Driving stick, tips!

[B.M.800]

Sooner or later, I will be driving. Probably drive the neon, 5 speed.
I would like to know any tips you experienced people got?

Im sure others may benefit too.

{EDIT} Aaaaaannnd I totally put this in the wrong place.

 

[devino246]

The thing that helped me the most, was putting a clutch in my self. Seeing the way the parts interact and the way they work made it alot easier.

This guy explains it pretty well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BaECAbapRg


You really just need to get a feel for the car. I like driving older stickshifts better than new ones because of the mechanical clutch linkage in older ones. IMO, you can feel the clutch better than on the newfangled hydraulic systems.

 

[HellSpawn]

One of my main tips, is if you're a beginner, Don't try to instantly jump into downshifting. I've watch countless people miss the intended gear they were going for while downshifting, and toss a rod right out the side of the block.

Always make sure you're completely disengaging the clutch when you're shifting.

When re-engaging after a shift, once you feel the car start pulling again and there is tension on the driveline.. Speed up letting the clutch out. (This will keep you from slipping the clutch horribly) Some cars are different in how fast you can let it out once there is tension on the driveline. Its something you have to get a feeling for.

Last, Make your e-brake your best friend. Sometimes when you're on steep inclines and you CANNOT roll backwards while letting the clutch out, the e-brake is a good tool to keep the vehicle stationary until there is enough tension on the driveline to get moving forward. Also necessary for parking on inclines (Don't just trust leaving it in gear. I've had quite a few roll away on me :])

 

[fowler]

what hell spawn is explaining is a hill start

u will probs have to do one in your driving test

the bsest bit of advice i can give is to find an old 4x4 and drive it in a paddock or big open space

firstly if u freak out and cant find the pedals to stop u wont hit anything also u cant distroy the clutch in a big car like that

most of it is feel and every car is a little differant

if u want to use down shift then teach your self to upshift without a clutch this will get u good at matching the revs with the ground speed

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Tip? Yeah- the clutch pedal is your best friend! Learn it, know it, use it. Anytime you run in to trouble- be it a "hiccup" start, scary situation, bad shift, wrong gear etc, bury the clutch...

 

[Badot]

I'd say just practice starting and stopping in gear 1... that's where you use the clutch the most anyways. Shifting isn't as big of a deal because even if you don't slip the clutch you're not going to stall the engine if you're already moving.

Take it easy though, you don't want to burn up the clutch.

And I agree with Hellspawn, the handbrake is really nice for starting out up a hill when some jack@$$ is right up behind you... just hold on the hand brake and start slipping the clutch (with a bit of gas of course) so when you let off the handbrake you'll start immediately rolling forward.

My dad has a newer honda with a hydraulic clutch, my corolla is a cable/mechanical... I vastly prefer the corolla. The honda feels like it has a 'hump', in a manner of speaking, right over the sweet spot... it basically makes the clutch feel like an on/off thing where you have to kind of finagle it to get it to actually slip. Corolla is nice and smooth throughout the entire range, not to mention I can actually feel vibrations of the engine through the clutch pedal in the corolla, which is nice, makes it real easy to tell what's going on in the engine, especially if I have the radio up loud.

 

[dave1701]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I'm need a mechanical transmission on my kart so I can learn on there!

 

[B.M.800]

Thanks guys! (and to whoever moved this to the proper place) So next summe I might be getting th privilege to drive a non synchronized trans from an 50s Dodge... Cool truck I must say.

 

[devino246]

Thanks guys! (and to whoever moved this to the proper place) So next summe I might be getting th privilege to drive a non synchronized trans from an 50s Dodge... Cool truck I must say.

Ohh, thats gonna be tons of fun. Say hello to double clutching!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Thanks guys! (and to whoever moved this to the proper place) So next summe I might be getting th privilege to drive a non synchronized trans from an 50s Dodge... Cool truck I must say.

That was me. AND- that Dodge sounds like a sweetheart! Double-clutching isn't that bad once you get used to it, just don't expect to set any new 0-60 records!

I went through a period of about 15 years, where every time I moved, or a friend or relative moved, it involved a U-Haul truck with the old Clark 5-speed. I always got "voluntold" for driving duties. The old Clarks were cool- 1st gear was a granny low making enough torque to rip a mountain off it's mounts. In normal driving, you would start in 2nd gear, and 5th was a 1:1 direct drive. Anyway, seemed like every dang time I got behind the wheel, I got a truck with a bad synchro ring in the tranny somewhere- this is the pitfall of renting a manual transmission truck to any idiot with a licence. So- Every dang time I drove a U-haul, I found myself having to double clutch thru one or more up-or down-shifts. Got pretty good at it, too! (Now they all have slushboxes in 'em. Go figure.)

