Shifter technique

This page:

http://www.answers.com/topic/manual-...ving-technique

says that to move the shifter when changing gear you should
(in this example, changing from 2nd to 3rd):

"move the knob up to neutral, one column to the right, then up
to the new position on the top row."

I have observed people doing this in real life and it seems very slow
and error-prone. I've seen people get to neutral and then
occasionally have trouble getting to 3rd as opposed to 1st or 5th.

The way I was taught is: hold your palm out flat, and push/pull
the shifter in one smooth diagonal motion with the fleshy bit of
your palm. When doing this, my shoulder moves but my hand,
wrist and forearm stay relatively rigid, and my hand moves in a
straight line (not up-sideways-up).
It results in a fast shift and it never goes wrong. My instructor
described it as a "slap", it is quite similar to slapping the shifter
knob, except you keep on pushing after the first contact.

Changing from 1-2 and 2-1 still involves the diagonal push (or pull
if you are in a left-hand-drive car, I imagine), that way it can
never go wrong and accidentally select 4 instead of 2, etc.

Old Wolf wrote:
> This page:
>
> http://www.answers.com/topic/manual-...ving-technique
>
> says that to move the shifter when changing gear you should
> (in this example, changing from 2nd to 3rd):
>
> "move the knob up to neutral, one column to the right, then up
> to the new position on the top row."
>
> I have observed people doing this in real life and it seems very slow
> and error-prone. I've seen people get to neutral and then
> occasionally have trouble getting to 3rd as opposed to 1st or 5th.

The quickness of a shift is not as important as accuracy. The
instructions are correct for accuracy as well as reducing linkage
wear/tear. You should actually "find" neutral before selecting the
next gear. Experience will reduce or eliminate inaccuracy.
>
> The way I was taught is: hold your palm out flat, and push/pull
> the shifter in one smooth diagonal motion with the fleshy bit of
> your palm. When doing this, my shoulder moves but my hand,
> wrist and forearm stay relatively rigid, and my hand moves in a
> straight line (not up-sideways-up).
> It results in a fast shift and it never goes wrong. My instructor
> described it as a "slap", it is quite similar to slapping the shifter
> knob, except you keep on pushing after the first contact.

That's one way. I was taught to shift more gently, first to neutral,
then into the next gear.

> Changing from 1-2 and 2-1 still involves the diagonal push (or pull
> if you are in a left-hand-drive car, I imagine), that way it can
> never go wrong and accidentally select 4 instead of 2, etc.

You can make diagonal moves with the shift lever, of course. I'm
unaware of any linkage designed for that particular move. Some cars
have shift "gates" designed to prevent the driver from making less than
"positive" (90 degree angle) shifts.
-----

- gpsman

In article . com>,
"gpsman" > wrote:

> Old Wolf wrote:
> > This page:
> >
> > http://www.answers.com/topic/manual-...ving-technique
> >
> > says that to move the shifter when changing gear you should
> > (in this example, changing from 2nd to 3rd):
> >
> > "move the knob up to neutral, one column to the right, then up
> > to the new position on the top row."
> >
> > I have observed people doing this in real life and it seems very slow
> > and error-prone. I've seen people get to neutral and then
> > occasionally have trouble getting to 3rd as opposed to 1st or 5th.
>
> The quickness of a shift is not as important as accuracy. The
> instructions are correct for accuracy as well as reducing linkage
> wear/tear. You should actually "find" neutral before selecting the
> next gear. Experience will reduce or eliminate inaccuracy.

Utter nonsense. "Neutral" isn't a position left or right; only forward
and backward. You "find" it every time you move the gear lever from one
gear to the next regardless of how long you take.

> >
> > The way I was taught is: hold your palm out flat, and push/pull
> > the shifter in one smooth diagonal motion with the fleshy bit of
> > your palm. When doing this, my shoulder moves but my hand,
> > wrist and forearm stay relatively rigid, and my hand moves in a
> > straight line (not up-sideways-up).
> > It results in a fast shift and it never goes wrong. My instructor
> > described it as a "slap", it is quite similar to slapping the shifter
> > knob, except you keep on pushing after the first contact.
>
> That's one way. I was taught to shift more gently, first to neutral,
> then into the next gear.
>
> > Changing from 1-2 and 2-1 still involves the diagonal push (or pull
> > if you are in a left-hand-drive car, I imagine), that way it can
> > never go wrong and accidentally select 4 instead of 2, etc.
>
> You can make diagonal moves with the shift lever, of course. I'm
> unaware of any linkage designed for that particular move. Some cars

It doesn't sound like you're the slightest bit aware of what is actually
going on inside a shift linkage actually.

