I tried searching for this subject, but perhaps I'm not wording it right, and I get only a billion threads returned.

I was just wondering if there was an 'effecient' way to shift in the S? I basically refined my shifting skills when I purchased the S, and I'm pretty confident with my daily driving skills (no track time or autoX for me yet).

When I'm just cruising along and need to shift gears, I'm rather smooth, but if I want to pass somebody up at the instant of a green light and am in a rush to do so, my shift skills are sloppy. It's as if my shifting is taking too long and I'm losing RPM's rapidly. I'm not sure if my techniques aren't refined enough for rapid shifting, or if the actual shift lever is too long, and I need a short shifter?

I basically shift through my gears like this: http://www.shortshifter.com/techniques2.htm

I don't think I have this problem when I drive my sister's s2000, but I believe that car has the shortest shift lever from the factory. I'm thinking about trying out someone's MINI that has a ssk on it, but I don't want to mess up their car or ahem, rag it out; well, not that I could afford an ssk right now anyways.

Oops forgot to say, I usually shift at 4000 RPMs when just casually driving but closer to 6000 if I want to let 'er rip.

Any tips? Suggestions? Comments?

 

First off, forget that website. Find your own technique that feels natural for you.

There's no substitute for just getting out there and practicing. Use an empty parking lot if you can find one. The key to all shifting, is smooth footwork with the clutch and throttle.

 

What he said.

That website looks backwards. Why would you backhand the shift to third

You don't need no stinkin Internet website to learn how to shift, ppl have been shifting as long as HURST has made a 4 speed

Seriously ... if you practice, you will get so smooth you will never even know you shifted gears.

BTW, for normally driving there is no need to go to 4K ... you in a rush? Also, if you want the maximum acceleration, you always shift at the redline (if you want a technical explanation, lots of internet articles will tell you why but basically you want to stay in the top of the HP curve).

Practice, practice, practice

best of luck

 

I have seen more than one shift **** pulled clean off by shifting 1 to 2 like that web site describes. Back-handing 2-3 in a MINI may get you into 5, not 3.

Practice. Don't choke the shifter. Practice. Guide it, don't force it. Practice.
http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving...shifting.shtml

dan

 

Get a short shifter and Move your hand faster

 

I was about to post a link to turn fast, heck even MINIUSA has a better explination on their website.

Most of it like said comes from the footwork, be smooth and the speed will come.

What you can do to help with falling RPMs is blip the throttle so the REvs match the wheel speed for the lower gear giving you the power needed for the quck overtake. Just be warned if you get into the habit of doing this you ned to be VERY careful about speed (and radar traps), at higher RPMs it piles on quickly.

 

practice... i learn seriously the stick on the mini.... and it all just takes practice... the mini's shifter is a bit harder and takes a bit more effort to go into gear, and can get confusing at times,

i usually pop the shifter into neutral for a split second before popping into the next gear... that's my style.... then i skip shift to 5th when i reach city crusing speed...

fyi, i shift at 3k rpm, seems to yield good acceleration and good fuel economy

 

Learn to slap shift!

No seriously, don't. Its terrible and you will kill the tranny.

Learning to shift smoothly is like learning how to heel-toe on a hill. Just takes practice.

Medic

 

I first found that link on a BMW forum, in a thread discussing how some people mistakenly shift to a lower gear when they meant to shift to a higher gear, and then blow out their engine as a result. The shifting method emphasized in the link is to prevent this shifting mistake. Personally, I think the issue lies with skill development. You got a bunch of yahoos ragging out a manual car and then attempt to shift really rapidly without skill, and the result is a piston flying through the hood and landing somewhere on 5th avenue in the next town over.

Practice. Take it slowly and smoothly, then gradually increase your speed, focusing on the coordination of your feet and shifting hand. It's all in the timing.

Good luck.

 

The method on the UUC web site, with some variations, was taught to me at the Skip Barber racing school in the 1980's (the cars were Formula Fords with Hewland 4-speed non-syncro boxes). Applying slight pressure to the right when 'backhand' shifting from 2-3 avoids the error of hitting 1st (with disastrous consequences). Same idea for 3-4 shift to avoid 2nd.

 

I probably have a different shifting technique for every different manual tranny car I've owned. My MGB and my Mini are close to the same as far as the actual shift: All wrist action. But every car is different as far as the feel of the pedals. That's always where smoothness and speed originate.

 

I found my S difficult to shift for the first 2000 miles. I had to pop my shoulder to get into 5th! The shifting did let up, and now it feels like second nature. None of my other manuals were as hard to shift, but none of those were new either.

