Learning to rev match downshift .. any tips?

[renzop]

Here are some suggestions:

Start your practice when downshifting form 4th to 3rd. The higher gears are easier to shift between because the greater rotational inertia of the wheels when traveling at faster speeds tends to smooth out RPM differences during shifting.

Before you go right into your practicing do this.
1) In 4th gear do a steady 40 mph
2) Look at the tach and note the RPM in 4th at 40
3) Shift to 3rd and bring your speed back to 40 mph
4) Look at the tach and note the RPM in 3rd at 40

Now you are ready for a little practice

1) Get up to 40 in 4th
2) With your foot steady on the gas push in the clutch
3) Put the tranny in 3rd (clutch still in, foot still steady on the gas)
4) Look at the tach and bring the revs up to the RPM you noted in step 4 abive
5) Smoothly release the clutch

The key is that you DO NOT BLIP the throttle but squeeze it to increase revs from a steady amount in 4th to a steady amount in 3rd.

Practice this until you can do it instinctively and quickly. Once you have the confidence of doing a steady speed downshift work on doing it while slowing down by coasting.

By the way - each pair of gears has a different RPM difference, not the 1200 RPM you mention. In general the lower gears have bigger gaps than the higher gears and this varies from car to car.

[boxster_s_boy_34]

I like the "squeezing" the throttle technique suggestion but around Laguna Seca (my kind of driving) you really do not have all the time in the world to down shift. However, watching a real pro drive a car at an extremely high speed on a winding road with a camera on his feet, I noticed that he blips with every rev match he does. You can see it for yourself on any Best Motoring video and his name is Keiichi Tsuchiya. He's the kinda old guy not he older than dirt guy.

[markk]

Blipping is imho done after selecting the next gear and before the clutch goes up. In practice I do it in parallel, i.e clutch in, selectnext gear AND blip, clutch up.

When you have mastered that, then try braking at the same time.
1. Brake hard with the top of your foot before a corner in high revs
2. Clutch in (during braking)
3. Blip the throttle with the bottom/heel of your feet AND select down gear with your hand - (still braking and clutch in)
4. Clutch up
5. Brake up
6. Steer into corner

Then for the fun part extend this to:
1 till 4 above
Steer quickly in opposite direction of corner
Steer into corner hard
Release break
Catch slide by opposite lock / steering
Put the throtle down hard and balance slide with steer and throtle




Mark

[insite]

Originally Posted by markk

Blipping is imho done after selecting the next gear and before the clutch goes up. In practice I do it in parallel, i.e clutch in, selectnext gear AND blip, clutch up.

When you have mastered that, then try braking at the same time.
1. Brake hard with the top of your foot before a corner in high revs
2. Clutch in (during braking)
3. Blip the throttle with the bottom/heel of your feet AND select down gear with your hand - (still braking and clutch in)
4. Clutch up
5. Brake up
6. Steer into corner

this is pretty much the technique i use, except that i use the side of my foot to blip the throttle rather than my heel.

one thing to practice that leads to the above technique: while coasting in gear, give the throttle a SLIGHT blip while simultaneously pulling the shifter into neutral WITHOUT the clutch. if you do this right, the lever will easily slide out of gear.

for me, necessity was the mother of invention: when i was a teenager, i had a car that would stall out unless i stayed on the gas. to keep the motor alive, i learned to work the brake and gas with one foot. this lead to heel & toe; i do this ALWAYS, track or not.

[nefarious986]

Thanks for all the good words and advices friends. I just need a lot more practice. My head right now seems to want to declutch when my foot is on the gas to bleep. LOL.

Its so much fun and makes downshift so smooth when you get it right though, I cant imagine not doing it with every single downshift if I can do it properly.

Insite: Wouldn't your technique of blipping the throttle then shifting without clutch harm the tranny ?

[LoveBunny]

I think it just takes practice because to me it's just by feel/sound, but I couldn't specifically explain it. My mom went over it a lot with me when I was learning to drive so I guess I should consider myself lucky to have had the benefit of getting the hang of it in her Volvo.

[profpenguin]

If you are interested, search "downshift heal toe" on youtube.com. There is even one video of Senna in a white NSX with a camera showing his feet.

Cheers

Originally Posted by nefarious986

Thanks for all the good words and advices friends. I just need a lot more practice. My head right now seems to want to declutch when my foot is on the gas to bleep. LOL.

Its so much fun and makes downshift so smooth when you get it right though, I cant imagine not doing it with every single downshift if I can do it properly.

Insite: Wouldn't your technique of blipping the throttle then shifting without clutch harm the tranny ?

One thing is certain, these are expensive learning vehicles, thank god growing up we had throw down VW's , Fiat 600's , 850's and 124's to speed shift and tear apart before they went to the junkyard. Much easier to learn when it doesn't matter if you blow her up! Having said that, I agree with the other poster who noted it's a lifelong refinement and different with different cars, maybe someday when I'm working again, I'l acquire the PDK and the search for the perfect shift will be over Johnny!!!

[Bry]

Originally Posted by insite

for me, necessity was the mother of invention: when i was a teenager, i had a car that would stall out unless i stayed on the gas. to keep the motor alive, i learned to work the brake and gas with one foot. this lead to heel & toe; i do this ALWAYS, track or not.

I learned rev-matching in a similar fashion. Once apon a time I had a car with bad - as in, nonexistent - synchros, so I learned to rev match naturally just so I could shift without grinding every gear. I still to this day do this with every shift.

Keep practicing. Try using smooth driving techniques everyday. When you start doing track events, you'll be amazed how much faster these techniques will make you.

[pbanders]

914's are notorious for having starting problems related to a combination of heat and poor design of the current path for the solenoid (goes from the battery, up to the ignition key, then back to the solenoid - no relay!). As a result, you learn all kinds of ways to start it. I've started it with the "rolling clutch" technique on a downhill, and also have push started it myself (push like hell, jump in, pop the clutch). Another exciting trick is to get your "assistant" (i.e. current girlfriend) to turn the key to the start position, while you are lying on the ground behind the driver's side rear tire, with your jack handle in hand, underneath the car, whacking on the solenoid to get it to free up and engage. Always a good idea to have her check TWICE that the car isn't in gear, especially reverse.

[FTD]

Originally Posted by pbanders

Another exciting trick is to get your "assistant" (i.e. current girlfriend) to turn the key to the start position, while you are lying on the ground behind the driver's side rear tire, with your jack handle in hand, underneath the car, whacking on the solenoid to get it to free up and engage. Always a good idea to have her check TWICE that the car isn't in gear, especially reverse.

Hilarious.

I had a bag of bolts that eventually needed a new ignition switch [or something] and I had all of the ignition stuff taken apart / removed and kept a standard head screw driver on the floor board for 'hot wiring' the car. I did a lot of roll starting with that car too.