[BavarianMotorWorks]

Hey guys so I have a 135i with the manual transmission. I have had the car now for about one year now and even after all this time I feel like shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and somewhat shifting from 2nd to 3rd is tough to do "smoothly"

Now I am doing this while the A/C is off because I know that effects how you have to shift and I am not trying to shift super fast just shifting naturally.

Basically if I am following traffic and rev 1st up to 3-3.5k and try to shift into 2nd I either have to A) wait a long time for the revs to drop so I can "rev match" into 2nd but it sometimes feels like an eternity waiting for it to drop so I can get into 2nd and get going again or I can B) try to let out the cluth early and try to get on the gas a little early but this results in "pulling" the revs down to where it should be when 2nd engages. If I rev to 4k in 1st this process is even worse.

So...is it partly the way I'm engaging the gears that this causing this? Should I get on the gas while feathering the clutch to make the transition more smooth? I have read about and heard the CDV delete helps a bunch in shifting from 1st to 2nd but from my situation that I just described will the way I'm driving help if I get rid of the CDV?

[DaFish]

Originally Posted by davidjbak

Hey guys so I have a 135i with the manual transmission. I have had the car now for about one year now and even after all this time I feel like shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and somewhat shifting from 2nd to 3rd is tough to do "smoothly"

Now I am doing this while the A/C is off because I know that effects how you have to shift and I am not trying to shift super fast just shifting naturally.

Basically if I am following traffic and rev 1st up to 3-3.5k and try to shift into 2nd I either have to A) wait a long time for the revs to drop so I can "rev match" into 2nd but it sometimes feels like an eternity waiting for it to drop so I can get into 2nd and get going again or I can B) try to let out the cluth early and try to get on the gas a little early but this results in "pulling" the revs down to where it should be when 2nd engages. If I rev to 4k in 1st this process is even worse.

So...is it partly the way I'm engaging the gears that this causing this? Should I get on the gas while feathering the clutch to make the transition more smooth? I have read about and heard the CDV delete helps a bunch in shifting from 1st to 2nd but from my situation that I just described will the way I'm driving help if I get rid of the CDV?

I have a 335i, I just complained to the dealer about exactly this. I have to wait 2 seconds for the revs to drop so the Synchro lines up in Second. The M3 engine drops so fast it isn't a factor (same tranny). Is there a way to get this to drop the revs faster without changing the flywheel or something. I heard there was some kind of valve.....

Anyone?

[blacknbean]

CDV helps a lot in the 1-2 shift but you still have to time it right depending on your RPMs

[prelude2perfect]

Get rid of the CDV and buy a clutch stop. Those two combined solved that same problem for me

[DaFish]

Originally Posted by prelude2perfect

Get rid of the CDV and buy a clutch stop. Those two combined solved that same problem for me

HI. Would you be able to provide links to the products to get please? My car is going in for suspension soon, and I want this done too.

How many hours of labour to get it in?

Cost?

Thanks a ton.

[brycey2010]

i did the cdv mod and clutch stop yesterday, easy mods to do, it has improved the operation of the 6mt, but in my opinion not by a whole lot, ill give it some more time, maybe i will notice more of a difference.

[DR_E92]

Go to burgermotorsports.com they have it for sale for like $20.

Its literally a 5 min job for anyone that's done it before.

[Jonny550]

downpipes eliminated my 1-2-3 rough shifts

[brycey2010]

i have a clutch stop for sale $13 shipped
brycey1@hotmail.com
Rich

[Alan l.]

The CDV will not solve the revs taking a long time to come down. All it does is control how fast the clutch engages etc...

I my car does the same thing and the only way to get around it is to short shift before the rpms go over 2500

Alan

[flip4335]

OP, I found that shifting when the car is just started a little shaky because it is cold. After awhile, the shifting becomes easier.

When the vehicle is cold, there is nothing one could do to get smooth shifting easily. After it is warmed up, though, I usually shift gears between 3-3500 rpm and shift quickly and engage the clutch before the tach drops below 2000 rpm. Shifts seem to be smoother when you engage the clutch above 2k rpm. Also, try keeping your hand on the shifter, rather than letting go to put your hand on the steering wheel, while you are shifting up. For some reason, my shifts feel smoother when I keep my hand lightly on the shifter without gripping it tightly following a shift from first to second and then to third. My goal is to get into third as quickly as possible because the torque is not as great on my 335i in third gear. I can even turn right into a side street in third without feeling that I am lugging it....mostly due to the big torque at the bottom end...tach needle doesn't go below 1500 rpm in third when I am doing 25 mph...

When first starting out, I make sure my left heel is planted on the floor board as I let up about halfway while applying pressure on the accelerator. Once the car begins to get underway, I can lift the clutch pedal to fully engage the gear (once the car is rolling). I don't look at the tach as much as listen to the engine and feel the car start rolling.

