Tips on Driving a Manual Trans

[Zabo]

What to do, and what not to do. Kinda thought this would make a good self help/reference thread for Manuals since I haven't found one that fits this.

But onto my actual issue, quoted from Auto or Manual

Originally Posted by hurrhurrmee

I'm on the fence about the Manual. My only experience has been driving 5 speed Turf Cushman Trucksters from Textron. Those had 3 cyl diesel engines and were pretty beefy, but did NOT have any hydualic assist on the clutch or shifter. You had to find everything and I was pretty good at it too.

But I also developed the habit of leaving it in 4th and never downshifting (very torquey engine). So I'd just pop the clutch in and ride her to idle and then downshift to neutral again while breaking. (Foot off gas, clutch in while slowly tapping the brakes) Funny thing about that engine was that once the clutch was pushed in, the throttle would drop to idle.

As to other cars, I don't know if this is the same. Sooo

On a manual car/truck
When you let off the throttle and depress the clutch and brake, does the engine rev up when you throw it into neutral as it winds down?
How smooth are modern hydraulic assist trans?
How smooth are the clutch and can you feel them slip in and out of gear?
Anything else you guys can answer me about the Manual trans off of 4th gens?

Parents kinda kicked me away from manuals since I started driving. They've always had bad experiences with them so..yeah.

Cushman Trucksters
This is the manual set up I was trained on:
Clutch EFI Model: Diesel Models: 7.1 in. (180 mm), single disc and pressure plate

Transmission, Manual: Five-speed truck manual transmission with low-low (creeper) first gear; synchronized in all forward gears

Rear Axel: 11.16:1 ratio, two-speed transaxle; 7.1 in. (180 mm) hypoid ring gear; bevel differential gears; integral 3.2:1 auxiliary gear set; semi-floating axles with splined five-bolt wheel hubs; heavy-duty wheel bearings

I also have the transmission on my bike (minus 1st gear) so I kind of know how to shift in traffic. Still a pain as many say.

[shank0668]

You shift

[FenwickHockey65]

I never learned how to drive a manual either. :(

My dad's '93 Saturn SW2 died before I could learn.

[Zabo]

Originally Posted by shank0668

You shift

Gee, can we avoid sarcastic comments like these? This isn't 4chan, kid.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by Zabo

Gee, can we avoid sarcastic comments like these? This isn't 4chan, kid.

no offense, but he's right. you shift. clutch in, give it gas, clutch out, clutch in, shift to new gear, give it gas, clutch out. rinse and repeat.


you can read all day long about how to drive a stick. but until you go out there and kill it a few times you wont learn how to do it.

[zebra]

+1. it's mostly trial & error. if you can get rolling in first, the rest of the gears are usually a piece of cake.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by zebra

+1. it's mostly trial & error. if you can get rolling in first, the rest of the gears are usually a piece of cake.

till you need to stop on a hill.....

[shank0668]

Originally Posted by Zabo

Gee, can we avoid sarcastic comments like these? This isn't 4chan, kid.

I have never learned to drive stick yet. Partly because I cant drive. But I kind of understand what to do. I have to agree you have to go out there and mess arround with it on a back street or your driveway.

[zebra]

Originally Posted by shank0668

I have never learned to drive stick yet. Partly because I cant drive. But I kind of understand what to do. I have to agree you have to go out there and mess arround with it on a back street or your driveway.

i'd been driving a stick for a year when i was your age. just find a good friend with one (and really trusts you) & ask them to teach you. it really helped when i took my driving test already knowing how to drive for almost 5 years.

[shank0668]

Originally Posted by zebra

i'd been driving a stick for a year when i was your age. just find a good friend with one (and really trusts you) & ask them to teach you. it really helped when i took my driving test already knowing how to drive for almost 5 years.

Yea i was suprised when my neighbor told me to drive his 40 some thousand $ truck around in his yard with a trailer when landscaping but he has all autos except for his moms jeep. My brother has a 5 speed g5.

[TheCaptain]

And don't let the clutch out too slowly. Unless you like buying clutches... and the burnt clutch smell.

[Camaro Lives On]

I just drove stick for the first time today, and it was actually really fun. Once it got rolling, thing got easy (well, about as easy as they will get in an 80's Mazda Pickup). Drove from a movie store to the house, about 8 miles, full of twists, turns, stops, and goes. Mom said I did good. I'm not even going to try to give advice on it, I'll just say, it's way more fun than an auto, IMVHO

[ArcAngel]

totally I hate slush boxes feels like your not involved...sticks all the way!! like the rest of the guys said you just gotta get in there and do it!!

[The_Blur]

Now that we've established that it is mostly trial and error, who wants to loan me their manual?