How do I shift better/faster?

[JetGray_Mach1]

what helps with the shifting speed is starting the shift to next gear right when you start pushing the clutch down. By the time you push shifter to the next gear you have disengaged the clutch. Just takes practice. I have the no lift shift its pretty awesome but I must say I still enjoy slamming the gears down without it.

Sponsored

 

[shogun32]

I can confirm that yet again Ford tech writers are completely wrong as usual. The EcoBoost has never had rev match and my 22 doesnt have NLS either.

 

[Oakley]

i shift a little slower generally just because the factory diff bushings are made from marshmallows and oreo centers, apparently.

 

[Farkel]

I'll start by wishing you luck on your quest to shift better/faster. I have driven many manuals since the 1960's and I think I'm pretty good at it. BUTT, maybe 'cuz I'm older and wiser, I really don't want to find out how much abuse this car can tolerate before something breaks.

Back in the late '60s when I was a teenager, my first roommate wanted to show off his gen1 Mustang with a 289. One night he wound it up in an empty parking lot and dumped the clutch. Instead of burning out, there was a loud bang and the car just rolled forward slowly, leaving a trail of gear oil and broken diff parts. Everybody but him got a big laugh out of it. I know that was then and this is now, but I'll never get that scene out of my head.

My $0.02 - Unless you're racing, and willing to spend your money on whatever you might break, concentrate on shifting smoothly and the speed will develop on its own through muscle memory.

 

[Farkel]

Re: MGW
WIth all the upgrades you've already done, you and the car both deserve the shifter. The hardest part (other than the installation) is deciding between the race-spec, X-spec, and which stick length you want. It'll make you feel much more connected to the shifts, and once you get used to the feel of it, you'll be very glad you invested in it.

 

[RocketGuy3]

I'm certainly no pro, but I've been driving stick for years and tens of thousands of miles (including a thousand-ish track miles), and I'm not sure I shift much faster than than under acceleration, and I'm not sure I would feel the need to.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Right now I'm waiting until the clutch is fully engaged before giving gas (since I thought gas when clutch is partially engaged = slipping/roasting?)

Does it feel like its engine braking or surging forward as you let out the clutch? If so you're not doing the right thing with your gas pedal during the shift (i.e the revs aren't matched). if it feels smooth, then you're probably ok.

Is it easy to put the shift knob into gear or does it feel like there is resistance? That would mean you're too fast or too slow with the gear knob. Force it into gear at the risk of wearing down or breaking transmission syncros.

FWIW, you can't 'win' anything by shifting fast on the street, but you sure can loose a lot (broken transmission, roasted or fragged clutch, etc), so best to prioritize smoothness as the path to quickness.

Learning how to rev match downshift (or even double clutch rev match downshift) can teach you a lot about what's going on during an upshift too. So that's my 2c.

 

[Jonv828]

what helps with the shifting speed is starting the shift to next gear right when you start pushing the clutch down. By the time you push shifter to the next gear you have disengaged the clutch. Just takes practice. I have the no lift shift its pretty awesome but I must say I still enjoy slamming the gears down without it.

Thanks for this. Tried it this morning. Still need to keep practicing but def see a difference by pushing clutch down and moving shifter at a more syncronized movement. I think I had fallen into more of a: clutch first then move shifter. This post is very helpful for all us new stick shift drivers.

 

[stannypack]

Does it feel like its engine braking or surging forward as you let out the clutch? If so you're not doing the right thing with your gas pedal during the shift (i.e the revs aren't matched). if it feels smooth, then you're probably ok.

Is it easy to put the shift knob into gear or does it feel like there is resistance? That would mean you're too fast or too slow with the gear knob. Force it into gear at the risk of wearing down or breaking transmission syncros.

FWIW, you can't 'win' anything by shifting fast on the street, but you sure can loose a lot (broken transmission, roasted or fragged clutch, etc), so best to prioritize smoothness as the path to quickness.

Learning how to rev match downshift (or even double clutch rev match downshift) can teach you a lot about what's going on during an upshift too. So that's my 2c.

During normal driving I can make it smooth as an auto since I'm holding at the bite point for a split second and gently giving gas, just during hard launch pulls everything goes out the window and I'm slamming the clutch in/out wihtout rev matching thus jerking the car lol. The rev hang doesn't help either. Starting to put pressure on the shift knob before clutching in does seem to help

 

[ShadesOfBloo]

...maybe 'cuz I'm older and wiser, I really don't want to find out how much abuse this car can tolerate before something breaks.

I'm with you there. My Mustang has the most expensive clutch I own (and probably 2nd most expensive transmission) and even if I was a millionaire I would still want it to last.

I mean, if the Chinese transmission implodes that's an excuse for a Tremec conversion but wearing out clutches or the rear-end prematurely would bug me pretty bad.

 

[RedTetsu13]

I'm a backroad/track/road course type of guy, I think back to the wise words of Misha Charoudin, "Fast Hands, Slow feet."

If you don't want to upset the car you slow down the speed you let out the clutch, personally I found this works good for the MT82D4 in my car at least, although I'll still miss the timing occasionally as I'm still new to daily driving a manual.

 

[stannypack]

I'm a backroad/track/road course type of guy, I think back to the wise words of Misha Charoudin, "Fast Hands, Slow feet."

If you don't want to upset the car you slow down the speed you let out the clutch, personally I found this works good for the MT82D4 in my car at least, although I'll still miss the timing occasionally as I'm still new to daily driving a manual.

same I learned manual 6 months ago on an ecoboost and started on this GT 3 months ago. The steeda clutch spring helped a lot for smooth daily driving. I only very recently started trying launching the car and going fast lol.

 

[beefcake]

This is full WOT launching at 4k and shifting at like 7k, does this shifting seem good lol. Will the MGW make it faster/cleaner?

Should I be starting to give gas before my foot is fully off the clutch or will that roast the clutch

a wot box would allow for a no lift shift easier, as it momentarily pulls the power

https://www.beefcakeracing.com/n2mb-wotbox/

also puts a 2 step for launching if you ever do digs.

 

[C-WOODS-70]

OP, I applaud you for learning to drive a car with a transmission that YOU are in control of. After reading some of the threads on this forum it seams that some people think that they should be able to just cram there foot to the floor and everything works perfectly, like no wheel spin and no wheel hop, but that is mindless driving. Then they throw a bunch of money at it and use the same mindless technique. Whether it's an automatic or a manual, you learn the car and adjust accordingly. After I bought mine and experienced the usual wheel spin and wheel hop on stock suspension and tires, I adjusted my technique with the throttle and clutch and no longer get either on launch or 1-2 shifts.
Lots of good advice in above posts, just keep practicing and developing muscle memory between clutch foot and shifting hand/arm and it will all come together.

 

[Linkster1666]

There is only one way.

PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE

Sponsored