Newbie guide for Manual Transmissions

Tastycakes · 05-05-2007, 05:16 AM

Figure i'd start a thread for people that new to stick and some points to help them not destroy their first stick. Maybe a sticky

If this is a repost, well you can still take my advice

If you don't know how to drive

The main focus when starting stick for the first time is to find the "sweet spot" or that little 1" of clutch play where the clutch grabs. Its hard at first finding the "sweet spot" inch out of 10 inches of clutch play.

A good way to start (thanks to the guys on page 4

) would be to start just playing w/ the clutch. Start the car (clutch must be pressed down to start it), push in the clutch and pop it into 1st then slowly let the clutch out w/o any gas, to feel where it grabs.

Do this a couple of times to get the feel of it. After stalling a couple of times

then try to take off w/o any gas, just letting the clutch out until the RPM's drop a couple of hundred and holding it til you slowly start to move about 3-5 MPH then let the clutch out fully.

The main problem i'v seen w/ ppl starting stick is that they move the clutch slowly enough but dont stop where it grabs, they just keep pulling out and it'll stall. You have to feel where it grabs and when it starts to grab, stop moving the pedal and kinda hold it where you feel it grabbing (if you missed it and backed off the clutch and you know your near the "sweet spot" move your foot very little, most ppl try to hurry to get back to it, another good spot where newbies stall it), then hold it until you think the engine is pretty much in sync w/ the tranny and let the clutch out.

After you get comfortable w/ that then start to add gas, rev it up to 1500 and hold it, dont focus on the gas, just the clutch, once you have mastered this then its time to add gas then clutch at the same time. It will take months even years to fully master a manual transmission.

Shifting is pretty easy to do, clutch in, shift, clutch out. The goal to smoothing shifting is lining up the shifts. Like lets say you always shift @3k rpm. You know the RPMs are gonna drop to about 2200 or so RPM when you put it into the next gear. You have to time it right so your letting the clutch out as it gets close to 2200 like say 2500 (for this example) If you do this properly you can just take your foot off the clutch at the right time w/o even feathering (slipping) the clutch and have smooth shifts.
I'd say when you first start shifting do it w/o any gas, just clutch slowly, shift, clutch back slowly. Then move on to throttle and shift points.

Then the Donts

Dont ever ride the clutch. The only time your foot should be on the pedal is when you need to hit it. Never rest it there.
Why its bad: Puts unnecessary pressure on the throwout bearing (the thing that rotates w/ the transmission while pushing the clutch out)

Dont rev it in gear w/ the clutch down. If you must rev pull it out of gear, dont just hit the clutch and rev (a small rev to like 3k is fine tho)
Why its bad: Once again the throwout bearing, your basically forcing a bearing to rotate @ 7k rpm or whatever and move back and forth, more unnecessary wear.
This is probably the least wear of the dont's. I'm just paranoid when it comes to wear

Dont rock back and forth at a light using the clutch to keep you from rolling back.
If you really feel the prick behind you is close enough and you think you cant take off w/o rolling into him, pull the parking brake up a bit and give it 2x as much gas as you normally would so you dont stall. You may look like a newb but at least you wont be filing a insurance claim

That or just rev it to 3k rpm and drop the clutch real quick (the former if there are cars infront of you).

Why its bad: More wear and tear plus you look like a tool.

Dont put it into reverse while going forward or backwards. That grind you hear is the dog teeth grinding. If they grind down too far it'll start to spit the gear out.
Why its bad: Reverse doesn't have syncros so there is nothing to line the gears up when moving so its literally metal on metal grinding.

Dont skip too many gears, more than 1 or 2 or even 3 unless you rev match (see below)

Dont use a broken gear. If a gear gets bad to the point it spits it out 50% of the time or grinds 50% of the time under normal driving conditions (3rd excluded due to its normal for some reason) stop using that gear and skip it until you bring it to the dealer or the trans shop.
Why its bad: I believe its the dog teeth are ground down so far that they cant hold it into gear or if the syncros are busted it'll grind at first but go into gear which will ultimately end up in grinding down the dog teeth til it cant be held in gear.

