East87

Hey guys, so this is my first manual, and i'm really getting the hang of it...so i think...My car has all of about 1300 miles on it, and i want to avoid doing irreparable damage to my clutch/tranny as much as possible. My driving style (during this break-in period) can best be described as mostly cautious.

I have been scouring the internet for some good advice on how to drive a new manual with the clutch and tranny in mind. I'm figuring that advice from people driving the same car as me would probably be the best...

1. Once i got the whole feathering technique down, i started using it in almost all situations. i was wondering: how much is *too* much when it comes to feathering? I've read that feathering on a substantial incline to stabilize is REALLY bad. to the tune of a few thousand miles off the life of your clutch. What is your verdict on feathering on slight inclines and flat surfaces? On steeper hills? On downgrades? What are the absolute *dangers* as far as the STOCK clutch is concerned? Gimme all ya got.

2. When approaching a stop, what is the *proper* technique to slow down in a GT? Let's say i'm in 3rd going 30-35. Should i always downshift to 2nd? Should i throw it in neutral and coast to a stop? What about coming to a stop from 4th or 5th going 40-65mph? Do i downshift specifically to slow down? Do i downshift to keep the car in the proper gear for the current speed? Any absolute no-no's and dangers when downshifting? Sometimes i can't avoid keeping the clutch engaged for about 15-20 feet when coming to a stop light. Is this a major concern as well?

3. When shifting to 2nd and onward, sometimes i guess i'm letting off the clutch a *bit* too quickly (.5 seconds as opposed to 1-1.5 seconds) and the car jolts slightly. Accounting for the need to practice, am i in any sort of danger of screwing up my gears/clutch when i feel jolts on shifts?

Any tips/concerns/information you guys have would be awesome. Thanks so much.

Andrew

Crobeson78

2. down shift from 3rd to 2nd to 1st let the clutch slow you down.

3. just let out a little slower. dont be so quick to pop out the clutch. i notice that when im quick to shift and go i jump a little too. Its just a timing issue with your driving.

just be gentle to your clutch and it will last years. dont worry about it so much. I dont know much about feathering. Sorry

hope this helps

Riptide

It produces more wear on the clutch to continue downshifting through the gears every time you approach a light. If you're in 3rd or 4th or whatever just keep it in gear until the tach hits about 800-1000RPM and then push the clutch pedal in and pull the shift handle into neutral. If you develop a good feel for it you can even safely take the car out of gear without pushing in the clutch pedal as long as you let the tach drop down to around 800-1000RPM.

The only time I might downshift to keep the car from speeding up is when going down a long grade.

slowstang06

lol yeah for some reason. i still cant get the hang of how the stick works on the GT.. like i think its more of matter of gearing though, like in my old Z28 with 3.42, i was fine, in the GT i keep burnign through damn first (not a good sign since ill be getting 4.10s =P) and like the t-56 is a really good tranny soim hoping my bad habbits on that wont ruin the gt.. but what i do is i tend to balance clutch and gas on hills, i dotn down shifti just drop it into neutral and glide and like the only thing i do different with the gt is i push the clutch all the way to the floor and gently add gas, with the camaro i just tapped the clutch and it would slide into gear..

=[

how much are t-56 swaps?

EMichael

what about downshifting from 5th to 2nd? and i don't mean at high rpms, like slow down with the brakes and then downshift.. i do it all the time.. also what about taking it out of gear without using the clutch? like when you're not stepping on the gas at all and you're just goin normal without high rpms.. it seems to just come out of gear real easy if you just push it

jz

Well of course try to avoid doing anything that results in grinding. That's a bad noise.

As far as feathering goes, it's bad to do to keep your car from moving while on a incline. That's what the brakes are for.

If I'm slowing down, the only time I'll downshift to a lower gear and let the clutch out is if I know I'll be accelerating i.e. I see the light turn green. Otherwise I put it in nuetral and use the brakes to stop the car. Brakes are much easier, and cheaper to change than a clutch.

East87

so feathering is ok to do in most cases?

i feel like i was not properly warned about what's good and not good for the clutch. obviously i can tell if what i'm doing angers the car when it yells at me...but other than that, i'd have no idea.

mygt500

feathering is acceptable but don't rest your foot on the clutch when driving in any gear (like with cruising)

Riptide

Exactly don't ride the clutch pedal. I also don't keep my car in gear with the pedal down at a light while waiting for it to turn. I've been told that's not good either.

Avoid resistance. If you are approaching a light and the car is down to around 800-1000 on the tach the shift lever should pull into neutral with almost no resistance. If you let the RPM's drop further or try pulling it out before that then you'll need to use the clutch pedal or it'll be hard on it.

SaddleUp

I've had many of the OP questions myself.....this helped clear some things up.... thanks~!!