Upshifting and Downshifting - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

08-26-2005, 11:38 AM

I have been holding the car in place on a slope by finding the "biting point" or letting the clutch out just enough to hold the car on the incline. I did not know to use the parking break or hand break. I assume that by using the hand break you are taking some stress off the clutch.

NNH · 08-26-2005, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986President

I have been holding the car in place on a slope by finding the "biting point" or letting the clutch out just enough to hold the car on the incline. I did not know to use the parking break or hand break. I assume that by using the hand break you are taking some stress off the clutch.

Yes, it keeps the clutch from overheating and wearing: I've had clutches last way past 100,000 miles by being careful with them like this, whereas my brother does things differently and has trashed 3 clutches in the last 3 years...

eslai · 08-26-2005, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986President

I have been holding the car in place on a slope by finding the "biting point" or letting the clutch out just enough to hold the car on the incline. I did not know to use the parking break or hand break. I assume that by using the hand break you are taking some stress off the clutch.

Oh yeah, that's the surefire way to need a $700 clutch job within a year. Don't do it, you're burning up your clutch!

deliriousga · 08-26-2005, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986President

I have been holding the car in place on a slope by finding the "biting point" or letting the clutch out just enough to hold the car on the incline. I did not know to use the parking break or hand break. I assume that by using the hand break you are taking some stress off the clutch.

I'm not sure if you're talking about doing that when starting to go or while sitting on an incline. Doing that while sitting at a light will wear the clutch disc out really quick. It also stresses the engine, drive shaft and flywheel.

IMHO it's best to learn to get it quick so you don't have to use the brake. If you can't, using the parking brake is the next best thing.

08-26-2005, 01:03 PM

I appreciate even what seems to many as basic advice. I learned to drive a stick 18 years ago on a VW Golf and never drove another until I got this car so I am trying to iron out bad habbits.

I am getting better at quick starts on an incline but if you are in traffic on an incline you are constantly doing quick starts and stopping after only a few feet. It seemed easier to just ease the clutch in and out to control speed and keep from rolling backwards but it sounds like I am putting undue wear on my clutch. Thanks to all for your advice.

eslai · 08-26-2005, 01:46 PM

Just keep in mind also that you have a lot more torque in your current car than in your old VWs.

You can really punish your clutch without even feeling it.

deliriousga · 08-26-2005, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986President

I am getting better at quick starts on an incline but if you are in traffic on an incline you are constantly doing quick starts and stopping after only a few feet.

Sometimes you just gotta do whatcha gotta do. It drives me nuts on the freeway just stop-go-stop-go. Especially when you're uphill and the guy behind you is 6" off your bumper.

It may not always be the best driving conditions, but hey, I'm in a Boxster with a hot woman in the passenger seat .

(when she lets me drive

)

deliriousga · 08-26-2005, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986President

I learned to drive a stick 18 years ago on a VW Golf and never drove another until I got this car so I am trying to iron out bad habbits.

Man have cars come a long way. I learned at about the same time in a delivery van (I was a L'eggs rep when first married) with a column shift 4-speed. Now that's a manly man's car!!! :dance: ROFL

Rail26 · 08-27-2005, 07:08 AM

That was great advice! Thanks! SD987, ever thought of being a motivational speaker? The golf/driving vignettes were interesting. Would somebody now discuss rev matching?

Rail26 · 08-27-2005, 06:27 PM

I read the included website below and think I have a vague idea of rev matching....as you are coming out of gear going to the next are you giving it some gas before you get to the next gear?

ho2go · 08-28-2005, 10:12 AM

Thanks for the informative post, SD987! Your explanation of physiology & pedal operation was awesome new info to me.

I've never analyzed my personal clutch takeup technique before but from what you said I know I can make some improvements. First start pivoting at the heel (larger movement) until the bite point, then use the toe/front area of my foot to fine-tune the clutch takeup from there. Nice.

eslai · 08-28-2005, 05:04 PM

It's funny to me when I see drivers that stomp on the clutch pedal with their entire foot. I don't see how anyone can retain any fine control without the foot anchored to the ground, but y'know, i've seen a lot of videos of rally drivers that drive that way. To each his own; they're better drivers than me so who am i to judge?

As for the question of rev-matching, yes, it's about giving the car gas between gears (when you're downshifting) so that when you put the car back in gear and let out the clutch, the input and output shafts in the tranny are spinning at matching speed and the car's balance isn't upset when the clutch reengages.

SD987 · 08-28-2005, 07:44 PM

Just to be clear, I wasn't espousing anchoring the left foot to the floor at any point in the clutch process, I was suggesting using the left heel as a reference point even if the heel is unsupported, but I would certainly agree to each his own YMMV. In that vein, one can't discount one's feet in the process, considering that a large portion of the earth's population have foot problems. Personally, I have low, and consequently weak arches (flat feet) and need to adjust accordingly.

To respond to Rail's question, matching revs on a downshift would go clutch-in gas - gas (the first time being a blip to get the revs up, the second one being timed with the clutch release).

I did want to expand on one of the last points in my post regarding how one holds the shifter and shifts. I was over at Barnes and Noble the other day (does anyone actually buy, let alone subscribe to magazines anymore? or do they just read them at the store, like me?) and I was pleasantly surprised to see a book on performance driving. Sadly, it didn't have much "practical" advice, but the author (some racer whose name I didn't recognize, but I'm sure others would) said it wasn't till into his career did he realize the correct way to shift, and it was from driving an Audi (during Audi's stretch of dominance). He said the mental picture that worked for him was to enfold the shifter in the hand as delicately as if it was an egg, thus primarily using the other muscles in the wrist and arm to shift with while maintaining the appropriate lack of force in the hand.

If you read Golf Digest, there is this section where they have like a 3, 15 and 20+ handicap try whatever swing-tip Golf Digest is recycling that month. The section is called "I tried it" and it makes me laugh because the 20 + guy is always like, "Yeah, it worked for me" (funnier if you're a pretty decent golfer)...anyway, back to the point of the yarn, I tried the "egg" thought....and "Yeah, it worked for me". Weird thing is, not only does the shifter shift better, but the clutch engages and disengages smoother too...Pretty weird stuff, which I haven't thought of a complicated reason for yet (but give me time). But this does remind me of a sign of whether you're a good rower or not. If the shifter goes into gear as a one-syllable sound ("Chunk") you're being overly forceful with the hand muscles;...If it goes in making a two-syllable sound ("Cachunk")...that's about right.

SoCal · 08-28-2005, 11:38 PM

SD, where did you learn all this? I'm convinced more than ever that I need hands-on training to make sure I know what I'm doing with my new Porsche. Know of a good instructor in SD-OC-LA?

eslai · 08-29-2005, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD987

Just to be clear, I wasn't espousing anchoring the left foot to the floor at any point in the clutch process, I was suggesting using the left heel as a reference point even if the heel is unsupported

See in my case I step on the pedal with the ball of my foot and eventually my heel contacts the ground at which point I pivot on the heel, stretching my arch out, etcetera.

People seem to think that I sit rather close to the steering wheel also, but I need to be able to put the clutch to the floor or else things don't feel right for me. That, and since the steering wheel doesn't telescope on the 987 and I don't quite have ape arms, I need to sit closer to have proper leverage on the steering wheel.