For the MT owners: how do you downshift?

[jrt6]

I always give it a little bit of gas when I down shift. The bucking/lurching when I don't give a little gas annoys me.

I don't think I'm doing it wrong? :shrug:

Sponsored

 

[madweazl]

Ive seen a lot of guys that own GT's with the Performance Package start off in 2nd because the 3.73's are kind of steep. My EcoBoost has 3.55's, but never thought of starting out in 2nd. Should i try that, or is my gear too tall?

If I'm on an incline starting in second is automatic. The other day I was pulling out and was in third (blabbing to a buddy and wasnt paying attention). I had use more clutch than normal but it didnt put up much of a fight.

Killed the T5 in my '88 years ago and had to load it on the trailer in fourth with the stock 2.73s. I was pretty surprised it climbed on as easy as it did. That was a rough three months; lost as many transmissions.

 

[RetroSkippy]

Neither double clutching or rev-matching are necessary in a modern transmission. Double clutching will reduce wear on the synchronizers and rev-matching will increase clutch life but the impact is not that great. Assuming they are not abused synchronizers will last the life of the car and clutches will go well over 100k miles no matter which technique is used.

On the other hand both techniques are a ton of fun and very satisfying when done properly.

 

[Horse]

I always rev-match when downshifting.

In fact I double-clutch when downshifting, always. When slowing down (in traffic or preparing for curve/turn), I always double-clutch and heel-toe. No bucking/jolting whatsoever (when I do it right that is, which is the case most of the time if not always).

Before you mention synchro rendering double clutch pointless, I say that I take pride in doing double clutch so that the synchro does not need to work (as hard). When you match the RPMs of all the turning parts (flywheel, clutch disc, lay shaft, and the intended gear) perfectly (via double clutch), you can feel the shift handle entering the intended gear super smoothly (i.e., without the feeling of friction which can be felt when the synchro has to work hard to match the turning speeds). I just enjoy that feeling of super smoothness.

I also advocate engine braking (esp. when down hill). But I initiate the engine-braking process with rev-matching. To me, engine braking is not to let the lower rpm of engine slow down the higher rpm of the clutch (which is connected to the wheels), which will jolt the car and hurt the clutch (engine and clutch mating together with different RPMs), let along the resulting impact to the transmission. (Well, you might say that the modern engine/clutch/transmission can handle this, which could very well be true. But why not rev-match, which is known to be good to the engine/clutch/transmission.) Engine-braking should be the vacuum/friction of the engine slowing down the car (after the clutch is engaged with smooth down-shift by rev-match).

Since I know how to do double clutch and heel toe and I know the benefits of these techniques, I use them all the time (in everyday driving). Why not? It is lots of FUN!

If you don't know/care these techniques, you (your car) will still be fine I guess.

Hopefully everyone learn something from this thread. If not the techniques, at least please learn how clutch/transmission works.

Maybe I sound like pushing rev-match/double-clutch/heel-toe to you all. In fact I do understand that not everyone is interested in these. And, as they said, they have been driving their manual cars for decades without these techniques and without premature clutch failures. Somehow I feel like everyone should know rev-matching, if they don't care double clutch and heel toe.

To each their own. For me, I will keep doing double clutch rev-match and heel toe and enjoying my super smooth down shifting.

 

[madweazl]

For the people that are double clutching, what is your age?

I'm all for learning techniques but if there is no reason too do so, shifts are slower (considerably) and less efficient, why on earth would we do them? If there was a benefit it would be one thing but there are none.

Rev matching came fairly natural to me and was something that became necessary with my buggies dog ring trans (no so much rev matching but blipping of the throttle on up and down shifts).

 

[Horse]

Age is irrelevant in my case, as I learned double clutch only about 5 years ago. Heel toe 3 years ago. Once I learned these, there is no way back for me. Tons of fun. (Yes, FUN factor seems to be the only reason I can give you, given the robust clutch and synchro in modern days. Anyway, saving synchros from hard working is not a bad thing, yeah.)

 

[boolean]

I cannot believe how long this thread is... WOW!

I rev match, engine brake, burnout, clutch dump, and smile a lot. It's a car (just an exceptionally fun one)

 

[fionic]

are there seriously people who just slip the clutch every time they downshift??? what the hell....

 

[Khyber]

I think you just alienated yourself from a lot of members here saying it's "a freaking car". We are all well aware it is a car but to most of us it is more than "just a car."

exactly. definitely more than "just a car". it's $600 a month lol

 

[Charles147]

I rev match, engine brake, burnout, clutch dump, and smile a lot

YES! :clap2:
I do what I want!

 

[Tazdevil 66]

Steve McQueen double clutched and blipped the throttle in Bullitt ... :first:

You mean the sound effect guy double clutched and blipped the throttle :eyebulge:

 

[Lord Thunder]

Double clutching, heel-toe-ing on every friggin turn??

If you are racing on the track, maybe.

We're taught to drive manuals, as it is and has been the default equipment in any car you buy here. I have been driving manual cars all my life. Never did I have to do any of it.

The point is that most of the time you down shift when slowing down, then the procedure is simply:
- release gas (at a decent distance) to engine break,
- if you are close and still going too fast to take the turn, apply brakes,
- if at any time in previous steps your rpms get too low, engage clutch,
- downshift to appropriate gear (2 or 3, depending on the corner),
- engage clutch before actually going in to the corner,
- power trough corner,
- profit.

The trick is to engine brake enough to get the rpm's down so the transition to the lower gears is smooth.

 

[fionic]

Double clutching, heel-toe-ing on every friggin turn??

If you are racing on the track, maybe.

We're taught to drive manuals, as it is and has been the default equipment in any car you buy here. I have been driving manual cars all my life. Never did I have to do any of it.

The point is that most of the time you down shift when slowing down, then the procedure is simply:
- release gas (at a decent distance) to engine break,
- if you are close and still going too fast to take the turn, apply brakes,
- if at any time in previous steps your rpms get too low, engage clutch,
- downshift to appropriate gear (2 or 3, depending on the corner),
- engage clutch before actually going in to the corner,
- power trough corner,
- profit.

booooooring

 

[Lord Thunder]

booooooring

True that, but OP seemed to have issues with simple, every day driving.
Once you get the basics down, then you can get on to the advanced stuff they teach you at racing school.

 

[dgc333]

I have been driving manual transmission cars for over 40 years. I typically put 150,000+ miles on a car before getting rid of it. I have only worn out one clutch in all those years and that was at 190,000 miles, it was the cush springs getting loose not the friction material.

I do not rev match and never have in normal driving. Rev matching has always been something you did during agressive driving so you would not upset the chassis going into a corner, not something that was done as a matter of course in normal driving.

Sponsored