 

[B.M.800]

Heres one of the trucks... body is pretty rough(besides the fact a tree had fallen on it).

The engine, pretty thing...

The one I like best... body isnt too bad yet, my dad wants to put a 354 Hemi in one of these...

 

[kaymo]

ok first off, keep that engine, its way better original.

second, sell the neon and get a real car. you will thank yourself later. you can use the neon to learn a bit, but i wouldnt keep it too long... it will start breaking on you.

third, when you are trying to learn the clutch feel, do it with the car on an incline with the engine off. put the car in first and slowly push in the clutch. you will feel the car start to roll. you can let off the clutch and feel the engine begin to hold and slow you down. driving a clutch is the same, just with the engine on

and if you do a hill start on a drivers test they will not let you use the handbrake!!

 

[Badot]

and if you do a hill start on a drivers test they will not let you use the handbrake!!

Step 1: disable/bypass switch that doesn't let you crank the engine with clutch out (cruise control may not work then)

Step 2: to start car on hill, crank when letting off brake in gear one

Problem?

If you can heel+toe though (I have size 13-14 shoes...) it should be about as easy as using the e-brake if you get some practice in. I do right heel on brake, toe on gas, left foot on clutch, but do whatever works for you.

 

[kaymo]

re-cranking the car on the hill would only look like you stalling the car to the instructor... and i dont think starting the car in gear would get you any points either... quite the opposite.

the point of the exercise is to learn to work the pedals fast enough to not roll back. i can do it, and if you cant then you need more practice. plain and simple. if you "cheat" you are only cheating yourself. just practice more.

i can heel toe, or my feet are wide enough to use the gas and brake... but i wouldnt try to get a novice heel/toe driving just yet.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

You don't need extra feet, heels, toes, e-brakes, or anything else. As said, the key is practice. For starters (pun intended) find a place to be so you can (safely) stop uphill. With your right foot firmly on the brake, clutch in and put the vehicle in first. Slowly and gently start letting the clutch out. You will feel the threshhold point where the clutch begins to engage. The revs will start to go daown and the car will feel like it wants too begin to move. Bury the pedal again. Now repeat the above several times until you know the feeling well, and you know exactly at what point the clutch begins to engage. To actually begin moving, this time let off the brake when you hit that threshold. Feed 'er a little fuel and ease off the clutch the rest of the way. Smooth as silk. Do this a bunch of times. With enough practice, you'll be quick enough that you no longer need that overlap between the brake and clutch.

Quick anecdote. Once, about 20 years ago, I was driving my '76 Celica GT home from my parents' place. Getting into a major intersection and waiting to make a left, I clutched in and my foot dropped to the floor. It was a hydraulic clutch and I lost ALL pressure. I drove a couple miles on city streets, a good stretch of freeway, and some more city streets to get home- all with no functioning clutch including stops and starts. That folks, was an interesting challenge...

 

[B.M.800]

ok first off, keep that engine, its way better original.

second, sell the neon and get a real car. you will thank yourself later. you can use the neon to learn a bit, but i wouldnt keep it too long... it will start breaking on you.

third, when you are trying to learn the clutch feel, do it with the car on an incline with the engine off. put the car in first and slowly push in the clutch. you will feel the car start to roll. you can let off the clutch and feel the engine begin to hold and slow you down. driving a clutch is the same, just with the engine on

and if you do a hill start on a drivers test they will not let you use the handbrake!!

What the Hemi? Or the I6 in th truck now?
We would be keeping both anyways, is all good.

The Neon was free... cant complain there. And besides, its only got 266K miles, its still young!

You don't need extra feet, heels, toes, e-brakes, or anything else. As said, the key is practice. For starters (pun intended) find a place to be so you can (safely) stop uphill. With your right foot firmly on the brake, clutch in and put the vehicle in first. Slowly and gently start letting the clutch out. You will feel the threshhold point where the clutch begins to engage. The revs will start to go daown and the car will feel like it wants too begin to move. Bury the pedal again. Now repeat the above several times until you know the feeling well, and you know exactly at what point the clutch begins to engage. To actually begin moving, this time let off the brake when you hit that threshold. Feed 'er a little fuel and ease off the clutch the rest of the way. Smooth as silk. Do this a bunch of times. With enough practice, you'll be quick enough that you no longer need that overlap between the brake and clutch.

Quick anecdote. Once, about 20 years ago, I was driving my '76 Celica GT home from my parents' place. Getting into a major intersection and waiting to make a left, I clutched in and my foot dropped to the floor. It was a hydraulic clutch and I lost ALL pressure. I drove a couple miles on city streets, a good stretch of freeway, and some more city streets to get home- all with no functioning clutch including stops and starts. That folks, was an interesting challenge...

Betcha that was fun!