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manual gear changing technique

7K views 47 replies 17 participants last post by  stockstandard 
#1 ·
Hi All,

Well i've just recently changed my car to manual and just wondering what technique people use to get quick gear changes.

I dragged my friend's auto vt commodore which i beat him on take off easy but he caught me on the gear changes. when my car was auto they went exactly the same neither of us pulled away from each other.

Anyway what technique do people use? At the moment I've sort of been reving up a bit and dumping the clutch when gear changing which can get it chirping from 1st to 2nd. I'm still a bit slow with changing gears though but I'm sure that will improve.

I've also heard of flat changing which i don't think i'll be trying for a while. double clutching? or changing gears without using the clutch? so whats everyone use for quick changes?
 
#2 ·
Borrowed mum's XR6 last night :clap: so i don't have much experience with the manual falcons. I found that you can't flat change 1st to 2nd due to wheelspin, and 2nd to 3rd spins often (was a little damp i think last night), so flat changing isn't really of any benefit i wouldn't think, plus your gearbox won't be lasting all that long either.

Best bet is to practice having the clutch in for as little time as possible. That means practice selecting gears as quick as you can, so that time in out of gear is minimised. Oh, but don't rush the 2nd to 3rd change, as it can be a bitch sometimes, so take it relatively easy on that one :)

Jared
 
#3 ·
Yeh, 2nd to 3rd is a notoriously slow shift on the T5 'box. The amount of times it seemed to take 5 minutes doing that change when I first started driving a manual wasn't funny.
As for double clutching, that is really only on the down shift, there is no need to do it when accellerating, and as the T5 has syncro there is really no need to do it unless you are really punishing your engine and gearbox.
 
#4 ·
Yeah I have been trying to just get the gear changes quicker at the moment. Getting faster slowly. With flat changes you would have to be really really quick right? Otherwise the revs will be bouncing off the limiter and it would sound a bit stupid.
 
#5 ·
Yeh, you would have to super quick, and I don't think the old T5 would be up to, its quite a notchy box and the 2-3 shift can cause the odd cruncher if you go too fast.
 
#6 ·
Yes you have to be fast, that's the idea of flat changing, it's the fastest method (except clutchless?) I used to use that technique on my 2-stroke enduro bike, it's good on them because the rev spike means the bike stays in the powerband and you don't lose any time. It creates wheelspin most of the time though, which on a dirt-bike aint a problem, but on a car i'd say it won't do that much for ya.

The revs will hit the limiter almost regardless of how quick you are. Which is why it's best to do it as quick as you can, but you're pretty much gonna fcuk up your gearbox anyways, and maybe the diff....

WAIT! I think my idea of flat changing may be different to others? It's the one where you hold the go pedal to the floor, push in the clutch and whack it into gear ASAP and then realease the clutch yeah? Just checkin...

Jared
 
#7 ·
Yeh thats my idea too, harsh on the box, but good if you can shift like ambrose I guess
 
#9 ·
yeah that is my idea of flat changing as well. i don't think i will do it with foot flat to the floor. but i might try it with just holding the revs up and trying to change quicker. probably not over 3000rpm to start with
 
#10 ·
Basically what oneredED said, shifting gears without backing off on the throttle, but you have to do it fast enough to not let the engine rev its absolute tits off for too long. As he said, it can be done on a motorbike quite easily, as it is much easier to shift fast on them, but it takes a bit of practice to do it well in a car - especially one equiped with a T5.
It might be easier with a Hollinger 6 speed!
 
#11 ·
is that detrimental to the gearbox or clutch?
 
#13 ·
A good way to improve shifts is to improve the hardware as well. Simple stuff like making sure your clutch cable is in good nick (if the pedal feels heavy - change it), get a short shift stick as they make the gates feel stiffer and help you find that path between 2nd to 3rd better, and make sure you have a good clutch.

My shifting technique is just to back of to half throttle when I clutch, pull the next gear, then dump the throttle just as I drop the clutch. I usually only get a little chirp from the wheels and it pulls hard straight away. It is also important to know when to shift. You want to make sure you are shifting at the top of your powerband (not necessarily red-line) and dropping it back at the start of the powerband. I have heard that it is a good rule of thumb to shift at 10% higher revs than your peak power.
 
#14 ·
thats some good advice. how you said is basically how i've been shifting. i usually get a chirp with the change into 2nd. seems to be working good.

does anyone here have a svo lightning shifter or similar? does it allow for much quicker shifts? worth the $400 or whatever they are worth?
 
#16 ·
oneredED said:
Borrowed mum's XR6 last night :clap: so i don't have much experience with the manual falcons.
What model falcon is your mum's xr6 manual? and would she be willing to sell it? :)
 
#21 ·
That short stick is just a EF/EL stick yeah?

I tend to shift fast (i always thought flat changing was just shifting really quick after off the gas and hitting the clutch) and i can tell you that my XR8 box is only 140,000kays old, and i already have a nasty crunch between 1st and 2nd due to abuse by the cops.

Look after the box, make sure you have the clutch fully pushed in, change ur clutch regularly and keep ur cables, etc in good nick, and your box will last as long as the car.
 
#22 ·
i've put in an order for the short shifter... how exciting!

other news, driving around today i noticed my exhaust was making sort of a rattling noise. on closer inspection when i got home i worked out it is coming from the catalyic converter. the insides are obviously stuffed and rattling around when it revs, the exhaust isn't loose at all... what a prick!
 
#23 ·
Yagz said:
That short stick is just a EF/EL stick yeah?

I tend to shift fast (i always thought flat changing was just shifting really quick after off the gas and hitting the clutch) and i can tell you that my XR8 box is only 140,000kays old, and i already have a nasty crunch between 1st and 2nd due to abuse by the cops.

Look after the box, make sure you have the clutch fully pushed in, change ur clutch regularly and keep ur cables, etc in good nick, and your box will last as long as the car.

Why were the cops abusing your gearbox?
 
#24 ·
T_Terror said:
Why were the cops abusing your gearbox?
I'm sure they wouldn't have cared much, but thats the only conclusion i can draw.. It's got a bad crunch, was an ex cop car, so obviously they were hard on it..
 
#26 ·
FOR WHAT ITS WORTH I RECKON PRACTISE MAKE PERFECT HERE
my sinchros are worn on second from quick shifting all the time, i've got the stick out ouf first and in nuetral before the clutch pedal hits the floor and stick just makes it into second before clutch is back out again. practice pumping clutch in and out quickly and selecting gears quick(dont even need motor running to practise)
i reckon flat changing in T5 box is exess punnishment and they don't like big revs to change up gears
i sometimes double clutch changing down from 90ish into second(rev in nuetral with clutch out then push clutch in going down to second from third ) mainly cos my sinchros are worn(let clutch out slowlyish or its like ripping up handbrake engine wont like it iether)
 
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