The Dos:

Do revmatch: You basically want to rev the engine to the RPM you think the transmission needs to be.
If you are still uncomfortable w/ manual transmissions and it isn't 2nd nature yet driving em i'd advise you not to try to rev match. It'll just mess you up rather than help.

Example 1: If you have to go from 5th to 2nd @ 40 MPH dont just drop it into 2nd. A example for this situation here is to pull it out of 5th (off the clutch) rev it to where you think the RPMs'd be at in 2nd (round 5k or so) Blip the gas to rev it up to 5k or so, then quickly hit the clutch and put it in 2nd. Should go in effortlessly unlike if you just dropped it into 2nd.

Example 2: Revmatching to up shift. Say you hit 1st 2nd getting on a highway and you got up to 55mph and your going to go to 6th. Pull it out of 2nd like you normally would and just let it sit in neutral while your off the clutch until revs fall to where you think 6th would be at (2500k or so) then hit the clutch and go to 6th.

Example 3: Picture your in neutral @35 mph. You put it into 2nd like normal (note its hard to put the shifter in) and let the clutch out, the engine goes to 5,500 rpm and your in gear in 2nd.
Instead of the above you rev the engine up to 5,500 rpm or so before going into 2nd (note shifter it goes in smoothly).

Note: The main objective of rev matching is to pre rev the transmission to where you think the RPMs will be at when you put it into gear.
Note: To spin up the transmission, you need to be in neutral and off the clutch. If you simply rev it w/ the clutch down your not spinning the transmission.
Note: If you still new skipping 4 and 5 gear on occasion isn't much damage. But once shifting becomes a habit i would recommend learning rev matching.

Why its good: When you put it into a gear the syncros spin up the clutch to the RPM it should be at so the dog teeth can line up and engage the gear. If you just slap it into 2nd the snycros are forced to spin the clutch up to or down to the RPM that it needs to be at which is more wear and tear thats not needed.

Do drive the car very easy if you smell clutch. You will one of these days slip the clutch more than you should have and it'll burn and you'll know the smell, similar to brakes. Make sure you dont slip the clutch alot for the next 5 or 10 minutes to let the flywheel and the clutch cool down a bit cause its overheating.
Why is it good: It will save you miles on the clutch.

Some advice

If the clutch pedal becomes rock hard and you cant push it down w/ force, you've blow your throwout bearing. Dont force it down like i did in my Trans Am. I blew the slave cylinder when i mashed it down and more $$ wasted than i needed to. Call a tow truck right away or if you know how to clutchless drive (thank god i did, 30 mile drive lol) then if you must do it that way.

If you mess up a shift and it grinds, pull it out of gear then back in, dont try to force it in before going to neutral and back again so the syncros can line up the dog gears. (dam 2nd and 3rd

)

A few notes:
Dog gears or teeth i refer to are are teeth on the gears that engages the main gear sets. Each main gear set is already together and never comes apart. Picture two plastic cups, the dog gears engage like putting one inside the other but they have teeth and when you move the shifter forward and back your moving the cups in and out of each other.

Syncros are like little clutches that work to line up the dog gears so they can engage effortlessly. That split second block while putting it into gear is the syncros working.

Throw Out Bearing is what is used to move the pressure plate back while rotating with the engine.

The pressure plate is what is used to hold the clutch against the flywheel of the engine. A big spring really.

A clutch is wear and tear, it must be replace every now and then (50-150k miles seems typical if you drive it nice, i'm lookin at maybe being the 50k mile guy

)

If i missed anything feel free to add and i'll slap it in and happy

Some more good info posted by GreenHokie on page 9:

Just to make this even more newbie-ish (for people like me who just started learning )..This is gonna be really long, but it's stuff that would have helped to know before beginning (if, like me, you don't have the luxury of a knowledgeable standard shift driver to help you out)

Starting
The car must either be in neutral or the clutch depressed before starting the car. If the clutch is not depressed OR the car is not in neutral, the engine is directly connected to the wheels - and the starter motor will cause the car to lurch forward and promptly stall. Most modern cars require the clutch be depressed before starting (safety switch), regardless of whether or not the car is in neutral. So a typical start would be - shifter in 1st (or reverse, depending on what you need), clutch fully depressed, hand brake up, foot on brake. After starting you would release the hand brake, the foot brake, and launch.

