Question about Transmission upgrade

[Midnight_Raven]

Hey guys,

So I need to rebuild my trans since my syncros for 3rd gear are bad. I was thinking of upgrading to 6 speed but it cost way too much to do that. Next option was the JDM Type-R setup which seems popular for most of the guys around here. But I was not too sure if Type-R fanboyism have made views biased so I decided to do some calculations to get down to the truth. So I created a spreadsheet that has the differences between US gear set, JDM gearset, Type-R gear set, and US with Type-R final drive. (I did do a search and I know there is a thread out there with plots but I was having a hard time finding it. If someone has favorited that thread please post it. I would like to look at that data too.) ( Just realized I screwed up one of the forumulas so I redid the spreadsheet and it's now correct.

Relative to the stock US 5 speed:
Looking at the new data it seems that the US gearset with the Type-R final drive is a definite improvement over the stock setup. The type-R setup is best up to 130 mph. The JDM gearset seems like the middleman that doesn't hurt top speed but still gives you better accerleation throughout.

What do you guys think?

*Data from science of speed gear ratio charts.
**Table of times from 0 to X mph

 

[RYU]

There are a few pretty detailed threads (The Wiki is pretty good http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Gears) on this already but it's a fun subject so here are my thoughts fwiw.

I don't think there is a perfect gearset for all tracks or canyon driving conditions. It also makes a difference if you're NA or SC or Turbo. The power and power bands are all different which yield different usable rpm ranges.

I was convinced I wanted the JDM short gears and the 4.23 NSX-R R&P for the longest time however, after getting a few track sessions under my belt I realized I hated busy shifting. For example, a OSG 4.4 will force you to shift many more times as you approach redline quicker in each gear. A CTSC like I have makes the factory R&P much more enjoyable and useful but the USDM still has the long 2nd gear which is why i'd like the JDM gearset with the stock 4.06 final. I'd still choose a 6spd if the price of admission wasn't so incredibly high with all things considered.

The pull and torque from a 4.23 or 4.4 is A LOT of fun though! 5gear with a 4.44 on a hwy cruise is not so fun esp with a loud exhaust

I guess it all depends what kind of driving you enjoy most and which gear set best suits most of your driving conditions/style.

 

[Midnight_Raven]

There are a few pretty detailed threads (The Wiki is pretty good http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Gears) on this already but it's a fun subject so here are my thoughts fwiw.

I don't think there is a perfect gearset for all tracks or canyon driving conditions. It also makes a difference if you're NA or SC or Turbo. The power and power bands are all different which yield different usable rpm ranges.

I was convinced I wanted the JDM short gears and the 4.23 NSX-R R&P for the longest time however, after getting a few track sessions under my belt I realized I hated busy shifting. For example, a OSG 4.4 will force you to shift many more times as you approach redline quicker in each gear. A CTSC like I have makes the factory R&P much more enjoyable and useful but the USDM still has the long 2nd gear which is why i'd like the JDM gearset with the stock 4.06 final. I'd still choose a 6spd if the price of admission wasn't so incredibly high with all things considered.

The pull and torque from a 4.23 or 4.4 is A LOT of fun though! 5gear with a 4.44 on a hwy cruise is not so fun esp with a loud exhaust

I guess it all depends what kind of driving you enjoy most and which gear set best suits most of your driving conditions/style.

I know what you mean. I think the Type-R setup is probably the best for most tracks because it's advantage is in the range were you most of the time will be running at. Top speed will suffer which to me would kind of kill the specialness of the NSX. If I wanted a car that accelerated quick but had low top speed I could of bought an Evo or impreza if you get my drift. There is something special knowing your car can actually hit some pretty high speeds if you wanted to. That's why I was fancying the idea of just the JDM 5 speed with regular final drive. Top speed theoretically should still be the same since the last gear is the same for both US and JDM gear sets but you'll accelerate better down low.

I really wish I could do the 6 speed upgrade but I got a quote of 12K to do that.... I could buy a turbo set up for almost that amount.

 

[DRIFTER]

I have the full JDM gear set and NSX-R final drive. I like it a lot for the street. On Back road twisties it keeps the RPMs up and in the torque range that makes it a blast to drive. But on long strates of a track you will be slower. The 6 speed is the way to go if you got the money. I hardly ever have my car over 100 and mostly enjoy back MTN roads so I opted for the 5 speed. It fits my driving style I feel it was worth every Penney. If your going FI keep the oem gear set.

 

[goldNSX]

I had the long gears before and it was slow as a lama esp. in the moutains. Added short gears and 4.23 was much better. Added CTSC plus quite small tires in diameter (255/35/18) and IT IS bloody hell faster now, real fun. The CTSC likes rpm too, so short gears are not a drawback. Like Drifter mentioned before I'm very seldomly above 100 mph. If that's the case for your driving too than the 6-speed is a complete waste of money. I would a 5-speed and put the rest in a CTSC.