Jumping out of 4th?

[erlrich]

Just wanted to check with you guys, see if anyone else has run into this yet. During the last day of the school at Roebling this weekend I had the car come out of fourth gear twice. Both times were going into fast sweepers (once in turn 3 and once in turn 8); when I would lift slightly to set up for corner entry and then go back to the gas the tranny had jumped into neutral. I'm pretty sure I had gone all the way into gear, as I had been on the gas in fourth gear just prior to lifting, so I don't think short-shifting was the culprit. I was wondering if anyone else has run into this with the ITA 240, and if this means the beginning of the end for the tranny or if maybe there is some adjustment I can do to remedy this problem.

Thanks.

[Joe Harlan]

Just wanted to check with you guys, see if anyone else has run into this yet. During the last day of the school at Roebling this weekend I had the car come out of fourth gear twice. Both times were going into fast sweepers (once in turn 3 and once in turn 8); when I would lift slightly to set up for corner entry and then go back to the gas the tranny had jumped into neutral. I'm pretty sure I had gone all the way into gear, as I had been on the gas in fourth gear just prior to lifting, so I don't think short-shifting was the culprit. I was wondering if anyone else has run into this with the ITA 240, and if this means the beginning of the end for the tranny or if maybe there is some adjustment I can do to remedy this problem.

Thanks.
[/b]

Syncro bands and likely the input bearing has some wear. I would sy time to rebuild or replace. One thing I know for sure is it won't fix itself.

[handfulz28]

Easy fix is not to lift OK, so 3 can be a bit scary since you have to brake hard at the exit but the 240 can handle it. 8 (or is it 9?) onto the front straight should be flat out, assuming decent handling/tires; actually, I'd have to check the video but I might have short-shifted into 5th at the top of the hill before turning in.
Seriously though, I've had the shifter seem to not want to stay in 2nd or 4th. I thought it might've been something simple like the rubber boot or something further down in the shifter. I'm on the same tranny though, haven't changed anything, and it hasn't been a problem lately.
HTH.
Michael
ITA 240sx

[slickS14]

Turn 3 at Roebling is definately flat-out and a key to turn a quick lap as well as the turn 8-9-front straight combo...but anyways on to the tranny issue. Joe is probably right but I have also experienced a fatiguing shift fork or slightly loose shifter bolts to cause similar symptons in my ITS car. Probably time to yank it out and go through it while there are enough parts inside to re-use. Don't you know that if you lug around a spare tranny to the track your car will not break...hahaha

[erlrich]

Thanks guys - kind of figured this was a sign of something impending, thought I would ask just to be sure. I do have a spare (used) tranny (didn't have it at the track though ), guess I'll stick that one in and maybe see if I can figure out what's happening with the old one. Then again, used 240SX trannies are a dime a dozen, so maybe it's just time to start looking for the next spare.

As far as turns 3 and 8 at Roebling, yes our chief instructor (Adam Maley) as well as my personal instructor (Tom Fowler) told us all weekend that the better handling cars could take both flat out; unfortunately my car doesn't yet fall into that category . Starting with the full-tread Toyos, throwing in a car that was 200 lbs overweight (over the revised weight!), add in poor setup (I got on the scales for the first time this weekend - cross weights were off by > 100 lbs), and as I found out you end up with something less than a great handling car. Oh well, I guess at least I know what I need to work on next.