Replacing brake pads is cheaper, and easier, than replacing clutches or transmissions, but it's not like you are trading 2 parts brake pad for 1 part clutch and 1 part transmission. When you downshift to use engine braking, you should be doing a rev match, so when the clutch engages, there is zero slip (or at most only a tiny amount), so there is near zero wear. The downshif doesn't wear the transmission either, as long as it's done properly. So, you get engine brakiong to reduce wear on the brakes, with no additional wear on the clutch or transmission.

Now understand, the difference in brake wear will be small too, but it WILL make a small difference. It makes a bigger difference when you're involved in runs like the Dragon or SESM, where you can greatly reduce the heat load the brakes have to deal with by downshifting for maximum engine braking. And you can generally avoid brake overheating during these events, without putting any undue wear on the clutch or trans, becuase you'll be rev matching and shifting well, so as to avoid such things.

Now if you just cram the shifter into the lower gear and dump the clutch, then you're going to do more harm than good, so it's not JUST a matter of downshifting. There is an entire skill set involved.

Does that help clear it up a little?

 

I claim that resting your hand on the shifter causes excessive wear on the shift forks. The basis of that claim is actually having seen shift forks that were worn by drivers constantly resting their hands on the shifter. What is the basis for your claim?

 

To start, it's bad form, both hands should be on the wheel. Only touch the shifter while shifting.
But also it puts wear on the tranny internals connected to the shifter. Watch the shifter while driving, without holding it, and see how much it moves around. With you hand on it, you're constantly moving it around inside the transmission. All that extra movement causes premature wear. When I was 16, I had a 76 toyota celica transmission go out for this reason.

 

Do it a few thousand times and it becomes second nature.

/Habitual double-declutching-asshole

 

Aaand I never got the memo about shifting 1-4 or 1-3-5.

I've done that around town a few times to get to a nice low rpm cruising gear quickly.

Guess I'll stop. O_O

 

I got the message a long time ago, but have not actually given up skipping gears. Back when I was learning to drive, I was taught to "nudge the synchros" for each gear, rather than skipping it entirely. I push the shifter as if to engage each gear, but only until the locking rings release and the trans is READY to go into gear; Then, rather than engaging it fully, I move on to the next set of synchros. This is effectively the same as not skipping gears, because it lets each set of synchro's do the work for which it was designed.

For example, going second to sixth (having hit 60 in second and ready to hold a steady speed ) ....

Clutch in, nudge third until the locking rings release, nudge fourth until release, nudge fifth until release, then engage sixth normally, and let out the clutch with a nice rev match. Takes a LOT longer to read my discription than it does to do the act.

You don't actually have to engage each gear and let out the clutch, and you don't even have to fully engage each gear, as long as you let each set of synchros do their work before moving on to the next gear.

If that ^^^ doesn't make sense, then just don't skip gears, as per Honda's advice.

 

Makes sense.

I do it very rarely, but I still do it.

I'll definitely take it off my list of things to do.

 

I don't know if the S2000s are susceptible to this, but I learned of it thanks to my friend who has a Sentra SE-R fetish. Apparently resting your hand on the shifter is what causes those cars to develop a fifth gear popout, which those cars are pretty famous for. Premature wear of some part of the shifting mechanism I think he told me.

My own worst habit is taking the car out of gear without putting the clutch in at all, but truth be known, I doubt it really does much in the way of harm.

 

I double-clutch downshift when braking for turns. I don't do this though when approaching a stoplight/sign.

Assuming you are in 6th, tell me the following is not a lot of work:
- press clutch, move shifter to neutral, let go of clutch, blip throttle
- press clutch, move shifter to 5th, let go of clutch
- press clutch, move shifter to neutral, let go of clutch, blip throttle
- press clutch, move shifter to 4th, let go of clutch
- press clutch, move shifter to neutral, let go of clutch, blip throttle
- press clutch, move shifter to 3th, let go of clutch
- press clutch, move shifter to neutral, let go of clutch, blip throttle
- press clutch, move shifter to 2th, let go of clutch
- press clutch, move shifter to neutral, let go of clutch, blip throttle
- press clutch, move shifter to 1st, let go of clutch
- press clutch, move shifter to neutral, let go of clutch



Now for those that actually double-clutch downshift to stops, do you gradually do the above actions, or do you do them all at once towards the end of your deceleration?

 

Then you're lucky! I was in a situation where downshifting and remaining in gear while coming to a stop allowed me to rapidly accelerate to avoid being T-boned.. I was clipped in the rear quarter panel nonetheless, but the damage was repairable, and I was uninjured. If I were t-boned, the tin can car certainly would not have protected me very well and I'd probably have the Saab bumper mold imprinted on the side of my face.