For the MT owners: how do you downshift?

[Horse]

Heel and toe really is not necessary on the street.

Well, it's hard to interpret `necessary' I guess, or maybe different people interpret it differently. (Like, is a super fast computer necessary? Or is it necessary to have 128 mbps Internet speed at home? Not trying to be snarky here )

Personally, I have found that heel-toe is very useful/convenient in street/highway driving. (I have never been to the track.) For example, when the traffic ahead slows down, I just do a h/t so that I slow down myself and still in (proper) gear. Another example is when making a turn, of course.

Can one do without h/t? Yes, but then the experience would be less enjoyable (to me at least).

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[mada808]

i hardly rev match and usually just down shift "softly" as to not run out the brakes prematurely. Is it bad to just throw it in neutral and press the brake? I do that a lot too in city driving.

 

[jasonstang]

Well, it's hard to interpret `necessary' I guess, or maybe different people interpret it differently. (Like, is a super fast computer necessary? Or is it necessary to have 128 mbps Internet speed at home? Not trying to be snarky here )

Personally, I have found that heel-toe is very useful/convenient in street/highway driving. (I have never been to the track.) For example, when the traffic ahead slows down, I just do a h/t so that I slow down myself and still in (proper) gear. Another example is when making a turn, of course.

Can one do without h/t? Yes, but then the experience would be less enjoyable (to me at least).

You heel and toe in traffic?
People must hate following you or you have alien ankles.
You slow down just by pressing on the brakes and clutch in when rpm gets close to idle.

 

[jasonstang]

i hardly rev match and usually just down shift "softly" as to not run out the brakes prematurely. Is it bad to just throw it in neutral and press the brake? I do that a lot too in city driving.

There is nothing wrong with it.
I do that at slower speeds like 20-30 if I know I am coming to a stop. Normally I just keep it in whatever gear I was using until rpm drops near idle.

 

[l2frankie]

i hardly rev match and usually just down shift "softly" as to not run out the brakes prematurely. Is it bad to just throw it in neutral and press the brake? I do that a lot too in city driving.

throwing the car in neutral and braking would just cause the brake pads to wear out a lot faster then using the engine to help slow down.

 

[mada808]

throwing the car in neutral and braking would just cause the brake pads to wear out a lot faster then using the engine to help slow down.

Yeah, I know. I was kinda wondering if it was doing anything to the tranny. Guess not. It's just what I do when I'm feeling lazy or in the city with non stop braking...

 

[Chad11491]

you will get the slightest bit better mpg by letting the engine wind itself down while slowing down instead of just dropping it into neutral from what i've heard. I usually clutch in about 750-800 rpm.

 

[mada808]

you will get the slightest bit better mpg by letting the engine wind itself down while slowing down instead of just dropping it into neutral from what i've heard. I usually clutch in about 750-800 rpm.

How is this possible?

 

[jasonstang]

How is this possible?

It's magic!
No it's fuel injection turning off fuel when engine is not sucking in air.

 

[mada808]

It's magic!
No it's fuel injection turning off fuel when engine is not sucking in air.

Engine turns off fuel while downshifting? I would think having the car at idle while slowing down would provide better mpg not that it makes a big difference either way.

 

[jasonstang]

Engine turns off fuel while downshifting? I would think having the car at idle while slowing down would provide better mpg not that it makes a big difference either way.

Yes, when the rpm is higher than idle and foot off the gas pedal, the engine does not burn fuel at all saving gas.
It's probably not noticeable. The engine uses 0.3 gal per hour idling. It's not big enough to make a difference.

 

[volinbham]

I can't quite heel/toe so I do the right foot shuffle - brake/quick throttle blip/brake. Not as good as heel/toe but I get by

 

[mada808]

Yes, when the rpm is higher than idle and foot off the gas pedal, the engine does not burn fuel at all saving gas.
It's probably not noticeable. The engine uses 0.3 gal per hour idling. It's not big enough to make a difference.

Interesting! I like to learn stuff :cheers:

 

[Horse]

With the pedal set-up on mustang, I can see this is more for the track than street. With my old car, the brake and gas pedals are at the same distance from the driver and the brake also has some free-play on top, all making h/t very easy on street.

You heel and toe in traffic?
People must hate following you or you have alien ankles.
You slow down just by pressing on the brakes and clutch in when rpm gets close to idle.

Yes, I do (or did, with the car I traded in days ago for my mustang) it all the time in traffic. That car (the trade in) had very soft brake pedal (with free play on top, see my post above), so I don't need to slow down very much in order to perform h/t. In fact, I have practiced many times on resting my right foot on the brake ever so slightly and rolling the foot the the right and blip the throttle (and with repeated success).

I have gotten so good (at least I would like to think so) at h/t in street traffic with my old car that I miss it very much now that I can not do the same with mustang.

 

[jasonstang]

Yes, I do (or did, with the car I traded in days ago for my mustang) it all the time in traffic. That car (the trade in) had very soft brake pedal (with free play on top, see my post above), so I don't need to slow down very much in order to perform h/t. In fact, I have practiced many times on resting my right foot on the brake ever so slightly and rolling the foot the the right and blip the throttle (and with repeated success).

I have gotten so good (at least I would like to think so) at h/t in street traffic with my old car that I miss it very much now that I can not do the same with mustang.

Oh I was gonna say no way you can do that with Mustang because of the pedal height difference.
I had an RX-8 and the pedal setup was perfect. All three pedals same distance, same height.

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