Hey guys, as you may have noticed, I am new to the forum, but I am also new to driving "stick", especially in a Mini. What I've noticed is that I can get every gear transition to be smooth except from 1st to 2nd. I've tried releasing the clutch slower and to no avail. It is kind of annoying when I'm in traffic and I jerk from 1st to 2nd (nothing crazy, but enough to annoy lol). If I'm going dirt slow I can transition with know problem but that's useless when I still have that annoying nudge every time I get off a traffic light.

If you guys have any tips for me that would be awesome.

Maybe it has something to do with the gear ratio from 1st to 2nd. I might need to give less or more gas, idk, anything would help.

Thanks in advance!

 

It's normal in any car for the transition to be a little rougher in 1st and 2nd gear. All you have to do it get used to where you feel the clutch start to grab and lurch the car forward. From there it's a dance between your left and right foot. The only way you're going to get better is driving the car a lot and practicing it. We were all in the "new to MT" shoes at one time so don't feel alone. You might just want to find an empty parking lot and memorize the feel of the pedal where it starts to bite.

 

Shift from first really early; almost immediate, but not quite. It will be smooth as butter.

 

Shane is spot on. It's called 'modulating' the clutch. It is a matter of listening and feeling for the correct combination of clutch engagement and throttle. It won't get you to Carnegie Hall but practace, paractice, paractice.

 

If you get an idea of where the RPMs should be in the new gear, you can use the gas pedal to try to keep them near there. That should help the clutch engagement be smoother as well.

 

I know this could open a can of worms, but I use as little of the gas pedal as possible (I use none) while releasing the clutch. If you find the sweetspot/release at the right point when the RPM drops, you don't need to work the gas pedal. I was taught that creates extra wear. Is this correct on any level?

 

If you drive in Sport Mode, the RPM's don't drop as fast....that helps with smooth transitions from gear to gear....also helps when being agressive with the throttle and working those 0-60 times!

 

So would you suggest shifting about 2k rpm's or less? So far I have been shifting at about 3k for every gear.

 

Which causes extra wear? It's not quite clear from the context of your note.

What causes wear of the clutch lining, pressure plate, and flywheel is slipping. So if the clutch is partly-engaged for a long time, especially if there's a lot of RPM difference between the engine and the transmission, there will be (relatively) a lot of wear on the clutch.

In some cases, shock loads can damage the clutch center. Rubber-centered clutches are known for this, especially after a lot of use and heat and time. Not sure if ours are spring-centered, but I suspect they are--most modern cars are.



When to shift is a complex problem. The short answer is "it depends". On lots of things, like if you're trying for economy (shift at lower revs) or acceleration (shift at higher revs). Or what gear you will need to be in momentarily. Or how much traction you think you have. And so on.

In general, you will want to upshift somewhere between 2000 RPM and redline. Only use the edges of that range if you have a reason to do so. (Like if you want to try for maximum economy, or if you really want to hear the engine up at redline.)

 

Something else to be very aware of is NOT to lug the engine, i.e. running in a high gear at low speed and asking the engine to pull at the bottom of the torque curve. This well cause damage to the engine.
One man's shifting patterns are this:
1. first thing in the morning starting cold I keep the revs as low as possible until the engine gets warmed up. No real reason, just 50 years of habit.
2. normal driving around town I shift around 3k, mainly by sound.
3. when the urge hits or it's time for an Italian tune up, I'll push it to near red line.
Point being, get used to the feel and sound and enjoy the heck out of motoring.

 

I'd heard that it can reduce fuel economy by causing the engine to work harder; like on a hill, but I never knew it could damage it!

 

That 'working harder' is the problem which can destroy the lower crank, bearings or even crack piston rods. Rule of thumb: At all times under all conditions, RPM is your friend.
A similar thread has previously covered this. There is further information you might find helpful here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rpm-nanny.html

 

2k shifts smoothly form 1st to 2nd for me.


Cat-Slave,
To clarify, I was referring to the comment about modulating the clutch and working the throttle while releasing the clutch. To prolong clutch life, I had gotten in the habit of using as little throttle as possible, most of the time zero throttle (starting from a stop can be difficult obviously), while releasing the clutch. To further clarify, I do rev match, but only with the clutch fully depressed and then release as my RPM drops. So, the only time I'm on the throttle is with the clutch full engaged or fully disengaged. Would you say this overly cautious and not necessarily needed?

 

I do this too, it's how I was taught my a driving instructor. I think the "it won't cause wear" argument is because when you're learning, you may overrev and slip the clutch, causing unnecessary wear and/or glazing, if you give it a bunch of gas. If you learn you can get it rolling without throttle at all, you're not going to make that mistake. I still use the no throttle method in heavy traffic, but in "fun" driving or light traffic I give a little throttle right at the friction point.

 

Thanks, Danny. So I'm not the only one...

I do exactly as you describe. You don't need any throttle at all to start rolling from most stops, if you have good clutch control, let alone any throttle during gear changes whilst rolling.

 

As long as this doesn't cause a long period of clutch slip, it's fine. My own habit is to modulate the throttle when taking off from a stop, but to not have the time when it slips be very long at all.