The WORST gearchanges
Discussion
In response to this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
whats the worst gearchange you've met?
In with a shout is the manual T56 that partners the Chevy LS V8s, as found in my RX-7. Vague and notchy, with a long throw as well! Truly dreadful. Like stirring porridge in the middle, and hitting the gate instead of the next gear seems to be the norm. Universally acclaimed by everyone that has put an LS in their RX-7 as the worst thing about the conversion. I thought I'd got a bad one, but then spoke to someone else and theirs sounds worse!
OK, the replacement is the TR-6060 and thats lovely, like night and day, but that old T56...nasty.
Your contenders?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
whats the worst gearchange you've met?
In with a shout is the manual T56 that partners the Chevy LS V8s, as found in my RX-7. Vague and notchy, with a long throw as well! Truly dreadful. Like stirring porridge in the middle, and hitting the gate instead of the next gear seems to be the norm. Universally acclaimed by everyone that has put an LS in their RX-7 as the worst thing about the conversion. I thought I'd got a bad one, but then spoke to someone else and theirs sounds worse!
OK, the replacement is the TR-6060 and thats lovely, like night and day, but that old T56...nasty.
Your contenders?
The worst I've ever experienced is a friend's race car with a short shift installed. I'm barely strong enough to change gear with one hand, and you've absolutely no idea when it's in gear and when it's not, or indeed which gear it's in. Huge weighting and zero feel basically. I'll be racing it soon and it's usually about £10 a ticket if anyone wants to come and laugh at me trying to drive the damm thing! It'll be pure comedy.
Second to that, Ford have to get a special mention for lack of effort. All of their gearboxes have this horrible loose feeling to them. I drove a few Ford vans when I was younger and just assumed all nackered old builder's vans felt like that, and thought nothing of it, but then I drove my first Ford car, a brand new Ford Ka, and realised that Ford gearchanges were just generally like that
When they're worn they're even worse: I once drove a Mondeo mk1 with 400k on the clock; I don't know how many gearboxes (and engines and clutches!) it had been through, but the gearchange felt absolutely terrible.
Second to that, Ford have to get a special mention for lack of effort. All of their gearboxes have this horrible loose feeling to them. I drove a few Ford vans when I was younger and just assumed all nackered old builder's vans felt like that, and thought nothing of it, but then I drove my first Ford car, a brand new Ford Ka, and realised that Ford gearchanges were just generally like that
When they're worn they're even worse: I once drove a Mondeo mk1 with 400k on the clock; I don't know how many gearboxes (and engines and clutches!) it had been through, but the gearchange felt absolutely terrible.Edited by RobM77 on Friday 17th June 16:39
So, so wrong.
Landrover Defender 5speed.
A 2 foot long gear stick, and 1st is still in nearly the same place as 3rd. 5th is somewhere near the drivers door.
People moan about sloppy french gearchanges, but in spite of their sloppiness they always seem to get the gear you want. Often the sloppiness can speed up a change, as you can make one diagonal movement from say 2nd to 3rd, and the play in the linkage will make up for the lack of zig-zagging.
A 2 foot long gear stick, and 1st is still in nearly the same place as 3rd. 5th is somewhere near the drivers door.
People moan about sloppy french gearchanges, but in spite of their sloppiness they always seem to get the gear you want. Often the sloppiness can speed up a change, as you can make one diagonal movement from say 2nd to 3rd, and the play in the linkage will make up for the lack of zig-zagging.
Jesus TF Christ said:
Citroen C1.
How a company that started off making gears all those years ago can, with all that experience produce something as bad as that when having to cope with such little power is a mystery.
I dont think citroen make any part of those cars, engine and gearbox are daihatsu, rest of its toyota, apart from the body which is french but not made in france.How a company that started off making gears all those years ago can, with all that experience produce something as bad as that when having to cope with such little power is a mystery.
VW type 2. By a long way.
its not to be unexpected, given that it's 30 years old, has a lever 3' long, and link rods to the back of the van, but it was a mission.
the gears themselves are fairly close together - lets say 2" at the top of the lever. All good - unfortunately, there was 4" of play in the gear lever at the same point. In 1st and 3rd this was ok, as you just went all the way left then up for first and all the way right and up for third. reverse (left and back) and forth were also ok, but finding second was an absolute mission. After 1,000 miles I figured out shifting up to it, but trying to downshift from 3rd was something that escapes me to this day..
its not to be unexpected, given that it's 30 years old, has a lever 3' long, and link rods to the back of the van, but it was a mission.
the gears themselves are fairly close together - lets say 2" at the top of the lever. All good - unfortunately, there was 4" of play in the gear lever at the same point. In 1st and 3rd this was ok, as you just went all the way left then up for first and all the way right and up for third. reverse (left and back) and forth were also ok, but finding second was an absolute mission. After 1,000 miles I figured out shifting up to it, but trying to downshift from 3rd was something that escapes me to this day..
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