Downshifting to First Gear q - new boxster owner

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Possibly, but I bought the car to have fun! I enjoy few things more than a perfectly executed heel/toe downshift.

Starting from a dead stop causes most clutch wear, proper shifting causes very little. I've been H/T downshifting my '89 pickup for 22 years without a problem! It has close to 200,000 miles, original tansmission, and 1 clutch replacement @ 125,000. And this is with oversized tires, and hard usage in snow/mud.

You are right, a properly executed heel and toe downshift will wear the clutch very little, but the operative word is properly executed. An under revved or over revved downshift can wear the clutch more than a launch from a dead stop.

If I see a red light up ahead, or stop sign, and let's say I'm driving in third gear, I just left my foot off the gas and coast, in gear, until I'm going around 10 miles an hour and then just put the car in neutral and stop with the brakes. I don't see the point of downshifting to second, then to first, and putting wear on the synchronizers, which you will unless you double clutch, if you know you are coming to a dead stop.

[Frodo]

Since we've somewhat gotten onto this subject anyway, a h/t question, something I've never quite understood:

When you are braking and simultaneously 'blipping' the throttle, is the blip to

(1) rev match engine & transmission (ie you're doing it while the clutch is depressed and you are downshifting---after which you shift your right foot off the brake and back over to the accelerator to give it gas while letting the clutch out), or

(2) rev match the engine & wheels (ie you're doing it as you let the clutch out to accelerate, as in out of a turn)?

I'm guessin' it's (1), since the other suggests you're braking and trying to accelerate at the same time. But (acknowledging it'll wear your synchros faster) it's entirely possible to brake/clutch/down-shift all simultaneously without out blipping the throttle at all, until you start letting the clutch out. Is h/t primarily to save the transmission, or is it actually a faster way of negotiating a turn on a track?

[yimmy149]

Agree with others, I only downshift to first when I'm in a parking lot.

One thing to note, while you can shift to neutral at any speed - it's not wise to do it much over 25mph. Reason being, if you engine happens to stall, you'll lose power steering & brake assist.

-james

[san rensho]

Originally Posted by Frodo

Since we've somewhat gotten onto this subject anyway, a h/t question, something I've never quite understood:

When you are braking and simultaneously 'blipping' the throttle, is the blip to

(1) rev match engine & transmission (ie you're doing it while the clutch is depressed and you are downshifting---after which you shift your right foot off the brake and back over to the accelerator to give it gas while letting the clutch out), or

(2) rev match the engine & wheels (ie you're doing it as you let the clutch out to accelerate, as in out of a turn)?

I'm guessin' it's (1), since the other suggests you're braking and trying to accelerate at the same time. But (acknowledging it'll wear your synchros faster) it's entirely possible to brake/clutch/down-shift all simultaneously without out blipping the throttle at all, until you start letting the clutch out. Is h/t primarily to save the transmission, or is it actually a faster way of negotiating a turn on a track?

HT downshifting is done on the straight, before you you turn in. The whole time you do this procedure you are on the brakes. You get on the brake, then you put depress the clutch, while you are still pressing on the brake you immediately downshift to the lower gear. With the clutch still depressed, you either roll the top of your foot , or rotate your heal to the accelerator and press down to blip the throttle. As soon as you blip the throttle, you let the clutch out. If you did it right, the car will neither accelerate or decelerate when you let the clutch out, The art of HT is how much you blip the throttle and the instant you let the clutch out.

It takes a lot of practice. When you get it right, its a thing of beauty.

Now if you really want to save your synchros, you have to double clutch downshift, but thats another complicated lesson.

[pothole]

Originally Posted by san rensho

You are right, a properly executed heel and toe downshift will wear the clutch very little, but the operative word is properly executed. An under revved or over revved downshift can wear the clutch more than a launch from a dead stop.

Yup, I bought my Box with a heavy clutch on 70k. Local shop insisted it would go at any moment. Have been rev matching all my shifts and 30k later, the clutch is still going - and despite plenty of driving in stop start driving. It's non rev-matched downshifts that really wear out clutches.

Thus when you see these cars with clutch changes well under 100k, you know they haven't been driven properly.