Notchy Gearbox

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cooperage
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Notchy Gearbox

Post by cooperage »

Long time lurker, first time poster, thank you for having me...

I'm about two months deep into driving my Cooper, and I think I'm making great progress. But I've noticed differences between the feel of certain shifts. The gearbox is fairly notchy in general, but sometimes the stick will slide perfectly into gear, with no resistance, as if it's a different car. I notice this especially when I'm in traffic and shifting a lot, and it isn't isolated to a given gear. (It will often be in a sequence, like 1 -> 2 -> 3, notchy, but back down to 2, smooth.) I'm talking specifically about the movement of the shifter in the gates.

Does a smooth shift have something to do with synchros, am I just getting lucky in the change, is it a matter of perfect revs, or what?

If there's a way to have more of those smooth shifts, I'd be interested to know. I'm happy to have another MINI-game to play on my daily commute. Alternately, just knowing why it happens would be a satisfying bit of knowledge.

For the record, this forum has been extremely helpful. In between joy rides and time learning the car's nuances, it's been great to browse the forums and learn technical details or how others manage different scenarios.
2011 MINI Cooper S, "Thumbelina"
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potownrob
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Re: Notchy Gearbox

Post by potownrob »

cooperage wrote:Long time lurker, first time poster, thank you for having me...
welcome to the SS!! HA HA HA HA HA HA :!: :D :mrgreen: :lol:
Question wrote:I'm about two months deep into driving my Cooper, and I think I'm making great progress. But I've noticed differences between the feel of certain shifts. The gearbox is fairly notchy in general, but sometimes the stick will slide perfectly into gear, with no resistance, as if it's a different car. I notice this especially when I'm in traffic and shifting a lot, and it isn't isolated to a given gear. (It will often be in a sequence, like 1 -> 2 -> 3, notchy, but back down to 2, smooth.) I'm talking specifically about the movement of the shifter in the gates.
Answer wrote:Does a smooth shift have something to do with synchros, am I just getting lucky in the change, is it a matter of perfect revs, or what?
i reckon you done just answered your own question there 8) :lol: 8)
If there's a way to have more of those smooth shifts, I'd be interested to know. I'm happy to have another MINI-game to play on my daily commute. Alternately, just knowing why it happens would be a satisfying bit of knowledge.
i think it's more a matter of seat time than learning an exact formula for perfect shifts. you'll get smoother and more consistently smooth in time. sounds like you're doing well already though.
For the record, this forum has been extremely helpful. In between joy rides and time learning the car's nuances, it's been great to browse the forums and learn technical details or how others manage different scenarios.
that's the way to do it. you get out there and drive and check back if you have questions. you're on the right track and it doesn't sound like you have much if anything to worry about. maybe someone with a mini will chime in with more specific wisdom. 8)
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
Mcs1990
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Re: Notchy Gearbox

Post by Mcs1990 »

It's all normal and nothing to worry about. Mine's a little notchy if I shift at low rpms or when the oil isn't warmed up. I've driven multiple Mini's and each car will shift a little differently.
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Squint
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Re: Notchy Gearbox

Post by Squint »

Welcome to the forum!

The gears can be a little notchy at times - that's one of the things I remember from my few drives with a Mini back when I worked at a car dealership. You sound like you're doing just fine overall. Like Rob said, repetitive smoothness comes with time and miles. Smooth shifts are a product of the syncros, the RPM, and your control over the pedals, and a little bit, your car. I'm assuming you didn't buy it new since it's an '11, right?
'15 Mazda 3 iSport Hatch 6MT
'11 Ford Fiesta Hatchback SE 5MT
'14 Giant Escape City 24MT
'97 Honda Civic EX 4AT - Retired @ 184,001 mi

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cooperage
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Re: Notchy Gearbox

Post by cooperage »

Right, I bought it used, in really good shape with 27K miles on it.

That all makes sense to me. I'm getting to the point where I'm noticing the smoother shifts, so I'm assuming that I've improved enough that they're happening more frequently. It's been a blast getting to know the car, and every day it feels like I'm getting more and more control over it. I love it. It's a fantastic ride. (Well, the car is fantastic. The ride can be a bit cringe inducing.)

The Mini keeps me honest though. It can be a little sluggish when it wakes up in the morning, and it doesn't particularly like when I have the A/C on. So there's the occasional stall--like it's reminding me to be humble--but all my learner's anxieties have long since passed. I'm really enjoying learning how it responds in different situation (e.g., steep uphill turns, on-ramps, traffic, banking roads).

Thanks for the help everyone!
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Boston Fit
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Re: Notchy Gearbox

Post by Boston Fit »

Others on this forum are much more knowledgeable than I am, but I'll venture to guess that the notchiness is unrelated to rev matching. I say that because (if I understand correctly) you are noticing a difference in shift feel while the clutch pedal is fully depressed - i.e., before you have started engaging gear.

For what it's worth, I used to drive a MINI Cooper (base model) and kind of enjoyed the notchiness. It gave the whole shifting process a bit of personality. I do miss the cornering ability of that car.
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cooperage
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Re: Notchy Gearbox

Post by cooperage »

Right. I was initially referring to the feel of the shift while the clutch pedal is at the floor. Sometimes the notchy feel disappears.

Agreed about the feel of the gearbox. It has character.
2011 MINI Cooper S, "Thumbelina"
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