I have an '04 WRX wagon. It has about 3200 miles on it. I've only had it for a month....anyway, when I take off in first and bring it to about 5.5 to 6k rpms and shift to second, the shift is very abrupt. Has anyone else found this to be strange? It feels like something is going to break.

 

Shifting depends more on technique than anything else. If you let the clutch out fast, it will really kick into gear. Can you describe the problem a little more please?

 

I've found that the smoothest shift no matter how you release the clutch is at about 2750rpm.

 

Not to point out the painfully obvious, but shifting at 6k in first gear is not typical day-to-day driving (or should not be if you want that car and transmission to last past 30k miles). It sounds like you are letting out the clutch too fast and also experiencing the sudden loss of power when you go "off boost" at that RPM; this is much more noticeable in 1st than in 2nd or 3rd because the engine is not producing that much exhaust in 1st and is more likely to go to negative PSI during a shift. If you watch a boost gauqe carefully (most likely you don't have one?) you'll see that needle PLUNGE into the negative between 1st and 2nd but barely budge between 4rth and 5th; at least that's my experience.

Also, 2nd gear seems to have a lot more torque/power than first; I notice when I do fast takeoffs (accelerating to get on the highway for example) that the cars in the rearview mirror really start to vanish when I shift to second -- perhaps that is the "grab" that you are feeling?

In any case, the tranny is tuned for shifting at 2.6 to 3k, not for shifting at 6k -- most people who like getting over 11 MPG and having their car live a long time don't drive around with WOT all the time, although it is indeed tough to resist the impulse.

 

yeah, you're right....I don't drive like that all the time and I don't plan on drag racing it. I'm more into nice meandering roads and road racing.

 

....I don't have gauges yet but I will in the next couple of weeks. I putting in oil, fuel and boost gauges on the pillar.