manual question.

Forrest · 03-24-2009, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash

I don't recommend this. It's not a good practice. It takes a bit of learning, but you will eventually be able to just let off the break and know exactly where your clutch's engagement point is and be on the gas before rolling back. I'm on hills all the time, and if I roll back at all, it's not more than an inch. It's just a matter of knowing your car. If you're in someone else's car, sure, use the e-brake, but don't ride the clutch.

Best practice is that you should never sit at a light or stop in neutral for the following reasons:

A) If you're a good driver and you leave enough space in front of you while you sit behind a car at a stop, you'll have a better chance of getting out of the way in time if a car is coming up behind you too fast to NOT hit you. (Let them hit the person in front of you, but get the hell out of the way!)

B) When you're on an incline (hill), it takes longer to put the car into gear. Having the car in gear with one foot on the clutch and one foot on the brake will save you plenty of time and you'll be ready to just get on the gas to prevent roll back. (Remember, you must be in total neutral for more than a second before the car picks up speed on a roll back.) So the time between your right foot getting to the gas from the brake peddle is VERY short.

C) Staying in the habit of always being in gear will help prevent forgetting you're not in gear at a light, or forgetting to clutch in at a stop.

I'm sure there are more reasons, but these are the reasons I personally keep the car in gear at all times.

isnt your method considered riding the clutch? wich shorten its life span? I sort of read you want to go into neutral so you dont ride the clutch.

MarcusMIA · 03-24-2009, 10:57 PM

I respect the love for a manual car. I, myself, have never learned to drive manual because there have never been any of those cars around me for me to learn in. I would actually love to to learn how to drive manual. It seems very engaging.

That being said, the new Z seems to redefine the difference between the two transmissions as far as performance goes. In a car where the two available transmissions allow delivery of almost IDENTICAL HP/Torque numbers, I don't see how anyone could pick the manual as far as straight up pedal to the metal performance goes.

Sure the manual is much more engaging and fun, I can't comment on that. I don't deny that from those that say that. However, in a straight line I'd like to see who would be able to clutch shift faster than the push of a paddle shifter and actually have a faster time, possibly.

Those are just some thoughts that have come to my head.

My source is 370z.com.

RDGR12 · 03-26-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarcusMIA

I respect the love for a manual car. I, myself, have never learned to drive manual because there have never been any of those cars around me for me to learn in. I would actually love to to learn how to drive manual. It seems very engaging.

That being said, the new Z seems to redefine the difference between the two transmissions as far as performance goes. In a car where the two available transmissions allow delivery of almost IDENTICAL HP/Torque numbers, I don't see how anyone could pick the manual as far as straight up pedal to the metal performance goes.

Sure the manual is much more engaging and fun, I can't comment on that. I don't deny that from those that say that. However, in a straight line I'd like to see who would be able to clutch shift faster than the push of a paddle shifter and actually have a faster time, possibly.

Those are just some thoughts that have come to my head.

My source is 370z.com.

The Z with an automatic transmission will probably lose in a straight line run. From a dyno result that have been posted here, the loss of power from an automatic is greater than that in a manual transmission. Technically, it wouldn't matter how much faster the auto may be able to shift. Unless, the transmission is the same as that of the current GTR... then, that's a different story.

Back to topic --

Forrest... If you want a smooth acceleration from a hill no matter how steep it is, I personally suggest for you to learn how to blip the throttle in partially engaged clutch. Blip the throttle gentle enough to keep the car from rolling back and to create enough momentum to get the car moving forward; until you reach the point to be able to accelerate as if you're rolling from a flat surface. This involves working the clutch to engage enough so that it doesn't stall; at the same time working the gas enough to hold and move the car forward.

It's a tricky technique, but if you master it, steepness of the hill wouldn't matter to you, at all.

When I was learning, I find it harder to hold the gas, while working the clutch to find that engagement point to move the car smoothly. This way, you can find that engagement without possibly burning the clutch or lurching forward.

Crash · 03-25-2009, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forrest

isnt your method considered riding the clutch? wich shorten its life span? I sort of read you want to go into neutral so you dont ride the clutch.

Not at all. No where in my method do you ride the clutch. My method is simply this:

When you're at a stop - Left foot clutch in, right foot brake on.
When you're on a hill - Left foot clutch in, right foot brake on.
When you're going - Right foot gas.

At no point do I say that you should be at a stop while clutching and gassing. Riding the clutch is when you're "halfing" the clutch and gas with the goal of not using the brake and not moving forward or backwards.

My point was that you should ALWAYS be in gear. That's not riding the clutch at all.

And to clear the "terms" up, the only way you can be in neutral is when the shifter is not in gear. Clutching in while in gear is not a method of being in neutral as "neutral" is a transmission term.

pluckyduck · 03-25-2009, 10:10 AM

In my opinion it depends on the situation. Here in the Atlanta area if I'm at a stoplight that I know is going to be at least 2-3 minutes then I keep the car in neutral until I know the light is about to change then I go ahead and engage the clutch a couple of seconds before the light changes. No way am I going to sit there with the clutch in for 3 minutes...