Reverse
When backing up, I almost always do it without using the gas (unless there's an incline I have to work against), and never fully release the clutch (you'll go way too fast).

Parking
The clutch must be fully depressed before coming to a complete stop (as with all stops), but the car must be turned off before releasing the clutch (made this careless/stupid mistake once ). Parking would normally be - slow to a complete stop in 1st gear, depressing the clutch fully as rpms approach idle speed (but leaving shifter in 1st), apply hand brake, turn engine off, release foot brake, release clutch. Don't be too quick in releasing the clutch after removing the key, as there will still be some momentum and your car could lurch (this happened to me yesterday, quite a surprise). Always have the hand brake applied while parked, and always leave it in gear (first gear if facing uphill, reverse if facing downhill) - the engine acts as an additional braking force to prevent your car from rolling.

The no-gas starts are a great way to learn the friction point of the car, which is where the engine is just starting to transfer its rotation to the transmission (and consequently the wheels). The best place to practice this is an empty parking lot (catch-22, how can you get to a parking lot if you can't drive stick?), but at first I just did it driving around my block, stopping and starting, stopping and starting. People will look at you funny, but who cares! At a complete stop, clutch fully depressed, shifter in 1st, you take your foot off the brake, and slowly release the clutch. When the friction point is reached, the RPMs will drop significantly. Stop moving the clutch at this point - this is the friction point. The car will slowly (very slowly) pick up speed, at which point you can slowly (very slowly) release the clutch fully. If the engine starts to lug a lot (to be honest I don't know what lugging is, I assume it's this horrible "engine shudder" that happens when the rpms drop too low and it's about to stall), depress the clutch slightly (or fully) and start over.

I've noticed the engine will always shudder to an extent during no gas starts, but doesn't necessary stall if you release the clutch slowly enough. Is this bad for the engine? It doesn't stall, but it's definitely struggling.

Up-Hill Starts
Launching from an incline is my biggest problem at the moment. The method you'll want to learn is the hand-brake launch, which eliminates all possibilities of rolling backwards into the jerk who's right on your bumper. Clutch fully depressed, foot on the brake, hand brake up, you release the foot brake, then release the clutch to the friction point, while simultaneously applying gas and releasing the hand brake. Essentially, you want to reach the friction point right as you disengage the hand brake, so you start rolling forward immediately and not backwards. The problem is, if you're off, the engine will promptly stall as you've engaged it with a transmission that is held still by the hand brake. Then the jerk behind you will honk the horn and throw his hands into the air, making you even more nervous and unable to launch . So practice on a flat surface, then on hills, so you will be able to do it when/if necessary.

Lastly, don't bother worrying about the wear/damage you're causing. You'll make a few mistakes here and there (I know I have), but that's the way learning goes. I feel sorry for my brand new manual civic, but it'll make it through...I hope haha.

***WhiteSicivic06*** · 05-05-2007, 05:22 AM

Some really good advice there for people wanting to know basics of manual trannys! I think females should read and re-read the part about riding the clutch and resting their feet there!

strCIVIC · 05-05-2007, 05:48 AM

of course... it's a trans am...haha jp

dere-licte · 05-05-2007, 05:50 AM

NICE!!! HIGH FIVE!!! should put an end to ridiculous questions...

powerbook76 · 05-05-2007, 06:00 AM

The Dos:

Do revmatch: If you have to go from 5th to 2nd @ 40 MPH dont just drop it into 2nd. A example for this situation here is to pull it out of 5th (off the clutch) rev it to where you think the RPMs'd be at in 2nd (round 5k or so) Blip the gas to rev it up to 5k or so, then quickly hit the clutch and put it in 2nd. Should go in effortlessly unlike if you just dropped it into 2nd.

Wow... I've never done this before.. thanks.. i'll try it...
i've gone from 4th/5th @60 MPH to 3rd so many times (every day almost) w/o doing this for years... (with other cars etc etc)

xxhaimbondxx · 05-05-2007, 09:26 AM

wow, this is great. I've never driven a stick in my life, but sure would buy it when we are ready to have a second car. I do need more tips that this, for example like: "How do you start a car?", stuff like that, but this thread is great!

Tybeedon · 05-05-2007, 10:15 AM

Here's some Rep for "Tastycakes!"

