It's pretty easy to learn manual transmission I would say. Driving it correctly like SouthernBoy is what is hard. In a few hours, I was able to teach the basics to a friend; as in how to smoothly take-off etc. If you're a car enthusiast, it's a must in my opinion.

 

ehhh I always thought double clutching was when you:

depress clutch
shift into neutral gate
let off clutch
blip throttle
depress clutch again
shift into lower gear

^everything except the bolded.... I always rev match when I double clutch though. And I only do it 2-1, and sometimes in 3-2. I usually depress the clutch before I blip the throttle though.... does it matter?

 

congrats Veruca Salt...

 

A manual transmission will always be more efficient than ANY automatic transmission out there. Assuming gear ratios are comparable.

Its far more involving, makes you a more attentive drive and quite frankly its more fun.

I have both manuals and automatics, each serves a purpose.

 

did I read that wrong, you downshift into 1st gear??

 

Yes, and this is what I described on the previous page. The throttle blipping and the engagement of the clutch (can be partial) occurs as you pause in the neutral gate.

But yes, you have the correct idea.

 

yes.... easy if you double clutch + rev match properly

difficult to get it perfectly smooth though

 

Yes you can downshift into 1st gear. The same method applies. The only difference is that you are going into a much lower gear with most transmissions, so you don't want to do this much past 5 or 6 MPH and you will need to raise engine speed more on the "blip" for a smooth match and insertion.

 

^ If you gotta go slow or skoot in traffic with a tsx, need #1

BTW, I'm rowing this thing constantly, next car will have torque

 

haha yea thats what I meant, if you actually had to downshift to first sometimes

I guess I'm spoiled by the G, I can start the car in 2nd and stay in 2nd even in crawling traffic as long as I'm rolling with no bogging... only time I'm in first is if I'm completely stopped

 

For you MT'ers and hope-to-be MT'ers, and AT'ers who may just like to know, here is something I imagine most people do not know about manual transmissions.

We commonly use the term "shifting gears" or terms very similar, but do you know that this is a misnomer? When you shift from one gear to the next, be it an upshift or a downshift, you are not really shifting any gears at all. None of the gears in your gearbox move.. none of them make contact with any other gear(s) because of your shift. You are NOT shifting gears.

Our transmissions, as well as just about every manual transmission, is what's called a "constant mesh" transmission. This means that the gears are fixed in their positions, meshing with other gears and never to be moved. What you ARE doing when you shift from one gear to another is moving a collar which rides on a splined shaft into a matching hub which is part of the chosen gear. This collar has teeth which are parallel to the shaft, called dog teeth, which are inserted into matching, or receiving, slots in the hub. This is how power is transmitted from the engine, through the transmission, and utlimately to the drive wheels. And also how the difference gears are selected to transmit this engine power (torque).

So the next time someone talks to you about shifting gears, just tell them there ain't no such thing.

 

If you're completely stopped and staying stopped, you should not be in 1st gear.. you should be in neutral with your foot off of the clutch pedal.

 

Ok, I'm going to break thread and shout with joy about something I just read so please forgive my excitement.

Virginia has introduced a resolution, which joins with a number of other states, affirming out sovereignty and putting the federal government on notice that it cannot and must not supercede rights retained by the people of Virginia under the Tenth Amendment.

Yeah!

Ok, thanks.

 

Hey SB. How are you?

I've been driving a manual so long I rarely use the clutch anymore except for starting out and coming to a complete stop. Something I don't recommend without a lot of practice. There is something so wonderfully satisfying with a proper up/downshift.

Terry

 

So many people don't know that either

 

I been rear-ended so many times that history proves being stopped is the most dangerous condition for me

You bet it is in first gear at a stoplight and stuff. Sometimes, you can avoid the rear-ending, sometimes not...

I've been describing difficult congested driving, and it is mostly like a car race/demolition derby. Anybody does anything out of the ordinary, accident.

 

Oh absolutely, just saying when possible put it in neutral.

 

isnt it bad for your throw out bearings if you stay in first with your foot on the clutch on a stop.

 

Maybe it has more to do with where you hang out... but seriously, I've never been rear ended, neither have most people, so it's hard for me to believe that it has happened to anyone many times unless you're frequently driving through the parking lot of the retard driver institute.

 

AKA Southern California ...

