Anyone had any issues with shifting? (6MT)

[KrackaC8]

Don't forget about the actual transmission fluid too, which can have a big impact on shift quality.


My manual transmission setup:

• ATE TYP DOT4
• Redline MT-85 GL-4
• Redline 75W-90 GL-5

 

[Katum68]

Don't forget about the actual transmission fluid too, which can have a big impact on shift quality.


My manual transmission setup:

• ATE TYP DOT4
• Redline MT-85 GL-4
• Redline 75W-90 GL-5

I have had the same Z mechanic for over 15 years. I gave time my twin Turbo 370Z when I bought th 2024 Z. I let him choose what he thinks is best of the car.

 

[el mágico]

Don't forget about the actual transmission fluid too, which can have a big impact on shift quality.


My manual transmission setup:

• ATE TYP DOT4
• Redline MT-85 GL-4
• Redline 75W-90 GL-5

Manual as well. I haven't changed it in this car. I skipped the Z34, but love my Z33.

 

[CPerdomo]

Heh. My first car, when I was 16, was a 1960 Austin Healey Sprite (bug eye). No synchros. It was a great auto-X car, but twice I had to pull the transmission to replace a broken 1st gear. Engine had to come out to do that since the tranny wasn't accessible from under the car. Super PITA. That experience, along with SU carburetors, put me off English sports cars completely.

Anyway, notchiness in the 1 > 2 shift on the 370Z was very commonly mentioned and complained about over on The 370Z forums. This discussion thread provides a lot of deja vu .

My first car was a 1964 VW bug. So... take that for a difficult manual...

 

[CPerdomo]

At first I was slamming the hell out of my shifter, and it was like it had a mind of its own. Then I realized mine’s an AT.

 

[hartzal]

1st to 2nd shift is a kinda wide range between gears, best bet is to send it through 1st and 2nd, then it shifts smoother. but if you want all smooth just shift to 2nd kinda late while accelerating slightly. was kinda off to me too to begin with, but once you know it it becomes second nature. once you get the feel of it it all makes sense. Also honestly who wants smooth shifts in a manual, you wanna feel it shift is why you got it in the first place no? Smoother shifts wear your clutch more as you are riding it. Don't be scared let off and go. Been driving manuals for 28 years. 1998 was when I got my Liscense and my first car was a 1982 d720 4 speed. if you don't know what that is you should not own a or be in a Nissan forum.

 

[alienpoker]

As many have commented, 1st->2nd was always ‘notchy’ in my R34 (370Z Nismo 1st gen). Here’s some things I did:
1. Took me a while to get this- don’t lift the gas pedal so much 1->2 For some reason if you hit the gate right it’s smother. By a lot. You need to lift the gas nearly off in other cars. But not for the R34s. You’re fighting the engagement of the next gear,. Sychrorev match cures it but only downshifts. imho
2. In my 370Z I changed the ‘helper spring’ to one that had less compression rate. Made a world of difference feeling the clutch ‘bite’. It works in an arse-backwards way. Some take them out altogether and like it. Do be careful as springs can be dangerous.
3. Some went to adjustable short shifters. I bought one but after the above changes I never fitted it. Same with a lighter flywheel for less rotational mass. Many complained of too much ‘chatter’ or whine after a lighter flywheel. Again, I never went there.

And lastly as many will say- change fluids. Both in the Master/Slave circuit, and the tranny fluid to a better brand. Will help.
All that being said, I bought the Nismo AT in 2025, manual was only rumored. Haven’t looked back. I drive in traffic a lot and the gear ratios of the manual can get annoying at times.

 

[alienpoker]

I'm still having an issue getting into reverse. Gear shifter does not want to go into Reverse. Double clutching, just holding n the clutch. A pain.

Might be stupid to ask, have you tried pressing Down on the shifter when engaging Reverse. My apologies if you already tried this.

 

[alienpoker]

I saw this post get refreshed yesterday and thought I'd update. This may be a placebo, but I swear the shifting has gotten better on cold starts. I still wouldn't quite say its as smooth cold as other transmissions I've driven or that its cured itself, but potentially this may have just been an extended break in.

Car is at 11,000 miles as of now. Part of me still wants to do a fluid swap though, as I'm betting this factory fluid is anything but great.

Do it. Redline ir some premium brand mentioned in this thread. Also pls read my recent post. While you’re at it, change the ‘brake fluid’ in the clutch master and bleed. It gets cooked by the hot engine bay and looks like maple syrup after a while. It should look golden or clear.

 

[KrackaC8]

Do it. Redline ir some premium brand mentioned in this thread. Also pls read my recent post. While you’re at it, change the ‘brake fluid’ in the clutch master and bleed. It gets cooked by the hot engine bay and looks like maple syrup after a while. It should look golden or clear.

This. I've drained & filled my transmission twice already with Redline MT-85 to ensure I have all the factory fluid fully flushed out with a 100% synthetic fill.

I've also exchanged the brake fluid in my clutch master reservoir 3x already to get the black sludge out using ATE TYP 200 DOT4.