[SON1C]

I've never had a manual car, i've driven several friends, and i mean i can do it, but its not too pretty, the next stang i buy will be manual, just any advice on things that helps when you're new, big things to do and not to do, tips tricks etc?

[Coops6er]

Just practice. You will pretty much just pick it up and it will become a habit.

Find the clutch release point, so you know when the car starts to move forward/

[1996 GT]

Down shift when you go to stop, save some brakes.

[08blkgt500]

practice, practice, practice. the more you practice, the sooner it'll all becomes second nature to you. don't panic in any situations (primary when you're rolling back on the hills), nice smooth off the clutch and on the gas.

[Mach1dmb!]

Best advice, don't listen to anyone. I mean, you need to be told basic things so you don't hurt the car, but other than that, the best way to learn is on your own without anyone trying to explain it..it just takes months and years of driving alone to get great at it.

[whyxitx]

if i can just get into a car and learn to do it, i know you can!

[Lefty]

Practicar

[V8ornothing]

Originally Posted by Mach1dmb Best advice, don't listen to anyone. I mean, you need to be told basic things so you don't hurt the car, but other than that, the best way to learn is on your own without anyone trying to explain it..it just takes months and years of driving alone to get great at it.

Originally Posted by whyxitx if i can just get into a car and learn to do it, i know you can!

+1 I learned to drive with one of my really close friends and he got in the car ran me through the basics and told me to drive around in his driveway (very large driveway that covers entire yard which includes two huge shops with pits) after I could get it to move we took it to the back roads. Great way to learn. He didn't say much other than that when I was learning. Don't learn with someone who will get frustrated with you and yell ect it makes it harder for you to learn.

[azure mach!]

find the spot where you let the clutch out(without using the gas) and the car starts rolling forward, do it repeatedly and memorize that spot. then just practice a tit load

[TheUNZippee!]

I have a write-up I made on this.





All right.

I think the first thing to do is understand the basics of what is going on. I don't know if you know these basics, but I'll cover them anyway.

The engine and transmission are connected by the clutch. The clutch consists of a pressure plate, which is a device with springs in it, and the clutch disc which is made of a material similar to your brake pads.

The clutch disc rests against the flywheel, which is connected to the crankshaft. The pressure plate holds the disc against the flywheel using springs.

The clutch slides on to a splined shaft, called the input shaft, of the transmission. It can slide on these splines. When you step on the clutch, you are pulling the clutch disc away from the flywheel, disengaging the engine from the transmission, or, more specifically, the clutch disc from the flywheel.



The first thing to understand is that many people over complicate shifting. It's really pretty basic.

First of all, double clutching is a method utilized for transmissions without synchros, and is a method used for driving heavy trucks. There is no need for it in a passenger car.

Second. It goes without saying that using the clutch to hold the car on a hill is silly. You are wasting the clutch, and it's not a safe practice.

So. The first thing in actually driving away, is the launch, or taking off.

When someone is first learning how to drive a manual, they should practice in an empty parking lot.

Starting off in first, you should slowly let the clutch out while paying attention to where it first starts to drag the engine down. Note what point the pedal is at in it's upward travel at the point the clutch begins to drag on the engine, or, engage.

When you become familiarized with that point, you should know that this is also the point you should apply a little bit of throttle. This should be one smooth movement. Your leg starts to let the clutch pedal up, and, as it starts to engage, you are applying throttle at that point, while continuing to release the clutch in a smooth manner. You should be able to let the clutch pedal up relatively quickly, not fast, but smoothly, as you accelerate. Picture your leg going up and your foot going down at the same time in one smooth motion.

A similar method is used as you shift through the gears. When you are ready to shift to second, you begin to depress the clutch pedal, or disengage the clutch, as your hand moves the shifter out of first gear. When the clutch is fully disengaged, or the pedal is all the way down, the shifter should just be entering second gear. Just as you enter second, your left leg should be releasing the clutch, and your right foot should be rolling on to the throttle as the clutch engages. You will know where it engages by feel, and from your practice starting which caused you to memorize at which point in the pedal's travel your clutch begins to engage.

Also picture your arm and your clutch leg moving at the same time. As your leg is pressing the clutch pedal, your right arm is moving the shifter from 1st to 2nd gear. Obviously your clutch leg starts a bit before your arm movement, but once your clutch leg is moving, your arm should be moving the shifter.

The reason it's easier to get rolling in reverse is because reverse is a lower gear. The lower the gear the easier to get the car moving. The gear has a different number of teeth on it, as does each gear in the transmission.

Picture a bicycle. Same principle. Different amount of teeth = different ratios.

As for downshifting, don't be scared of rev matching. Like starting off and shifting, all it takes is practice.

If, for example, you want to downshift from 3rd to second at a given speed, what you should first do, is drive along in second at that speed, and pay attention to where the rpm is at that speed.

So, if we are now driving along at that speed in 3rd gear, we know that we must be at 'x' rpm to rev match the downshift to second gear.

So, to do the downshift, you step on the clutch as your arm pulls the shifter out of 3rd gear and into second gear. At the point where the clutch is fully disengaged, your right foot blips the throttle up to just above the rpm you know you need to be at for that speed in second gear, and just after blipping the throttle, your left leg lets the clutch out. Quickly, smoothly, but not suddenly. If you do it right, the car should not lurch at all. It takes practice, and paying attention to what rpm your engine is at at a particular speed and in a particular gear, so that you know what you have to rev it up to to perform a particular downshift at that speed.

