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Best way to save the clutch from a dead stop?

3K views 52 replies 17 participants last post by  Terry 
#1 ·
It has been awhile since I owned a manual transmission in a vehicle, and on top of that I am driving 3 different cars on a regular basis. Here is my question: I'll start by saying it is not hard for me to make a smooth start from ZERO, but, I feel like I am using more rpms and clutch than I should for that feathered in smoothness. What is the best way to save the clutch over time and still start off smoothly. I will admit in trying to get the clutch fully engaged quickly; with the least amount of "circular sanding" sometimes makes me look a little foolish. I have no problems flying through the gears, I just need some input for civilized city driving. I will go 3-4 days without driving the Bullitt. No chastisement required:confused: Advice is highly appreciated though!:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
#6 ·
Doc Coffin said:
Press the gas, quickly lift the clutch.
Thats about as good as it gets.
Just practice.
Yes I am with you. I am not sure it matters if I burn a little clutch, and usually it is not an issue, but in a loud environment and I can't hear the engine is when I will jerk the car at a start. Sometimes I get in my little 3 series BMW and find myself pressing a clutch that doesn't exist. I moved my socks to a different drawer in my bedroom 10 years ago; and still go for the wrong drawer. Maybe I should just drive the Bullitt everyday but I am trying to keep it pristine.

When I was in college in the early 70's I had a VW Beetle, put 115,000 miles on it and never replaced the clutch, of course it had about 80HP I would guess.:lol:
 
#7 ·
Terry said:
methodology 101
Terry, the best method is what I like to refer to as: "The Left Up Right Down" Method. Technically, it involves the synchronous movement of the pedial extremities. As mentioned in a previous post, this is achieved through practice. I recommend throwing caution to the wind and abandoning the complacity brought on by the Automatic Transmission. The smell of burning rubber and the barking of tires is part of the learning/relearning experience. So, drive that Bullitt every day until you reach the level of proficiency that you're happy with and enjoy. You'll be surprise how quickly you reach your goal. Man is so adaptable.:-F





:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
#9 ·
You don`t have to feather it in. Lift the left foot as you press the right foot. Pretty soon you won`t have to hear anything, you`ll feel it. I got to drive a friend`s Ferrarri where you press the gas and DROP the clutch or it won`t work properly. You can do the same with the Mustang. It all depends on how much gas you feed it and how smoothly you do it. Its like sailing or shooting. Get the fundamentals and practice.
Oh, and take it out of gear while you wait for the green.
 
#10 ·
my NYC experiences

Hi Terry,

As a NYC Bullitt owner and first time stick shift driver at age 53, I have the same desire to preserve the clutch that you do. :smile:

I took lessons from a driving school in Manhattan before taking delivery of my Bullitt, and my teacher (in a line that cracked me up) said "No premature clutch"... meaning "Don't release the clutch too quickly." In my experience, he was correct... because every time I release the clutch quickly I stall out. What I do is release the clutch to the clutch point just before the light turns green and (depending on whether I'm on level ground or not) let my Bullitt begin to move forward either at idle or with a little gas applied. After I've gone about 10 feet forward (a distance I also got from my instructor), I let the clutch out all the way and apply gas to the point where I can shift into 2nd (which takes about 3 seconds in city driving).

This, of course, is not driving under "Drag Strip" circumstances. I don't have a clue how to Burn Rubber Off The Line (with traction control off).... but, in all honesty, I don't want to wear out my tires by taking my Bullitt to the track and doing that. (Sorry, Mark/08Shifter :wink: )

I'm going to be meeting Hesh on June 15th, and I think he's going to check out my shifting skills. If it turns out Hesh shows me another way to handle getting going from zero in city traffic, I'll be happy to share that with you! :wink:

I hope some of this is helpful!

:cool:

Steve
 
#11 ·
SteveNYC said:
... I don't have a clue how to Burn Rubber Off The Line (with traction control off)....
That's the easiest lesson of all; Clutch in, select 1st gear, bring the revs up to ~3500-4000, foot off the brake, and then with the clutch still depressed slide your left foot straight left off the clutch...

Do it right and you will be rewarded with a nice cloud of smoke ;)




Oh, and be prepared to counter-steer, you may find your rear end sliding sideways...
 
#12 ·
I don't think slight slippage of the clutch while taking off will affect the life significantly. I sold a '02 GT with 96,000 miles to buy the Bullitt. I drove the car very spiritedly over the 6 years I had it and never had any problems with clutch wear. I still had the original clutch when I sold it and it probably had another 50,000 miles left on it.

Gilbert
 
#13 ·
Lightning said:
That's the easiest lesson of all; Clutch in, select 1st gear, bring the revs up to ~3500-4000, foot off the brake, and then with the clutch still depressed slide your left foot straight left off the clutch...

