You are riding your clutch. It is old school IMHO to slowly let the clutch out. What I do is pop the clutch out to the point right at engagement while giving gas at the same time. This imediately causes the car to move. From there I just release the clutch and give it more gas. It is not ultra smooth like an automatic but still smooth. My rev's usually are about 1300-1500RPM. Slipping the clutch might make for a very smooth shift but it wears down the clutch a lot faster. You want to be deliberate and quick when pressing and depressing the clutch to minimize clutch wear. When the clutch is slipping it is wearing down. The only time the clutch is not slipping is when you are fully pressed in or fully depressed. You want to minimize the time between the two. Reving to 2000 can be acceptable I guess, but anything higher than that is riding the clutch IMHO unless you are doing a drag launch. Try and keep the revs at least below 2K and around 1500 if you can. Also there is no need to pre rev the car. Overtime your food knows exactly how much gaas to give while letting the clutch out so you can do it all at the same time. You probably will get moving faster and with less clutch wear. For me, I usually keep my car in neutral at the stop light, then put it into gear as I see the cross light turn orange, but sometimes I'm distracted and my light turns green and I have to put the car into gear and go and often I am still the first one off the light.

 

That's the way my wife drives mine (and that's why I try not to let her drive it). She doesn't try to do it but it's the only way she knows how... She will get the RPM's up to 2500+ to get going into first as she lets the clutch out very slowly over ~2-3 seconds. This puts a ton of wear on the clutch, and it's about $1K to replace (at least that is what Acura charged the previous owner of mine).

The only problem I have shifting in this car is when I am behind a car from a dead stop and the car in front starts off very slowly... I am so used to doing the dead-stop-into-first shift fairly quickly and going 0-10mph fast... when someone barely moves I find myself launching up on their butt... this is just a subconscious thing for me.. if I am in stop and go of course I expect it...

 

practice makes perfect man, but yea, that is not good for your clutch. I try to keep the revs under 1000k if I can, but Im just anal like that. Try doing what Chris said, short precise engagments.

 

becasue now im having doubts about getting a 6 speed, although i really like it, will i get better at it? or should i just get an auto?

dont let it stop you....i bet $100 in 3 weeks of city driving youll be making the ricers jealous....the fastest way to learn somthing is pushing yourself into it. you know your not doing it the best way now so just dont keep old habbits, relearn the right way.

just keep trying to reduce the time it takes you to shift because the longer your on the clutch the more its wearing it.

i wish i had a m/t there just more fun than autos

 

i posted thread as toonoob, it was a very toonoob type of thread ...lol

What I do is pop the clutch out to the point right at engagement while giving gas at the same time. This imediately causes the car to move. From there I just release the clutch and give it more gas. It is not ultra smooth like an automatic but still smooth.

doesnt this give a lot of kick, not smooth,i guess ill try to practice more, but i thought being smooth was a good thing

hmm..

and when you want to move, lets say about 2~4 feet (parking, reversing) dont you do it slow? like my method, like i push the clutch in all the way, shift to first (reverse), accelerate to about 2-2.5 rpm's and slowy let out the clutch

because when i let the clutch out to quickly, i sort of burn it? is that right? is that wearing the clutch? but hurting my tires

 

Just practice using less gas to get the car moving. Hold your revs at 1200 or so and take off like you have been. This will wear your clutch much less than 2500. When you're better at feeling how much gas the car needs to take off, you can begin coming into the gas as you release the clutch in a steady motion. Practice practice. On level surface, if the car is even barely moving, I can slowly use the clutch without any gas (or very little) to manuever in first or especially reverse. You would probably benefit more from hanging around some people locally and letting them coach you and/or ride with them.

 

i posted thread as toonoob, it was a very toonoob type of thread ...lol

doesnt this give a lot of kick, not smooth,i guess ill try to practice more, but i thought being smooth was a good thing

hmm..

and when you want to move, lets say about 2~4 feet (parking, reversing) dont you do it slow? like my method, like i push the clutch in all the way, shift to first (reverse), accelerate to about 2-2.5 rpm's and slowy let out the clutch

because when i let the clutch out to quickly, i sort of burn it? is that right? is that wearing the clutch? but hurting my tires

It sounds rough but in reality it is not. By pop I don't mean to drop clutch type launch. With practice you learn where your clutch catch point is. Releasing the clutch slowly to that point is just wasting time. When I say pop the clutch I mean you simply pop the clutch quickly to that catch point or just before it and go from there. I also don't mean press the clutch half way. Out of habbit I always press the clutch in to the floor. Being really smooth is not a bad thing and it probably will make your passangers really happy, but it does wear down the clutch faster. By no means I'm I sying I am jerky either as I am not.

No, I do not reverse that way. Reversing does wear down the clutch the most IMHO but it is not as bad since the speed is so slow. When I reverse I do it the same way I launch in first, only when the clutch catches and I start moving I don't continue to press gas and release the clutch further, what I do at that point is to press the clutch back in so you don't jerk, then if you need more momentum again release the clutch to its catch point again and repeat. A good practice to learn where you clutch catch point is to go on a flat road and practice moving in 1st gear without pressing any gas. The torque of the Legend engine is strong enough where you can get going and fully release the clutch in 1st without using any gas. In this case you are getting going at idle (650 RPM).

