Official Learn To Drive Manual Cars Thread

[Mr Twisty]

Originally Posted by mercuryman96

Stock tires or DR's? From what I have read the guy's on the Official go fast list slide the clutch.

For the c5fest bunch, I don't think I'd be dumping the clutch with drag radials and stock shafts 1000 miles from home.

[Merc]

Originally Posted by MisterCamaro69

For the c5fest bunch, I don't think I'd be dumping the clutch with drag radials and stock shafts 1000 miles from home.

I will be paying close attention to the fast M6 guys at C5 Fest. Like I said earlier in the thread 2.3 60 ' is my best.

[nuptualnemesis]

Lots of tips on drag racing in this thread and launching an M6.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62548

Get Trailing Arms. BMR Fabrication has them for $139.99. You can install and they reduce 60 foot and stop wheel hop which will break things.

[blufin]

My best 60' time on stock tires at 32 lbs is 1.87. What works best for me is to bring RPM's up to about 3k. When the light pops, I slip the Cluth to get moving. When I've rolled out about 10-15 feet, I roll onto the throttle while at the same time releasing the clutch rapidly. Not dumping it, but just short of that. There should be a little chirp or spin, but not much. If what you're doing isn't getting you the short time you want, try something else. Practice..... A lot.

[comm54]

Originally Posted by nuptualnemesis

Lots of tips on drag racing in this thread and launching an M6.
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62548

Get Trailing Arms. BMR Fabrication has them for $139.99. You can install and they reduce 60 foot and stop wheel hop which will break things.

Thanks for posting the link, Great Thread!!!
:flag2:

[OrangeChevyII]

Practice practice practice

[chicagojoe16]

I'm not drag racing, just driving the manual around town. I've been driving manual for...about 6 months now and the only downshifts I've done were really slow...like taking the exit ramp in 5th, put it in neutral and let it drop to idle...and then jam it into 3rd to speed back up after the turn, like a boss. Can you explain the proper way to downshift, explain it like I'm 10 years old lol.

Also, engine breaking. I've never even tried it, scared it will hurt my transmission. I've given rides to a few manual driving friends and they've razzed me for not engine breaking. Is is smart to do and how do you do it? Again, please explain like I'm 10 so I can try it out.

Thanks guys!

[Mr Twisty]

Originally Posted by chicagojoe16

I'm not drag racing, just driving the manual around town. I've been driving manual for...about 6 months now and the only downshifts I've done were really slow...like taking the exit ramp in 5th, put it in neutral and let it drop to idle...and then jam it into 3rd to speed back up after the turn, like a boss. Can you explain the proper way to downshift, explain it like I'm 10 years old lol.

Also, engine breaking. I've never even tried it, scared it will hurt my transmission. I've given rides to a few manual driving friends and they've razzed me for not engine breaking. Is is smart to do and how do you do it? Again, please explain like I'm 10 so I can try it out.

Thanks guys!

Let's say you want to downshift to pass a car.
Practice downshifting like this...

Find a lonely straight stretch of hiway, driving along at 2,000 rpm in 5th gear. Look at your speedo, remember the speed.

Downshift to 4th gear and run the same speed. What does the tach read?

Let's assume your rpm's went from 2,000 to 3,500 rpm's when you downshifted and running the same speed.

Shift back into 5th gear, and get your tach back to 2,000 rpm's. Downshift again, but this time, clutch in, rev to 3,500 rpm's, and hold rev's, downshift to 4th, clutch out while still holding rev's.

Give that a try and come back, tell us what happens.

When the motor isn't under load (coasting like during a shift), 3,500 rpm's will always be in the same spot when pushing the throttle. Ex: if you push the throttle 1 inch, you get approx. 3500 rpm's. Let your foot memorize that position.

If you do it over and over and over again, you'll start doing it faster each time. If you do it enough, eventually you'll be downshifting like a pro... clutch-blip-n-shift-declutch... Your engine braking buddies will be saying... "How did you do that?" Just smile and don't say a word.

It's kind of like learning to juggle, Orange said it best...
"OrangeChevyII Practice practice practice"

[PB3]

Man am I so glad I came across this thread! MisterCamaro, I must say thank you for the "Rev-matching for Dummies" explanation. I am with Chicagojoe, sometimes things need to be explained to me like I am 10 years old! Even with your great explanation I am still a little confused

Originally Posted by MisterCamaro69

Shift back into 5th gear, and get your tach back to 2,000 rpm's. Downshift again, but this time, clutch in, rev to 3,500 rpm's, and hold rev's, downshift to 4th, clutch out while still holding rev's.

Ok, I read this like you are telling us to clutch in, rev engine to 3.5k rpm's, with the clutch still in and foot on gas holding rev's shift into 4th. But the the clutch out while holding rev's part is what confuses me :(

clutch-blip-n-shift-declutch..

Here I read it like: clutch in, rev to 3.5k rpms, with the clutch still in and foot on gas holding rev's shift into 4th, THEN release clutch.

I am a dumbass I know. Is my first interpretation or second the one that sound be preformed?