Well-deserved IMO!

radiocontrolhead · 05-05-2007, 12:03 PM

Reverse does not have syncro's. It's a straight cut gear that slides right into the idler gear to create that reverse rotation. You're literally meshing gears together in reverse which is why it's very important that the car is at a complete standstill before attempting a shift to reverse.

fyasko1 · 05-05-2007, 12:12 PM

i dont necessarily understand why to do the rev match? this is my first stick, and my first honda. is it a generally difficult five speed to drive, because i drove a few 5 speeds last week and while im getting by in my ex coupe, it just seemed so much easier in the other cars?

dextor · 05-05-2007, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fyasko1

i dont necessarily understand why to do the rev match? this is my first stick, and my first honda. is it a generally difficult five speed to drive, because i drove a few 5 speeds last week and while im getting by in my ex coupe, it just seemed so much easier in the other cars?

Smoother ride, saves the clutch.
Try downshifting with and without rev-matching, you'll feel the difference.

Tastycakes · 05-05-2007, 03:33 PM

Fixed the reverse one, ty RChead.

Yea dont try to rev match until you get comfortable driving stick cause it'll be awkward at first. To fyasko1, if you want to put it into 2nd at 40 mph, the transmission wants to be at 6k or so. If you just put it into gear the transmission spins up the clutch to 6k rpm. Rev matching you use the engine to spin up the transmission instead (which is why you need to be off the clutch and in neutral)

Edit: What are the gears called? Never knew what they were called. The idler gear is the outside gear right? so whats the gear called that goes into it?

radiocontrolhead · 05-05-2007, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fyasko1

i dont necessarily understand why to do the rev match? this is my first stick, and my first honda. is it a generally difficult five speed to drive, because i drove a few 5 speeds last week and while im getting by in my ex coupe, it just seemed so much easier in the other cars?

Rev matching should really be attempted after you're familiar with everything in the works under that hood. Once you can grasp an idea of what is acctually going inside transmission/clutch, you'll understand why rev matching is needed. So you will not get the answer to that other than "it's just better."

If I or any other member would try to explain it, the post would be about half a page long. In this case, if you do internet research on everything under that hood concerning that manual transmission, you'll get it.

Few websites I'd recommend right off the bat is "www.howstuffworks.com." They have great write ups that will get you started in the right direction. Keep doing some research on google and you'll eventually understand everything. It will get frustrating because there will be so many unfamiliar terms that you'll go nuts... however, it's up to you if you'd really like to know the answer to your question :)

Tom1222 · 05-07-2007, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxhaimbondxx

wow, this is great. I've never driven a stick in my life, but sure would buy it when we are ready to have a second car. I do need more tips that this, for example like: "How do you start a car?", stuff like that, but this thread is great!

Dans_Si · 05-07-2007, 01:47 PM

I think the Si 6 speed has a reverse lock out. You can't go into reverse while moving forward.

Tom1222 · 05-07-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiocontrolhead

Rev matching should really be attempted after you're familiar with everything in the works under that hood. Once you can grasp an idea of what is acctually going inside transmission/clutch, you'll understand why rev matching is needed. So you will not get the answer to that other than "it's just better."

I have driven Sticks almost since I was born about 136 years ago and I never rev matched any of them. I am sure it's a cool thing but hardly necessary for sucessfully driving a stick. One could argue that you could use the difference in RPMs to help the car slow down. I can only see the benefit of rev matching if you are dropping from a high gear into a much lower gear which you really should try to avoid unless you are racing then rev matching would be of some benefit. But I know that many of your like to rev your engines before shifting so if it makes you happy and it works for you why not

dextor · 05-07-2007, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom1222

I have driven Sticks almost since I was born about 136 years ago and I never rev matched any of them. I am sure it's a cool thing but hardly necessary for sucessfully driving a stick. One could argue that you could use the difference in RPMs to help the car slow down. I can only see the benefit of rev matching if you are dropping from a high gear into a much lower gear which you really should try to avoid unless you are racing then rev matching would be of some benefit. But I know that many of your like to rev your engines before shifting so if it makes you happy and it works for you why not

Even at cruising rpm's if you downshift without giving the throttle a blip the car jerks because the you're using the transmission to slow the car down, unless you let go of the clutch very slowly.
I rev my engine to have a smoother ride

**Yodums** · 05-07-2007, 02:18 PM

Good guide. I don't see how some of you guys are getting away without rev-matching. If you're dropping from 5th to 2nd or 3rd gear without a rev-match, you're either going to get the biggest snap or hold the clutch insanely long to bring the revs up without that snap.

