Who can drive their manual clutchless?

[Crazyjeeper]

There really is no reason to shift a modern synchro tranny clutchless, it's just for the novelty of it.

[corradoboy]

I perfected the art whilst trying to destroy a rented Vauxhaul Corsa (see the Worst Car Driven thread) but the bugger still refused to die. No need for it normally, but the ability to do it came in handy when the slave cylinder went on my old VW Corrado. I always rev-match for seamless changes with the clutch anyhow as I drive very hard especially 'round corners, so need to keep the flow of the vehicle smooth and not upset the balance.

[Adunaphel]

Yup, had to do it when my clutch's master cylinder gave out and I was stuck with a clutch pedal stuck 2mm off my firewall....

[thedguy]

If I build a lemons car I may try, but I won't risk the destruction on my transmissions. Doing upshifts without the clutch is just asking for a broken layshaft.

I also don't shift particularly fast on either of my cars, as I know syncros need a moment to catch up, and it's still faster than popping into neutral and matching the revs.

I used to be skilled at on my old beater tercel though Oh how I miss my $300 POS.

[jayhawk]

I used to do it in my Grand Am and Sunfire, since they were the same transmission (Getrag) It was easy to find the sweet spot. Haven't bothered yet with WRX, and I probably never will. They have enough trans issues as it is.

When I first was driving a manual, I actually did the Initial D trick of water in a cup, though this was in 2000 and I was not aware of Initial D until 2003; my driving instructor in high school used it on students to smooth out steering, accelerating and braking. It really works, and makes you conscious of how you are shifting.

[Torque]

Tried it on a old van at work (think one of those big behemoth ups delivery vans), and I was able to do it first time out. I don't really see a point of doing it with any kind of regularity though; only in an emergency. It wears the synchros unnecessarily, and honestly it takes longer. You pop it out of gear, you have to wait for the revs to fall to pop it into gear (well I suppose you could hold it against the next gate and it would pop in when the revs fall far enough, but the synchros wouldn't last a 100 miles like that). Using the clutch, you dip the clutch, swap cogs and bam you can let the clutch take up the difference in revs without any waiting.

I'd never do it in my own car unless the clutch hydraulics gave out preventing me from using it.

[Steve Levin]

If it has a dog box, I don't use a clutch. If it has synchros, I do.

Conventional cars with synchros and curve-cut gears aren't intended to shifting without the clutch.

That said, I *always* heel-toe my downshifts.

Steve

[Rowdie]

Originally Posted by AarheadC

My thoughts exactly. Maybe if I had a junker car to try it out on, but otherwise, no way, no how!

Yep, I did it on a '79 corolla wagon, and on a couple friends cars just to show them it's possible.

[Stumpy]

Never tried and never will on any of my cars.

..

[Street Surgeon]

Long ago I replaced the clutch in my Eclipse with a heavy-duty model that had a very upgraded pressure plate. After driving for a bit one day the heavy-duty pressure plate simultaneously snapped my clutch fork in half while blowing up my clutch slave cylinder.

I had no idea how I was going to drive it home and my father came to the rescue, he showed me how to rev-match the gearboxs so that you could shift easily without damaging the synchros (no grinding whatsoever) and we took it home. Every so often I'll practice that technique on a long drive but it's handy to know, especially if you know how to do it well.

Oh, and this is my first post, hello everyone.

[Arctor]

I'm unable to heel toe consistently due to some leg injuries I sustained as a child so I've learned to left foot brake and rev-match with clutchless downshifting instead while at the track. As long as you rev-match properly it's perfectly fine on the transmission.

[Cold Fussion]

Originally Posted by TomCat

Shifting without the clutch is one trick I never learned. Never saw the point.

I am curious about one thing though. I heard people say it's good to know just in case the clutch goes out. If your clutch does go out, how do you get into first gear? And what if your car needs the clutch pressed down to start the ignition?

You can clutch start the car on a hill or if the cars moving. Not sure how you would manage traffic lights though.

[thedguy]

Originally Posted by TomCat

Shifting without the clutch is one trick I never learned. Never saw the point.

I am curious about one thing though. I heard people say it's good to know just in case the clutch goes out. If your clutch does go out, how do you get into first gear? And what if your car needs the clutch pressed down to start the ignition?

