How to correctly drive an MT.

[st1sj]

if you're new to MT, this site explains things pretty well: http://www.standardshift.com/faq.html

[chilibowl]

Originally Posted by silentxnight

thanks chili one more question, what do u recommend doing for parking? i tried last night, and i thikn i got half of it down. my dad was saying to use only the clutch to control the speed of the car (brake also). i guess i kind of know how to do it already..but jsut asking what you (or anyone else for that matter) have to say about it since you're so good at explaining these things..lol

What do you mean by parking? It'd be the same as anything. If youre trying to slip into a spot, just smooth on the clutch and throttle and pull in. Reverse is actually easier than 1st gear, if you ask me. You also gotta learn how to "catch" the car if its about to stall. If you are about to stall, or the car is jerking very harshly upon take-off or anything, simply press the clutch in. There are sometimes when I do lug the car myself...simply press the clutch in and try again. If you practice my tips all day for an entire day, you will become good quick, but to master it , it will take you many months...

[SLVR JDM]

Good writeup, but honestly it is just a clutch and isn't that expensive to replace if you are a little hard on it.

[chilibowl]

Originally Posted by hoenignd

Good writeup, but honestly it is just a clutch and isn't that expensive to replace if you are a little hard on it.

That's not the point. The point is to be able to drive smoothly not just for you, but for your passengers as well. You dont know how many times Ive been in a car with a person who's driving and is so horrible at it that all you do is jerk back and forth at every gear shift, going from like 4th to 2nd on an un-revmatched downshift. Yes, clutches can be replaced, but why do so? When a car is driven properly, the clutch should last the life of the car... (Drag and Track use excluded)

[Klubbheads]

Originally Posted by chilibowl

That's not the point. The point is to be able to drive smoothly not just for you, but for your passengers as well. You dont know how many times Ive been in a car with a person who's driving and is so horrible at it that all you do is jerk back and forth at every gear shift, going from like 4th to 2nd on an un-revmatched downshift. Yes, clutches can be replaced, but why do so? When a car is driven properly, the clutch should last the life of the car... (Drag and Track use excluded)

+1, I have pobably launched from 2500-4000 rpm about 100 times throught my stock clutches lifetime and at 50k miles on the stock clutch i figure i can go another year with this clutch. I can imagine not doing the launches and chirping tires, the clutch would last over 100k.

[steve21]

ima noob, good write up!

[silentxnight]

Originally Posted by chilibowl

What do you mean by parking? It'd be the same as anything. If youre trying to slip into a spot, just smooth on the clutch and throttle and pull in. Reverse is actually easier than 1st gear, if you ask me. You also gotta learn how to "catch" the car if its about to stall. If you are about to stall, or the car is jerking very harshly upon take-off or anything, simply press the clutch in. There are sometimes when I do lug the car myself...simply press the clutch in and try again. If you practice my tips all day for an entire day, you will become good quick, but to master it , it will take you many months...

i took your advice and practiced for about an hour and a half yesterday night, and i only stalled once... compared to nearly 10-15 times my first 2 days lol. excellent advice

[chilibowl]

Originally Posted by silentxnight

i took your advice and practiced for about an hour and a half yesterday night, and i only stalled once... compared to nearly 10-15 times my first 2 days lol. excellent advice

keep practicing !

[silentxnight]

ONE more question lol
do u recommend putting it in neutral when the car is rolling? like down a hill..or coming to a red light (with a slight downhill of course)...because my dad says its bad for the brakes (obviouslY) and u should just keep it in gear. because my route going home..there is this really windy road going downhill..and u can reach to about 50 easily without ever steppin on the gas..so if its in neutral and its goin at 50 and i need to stop..would that be really bad for the brakes? or is it ok to do?

[QuadCam]

once you get good, try doing all your upshifting and downshifting without using the clutch at all!!!! Of course, you need the clutch for starting out in 1st gear. after that, if you know what you are doing and can matches revs between gear, you can perform clutchless shifts without any gear grinding.

btw, these are normal shifts, not speed shifting.

[Klubbheads]

IT is ok, but u are gonna change the pads more often.

[eemon10]

Originally Posted by silentxnight

ONE more question lol
do u recommend putting it in neutral when the car is rolling? like down a hill..or coming to a red light (with a slight downhill of course)...because my dad says its bad for the brakes (obviouslY) and u should just keep it in gear. because my route going home..there is this really windy road going downhill..and u can reach to about 50 easily without ever steppin on the gas..so if its in neutral and its goin at 50 and i need to stop..would that be really bad for the brakes? or is it ok to do?

ya i was wondering the same thing?....also what about "power shifting"? like never letting the gas out while shifting bc my friend does it at the track when he races?

[QuadCam]

always have the gear engaged....otherwise you have less control. only push the clutch in right before you are about to stop. I like to downshift as I am slowing down and use engine braking.....it is not necessary, but just part of the fun of driving a manual tranny.

powershifting will result in faster times at the dragstrip, but it is brutal on the tranny!

[Jeff92se]

Whenever I shift too hard, the floorboards fly out.

[chilibowl]

Powershifting takes lots of practice, because you must be VERY quick. When powershifting, as soon as you push in the clutch, the revs will spike all the way to redline/fuel cutoff, and if youre not quick enough, you will be simply at fuel cut for about a second and you will actually lose time. Also, when slowing down to come to a light, I downshift and 3rd is as low as I go. Cruise to the light in 3rd and just brake the last few feet while putting it in neutral once u come to a full stop. You should also always be in gear. If youre going down hill, stay in very low gear, such as 2nd or 3rd, and the engine will hold itself from gaining too much speed. Downhill braking eats up brakes, ur better off just using the engine to brake.