Dans_Si · 05-07-2007, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dextor

Even at cruising rpm's if you downshift without giving the throttle a blip the car jerks because the you're using the transmission to slow the car down, unless you let go of the clutch very slowly.
I rev my engine to have a smoother ride

Engine braking is a good thing.

I always thought rev matching for for cars (i.e. race cars) that have straight cut teeth (Dog boxes). This is why our transmissions have synro's, so you don't have to match anyting. I never have done this in all the cars I have owned.

Dans_Si · 05-07-2007, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yodums

Good guide. I don't see how some of you guys are getting away without rev-matching. If you're dropping from 5th to 2nd or 3rd gear without a rev-match, you're either going to get the biggest snap or hold the clutch insanely long to bring the revs up without that snap.

I never go from 5th to 2nd...I go 5th...4th..3rd. Unless I have to slam on the brakes then I just pop into 2nd after slowing down a bit with no problems.

05-05-2007, 05:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tastycakes Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Suburbs of Chicago Age: 24 Posts: 2,541 Mike iTrader: 0 / 0%	Newbie guide for Manual Transmissions Figure i'd start a thread for people that new to stick and some points to help them not destroy their first stick. Maybe a sticky If this is a repost, well you can still take my advice If you don't know how to drive The main focus when starting stick for the first time is to find the "sweet spot" or that little 1" of clutch play where the clutch grabs. Its hard at first finding the "sweet spot" inch out of 10 inches of clutch play. A good way to start (thanks to the guys on page 4 ) would be to start just playing w/ the clutch. Start the car (clutch must be pressed down to start it), push in the clutch and pop it into 1st then slowly let the clutch out w/o any gas, to feel where it grabs. Do this a couple of times to get the feel of it. After stalling a couple of times then try to take off w/o any gas, just letting the clutch out until the RPM's drop a couple of hundred and holding it til you slowly start to move about 3-5 MPH then let the clutch out fully. The main problem i'v seen w/ ppl starting stick is that they move the clutch slowly enough but dont stop where it grabs, they just keep pulling out and it'll stall. You have to feel where it grabs and when it starts to grab, stop moving the pedal and kinda hold it where you feel it grabbing (if you missed it and backed off the clutch and you know your near the "sweet spot" move your foot very little, most ppl try to hurry to get back to it, another good spot where newbies stall it), then hold it until you think the engine is pretty much in sync w/ the tranny and let the clutch out. After you get comfortable w/ that then start to add gas, rev it up to 1500 and hold it, dont focus on the gas, just the clutch, once you have mastered this then its time to add gas then clutch at the same time. It will take months even years to fully master a manual transmission. Shifting is pretty easy to do, clutch in, shift, clutch out. The goal to smoothing shifting is lining up the shifts. Like lets say you always shift @3k rpm. You know the RPMs are gonna drop to about 2200 or so RPM when you put it into the next gear. You have to time it right so your letting the clutch out as it gets close to 2200 like say 2500 (for this example) If you do this properly you can just take your foot off the clutch at the right time w/o even feathering (slipping) the clutch and have smooth shifts. I'd say when you first start shifting do it w/o any gas, just clutch slowly, shift, clutch back slowly. Then move on to throttle and shift points. Then the Donts Dont ever ride the clutch. The only time your foot should be on the pedal is when you need to hit it. Never rest it there. Why its bad: Puts unnecessary pressure on the throwout bearing (the thing that rotates w/ the transmission while pushing the clutch out) Dont rev it in gear w/ the clutch down. If you must rev pull it out of gear, dont just hit the clutch and rev (a small rev to like 3k is fine tho) Why its bad: Once again the throwout bearing, your basically forcing a bearing to rotate @ 7k rpm or whatever and move back and forth, more unnecessary wear. This is probably the least wear of the dont's. I'm just paranoid when it comes to wear Dont rock back and forth at a light using the clutch to keep you from rolling back. If you really feel the prick behind you is close enough and you think you cant take off w/o rolling into him, pull the parking brake up a bit and give it 2x as much gas as you normally would so you dont stall. You may look like a newb but at