When you shift while racing, do you mash the clutch pedal all the way to the floor, or just half way or less? Cause i've been mashing it all the way down, and friends are telling me that's wrong, and i'd shift faster if I only tapped it a little less than half way or something. I would think that if you didn't put it all the way down, it would hurt the tranny or clutch or something, but i'm being told otherwise, just curious. Please fill me in and let me know about any special techniques, so I can shift as fast as all the big dogs!!!! Thanks!

 

Try this, hold the gas to floor when shifting and just stab the clutch and rip it into the next gear. This is called speed shifting. It helps to have a Qwik Stick for positive shifts. There only $39. go to www.ls1speed.com

 

actually... isn't what you're saying called power shifting, not speed shifting? speed shifting is when you put shift gears in almost imdeiately... power shifting is when you keep your foot on the gas and push on the clutch and put the car into the next gear.

power shifting's no fun.... lol, power shifting is for ppl who grind gears too much ... if you're gonna power shift, might as well get an A4 because that means you cant shift right when your racing and you just might as well stick to automatic. the main idea for having a stick is when you shift, the car jumps hard w/ all that torque when you put it into gear (when you're racing and shifting fast [speed shifting]). i mean... thats why i love stick, hehe

and btw... as one of my cars, i have a 2003 corolla type s, stick... took it to moroso and ran a 16.1 in it (and professional drivers do a 16.6) and my brother hates shifting cuz he grinds the gears too much (he cant drive stick, haha) so his friend told him to power shift instead and now my clutch is almost gone on that car. it almost ALWAYS grinds when i put in 2nd gear, and even 5th gear sometimes - and 5th gear sounds BAD when it grinds, lol, like it sounds disgusting. he's only been doing that for like 2-3 weeks... doesnt take long to kill the clutch my friend, lol. i took that car out the other day to drive to the mall, and i felt it acting weird, so i stopped the car, hit it in first, double clutched - NOTHING, no JUMP on the double clutching, dropped it into 2nd and 6,000 rpms, GRINDDDDD, forced 2nd in, double clutched at 5, NOTHING... then i went home, bitched him out for killing the clutch, and went to the mall... lol

get a new shifter... like a b&m ripper or pro 5... those are shorter and easier to throw into gear - you'll like it i would go w/ the b&m ripper though

 

I've never heard any drag racers make a distinction between power shifting and speed shifting. A lot of my friends run 8's, so I'd say they have a pretty good idea what they're talking about.

As for the original post, I'm not sure how long you've had the car but eventually you'll learn how far you have to push the clutch in to make your shifts. If you want to pick up some time, sidestep the clutch after you've hit your shift - instead of letting the clutch back out with you foot just move your foot over to the footrest quickly and let the return spring do the work for you.

And guys, read the man's sig. Why would he need a Qwik Stick if he's already got a Lou's Short Stick? And a Ripper/Pro 5.0 for shorter throws - the guy's already got an SLP shifter. Yea, there are advantages to a Ripper/Pro 5.0 over an SLP (external stops being the main one) but not enough to justify shelling out close to two bills for it now.

 

whooops - didn't read the sig. lol

 

All you are doing when you don't press the clutch all the way down is working more on your synchros. How much stress or work..i dunno and I have a post about this, so I am waiting to hear. After speaking to 2 guys who know their stuff one says not hurting the other says more stress which will eventually shorten the life of the tranny. I am waiting to go back to my friends shop who has been working on GM cars for over 30 years and get what he says as an official word.

 

my question is will it kill the clutch or just ***k the tranny up? maybe all that double clutching i did on the corolla when i used to rag on it for fun ***ed up the clutch... lol

 

It won't mess with your clutch. If it is going to do anything it would be the tranny. That's an if....I am looking into this still.

 

yeah, MY BROTHER needs to learn how to drive stick... me, i've been driving stick for 3 years. the first car i learned to drive stick in was a 67 camaro w/ a 350 small block and a clutch harder than the one's in the 5.0's, LOL. i never grind gears, thats why i think the clutch is slippin' due to my brother driving that car... that, or my mom, cuz she cant drive stick for shiet. always stalling out on the street, lol

 

and i guess he was speed shifting, not power shifting... sorry for the mix up

 

Ok, I don't want to powershift or speed shift. I want to know if letting off the gas and getting back in, but not pushing the clutch all the way to the floor, just half way would do any damage to the clutch or the tranny, cause a bunch of my friends said it won't and that's how I should shift cause it would be faster since they're is less time taken going halfway and letting up then going all the way down and letting up. Anyone know?

 

I will have a good answer for you tomorrow. I shift the same way and have a thread about this on this site and a few others. No one gave me an answer yet so I will be going to my friends shop. He is always under cars or something so I can call cuz he wont pick up.

 

Aight, thanks man. Cuz if it won't hurt anything, i'd like to start shifting like this so I shift faster. Cuz my friends make fun of me that I put it all the way down, and I shift a little slower than them.

 

thats how i shift... there's nothing wrong w/ it, except that you're gonna grind gears if you dont push it in far enough... you'll learn how far you can push it in w/o grinding gears eventually

 

Cool