When you practice, and pay attention, after a while, it will become so second nature. I've done it for so long, I can't even give you an example of exact rpm vs speed vs gear in my car. I just know it by listening.

The biggest key to practicing rev matching on your downshifts is to start by doing it at lower rpm. That way, when you fuck it up until you get used to it, the car is not lurching,and you aren't hurting anything, and won't lose control. You can really fuck shit up if you try it at to high a speed and too high an rpm.

And remember, pay attention. When you do it, as you let the clutch out, if the engine rpm jumps and/or the car lurches because you misjudged, simply step on the clutch quickly and try again.

That's the biggest thing. People over complicate it, and wind up actually not paying attention to the rpm, the speed, and what those two are at versus a given gear. Your left leg and your right foot control everything. By paying attention, your brain will memorize where to rev it up to on the downshift, and if you also listen, you should eventually be able to do it by ear.

One final word on hills. Obviously you understand that you don't use the clutch to hold the car. You use the brakes.

So, once you have learned at what point your clutch begins to engage, you simply keep your right foot on the brake, begin to let the clutch out, and just as it begins to engage you shift your right foot on to the gas pedal and roll on to the throttle.

Rolling is a key word. Practice controlling your ankle. Driving a big truck is good practice, because some of them ride so rough, that when you're a new driver, the bouncing truck will cause your right foot to bounce, making your shifting all herky-jerky. So when you are learning, you quickly learn to focus on forcing your right foot to roll on to the throttle. Even if you botch a shift, don't let your right foot jerk around. Always picture your foot rolling on to the throttle smoothly.

Just pay attention to your rpm, speed, and what the two are like in each gear, and remember. And listen to the engine as you do it.



Using the parking brake to start off from a hill.

Really, you don't even need the handbrake to start off on a hill. Maybe when you're learning? But in over 25 years of driving stick, I've never done that once. And I taught myself to drive manual. It just takes practice is all. If you can use the handbrake in conjunction with the proper timing of clutch engagement and throttle application, then you can use the foot brake in conjunction with proper timing. It just takes a smooth, controlled, quick foot, and practice, to

-let the clutch out while your foot is still on the service brake
-keep your foot on the service brake until the clutch just begins to engage
-right at the point of engagement, quickly move your foot over from the brake to the gas, as you are simultaneously releasing the clutch pedal, and apply a touch of accelerator. That part is the key and takes the most practice. Too little, and you stall the engine. Too much, and you're lighting up the tires or lurching.

But no matter what you're doing, unless you're trying to do a burnout or fuck around, always picture your foot rolling on and off the pedal. It doesn't mean you can't move your foot quickly if necessary, but firmly roll on and off the accelerator in a controlled fashion. Don't let your foot flop around on the pedal. That is what causes the lurching. Not the improper clutch engagement timing. The improper timing requires an adjustment from your throttle foot. Less, or more. And of course, if you panic and dump the clutch, and/or give it a shot of throttle, the car jumps forward- causing your foot to go up and down on the pedal like a whores drawers.

Picture your right foot, ankle, and throttle pedal as being disconnected from the rest of the car. These three things are floating in their own suspension system, unaffected by the car's lurching, and no matter what the car does, your foot is firmly and smoothly applying or releasing the throttle.

Master that, and you won't ever need to use the parking bake to start off.

Thus endeth today's lesson. Next time we'll cover power shifting. lol




Also:

HowStuffWorks "How Clutches Work"

HowStuffWorks "How Manual Transmissions Work"

[Rich11]

Rev it to 4 grand, dump the clutch, and hold on.

[graystang01]

Originally Posted by Rich11 Rev it to 4 grand, dump the clutch, and hold on.

This

[B's04gt]

Basically to go, Push clutch in put in gear, slowly lift clutch till you start to feel it engage then start adding a little gas and simutamiously (not spelled right) let the clutch out and give it gas.. Fairly simple. You'll get the hang of it quick.

[Kohrs93]

Originally Posted by B's04gt simutamiously

Yeah... do it all sim-u-tam-e-ous-ly.

[zinc02GT]

Originally Posted by 1996 GT Down shift when you go to stop, save some brakes.

Brakes are cheaper than a clutch... Downshifting should only be done when turning or slowing into almost moving traffic. i.e. Traffic light just changed green and traffic is picking up.

Originally Posted by Rich11 Rev it to 4 grand, dump the clutch, and hold on.

This.

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by zinc02GT Brakes are cheaper than a clutch... Downshifting should only be done when turning or slowing into almost moving traffic. i.e. Traffic light just changed green and traffic is picking up.

Rev-match.
Maybe it's just a bad habit I picked up my my father the truck driver, but I frequently revert to driving like I'm running a truck with an un-synchronized Eaton 10-speed. Just without the Jacobs brake. Engine braking also saves gas you know.


As for general tips:
Go out in the country, find yourself a road or parking lot with no traffic and a ridiculously steep hill. Practice stopping and launching on it until you can launch no problem.

[TheUNZippee!]

Originally Posted by zinc02GT Brakes are cheaper than a clutch... Downshifting should only be done when turning or slowing into almost moving traffic. i.e. Traffic light just changed green and traffic is picking up. This.

Not true, Dylan... done properly, downshifting does not wear out the clutch prematurely. Key word being 'properly', of course.

[1996 GT]

^ I always downshift when i go to stop Thats how i was taught, and then clutchless shifting properly and saving your clutch/throughout bearing.

[TheUNZippee!]

[B's04gt]

Originally Posted by Kohrs93 Yeah... do it all sim-u-tam-e-ous-ly.

Thanks coors