Some Shifting Questions

[Shogun506]

Here are some super noob shifting questions I want to clarify as this is my first manual transmission car. I come from a motorcycle background where the shifting is a little different and a little quicker.

 

When I start my car or my bike from a stop, I do the normal "let the clutch out while applying the throttle" behaviour to get the vehicle going and it works fine. After starting when I shift gears on my bike I can go full clutch in and full gas off, shift quickly, let the clutch out quickly and get back on the gas and have no issues from 1-2 etc. When I shift gears in my LGT, especially from 1-2 I find I need to slowly let the clutch out while adding throttle like on a start to get the shift to be smooth, otherwise the car jerks as I let the clutch out after changing to 2. I'm a little concerned about clutch wear since I've always heard you shouldn't apply gas with the clutch partially engaged. Is this the correct method of shifting?

 

Second question - in the manual it states not to drive the vehicle in neutral or with the clutch held in. I always shift into neutral when approaching a stop such as a red light. I've been told holding the clutch in instead of shifting to neutral is also bad for it but can't see why. Any insight here?

 

Final question - I have heard varying advice on this one but is it necessary to fully depress the clutch pedal to the floor on every shift in this car or is it safe to shift once the clutch has passed the engagement point? I only ask because my pedal seems to be much harder to press for the final 2.5 inches from the floor but only engages about 1/4 of the way off the floor. I've been depressing the pedal fully only to start the car moving and to shift from 1-2, all other shifts I've been pushing it past the engagement point and shifting with no strange sounds or difficulties. Again, only concerned with how to get the best life out of the clutch here.

 

Thanks for any help, I want to get into the best possible habits from the start. Also worth mentioning is the previous owner apparently put an Exedy stage 2 clutch in there which might be the reason it is easy to grab hard.

[ras06LGT]

Depending on how fast the RPMs fall or how long you take to shift you may need to feather the clutch on every gear change (by feather I mean let the clutch out slowly so it doesn't jerk). This is totally normal and fine for the clutch. As you learn the car better you will adjust your shift speed so that you basically finish the shift at exactly the right RPM and you can release the clutch pretty quick. You can apply gas while the clutch is partially engaged to help match RPMs. It will be fine as long as you are not flooring it while slipping the clutch.

 

Keeping the clutch depressed for long periods of time can potentially cause excessive throw-out-bearing wear. Is it enough to worry about? Probably not. I usually shift into neutral at stop lights to save my leg from having to hold down the pedal. When approaching a light I leave it in gear because the car will actually shut off the injectors if you are off-throttle in gear and coasting down. I progressively down shift up to a light in case the light changes.

 

Pushing the clutch pedal to the floor on each shift is more of a fail-safe way to ensure the clutch is fully disengaged before shifting. It also ensures the least engagement possible during shifting and will lead to the least amount of wear. Technically, you can shift just fine when you disengage it to just past the friction point but it's really not best practice unless you are quick shifting for drag racing or track use. I push the clutch fully all the time. The clutch effort should really be pretty linear throughout the entire pedal travel.

 

Hope this helps.

[Shogun506]

Thanks a lot that's what I wanted to know!

[Max Capacity]

When you have the tranny out. look at Moore Performance blast plates. The tranny will shift so much easier.

 

I also coast to stop sign's and when going down big hills on the backroads, even on the highway if no ones around. Clutch out always. Don't ride the TOB.

[crisscross]

It's a good idea to shift into neutral with the brake on after you stop at a light. However. don't slow down in neutral or roll down hills with the engine disengaged or you'll lose all engine braking, a factor which would reduce wear on the brakes when you stop. You don't need to downshift it you are slowing down unless you want additional braking. You always can stop in a high gear as long as there is no need to accelerate. As you go through the gears in the process of acceleration, you can let the clutch out faster in each higher gear. One important thing is to know how slow you can go in first with your foot clear of the clutch. This is helpful in stop and go traffic where even a slow creep is enough to avoid needing the clutch. If it does need to be a stop, then shift into neutral. Never ride with the clutch part way down except when you are backing up. In that case the clutch can control your speed really well for that short distance. If it ever gets hard to shift, you need to replace the clutch unit. I thought it was only when it started slipping but mine went when it was hard to shift.

[SSpeed]

Keeping the clutch in a lot can also cause wear on the crankshaft thrust bearing. Think of the old crankwalk problem in 2g DSMs, that was wear on the thrust bearing.