ZipZap04

Hi...


I am realitively new to mustang racing terms and mustang mods overall, so bare with me. I am driveing an 04 gt 5spd. My car should be broken in at 13000 mi.
I was in a kinda dual sunday. I was up against a few yr old like mid 90s) a pontiac grand am or prix w/ turbo, auto and i got thumped. I asked if it was supercharged. the first time was a stop and drag, thumped me. the second was a light roll and go by me only and still got thumped. I was in 1st, 2nd(85 in 3rd), he musta been at 100. During the 3rd time i shook my head no in defeat but we still ran it up. then we just cruised nicely down the road together for a few lights.
Can some1 explain the theroy of speed shifting and what safe for my car???


Mark

Mestizo

I'm still new to the Mustang, but here's what I've learned so far.

Shifter == must, just because your shifts will be cleaner(no grinding) and quicker.

The other is apparently the car prefers a higher RPM, at first I was nervous about higher RPMs. So shifted at lower RPMs....the engine doesn't respond as well as it does during higher RPMs.

As far as speed shifting.....I don't know many who would recommend it: Speed Shifting - racing without using the clutch. To me this seems more harmful than helpful.

Scothew

Yeah I defintely would not try any really hard shifting without a good aftermarket shifter. Reason being is that they have bumpstops built into them that keep the linkage in the tranny from being banged against the housing. This can seriously save your gears.

there are many ways to "speed shift" and probably a thousand different opinions on it. I've found my car does seem to shift easier and quicker the higher the RPM I am at.

You can shift without using the clutch at all, but I seriously dont recommend it. I've half clutched before and it works pretty well for me. Also as I am pushing the cltuch in, at the same time, i would pull the shifter out of the gear, as soon as the clutch is all the way in, i'd have the shifter in the next gear and side step off the clutch for the fastest release.

conv_stang

i have an 04 also. pulls really clean till about 5800-6000 i usually try to shift just before that to avoid the rev limiter. and i pretty much tap the clutch in about half way and i keep the gas on the floor( ah....powershift)the clutch releases pretty high. so you dont have to push it completely to the floor for it to release. and when we first got it i would sit in the car and practice running through the gears with the car off. to get used to the 1-2 and 2-3 shift. that way when the heat is on you dont miss and bend a fork or something.
and i wouldnt recommend shifting w/o the clutch. i do it in my 92 but only when i am putting around. my 92 goes in and out of gear nicely at 2000 rpm.

joker

As said multpple times here, speed shifitng is simply shifting without using the clutch. It can be done without a ton of harm to the tranny IF the drivers knows what he is doing. If you dont know what you are doing it can lead to bent shift forks, or a ripped up tranny. My technique is alot like what Scothew posted except I will speed shift out of the gear then clutch into the next one.

The best way to practice this stuff is in a desolate area, with no other traffic around. Get rolling good in say 2nd or third, the GENTLY apply pressure to the shifter like you are going to the next gear but do not press in the clutch. When the rpms get just right, the trans will ease out of gear. This doesnt really do any damage to the tranny that I have seen. Same theory applies to shifting into the next gear, except the "sweet spot" seems to be much more critical for making the tranny go into the next gear. DO NOT, and i repeat DO NOT EVER force the tranny in or out of a gear, that is where bad things can happen. If the rpms are right, it will shift in or out of gear just as smoothly as it does if the clutch is pressed in. If there is any major resistance, then back off of it or change your rpms until it eases in or out.

The easiest one to learn is taking the car out of gear without the clutch. Drive down the road, get your rpms up in say third gear (it seems to be easier to me when the rpms are up higher) then start gently pressing down towards 4th. If it doesn t ease out of gear, let out of the gas a little bit and it should slip right on out of third and into neutral.

With all of that being said, kids do not try this at home with the 20k mustang your parents are paying for. Attempting to learn to speed shift can very well cause serious damage to your tranny, so dont do it unless you are willing to take the risk on having to replace your trans. As with everything thing else in learning to drive a performance vehicle, dont get in over your head and use some common sense.

Also, I must say one more thing. if a GOOD driver is driving a 5 speed, there is no need to speed shift really, because the very minute time it takes to shift gears is really inconsequential unless you are running a professional race car. Concentrating more on how to drive the car correctly, and very well, will net you more gains than speed shifting in most situations.

HastaLaVista

No, it isn't. Speed shifting is shifting without letting up on the gas. Starting to pull the tranny out of gear before the clutch is completely disengaged is not uncommon with speed shifting, but clutchless shifting is something else entirely (and a bad idea in general).