> have shift "gates" designed to prevent the driver from making less than
> "positive" (90 degree angle) shifts.

Ferraris do, but the gates are rounded to allow precisely the kind of
motion that the previous poster was talking about.

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling 4 feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect
if you sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

Alan Baker wrote:
> "gpsman" > wrote:

> > The quickness of a shift is not as important as accuracy. The
> > instructions are correct for accuracy as well as reducing linkage
> > wear/tear. You should actually "find" neutral before selecting the
> > next gear. Experience will reduce or eliminate inaccuracy.
>
> Utter nonsense. "Neutral" isn't a position left or right; only forward
> and backward. You "find" it every time you move the gear lever from one
> gear to the next regardless of how long you take.

*Utter nonsense*?!

I stand corrected. It's better to shift to the wrong gear fast than
the correct gear in more time...? Guess I just lost my mind for a
moment.

> > You can make diagonal moves with the shift lever, of course. I'm
> > unaware of any linkage designed for that particular move. Some cars
>
> It doesn't sound like you're the slightest bit aware of what is actually
> going on inside a shift linkage actually.

Well, maybe not. I just know none of the parts of *my* linkages move
diagonally.
>
> > have shift "gates" designed to prevent the driver from making less than
> > "positive" (90 degree angle) shifts.
>
> Ferraris do, but the gates are rounded to allow precisely the kind of
> motion that the previous poster was talking about.

You mean like in this Lotus? Maybe my eyes need calibration but...

http://www.juststuff.freehosting.net.../lotusgate.jpg

or http://tinyurl.com/d9x7x
-----

- gpsman

Gotta love your sig tho...

In article .com>,
"gpsman" > wrote:

> Alan Baker wrote:
> > "gpsman" > wrote:
>
> > > The quickness of a shift is not as important as accuracy. The
> > > instructions are correct for accuracy as well as reducing linkage
> > > wear/tear. You should actually "find" neutral before selecting the
> > > next gear. Experience will reduce or eliminate inaccuracy.
> >
> > Utter nonsense. "Neutral" isn't a position left or right; only forward
> > and backward. You "find" it every time you move the gear lever from one
> > gear to the next regardless of how long you take.
>
> *Utter nonsense*?!
>
> I stand corrected. It's better to shift to the wrong gear fast than
> the correct gear in more time...? Guess I just lost my mind for a
> moment.

People who do it correctly never shift into the wrong gear. I've never
shifted into the wrong gear, so don't blame me for your incompetence.

>
> > > You can make diagonal moves with the shift lever, of course. I'm
> > > unaware of any linkage designed for that particular move. Some cars
> >
> > It doesn't sound like you're the slightest bit aware of what is actually
> > going on inside a shift linkage actually.
>
> Well, maybe not. I just know none of the parts of *my* linkages move
> diagonally.

And none of it has to. The diagonal motion of the shift knob is a
combination of the fore/aft motion of the shift rods with the left/right
slide of the selector finger within the a particular rod's slot.

> >
> > > have shift "gates" designed to prevent the driver from making less than
> > > "positive" (90 degree angle) shifts.
> >
> > Ferraris do, but the gates are rounded to allow precisely the kind of
> > motion that the previous poster was talking about.
>
> You mean like in this Lotus? Maybe my eyes need calibration but...
>
> http://www.juststuff.freehosting.net.../lotusgate.jpg

Yup. Your eyes apparently need calibration. Notice that the ends of all
"fingers" are rounded. So you push/pull diagonally and the lever moves
forward until it reaches the area where the rounding begins and then it
moves laterally as it continues to move forward or back.

>
> or http://tinyurl.com/d9x7x
> -----
>
> - gpsman
>
> Gotta love your sig tho...

