As most of you know, I'm a young gun (18) and as most of you know most of us this young have grown up with automatics and EFI as standard equipment in our family cars. Now, I've learned A LOT about carbureted V8s during the past two years (and still have YEARS of learning to do) but I still only know very little about transmissions and what i know is limited to Autos.

I just recently learned how to drive a stick-shift car but i've always wondered a few things.

1) What are you guys talking about when you say "dump the clutch" or "clutch dumping"? How do you do it (not that i will, its not my car i'm learning on, but in the future i'd like a stick-shifted BB malibu :D )

2) What is side-stepping the clutch?

What other cool things do you guys do with clutch cars?

Basicly side stepping the clutch, or "dumping" it is the same thing.

You tach it up a bit, then,

You kinda slide your foot off the side of your fully depressed clutch pedal.

So that it the clutch engages almost instantly.

You might do it when your trying to get the tires spinning, like for a burnout or something.

I ususally just try to lift my foot pretty fast, as I think its a little easier on the parts, and I'd hate to walk home.

What Thad said. I had a 1948 Jeep that you could side step the clutch at idle and it would just lug along and never kill the engine. It is much easier on the parts to lift your foot as fast as possible.

A stick shift technique that isn't required any more is double clutching. This was used to downshift a non-synchro trans. To do it, you shift the trans into neutral <edit> let out the clutch, raise the engine speed up so it matches the trans for the gear you want, push the clutch pedal and shift into that gear <edit>. I had a 1949 Chevy pickup in high school. I blew the side out of the trans case downshifting into 1st at 45 mph. I double clutched and it slid right in but then the trans complained very loudly and I walked home . graemlins/clonk.gif

Originally posted by Slowpoke70:
What other cool things do you guys do with clutch cars? Hold the gas pedal to the floor and do not lift when shifting.."powershifting"

My specialty :D (been awhile though for me,but you never forget how to do it,or forget the "feel")

..and don't miss either

Originally posted by mr 4 speed:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Slowpoke70:
Hold the gas pedal to the floor and do not lift when shifting.."powershifting"

..and don't miss either Whatever you do, don't try this on a modern built car, they are not designed for this kind of fun--I mean abuse. I did this to a customers 2001 Jeep and it spit the left axle out. Ooops-good thing I work for Jeep.

Originally posted by Pat Kelley:
A stick shift technique that isn't required any more is double clutching. This was used to downshift a non-synchro trans. To do it, you put the trans into neutral then raise the engine speed up so it matches the trans for that gear. I had a 1949 Chevy pickup in high school. I blew the side out of the trans case downshifting into 1st at 45 mph. I double clutched and it slid right in but then the trans complained very loudly and I walked home . graemlins/clonk.gif I always thought "double clutching" and power shifting were the same thing :confused: Regardless, I love to chirp 2nd and 3rd, don't have the power yet to chirp 4th, but I will in the future ;) :D

Now that I think about it, and maybe a stick driver can correct this if wrong, side steping and dumping are different, at least in my thoughts. Side stepping is sliding your foot off the clutch pedal. Dumping is lifting your foot as fast as possible. Powershifting is what Mr. 4 Speed said. Speed shifting is letting off the throttle for just the instance needed to make the shift. Missing a shift is a more widely used technique most will admit to. This entails not getting the trans into the next gear and letting the engine over rev. It is generally avoided, if possible.

Alexis, I have edited my post you quoted.

Originally posted by Pat Kelley:
Now that I think about it, and maybe a stick driver can correct this if wrong, side steping and dumping are different, at least in my thoughts. Side stepping is sliding your foot off the clutch pedal. Dumping is lifting your foot as fast as possible. Powershifting is what Mr. 4 Speed said. Speed shifting is letting off the throttle for just the instance needed to make the shift. Missing a shift is a more widely used technique most will admit to. This entails not getting the trans into the next gear and letting the engine over rev. It is generally avoided, if possible.