Knight

Yeah speed shifting is when you don;t let off the gas..

joker

I stand corrected, but I have always heard that "speed shifting" was shifting without clutching, which can very well be done, and without problem. What you guys are describing I have always known as power shifting.

HastaLaVista

Yes, clutchless shifting can be done, but not without problem.
At worst you'll damage the tranny.
At best you're putting undue wear on it and increasing your chances for a failure significantly - the synchros are not intended to have to do their job while under load. As long as you're capable of using the clutch, there's zero reason to shift into gear without it.

Scothew

I agree with joker on this, powershifting is what I have always heard was shifting without ever leaving full throttle. Also i've seen some guys do it with no clutch use or only half.

ZipZap04

ok so its not really a good idea to do with a stock shifter even if i do power shifting? maybe i will try a high rpm shift instead. I guess i will need the turbo or a staged 1, 2, or 3 kit for my car.

Knight

sorry i messed up in the last post...i knew shifting without letting of fthe gas was power shifting...i got confused fromt eh person posting before me

redhorse

The shifting without the clutch can be done but you better know what you are doing as stated earlier. As a matter of fact anyone who is familiar with driving large trucks (18 wheeelers, dump trucks, etc.) knows you don't ever use the clutch except to start off.

The real key as joker so wisely stated is to watch the rpm.

HastaLaVista

Heavy truck transmissions are a completely different animal from what's in a passenger car.

redhorse

In NASCAR, I believe there is a thing called the Jelico Transmission, no clutch needed. Primarily used a Pococno. The fact that is trying to be made is that shifting can be done without a clutch but it is not something that should be done on a regular basis. Also the fact is trying to be shared that if you don't know what you are doing and if you are not careful, you will tear something up.

Fordracing200

i agree

Fordracing200

is the grand prix silver?? if so i know that car, it runs low 13s with alot of spin

SteveP2

Ok guys... from an old-timer here...did a lot of drag racing in the late sixties (yeah, I'm that old), and owned several 60's muscle cars. :drive:
SPEEDSHIFTING is shifting without letting up on the throttle but using the clutch... it takes a nice smooth short throw shifter to accomplish, (one that kind of "snicks" into gear)... and you've got to start the shift before redline.
POWERSHIFTING is shifting without using the clutch at all, and can be done at redline... I used to powershift my 69 396 SS Camaro that had a Muncie "rock crusher" 4 speed and Hurst shifter. The thing was bullet proof. Would NOT recommend powershifting the Tremec trans, but speedshifting can be done with a good aftermarket shifter with a shorter throw.... (steeda is good)... and thats the facts folks!

ZipZap04

Yep, good chance it was him. It was silver or a light grey not positive. I wanna say 4 door but i'm not positive. He had the wheel spin too. I think i saw him b4 a couple times i'm not sure. he was cool enough not to rub it in.

I might be looking into an SC either late summer or next yr, that should solve my problem.

tacbear

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SteveP2 @ January 23, 2006, 1:35 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Ok guys... from an old-timer here...did a lot of drag racing in the late sixties (yeah, I'm that old), and owned several 60's muscle cars. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eclipsee_steering.gif[/img]
SPEEDSHIFTING is shifting without letting up on the throttle but using the clutch... it takes a nice smooth short throw shifter to accomplish, (one that kind of "snicks" into gear)... and you've got to start the shift before redline.
POWERSHIFTING is shifting without using the clutch at all, and can be done at redline... I used to powershift my 69 396 SS Camaro that had a Muncie "rock crusher" 4 speed and Hurst shifter. The thing was bullet proof. Would NOT recommend powershifting the Tremec trans, but speedshifting can be done with a good aftermarket shifter with a shorter throw.... (steeda is good)... and thats the facts folks! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]


Another old timer here, been around Drag Racing for a long time:

Powershifting--Shifting without lifting out of the throttle (hence the name POWER(on)SHIFTING). You can do this with very little clutch disengagement and it is the fastest way to shift a manual transmission.

Speedshifting--Shifting very fast with very little clutch disengagement and just barely letting out of the throttle. It is almost as fast as Powershifting and is alot easier on the tranny than Powershifting.

Grannyshifting--Fully disengaging the clutch and letting out of the throttle between shifts. The way most of us shift on the street when we are just cruising and the way most 'Ricers" shift at the track.

Shifting w/o using clutch--A good way to scatter a transmission, unless it is designed to be shifted that way (Jerico, Lenco, etc.). I guess as stated above you can get away with it with a "Rock Crusher", but you will scatter a Tremec.

Double Clutching--Only required with a NON-syncronized transmission, the term was also made famous by a misguided Actor in the movie "Fast and the Furious".