Quick Manual shifting advise!

[2019fordmustang]

Unless you launch a manual the auto will always beat you off the line. Have you considered not trying to race cars at street lights? I personally dont race stop light to stop light because of inexperienced drivers like yourself. Had a camaro try to race my mustang one day and he lost control shifting second and would have wiped out my beautiful ride if I had been racing instead of sitting back watching him look like a dumbass. You dont have to race to have fun in a manual. I wait till I'm alone at a light. Roll out slow so I'm not abusing my clutch. Smash the gas and let the tires spin and the ass end shake. Slam second gear and take off with a smile on my face. Repeat as much as possible on a daily basis.

Hey bud, I don't race at all actually. I was just making a reference that even Corolla seemed to pick up speed after green light and I was being tailgated cause I was so slow. I'm a dad now so racing on the street is not an option!!

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[AlmostFamous]

Does no one use the no-lift feature? If you’re still using the stock clutch, it makes 4,000-5,000rpm launches with a no-lift 1st to 2nd shift smooth as butter once you get the hang out of the feature.

 

[Phantym]

Can either practice taking off in 2nd or shift to 2nd shortly after you get moving.....so you got a 2k rpm shift really smooth and then you can let the gas pedal eat a little more in 2nd. Alot of time i start in 2nd, shift to 3rd at about 4k and roll that out to 60mph and shift to 6th. I use both of the above most of the time just cruising. I dont wanna be "that guy" hauling ass at every light but i dont wanna have everybody pulling ahead either lol.

practice those a few times and see which you like better, should speed you up a little without romping on it. nothing wrong with skipping gears. Its extremely rare i go thru every gear unless racing.

 

[2019fordmustang]

Can either practice taking off in 2nd or shift to 2nd shortly after you get moving.....so you got a 2k rpm shift really smooth and then you can let the gas pedal eat a little more in 2nd. Alot of time i start in 2nd, shift to 3rd at about 4k and roll that out to 60mph and shift to 6th. I use both of the above most of the time just cruising. I dont wanna be "that guy" hauling ass at every light but i dont wanna have everybody pulling ahead either lol.

practice those a few times and see which you like better, should speed you up a little without romping on it. nothing wrong with skipping gears. Its extremely rare i go thru every gear unless racing.

Bud, I started the car in second gear, man it feel so much better shifting that way. I just hope I'm not stressing the engine starting the car in second.

 

[Phantym]

Bud, I started the car in second gear, man it feel so much better shifting that way. I just hope I'm not stressing the engine starting the car in second.

I put 60k miles on my 06 gt 5-speed starting in 2nd. Never had a single clutch/tranny problem.

I'm doing this one the same way.....as long as your not holding the clutch too much in it ur fine. It's a low rpm slip and out of it quick, no harm no foul

 

[David Schmidt]

Two thoughts come to mind reading this thread: #1 - I'm teaching my girls to drive stick. I just tell them to let it slip. You can't possibly hurt this transmission. #2 - Why skip gears? I love to hear it wind up in every single one... one thing I've learned from you guys, wring it out. I love driving to work every day, hearing it do its thing. I don't even need music on the radio - I just listen to the coyote. Life is good.

 

[w3rkn]

If you don't skip gears, then you 'll drive like an idiot in traffic. I don't think I've ever went 1-2-3-4-5-6 in any of my cars, ever... not once.

To do so, would imply you start off real slow and maintain that exact same acceleration while you shift though 6 gears & accelerating up to speed at the same given pace. Traffic isn't like that... so driving like that is idiotic.


1-3-5 does the same thing as 1-2-3-4-5...

 

[w3rkn]

Bud, I started the car in second gear, man it feel so much better shifting that way. I just hope I'm not stressing the engine starting the car in second.

You really are not stressing the engine, unless it lugs on you, and just something like 300rpms more or a tad more slip is all that is needed. But you will be given hundreds of opportunities to get it right, every day. If you learn to feather in the clutch and learn how to progressively let up on it (engage), you won't have a problem.

You can drive a clutch as smooth as an auto once you learn your left foot is more important than your right arm.

