Question about shifting from 1st to 2nd gear

[Schu]

The spring holds the clutch pedal up so it is fully disengaged. If you remove the spring it is like you are riding around barely resting your foot on the clutch like you are riding the clutch.
If you have removed the spring, next time you are driving around, push up on the clutch pedal from the bottom. You'll be able to feel the play in the pedal.

You realize this is a hydraulic clutch?

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[350Mike]

The spring holds the clutch pedal up so it is fully disengaged. If you remove the spring it is like you are riding around barely resting your foot on the clutch like you are riding the clutch.
If you have removed the spring, next time you are driving around, push up on the clutch pedal from the bottom. You'll be able to feel the play in the pedal.

I'm pretty sure the spring does the opposite of what you're saying. Doesn't it push the pedal down to lessen pedal effort?

The only reason there is more play if you lift up is because the spring isn't there pushing down anymore.

 

[OracleHCR]

I realize they are trying to sell a product but, here:
"Many new Mustang owners have found that taking out the stock OE spring will give you somewhat similar results, but realistically the clutch becomes far too heavy especially if your Mustang is daily driven. Most owners fail to realize the prolonged effects of simply taking out your factory OE spring and not replacing it with another spring. By negating your factory clutch assist spring you will notice chatter/NVH from your clutch pedal. Your clutch pedal will never fully return to stock position without any assist spring, and over time your slave cylinder may begin leaking due to constant pressure on its seals from the clutch pedal not returning to the stock position. Avoid these problems in the future by installing our Steeda S550 Mustang Clutch Assist Spring 35 lb/in into your GT, EcoBoost or V6.
-"
I've never even looked at the clutch assist spring. I'm just going by what I have read. I personally have no problem with the clutch on this vehicle. Because of my past job experiences, I've driven hundreds of vehicles with manual transmissions. Tractors, trucks, utility vehicles, etc.... Then throw in the number of vehicles I have owned, most of them being standards, and you learn to adapt. The clutch on this vehicle is fine. It just takes practice and getting used to.

 

[fionic]

Hi,

I've got limited experience with driving a manual. When I shift from 1st to 2nd at low speed if I get off the clutch fast the car kind of lurches forward. I've started to do a more gradual letting off the clutch.

I'm just checking to see if that is normal. The previous truck I drove that was a manual did not do this...but again I'm not experienced with manuals.

Thanks

I was going to say remove your spring, but you should now replace it with steeda's 35lb spring. I prefer it now.

 

[Joe 5.0]

I think you're experiencing the dreaded rev hang. When you shift from 1 to 2, pay attention to your RPMs and listen to the engine. If the RPMs hang (the needle stays at certain RPM for a couple seconds), keep the clutch depressed in between the shift and wait for them to come down, then shift into 2nd and release the clutch normally.

Also, I have noticed that switching at a slow speed causes the RPMs to hang. Try giving the car a normal amount of throttle and shift around 3-4,000 RPM.

 

[JamesinLittleSilver]

The best thing is practice....which is fun so it is a win win. Unless as someone said you are driving a tractor then unless you are 14 it is not a lot of fun.

 

[Genxer]

I realize they are trying to sell a product but, here:
"Many new Mustang owners have found that taking out the stock OE spring will give you somewhat similar results, but realistically the clutch becomes far too heavy especially if your Mustang is daily driven. Most owners fail to realize the prolonged effects of simply taking out your factory OE spring and not replacing it with another spring. By negating your factory clutch assist spring you will notice chatter/NVH from your clutch pedal. Your clutch pedal will never fully return to stock position without any assist spring, and over time your slave cylinder may begin leaking due to constant pressure on its seals from the clutch pedal not returning to the stock position. Avoid these problems in the future by installing our Steeda S550 Mustang Clutch Assist Spring 35 lb/in into your GT, EcoBoost or V6.
-"
I've never even looked at the clutch assist spring. I'm just going by what I have read. I personally have no problem with the clutch on this vehicle. Because of my past job experiences, I've driven hundreds of vehicles with manual transmissions. Tractors, trucks, utility vehicles, etc.... Then throw in the number of vehicles I have owned, most of them being standards, and you learn to adapt. The clutch on this vehicle is fine. It just takes practice and getting used to.

I am used to mine by now but figure what the heck? For $10 if the feel improves, good. If I end up putting the old spring back in, I won't lose sleep over it. It IS a little weird to modulate at slow speeds, especially the 1-2 shift.

 

[Crazy Horse]

You'll be doing donuts in less than a month.....

 

[ATLalien]

1. Practice as others have said.
2. 1-2 is just a tough shift in this car, at least to try and make it smooth. My 15 is better than my 12 was though. The positive is that if you get it right when driving in a "spirited" fashion, the payoff is big.

 

[lazarus870]

I just removed my spring. The clutch has no chatter and I can't pull up on it at all with my foot. People have been removing the spring for years. I can't see any concrete evidence that it does damage.
But as an experienced stick driver, I couldn't smoothly shift from first to second until I took the spring out.

 

[dogiebitt]

I've had the car since August (6 months now) and this is my first manual car. I sometimes still shift rough from 1 to 2. I mostly start from 2nd though when in traffic on flat ground. On inclines or for spirited take offs, I use 1st.

 

[MarkH]

Hell, I've owned/driven manual transmissions for a long, long time and the Mustang still bites me sometimes. The clutch itself is fine, the engine has plenty of torque, etc. but the clutch engagement point is so damn high up that it can make modulating it difficult -- and there's apparently no adjustment solution.

Basically the same experience here, first car was a '68 C#$%^& RS 4spd. When I first test drove the '16 GT PP the clutch just did not feel right. After the test drive I jumped back in my '09 GT 5spd and it felt like an old truck. I picked up the GT PP a few months ago and still hated the stock spring/clutch and installed the Steeda last week and it feels right and much easier to control. Thanks Steeda!

 

[MarkH]

I've had the car since August (6 months now) and this is my first manual car. I sometimes still shift rough from 1 to 2. I mostly start from 2nd though when in traffic on flat ground. On inclines or for spirited take offs, I use 1st.

As long as I am rolling or on a downward grade I will use second, but found that I was riding the clutch too long from a dead stop on flat ground if I used second.

 

[dgc333]

The spring holds the clutch pedal up so it is fully disengaged. If you remove the spring it is like you are riding around barely resting your foot on the clutch like you are riding the clutch.
If you have removed the spring, next time you are driving around, push up on the clutch pedal from the bottom. You'll be able to feel the play in the pedal.

I have had my spring out for 22k miles now. The pedal returns to the stop at the top of it travel every time.

Dave

 

[michaelmfl]

The spring holds the clutch pedal up so it is fully disengaged. If you remove the spring it is like you are riding around barely resting your foot on the clutch like you are riding the clutch.
If you have removed the spring, next time you are driving around, push up on the clutch pedal from the bottom. You'll be able to feel the play in the pedal.

The clutch assist spring acts by reducing the force needed to disengage the clutch. In order to do that it pushes downward. If it were also helping to hold the clutch up then it would also need to pull upward at the top of travel. But it doesn't do that.

While it may be true that you can pull up on the pedal when the spring is removed, it is not true that the spring is pulling the pedal up farther. The spring is always compressed and pushing downward at all times. Look at the design of the spring you can see one end is just an unattached pivot. Also, the plastic pieces at both ends simply fall out when the spring is removed. Both ends would need to be attached to the pedal and body, and also attached to the spring, in order to pull up on the pedal.

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