Alexis, I have edited my post you quoted. OK smile.gif

Originally posted by LXS:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Pat Kelley:
.... Missing a shift is a more widely used technique most will admit to. This entails not getting the trans into the next gear and letting the engine over rev. It is generally avoided, if possible.

Alexis, I have edited my post you quoted. OK smile.gif </font>[/QUOTE]NO! i don't believe that. none of US ever got hung out to dry because we missed third gear on a muncie. i doubt that ever happened HEHEHE. ;)

Power shifting is leaving your foot to the floor and depressing the clutch between shifts, speed shifting is lifting the3 throttle but NOT using the clutch-just “muscle” the trans into the next gear, made famous by the infamous M22 “rock crusher”. Double clutching is a pause between gear shifts to give the input shaft time to catch the trans internal gears so the synchros are not really needed originally it required a second clutch depression but syncho transmissions don't require it anymore (just ask any trucker), I still do this on my Tremec at times when I get lazy (3500 lbs clutch gets old in traffic). Side stepping is just that, “dumping” is pretty much the same thing. For real fun, use the right foot for fro heel-toe on the brake and sidestep the clutch at 3500RPM. Then switch feet quick so the right foot is WOT and the left foot can regulate brake pressure to hold the car. :D

Double clutching is letting the clutch out in neutral between gears. That's were the name comes from. Pausing while upshifting works but downshifting with a non-synchro trans requires double clutching. I learned to drive in a truck with a non-synchromesh trans.

You are right about speed shifting, though. It's been quite a while since I've done that.

Edited post- :D

Originally posted by dennis68:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by mr 4 speed:
Originally posted by Slowpoke70:
Hold the gas pedal to the floor and do not lift when shifting.."powershifting"

..and don't miss either Whatever you do, don't try this on a modern built car, they are not designed for this kind of fun--I mean abuse. I did this to a customers 2001 Jeep and it spit the left axle out. Ooops-good thing I work for Jeep. </font>I do it all the time in my 6 speed 95 Z28. I have a Hurst shifter that is very precise, its very hard to miss a gear with it. But I have broken the ring gear 3 times. graemlins/clonk.gif
Ron

Originally posted by dennis68:
[/qb]Whatever you do, don't try this on a modern built car, they are not designed for this kind of fun--I mean abuse. I did this to a customers 2001 Jeep and it spit the left axle out. Ooops-good thing I work for Jeep. [/QB]Remind me not to leave you the keys to my new Jeep.... ;)

You can even shift without using the clutch, as Dennis suggested. Let off the throttle matching the engine and trans speed to relieve the load on the trans, slid into neutral then raise or lower the engine speed to the rpm needed for the chosen gear. Slid the trans into gear. If the rpm is wrong, you'll know right away.

I actually drove my 56 Chevy like this for a couple weeks when the clutch linkage broken . At stop lights, kill the engine put it in first, start the engine to get rolling when the light changes (low gears help here, I had 4.56's).

Just a question here; I always thought powershifting was not lifting off the gas, and not depressing the clutch... just yank it into gear as fast as possible? :confused:

^^^Thats what I thought too. Seems like it'd be safer to do that way. But I wouldn't really know.

Thanks for all the responses guys.

Originally posted by 68SS454:
Just a question here; I always thought powershifting was not lifting off the gas, and not depressing the clutch... just yank it into gear as fast as possible? :confused: Power shifting, to me, is not letting off the gas, and quickly pressing the clutch in for the next gear and letting go of the pedal even quicker. I love doing it in my Stang, since the Velle is automatic, and I always chirp 2nd and 3rd....don't have the power yet to chirp 4th or 5th....but gimme some time ;) :D

To those reading this who have never done any of the above shifting ...be prepared to put in some time learing this before you try it at full throttle.The results can sometime be what you dont want.... like the time I nailed 2nd gear @ 7400 RPM with semi new very sticky tires on the car.... I destroyed second gear , Third gear , the cluster gear , the reverse idler gear and stretched the case so bad it had to be .... well... you get the picture.... I was young and stupid and did this in a residential area.... several people came running out of their houses just to see where that extremely loud BANG !! they heard came from..... graemlins/clonk.gif

Originally posted by Pat Kelley:

I actually drove my 56 Chevy like this for a couple weeks when the clutch linkage broken . At stop lights, kill the engine put it in first, start the engine to get rolling when the light changes (low gears help here, I had 4.56's). That's funny Pat, I drove my Elco like that for week while waiting for my z-bar bracket to get here from OPG. Sucks in traffic-make sure you have a good battery.

