ilikesoup

Ok, so I drive a 3rd gen with a MT (if you didn't already guess). Anyways, I was wondering about your opinions on clutchless shifting. As an explanation, clutchless shifting is exactly what it sounds like, you shift gears without using the clutch. When upshifting, as you ease off the gas, the transmission doesn't have stress on it, and the shift lever will come out of gear easily. Then when the RPM level reaches the point where the engine speed and the transmission speed are matched in a certian gear, you can shift into the next gear without ever engaging the clutch. Downshifting is harder, because you have to rev the engine to the proper RPM level to have the car shift into gear.

Anyways, I've read in other places that clutchless shifting can be bad for your syncro gears and can cause premature wear. I'm not sure why I do it, maybe because i'm a lazy driver, but I really enjoy shifting without the clutch (it impresses the ladies too)

Clutchless shifting takes a bit of practice, but now it's natrual for me, my most common clutchless shifts are from 2nd to 3rd, and from 4th to 5th. First to second is a pretty high torque shift, and i prefer using the clutch, and from 3rd to 4th is weird, because it doesn't always engage properly in 4th... i don't know what it is about 4th but it is the hardest to get into without the clutch.


Soo.... does anyone else clutchless shift in their 3rd gen, and have you found any problems caused by it?

AH64ID

I have done it in every vehicle I have owned... not often, but yeah like you said.... to impress the ladies.. looking back it seems so weird.. .but I too have heard its hard on synchros...

Intrepid

I learned to do it when driving larger trucks for my class B license. I tend to use it on my '85 on the highway because I am lazy, but I never really do it in my '98...I don't know why. I have also heard it abuses the syncro's.

BajaRunner

never heard of clutchless shifting. maybe thats why i havent been on a date ?

Tacoclimber

Yeah dude, ...get outta the water, go practice your shifting, and get a woman!

rimpainter.com

I have done this on two vehicles: An 88 Mazda B2200 and a 94 Accord EX. I blew both 3rd gear synchros out.

One wrong move and your tranny is toast. Trust me.

Intrepid

I wouldn't say one wrong move, but there could certainly be a problem if you continually did it.

rimpainter.com

Well I would say that. All it took was one time on the Accord and the Mazda.

The "wrong move" was me pushing harder when it started to grind. Brilliant.

Tacoclimber

So the old "if you can't find it, grind it" saying isn't such a good idea?

rimpainter.com

My wife was in the car when I did it to the Accord. Me in big twuble that day!

(The new tranny is still sitting in my garage, I am just waiting for the weather to cool down).

I think that saying came from the older tranny's which often had to be double-clutched or they would grind. Now it applies to our Accord on every 2 to 3 shift.

Tacoclimber

I dunno... I still would rather have a manual than these automatics... My battery went dead the other day, and I was outta luck... My other trucks, I would have just pointed it down the hill and been on my way...

X-AWDriver

Bad idea but if the risk thrills ya' it's your bank account.

snap-on

i do it from time to time but not often to say the least... mostly on the interstate cause im lazy

tony_4runner

I have also done this here and there with all kind of different cars. As long as you don't push to hard and as long as you don't do it all the time I think is ok. If you can do the gear change by perfectly matching the speed of the transmission to the RPM's then it should be smooth and effortless.

pat161

Never done that in any car or truck, but I used to power shift my first motorcycle while racing quite often. Snapped a few teeth off first gear eventually.

jrallan26

Shifting a manual transmission without the clutch in a car with a synchromesh is a bad thing. Now if your transmission has "straight-cut gears" like in a motorcycle or a lot of racecars, you will be fine.

tulsa_97SR5

used to have a subaru that liked to snap clutch cables. The first time I had it towed, after that I shifted without the clutch. Even would kill it, and start it in first using the starter & gas pedal at lights. At first I did it out of anger at having snaped a second cable in 4 months, but I got good at it & never had a problem with the tranny. Second would gring often no matter what, so I started double clutching into second with the clutch cable was sound.

edit: but no, i never do that in my 3rd gen, or any other car I've owned, cept maybe to take it out of gear. I don't know too many ladies who would recognize that i'd just shifted without the clutch though...

Spinnbait

I think you are talking about double clutching and double de-clutching. It was a "must" in the presynchro times (pre 50's). Before synchros, one would have to take the transmission out of gear and allow the RPM'S to synchronize and then upshift. Double de-clutching is the same deal, except for shifting down. The difference is that you must rev the engine a bit to synchronize. It is still fairly common on "sport" cars when entering and exiting a turn in order to keep the vehicle at optimum operating range. It was probably more common in early tractors than anything. If you practice a bit then you will be ahead of the game when your clutch goes out randomly. However, practicing it could cause synchro failure or worse. Anyways, I hope I was of assistance.

ilikesoup

Well, i definitly don't clutchless shift at high RPM's as i realized that's probably not a good idea it's good to know about someone's experience with burning out a tranny by clutchless shifting (of course they wern't toyotas )

Anyways, good to hear all the opinions... i'll probably still clutchless shift every once and a while like I do now. In high end race/rally cars I read they usually have unsyncronized tranismissions so they can squeeze all the power out of the car. I'm guessing that they just double clutch when they're racing.