I though it was not a bad thread. I liked it b/c it explains things a lot more than my friends did when they taught me how to drive a MT. It's sometimes nice to know how things work inside...it helps the thought process as you learn something new. Just jumping behind the wheel does you no good if you do not know what's going on to begin with.

 

why is he a tard?

jim

 

yes but it upsets the chassis on corner entry.

 

A: I didn't say riding the clutch wouldn't wear out the throwout bearing also.

B: Constantly holding the clutch in for long durations WILL wear out the throwout bearing as well.

Surely there was a reason nissan put in the owners manual, and I quote:

"When the vehicle is stopped for a period of time, for example at a stop light, shift to N (Neutral) and release the clutch pedal with the foot brake applied"

The clutch is not intended to be disengaged for long periods of time, that's what NEUTRAL is for.

 

 

+1, this is the throwout bearings job.

The Z's throwout bearing may be more robust than most, but it is a wear item and a truly ****ty thing to have to replace before it's time as it requires dropping the exhaust and tranny which leads to those slippery slope expensive thoughts like "might as well replace the clutch and flywheel while I'm in hear!"

 

Can't believe all the haters in this thread. It's always good to talk technique before and after actual driving sessions. It reinforces the concepts you are trying to turn into muscle memory when you practice. No harm in that.

With that I do have a few comments:

No need to downshift at all when coming to a complete stop at a light. Unnecessary clutch wear. If you want to engine brake, just stay in whatever cruising gear you are in, take your foot off the gas and depress the brake. Then push the clutch in when the injectors start firing again (at about 1500rpm) and then use the brakes only to complete your stop.

Second gear is not a firm rule. Instead think about what gear you will need to be in on exit and be in that gear before you start making the turn. Some slower sweeping turns may only require a downshift to third. Being in gear during a turn is not always about being able to "punch it" on exit. It is about giving you one more level of vehicle control besides the steering wheel since you can fine tune the car's behavior through the turn with throttle inputs as well.

Everything else sounds spot on, especially the double clutching explanation although I have had some occasion to use it as it is helpful when the tranny is cold and doesn't want to make the 3-2 downshift.

 

I think the thread is great. Obviously you can't become an expert just by reading about how to drive it, I don't think the OP intended to accomplish that.

By the same token, just going out and practicing doesn't do you any good if you are practicing wrong. When I first tried to rev match I thought you were supposed to keep the throttle in as opposed to just blipping it. That made it VERY difficult to make smooth downshifts.

This is my first MT car, I had a friend who gave me some great input and from then on I just started doing what "seemed right" after he got me pointed down the right path. Reading this thread really reinforced what I have been doing is the proper technique, even things I was doing that I thought weren't ideal but easier to accomplish(downshifting just before entering the turn, instead of in the middle of the turn).

I for one love to heal to toe, I actually got that technique down before just regular rev matching. Being able to fulcrum my foot off the brake peddle helped me control the throttle input with more precision. Especially going into hard corners, being able to be braking hard and downshifting at the same time in one seemless action, really makes for a smooth and impressive high performance turn.
So thanks for taking the time. I don't see how anyone couldn't benefit from this information.

 

Yup, I've read them. And they are the result of a manufacturing/desingn flaw, NOT a result of "improper" driving technique.

That's why Nissan replaces them under warranty. I guarantee you they would NOT be replacing them under warranty if there was so much as a suspicion that the problems were teh result of abuse.

Everybody wants to believe that driving a manual tranny qualifies them for membership in some circle of elite, specially-qualified drivers. Like I said, until about 1960, almost everybody drove manual trannies. And even in those dark days of questionable build quality, nobody broke trannies. Hell, our high school driver's ed car ('59 Chev) had a manual tranny.

bill

 

No, you are not going to jump behind the wheel and drive a manual tranny. But it isn't about rules and procedures, its about pratice and technique. You basically need to learn to coordinate power and RP{M (with teh right foot) with clutch engagement and disengagement (with teh left foot).

Not much else really matters.

Actually, I taught my wife and 4 daughters to drive manual trannies. My wife (at age 45) and daughter #1 learned on my Fiat Strada 5 speed, duaghters 2 and 3 learned on my 914's ( 4 spds with difficult shifters), and my youngest learned on my 5 spd MR2.

Teacher, all students, and all vehicles survived just fine.

And all of them still prefer manual trannys.

bill

 

wow, sticky potential....

 

Yeah, thats why I stated, "to punch it if need be", im not saying that you ALWAYS have to punch it after you exit a turn, thats absurd. I simply meant to always be in gear on a turn. I mentioned 2nd gear, because on city and residential streets, you wont be traveling too fast...

 

It was stickied on g35driver

 

one question though...in bumper to bumper traffic on a hill...I find it almost impossible not to have to clutch half way for more than 2 seconds...plus it's scary because there's always people riding your ***..and you're on a steephill...how do you guys do bumper to bumper traffic on a hill?

 

Bumper to bumper on a hill? That's gotta be fun. I wouldn't be in any hurry to pull forward everytime someone moves an inch, but I would use the hand brake (one of it's intended purposes).

 

Beautifully said there, Bill!

 

All right, everybody, listen to this guy, he knows what he is talking about. Then and only after practical practice, read this thread. Oh, and for not touching any pedals at a red light. Don't make me laugh.

 

yea, my buddy has a 10 sec talon, and lately on highway runs, hes been brake boostin, and i was like i hope u like doing ur brakes often cuz thats all i smelled wen i was following you

 

cool guide, but I'm not tooo worried about my tranny and clutch.
If I get the problem, I'll get JWT clutch and flywheel combo!!

 

OK wtf. You went back and edited your post to add the "if need be" part? No worries man. I was just trying to add some info to your thread, not call you out.