Clutch
Shift
Release Clutch
GAS
Repeat as necesary.............

And in reverse sequence if your are into 'Down Shifting ".

 

I find that an aftermarket clutch and lighter flywheel gets off 1st gear differently then OEM clutch/flywheels. The biting point is much more precise. Too little gas, and the car stalls or stumbles/rumbles to a start, too much gas and you slip it too much and risk roasting the clutch. The way I drive it is that I try to the find the balance in between that. Is that the correct way? Or am I suppose to just roll of the clutch as fast as I can while giving it gas, and not worry about the stumbling and fumbling? Thanks for your help.

 

At about what RPM can you up-shift without using the clutch? I drive an R50 so it's the midlands tranny. I've been told this is not harmful to do, is that true?

 

its not harmful unless you mess up and theres a good chance of that :P

it depends on the gear. 2-4 for mine does it smooth around 2500-3k 1st to 2nd

is always hard so I don't even bother and 5th is always alittle rough so I don't bother. I wouldn't recommend doing that though. but if your so inclined make sure you do it slowwwllllly and when you pull it out of gear if its smooth you probably found the sweetspot

 

Yeah, I'm not worried about doing that. I just use the clutch - it's what its there for.
I have found the sweet spot for pulling out of gear into neutral, it's around 1k rpm (no throttle), depending on gear. Again, it's rare that I do that, even though there is no resistance. Better safe than sorry, especially when dealing with a transmission such as the midlands..

 

OK so I'm new to driving manual (about 5 months) and from what i've read I am shifting all wrong

What I do for shifting now: Accelerating I left off gas: clutch in: shift to next gear: clutch out: gas

Decelerating I left off gas: clutch in: shift to lower gear: clutch out: repeat until at a stop

Also from what I am reading my acceleration shifting is ok, but my deceleration is horrible. I'm either going to have to learn to double clutch and rev match, OR use the breaks until i get to about 1,000 RPM then shift into neutral either using the clutch or not using it.

And to think I thought I was getting good at the whole shifting process.

Anybody have any thoughts as to what I should learn to do?

 

Definitely get good at rev matching. Because this is a new car and the synchros are really very good, I would not recommend double clutch downshifting. It puts a lot of wear on your clutch bearings that is unnecessary. Rev match to downshift, but keep the car in gear and brake to slow down, then neutral on average. I only downshift all the way down when I expect to speed back up relatively soon.

Hope that helps

 

Don't feel bad, I've been driving a stick since I was 16 and I'm now 22 and I shifted just as you described. Luckily, I had cars that could take that abuse.
Now that I don't, I've had to shift my technique to rev-matching.
still not being good at heel-toe, I double clutch for the moment-better than nothing..
I only downshift if I need to gain some RPMs though. If I know I'll be coming to a complete stop, if only breifly, I'll take out of gear and put into neutral and use the brakes, not the engine/transmission to slow down as it puts unnecessary strain on your drivetrain. Brakes are not that expensive.

 

Power shifting, flat foot shifting, and always downshifting. Never had any problems in my WRX or STi, hopefully it will be the same with the MINI!!

 

around town: i make sure i don't drop the revs less than 2000rpm when i upshift so i upshift at around 2500rpm. i only rev-match when suddenly slowing down

on the track: i tend to extend the blip on the throttle when downshifting from 3rd-2nd-1st compared to 6th-5th-4th

 

 

wonder if the so-called "upgraded" clutch in the factory JCW has the same plastic t/o bearing the standard OEM clutch has?

 

omg, they use plastic for a t/o bearing? Rediculous...

 

just curious but what does t/o mean?

 

t/o = throwout

 

Wow, I think this thread has misinformed lots of MINI owners who are new to manual transmissions. The act of double clutching was used for very old cars that didn't have synchros. The reason people in this thread are double clutching is to save their synchros from torment (or because they are old grandpas )... But why save them if you are never going to use them??

I also hope nobody crashes trying to learn how to heel toe in regular traffic. Heel Toe is used on a race track when a driver needs to simultaneously brake and downshift before entering a corner. The only reason I can see people wanting to heel toe in traffic is if they are rev-matching their downshifts while braking for a red light. But if you are engine braking why are you using the brakes? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

If you are new to manual transmissions. There is absolutely no point in using these techniques. The act of being smooth while shifting has nothing to do with Double Clutching or Heel Toe. If you are still confused please do the following:

Upshift:
-Clutch pedal pressed in
-Shift from gear - neutral - higher gear
-Clutch pedal released

Downshift to a Stop:
-Clutch pedal pressed in
-Shift from gear - neutral
-Come to a stop using brakes

Downshift to enter a corner:
-Brake for proper speed to enter corner (if it is a very low speed corner put it in neutral)
-Clutch pedal pressed in
-Shift from gear - neutral - lower gear
-Clutch pedal released while giving some gas to increase revs
(unless you are "racing" you should always have time to downshift without the need to simultaneously use the brakes)

I think there was also a confusion between "slipping the clutch" and "using the clutch". When people say don't "slip the clutch" they usually mean try to engage the clutch as quickly and smoothly as possible to avoid unnecessary wear. "slipping the clutch" is also known as "riding the clutch". The act of "using a clutch" means the two clutch plates are "slipping" and through friction will quickly come to an agreement in rotational speed.

