ookay so ive had my Z for about three months and i learned to drive stick in it....and up til now my stick driving has gotten a lot better....but my shifts still arent smooth...from start to shifting to stop......is there any advice that you guys can spare that can help in getting smoother shifts? or is it just practice and it comes with time type thing?

 

Wait until midnite and until Mom and Dad are asleep....

Then close the door, hop in bed and use your wee-wee for practice..upshifts and downshifts..it's all good...LMAO.

J/K dude!

 

take ur time. burn the clutch if u have to get it a smooth as possible. main thing slowly take ur foot off the clutch

 

Well what is your technique when shifting? Like you, for the first 8 years I was all auto, but switched to a manual with the Z (I'm 24) and its been about 3 months as well for me. Sometimes I am too tired and my shifts are very sloppy but for the most part, they are much smoother and I can even shift fast when in speedracer mode. I normally shift from 2,5,6 for everyday stop and go, conserve gas mileage mode and usually step on the clutch, shift into a gear, rev and let the clutch out. Of course I don't think about the process nowadays but that's my usual method even if I am going gear 1,2,3,4,5,6. For everyday smooth shifting, I go with 2,5,6 or even 2, then 6 depending on my mood. I can pretty much shift smoothly even when letting the clutch out rather aggressively. Make sure you go and adjust the clutch to a shorter lenght (there is a thread on here so search for it) and that made a HUGE difference in my shifting ability. I'd try it if you have not adjusted it yet.

 

Don't try to shift fast and concentrate on shifting smoothly, with minimal clutch slip when taking off from a stop. Even between gears, the clutch should not be an ON/OFF event. There is a tiny bit of "easing into it" each time.

On the other hand, doing too slow becomes really hard to do smoothly. Just find your rythm and practice.

That way, I'll teach your body to "good" way of doing it. Eventually, you won't have to think about it and the shifts will just happen.

 

What is clutch slip?

 

I just finished teaching my little brother to drive stick and no matter how much I told (or yelled or threatened) him he would still start releasing the clutch slowly, get aprehensive, then release to fast right when he got the engagement point.

What finally cured him and made him a MUCH better and smoother driver in one day was I took him to a parking lot and had him start from a start without using the gas at all. He stalled alot, then figured out where the clutch started gripping, and eventually was releasing quickly through the "dead space" and slowly when it was engaging. Did wonders for his speed and smoothness both

 

That's a great exercise. And it answer's streetracer question at the same time!

 

Doesn't the clutch always engage after the dead space. If it doesn't, the car stalls. Still confused about the "slipping" term. Anyone?

 

The clutch starts to engage after the dead space. Then, for some distance, more and more pressure is applied in the clutch assembly to lock the engine and transmisison togheter.

That relatively short distance where the clutch is still slipping is what we refer to the as the "friction point".

Have you ever driven a standard car ?

 

I was okay after 3 months and good after 6, its all about your timing bro, no one on here can tell you one thing that will make you better. For me, it's rythm, hear the engine get to that point where you want to shift and keep it consistent in terms of what rpms you shift at until your comfortable, for me the smoothest shift comes at about 2800-3000 rpms. Good luck and dont get too frustrated, you'll get it.

 

"slipping the clutch" is when you leave the clutch pedal partially depressed even after it is neccessary. Basically, going slower on the clutch then you have to, let it engage easier. Causes a bit more wear, but not so much that you need to really get worried about.

 

Ok, based on what Kolia said, I shift smoothly but minimizing the slipping or the friction point. So, after the dead space I try to do it smoothly but as fast as I can to minimize slip? Right?

K: Yes I have a standard car. But I'm still learning to drive. I appreciate the answers. Sorry for being ignorant, K.

 

OK, got it now, thanks sabre.

 

press the far left foot button, move the jiggly thing just below your temperature controls, let go of that foot button, repeat.

That's all there is to it buddy.

 

Thanks for the insight zya. Very deep.

 

Do you have what we call, the "short shifter?"

 

^^^ LMAO...you had to go there, huh?? LOL!!!!

 

Well, you set yourself up on that one!

 

I started driving at 16 and drove an automatic until age 21 when I got a mazda6 with 5-speed manual. I learned to drive stick on that car and drove it for 3 years until I got my 6-speed Z in march 2006. The shift action (both clutch and shifter feel and travel) are much tighter on the Z as you might imagine, and my driving has improved dramatically since owning the Z. In my opinion the Z is not the best car to learn stick on, but it's a great car to let you get better at stick.