You guys are a gas!

Pat to answer your question, and this was told to me on Thursday as I called Denny's Driveshaft with a slightly out rear pinion yoke..( no racing until that's fixed). Denny ran a 69' 427 Camaro back in the day, M22/4.88s, He found that simply lifting your foot UP, rather than sidestepping, gave him a much more consistent light AND ( as Thad opined) , it allows just a freckle of time delay and doesnt shock the parts as bad as side stepping.

Once I get a new yoke on that doesnt allow the uj to move around ..010-.020" :( I will certainly try that next. My R/Ts were all over the place, which I entirely attribute to amatuerness. However, there might have been more to it. I'll try Denny's and Thad's "LEG LIFT" techinique next time out.

Originally posted by Pat Kelley:
You can even shift without using the clutch, as Dennis suggested. Let off the throttle matching the engine and trans speed to relieve the load on the trans, slid into neutral then raise or lower the engine speed to the rpm needed for the chosen gear. Slid the trans into gear. If the rpm is wrong, you'll know right away.

I actually drove my 56 Chevy like this for a couple weeks when the clutch linkage broken . At stop lights, kill the engine put it in first, start the engine to get rolling when the light changes (low gears help here, I had 4.56's). that is exactly how I drive my S10 I don't touch the clutch after I start rolling. unless I'm screwing with people and power shift it to chirp 2nd or 3rd, yes theat little corn popper can do it ;) .

Whatever you do, don't try this on a modern built car, they are not designed for this kind of fun--I mean abuse.Not necessarily true. With a stout 8.8" rear in the Mustang GT (sized similarly to a 12-bolt), there are lots of people driving them like they stole 'em without busting stuff. smile.gif

Originally posted by novadude:
[QUOTE]Not necessarily true. With a stout 8.8" rear in the Mustang GT (sized similarly to a 12-bolt), there are lots of people driving them like they stole 'em without busting stuff. smile.gif I don't know about that, I work for a Ford/Jeep/Lincfoln/Chrysler dealer. We see ALOT of 8.8 differential problems. tongue.gif

Well, I didn't say EVERYONE is having them live! ;)

Seriously though, there are a lot of people dealing 8.8's a bunch of abuse, and they are holding up. If you look in the Mustang world, you'll see lots of people in the 10's on those rears.

Transmissions are the weak link, and most people with FAST Mustangs have upgraded. Every car has gotta have something that will "give". smile.gif

