Tell me your secrets of the clutch...

jmcoreymv

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Well Im learning to drive on a manual car now and Im at the point where it almost never conks out when I start from a dead stop. However it still takes like 10 seconds to go from a dead stop and that would really piss other drivers off when I get out on the road. So how do you guys make it start faster? Thanks.
 

purplehayes

Golden Member
Mar 31, 2000
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Right when the clutch starts to 'grab', give it more gas. Practice in your neighborhood before you take it out on the road. Once you get it down, you won't want to go back to an automatic.

PH
 

Fathom4

Golden Member
Feb 11, 2000
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purplehayes nailed it. Practice, practice, practice.

Then you'll never want to go back to an automatic. I want to sell my '99 Concorde because I hate driving an automatic now.
 

kabelogo

Banned
Dec 1, 1999
3,441
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I'd let you come over and practice on mine, but you'd never want to drive a little car again.:)
 

eflat

Platinum Member
Feb 27, 2000
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Just rev the engine to about 6000 rpm and then drop the clutch. That will get you going in a hurry.
 

Brooks

Banned
Oct 9, 1999
3,276
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Just force yourself to keep trying it faster and faster. I suppose it shouldnt' really take more than 2 or 3 seconds to go from a dead stop to the clutch being fully engaged for regular driving...

My start kinda sucks, I dunno why but its funny...however I can speed shift from first to second so fast it would blow your mind! I don't know anyone else as quick :p

Brooks
 

Yo Ma Ma

Lifer
Jan 21, 2000
11,635
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What if you're not proficient with the clutch yet, and you're at a stoplight, road is "going uphill", there's a car snugged right up to your rear bumper. How does one proceed at the green light w/o rolling back a little and bumping the car directly behind?
 

Farbio

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2000
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yomama, either u use the ebrake, or you learn to rest the car on the clutch, which you do by letting the clutch out till it just starts to engage. at that point, u should be able to let off the brake somewhat and have the car hold itself. obviously, this works better on lower sloped hills, but if you practice u can do it on most any hill - u just have to get the balance right!

either that or just follow citizen doug's approach and get to know your mechanic well for new clutchs:)
 

Daedalus

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,353
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Use a handbrake if you have one. Some trucks, like mine, have a foot parking brake so you have to be quick. Nonetheless, I usually give people in front of me plenty of room if on a hill. Sometimes people behind are not so courteous.
 

Killbat

Diamond Member
Jan 9, 2000
6,641
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Is my car ('91 Subaru Loyale) really the only one with this feature? If I'm stopped uphill, I can push the clutch in all the way, then push the brakes in all the way, release the brakes, and the car will hold as long as you hold down the clutch. Almost zero rolling backward when starting uphill.
 

Shorty28

Senior member
Oct 10, 1999
309
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Just give a little gas, start letting out the clutch and give a little more gas as you let it out all the way. It's just a balance between the pedals.
 

Sacotool

Platinum Member
Feb 26, 2000
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Yesterday, I drove a friends 1971 Jeep with a 3 speed manual transmission, no synchro or any other modern technology. It had no power steering or power brakes, and drums all around. Now THAT was a challenge to drive:)

Compared to that thing, my 91 Jeep Wrangler Renegade is very luxurious:)
 

randomlinh

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,853
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linh.wordpress.com
or slowly roll back into the person, and then go :) hehe.

I'm practicin too, and i always tend to peel out in first.. hehehe. But i'm halfway off the clutch in first when i have to get into second... I dunno if I should keep doing that or not...

 

Justin

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
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There's a point where it catches when you let out the clutch, start giving it gas when you feel that spot and give it more as you let the clutch the rest of the way out. The only real way to get good at it is to practice, have your parents take you to a cemetary or something like that. An hour every other day for a week and you should have it down pat.

D'oh, should have just quoted Purple:p.
 

Electric Amish

Elite Member
Oct 11, 1999
23,578
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Awwww....Poor Sacotool.... :)

My first car was a 1969 Ford Bronco.

Manual Transmission. 3 on the tree.

I loved it.....sold it to buy my first computer, though.. :(

amish
 

warlord

Golden Member
Oct 25, 1999
1,557
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hey fabio, how do you figure your way won't get you to know your mechanic really well? holding the car with the cluch will burn it up fast.
 

Stark

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2000
7,735
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I learned to drive stick on a family road trip to northern california. The hills around berkeley were a real pain. I became the master of the e-brake. By the time we got to san fran, i had no problms. ;)
 
Feb 10, 2000
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Killbat, the nifty hill-holder feature you are describing is unique to Subarus.

Do NOT ever use the clutch to hold you in place while driving uphill. This feels great but it will quickly fry the clutch.

One tip for brand-new drivers: try to get the car rolling without ANY gas, just by slowly releasing the clutch pedal. This DOES work if you are slow enough, and it will give you a good feel for the sensation of the clutch engaging. Every car is different but in my experience, most stalling, bucking and jerking on startup is caused by lack of smoothness, rather than going too fast or slow with the clutch pedal.