Yeah, but you used the "B" word, boost.

 

When I had my Exedy race clutch in my G2 teg and it was starting to go it would grind going into third and reverse. So it could be the clutch

 

It may be a bad combo driveability wise than a closer ratio'd gearbox, but I swear it's faster than a z6 with a EX/Si gearbox. I have a D15B7 with a cx tranny, and I wax EX's all day long around here with my wimpy (estimated) 108hp motor. At least to 75mph I can. Usually by several cars, sometimes a few bus-lengths if it's an automatic.

The gears are so tall that you HAVE to blip the gas and rev to about 3000 rpms from a stop just to get the car moving. That wears out clutch discs really fast. The reason they're tall is that the CX's D15B8 motor makes more torque than any other SOHC Honda engine does, and does it by 2000 RPMs. It's far less likely to stall on you than their other SOHC engines that don't make any torque until you break 4500 RPMs. Those engines have to rely on inertia of the flywheel to get you moving if you have a CX gearbox. So with the CX gearbox, Lightweight flywheel=BAD.

While you can wind the crap out of it and slam the 1-2 (with only a mild "clunk" sound), the shift points for each gear after that are pretty far apart, so until you learn the RPMs your engine needs to be at to slip easily into gear, it will fight you. You'll get used to it (personally, I like it). Watch that tachometer you installed when you hit third. You'll notice it drops like crazy, below your car's "sweet spot" in the power band. You'll want to shift about 750 RPMs before you get to that point, not as soon as you leave 2nd. If you wait, it will shift smoothly. Don't force it into 3rd every time, the synchros can't take it, and you will break it eventually. Having a heavy hand on the shifter is a sure way to break stuff really fast. You have to let the synchros do their jobs.

Synchros work best when they don't have to drastically change the speed of the gearshafts. They're not designed to go from 7800 RPMs to 3700 RPMS on the flip of a dime. The CX's were never supposed to rev past 5000 RPMs, so that wasn't considered when they picked out the synchros for it.

Supermac, watch that tach. You'll see what I mean. It will drive smoothly, but you have to be patient on the gears with a CX trans.

As for the originator of the thread (HatchVX), do as Kai suggested, and if that fixes it, replace your hydraulics (master/slave). If it tells you nothing, then it could just be that your clutch is worn out. Exide doesn't make good clutches. I don't care if it's economy or a 3-puck. They're crap. I know. I have one. It's lazy. It's 8000 miles old and slips like crazy now. Get an ACT when you're ready for a good clutch.

Replace the master every other clutch (preventative maintenance) if you stay OEM. You should replace the slave cylinder every time regardless. If you upgrade your clutch, replace both every time.

I don't know where Stafford is, but SS clutch lines (brake lines, oil lines, coolant hoses, etc...) can be custom-fabricated in VA for you while-you-wait at Sutton & Clark. www.suttonclark.com You just need to have the stock hose with you so they have something to go by. Just thought I'd tell you since nobody spoke up about where to buy them pre-manufactured for your car. :thumbup: Maybe try OptionsAuto.com before making the drive.

 

Man, I've been wanting to do that since April when I swapped this DX/CX combo in. The CX 1/2 rules. It's everything after that that sucks. The gearshafts HAVE to be interchangeable, and if you could throw a CX 1/2 in a Si gearbox... then no more driveability problems. Er, fewer at least...

It would be great with a small-medium sized turbo, but wouldn't be a good thing with an excessively large turbo (unless you have a shutterbox or N2O) because it would take forever to get it spooled and off the line. Once you do, I bet the pucker factor from it would be about 99%, though... You probably wouldn't need a seatbelt if you know what I mean.

 

Oh... and use a CX 5th... I made if back from Atlanta to Richmond and clocked 44mpg (with a failing distributor).

 

We're about an hour north of Richmond, I go there all the time.

Ever hear of Fredericksburg? We're in the next county north, I-95 exit 143.

 

The other thing with the si/cx combo is that I'd still use the Si final drive, so it would slightly shorten the longer cx gears.

 

Yah! I hate to go OT, but you guys are from VA...That's pretty funny that you come here when DC is just as close... hehe. Richmond can be pretty cool, though. It does have a lot to offer. It's cheap as hell to live here comared to Northern Virginia, and the emission laws here are not enforced, but they still exist.

Sutton and Clark is pretty cool though. A little pricey, but you know you're leaving with the right part when it's made to match the one you bring in. I'm getting them to make my coolant hoses, oil lines and fuel lines soon. It's going to be sick. Definitely a good place to go if you're customizing anything.

If you drag race, do you ever go to Maryland International Raceway, up at Budd's Creek? It's not far from you at all. Dinwiddie?

If you like to make a ton of passes in one night for $15, come to Richmond Dragway for a Test&Tune night. They're in Sandston near the airport. You can make passes as many times as you line up. Usually about 100 cars, and there's a new race every minute unless someone breaks.

 

Hey, that might help a bit with the weak synchro problem, and make it a lot easier to run bigger than 13" wheels. I think you're on to something. Why aren't there Honda gear-shops like there are for Mitsubishi? (www.teamrip.com) I've heard that Jon Ripple has done some Honda gearboxes on the side, but he doesn't advertise it on his website. I don't think he wants to do it, though, he just can.

Someone should start a business like his for Honda stuff. If they know what they're doing and have the resources, there's a hefty profit to be made. The D-series transmission cases have been around since '87, and there's tons of parts that should be interchangeable.

 

I have friends in Richmond, I went to VCU last year, so I go to visit them.

We (hatchvx and I) didn't have a chance to go to MIR this past season, but we did manage to squeeze in some runs at Capitol Raceway.