least you wont be filing a insurance claim That or just rev it to 3k rpm and drop the clutch real quick (the former if there are cars infront of you). Why its bad: More wear and tear plus you look like a tool. Dont put it into reverse while going forward or backwards. That grind you hear is the dog teeth grinding. If they grind down too far it'll start to spit the gear out. Why its bad: Reverse doesn't have syncros so there is nothing to line the gears up when moving so its literally metal on metal grinding. Dont skip too many gears, more than 1 or 2 or even 3 unless you rev match (see below) Dont use a broken gear. If a gear gets bad to the point it spits it out 50% of the time or grinds 50% of the time under normal driving conditions (3rd excluded due to its normal for some reason) stop using that gear and skip it until you bring it to the dealer or the trans shop. Why its bad: I believe its the dog teeth are ground down so far that they cant hold it into gear or if the syncros are busted it'll grind at first but go into gear which will ultimately end up in grinding down the dog teeth til it cant be held in gear. The Dos: Do revmatch: You basically want to rev the engine to the RPM you think the transmission needs to be. If you are still uncomfortable w/ manual transmissions and it isn't 2nd nature yet driving em i'd advise you not to try to rev match. It'll just mess you up rather than help. Example 1: If you have to go from 5th to 2nd @ 40 MPH dont just drop it into 2nd. A example for this situation here is to pull it out of 5th (off the clutch) rev it to where you think the RPMs'd be at in 2nd (round 5k or so) Blip the gas to rev it up to 5k or so, then quickly hit the clutch and put it in 2nd. Should go in effortlessly unlike if you just dropped it into 2nd. Example 2: Revmatching to up shift. Say you hit 1st 2nd getting on a highway and you got up to 55mph and your going to go to 6th. Pull it out of 2nd like you normally would and just let it sit in neutral while your off the clutch until revs fall to where you think 6th would be at (2500k or so) then hit the clutch and go to 6th. Example 3: Picture your in neutral @35 mph. You put it into 2nd like normal (note its hard to put the shifter in) and let the clutch out, the engine goes to 5,500 rpm and your in gear in 2nd. Instead of the above you rev the engine up to 5,500 rpm or so before going into 2nd (note shifter it goes in smoothly). Note: The main objective of rev matching is to pre rev the transmission to where you think the RPMs will be at when you put it into gear. Note: To spin up the transmission, you need to be in neutral and off the clutch. If you simply rev it w/ the clutch down your not spinning the transmission. Note: If you still new skipping 4 and 5 gear on occasion isn't much damage. But once shifting becomes a habit i would recommend learning rev matching. Why its good: When you put it into a gear the syncros spin up the clutch to the RPM it should be at so the dog teeth can line up and engage the gear. If you just slap it into 2nd the snycros are forced to spin the clutch up to or down to the RPM that it needs to be at which is more wear and tear thats not needed. Do drive the car very easy if you smell clutch. You will one of these days slip the clutch more than you should have and it'll burn and you'll know the smell, similar to brakes. Make sure you dont slip the clutch alot for the next 5 or 10 minutes to let the flywheel and the clutch cool down a bit cause its overheating. Why is it good: It will save you miles on the clutch. Some advice If the clutch pedal becomes rock hard and you cant push it down w/ force, you've blow your throwout bearing. Dont force it down like i did in my Trans Am. I blew the slave cylinder when i mashed it down and more $$ wasted than i needed to. Call a tow truck right away or if you know how to clutchless drive (thank god i did, 30 mile drive lol) then if you must do it that way. If you mess up a shift and it grinds, pull it out of gear then back in, dont try to force it in before going to neutral and back again so the syncros can line up the dog gears. (dam 2nd and 3rd ) A few notes: Dog gears or teeth i refer to are are teeth on the gears that engages the main gear sets. Each main gear set is already together and never comes apart. Picture two plastic cups, the dog gears engage like putting one inside the other but they have teeth and when you move the shifter forward and back your moving the cups in and out of each other. Syncros are like little clutches that work to line up the dog gears so they can engage effortlessly. That split second block while putting it into gear is the syncros working. Throw Out Bearing is what is used to move the pressure plate back while rotating with the engine. The pressure plate is what is used