Forrest · 03-25-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash

Not at all. No where in my method do you ride the clutch. My method is simply this:

When you're at a stop - Left foot clutch in, right foot brake on.
When you're on a hill - Left foot clutch in, right foot brake on.
When you're going - Right foot gas.

At no point do I say that you should be at a stop while clutching and gassing. Riding the clutch is when you're "halfing" the clutch and gas with the goal of not using the brake and not moving forward or backwards.

My point was that you should ALWAYS be in gear. That's not riding the clutch at all.

And to clear the "terms" up, the only way you can be in neutral is when the shifter is not in gear. Clutching in while in gear is not a method of being in neutral as "neutral" is a transmission term.

I see what your saying, i just assumed foot in the clutch was considered riding. I read some where maybe even on here, while your driving dont even let your foot rest on the clutch put it on the dead pedal so you dont press in.

But obviously as your saying theres no gas involved in your scenario where the other ones there is.

Crash · 03-25-2009, 03:08 PM

^^^ Correct on both counts. Don't rest your foot on the clutch and with the clutch completely disengaged, you can't ride it.

There's a "dead peddle" in all manuals where you can rest your foot. It's to the left of the clutch and usually puts your foot about 3/4 the distance of the clutch travel. First time I was learning to drive manual I had no idea about that and my leg was getting really tired. LOL

Forrest · 03-25-2009, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crash

^^^ Correct on both counts. Don't rest your foot on the clutch and with the clutch completely disengaged, you can't ride it.

There's a "dead peddle" in all manuals where you can rest your foot. It's to the left of the clutch and usually puts your foot about 3/4 the distance of the clutch travel. First time I was learning to drive manual I had no idea about that and my leg was getting really tired. LOL

luckly for me i read first so i have been making full use of it. But i have to say reading and doing are WAY to different things.

I am going to attempt to perfect your method for minor hills.

kustomZ · 03-25-2009, 06:52 PM

Hmmm, I haven't been around lately, but it seems like my post about the e-brake start has been misunderstood.

You do NOT ride the clutch at any point while doing this. The e-brake simply keeps the car in place while you take off like normal, then as soon as the clutch engages, you let off the e-brake. If you're a good enough driver, you'll rarely/never need it, but I still use this technique on HUGE hills when someone is right behind me. It's a nice trick for the beginner, so they don't stall the car or back into the person behind them because they feel rushed.

03-25-2009, 03:08 PM	#7 (permalink)
Crash A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,853 Drives: 02 Corvette Z06 Rep Power: 590	^^^ Correct on both counts. Don't rest your foot on the clutch and with the clutch completely disengaged, you can't ride it. There's a "dead peddle" in all manuals where you can rest your foot. It's to the left of the clutch and usually puts your foot about 3/4 the distance of the clutch travel. First time I was learning to drive manual I had no idea about that and my leg was getting really tired. LOL __________________ 2002 Corvette Z06 - Totaled 2003 Corvette Z06 50th Anniversary

03-25-2009, 06:52 PM	#9 (permalink)
kustomZ Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 112 Drives: TBD Rep Power: 257	Hmmm, I haven't been around lately, but it seems like my post about the e-brake start has been misunderstood. You do NOT ride the clutch at any point while doing this. The e-brake simply keeps the car in place while you take off like normal, then as soon as the clutch engages, you let off the e-brake. If you're a good enough driver, you'll rarely/never need it, but I still use this technique on HUGE hills when someone is right behind me. It's a nice trick for the beginner, so they don't stall the car or back into the person behind them because they feel rushed. __________________

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03-24-2009, 10:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
MarcusMIA Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cap Hill, Seattle, WA Posts: 71 Drives: '14 370Z Blk MT Rep Power: 17	I respect the love for a manual car. I, myself, have never learned to drive manual because there have never been any of those cars around me for me to learn in. I would actually love to to learn how to drive manual. It seems very engaging. That being said, the new Z seems to redefine the difference between the two transmissions as far as performance goes. In a car where the two available transmissions allow delivery of almost IDENTICAL HP/Torque numbers, I don't see how anyone could pick the manual as far as straight up pedal to the metal performance goes. Sure the manual is much more engaging and fun, I can't comment on that. I don't deny that from those that say that. However, in a straight line I'd like to see who would be able to clutch shift faster than the push of a paddle shifter and actually have a faster time, possibly. Those are just some thoughts that have come to my head. My source is 370z.com.

03-25-2009, 10:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
pluckyduck Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Roswell, GA Posts: 20 Drives: 07 Nissan Xterra Rep Power: 17	In my opinion it depends on the situation. Here in the Atlanta area if I'm at a stoplight that I know is going to be at least 2-3 minutes then I keep the car in neutral until I know the light is about to change then I go ahead and engage the clutch a couple of seconds before the light changes. No way am I going to sit there with the clutch in for 3 minutes...