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling 4 feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect
if you sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

gpsman wrote:

>
> You can make diagonal moves with the shift lever, of course. I'm
> unaware of any linkage designed for that particular move. Some cars
> have shift "gates" designed to prevent the driver from making less than
> "positive" (90 degree angle) shifts.
> -----

Well... this may be cranking up the wayback machine a little bit, but
there were at one time aftermarket shifters available for "standard"
(i.e. 3-speed manual) transmissions that were specifically designed
with stiff springs to throw the shift lever over into the 2-3 gate so
that 1-2 shifts could be completed with one fluid, diagonal motion.
The factory shifter on my Porsche 914 (and I would assume contemporary
911s, until they went to a conventional shift pattern) works exactly
the same way, with 4-5 being an additional gate to the right. You can
achieve a quick 1-2 shift simply by pushing the stick forward with the
heel of your hand. 2-1 downshifts can be done quickly as well, simply
by keeping leftward pressure on the stick while pulling back. (this is
ASSuming, of course, that whatever transmission we're discussing has a
synchronized first gear, which is true of the Porsche but not true of
many of the old American 3-speeds - in which case a double-clutch, or
if you feel like showing off, a clutchless rev-match, is a must.)

That said, unless one is racing, I would pause in neutral briefly to
let the synchros do their thing unless one really likes causing undue
stress on the transmixer's innards. Unless one is very familiar with
rev-matching and has some experience driving a "crash box" I wouldn't
drive a synchro box like that.

nate

"Old Wolf" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> This page:
>
> http://www.answers.com/topic/manual-...ving-technique
>
> says that to move the shifter when changing gear you should
> (in this example, changing from 2nd to 3rd):
>
> "move the knob up to neutral, one column to the right, then up
> to the new position on the top row."
>
> I have observed people doing this in real life and it seems very slow
> and error-prone. I've seen people get to neutral and then
> occasionally have trouble getting to 3rd as opposed to 1st or 5th.
>
>

OK, you are dealing with an author (on the answers.com web page) who doesn't
know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle and you are observing people
in real life who ALSO don't know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle.
Shifting from 2nd to 3rd (for example) should be one smooth, quick motion.
If you have to think about it, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!!! Just push up on the
gear shift. The shifter will naturally want to settle between 3rd and 4th
when it slips out of second so further upward pressure will put it in 3rd
gear. If you're worried about wear and tear, don't be. I've put hundreds
of thousands of miles on a manual tranny (several times) and never had to
service one, ever, beyond periodic fluid changes (drain and fill). -Dave

Mike T. wrote:
> "Old Wolf" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > This page:
> >
> > http://www.answers.com/topic/manual-...ving-technique
> >
> > says that to move the shifter when changing gear you should
> > (in this example, changing from 2nd to 3rd):
> >
> > "move the knob up to neutral, one column to the right, then up
> > to the new position on the top row."
> >
> > I have observed people doing this in real life and it seems very slow
> > and error-prone. I've seen people get to neutral and then
> > occasionally have trouble getting to 3rd as opposed to 1st or 5th.
> >
> >
>
> OK, you are dealing with an author (on the answers.com web page) who doesn't
> know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle and you are observing people
> in real life who ALSO don't know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle.
> Shifting from 2nd to 3rd (for example) should be one smooth, quick motion.
> If you have to think about it, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!!! Just push up on the
> gear shift. The shifter will naturally want to settle between 3rd and 4th
> when it slips out of second so further upward pressure will put it in 3rd
> gear. If you're worried about wear and tear, don't be. I've put hundreds
> of thousands of miles on a manual tranny (several times) and never had to
> service one, ever, beyond periodic fluid changes (drain and fill). -Dave

I don't recall ever having to 'think' about what I am doing. I just
shift. I suppose now I will try to see what I am doing and screw it
up.

Harry K

>
> I don't recall ever having to 'think' about what I am doing. I just
> shift. I suppose now I will try to see what I am doing and screw it
> up.
>
> Harry K
>

LMAO!!! I've had that feeling before. -Dave

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:28:29 -0500, "Mike T." >
wrote:

>
>"Old Wolf" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>> This page:
>>
>> http://www.answers.com/topic/manual-...ving-technique
>>
>> says that to move the shifter when changing gear you should
>> (in this example, changing from 2nd to 3rd):
>>
>> "move the knob up to neutral, one column to the right, then up
>> to the new position on the top row."
>>
>
>OK, you are dealing with an author (on the answers.com web page) who doesn't
>know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle and you are observing people
>in real life who ALSO don't know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle.

If your transmission does not have synchros (or they are worn
out/broken) wouldn't you have to do precisely what was described
(along with appropriate clutch disengaging/reengaging and
rev-matching)?