XC92
Proven Member
- 1,573
- 362
- Jul 22, 2020
-
Queens,
New_York
This may seem like a stupid question given that I've owned and driven the same stick shift DSM for close to 30 years, and have been driving stick for even longer than that. But my car sat for 5-6 years and I drove only automatics during that time, and now that I've fixed and mostly restored my Talon and driving it regularly again, I just want to make sure that I'd doing it right. I'm just going with muscle memory and I'm pretty sure I am, but thought I'd ask, especially about one specific aspect.
Basically, when I upshift, I let my foot off the gas, disengage the clutch, shift into the next gear, then simultaneously reengage the clutch and press the gas pedal. But I was just wondering, should I maintain some pressure on the gas pedal the whole time, or am I right to release it until I start to release the clutch pedal once it's in the next gear?
I want to avoid excessive stress on the engine, clutch and trans, while at the same time avoid any jerkiness in the car's forward motion, especially if there are passengers. Releasing the gas pedal doesn't exactly make the car jerk back, the way that suddenly releasing the clutch pedal makes it jerk forward, but the deceleration is noticeable and I was hoping to avoid it, but without potentially damaging anything in the process.
I feel kind of stupid asking this because driving a stick isn't new to me. But could I have been doing it wrong all these years and not realized it? Or was I doing it right, but it's not necessarily the only "right" way to do it?
Downshifts are a whole other thing. I've mostly stopped engine braking as I understand that it's hard on the parts, and I understand that I basically want to rev match, to avoid unnecessary wear and tear, and of course any jerkiness.
Basically, when I upshift, I let my foot off the gas, disengage the clutch, shift into the next gear, then simultaneously reengage the clutch and press the gas pedal. But I was just wondering, should I maintain some pressure on the gas pedal the whole time, or am I right to release it until I start to release the clutch pedal once it's in the next gear?
I want to avoid excessive stress on the engine, clutch and trans, while at the same time avoid any jerkiness in the car's forward motion, especially if there are passengers. Releasing the gas pedal doesn't exactly make the car jerk back, the way that suddenly releasing the clutch pedal makes it jerk forward, but the deceleration is noticeable and I was hoping to avoid it, but without potentially damaging anything in the process.
I feel kind of stupid asking this because driving a stick isn't new to me. But could I have been doing it wrong all these years and not realized it? Or was I doing it right, but it's not necessarily the only "right" way to do it?
Downshifts are a whole other thing. I've mostly stopped engine braking as I understand that it's hard on the parts, and I understand that I basically want to rev match, to avoid unnecessary wear and tear, and of course any jerkiness.