Motors Tips - Manual Transmission

My car is a 91 honda civic hatchback 4spd manual, and its my first stick. Shifting is no problem, but I have some wicked difficulties going from stop to go. I either do it too fast or too slow to engage first gear.

So, anybody have have tips, tricks, or general advice for a newb on a manual tranny?

 

don't let the clutch up too quickly and always us a bit of gas while trying to pull away.



i was going to say something about americans not learning how to use a manual when they are learning to drive but i thought against it.

 

Here is my technique I use and I have allways been good on clutches (had over 100,000 miles on a Isusu P.U. and have 180,000 miles on origianal clutch in my 5.7L 4x4 truck)
Blip the throttle a little and as the eng revs are comming back down towards idle, let the clutch pedal up to the point where it starts to engage and at the same time start giving it a little throttle, when you feel the car start to move, you can let the clutch up the rest of the way , smoothly.
Knowing and feeling how much the clutch pedal needs to come up before it starts to engage is something you will quickly learn and you can practice this at idle by holding foot on brake, no throttle and letting clutch up slowly until you hear idle speed drop/feel like car wants to move. You can see that this starts to happen with the clutch pedal at the same place every time (you only want to do this at idle, no throttle, foot on brake, and only just for a moment )
DB

 

Could try learning where the biting point of the clutch is (biting point is when the car wants to go, but hasn't quite got enough power to overcome the weight of the car to go forward), by practicing on a flat piece of road (car park) and releasing the clutch on it own. Personally, it's better than using the brakes, as i feel that you don't wear it out.

ahh....the joys of learning how to change gears! lol.

 

Rev to 6,000 and dump the clutch

*n

 

With the handbrake still engaged.

 

Install a Launch Control module

Mine's coming next week I can't wait to floor the throttle so the LC limits the rev's to 4,000 rpm then controls the spin as you dump the clutch... should be fun.. can't wait to go Boyracer baiting...

 

Get Nitrous. REALLY make them work

 

or a turbo
http://www.astc56.dsl.pipex.com/turbo-E30.jpg

 

Phats car vs nova/astra/corsa/vauxhall thrash?

Seriously doubt he'd need it, he'd beat them cruising, then foot to floor and byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

I love how that BMW above has a proper racing bucket-seat, four point harness etc, and then has a normal seat next to it! Cheapskate...

 

Just have in mind that the revs will drop in RPM when the gear is engaged, so give a little more gas than you think you need before you release the clutch.

A good exercise is to go to a hill (preferably a hilltop with a crossroad) and practice keeping the car still only by using the gas and the clutch, and then start driving. That can come in handy in many situations (driving out of parking houses for instance).

 

Yea , and the garage busy replacing burned out clutches.
Do not ever use your clutch to hold you from rolling back on a hill (if you have to drive a clutch this way ... get an automatic)
DB

 

Quite a few racing series require for the full interioir to be left in place (apart from the drivers' seat obviously) or, more than likely, the owner is the only driver and uses it for track days.

*n

 

Weight regulations right? ^

 

No...If it were minimum weight regulations then the interior would be wremoved and the car builder would use ballast placed in the optimum position to get the centre of gravity down low and a perfect 25/25/25/25 weight distribution.

Some series' just require that the original interior must remain.

*n

 

Ah, my bad, ta for clearing that up.

 

So true There's always three "blinged up" corsa's that hang around a roundabout here next to a decent stretch of road.. I always give the throttle a quick blip in neutral, for that lovely deep reverberating grumble to get them interested... if they follow I'll drive like a fart, until one of them gets bonnet2bonnet

 

Ok, I'm not new to the car modding scene (although Penski's knowledge rapes me every time), but Phat, was that even English? Bonnet2bonnet? Drive like a fart? Someone translate?

edit....
You mean you'll drive slow until the come up beside you and the floor it? Gotcha. Rolling start. I feel silly now.

 

Generally drive quite slowly, you can hear them coming... ragging the tits off their cars, then once one of them become level with my car, I just put my foot down and dissapear... I have to laugh, they can clearly see the ///M badge on the back of the car... what makes them think they even stand a chance?