Manual Transmission, best clutch technique?

W

wheatgrinder

Hey all,
since my teenager totaled my 2010 Civic, I picked up (an older) but more fun to drive 2006 hyundai tiburon (6 cyl, 6 speed manual tranny) looks just like this

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As the only manual tranny Iv driven in the last 20 years is a farm truck, how do you get the most out of a car like this, performance vs clutch life?

Thanks
 
6 speed manual tranny? Isn't that what got Eddie Murphy in trouble?

My best advice is just drive and get the feel of it. Just hold off the hard shifting.

I've only driven trucks, too, so it's tough to relate with a performance vehicle.
 
slightly overrev the engine past the shifting point, then pull the shift lever and rest it gently against the next stop where it will drop into gear when the gears align in speed (synchro)... no clutch necessary - although, I learned this all when my clutch went out.

The clutch is two plates that hold together with springs to create friction, one plate attaches to the engine, the other to the drive train. if these plates are engaged, the friction prevents slipping, when disengaged, there is no friction - between these points, there will be slipping where the plates are being ground down and smoothed (inefficient friction creation = slipping clutch). So to extend the clutch life, the clutch should be disengaged and engaged somewhat rapidly "dropping the clutch"... the least amount of damage to the clutch would be at the same point where the engine and drive train synchronize.

Doing this, of course is hard on the drive train... keep in mind that the clutch plates are wear parts and are intended to wear out to help prevent damage to the drive train. Although treating the clutch well, means treating the drive train poorly. so you'll have to refrain from "dropping the clutch" to prevent damage to the much more expensive drive train.

Figure out where the two align by using the technique at the beginning - allows you to learn how to baby your car the best... and it varies by vehicle.
 
rev to 5k then feather clutch....on the 1/4. as for longer clutch life... I usually put into 1rst gear, let go of clutch slightly until car barely begins to stutter, then gas and clutch out synchronously. The rest of the gears is just normal clutch then shift stuff. Oh, don't use your gears as a braking tool. DMV/licensor people require you to "downshift brake" (in Minnesota) but they don't know (nor care) how much damn harder (and expensive) it is to replace the clutch than the brakes. They're more worried about safety issues such as brake fade which is a whole other issue and most likely will never happen if you don't drop from 120mph to 60mph on a consecutive bases.
 
Arachnid said:
rev to 5k then feather clutch....on the 1/4.
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Be careful with that. Feathering the clutch at 5K RPM will risk glazing the discs or overheating it too much where it sticks. Been there, done that. Now I run an RPS BC2 (Billet Carbon twin disc) in my Vette. No issues with sticking and actually performs better when hot. Ran a 10.90 at ~130MPH on street tires with it (1.8 60'). :D

But with your typical stock clutch, don't slip it too much by giving it too much power before letting the clutch out (see previous - overheats it, glazes it, increases wear), never use the clutch to slow the vehicle down (brakes are much less expensive to replace), and learn the shift points of the car. The owners manual should have a recommended MPH for each gear. Once memorized, you will know what gear to put it in when at any given speed. Eventually, you will know by the sound of the engine and shifting will become instinctual.

My first car was a manual ('76 Toyota Celica) and actually learned to drive it in San Francisco. No joke. Just get real familiar with that hand brake. You'll need it on the hills to keep the car from rolling back as you engage the clutch. When you get good enough and your muscle memory knows the precise engagement point of the clutch, you won't need the handbrake anymore.

Good luck. I love manual trannys (note that I said manual, NOT Manuel). :cheers:
 
wheatgrinder said:
whats a feather clutch on the 1/4?
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He's talking about letting the clutch out slowly near the engagement point to get the car moving before hammering the throttle in 1/4 mile drag strip racing. But depending on your level of traction, you'll end up feathering both the clutch and the throttle. I'm running close to 650 horses (570 at the wheels) and have to feather the throttle, keeping the tires at the limit of adhesion without spinning too much. It's easy with an automatic transmission, but takes a lot of practice and skill to launch a manual.
 
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wheatgrinder said:
So which is preferred? .I can hill clutch just fine, but never learned the handbrake technique..
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You mean technique? It's whatever you're comfortable with. But using the clutch instead of the brake to hold the car in place is slipping it and it will increase wear. I've seen some people do that. Not good. And, trust me. if you are on a road that has a near 45 degree angle, you'll want to use that handbrake because the car will roll back real quick as soon as you let off the foot brake. My dad taught me the handbrake technique in his Dodge Colt when I was 15 years old. Saved my bacon a few times.

As for clutch, I'd stick with OEM replacement unless you're planning to race the car. Does it need a clutch?
 
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I don't have much to add clutch wise, good tips from folks in here. I have to ask though, did you get one with the fancy body kit and wheels? You didn't strike me as a ricer, Wheaty. :)
 
vpturner is right. The feathering thing is more associated with launching the car at a track. as for uphill do this: practice revving(don't hold) the engine to ~2k. you should get the feel of how much throttle you need to press.... also listen to the tone of your engine/muffler. close your eyes and practice this. once you get the feeling you combine this technique with letting-the-clutch-off- until the-engine-barely-begins-to-stutter technique and you're good to go with starting and stopping on hills. ...not revving past 2k will help out with reducing clutch slippage due to no over rev, and revving under 2k will likely stall your engine on uphill takeoff. hence keeping it close to 2k.

I usually always release the clutch before pressing the throttle because IMO this method has the least affect on clutch wear. my opinion on this is simple; more throttle/power equals more friction on the clutch when it is in the process of "grabbing" the flywheel.
 
To be clear Iv been driving stick for years, just not a sports car.. lots of good advice. Ill try to practice handbrake hills.

Your right David, it doesn't have all those body kits.. here is MY actual car. I was playing with my latest goodwill $10 canon FD lens (80-200MM F3 CONSTANT!) when my wife pulled in from some errand or other..

Short shot with some random look applied..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DQZixpnCYE
 
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Its a goddambed tiburon Wheat, not a fuckin ferrari or lambo or porche. Jusdt drive the thing and don't wreck it like your teen age kiddo and you'll be fine.
 
wheatgrinder said:
To be clear Iv been driving stick for years, just not a sports car.. lots of good advice. Ill try to practice handbrake hills.

Your right David, it doesn't have all those body kits.. here is MY actual car. I was playing with my latest goodwill $10 canon FD lens (80-200MM F3 CONSTANT!) when my wife pulled in from some errand or other..

Short shot with some random look applied..
Click to expand...

Nice lens. I wish the goodwill/salvage/antique prices down here were closer to the ones you're finding. ;)

Nice car too, always liked the Tibby's look - but I had to give you a hard time if you had all that kit on there. :lol:

Listening to the shifting tips reminds me how different driving my diesel is from driving a sports car. I guess it's basically the same, except the RPM numbers are a LOT lower.
 
I help my parents run our farm and the rpms really are totally different from tractor to sports car. :0...but torque is a whole other thing

but yeah, burn some rubber!
 
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