Yikes. I have to believe this was an anomaly. I own the A8 myself, but I've driven a couple of M6s with stick and the Tremec was very smooth and easy to engage. It was a lot of fun.

 

I have a Scat Pack Shaker with M6 in production right now. I test drove one about 4 years ago ( new vehicle) and was ok with it. I honestly think the 6 forward speeds is overkill, because when I’m driving my Mustang GT (with less power and torque) around town, I’ll frequently skip gears on the way up. I remember the 392 would pull from a near stop in 3rd with no lugging.

I think there is often a lot of variation in linkages from car to car, especially on used. I owned a Fox Mustang and that 5 speed linkage was almost universally hated. I loved it. I also had a Honda CRX Si, and unlike most drivers, I found it sloppy and rubbery.

if I don’t like this linkage, I guess I’ll bite the bullet and buy the Barton.

 

odds are, you'll probably change the shifter - if you can connect with some that has an aftermarket shifter you'll immediately notice the differences

 

Clutch delay valve is probably part of what you were feeling.

It’s extremely obvious to long time manual drivers. I took mine out shortly after buying my car.

 

.....There was so much clunking going from 1st to 2nd it is hard to believe this is a modern day transmission. Should have been like cutting butter.

My wife and I have driven over 400k combined miles with sticks. This was by far the worse.

From the factory, a Clutch Delay Valve is installed, like on most modern manual transmission vehicles.

If you want your factory clutch to be better, you have to remove the plastick thingy. But its still a hydraulic clutch. I really enjoy the old days driving cars where all you've got is a fork and throwout bearing connected to your foot pedal, but the current Scat Pack is the next best thing after removing the plastick thingy.

 

I've driven a few stick cars from various manufactures over the years, and I'll say that I prefer the hydraulic units. The one in my Challenger is by far the best one as far as feel and feeback. The shifter, however, is pretty much el stinko.
As for 6 forward gears; 6th is pointless until you're on the interstate and cruising at 85mph and barely turning 2000rpms. That's when it's usefulness becomes crystal clear. When I do have to use the Challenger for my 100mile round trip commute, it's nice to know I can knock down 26mpg on the interstate (provided I behave).

 

Hi,

I have a 2020 Scat Pack M6 and the shift linkage is not all that bad, removing the cdv and getting a skip shift eliminator is some of the first modifications any M6 owner should consider.

I have purchased a Barton shifter, but have yet to install, but by all reviews seems to help firm up the shifts.

Regards,
Jim

 

6th is still too short. A big hemi should be turning 1200 RPM cruising at 75-80mph--it still has plenty of torque down there. Turning 2k+ is just wasteful.

 

So not sure what you mean by "should be broken in by know"? If anything, I found the stock shifter assembly too loose for my taste, which is why I installed a barton OEM shifter which I paired with a Lou short shifter and a shift knob from Speeddawg. Now shift gates are super precise and throws are very short and crisp.

 

So not sure what you mean by "should be broken in by know"?

As this is my first experience with a Challenger stick, I do not know what a "new" stick feels like. At 3k miles however, I think the stick is probably as broken in/would be about as fluid/smooth as one could expect.

There were some comments about the hydraulic clutch being responsible for clunking from 1st to 2nd.
To be clear, I was keeping the clutch fully disengaged and shifting back and forth from 1st to 2nd, back to 1st, back to 2nd, etc.
Engaging and disengaging clutch was not involved.

Perhaps the dealer junked up the transmission to keep people from ordering manuals in order to sell the auto transmission Challengers off of the lot. Not that any dealer would resort to such unscrupulous tactics.

 

Not all M6's are as you describe. Mine is extremely smooth and has been since I bought it brand new. Only change I made was to put a short throw lever on it and I'm happy as can be. Still has the CDV in it but that is coming out next time it's on a lift.

 

What was the outside temp when you tested? I know my tremec does not like the early, cold morning shifts so I take it easy until I get a couple of miles in to get things warmed up. I don't drive in the winter so I usually don't have a problem but around 50F it gets a little finicky those first few miles....especially 1st to 2nd.

