For the MT owners: how do you downshift?

[Horse]

When something breaks in the clutch system. You can still get it home. I have been driving manuals for over 35 years. Cluth linkage or cables breaking was pritty common. With hydraulic clutches in newer cars you can still have faiures but not as common. When I had my 89 5.0 the clutch cable broke on my way to work. Had to drive it for 2 weaks wating for parts. It was my onle car at the time.

I agree it's useful. Just wondering how to put it in the 1st gear and get it moving in the first place if the clutch system breaks. Thanks.

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[Old 5 Oh]

I agree it's useful. Just wondering how to put it in the 1st gear and get it moving in the first place if the clutch system breaks. Thanks.

With the engine off, put it in first gear. Crank the engine. It'll fire and off you go; just be pointed in a clear direction. You can drive forever in all six gears, upshifting and downshifting, without the clutch. You just can't stop with the engine running. Well, you can. Put it in neutral and stop. But then you can't start moving again without going back to Step 1.

 

[Horse]

With the engine off, put it in first gear. Crank the engine. It'll fire and off you go; just be pointed in a clear direction. You can drive forever in all six gears, upshifting and downshifting, without the clutch. You just can't stop with the engine running. Well, you can. Put it in neutral and stop. But then you can't start moving again without going back to Step 1.

Thanks! Good to know. Also, at the parking lot, make sure you park the car straight with your 1st try

 

[GoBlues38]

This whole thread is hilarious.

this

it's a car. drive it. you wont hurt it.

 

[GoBlues38]

I agree it's useful. Just wondering how to put it in the 1st gear and get it moving in the first place if the clutch system breaks. Thanks.

put it in 1st. Step on the clutch to depress the safety switch (car wont start unless clutch engaged).

Start the car in 1st or 2nd gear. rev match to shift to 3rd as needed and nurse the car home.

if you have to stop the car, slip to neutral, shut off the car and repeat.

I am 43 years old and al but 1 car i have owned has ever had a clutch cable failure. my '82 GT. this process allowed me to get i home.

 

[Old 5 Oh]

On a side note, I think I've finally got rev matching down pretty well without using the tach. Wasn't even thinking about it this morning on my way to work and I suddenly realized I had been downshifting the whole way (traffic is usually shitty enough around here to require lots of shifting up and down) without using the tach anymore.

For me it's a little blip if going down one gear, or a bigger blip if going down two gears, then a kind of feathering of the clutch a bit, midway through the pedal travel. The throttle blip gets it close enough that it won't lurch, and that bit of feathering makes it butter smooth.

Not really interested in clutchless shifting or heel-toe. I don't see much point in the former, and the latter is just awkward (and I'm not a race car driver anyway). Pretty awesome that some of you folks can do this, though!

This is what I was saying above. Rev matching makes driving a stick smoother and more involving. You may find that heel-and-toe gets easier with time; I did, but that was forty years ago and it's so second-nature now I never think about it. In town, it amounts to a very light foot on the brake, and a quick ankle-roll to get the throttle blip I want for a downshift. Yes, you do have to be careful with modulating brake pressure, that's not easy. It's a LOT easier with non-power brakes because you can lean on the pedal to a much greater degree. But even with the over-assisted brakes in most modern cars, you can train yourself to do it smoothly.

 

[madweazl]

Apparently the clutch has become an on/off switch while I wasnt paying attention...

 

[mustang_guy]

this

it's a car. drive it. you wont hurt it.

Its hilarous because some of the elitests are all like rev match , double clutch your synchro car. Shits ridiculous. Ive been to skip barber racing school, ive played in dog box f2000 karts blah blah. I have over 500 hours of road course time and for the street none of it really has to be done. Its preference for the street. For the track i get it, i do it. But it doesnt need to be done on the street. Jesus h christ. Some high horses in here for some people that im sure dont have tons of racing experience.

 

[Asharus]

time to call it quits on this thread, later folks

 

[OSUbrew]

Its hilarous because some of the elitests are all like rev match , double clutch your synchro car. Shits ridiculous. Ive been to skip barber racing school, ive played in dog box f2000 karts blah blah. I have over 500 hours of road course time and for the street none of it really has to be done. Its preference for the street. For the track i get it, i do it. But it doesnt need to be done on the street. Jesus h christ. Some high horses in here for some people that im sure dont have tons of racing experience.

Spot on. :amen:

 

[MagneticA]

Its hilarous because some of the elitests are all like rev match , double clutch your synchro car. Shits ridiculous. Ive been to skip barber racing school, ive played in dog box f2000 karts blah blah. I have over 500 hours of road course time and for the street none of it really has to be done. Its preference for the street. For the track i get it, i do it. But it doesnt need to be done on the street. Jesus h christ. Some high horses in here for some people that im sure dont have tons of racing experience.

If it's a discussion you're unable/unwilling to contribute to, just move on. Some folks enjoy slowing down their MT like an automatic - nothing wrong with that. Some people want to experience everything a MT has to offer - nothing wrong with that. When it's your car you can drive it however the hell you want.

 

[mustang_guy]

If it's a discussion you're unable/unwilling to contribute to, just move on. Some folks enjoy slowing down their MT like an automatic - nothing wrong with that. Some people want to experience everything a MT has to offer - nothing wrong with that. When it's your car you can drive it however the hell you want.

I did contribute. Im basically calling the high horse people morons for thinking its mandatory for the street. pretty sure im more then qualified to speak on the topic. Are you? Its preference, nothing more. While i think there isnt anything wrong with the people that do, but to make others feel inferior for not is sophistry. You could move along unless you're qualified.

 

[Old 5 Oh]

Its hilarous because some of the elitests are all like rev match , double clutch your synchro car. Shits ridiculous. Ive been to skip barber racing school, ive played in dog box f2000 karts blah blah. I have over 500 hours of road course time and for the street none of it really has to be done. Its preference for the street. For the track i get it, i do it. But it doesnt need to be done on the street. Jesus h christ. Some high horses in here for some people that im sure dont have tons of racing experience.

Gee, dude, calm down.

All anyone is saying is rev match and heel-and-toe are FUN. Been fun for as long as I have been driving, which by your language and attitude is a hell of a lot longer than you've been breathing.

So chill.

If you don't want to do it, don't. There's no double-clutch nazis out here waiting to bust your chops. The point of the cars is to enjoy them. Do that as you see fit. Some of us like making extra work of it. Give it a rest.

 

[MagneticA]

I did contribute. Im basically calling the high horse people morons for thinking its mandatory for the street. pretty sure im more then qualified to speak on the topic. Are you? Its preference, nothing more. While i think there isnt anything wrong with the people that do, but to make others feel inferior for not is sophistry. You could move along unless you're qualified.

No offense, but this post sure sounds like someone on a high horse.

 

[mustang_guy]

Gee, dude, calm down.

All anyone is saying is rev match and heel-and-toe are FUN. Been fun for as long as I have been driving, which by your language and attitude is a hell of a lot longer than you've been breathing.

So chill.

If you don't want to do it, don't. There's no double-clutch nazis out here waiting to bust your chops. The point of the cars is to enjoy them. Do that as you see fit. Some of us like making extra work of it. Give it a rest.

You shouldn't assume my age based of adding tone to text that isnt there. Ive read the whole thread. Looks more like some people making others feel stupid for not doing it. IM perfectly calm. I just call it as i see it. :shrug:

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