Learning Stick Tomorrow. Any Tips?

[TcivicT3]

My friend is coming over tomorrow to help me install my greddy ti-c. He has an sti and says that he'll teach me stick. I don't want to embarass myself by stalling it or anything. I have tried once already on an 87 mustang gt and i dont have any problems getting going, its just slowing down. Can anyone help me out so i dont make a fool of myself.

[IceWindius]

Originally Posted by TcivicT3

My friend is coming over tomorrow to help me install my greddy ti-c. He has an sti and says that he'll teach me stick. I don't want to embarass myself by stalling it or anything. I have tried once already on an 87 mustang gt and i dont have any problems getting going, its just slowing down. Can anyone help me out so i dont make a fool of myself.

1. You WILL grind gears sometimes

2. You WILL kill the engine sometimes

3. Practice in a empty parking lot for the love of God

4. If your fustrated or pissed off, stop before you break something

5. Don't try to do a burnout

6. Practice, practice, practice.

Have fun!

[chen123]

Originally Posted by TcivicT3

My friend is coming over tomorrow to help me install my greddy ti-c. He has an sti and says that he'll teach me stick. I don't want to embarass myself by stalling it or anything. I have tried once already on an 87 mustang gt and i dont have any problems getting going, its just slowing down. Can anyone help me out so i dont make a fool of myself.

When I was learning someone taught me to let the car go in reverse (slowly)and with the car moving backward, put the car in 1st and try move forward to feel for the point at which the clutch engages....not sure it that will help you at all.

Manual just takes time to learn, and every car is different, gl.

[GeezerSi]

easy on the gas (don't rev the piss out of the engine)
slow, slow, slow on letting out the clutch (you will get the feel of where it engages)

Have fun!

[DRMex06]

The best tip I can give you is AVOID steep hills!

You being new with stick will probably get very nervous if someone is behind you on a hill and you may accidently roll back into them. Just keep a clear head and have fun w/ it, knowing how to drive stick is very useful. Good luck!

[IceWindius]

Originally Posted by DRMex06

You being new with stick will probably get very nervous if someone is behind you on a hill and you may accidently roll back into them.

Hence for the love of God, dont practice in the streets.

[krytikal]

GL man...i taught myself knowing the basics of course. once you get used to it its like second nature. tap the gas rather than jus push it down.

[krytikal]

Originally Posted by DRMex06

The best tip I can give you is AVOID steep hills!

You being new with stick will probably get very nervous if someone is behind you on a hill and you may accidently roll back into them. Just keep a clear head and have fun w/ it, knowing how to drive stick is very useful. Good luck!

i found the steepest driveway i could at some factory and practiced hills on that. i musta stalled 20 times but i got the hang of it

[mikeboba]

Looking back on when I was learning....I think the best advice I could give would be to just try to remain calm. When I learned, I would mess up most when I was getting nervous or when I lost focus...

[krytikal]

just let the power flow through your veins! lol

[Izzy]

Just be patient, keep your head from panicking, and don't kick the clutch like it's a red-headed stepchild.

I learned stick going to work the day after I got my Si. LOL.

[BigT]

In my opinion there is no reason to practice on any hills. Basically when you start out you have to let the clutch out to the engagement point without going too far and stalling, while also giving enough gas to get going. When starting out on a hill the only difference is that you have to do this quicker so that you don't roll backwards.

Once you have enough practice that you can do this quickly on flat ground, hills shoult be much less of a problem. Practicing on hills is like trying to do something quickly that you can't even do slowly yet.

Just my opinion.

[krytikal]

^^^walk before you run.....in my case i liked running first

[rmfa]

Originally Posted by krytikal

i found the steepest driveway i could at some factory and practiced hills on that. i musta stalled 20 times but i got the hang of it

This is a great way to tear up your clutch. Please do not do this.

[Izzy]

Expanding on what BigT said, you don't have to go out of your way to hit hills. Get good enough to just drive around, and those hills will come to you. The only reason I would say hills are a good way to learn is that you'll get a feeling for what the car feels like at the point where your clutch is in, and your not pressing the gas because you're still on the brake.

[krytikal]

Originally Posted by rmfa

This is a great way to tear up your clutch. Please do not do this.

it was a 98 ek-9 with a sohc nonvtec...i had an ls motor and trans sitting in the driveway waiting to be swapped so the sohc meant nothing to me

[SiNISTER SiNDY]

If slowing down is your problem, engage the clutch and pull the car out of gear before braking, then let off the clutch and slow down the same as if you were driving an automatic. Once you get to the stoplight/sign, put the car in gear and start again. AND BE PATIENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TcivicT3]

thanks for your help everyone

[Izzy]

Or, just keep it in gear, then press the brake down. Before it gets too low in the RPM range, take it out of gear. Leaving the car in gear helps with slowing down.

[jethroooo]

Taking off from stop:

-Make sure its on First with the clutch pedal pushed
-Press the GAS pedal a little, until you reach 2RPM/3RPM (depending if youre REALLY new to stick, then after you get it, just a few touch up skills like like BigT explained, knowing where the engagement point is)
-Let go of the Clutch really slowly until you start moving slowly with the clutch still pressed, as you let go of the clutch more, press the gas more to balance it out.

~If it sounds like your car is going to stall, press the clutch and start all over.

______________________

Going to a stop:

-Easiest way is to just put the car in Neutral, and use the brakes, (just like how you would in an auto)
-Once youre comfortable, most of my friends that drive AE86's have bad brakes, so they downshift which causes the car to "EngineBrake" and it slows down the car for you, but as you downshift, you have to let go of the clutch slowly as well while youre releasing the clutch.