So, its been a decade or more since I've had a manual as a daily. I'm sure I have gained a lot of bad habits, I'm sure because I've been trying to break a couple of them.
So, let's have a refresher course. What are good habits and bad habits with a stick?
Don't use the clutch to hold your car in position at a stoplight on a steep grade.
Do: Double Clutch
Dont: Granny Shift
Pretty straightforward:
Don't hold the clutch in at lights (wears out the throw out bearing)
Don't rest your hand on the shifter (it puts pressure on the syncros and leads to premature wear )
Don't "gear down" when coming to a stop..............brakes slow the car not the transmission (wears the clutch as well as the trans)
I heal and toe downshift and rev match the upshifts.
I typically get 120-140K out of a clutch. I've never worn out a manual; typically I have 150-180K on them when I sell the car and the trans is still good.
Yikes, I "gear down" every stop to save on fuel. My 326k mile transmission doesn't know the difference. Good heel-toeing and neither clutch nor syncros take much wear.
When you get to the point where you can take off without touching the gas pedal (on flat ground, given you're not driving a 'Busa-powered anything), and you can shift without the clutch (up and down), you're there.
buzzboy said:Yikes, I "gear down" every stop to save on fuel. My 326k mile transmission doesn't know the difference. Good heel-toeing and neither clutch nor syncros take much wear.
Instead of "gearing down" I brake/coast down in whatever gear I was cruising until the injectors kick back on, usually around 1000 RPM then gently push the shifter into neutral before coming to a stop. There is a "free-floating" point when the engine just starts firing again when it will ease out of gear without any effort, which should mean minimal friction on the synchros. Saves on fuel while coasting down (since EFI engines cut fuel while coasting), and also saves on clutch and throwout bearing wear from not having to shift or clutch on the way down. That's my theory at least, but I'm here to learn.
In reply to rustomatic :
That's how I teach manual trans. Right foot on brake, slowly let out clutch. When you feel the car lug down slightly then release the brake. As you start moving forward release the rest of the clutch gently.
In reply to buzzboy :
When I say gear down; I'm talking about using solely the transmission to slow the car with high revs.
Don't: Use the valet parking service at fancy places.
1988RedT2 said:Don't: Use the valet parking service at fancy places.
QFT...and that's from a former valet driver. Though generally the fancier the place, the more experienced the valets. Middle-aged crew in matching jackets? Trust. College-aged kids working at a mid-range hotel in dry-fit polos? Don't let them touch your clutch.
Tom1200 said:Pretty straightforward:
Don't hold the clutch in at lights (wears out the throw out bearing)
I was also told that holding the clutch in places unnecessary wear on the crank thrust bearing. Not sure if true, haven't really pondered it.
Don't put it in 1st gear while doing 70
Do: downshift
Don't: downshift when you are trying to upshift
(see above)
buzzboy said:Yikes, I "gear down" every stop to save on fuel. My 326k mile transmission doesn't know the difference. Good heel-toeing and neither clutch nor syncros take much wear.
I don't use the clutch when shifting when at all possible. Saves wear on my knee.
My clompers are so big that I gave up trying to heel and tow. I double clutch as much as I can, and follow most of the other recommendations here.
My daily, a '18 Mazda3, has a little dealie on the dash that tells you what gear you're in and recommends a shift if it feels it's warranted. I've found that while coasting down a long hill, if you use the brakes once it tells you to downshift. I rarely do, mostly to save on clutch wear. Brakes are cheaper. I'll let it coast down till about idle speed in whatever gear I'm already in if I'm coming to a stop, and then click it into neutral and release the clutch to finish braking.
For upshifting, the computer likes me to get into higher gears quickly. Of course, the computer doesn't know if there's a hill coming up, or any of lots of other driving situations. I try to keep the transmission in such a gear that pressing on the accelerator more yields more acceleration. Don't lug the engine in too high a gear. It's not good for the drivetrain, nor is it good for fuel economy.
DO: replace/upgrade mounts if it's an older car
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:Tom1200 said:Pretty straightforward:
Don't hold the clutch in at lights (wears out the throw out bearing)
I was also told that holding the clutch in places unnecessary wear on the crank thrust bearing. Not sure if true, haven't really pondered it.
I mean, maybe? One could just as easily argue that shifting into neutral and back into the same gear places unnecessary wear on the synchros. Both are kind of down in the weeds and not something I'd worry about unless I had a car where I knew it was a weak point.
I agree with not resting your hand on the shifter, but I'm less concerned about wear on the mechanical bits. Keep it on the wheel because that's where you need it to control the car. :)
WHEN do you shift? Mrs. 914 had no license when we met, I taught her and she took the road test on our '54 Chevy. All of out "everyday" cars were stick, I taught her that also. On her own, she developed the habit of shifting not much higher than an idle, where I wind it up a bit.
The book says shift when you lose rate if forward acceleration. With a 5500 RPM redline, go at least 3k, unless you have a need. Is lugging a car along almost tripping over itself bad for it?
In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :
There is a difference between resting your hand on the shifter and forcing your weight into the shifter. I'll often hold the shifter to keep it in a neutral position instead of rattling.
Pet peeve: You do not wear the synchros from holding the shifter. The synchro is just along for the ride once the shift collar is splined onto the gear. What you potentially wear is the shift fork.
Another peeve: You do not wear the clutch from downshifting to slow down. If you do, you have extremely bad technique: you are supposed to re-engage the clutch, not let the engine idle down and then slip the clutch to slow the car down.
Otherwise, how much power does it take to spin the engine under deceleration, maybe 5-10hp? How is that different from the previous fifty miles when you were putting 25hp through the clutch to maintain speed?
914Driver said:With a 5500 RPM redline, go at least 3k, unless you have a need. Is lugging a car along almost tripping over itself bad for it?
Lugging, without looking up a precise definition, is trying to accelerate when the engine is unable to make enough power to do it, generally accompanied by heavy shaking.
I shift my 10,2k redlined engine at 2000-2500 because it is happiest when you do that. Every engine is different.
1988RedT2 said:Don't: Use the valet parking service at fancy places.
And have to circle the downtown area for 15-20 minutes looking for parking like a peasant? And then walk who knows how far? I think not good sir. 
rustomatic said:When you get to the point where you can take off without touching the gas pedal (on flat ground, given you're not driving a 'Busa-powered anything), and you can shift without the clutch (up and down), you're there.
this
z31maniac said:1988RedT2 said:Don't: Use the valet parking service at fancy places.
And have to circle the downtown area for 15-20 minutes looking for parking like a peasant? And then walk who knows how far? I think not good sir.
I'm pretty sure the correct answer is to arrive in a limo.
Driving manual is easy to learn, but hard to master. Try to time your clutch release on upshifts so that the RPMs fall to the proper level for the next gear. Shifter engagement should feel smooth with minimal notchiness.
Note that it is not always possible to shift quickly enough to catch the RPMs when upshifting, especially when the car is cold, or with a lightweight flywheel.
I have been driving manual for nearly 10 years and still find it difficult to shift smoothly into second when full throttle, especially in my RX-7, which seems to be harder into second than most cars. Usually I can feel a shock in the drivetrain.
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