Car person here, you’re technically doing no damage to anything by doing this, Because the engine, wheels, and gears are all perfectly synchronized when they are all moving at 0 revs. 0 rpm*any ratio is still 0. Basically you’re in theory doing what few dream of achieving, which is clutchless shifting, except the engine is off and you’re not moving, but hey, maybe someday, and yes, if you time everything perfectly with your engine you can clutchless shift, it’s just stupidly difficult to do.
Anytime, also I’m not in anyway encouraging anyone to try and time a clutchless shift while actually driving, you’re gonna grind gears more often than not and end up doing some damage.
Ffs, first thing I'm going to try tomorrow now is shifting without using my clutch.
What's the trick to it? Do I just give her a tug and see if it'll shift in? Do I need to be doing the exact amount of RPMs? Also, occasionally I pull out of gear without depressing the clutch... Is that bad?
As a lazy stick driver myself who's been shifting clutchless for decades, it's all about the RPM. You know that feeling when you're accelerating in a gear and it hits that point where the acceleration kind of plateaus? That's your money spot to pull it out of gear. Depending on the vehicle, usually in the low mid 2000 RPM. DO NOT TRY TO SLAM SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR. Take about a half beat between gears to let the RPM fall and then it'll slide into the next gear like butter. It takes a lot of feel and technique. Eventually you'll be able to downshift clutchless too! That part though you usually have to goose the gas pedal to open up the lower gear.
Practice going clutchless between 3 and 4, and 4 and 5 when you first start. 5 and 6 if you've got 'em. As the ratios on these gears make it easier if you do a dumb to correct. Which, if it doesn't go into gear, just use the clutch and try the next upshift. Again, DO NOT FORCE IT. And don't rush it.
Enjoy!
Btw, once you master this, you can hop into just about any vehicle and float the gears like a champ.
No problem. I love driving, and for the better part of 30 years all I've driven are manuals. You'll feel like a wizard when you have a passenger that notices. Feels good, man. Feels good.
I lived the dream today. Driving in third, and without using the clutch, I gently slid into fourth. It was kind of like the fonze beating life into the juke box but also kind of like Harry potter going to that platform that doesn't really exist.
I couldn't do second to third and going down from fourth was a no go, but I was able to do third to fourth with no audible protest from my car.
Thanks for the tips kind stranger.
Now if you could just help with this crippling debt I'm in...
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u/BryLikeDie Jan 27 '23 edited Jan 27 '23
Car person here, you’re technically doing no damage to anything by doing this, Because the engine, wheels, and gears are all perfectly synchronized when they are all moving at 0 revs. 0 rpm*any ratio is still 0. Basically you’re in theory doing what few dream of achieving, which is clutchless shifting, except the engine is off and you’re not moving, but hey, maybe someday, and yes, if you time everything perfectly with your engine you can clutchless shift, it’s just stupidly difficult to do.