Hope this clarifies things

 

The reason I suggest using heal toe is because while your slowing down for a red light or your slowing down in a exit on a highway, you should be in gear and should be ready to accelerate/maneuver out of harms way if necessary.

Even downshifting in the corner, while your holding in your clutch and braking, your wearing away your throw out bearing. If you slow down enough, don't clutch and leave your car in a higher gear, it's not going to very smooth driving.

Your right, heal toe is not absolutely necessary, but it is very helpful once you get to know it.

 

Well, I don't double-clutch on upshifts - I was at first just to see how it felt.
I was double-clutching on downshifts, still do sometimes, if I know I won't be coming to a complete stop. It's not just to protect the syncros, its to save wear and tear on my transmission, clutch plate, and engine. Also, when the engine bucks to adjust to the new RPM speed, you putting unnecessary wear and tear on your motor mounts...

I'm learning to heel-toe now. It's fairly easy. You just place the ball of your foot on the brake while simultaneously "riding" your heel up the gas pedal to bring the RPMs up. Then, place into the next appropriate gear. It just feels healthier all around for the car. Not to mention, keeps you in gear so you can maneuver ASAP incase of emergency.
Just my $.05

 

This idea of being ready to get out of harms way doesn't make much sense to me in a car. If your gear lever is in neutral you have all the gears easily accessible to you. If you really need that .5-1 seconds it takes you to put the car in gear to get out of harms way, harm is probably inevitable at that point. I ride a motorcycle and always keep my bike in the correct gear for my speed while decelerating to a stop. This is due to the fact motorcycles are sequential gearboxes and jamming down from 6th to 2nd takes longer than you'd think.

I didn't say keep the clutched pedal pushed in , I said to put the car in neutral until you reach the correct speed for corner entry, than change gears. Though for most corners you can ride the tall gear till you come to the correct speed then change.

Again if you or anybody wants to perform Heel Toe in their car it's up to them. But I'd rather not see beginners try these things and get hurt in the process. If you are driving on public roads and have to brake and downshift at the same time before entering a corner you are doing something wrong.

Not trying to bash anyone here just trying to protect the innocent

 

Why is everybody throwing out his or her bearings? I thought it was all about ball bearings these days.
I tend to go 1st, whine out 2nd a bit, and then to 4th, whine out 4th a bit, then to 5th or 6th.

If I get on it all the way through 2nd, I might just skip to 5th if I'm at my cruising speed and I'm done accelerating.

If the traffic highway ramp meters are on and I come to a complete stop with a fun on ramp in front of me, it’s full on 1-6 as fast as I can!!!!

I was taught that it’s easier (and cheaper) to replace brakes over a clutch, but I just extended my warranty another two years so maybe it’s time for a new philosophy.

I definitely would like to get some practice on the heel toe, but I always have a hard time maneuvering my foot back onto the gas after I rev match. Looks like I have something to look forward to this afternoon.

 

No, sometimes a few milliseconds can make all the difference. If you are in neural, you have to think about which gear to use and THEN shift THEN get off the clutch THEN punch the gas.. If you are in an appropriate gear, all you need to do is punch the gas.

Tiny amounts of time and a few inches can make a BIG difference. For example, when you pull up to a Stop Sign, the correct method is to look to your left FIRST (for those of us who drive on the right), and THEN look right. There's only about 20' difference, but the time it takes to look one way, comprehend, look the other way, comprehend, etc. can make a big difference. It could mean the difference between getting hit or not; a minor hit or a big T-bone.

 

+1

But like I said, heel+toe is not crucial to manual driving (unless your racing) but if your able to do it, why not? It improves safety and less wear and tear. But also as itsfun_gis said, if your going endanger someone 'learning' or practicing in the street, I'd suggest practicing in a empty lot or track.

One of my posts was never answer in this thread, so I'll post again, and hope for some answers:

I find that an aftermarket clutch and lighter flywheel gets off 1st gear differently then OEM clutch/flywheels. The biting point is much more precise. Too little gas, and the car stalls or stumbles/rumbles to a start, too much gas and you slip it too much and risk roasting the clutch. The way I drive it is that I try to the find the balance in between that. Is that the correct way? Or am I suppose to just roll of the clutch as fast as I can while giving it gas, and not worry about the stumbling and fumbling? Thanks for your help.

 

The lighter assembly will have less rotational inertia. Any abrupt effects of grippier friction material, or to a lesser extent, similar materials to OEM) will be more noticeable.

Never having driven a car equipped like yours, I don't know what the correct technique would be. However, stumbling and fumbling as you say, can't be a good thing. Is it possible to smooth out you technique a bit?

 

To prevent the stumbling and fumbling, I would have to slip the clutch a bit more. It's not that I can't do it but I don't want to slip it too much and roast it. Feels like a double edged sword.

 

Yes, but remember that when you dump the clutch, you send a shock through the whole drivetrain...