Changed the Clutch Spring.

ValidusTalon said:

I agree, this spring is a huge improvement. As a new owner, but older guy who has owned several manual trans. vehicles, I was starting to think I had some sort of mental issue as I was struggling after a month to not start / shift like a complete amateur. I am glad I happened on this thread, in this forum!!!

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Right. And replacing it doesn't make the clutch feel stiff. It makes it feel normal.

Okay - enough's been said about it, so I'll be brief:

I don't dislike it. But I understand more clearly why its effect is difficult to quantify. Is it amazing? Wow? How the car shoulda been delivered?

Not IMO, no.

But it has reduced the disengagement effort, yes. My pull-away's and 1-2 upshifts are probably about 30% smoother. It's not the caliber of improvement I had expected (or hoped for) but for the price - and the 60-second in-the-driveway installation - it was worth buying.

I've had mine installed for about a week. It was really weird at first, but I'm quickly getting used to it.

I wouldn't say it makes shifting any easier or smoother b/c the stock shifter is still a POS. But it does make shifting and driving a lot SMOOTHER, if that makes sense. Not so much herky-jerky during gas/clutch/gas transitions, especially from stop to 1 and 1 to 2. I've been driving a stick for more than 25 years and rode motorcycles for 20+ years, so I know how to effectively use a manual transmission.

I had two 90's Honda Civic Si's and those gear boxes were buttah compared to the S550s. Wouldn't trade my totally-optioned up, 450HP S550 for one, but just saying.

mikes2017gt said:

I've had mine installed for about a week. It was really weird at first, but I'm quickly getting used to it.

I wouldn't say it makes shifting any easier or smoother b/c the stock shifter is still a POS. But it does make shifting and driving a lot SMOOTHER, if that makes sense. Not so much herky-jerky during gas/clutch/gas transitions, especially from stop to 1 and 1 to 2. I've been driving a stick for more than 25 years and rode motorcycles for 20+ years, so I know how to effectively use a manual transmission.

I had two 90's Honda Civic Si's and those gear boxes were buttah compared to the S550s. Wouldn't trade my totally-optioned up, 450HP S550 for one, but just saying.

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MGW, sir. MGW + BG Syncroshift II is :first::clap2::love:

I saw a video on YouTube...young blond-haired guy. Snowman or Snowguy or something like that. He put an MGW in his S550 and it was severely off-center. Was that an install error, or is it probable that can happen randomly to folks?

I was "this close" to pulling the trigger during the 10% off Memorial Day sale...even had it all in the cart...but I flaked. Mostly b/c of that video. Also, as it's my DD and I have very long commute, I don't want the shifter vibrating like a blender on puree. I've been resting my hand on the shifter for the past 25 years...it would drive me nuts to have to readjust my driving style b/c the shifter buzzes like a coffee can full of bees. I know this next comment is subjective, but I could deal with "a little more buzz" than the stock shifter and be good with it.

OCD<--me

mikes2017gt said:

I saw a video on YouTube...young blond-haired guy. Snowman or Snowguy or something like that. He put an MGW in his S550 and it was severely off-center. Was that an install error, or is it probable that can happen randomly to folks?

I was "this close" to pulling the trigger during the 10% off Memorial Day sale...even had it all in the cart...but I flaked. Mostly b/c of that video. Also, as it's my DD and I have very long commute, I don't want the shifter vibrating like a blender on puree. I've been resting my hand on the shifter for the past 25 years...it would drive me nuts to have to readjust my driving style b/c the shifter buzzes like a coffee can full of bees. I know this next comment is subjective, but I could deal with "a little more buzz" than the stock shifter and be good with it.

OCD<--me

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My friend [MENTION=17191]mindys[/MENTION] has it in his car and I barely noticed any vibration and no buzzes in the handful of times I've driven it. It will have a tad more vibration felt, but no buzzes, nothing audible. In this respect it felt the same as my stock shifter with the energy suspension bracket bushing, but oh how wonderful the shifts feel. Night and day better.

If I could get my GT to shift like "snick-snick-snick" into gears instead "ram it forward and backwards and hope I hit the gates" I'd probably sleep in my car. I have tried every combination of "finessing it" and "muscling it" and have found that the stock shifter does not like finesse...you'll grind gears if you try to shift it like a 90's Japanese 2,500 pound car. So when I'm really on the gas, I shift sort of like an angry bus driver in a 1970 school bus with 4 on the floor and a shifter that requires 50 pounds of force to move it from gear to gear. Slightly less force in normal commute mode. ;)

mikes2017gt said:

If I could get my GT to shift like "snick-snick-snick" into gears instead "ram it forward and backwards and hope I hit the gates" I'd probably sleep in my car. I have tried every combination of "finessing it" and "muscling it" and have found that the stock shifter does not like finesse...you'll grind gears if you try to shift it like a 90's Japanese 2,500 pound car.

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Oh you'll love the MGW. It's more effort than your 90's Hondas, but is so precise. I hate the sloppiness of the stock shifter, particularly now that mine is at nearly 50k miles. You gotta do the fluid though, too. The two together is the combo to beat. Buttery.

Thanks, BmacIL. I'll most probably pull the trigger during the next sale...hopefully before XMas. 10% off is good money saved on a shifter+knob+whatever purchase. I'll do the fluid as well. Thought about going with the BG fluid with the stock trans, but figured I'd just wait and do the whole thing at once.

mikes2017gt said:

Thanks, BmacIL. I'll most probably pull the trigger during the next sale...hopefully before XMas. 10% off is good money saved on a shifter+knob+whatever purchase. I'll do the fluid as well. Thought about going with the BG fluid with the stock trans, but figured I'd just wait and do the whole thing at once.

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I wouldn't bother waiting. The fluid even makes the stock shifter seem worlds better. If the MGW + BG is a 9 or 10, and stock is 1 or 2, stock + BG is at least a 4, maybe 5.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming of the Clutch Spring. Yes, it works very well.

mikes2017gt said:

Thanks, BmacIL. I'll most probably pull the trigger during the next sale...hopefully before XMas. 10% off is good money saved on a shifter+knob+whatever purchase. I'll do the fluid as well. Thought about going with the BG fluid with the stock trans, but figured I'd just wait and do the whole thing at once.

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Yeah, as [MENTION=10281]BmacIL[/MENTION] said there is barely any vibration increase with the MGW. It may be a little bit more than stock, but at this point I don't even remember how the stock shifter feels since I have had in out of my car for almost a year.

The shifter sits a tad bit to the right of the console so that it has space to the left for when you shift into reverse.

And BG transmission fluids is definitely recommended. I had the MGW installed without the fluid and it felt great, but when I got the fluid swapped over to BG, the shifter became even better! I was very skeptical that the fluid would have any noticeable effect, but when I first drove the car after the fluid swap, the difference was felt immediately (and I mean even with the car just sitting stationary and going through the gears). It got rid of the little "nibbles" that were present during some of the gear changes and made the effort to shift from gear to gear easier and smoother.

ScottsGT said:

Ever watch a dog or cat try to walk after putting tape across the bottom of their paws?

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No I do not iknow what that looks like. And I'm not likely to try again after my wounds heal.

Too me the clutch felt lighter after the steeda spring. Still adjusting to downshift. This spring everyone needs. Clutch feel vastly improved.