 

Something to remember is that shifting should be easy. If you are forcing things then you are doing something wrong. Trying to upshift too quickly will put additional wear on the synchros. A slight hesitation as you pass through neutral is not a bad thing. To downshift smoothly is a learned skill and requires mastering the timing of hands and both feet.

The downshift is the more difficult to learn because you have to learn how to blip the throttle between gears and time everything so that the gears engage smoothly.

Fast shifting is not just pulling the lever faster from gear to gear. Doing that is a good way to hasten the demise of your tranny.

Shifting should be a 2-finger event. You should never have a "death grip" on the shifter. A gentle grip is all that is required, the thumb should never be involved. All modern trannys have springs that want to center the shifter in the shift pattern. You should be using this to help you, do not try to fight it. 1 - 2 you need to hold gently to the left as you pull back with your finger tips. 2 - 3 would be a steady push with the heel of your hand and let the springs center the lever as you push forward. 3 - 4 is just a straight pull back with the finger tips, the springs will guide the lever. 4 - 5 you will have to apply prerssure away from yourself, to the right, as you push steadly forward with your hand on the side of the **** closest to you. 5 - 6 is once again with the finger tips, but the palm of the hand is turned away applying gentle pressure to the right.

Haste makes metal grindings.

Short shift kits generally increase the forces necessary to shift and is not something that I would recommend to someone who has not mastered all phases of shifting. Some SSKs increase the effort much much more than others. There is a popular misconception that having a very short shift lever is a good thing. Shortening the shift lever inside the car means that your hand has to travel further to get to the **** and spend more time off the wheel and not steering.

If you do some research on race cars, especially world rally cars, you will see that they set up their cars so that the shift **** is very close to the steering wheel. Racers can have their cars designed any way they choose and they choose to keep the shift lever close to the steering wheel. It being more important to keep your hands on the wheel for as much time as possible and the length that the lever actually moves is less important. The effort required to move the lever, especially when you have to shift hundreds or thousands of times in every race, becomes very important. I would recommend a SSK that lengthens the shift lever below the pivot point and does not alter the lever inside the car such as the Ultrik Short shift kit from MINI Mania http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NM.../InvDetail.cfm

Shift effort is still reasonable, shift pattern is significantly shorter, it adds a great feel to every shift.

Good luck. Happy motoring.

JOHO

 

Good shifts are like a Zen state. Here's my suggestion. Remember Luke and "Use the Force" but don't use force.

You'll know it when you get it right.

Rich

 

It takes like a year of driving around with the windows down to get an understanding of when to shift correctly. you can shave off a second easily on 0-60 once youi can groove with your car. all shifts should clunk fall into place and should be smooth power going all the way up.

downshifting takes like several years to get correctly i feel. it is very hard to do on a turn.

 

Gromit's correct as usual. Everybody has his or her own style of shifting...Use the "force" within you...{insert heavy mechanical breathing here}

 

dang..shift at 6K? I got my rev limit bumped to 7.3K and still kill it when I let it rip....lol..........

Dunno what the rev limit can be in the MINI without gernading it. I am gonna have my tuner bump to 8K with the ECU add on next week

BTW...I shift with my ears if ya know what I mean.......I use the force young Luke

 

Here's tip I picked up years ago and I've found it really makes a difference. I've told a few friends and they've always come back with positive feedback. It's so simple you'll probably .

Keep your right hand on the wheel. Until you reach the shift point that is, and your left foot on the dead pedal.

This will improve your timing and make the actual shift noticeably quicker. If you/I ride around with your hand of the shifter it seems to cause an anticipation of the shift that can blow the timing you'll probably find your self with your left foot perched over the clutch pedal also. You should hear you foot tap the dead pedal between shifts.

If your not practicing this already, just try it for a day or so and see what you think.

 

Why does the window have to be down? You can't tell if the shift was smooth with the window up?

Several Years??????? YEARS?

Seriously, are being serious here, it took you years? I am not trying to be funny here, just curious.

 

^^ I remember when i was a newb at MT it helped to hear the
motor to create what was a simulated motor tone in my head for
when there are harleys and other similar annoyance on the road. if
you think about it, the motor tone is in your head and you don't
think about it nowadays but you know when to engage the clutch
and apply throttle without listening to your car.

i don't know about taking years to get downshifting right though...
perhaps need to practice every day the first couple of months to
get it down. i know it took me a good 3-4 months to get heel & toe
down on both the traditional type and organ pedal type gas pedals.
the 3-4 months is really more of getting exposed to different situations.
you have to be exposed to different senarios to be able to know how
much to blip, etc. every car is different.