Most of the time, I listen to the engine unwind and shift when it starts getting into the upper db sound levels before I shift gears. When you could do that without looking at the tach, you start to get a real good feel on when to shift without depending upon the visual indicators of the tach. Amazingly, if you do look at the tach after shifting without, you will find that you would be shifting around 3-3500 rpm and reengaging the clutch around 2k rpm. Ironic, isn't it?

Also, you start to shift faster when you shift according to the sound of the engine. Be sure not to step on the gas until you have engaged the clutch. That way, you won't be lurching or feel like you are dropping the clutch too soon.

Check it out and let me know how you fare.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by davidjbak

Basically if I am following traffic and rev 1st up to 3-3.5k and try to shift into 2nd I either have to A) wait a long time for the revs to drop so I can "rev match" into 2nd but it sometimes feels like an eternity waiting for it to drop so I can get into 2nd

My advice is, find someone who drives a 6MT 135i or 335i and ride with them to get a feel for the rhythm. I'm betting you will get it almost immediately.

[Express]

grind em till you find em

[BavarianMotorWorks]

hey guys thanks for all your repsonses to my thread

so let me make things a little clearer. it's not that I don't know how to shift smoothly. I can but only if either wait for the revs to drop before I start to engage the cluth OR if I get on the gas while slipping the cluth, I guess to "soften" the engage of the cluth to the transmission and then can get on the gas while releasing the clutch.

I just feel that if I'm in first gear and need to accerlate quick, for example if I'm coming up to a turn and am rolling in first very slowly and see that cars are coming but I can start to go I want to rev up to like 3.5k and then shift into 2nd. But it feels like an eternity before I can engage back into 2nd and I can start to see the cars closing pretty quickly waiting for the revs to drop. If I try to engage earlier I feel that I need to add gas and start slipping to smooth it out and I feel that I might be burning my clutch to much, or maybe I'm being to paranoid?

Basically I have heard of either the CDV delete, short shifter, or clutch stop helping in my situation but I'm wondering what makes it better? Someone mentioned that we can't help how fast the revs drop because of the flywheel but I was thinking maybe if the CDV is gone it helps the clutch grab with more authority when engaging the next gear instead of having the clutch slip? I hope this makes sense.

[themyst]

CDV delete will help with this 110%. Best mod I've ever done.

[DJKhan85]

I recently did the CDV and I can't say if the shifting has gotten better yet. It has changed the clutch engagement but the 1 to 2 shift is the same. The difference in ratios is whats really causing these issues. You just have to get used to it or skip 2nd all together. I skip 2nd and 5th when cold because those gears SUCK when cold.

I'm changing to redline d4atf next weekend. Hopefully that makes a noticeable change. If that sucks I'll change to Royal Purple synchromax. if that sucks I'll call it quits and get an automatic

[themyst]

Originally Posted by DJKhan85

I recently did the CDV and I can't say if the shifting has gotten better yet. It has changed the clutch engagement but the 1 to 2 shift is the same. The difference in ratios is whats really causing these issues. You just have to get used to it or skip 2nd all together. I skip 2nd and 5th when cold because those gears SUCK when cold.

I'm changing to redline d4atf next weekend. Hopefully that makes a noticeable change. If that sucks I'll change to Royal Purple synchromax. if that sucks I'll call it quits and get an automatic

It's not supposed to change your clutch engagement. You didn't bleed the line while doing the CDV, did you?

[DJKhan85]

Originally Posted by themyst

It's not supposed to change your clutch engagement. You didn't bleed the line while doing the CDV, did you?

Of course I bled it. Twice. It didn't change the engagement point it changed how the clutch engages. Thats the whole point.

[themyst]

ok, just making sure. The main thing the CDV mod does is not have to ride the clutch out while the damn thing is engaging, you can pop in and out of gears with ease. It's like riding a bike though; once you get it, you get it.

[DJKhan85]

Originally Posted by themyst

ok, just making sure. The main thing the CDV mod does is not have to ride the clutch out while the damn thing is engaging, you can pop in and out of gears with ease. It's like riding a bike though; once you get it, you get it.

Thats a much better description than I gave and it's spot on.

[texas2009]

Originally Posted by themyst

ok, just making sure. The main thing the CDV mod does is not have to ride the clutch out while the damn thing is engaging, you can pop in and out of gears with ease. It's like riding a bike though; once you get it, you get it.

Please tell me what that means. Do you mean that I don't need to let the clutch out all the way before switching gears?

[i2iSTUDIOS]

I have found to shift smoothly and quickly from 1 to 2 I have the let the cluthch reengage at a higher point then I disengage it at. Bizzare but it works for me. The threat of grinding though happens when doing the same for 2 to 3.