[Brokenlizrd]

Originally Posted by PB3

Here I read it like: clutch in, rev to 3.5k rpms, with the clutch still in and foot on gas holding rev's shift into 4th, THEN release clutch.

ya you got it go try it now

[Mr Twisty]

Originally Posted by PB3

Man am I so glad I came across this thread! MisterCamaro, I must say thank you for the "Rev-matching for Dummies" explanation. I am with Chicagojoe, sometimes things need to be explained to me like I am 10 years old! Even with your great explanation I am still a little confused



Ok, I read this like you are telling us to clutch in, rev engine to 3.5k rpm's, with the clutch still in and foot on gas holding rev's shift into 4th. But the the clutch out while holding rev's part is what confuses me :(


Here I read it like: clutch in, rev to 3.5k rpms, with the clutch still in and foot on gas holding rev's shift into 4th, THEN release clutch.

I am a dumbass I know. Is my first interpretation or second the one that sound be preformed?

Sorry, I've been busy..... The rpm's I stated are generic, but yes, you're revving up the engine to meet your lower gear, but it's not necessarily 3500 rpm's. it's whatever your car's rpm's are at a particular speed in a particular gear.

This is just an example... let's say:
50 mph in 3rd gear is 4500 rpm's
50 mph in 4th gear is 3500 rpm's
50 mph in 5th gear is 2500 rpm's
50 mph in 6th gear is 1500 rpm's
(These aren't actual numbers for your car)

If your car is geared as above (it isn't), If you're cruising at 50 in 6th gear at 1500 rpm's, you can downshift to 3rd gear, but you should rev the engine to 4500 rpm's as you're shifting. When you release the clutch, have the engine revved to 4500 rpm's, and the car won't decelerate (engine brake).

What you're doing is getting your engine rpm's up to the same rpm's as the clutch.

Find out what your actual rpm's are at the same speeds as above and use those numbers.

[PB3]

Originally Posted by MisterCamaro69

Sorry, I've been busy..... The rpm's I stated are generic, but yes, you're revving up the engine to meet your lower gear, but it's not necessarily 3500 rpm's. it's whatever your car's rpm's are at a particular speed in a particular gear.

This is just an example... let's say:
50 mph in 3rd gear is 4500 rpm's
50 mph in 4th gear is 3500 rpm's
50 mph in 5th gear is 2500 rpm's
50 mph in 6th gear is 1500 rpm's
(These aren't actual numbers for your car)

If your car is geared as above (it isn't), If you're cruising at 50 in 6th gear at 1500 rpm's, you can downshift to 3rd gear, but you should rev the engine to 4500 rpm's as you're shifting. When you release the clutch, have the engine revved to 4500 rpm's, and the car won't decelerate (engine brake).

What you're doing is getting your engine rpm's up to the same rpm's as the clutch.

Find out what your actual rpm's are at the same speeds as above and use those numbers.

Nice!

So hypothetically speaking, If I am in at a speed of 50 in 6th gear. My RPM's are at 1500, I want to down shift to 4th. I know at 50 in 4th gear my RPM's should be 3500. I clutch, put it into nuetral, rev to 3500, once I am there put it into 4th, and let clutch go. I am sure that as I get better it's all pretty much just one quick motion. I am just trying to break it down and understand it before I go out on the highway and try it . Those lke you mentioned aren't real numbers. I was just using your numbers for example purposes.
See, I had always been told that if you had the clutch and accelerator down at the same time you were "riding" the clutch and that was bad. What is "riding" the clutch?

[Mr Twisty]

Originally Posted by PB3

Nice!

So hypothetically speaking, If I am in at a speed of 50 in 6th gear. My RPM's are at 1500, I want to down shift to 4th. I know at 50 in 4th gear my RPM's should be 3500. I clutch, put it into nuetral, rev to 3500, once I am there put it into 4th, and let clutch go. I am sure that as I get better it's all pretty much just one quick motion. I am just trying to break it down and understand it before I go out on the highway and try it . Those lke you mentioned aren't real numbers. I was just using your numbers for example purposes.
See, I had always been told that if you had the clutch and accelerator down at the same time you were "riding" the clutch and that was bad. What is "riding" the clutch?

You got it!

Slight riding the clutch happens every time you take off from a start. As you slowly let out the clutch while accelerating you'll get a small amount of clutch slip, but that's okay, that's a necessary evil in a manual car, as long as it isn't excessive.

Excessive clutch slipping, or 'riding the clutch' happens when you rev the motor too high at a start, and let the clutch out too slow..... It's sometimes followed by a "What's that smell?" comment.

Some drag racers will intentionally ride the clutch off the line to keep rev's up and control wheel spin, it works well, but at a price... Eventually you'll be pricing a new clutch. But in drag racing it's that or snapping a drivetrain part from dumping the clutch. (clutch dump = rev and super quick clutch release)

[PB3]

Originally Posted by MisterCamaro69

...
Excessive clutch slipping, or 'riding the clutch' happens when you rev the motor too high at a start, and let the clutch out too slow..... It's sometimes followed by a "What's that smell?" comment.

Ahhh yes. I have had many moments of these

I appreciate the patience on explaining this! I plan on trying this a few times this weekend. Now I just need to figure out why it's so difficult to shift into 2nd at high RPM's!

I never knew what "dumping the clutch" meant. Ha! Thanks for throwing that in.