to hold the clutch against the flywheel of the engine. A big spring really. A clutch is wear and tear, it must be replace every now and then (50-150k miles seems typical if you drive it nice, i'm lookin at maybe being the 50k mile guy ) If i missed anything feel free to add and i'll slap it in and happy Some more good info posted by GreenHokie on page 9: Just to make this even more newbie-ish (for people like me who just started learning )..This is gonna be really long, but it's stuff that would have helped to know before beginning (if, like me, you don't have the luxury of a knowledgeable standard shift driver to help you out) Starting The car must either be in neutral or the clutch depressed before starting the car. If the clutch is not depressed OR the car is not in neutral, the engine is directly connected to the wheels - and the starter motor will cause the car to lurch forward and promptly stall. Most modern cars require the clutch be depressed before starting (safety switch), regardless of whether or not the car is in neutral. So a typical start would be - shifter in 1st (or reverse, depending on what you need), clutch fully depressed, hand brake up, foot on brake. After starting you would release the hand brake, the foot brake, and launch. Reverse When backing up, I almost always do it without using the gas (unless there's an incline I have to work against), and never fully release the clutch (you'll go way too fast). Parking The clutch must be fully depressed before coming to a complete stop (as with all stops), but the car must be turned off before releasing the clutch (made this careless/stupid mistake once ). Parking would normally be - slow to a complete stop in 1st gear, depressing the clutch fully as rpms approach idle speed (but leaving shifter in 1st), apply hand brake, turn engine off, release foot brake, release clutch. Don't be too quick in releasing the clutch after removing the key, as there will still be some momentum and your car could lurch (this happened to me yesterday, quite a surprise). Always have the hand brake applied while parked, and always leave it in gear (first gear if facing uphill, reverse if facing downhill) - the engine acts as an additional braking force to prevent your car from rolling. The no-gas starts are a great way to learn the friction point of the car, which is where the engine is just starting to transfer its rotation to the transmission (and consequently the wheels). The best place to practice this is an empty parking lot (catch-22, how can you get to a parking lot if you can't drive stick?), but at first I just did it driving around my block, stopping and starting, stopping and starting. People will look at you funny, but who cares! At a complete stop, clutch fully depressed, shifter in 1st, you take your foot off the brake, and slowly release the clutch. When the friction point is reached, the RPMs will drop significantly. Stop moving the clutch at this point - this is the friction point. The car will slowly (very slowly) pick up speed, at which point you can slowly (very slowly) release the clutch fully. If the engine starts to lug a lot (to be honest I don't know what lugging is, I assume it's this horrible "engine shudder" that happens when the rpms drop too low and it's about to stall), depress the clutch slightly (or fully) and start over. I've noticed the engine will always shudder to an extent during no gas starts, but doesn't necessary stall if you release the clutch slowly enough. Is this bad for the engine? It doesn't stall, but it's definitely struggling. Up-Hill Starts Launching from an incline is my biggest problem at the moment. The method you'll want to learn is the hand-brake launch, which eliminates all possibilities of rolling backwards into the jerk who's right on your bumper. Clutch fully depressed, foot on the brake, hand brake up, you release the foot brake, then release the clutch to the friction point, while simultaneously applying gas and releasing the hand brake. Essentially, you want to reach the friction point right as you disengage the hand brake, so you start rolling forward immediately and not backwards. The problem is, if you're off, the engine will promptly stall as you've engaged it with a transmission that is held still by the hand brake. Then the jerk behind you will honk the horn and throw his hands into the air, making you even more nervous and unable to launch . So practice on a flat surface, then on hills, so you will be able to do it when/if necessary. Lastly, don't bother worrying about the wear/damage you're causing. You'll make a few mistakes here and there (I know I have), but that's the way learning goes. I feel sorry for my brand new manual civic, but it'll make it through...I hope haha. Last edited by Tastycakes; 09-05-2007 at 02:41 PM.

