Will3212

I'm going to buy a 2011 mustang gt MT from a dealer's inventory in 4-5 months. This will be my first stick shift car so I'll most likely stall the car at times. Will stalling the car mess up the transmission/clutch or anything else. I know I'm not suppose to rev it high then dump the clutch while starting, are there any other things i should be aware of to not damage and wear out the tranny/clutch/shifter?

Recon111

everyone that ever started out with a sick shift, stalled, over reved, slid the clutch and even went for reverse. It's just a learning curve. No book can tell you how.
The way I tought my daughter is 3 terms
1 engage
2 gas
3 clutch

1 clutch in, put it in gear and let the clutch out until you feel it engaging, just a little.

2. Gas, when you feel it engaging give it a LITTLE gas

3. at the same time you give it a little gas let the clutch out a little more, you will want to just let the clutch out but don't do it. as the cars clutch catches hold the car will move , once going let the clutch out.

I learned when I was 11.

chuck biscuits

Always engage the clutch completely (push it all the way in) when shifting and don't use it to hold the car like a brake.
If you can practice on another car before you get the stang. Stalling is unacceptable.

Nuke

Surprisingly, you won't hurt it unless you overabuse it. Don't get bent out of shape for stalling, missing a gear or whatever; we've all done it. And if you don't dump the clutch on a high rev once in awhile, we'll make you turn in your man card.

siggyfreud

When teaching my gf on my old car, I told her to just slowly let out the clutch and stall it. Once she was comfortable with what would happen, she was less scared and could relax. I wanted her to see the point at which it dies, so she could get a feel for when to stop.

TAMPAGT07

Do what I did to learn on a stick...I rented a U-haul truck for the day,with a stick, and took the whole day to learn. After learning on that, my first mustang (an 82 gt) was easy..Geez, that was a long time ago, most of our members probably weren't even born yet. Good luck brother..

doode

Oh but when you do, the results are so much fun

JIM5.0

Go ahead and let the clutch slip by riding it as you are engaging the gear. And from there, learn to let it slip less and less until you can do it without stalling the engine. The clutch is meant to be a wear item anyway, and once you get it down and you learn where the friction point is (which is probably halfway out of full depression of the clutch), you will no longer wear down the clutch as quickly anymore.

Do not let stalling the engine scare you. It is part of learning the car and where the clutch friction point is. Once you know where that friction point, you will know just how much to ride the clutch to where you make a perfectly silky smooth take-off without wearing the clutch overly and also not stalling the engine.

Will3212

when you say ride the clutch you're talking about like when you reach the engaging point but you don't let the clutch out 100% and you give it gas right? like the clutch would be let out 75% and move slowly while you're giving it a little gas right? is this bad for the tranny/clutch? i mean isn't this how you are suppose to start the car?

Will3212

one more thing, isn't it normal to let the clutch out SLOWLY while giving it a little gas when starting? this is what I was told. If you let the clutch out to quick it'll stall. So does it mean you are riding the clutch because you are letting the clutch out slowly while starting?