Don't worry, it just takes practice and knowing your own car. For example, I can tell when someone else drives my manual cars as the clutch "Feel" feels different when I get the car back. I've been driving a manual trans car since 1986 when I first got my license so I'm getting pretty good at it. By no means am I the best though as those racers that can do quick heal-toe and double clutching are much better. I can do it but not as smooth and fast as those racers.

 

It will take practice to learn how to drive stick shift properly. Take your time. All of above advices are good but do what is comfortable for you. However, make sure you don't screw your clutch.

Before I came to US in 1997, I drove stick all my life. I got my license back in 1986 but I learned driving my dad's Fiat from '84 when I was 14. It was stick shift with the shifter mounted on steering column. 4 forward and 1 reverse gears. It takes time to master that perfect timing when you release the clutch and give gas. You will get it.

After coming to US, the auto was a big attraction since back home there were none. All cars were stick. I think one of these days I'm going to buy either a 6 speed coupe or 6 speed GS.

 

^

because when i let the clutch out to quickly, i sort of burn it (tire)? is that right? is that wearing the clutch? but hurting my tires


thank everyone for your advises, ill probably get better hopefully

 

If you're burning the tires, you're giving it too much gas and/or releasing the clutch too fast.

 

You don't need 2k to 3k to move in 1st. As you practice lessening the time on your clutch, you'll also want to lower your RPM as your clutch engages. As ChrisK mentioned, 1200 to 1500 RPM should be fine. With practice, you'll eventually figure out how much gas you actually need to give it.

 

The first day when I took my 6 spd home, it took me forever to figure out where that clutch engage point is, so I ended up peeling out at almost every light, it was embrassing I didn't realize the Legend has such a high engage point. I'm more used to my beater Maxima's clutch, that clutch engages really low, as soon as I the clutch leave the floor, it engages. The Legend clutch doesn't engage until it's almost fully released.

I'm much better at shifting the Legend now, but sometimes I still forget since I drive the beater 80% of the time.

 

guys guys guys, the legend has more than enough power to move when getting off the clutch without supplying gas, use this technique to find the engagement point, just be in a safe environment, level road, put the car in 1st, then without applying gas, slowly (I MEAN SLOW)....let off the clutch, when the car feels like its slightly choking and gonna cut out, put your foot on the accelerator and give her a little gas @ the same time get off the clutch,... practice this for 1 day, I guarantee you that you can master the art of stick...you really need to time it perfectly,....once you get it you wont wanna stop driving stick....its addictive!...

 

thanks guys, i tried this today, doesnt seem to work when your going up a ramp/hill to get into my garage ...lol obviously, any suggestions on hills?

put the car in 1st, then without applying gas, slowly (I MEAN SLOW)....let off the clutch, when the car feels like its slightly choking and gonna cut out, put your foot on the accelerator and give her a little gas @ the same time get off the clutch

do you do this only in first gear? or for all gears? i havent beven been in 5-6 yet

 

thanks guys, i tried this today, doesnt seem to work when your going up a ramp/hill to get into my garage ...lol obviously, any suggestions on hills?

do you do this only in first gear? or for all gears? i havent beven been in 5-6 yet

You mean to say you are parked on an incline and are going up from there, right?

In that case, your left foot will be on the clutch . Now here is where the tricky part comes, specially if you are parked on an incline - the right toe will be on the brake pedal and slowly you can put your right heel (|\) on the gas and give little gas while releasing the clutch. As you get moving take your right toe off the brake pedal.

Hope this makes sense...

 

Level ground first. Hills and inclines after you get used to level ground.

 

took me less than a day to learn how to drive a stick. I learned under pressure. I had a job as a valet and wouln't you believe my first car to move was a stick with the owner standing there watching me and I had never driven a stick in my life, but I've seen my friends drive a stick before. I stalled the very first time, but I moved that the second time and took it up to the top of the garage, where he couldn't see me. I practiced and mastered the stick that same day. practice makes perfect, just keep practing in a safe enviromemnt and you will learn. practicing under pressure makes you learn faster, although it can be dangerous.

 

My .02

I currently have 178K on my 6SPD, although granted I just recently picked it up from my uncle whose driving style is simliar that being posted here. If it has worked for him this long, I know i'm sticking with it. It drives perfectly-i'm always monitoring the amount time between when I depress and release the clutch...I want it to last to 200K or longer!!!
-j-

 

ok, another question

when i put it in reverse, and sometimes in first


theres this grinding noise when i let out the clutch, so i push the clutch back in and put it in gear again

 

ok, another question

when i put it in reverse, and sometimes in first

theres this grinding noise when i let out the clutch, so i push the clutch back in and put it in gear again

1st and Reverse can sometimes be stubborn to engage, at least in my car. Make sure the shifter is pulled all the way into the gear.

 

thank you once again for all your help

all i need to work on is shifting faster

it still takes me a few seconds to get moving


i printed this out and been working on it