Learning to Drive a Standard

[toant103]

but it takes all sorts of concentration

 

[Scootin159]

<< but it takes all sorts of concentration
>>



yeah, I'd hate to have to think while I drive

 

[Zenmervolt]

<<Msot cars will stall if you do that. My car won't if you let the clutch out slow enogh, and I've been in an LT1 camaro that won't, but you're average car with less than 300ft/lbs of torque stalls if you try that.>>

Nope. As I said, I can (and do) let out the clutch without throttle in my 1976 914. The 914 makes about 95 hp and about 85 lb/ft of torque. (Both of which peak at about 4,800 RPM.)

ZV

 

[d33pt]

wow this thread is real informative.. i gotta learn how to idle forward without using the clutch too.. i just got my truck a couple of weeks ago and i've gotten it mostly down but these little things i don't know yet...

 

[Scootin159]

<< wow this thread is real informative.. i gotta learn how to idle forward without using the clutch too.. i just got my truck a couple of weeks ago and i've gotten it mostly down but these little things i don't know yet... >>



Just wait till you get to heel-toe shifting :Q....that's fun.

 

[dirtboy]

Hills are tough. What I do, is engage the emergency bracke by pushing the button and holding it with your right hand. Then as the clutch is catching, slowly let off the emergency brake to keep you from stalling!

 

[Balthazar]

<< Yes it takes practice to be as cool as me, but in time you can go from a deadstop on a steep hill with minimal rollback and without spinning the wheels. >>



It took me three days to be as "good as you".

 

[Balthazar]

<< Damn..... I'm getting the hang of it, but it's really annoying to do the little things:

- stop at a redlight on a hill
- parallel park
- inch forward (1st gear has a tendency to jump for me)
- go slow (need to kind of jump between 1st and neutral)

I do see how this type of driving can be more fun, but it takes all sorts of concentration >>



Every stick is different but in my Maxima I know the biggest problems I had to begin with were
a) not giving it enough gas when going from dead stop
b) letting the clutch out a bit too fast
c) finding the right shift spot.

Couple of tips that might help you out.
If you have a 5 speed when you go from second to third, don't use your whole hand, use your palm to push it from second, then let it center itself and then push forward, you will be in third every time.
When you shift gears (especially from neutral back into a gear) rev the engine a little, so that when it starts to engage again the amount of "jump" is less, it takes getting used to your car to know where it likes to be in the rev range when shifting. Like mine, I know that going from neutral back into gear it likes to be around 2k RPM so I lightly rev the engine (saving wear and tear in the process) and let out around 2k.

As far as starting on a hill goes, you can do it with no rollback at all if you know your car well enough, find that place where it is just about to engage, then when you need to go, let out a smidge more, not enough to start to kill it but just enough that it wont roll (or at least not very fast) then apply the gas, eventually you will get down to no rollback at all.

Just drive, alot, and then drive some more.

Also pay attention to the sound of the engine so you can get used to hearing where you have to shift, lets you keep your eyes where they need to be.

And remember, it's worse to kill it or make it shudder than it is to peel out.

Anywho, just my $0.02

 

[Balthazar]

<<

<< so you would drive with your foot kind of half down on the clutch? i thought that would be bad for it? >>


No, you let the clutch completely out after it engages and you car will inch along at about 3-5mph. It's just like driving an automatic where the car will inch forward even though you apply no gas. Of course, when you have to stop be sure to push the clutch all the way in or you'll stall. >>



That doesn't work in every car, that would kill mine flat out unless I was going a fair bit faster.

 

[Balthazar]

<<

<< I've been driving stick for about 2 months now... are you supposed to step on the clutch when you break? I do, but not sure if it's wear and tear (except when you break to a full stop, in which case you need to use clutch or else it stalls)... >>



It's just a good habit to get into. If your engine RPM is above idle, you don't need to push in the clutch (in fact not pushing it in is better for the brakes, as the engine will assist in slowing down the car), but if you're still a noobie at it, just push it in always and you'll be fine. I would say at about 2 months you're ready to try the downshifting meathod I said. Just let off the gas & watch the car slow down. When the engine gets close to idle, downshift & do it again. With enough practice (and enough room to stop), you should be able to SMOOTHLY slow down to about 5mph without ever touching the brake. You'll still need to use the brake though in practicality as you never have that much room to stop. >>



That's a great idea....

Why not just take the brakes out of the car entirely?
Lets see, a brake job costs me, oh, $75, replacing an engine due to unnecisary wear and tear costs how much more?

It's your engine, not your brakes. You slow down using the brakes because they are cheap and easy to replace hence they are alot more disposable than your engine.

Eesh.

 

[Balthazar]

<<

<<

<<

<< Going slow, try letting it just idle along in first. >>



what do you mean by this? how do you idle in first without stalling out? >>



Msot cars will stall if you do that. My car won't if you let the clutch out slow enogh, and I've been in an LT1 camaro that won't, but you're average car with less than 300ft/lbs of torque stalls if you try that. >>

You're wrong. I haven't had a single car yet that I couldn't do that in. In most modern cars, the idle speed is adjusted automatically to compensate, but as Zenmervolt pointed out, you don't even need EFI to make it possible, just a steady left foot. I could do it in my 86 Nova, my 85 Civic, and my 86 Tercel. I mention those three because they were carbureted, and the Nova and the Tercel didn?t even have tachs. Maybe I?m just good. I do have a couple hundred thousand miles experience by now. >>



Also consider practicality, Imean, you are talking about inching along on a completely flat surface so slow that if you try that in front of people at a stop like they will get out, slowly walk up to your car, drag you out and beat the hell out of you....

So I guess, yeah it is possible, but it's possible to drive with you feet too, and I don't see anybody suggesting that....