Transmissions...?

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by Pencil.Fight

Yeah, I've had to do that one a few times. It still always makes me nervous when someone in a $100k car is right up behind me and I have to get up over that hill without sliding back too much. Seattle has some steep hills, it's like San Francisco, except the hills aren't quite as long.

Although, unless we're talking about somebody's driveway, there's almost always a way around the hill.

I love it when people get right on my @ss at a stop on a hill. I intentionally let off the brake, let it rolllllll back and just before it gets too close, drop the clutch and go. After driving a stick for a little while you get the hang of it, no prob. But...imagine the faces on the people behind you when you let it roll back just a wee bit farther than they would like....that'll teach'em...

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

On a side note: I don't know much about powershifting, but isn't that incredibly dangerous towards your tranny? :eek:

Yes...and I've gone through a tranny to prove it.

Originally Posted by Mindz

Powershifting if shifting withing pushing in the clutch. It's very dangerous but it will give you an edge over regular push-clutch-in-shift-release-clutch shifting.

Basically it's accelerate, move shifter from 1st to second without taking your foot off the throttle. Very dangerous.

People actually drive without a clutch sometimes in normal everyday situations. I don't know why but some people do it.

Just a sec. I've never heard of not using a clutch to put it back into gear. When I "powershift", I keep my foot on the gas the ENTIRE 1/4 mile. NEVER take your foot off the gas. When you shift, you "tap" the clutch while shifting it as fast as you possibly can. This is what I've known as powershifting.

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

yeah, I thought so...I knew you could pop it out of gear without using the clutch...not reccommended - but possible...I didn't know that you could grind it back into gear!

I didn't know you could grind it back into gear either? Has anyone here ever actually done this before??? Good Lord, I'd never even attempt it just to see!!! That's signing your tranny's death certificate right there!

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Mindz

it's here in the bay were expensive cars are given to 16 year olds on their b-day (not me unfortunately). You have no idea the number of kids at high school driving 8 series, jaguars, TT Camaro SS, GS400's, a few skylines (RHD). I guess the dealerships are used to young kids getting nice cars.

Not here...they want to sell a car...but they know damn well who can, and cannot afford a car...sux.

I will try though...even if I get laughed out, I WILL try.

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

Just a sec. I've never heard of not using a clutch to put it back into gear. When I "powershift", I keep my foot on the gas the ENTIRE 1/4 mile. NEVER take your foot off the gas. When you shift, you "tap" the clutch while shifting it as fast as you possibly can. This is what I've known as powershifting.

now, see, I wouldn't consider that dangerous to the transmission... Apparently it is, though.

[Mindz]

Hell fly out here for a weekend. I'm sure you could test drive almost any car you wanted that they had, granted you might have to wear a suit to do so.

@Tag: My dad somehow busted a clutch on one of his old javelins and had to drive home without using the clutch pedal. It's possible and some people do it. A friend of mine who knows cars inside and out broke his foot and couldn't drive stick. He risked his tranny but didn't end up losing it. It's all about rev matching if the tranny/axle is spinning the same speed as the engine, you don't need a middle man it will just slide right in. You have to know the exact rpm's for the speed your going or you will have trouble though.

[Mr. Wyndham]

should I speak with a british accent, too? I do a pretty damn good one. Use it to tell Telemarketers that they've reached me in Surrey, England...creeps 'em out.

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

now, see, I wouldn't consider that dangerous to the transmission... Apparently it is, though.

Oh, it is...you are shifting so d@mn fast that you WILL occassionally miss and let out that clutch faster than you can get it in gear. Or, you don't get the shifter in gear all the way and "SCRAAAAAATCH!!!" God, do I hate that sound!!!

[Mr. Wyndham]

It would be intersting to hear somebody powershift...instead of revving down inbetween shifts...it would revv to red-line... interesting.

[TAG UR IT]

It really doesn't get the chance to rev to redline, the shift is so quick. I tell you now...if we ever meet up, we'll go for a ride and I'll show you how it's done. It's pretty easy, but you must be fast and get it done RIGHT. If not....KA-BOOM!

[Mr. Wyndham]

DEAL!

[wildpaws]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

I love it when people get right on my @ss at a stop on a hill. I intentionally let off the brake, let it rolllllll back and just before it gets too close, drop the clutch and go. After driving a stick for a little while you get the hang of it, no prob. But...imagine the faces on the people behind you when you let it roll back just a wee bit farther than they would like....that'll teach'em...