05-05-2007, 10:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
Tybeedon Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 190 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Newbie guide for Manual Transmissions Here's some Rep for "Tastycakes!" Well-deserved IMO! Last edited by Tybeedon; 05-05-2007 at 01:56 PM. Reason: Forgot to add rep!

05-05-2007, 03:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
Tastycakes Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NW Suburbs of Chicago Age: 24 Posts: 2,541 Mike iTrader: 0 / 0%	Fixed the reverse one, ty RChead. Yea dont try to rev match until you get comfortable driving stick cause it'll be awkward at first. To fyasko1, if you want to put it into 2nd at 40 mph, the transmission wants to be at 6k or so. If you just put it into gear the transmission spins up the clutch to 6k rpm. Rev matching you use the engine to spin up the transmission instead (which is why you need to be off the clutch and in neutral) Edit: What are the gears called? Never knew what they were called. The idler gear is the outside gear right? so whats the gear called that goes into it? Last edited by Tastycakes; 05-05-2007 at 03:40 PM.

05-07-2007, 02:18 PM	#17 (permalink)
Yodums Scrodums Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 8,069 Hiro Nakamura iTrader: 9 / 100%	Good guide. I don't see how some of you guys are getting away without rev-matching. If you're dropping from 5th to 2nd or 3rd gear without a rev-match, you're either going to get the biggest snap or hold the clutch insanely long to bring the revs up without that snap. __________________ 2007 Taffeta White Civic Si Coupe

05-05-2007, 05:22 AM	#2 (permalink)
*WhiteSicivic06* Bottle Fed! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Quantico Age: 27 Posts: 2,546 Ryan iTrader: 0 / 0%	Some really good advice there for people wanting to know basics of manual trannys! I think females should read and re-read the part about riding the clutch and resting their feet there!

05-05-2007, 05:48 AM	#3 (permalink)
strCIVIC Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oahu, Hawaii Age: 20 Posts: 2,198 iTrader: 0 / 0%	of course... it's a trans am...haha jp

05-05-2007, 05:50 AM	#4 (permalink)
dere-licte Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hawaii Age: 18 Posts: 291 Derek iTrader: 0 / 0%	NICE!!! HIGH FIVE!!! should put an end to ridiculous questions...

05-05-2007, 06:00 AM	#5 (permalink)
powerbook76 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 102 iTrader: 1 / 100%	The Dos: Do revmatch: If you have to go from 5th to 2nd @ 40 MPH dont just drop it into 2nd. A example for this situation here is to pull it out of 5th (off the clutch) rev it to where you think the RPMs'd be at in 2nd (round 5k or so) Blip the gas to rev it up to 5k or so, then quickly hit the clutch and put it in 2nd. Should go in effortlessly unlike if you just dropped it into 2nd. Wow... I've never done this before.. thanks.. i'll try it... i've gone from 4th/5th @60 MPH to 3rd so many times (every day almost) w/o doing this for years... (with other cars etc etc)

05-05-2007, 09:26 AM	#6 (permalink)
xxhaimbondxx Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Brooklyn=>Albany, NY Posts: 549 iTrader: 0 / 0%	wow, this is great. I've never driven a stick in my life, but sure would buy it when we are ready to have a second car. I do need more tips that this, for example like: "How do you start a car?", stuff like that, but this thread is great!

05-05-2007, 12:03 PM	#8 (permalink)
radiocontrolhead Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Hollywood, ca Age: 21 Posts: 2,366 Danny iTrader: 0 / 0%	Reverse does not have syncro's. It's a straight cut gear that slides right into the idler gear to create that reverse rotation. You're literally meshing gears together in reverse which is why it's very important that the car is at a complete standstill before attempting a shift to reverse.

05-05-2007, 12:12 PM	#9 (permalink)
fyasko1 Junior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: jacksonville, fl Posts: 2 bobby iTrader: 0 / 0%	i dont necessarily understand why to do the rev match? this is my first stick, and my first honda. is it a generally difficult five speed to drive, because i drove a few 5 speeds last week and while im getting by in my ex coupe, it just seemed so much easier in the other cars?

05-07-2007, 01:47 PM	#14 (permalink)
Dans_Si Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Good Old Kane Co. IL Posts: 150 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I think the Si 6 speed has a reverse lock out. You can't go into reverse while moving forward.