rowed

I respectfully disagree. As enthusiasts, we're all here because we aim for perfection. If "however it feels is the way it is" were the rule, we'd all be driving stock machines. It's entirely appropriate to try other cars' shift feels to learn more about your preference. It's the only way to gain comparative insight. Now that you have a better idea of what you want, you can work to make it happen.

In fact, I think most of us on the forum aren't happy unless we've got a project in mind. The real question to me is whether we're identifying problems because we love to fix them, or whether we're just complaining to complain.

OP, if you want a smoother shift, you can try a number of things that will make a difference to your shift feel. Try a new manual transmission fluid (redline, royal purple). Try a weighted shift knob (TWM, Blox, Tommy Kaira). Try a different short shifter (TWM is the one that's caught my eye).

Happy modding!

thanks brian. i couldn't have said it better. i'll most likely leave in the short shifter i have in now. i honestly don't know which one i have since it was already in there when i bought it but i'll try the redline tranny fluid.

@optiontrader
Would you say the gearbox on the 370z is the same or similar to the G35 bc I know the first couple of months of owning the G; I had issues with G. Granted; I got used to it then the power train warr took care of a new transmission bc synchros were done; so now it drives nice (still notchy though).

Does the 370z wind having the same issues as the G35/350z as far as the trans and the synchros and such?

The transmissions are essentially the same, they kept the same gear ratios but upgraded to triple cone syncro's on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (some of the later production 350Z's and G35's also had this). They went to the hydraulic slave cylinder around 2007 (part of the clutch assembly not the transmission per sé).

Hondas have pretty smooth gear boxes, but I've never driven a Subaru. And generally from my experience, most cars engage lower on the clutch than the Z, its something you're going to have to get used to. The G35 should have a similar feel though, in fact, coming from a 350, I noticed the 370 shifter was much smoother with less vibration.

I haven't had much seat time in my Z yet but its definitely notchier than most, which I kind of like actually.

Before getting it, I had people telling me I'd have to get used to how the Z drives etc.

I had (still have till its sold) a lMitsubishi Lancer Ralliart and the gearbox is really light and smooth but I will say the Z feels more robust, not to mention the shifter is constantly vibrating from the power, which I never had before and I like :) (that is normal right lol)

"Notchiness" is about the same. As I said earlier, I had an '04, so the throw on the G35 was pretty beefy (they lightened the shift effort on '05 and later), so the 370Z's a tad lighter to row. What year is yours?

The feel is very much the same, I'd admit. Whether that means you'll experience the same issues, not sure. Being on this forum, there are many '09 owners with 20K+ miles on their cars, and I haven't heard any postings of worn synchros on this Z's transmission.