Yes...and I've gone through a tranny to prove it.

Just a sec. I've never heard of not using a clutch to put it back into gear. When I "powershift", I keep my foot on the gas the ENTIRE 1/4 mile. NEVER take your foot off the gas. When you shift, you "tap" the clutch while shifting it as fast as you possibly can. This is what I've known as powershifting.


I didn't know you could grind it back into gear either? Has anyone here ever actually done this before??? Good Lord, I'd never even attempt it just to see!!! That's signing your tranny's death certificate right there!

I have witnessed the "no clutch" technique many years ago (around '69/'70), but these were slow, gentle shifts and not anything like the speed shifting others described. I went on a road trip with a friend of mine in his 1960 Impala, a couple of hundred miles from Richmond to Roanoke,VA and he did not use the clutch the entire trip except sitting at/leaving stoplights. This was a 348cid tri-power with four speed tranny, smooth as silk shifts with never any grinding. Though I saw how the technique worked, I never ventured to try it on my '69 Z/28 I had then, too many fears of ruining my tranny.
Clyde

[TAG UR IT]

^ Thanks. I really didn't know it was possible to do it smoothly w/out scratching. I won't ever try it, but I'd like to see it done. That would be neat to know how to do..."hey guys...check this out!"

[Emher]

Okay, bumping this thread since after reading trough it I haven't still gotten some of my questions answered. Pasting my post (with some minor changes) from the thread I started:

I hadn't really thought about getting anything but a manual gearbox for my Camaro when I get one, but tonight I got to talking to my dad about cars and such. He thought that I should go with automatic since it shifts faster and thus gives you a way quicker power surge, plus that he's always had automatic on his American cars and that it just felt right for every car. I wouldn't even be thinking about anything but manual if my dad haven't brought it up, since I do trust his input on this subject. And because I tend to shortshift once in a while...

So now I'm kinda torn here. I've always driven manual and the times I've driven automatic it's true I've enjoyed the seamless rise of power when I put my foot down, making things like driving past some slowpoke way easier, but doesn't it get...kinda boring after a while not shifting? Maybe it's just because I'm so used to it I can't imagine anything else. If possible I'll try and test both a manual and automatic when test driving the Camaro for when I'm going to buy one.

[stovt001]

For me, the real answer is "It depends" on a lot. There are good and bad manuals, and good and bad automatics. I live in the land of gridlock, and the Camaro would be my daily driver, so an automatic would make my life easier. Then again, I want to race it, which favors the manual transmission. So what it all boils down to is what kind of transmissions does GM offer. If it is a paddle shifted automatic, is it really an automatic clutch manual, or is it just an automatic with the ability to tell the computer which gear you would prefer? Would it match revs on downshifts? For automatics, will it sap power and be slow to shift in automatic mode (or even manual mode) or will it offer crisp performance with minimal drivetrain loss? For manuals, will it have a good shifter and friendly clutch, or will it be herky-jerky from a stop and take forever to row through the gears? For any transmission, what will the gearing, final drive, and fuel economy be? Until these questions are answered, I won't make up my mind. I will go with the better transmission, whether it be automatic, manual, or otherwise.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Ah, but now, it's my turn to throw a wrench into the...er, gears...(no pun intended). GM's 6L80 tranny. It's their new-er, six speed auto-tranny. It'll act just like a normal auto, but then it is designed to be "manually" shifted via paddles on the steering wheel (Corvette style).

Not taking anything away from the stick. I'll probably go with a standard anyways, but last month I thought I'd for sure be getting an auto...so we'll have to test drive both.

but I had to mention the 6L80...it's genious.

[stovt001]

The problem with the 6L80, as far as I know, is that it is a conventional automatic, and paddle shifters just tell the computer what gear you would prefer. The final call is still up to the computer, and other than the possibility for manual driver input, everything still goes about its business like a traditional automatic.

On the other hand, the better "manumatics" have dual clutch setups, where a second clutch preselects the next gear before actuating it, or an auto-clutch manual setup, where it functions just like an manual, except the clutch is automatically controlled and gear shifts are not directly controlled by a stick shifter but by paddle shifters feeding through a computer.

We'll probably get the first type of transmission, but for a true performance car the second type(s) are so much more appropriate.