Anyway, enough Ford talk... this is a Chevy site! :D

Hey Slowpoke70, don't feel bad. My first Chevelle was an 71 SS454 and I couldn't bark 2nd to save my life. A friend took me out in his 69Z to show me how. We called it speed-shifting but whatever you call it...it works. Here's what happened. When the light turned green he mashed the gas and dropped the clutch. The car fishtailed across the intersection sideways, burning rubber. I was pinned against the door and when he banged 2nd I flew across the car almost onto his lap as the car pitched the other way. I'll never forget Mike yelling at me to "get off me!" as I desperately struggled to stay in my seat. All this time the tires never stopped squealing and that 302 Z28 never came below 6000 rpm. After that day, I too became a slave to Mr.Tire Store Owner. Here's how WE did it. Mash the gas pedal to the floor and NEVER let it up. Shift when the engine stops pulling or the valves start to float or your shiftlight comes on...whatever. When you shift, shift HARD and FAST. Yank that sucker back as hard as you can AND mash in the clutch pedal at the same time. Then release the clutch as FAST as you can by rasing your foot. Try to do it all in one fast movement. You're doing two things at once (stomp/lift and shift). Most guys I know bring their knee up very high and twist a little in their seat as they shift. Here's a little tip that's fun to do to your girlfriend: you can take the transmission out of gear without the clutch. Next time you're cruising down the freeway reach over and nudge the tranny into nuetral when she's not looking. It's funny as hell watching them try to figure out what's wrong and the engine is going vroom vroom but the car is still slowing down! graemlins/angry.gif :D The point is, you only need the clutch to put the transmission INTO gear. As for me, I'm an Automatic guy now. I shift for a living. I shift eight forward speeds to get up to 55mph and only use the clutch once. Just remember, once you start banging gears, it's addicting. Nothing is more fun than being pinned to your seat as you go from 1st to 2nd to 3rd. The bad news is, you'll start breaking parts, wearing out tires and getting tickets. Have fun but don't say we didn't warn you! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Man, I need to get my SS on the road... My solid lifter, rect. port 427 and a 4-speed will be FUN graemlins/thumbsup.gif

another cool thing with a clutch is the popping clutch while rolling to start it.save that battery :D
jerry

Sometimes I wish I didn't have an auto...

but my laziness helps me cope :D

7T, saves your arse when your battery fails, and the MSD can still fire the engine with only 9V!

Also, I 'preload' the shifter, i.e., pressure back for the 1/2, pressure forward for the 2/3, etc.

2/3 is way my slowest shift. Can't fathom why, biomechanically, but it is. Richie 5 isnt a short throw Ferrari shifter.

Originally posted by thunderstruck507:
Sometimes I wish I didn't have an auto...

but my laziness helps me cope :D That's when you get a transmission like my 86 Cutlass has, it chirps 2nd and 3rd no problem :D .
I know this is not the best thing to do to an automatic, but sometimes I will shift that car like a stick. I find it amusing, and it makes people look over. I did it next to a typical riced up Honda one day on my way home from work and it caught 2nd gear pretty good right next to his window that was down :D .

Speed/Power shifting, :rolleyes:

It one of those activities, that just when you start to think your getting pretty good,
you miss the 2-3 shift infront of your buddies. redface.gif

Gene, I don't so much lift my leg, as my foot.
Like flipping your wrist.
Not that I'm suggesting you flip your wrist or anything tongue.gif

That 2-3 shift I missed at the track last time, saw 7500 rpm or better, for just a split second scared the bejeezus out me.
Afraid I'd need a tow truck.
And hundreds within ear shot, probably had a little cringe/chuckle.

Thank MSD for the 6AL with the rev limiter. :D

Originally posted by Thad:
It one of those activities, that just when you start to think your getting pretty good,
you miss the 2-3 shift infront of your buddies. redface.gif Yeah, the worst one that happened to me was about a year ago....I did my brother-in-law a favor and picked him up from work. Anyway, one of my buddies had just told me how to get a "quick easy 5hp" from my Stang by removing that little air horn/resonator from the factory "cold air." So I couldn't help but "test" it out to see if I could feel that extra 5hp....well, I'm at a stop sign, noone around, BIG industrial back street...so I go for it......I burn out in 1st like a mad man, made 2nd bark, and I'm trying to shift into 3rd but it didn't want to go in....I was pushing the shifter "between" gears......so I kinda let off it a little and pushed again a little to the left, let the clutch go to find that I threw it back into 1st!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: Next thing I know, I see the tach rev up to 6Gs....cause the factory rev limiter/governor kicked in....I hit that clutch soo fast after that happened, then I shifted into 5th thinking that I had to push out a little more...LOL Well, the good news is nothing broke :D graemlins/thumbsup.gif

My brother lost a matching # GTO motor by showing someone how to power shift..... As for me, Thats the main reason I put the MSD 6-AL on my '69, the 6,500 chip will save my arse if I miss a gear.. ;)