 

Once in awhile my 90K mile M6 shift from first to second won't go into second unless I give it a little wiggle to finesse it in.

It has the Stock shifter. It isn't often maybe once or twice in 3 months month, but found when it's cold it happens more than when it's warm.

If the used one you drove at the dealer has been abused in the 3200 miles it has on it, there are better shifters you or the dealer can put on it.

I would never buy a 3200 mile vehicle at a new price. That is a used car. Probably returned after they f'd up the shifter.

 

Let a couple of dozen people who don't know how to drive a stick crunch gears, try to yank it out of gear with the clutch engaged, miss a few power shifts etc and yeah I bet it does shift bad lol

Might was a little notchy when new, but shifts sweet now.

 

Let a couple of dozen people who don't know how to drive a stick crunch gears, try to yank it out of gear with the clutch engaged, miss a few power shifts etc and yeah I bet it does shift bad lol

In my book, if all it takes is a few amateurs to wreck a manual linkage, that is not a good buying point to me.

I had a Ford 4 Speed Top Loader that all my friends used in learning how to drive a stick. Never had any issue.

The tremec isnt as “smooth” as the one in the Mustang 350

For spending 50+ large, and after years of production, the Tremec should be smooth and bulletproof...

I'm a bit confused. Did you actually drive the car?

I did. For about 30 minutes. Than we got some fuel and the ear whisperer drove another 30.

We liked the clutch. The shifter, not so much.

Perhaps I am a geezer, and would never tolerate spending so much money on a car 50 years newer than the first car I bought with a 4 speed($100), and end up with a much much poorer gear shifter. For the record, I have had 4 cars with sticks, as well as a stick Explorer and a 3(maybe a 4) on the tree Econoline. I would rate the Challenger shifter a tad below the Econoline.

 

We’re you in sport mode? The Manuel shifting is super smooth in my 5.7 but I believe it’s the same transmission. I always drive it in sport mode.

3200 is a lot of miles if it wasn’t driven properly. I ordered my car so I know exactly how it was driven.

 

more like beware new car buyers of cars that get test driven period let alone be used as loaners...

at 3,200 miles that challenger was a loaner vehicle at some point and some mouth breathing lead footed buffoon broke the trans. and now the dealership is trying to pawn it off to some unsuspecting poor idiot without fixing it. which is just another one of the common scumbag practices stealerships use to fill their pockets full of middleman cash at the cost of the consumer of course becasue they have no souls apparently.

 

more like beware new car buyers of cars that get test driven period let alone be used as loaners...

at 3,200 miles that challenger was a loaner vehicle at some point and some mouth breathing lead footed buffoon broke the trans. and now the dealership is trying to pawn it off to some unsuspecting poor idiot without fixing it. which is just another one of the common scumbag practices stealerships use to fill their pockets full of middleman cash at the cost of the consumer of course becasue they have no souls apparently.

While not wanting to paint with too broad a brush, these dealerships do exist. With too much frequency. However there are great dealerships out there (@stevewhite), for instance, the dealership where I ordered my Scat Pack, they were great.

 

I’ve owned 3 Challengers, two M6, 2010 R/T and my current 2018 SRT. If I had raced either I would have installed Barton’s. However, for street use I have no problem with the factory linkage.

 

No problem with our M6. OP, I find your thread title misleading. Maybe you should say to avoid this specific M6 car instead. The last 8 of the VIN would help people.

 

No way in hell would I ever buy a challenger with two or three thousand miles on it. I only buy new, and at that I order the car and so nobody except for maybe one service tech has driven it except for me.

 

I test drove a Scat Pack with 300 miles on it. The sales guy told me to run the He!! out of it. No way I would have bought it!

 

For those ordering 6 speeds without driving one, this was my experience yesterday.

Dodge dealer had a "new" 2021 Scat Pack with manual 6 speed.

Clutch was fine.

6 speed linkage was garbage.
Had 3200 miles on the car, so the linkage should have been broken in by now.
Hard to believe even with 300 idiots test driving the car that the linkage could have been destroyed. If so, the linkage is garbage.

