mal_TX

My 06 G35 6mt was the hardest stick shift car to drive I have personally ever driven. The G37S is quite a bit more friendly, but still FAR from as friendly as say... an S2000 or an RSX-TypeS.

Be patient, its a lot of work but also a lot of fun.

Edit: I guess I should list what I've driven, stick shift wise:
1986 Chevy Cavalier RS 5-speed
1980s Suzuki Samuri 4-speed
Late 1990s Mustang GT 5-speed
1990s RX-7 5-speed
1990s Honda Prelude
Late 1990s Acura Integra Type-R (cousin's modded/lowered car)
2000 Honda S2000
2001 e46 BMW M3 6-speed
2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT 5-speed
2006 Acura RSX-TypeS
2006 Mazda RX-8 6-speed
2005 G35 Coupe 6mt
2006 G35 Coupe 6mt
2008 G37 Sport (6mt)

So.. the G37 for me is the third most demanding stick shift car I've driven, behind the 05 and 06 G35 Coupes I owned. And no, I didn't own most of those cars, they are friend's cars.

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iTrader: (3)

i always thought "single clutch" technique was bad for ur clutch

KapH33n

single clutching is bad for old *** trucks and certain cars with bad synchros. Or if you have a really worn out transmission you can double clutch to make it seem smoother.

As for single clutching, i don't think it really makes a difference if you rev match before or after putting the car into gear. Since the clutch is depressed? correct me if I'm wrong. I have been in the habit of shifting in one motion to the next gear, rev matching, and then releasing the clutch (only when downshifting). on upshifts i typically just shift normally or powershift.

mal_TX

It's not bad for your clutch, no matter what. It is "more work" for the synchros. They are not the same thing.

The synchros are DESIGNED to make it so you don't need to double-clutch. That's their purpose... so, I would say it is not bad for them either.

Check out the HowStuffWorks.com article on manual transmission. It is important to be aware of the various components and what they do. Here's my quickie rambling explanation: Realize that all the gears are always engaged and turning w/ the layshaft, which turns with the rear tires if the stick is in gear and turns not at all if the stick is in neutral and the clutch is down. It turns w/ the engine if the stick is in neutral and the clutch is up. It takes a bit of time to slow down from any given speed. Your gear shifter is only engaging the collars on the gears to engage them to the output shaft (to the diff and the wheels) rather than actually making gears bite in and out. You don't grind your gears, you grind your collars. The synchros are there to help bring the layshaft to the right speed so the shifter can engage the gear. There are quite a few things turning in the tranny and the more you are aware of them the easier it is to understand how to operate the transmission for whatever your purpose is (smoothness, performance, whatever).

Read their stuff, it is much clearer than mine

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission1.htm

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iTrader: (3)

thanks guys for the help...i'm a noob to manual as u can tell

please explain what powershifting is...thx!
is that kinda like when u're driving hard? like getting off the clutch really fast?

mal_TX

powershifting normally refers to "flat shifting" which is a technique where you shift very quickly without ever lifting off the throttle. This is extremely hard on your drivetrain and you should not do it.

Some people lift off the throttle but then "power through" the clutch release, using the clutch to blend the revs like an old automatic car used to do. This is also bad for your car and you should not do it.

Off throttle, clutch down, next gear, clutch out, on throttle -- only way to go.

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iTrader: (3)

which way gives u best 1/4 mile time?

TerribleONE453

Power shifting is gonna give you the best 1/4 mile time. i power through the clutch release on my car when driving it hard

KapH33n

let me go ahead and say since this is a touchy subject thread. I AM IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF YOUR CAR. hehe. I am in no way an expert or professional, however I do consider myself relatively skilled at driving a manual. A manual transmission can be easily abused and I do not recommend powershifting. However it will provide the fastest acceleration (and therefore the most fun in my mind). I don't do it a lot, but it is something I like to know how to do and when to do. That said, I baby my car and engine as much as possible. I am trying my hardest to follow infiniti's recommended break in procedure and I drive my car for a few minutes to 'warm her up' before going into aggressive driving.

mal_TX

Yeah, power shifting will give you the best 1/4 mile time. By about .07 seconds and MAYBE 1mph, and twice the powertrain stress. Not worth it IMO, but if you MUST get the fastest possible time, do not lift off the throttle until you cross the finish.

mal_TX

Flat shifting will result in the faster time because it is basically launching the car in every gear. Bad clutching where you slip the clutch a lot (what I call Powering Through the clutch) does not help much in performance, unlike flat shifting.

Also, I think it is prudent to note that flat shifting/power shifting should be limited to DRAG racing only -- never flat shift going through any radius of corner.

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iTrader: (3)

flat shifting = power shifting?

Black Betty

iTrader: (60)

I'm assuming that no one here has ever driven a diesel tractor. The clutch is usually only used to start moving in 1st gear. After that you can shift very easily without engaging the clutch at all. You simply accelerate and when the engine RPM is high enough, lift the throttle and as the RPMs fall just a little, you shift into the next gear without clutching at all. It works downshifting as well but you need to blip the throttle a little after its in neutral before downshifting into the lower gear.

209K on my old car on the original clutch.

chasemyaccord

iTrader: (2)

I'm a noob when it comes to the technicalities of driving stick, so here's an easy question. Why does shifting into first gear seem more difficult some times than others? Once in a while, I feel like I have to put more effort into getting the shifter to reside into place properly.

I'm not really sure how to explain this, but this has happened in just about every stick car I've driven. I think the smoothest shifter I've ever experienced was in...*drum roll*...an Acura TSX.

UNV-IT46

iTrader: (3)

I know this is semi off topic as it doesnt really relate to the topic of making shifting better but I was doing some spirited driving last night on a few of my favorite turns and i must admit infiniti got the pedal placement perfect on this car for Heel toeing. I mean I can get perfect brake pressure with perfect blips on every down shift with no extreme's in front end pitch due to exsessive brake pressure for throttle bliping...