 

[Rover]

Been driving a stick for 50 yrs. Not going to dis anybody like the guy calling the gear shifters idiots.
I'm saying there is nothing wrong with 3-5 shifts except the lost opportunity to feel & hear the motor pull 4th.
I'm most likely to skip 3 if I'm loping 4th along and hit a short light I'l drop 4-2. Speaking of shifting I just installed the Whiteline transmission mount bushing and some Sullivan racing pedals.
I'm not likely to miss the opportunity to grab a gear.

 

[Silver Bullitt]

If you don't skip gears, then you 'll drive like an idiot in traffic. I don't think I've ever went 1-2-3-4-5-6 in any of my cars, ever... not once.

To do so, would imply you start off real slow and maintain that exact same acceleration while you shift though 6 gears & accelerating up to speed at the same given pace. Traffic isn't like that... so driving like that is idiotic.


1-3-5 does the same thing as 1-2-3-4-5...

Has to rank as one of the most idiotic (to use your word) posts I've read on this forum. Drive your Prius this way to eek out every last mpg possible. Drive the Mustang M6 the way it was meant to be driven.

 

[Zrussian13]

Hey bud, I don't race at all actually. I was just making a reference that even Corolla seemed to pick up speed after green light and I was being tailgated cause I was so slow. I'm a dad now so racing on the street is not an option!!

Well that's good to hear! I understand what you mean a lot more after driving this week. I usually run my e54r tune and taking off nice and easy but get moving quickly with no problem. I switched to my flex tune and put regular 91 in the tank end of last week so I could teach my son to drive a manual. Driving this week I've noticed how much of a dog the car is down low to get going. Much less inspiring... cant wait to get it back on ethanol!

 

[bnightstar]

Does no one use the no-lift feature? If you’re still using the stock clutch, it makes 4,000-5,000rpm launches with a no-lift 1st to 2nd shift smooth as butter once you get the hang out of the feature.

no lift feature is not a stock feature it's in the power packs engine calibration which is why most people don't use it.

 

[IronG]

If you don't skip gears, then you 'll drive like an idiot in traffic. I don't think I've ever went 1-2-3-4-5-6 in any of my cars, ever... not once.

To do so, would imply you start off real slow and maintain that exact same acceleration while you shift though 6 gears & accelerating up to speed at the same given pace. Traffic isn't like that... so driving like that is idiotic.


1-3-5 does the same thing as 1-2-3-4-5...

I don't see any reason to skip gears unless the occasion calls for it, but to think going through all the gears means you drive like an idiot is just misinformation. I generally don't skip gears, but hold certain gears in ebb and flow traffic. I really don't see why you would need to skip gears all the time. As others have said, part of the fun of a manual is to shift gears.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I don't see any reason to skip gears unless the occasion calls for it, but to think going through all the gears means you drive like an idiot is just misinformation. I generally don't skip gears, but hold certain gears in ebb and flow traffic. I really don't see why you would need to skip gears all the time. As others have said, part of the fun of a manual is to shift gears.

Agreed ↑↑↑

The whole point in having a multi-speed transmission of any sort is so you can keep the engine operating within an rpm range that's comfortable for it. Not too many rpms for the conditions of the moment, nor too few. Use the transmission for its purpose of keeping the engine happy, and let that make you happy.

In most normal street driving, there's no need to always be running some gear out to the point where using the next one up becomes pointless. The only common exception I can think of involves skipping 5th on the way to 6th when accelerating up to speed on a limited-access highway and you've already matched the prevailing speed of traffic in 4th.


Norm

 

[Sivi70980]

If you don't skip gears, then you 'll drive like an idiot in traffic. I don't think I've ever went 1-2-3-4-5-6 in any of my cars, ever... not once.

To do so, would imply you start off real slow and maintain that exact same acceleration while you shift though 6 gears & accelerating up to speed at the same given pace. Traffic isn't like that... so driving like that is idiotic.


1-3-5 does the same thing as 1-2-3-4-5...

Will agree with the others but will also say this...Drive your car as it suites you and try not to put others down for doing the same for them. I've had zero issue going through every gear and maintaining my place in traffic or keeping up/passing other people with their 4 wheeled toys. I also mainly do the 4-2 thing as well at around 35-40mph because auto rev matching is one of my favorite sounds. I will ask though, when skipping half the gears, why not just get the A10?

To the OP, try everything and do what works for you. You'll get better with time and patience and then you'll shift just like you breathe.

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