There was so much clunking going from 1st to 2nd it is hard to believe this is a modern day transmission. Should have been like cutting butter.

My wife and I have driven over 400k combined miles with sticks. This was by far the worse.

Thanks for posting this as a warning! I just ordered my Scat Pack 6 speed- (thanks for reading my thread! ) and I hope to not have the same experience as you. I hope to have the same experience as most of the You Tube reviewers and most of the Forum members on here which seems to be overwhelmingly happy with the 6 speed.
I plan on installing the Barton shifter as soon as possible.

Here are just two very happy reviewers:

 

I accidentally redlined a new M6 Scat Pack in neutral when the floor mat hung up on the throttle, car had 5 miles on it lol.


Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

Ouch, lol!

 

This post will bring out all the manual guys, they seem to already have a chip on their shoulder as to how manuals are so much better. could easily be ten pages of three pedal goodness and how the op certainly doesn't know how to operate a clutch.
where is the popcorn..lol

 

Almost as bad as the WB crowd...

 

For those ordering 6 speeds without driving one, this was my experience yesterday.

Dodge dealer had a "new" 2021 Scat Pack with manual 6 speed.

Clutch was fine.

6 speed linkage was garbage.
Had 3200 miles on the car, so the linkage should have been broken in by now.
Hard to believe even with 300 idiots test driving the car that the linkage could have been destroyed. If so, the linkage is garbage.

There was so much clunking going from 1st to 2nd it is hard to believe this is a modern day transmission. Should have been like cutting butter.

My wife and I have driven over 400k combined miles with sticks. This was by far the worse.

I have a 22 SPWB 6M, and love it so far. The tremec isnt as “smooth” as the one in the Mustang 350 but its solid, give it a good firm yank like an American between gears while grinning like the cat who ate the canary seems to work well. I’ve also really started to like the 1-4 skip shift for around town. Works great. 700 miles so far on it. Having tons of fun with this Scat Pack but i am already wanting more power. Talked to my dealer today as soon as they can order a manual 6m Hellcat which dodge says is coming late in the model year, I am on it.

 

Man card up to date?

A Guy

 

What a Stupid Thread ! Now lets talk about Sunroofs ! LMAO

 

I only have one car with a sunroof and that's all I need I am happy with my two Challenger hardtops.

 

For those ordering 6 speeds without driving one, this was my experience yesterday.

Dodge dealer had a "new" 2021 Scat Pack with manual 6 speed.

Clutch was fine.

6 speed linkage was garbage.
Had 3200 miles on the car, so the linkage should have been broken in by now.
Hard to believe even with 300 idiots test driving the car that the linkage could have been destroyed. If so, the linkage is garbage.

There was so much clunking going from 1st to 2nd it is hard to believe this is a modern day transmission. Should have been like cutting butter.

My wife and I have driven over 400k combined miles with sticks. This was by far the worse.

Put me down as being quite happy with my 2020 Scat Pack's shifter/transmission. I never bothered to remove the CDV or disable skip shift or install an aftermarket shifter. Shifter was great right out of the box.

Reads like you came upon a car with either a bad shifter -- damaged? -- or a bad transmission.

I bought a used car -- low miles -- and the shifting was kind of crummy. Figured it was "normal". Shift linkage broke. On the tech's advice I agreed to let him install a factory shifter from a newer model of car. A bit better feel but still the shifting left something to be desired.

Then a transmission seal started leaking. Long story short under the car's CPO warranty a new transmission was installed. The difference between the new transmission and the old one was night and day. The shifting of the new transmission was superb. Put over 150K miles on the car and about 120K miles on the car with the new transmission. Nary a problem with the shifter, transmission or clutch.

The car was low miles: < 10K; well maintained, not abused or raced or mod'd. Just the luck of the assembly line I guess paired the car with a lousy transmission.

 

The clanking that OP referred to is the slack on the driveline. Reason he's having a clunking is that he's driving slow on the parking lot. That said clunking is not exhibit when on higher rpm. Rev it up