manual question.

jakoye

Good for you. I mean that.

Not that I'd ever do such a thing. If I wanted driving to be complicated, I'd go learn how to drive a big rig!

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Forrest

another question. Some times my shifts from first to second are jumpy and i have not figured out why, some times they smooth some times they are not, only thing i can figure out is putting gas in while shifting seems to smooth it out a tad bit.

Greg

Don't worry its mainly inexperience you'll get the feel in time.. Also be aware that your car (im assuming your talking about your Z) and transmission are still new and not fully broken in yet. So things will be a little clunky at 1st..

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epod86

First gear is a funny one, it's usually quite a bit differently spaced than the other gears, i.e. it has a higher ratio. This is because this is the gear that gets you going, so the ratio of wheel to engine is a lot higher. This makes the shift from stationary a lot easier. The shift from first to second can therefore be unique in timing, and the car doesn't have enough inertia to smooth it out, because the engine still has enough inertia itself to slow or startle the car when the clutch grabs.

edit: i mis-read before i wrote this next bit, thought you said 2nd to 1st, but it's still good info.

I can't remember the last time I downshifted into first while street driving, because even at 1k rpm I'm going like 5mph in second at which point downshifting further isn't really needed. Very rarely do I go into second as I slow to a stop. Because of the wider separation in the gears between second and first, expect to have to rev the engine a bit to get the synchros to mesh/match up. You should do that a bit every time you downshift (like the synchro-rev does) to save your clutch a bit. It's normally called heel-and-toe braking. Though really, it just makes you sound like you know what you're doing Double clutching is a similar maneuver where you clutch out in the middle of a shift, but that's not a necessity since the introduction of sychros.

not street driving is another story

Forrest

yeah i doing all this driving on the Z.

and yeah i ment getting into first gear then getting into second gear smoothly, i can do the rest of the shifts smooth but not that one every time its kind of like oh man what did i do! haha

k.alexander

^Let me tell you, I've been driving manual transmissions, exclusively, mostly on sports/sporty cars for close to 15 years, and the 1st to 2nd shift is still never ultra "smooth". A lot of it has to do with what epod86 explained, and to some degree, you'll get better with time.

As epod86 said, it has to do with momentum and inertia of the gears, and how quickly the engine will spin-down when you move out of 1st, on your way to 2nd. I bet you, the shift from 1st to 2nd is a lot smoother, if you rev first higher and higher before shifting (now I'm not saying to do that on a daily basis) it's just that in that case, you've rev'ed the engine higher, and there's more momentum going and as such it's slower to spin down.

Final words of advice, either make the shift from 1st to 2nd very quick. Or, make it slow and smooth, but let the clutch out a little slower as/and after you've shifted into 2nd, and make sure you're (not so much blipping) but at least "massaging" the gas pedal as you're letting out the clutch (again, right as/after you've shifted into 2nd).
This will make things smoother.

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epod86

Aye, you will get better with time. Then again, you will still screw up. I just stalled on Saturday. Forgot to take it out of gear in stop and go. Doesn't get more n00b that that.

**** happens. Practice makes less **** happen.

Forrest

You are right "slow and smooth" is working for me, its obviously no speed racer move but for right now, i only care how to daily drive.

k.alexander

It's NEVER smooth when you're racing. I always understood it to be acceptable if you're racing, to have harsh shifts.

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Crash

^^^ LOL! Harsh is the right word. Even in my N/A 300zx I peal-wheel in 2nd and chirp 3rd.

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epod86

The thing with racing is you want to be as harsh without 'unbalancing' the drive train or frame. Unbalancing is just a fancy way of saying you cocked it up enough to spin out, or lose control.

keioh

My new 2009 370Z, P.Graphite, Touring, 6 Speed, Sports,Nav, etc is scheduled to be shipped to the dealer next month.
After breking in period of course, I want to teach my niece how to drive a manual. do you think she should practice with the SRM on or off?
Knowing very well that her next car most likely will be an auto, but even if she decides on a manual, it will be a "regular" manual trans.

thanks.

semtex

OFF. And no, it's not because I'm a Luddite. I have SRM and use it almost constantly. My thought is that the 370Z is the only car with SRM right now. So she needs to know what to expect if she one day goes and drives a different car with a MT. Let me put it this way, imagine she gets accustomed to just dropping the clutch back in on a downshift, and it's nice and smooth due to SRM. Then she goes and tries the same thing with a different MT car. Wham! Talk about a rude awakening.

Edit: Btw, you're a REALLY nice uncle to teach your niece how to drive MT with your new Z! I don't think I could stand doing that! lol

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keioh

Guess you're right. Thats what I'll do. She needs to learn the hard way.
About letting her drive-- Its a family thing.

Forrest

well im spoiled then cuz im learning with SRM and guess what im NOT turning it off haha! When i am "good" at SRM i will turn it off and learn with out.

I look at it like this SRM = a stepping stool to learn how to make it easyer, once i get past that i can learn with out it, but for now its a great assistance.