 

That I can remember, three insurance claims inc. one total, and I was in pain for a long time. Also, many hard bumps and small bumps. It is all moms and young drivers, distracted by cellphones, friends, kids. Latest one was a kid texting while I was at a one-way stop sign yeilding right of way with headlights brakelights and turn signal on. Had nowhere to go, except to cause my own accident.

A neighbor jogs maybe five miles a day, and he has been hit by cars many times, mostly drivers not stopping at stop signs.

 

I do it smooth enough that you'll never know I'm ever downshifting other than the higher revving sound of the engine..

 

I only engage 1st a few seconds before the light changes and then go go go!

 

Nothings more satisfying than when driving with someone that's never been in your car after about half an hour, they turn to you and say "This cars standard?" all perplexed like.

 

I actually had a few people in my car that after a few minutes realized I was driving manual but didn't notice it in the way I was driving...it's that smooth...

 

I pride myself on being able to be really smooth, and it makes me really happy when that happens (which is often ).

 

I do it too, but not very often, it's not a very pleasant feeling unless it's at a very low speed, most often at an idle/crawling speed. Any faster than that and things would get interesting...

 

Depends on the gearing of course.

My Prelude has very short gears so downshifting to 1st is almost never a good idea in almost any situation.

 

Don't mind me, just talking about tsx, a strange car that should not make 60 mph in second gear, and has a huge 1-2 gap. Thrilling 2-1 downshifts above 10 mph are required, and there is a lockout above about 5 mph that requires double-clutch to defeat.

The civic si requires third gear to 60 mph, and that is how the tsx should be.

 

My next car deffinately has to be Manual...Automatic is so boring and plain you guys know what i mean?!?

 

into 1st?

I can DCHT (double clutch heel toe) smoothly into any gear except 1st. My car also has subpar pedal placement IMO, it was quite a bit easier to DCHT perfectly in my Integra. I guess I don't practice that gear enough.... I usually only do it when I'm slowing down in traffic. When I'm driving hard however, its much smoother, though occasionally there's a slight jerk going into 1st, usually when I downshift into 1st at around 10-15 mph. It just feels kinda limp under 15 mph in 2nd. It's probably better to just keep it in 2nd but I still like to feel the torque



oh and for those of you actually interested in a forum actually about driving manuals, standardshift.com gets a from me

 

In 5-10 years, you might have to import a manual from Europe that way things are going. My local Honda dealers says in the whole state of WA there are only 2 V6 6 speeds. I truly believe the Japanese makers will can V6 manuals in a brief amount of time when the pretty much no one but us car nuts want its. Even the young guys at work arent into manuals.

 

The K24 and K20 are quite different behavior wise and the TSX and Civic Si are also quite different. Requiring 3rd gear to 60, I can see that justified in a Civic Si or an STi.... but not a TSX. Gear ratio spacing is something that should be left to the engineers, they have their reasons for it....

The C6 Z06 can reach 60 mph in 1st gear.... drive one, hell just sit along for the ride. It does fine with the super tall 1st gear

 

Doing Ok, Terry.. just looking forward to the warm weather, my friend.

Careful. You don't want people to start trying to shift without using the clutch. You're have then dropping gearcases all over the place (heh, heh).

 

Yep. Reduces wear on the release bearing.

Here's another tip for you MT'ers. When you are stopped at a light and then the light turns yellow for the other side, before just shifting to 1st gear, start your shift into 2nd or 3rd gear first, then shift into 1st gear. This is easier on the synchronizers and makes your shift into first smoother.

 

I think it wasn't left to them

Mgt: "Make it do 60 in 2nd"

Eng: "No, it takes 3"

Mgt: "STFU"

Eng: "Need bigger tires!"

 

Just bought my first car with Manual transmission..... I had no idea what I was missing all these years! I can't imagine why anyone who knows how to drive a manual would buy a car with auto unless they do mostly city stop and go driving. Shifting really makes driving fun again!

 

civic si needs more tq, thats why it has to go with shorter gears to go up hills.

 

The 1G TSX gearing was much less pleasent than the 2G TSX. In the 1G 1st and 2nd felt rather dead, all the fun was in 3rd and 4th while 5th and 6th were hard to tell apart. The 2G by contrast feels more linear through the gears. 1st and 2nd don't feel anemic like they used to. 5th and 6th still seem awfully close though. I think the slight increase in torque with the 2G made more convenient gearing possible.

 

Now make sure you learn to do everything the right way and you'll enjoy it even more. If you have questions, send me a PM. Or you can just post them here and other can both offer and pick tips.