does anyone else have problems shifting from 1-2 at red line?
its a really embarrasing problem when im trying to show off for whoever is in the passenger seat.
its either a long pause while i wait for the revs to go down then i can shift..
or i just play it off like i meant to do that.. haha
i really need to know whats going on?
or what i can do to keep this from happening.

 

i can shift ok from first to second at redline... but i noticed first gear is kind of short on the crossfires (6-speed)... my tires spin a little bit when i hit it in second, but it just takes some getting used to. i do not recommend doing it too often though.

 

I agree. I hear a new motor costs $12.000. I'ld imagine a bunch of transmission work isn't cheap either.

 

Don't let off the gas between shifts!

 

damn, thats gonna feel so weird.
will it solve my problem though?
i tried it out again today.
its like the car wont let me in to second gear until the revs go down..
feels like its gonna break if i push any harder.
and thanks for the replys

 

Besides not letting off the gas......you must also push in the clutch & then release it in a timely manner. All things considered you're probably better off shifting around 5400-5700.....based upon the where the HP & Torque curves meet.

 

Does it have problems shifting when you're not at redline?

FYI, my crystal ball has a prediction - your transmission is going to die a pretty painful death in the near future

 

On the launch....Road & Track says best time was achieved with a 4200 RPM drop clutch launch.

I think the computer will not allow an an unloaded RPM > 4200. So......I think.....if you start with a 4200 rpm launch & run it to redline & don't hit 2nd gear swiftly enough ....the computer may sense an unloaded condition & drop the rpms to <4200????? The accelerator pedal position is sort of meaningless....it's drive by wire..not a direct link....


Does this thinking make sense to anyone ???

I still think your best bet is to shift around 54-5700.

 

well its only happened a few times.
i dont usually push my car..
cause i dont want to do anything to hurt it
and yeah, i think im shifting too late.
next time i go up to the quarter mile ill try shifting BEFORE redline.
thanks for all the help guys.

 

My Aunt tried to race me, we both have X's, and she somehow shifted from 1st to reverse. That's the only shifting problem i have ever had. And this is the reason i hate that reverse is on that side of the gear box.

 

I know exactly what you are talking about. I don't push my car too often either because I have always felt like the manual gearbox in the Crossfire is clunky which gives an impression of it being fragile. However, someone discussed this before but on a dyno, I believe the Crossfire's power band is somewhere between 4500rpm and 5500rpm. If I am really "gunning" it, I put the pedal all the way down and rev it to around 5300-5500rpm and then quickly shift up which usually brings the rpms down about 1000rpm to 4500rpm. I typically continue this process until I want to slow down. At 5500 rpm the car should be able to shift pretty easily BUT make sure not to over rev as this could obviously cause serious problems.

My other thought about you shifting at 4200rpm or so and getting a slow response is that for some reason the manual gearbox in the Crossfire has serious throttle lag (I think thats what it is called). I have always noticed this. It basically feels like it takes a second or two longer for the car to "pick up" the next gear than it should. Its an annoying feature and I believe many forum members have purchased a SprintBooster which solves this problem. The SprintBooster reduces throttle lag but does not lower 0-60 times or or increase speed but rather improves the feel of the shifts.

As someone previously mentioned though, press the pedal all the way down and I would recommend revving to 5500 rpm and shifting continuously. Let me know how this goes.

 

For some reason mine shifts smoother when pushing it hard.....like at the dragstrip. Daily driving it's a little clunky, but not too bad.

Dragstrip driving is simple....rev to about 4300, dump the clutch and don't lift again till the end of the track. Granted, I'm pretty fast on the shifts, but I don't recommend this for everyone.

 

You dont let off the gas the whole time you run your 1/4? that seems like it would be very hard on the car.

 

What Apkano was describing is most commonly known as "speed shifting" and if excuted correctly, really isn't any harder on the car than shifting in a big hurry. Well, maybe a little harder on the shift linkage, depending on how big your biceps are.
If you miss a shift, your rev limiter will save the engine.
To accomplish the fastest possible E.T. at the drags (with a manual tranny) that's the best technique to use.
Nobody ever said drag racing wasn't hard on the car, and "serious" drag racers are probably just that much harder. But sometimes that's what you have to do to win.
Steve (Apkano) has posted some of his times that he's turned at the drags, and he's running about the same times the coupes are. Even though he owns a heavier and less aerodynamic Roadster. So I guess his driving technique is paying off.

 

I am pretty sure that's called power-shifting lol. In reality, you only get about two tenths of a second out of it, but it is sooooo fun!

My best time was 15.001 @95.37mph, but i had gotten a 2.1 sixty foot. I launched around 3200, but i was under the impression that you can't bring the revs up as high as you guys claim? Around 3500 is my guess?

 

I also confer with what patpur is describing. When I shift at high rpm (say around 5000 to 5500rpm) the car shifts rather smoothly. At the low end the gearbox does tend to be clunky (i.e. driving around town).

 

Seed, your absolutely correct, I don't know why I said "speed shifting". Must have been a "senior" moment.LOL In my defence, I did use the proper term "power shifting" in post #33 in my (13 sec. "Stock" N.A. buy the book) Thread, on the "Racing forum a couple of weeks ago.
But I've known guys to pay 100's of dollars just to cut their times by a few 10ths., so Power Shifting is worth it. (as long as you don't break anything that is).

 

Simple answer "stop showing off" LOL!

I know that it is hard to hold back on enjoying a little fun in these cars but just go a little easy on the tranny it will love you in the long run for it.

 

Basically, exactly what +fireamx said.

When I'm "power shifting" , as soon as I make a shift I'm preparing for the next. My foot isn't really on the clutch all the way, and I don't push straight down, It's more like a diagonal motion so I get just enough clutch to release pressure on the gears and then my foot slips off the pedal. My hand is never really "around" the shifter, basically I'm just "palming" it and either pulling straight down (1-2 , 3-4) or pushing away on an angle (2-3).

Another key to making this process work in a Crossfire is making sure you start this whole motion about 5900 RPM. You're right at the top of the HP curve and when you shift it puts you right at the top of the torque curve.

Done properly, you'll never hit the limiter and just get a very little amount of spin on the 1-2 shift. The above procedure works great on a prepared track surface, but is all out the window on the streets though where traction is an issue.