3rd Gear Lockout

[Mongojoe]

When pushing my 1LE hard up through the gears (shifting above 5K), 3rd occasionally seems blocked out on 2nd to 3rd until the revs drop. Have made no mods to the car (not even Skip Shift override...yet).

Any ideas? Thanks!

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

Originally Posted by Mongojoe

When pushing my 1LE hard up through the gears (shifting above 5K), 3rd occasionally seems blocked out on 2nd to 3rd until the revs drop. Have made no mods to the car (not even Skip Shift override...yet).

Any ideas? Thanks!

Mongojoe,

Sorry to read of your transmission concerns. I understand the displeasure when dealing with a matter like this. Although you're seeking opinions from others, I'd be happy to communicate your concerns with the Customer Experience Managers (CEM) at your GM dealer of choice. Please know that you're welcome to message us privately if you would like to discuss this further, or if you simply want this matter documented.

William R.
Chevrolet Customer Care

[Mongojoe]

Thanks William. Wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this. Like I said, only happens when pushed very hard, and then only occasionally. I'll bring it up at my next service in a few weeks.

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

Originally Posted by Mongojoe

Thanks William. Wanted to see if anyone else had experienced this. Like I said, only happens when pushed very hard, and then only occasionally. I'll bring it up at my next service in a few weeks.

You're welcome,

And I certainly realize your desire to get feedback from the forum. Don't hesitate to keep us posted on this situation and know that we're here if additional assistance is needed in working with the dealer.

,

William R.
Chevrolet Customer Care

[Camarotobeornottobe]

OP, I don't think I have experienced this. However, once, I "missed" third. By that, I mean I hit the spot between 1st and 3rd when trying to upshift quickly from 2nd at high RPMs. I knew exactly what I did, and I was able to catch it quick and not release the clutch peddle. I then did multiple hard runs being conscious of my earlier mistake and had no further problems.

Is there a chance that you are doing this too? Supposedly, the MGW shifter specifically addresses this common user error by increasing the spring rate so that it more strongly pulls the shifter to the 3rd gear gate when pulling out of 2nd.

[GTKILLER]

It happens a lot to me when I power shift my car on nitrous at the track. My problem is I was not shifting fast enough and it locks you out engine rpms die. That's the main reason I'm switching to automatic

[javi05]

these trans are tricky.. ive learned how to shift it just right and i have avoided all issues the 1le is known to have.. change your shifting patterns.. make sure you foot goes all the way down on clutch.. it takes some time.. and i have had mine in for a 1st 2nd gear sync replacement.. etc... now its like its supposed to be.. goodluck

[Billy10mm]

Originally Posted by javi05

these trans are tricky.. ive learned how to shift it just right and i have avoided all issues the 1le is known to have.. change your shifting patterns.. make sure you foot goes all the way down on clutch.. it takes some time.. and i have had mine in for a 1st 2nd gear sync replacement.. etc... now its like its supposed to be.. goodluck

How are these transmissions tricky? The transmission in my 1LE is fantastic, divine would be a word I use. It is precise. It has short, positive throws with well spaced gates. The clutch takeup is smooth and predictable.

What exactly is the "tricky" part of these transmissions? Your foot should go "all the way down" on all manuals.

[Camarotobeornottobe]

LOL, OP, I did it again today.

If you go to pull a hard run, it is easy to miss third. As you pull up from second, if you don't allow the shifter to "spring" back to the center some (or you don't push it over manually), it is really easy to hit that spot between 1st and 3rd. Feels like a "lockout" or bind.

Today, after being conscious of my error, I made no less than 20 full throttle runs up through 3rd. Smooth as butter. Just be conscious that you come over to the center as you try and push up to catch 3rd.

Again, MGW specifically advertises a higher spring force pulling the shifter back to center to avoid the 2nd to 3rd miss. FYI

[07-SRT]

Just read there is a recall on some 2014 Manual Transmissions- Linkage Recall 14368

I have a 14 SS with the factory 5.1 ratio short throw shifter and I can honesty say I have never missed a full throttle shift in any gear. IMO the tremec is one of the easier transmissions to shift coming from a 5.0 MT82 where I was locked out of 3rd on full throttle shifts frequently.....

[Camarotobeornottobe]

There is a difference between "missing" a gear and being "locked out" of a gear. One is user error (or at least user interaction with the design) and one is a mechanical problem.

It's a good shifter, but I'm betting the OP had the former.

And the recall is unrelated. Not being a dick, just saying.

[javi05]

Originally Posted by Billy10mm

How are these transmissions tricky? The transmission in my 1LE is fantastic, divine would be a word I use. It is precise. I has short, positive throws with well spaced gates. The clutch takeup is smooth and predictable.

What exactly is the "tricky" part of these transmissions? Your foot should go "all the way down" on all manuals.

the bucking? the noise going at slow speeds? the sometimes second gear lockout at high rpms? i had all these issues.. got the 1st and 2nd gears replaced at 5k miles and syncros.. after that rebuild i have had no lock out in 2nd.or any problems what so ever. and the noise like i said you can pretty much eliminate by driving it a little different than the norm. the bucking also.. calm down there..

[Billy10mm]

Originally Posted by javi05

the bucking? the noise going at slow speeds? the sometimes second gear lockout at high rpms? i had all these issues.. got the 1st and 2nd gears replaced at 5k miles and syncros.. after that rebuild i have had no lock out in 2nd.or any problems what so ever. and the noise like i said you can pretty much eliminate by driving it a little different than the norm. the bucking also.. calm down there..

There is some minor driveline lash, less than the lash that was present in my Subaru Forester .... and that has nothing to do with the clutch or transmission. What "bucking" are you referring to? There is a bit of a clutch rattle that you can hear at stand still, but that doesn't make the transmission any harder or easier to drive - it's nothing more than a sound.

2nd gear lockout? Are we talking about skip-shift? You had 1st and 2nd gears replaced ... something very few, if any, other people have had done. So what you meant to say was, "My 1LE had some transmission issues, yours might be defective too." ... which is very different from, "these trans are tricky" and "it takes some time". The former indicates that there might be a mechanical problem with a select few vehicles. The latter indicates that there is something fundamentally wrong with the design of the transmission in the 1LE.

Considering the transmission in my 1LE is better, by leaps and bounds, than the manual in my E46 3-series, the C7 Stingray (which is actually pretty terrible), the Mazda Miata (which defined what a sports-car shifter should be like), and the last 996 Carrera 2 I drove (which had a superb transmission) .... I'd say the 1LE's transmission design was impeccable. The only manual transmission I've driven that's as good as the unit in the 1LE is the unit in the Honda S2000.

And I'm quite calm, thank you for your concern.

[X25]

When you rev hard, the engine compesses one of the engine mounts (and stretches the other), twisting a bit. Transmission will not twist as much due to tolerances and flex, so the shifting will be slightly misaligned. This happens with pretty much every car, which is why I usually stiffen the engine mounts of every car I go to track with.

Hopefully, it's not any other issue, and slowing the shifts and/or engaging the clutch better should help. As was also mentioned by Randy Pobst, this transmission does not like to be rushed.