Yup...your post on that thread is what got me really thinking about my shifting and how to smooth things out..I'm really excited to try out all my new learning.

Thanks for your help!

 

This is an interesting thread. I learned to drive manual cars only about 5 years ago and was self taught. Being smooth was much more difficult than being fast. For smoothness at almost any engine speed I learned to let off the gas before touching the clutch or the shifter.

Roll off the throttle slowly but never all the way off, then make the change to the next gear and slowly get back on the throttle, the timing would depend on the car you are driving. With this I can have a passenger hold a full cup of water and never even see the water level change let alone spill anything. There is no discernible jerk to either myself or the passenger.

Flat shifting is another story

 

For normal daily driving the 1-2 shift should be at a slighly lower RPM and the clutch is "feathered" or "slipped" slightly to create the smooth transition...

If you are banging gears and want a high rpm shift...you need to really have the timing down. In this case you DO NOT FEATHER OR SLIP the clutch because you are throttling much harder than for normal daily driving. If you do not time the shift and throttle before you are off the clutch... you will decrease the longevity of your clutch and you will smell it at the next stop light.

Tim

 

[QUOTE=SIIK2NR,Mar 15 2006, 09:39 AM]For normal daily driving the 1-2 shift should be at a slighly lower RPM and the clutch is "feathered" or "slipped" slightly to create the smooth transition...

If you are banging gears and want a high rpm shift...you need to really have the timing down.

 

Ok, I tried this tonight, but wasn't as successful as I hoped. I can smoothly shift if I'm really careful with shifting and feather the clutch, but I'm trying to master what Race Miata's suggesting.

A few basic questions to help me rethink my shifting:

- When upshifting, should I completely let off the gas or keep pressing a little?
- If I get the upshift timing right, I should be able to instantly let go of the clutch instead of feathering it?
- When upshifting, am I trying to let the rpm drop to some magical number before letting go of the clutch (ie rev-match)?
- Should clutch and gas be balanced (press gas as I let go of clutch) or are they two separate processes?
- Should I press the clutch in all the way or just to the engagement/disengagement point?

Thanks!!!

 

Depends on timing. If you pack all the shifting events as tight as possible comfortably without rush and yet engine speed drops below the required RPM when you release the clutch, then try not lift all the way and/or lift later.
Yes, but if you don't feel confident that you can do it right every time, then release half way in one quick shot first (any rev mismatch will turn into smooth clutch slip here) and then release the rest in another shot.
With everything happens so fast in the S, you don't have to wait for the rpm to drop. You should worry about revs dropping too fast before you can finish the shifting sequence.
Again with everything happens so fast in the S, you should be doing almost everything at once. When there's no time for you to think between the events, that's about right.
always press the clutch all the way in. For quicker clutch action, don't try to press the clutch just halfway. Instead, you can always "pre-press" the clutch 1/3rd down like half a second before you need to disengage. This can improve clutch action dramatically.

 

Isn't that what he is doing here?..... "LEARNING"...??

I was referring to the 1-2 shift ONLY, not all the gears. Additionally that was the only shift he was having problems with during normal driving.

A lot of factors involved in a smooth upshift on the 1-2 shift. Are you going downhill?...uphill and at what RPM you are shifting...

If your saying you can do the 1-2 shift at any RPM without balancing the clutch/gas then I'm calling

Put a passenger in the car and watch there body and head movement..... clutch/gas balance on the 1-2 shift is normal if you ask me and it doesn't effect "timing" for the spirited shifts at all.

JMO..

Tim

 

Race,

This is the advice I was giving him.. essentially releasing half way is a smooth slip...

I THINK we are on the same page...

 

[QUOTE=SIIK2NR,Mar 16 2006, 08:47 AM] If your saying you can do the 1-2 shift at any RPM without balancing the clutch/gas then I'm calling

 

^^ I was a bit harse on the "BS flag"....

No need for video...

Your experience and inputs are very much appreciated.