The clutch/starter lock out is just a switch underneath the pedal. You'd just shut the engine off at a stop, pop it into first gear and press the clutch pedal in and start the car. When the linkage broke on my friends camaro thats how his brother got it home.

Originally Posted by Street Surgeon

Long ago I replaced the clutch in my Eclipse with a heavy-duty model that had a very upgraded pressure plate. After driving for a bit one day the heavy-duty pressure plate simultaneously snapped my clutch fork in half while blowing up my clutch slave cylinder.

I had no idea how I was going to drive it home and my father came to the rescue, he showed me how to rev-match the gearboxs so that you could shift easily without damaging the synchros (no grinding whatsoever) and we took it home. Every so often I'll practice that technique on a long drive but it's handy to know, especially if you know how to do it well.

Oh, and this is my first post, hello everyone.

Ah hoi hoi!

Excellent taste in cars. I'd have loved a Galant VR4 had I been able to find one when I picked up my 318. Feel like trading?

[Nocturnal]

Originally Posted by Adunaphel

Yup, had to do it when my clutch's master cylinder gave out and I was stuck with a clutch pedal stuck 2mm off my firewall....

Haha, same here with my old MK1 MR2. Came out to the car on my lunch break at work and wondered what the fluid was on the floor, thinking it looked like hydraulic fluid. Turned out it was, I had enough left to shift into first and drive out of the car-park as normal (to get the car home just over a mile away), and then it gave up on me completely as I merged with traffic, typically enough. I'd heard it could be done, so after plenty of crunching and swearing, finally got the hang of it.

[pepitko]

why would it even try it? The awful screeching noise when I haven't depressed the clutch pedal fully a couple of times (by accident) is enough of an experience.

[matt2000]

Never really tried it, but I know that without the clutch I would need a hammer to get the gear lever into neutral. Aside from that I really have to rev it to match the revs shifting up and that isn't good for the old engine.

[thedguy]

Originally Posted by pepitko

why would it even try it? The awful screeching noise when I haven't depressed the clutch pedal fully a couple of times (by accident) is enough of an experience.

Thats because you didn't match revs properly.

[argatoga]

Originally Posted by matt2000

Never really tried it, but I know that without the clutch I would need a hammer to get the gear lever into neutral. Aside from that I really have to rev it to match the revs shifting up and that isn't good for the old engine.

Rev matching is never bad for an engine. If you do it properly it will easily shift.

[Torque]

Originally Posted by pepitko

why would it even try it? The awful screeching noise when I haven't depressed the clutch pedal fully a couple of times (by accident) is enough of an experience.

The revs are not matched properly. It can indeed be driven without any crunching or grinding, including the down changes.

Originally Posted by matt2000

Never really tried it, but I know that without the clutch I would need a hammer to get the gear lever into neutral. Aside from that I really have to rev it to match the revs shifting up and that isn't good for the old engine.

It takes no effort to get it into neutral. Give it gas in whatever gear you're in. Now where you would normally depress the clutch, don't, but imagine you were, and at that moment as you come off the throttle push it out of the gate. You should be able to pop it out with one finger. As for getting in the next gear, just imagine you were using the clutch (and since you know your car, I assume you know how long it takes for the revs to fall on a regular [not mad in any way] gear change); when you think it's right there, push it into the gate of the higher gear.

To change down, again, come off the throttle, push it out of gear, give it a good solid blip of the throttle(more is better), and slide it into the next gear. If you matched the revs well, it should again pop in with no effort.

While I'm not suggesting you go out and drive constantly like this, you should try at least a couple of gear changes ... wont damage anything, but you could learn something new that can be useful. That or rent a car and go at it.

[matt2000]

Originally Posted by Torque

It takes no effort to get it into neutral. Give it gas in whatever gear you're in. Now where you would normally depress the clutch, don't, but imagine you were, and at that moment as you come off the throttle push it out of the gate. You should be able to pop it out with one finger.

You're not reading what car I drive are you?

Gearbox is slightly more agricultural than that on a normal car, and it takes a good pull to get it into neutral using the clutch.

I might try it tonight, was going to yesterday but chickened out and used the clutch.