Hi,

I'm a new driver to stick, and I was wondering why in reverse you can shift into reverse from stop without having to press on the gas pedal, and when you shift into first, you HAVE to hit the gas a little or else your car will stall. I wish first gear would be like reverse. I have a MUCH easier time shifting into reverse than first. Man driving stick is stressful when you're doing it on a new car when you haven't had much experience in the past with stick.


Also will beginners shifting which isn't always smooth only damage the clutch or the whole transmission?

 

onve you get the heel and toe movement down pat you wont stall the car...sounds like you are lifting you leg and not pitching it...and that`s why you are stalling in out...heck i even was doing it cause it was a while since i drove stick...what you should do is practice statrting out in first without using the gas cause you really don`t need to use it..plant the heel of your foot and just raise you toes and you get it...as far as damage to the drivetrain..i would say consistant beating on the tranny could damage the clutch...flywheel...throwout bearing...

 

So a person should be able to shift into first without giving any gas if they're doing it properly? The clutch pedal has such a wide range of motion I can't see how I can heel toe it all the way down.

 

For a GT 1st and reverse are the same gear ratio, so if you can do it fine on reverse you should be able to do it on 1st.
Heel toe the clutch on launch? I've never heard of the heel toe term used this way, for one pedal, while launching. :scratch:

Just make sure you can comfortably move your leg in the pressed/depressed range of motion. You don't need to pitch your toes or step on the clutch in funny ways, with your heel (sounds like you could get a cramp out of this). Do whats comfortable, then simply practice on feeling the grabbing point on flat level surfaces.

 

I think what they meant was.... heel on the floor...just lift your toes...

As opposed to lifting your leg, which until comfortable...doesn't have that stabliltiy that planting your heel does.

Unless I'm reading that wrong...

 

Oh and a tip on shifting smoothly. If you know how valve overlap works, with the intake valve beggining to open while the exhaust valve is almost closed, then this will help in shifting smooth. Before realsing the clutch fully, already have light pressure on gas.
So have a small amount of gas while clutch is almost fully out. Using gas after clutch has been dropped will cause the jerks.

 

So using the ankle pivot to lift the clutch (lift toes), then when it grabs lift the leg? Interesting, although still seems uncomortable to me The 1st step

 

he does not want to launch the car if that`s what he would of asked i would have told him to press the gas pop the clutch...what he is asking to how to get started from a dead stop....

Quote:

Originally posted by Boomer@October 29, 2005, 5:33 PM
I think what they meant was.... heel on the floor...just lift your toes...
As opposed to lifting your leg, which until comfortable...doesn't have that stabliltiy that planting your heel does.
Unless I'm reading that wrong...

Quoted post

exactly...........

<!--QuoteBegin-ManEHawke@October 29, 2005, 5:40 PM
So using the ankle pivot to lift the clutch (lift toes), then when it grabs lift the leg? Interesting, although still seems uncomortable to me The 1st step

Quoted post

[/quote]
dont lift your leg at all everything is one smooth motion....the only time i take my foot away from the clutch pedal is when i have shifted into 4th or 5th...and am driving on the highway... i will see if i can find a video to help you understand me....

 

check this site out...abut it looks like to me that on every shift he is poping the clutch.....shifting

 

reverse has a different gear ratio then 1st, u just need to roll the clutch off slow and smooth with around 1k rpm

 

yeah I don't see him do any of that lifting your toes, he lifts the leg each time. BTW it makes more sense to me if you were talking about lifting toes on the gas pedal not the clutch. Is this what you meant?

And Doug the GT has the same ratio on reverse and 1st, but the V6 doesn't.

 

Just drive in reverse like in the movie Hooper.

 

no i don`t lift my leg at all....i pivot it ....i guess everyone style is diffrent.....

 

Yeah...I don't lift my leg either...

My heel is firmly planted...more control that way...

 

praise the lord...i am not alone..and don`t sound like a fool

 

yeah diff style, you guys must have some buff ankles because coming back from a pivot to step on clutch again could get tiring after a while.
I use my toes soley as contact and use my whole leg to come back and on the clutch. Only time I use my heel/toe is on the gas/brake for those fun downshifts while cornering

 

I use my leg, with toes being only contact. Learned on a 73 Camaro with a rusty cable clutch, you'd have to have some monsterously muscular ankles to ankle that thing into gear.