Do it right and you will be rewarded with a nice cloud of smoke ;)




Oh, and be prepared to counter-steer, you may find your rear end sliding sideways...
Thanks for the "lesson", Mike! :wink:

Yes, I can imagine that cloud of smoke... like what you can see here...

:smile: :smile: :smile:



:cool:

Steve
 
#14 ·
There is no need to baby the clutch. First modern clutches are tough as heck add that to the fact it takes a lot to trash a clutch you do not need to worry. If on the off chance you do kill the clutch it is a cheap upgrade. Lugging the motor is much worse on the car than hard launches.
 
#15 ·
Under normal stop and go driving the cluth will last a very long time. What kills a clutch is high rpms and sliping the clutch very slowly while taking off. It may take some time to master the clutch and go pedal, but it will come, as said earlier, just do it. Drive that car while you can, life is short not to enjoy a Bullitt or any car.
 
#16 ·
Here is a Serious reply.......................

Terry said:
It has been awhile since I owned a manual transmission in a vehicle, and on top of that I am driving 3 different cars on a regular basis. Here is my question: I'll start by saying it is not hard for me to make a smooth start from ZERO, but, I feel like I am using more rpms and clutch than I should for that feathered in smoothness. What is the best way to save the clutch over time and still start off smoothly. I will admit in trying to get the clutch fully engaged quickly; with the least amount of "circular sanding" sometimes makes me look a little foolish. I have no problems flying through the gears, I just need some input for civilized city driving. I will go 3-4 days without driving the Bullitt. No chastisement required:confused: Advice is highly appreciated though!:lol: :lol: :lol:
Terry,

Advice is highly appreciated though!!!!
So, I gave this some Real Thought and this is what I have come up with for "You-Terry".

It is really difficult to put into Exact Words as to what to and Not to do as far as using the Clutch "Correct". So I searched and came up with this video that I really like. It is Simple but I could not have done it any better myself. This is "Exactly" the Correct way to take off from a Stop with No Unnecessary Ware on Your Clutch. Watch and Listen to what this guy says. It is really good and he keeps it Simple as he should.

You (Ease) the (Clutch-Out) until you Feel the Car Starting to (Move-Forward) and at the same time give the car some gas. The Smoother the better. The Clutch will last for ever in this manner of driving.

I have owned so many Very Fast Cars with Manual Transmissions that it would be next to impossible for me to List them here. Yes, I am being Serious.

And my reason for saying that is this. I have NEVER EVER Replaced a Clutch, Period. NEVER !!!!!

So, I think if you take My Advise as well as watch this Video and look at this guys feet and Listen to what he says you will be in (Excellent driving Style) and Your Clutch Worries will be of No Concern at All.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6YRI0EUkKQ&NR=1


Happy Motoring,

Terry
 
#18 ·
This "Save the Clutch" is starting to sound a little bit like "Save the Whales" :lol: I am a new stick driver too, and based on what I have heard I have decided not to worry too much about wearing out the clutch. I'll put a little money aside (about $1200 I am told by the dealer) for a "Clutch Fund" just in case. Lugging the motor in trying to save the clutch is probably a worse idea, so I am just going to wear out one thing instead of several others.
 
#19 · (Edited)
SteveNYC said:
Hi Terry,

As a NYC Bullitt owner and first time stick shift driver at age 53, I have the same desire to preserve the clutch that you do. :smile:

I took lessons from a driving school in Manhattan before taking delivery of my Bullitt, and my teacher (in a line that cracked me up) said "No premature clutch"... meaning "Don't release the clutch too quickly." In my experience, he was correct... because every time I release the clutch quickly I stall out. What I do is release the clutch to the clutch point just before the light turns green and (depending on whether I'm on level ground or not) let my Bullitt begin to move forward either at idle or with a little gas applied. After I've gone about 10 feet forward (a distance I also got from my instructor), I let the clutch out all the way and apply gas to the point where I can shift into 2nd (which takes about 3 seconds in city driving).

This, of course, is not driving under "Drag Strip" circumstances. I don't have a clue how to Burn Rubber Off The Line (with traction control off).... but, in all honesty, I don't want to wear out my tires by taking my Bullitt to the track and doing that. (Sorry, Mark/08Shifter :wink: )

I'm going to be meeting Hesh on June 15th, and I think he's going to check out my shifting skills. If it turns out Hesh shows me another way to handle getting going from zero in city traffic, I'll be happy to share that with you! :wink:

I hope some of this is helpful!

:cool:

Steve
You can burn rubber even with the traction control on, I have done it, probably bad for the tires and transmission and the clutch, but you sure can do it, just disengage the control and you are really in business. However your slow start to 10' is very logical and makes a lot of sense. I don't want everyone to think I cannot drive this monster, because I really can, I am just trying to refine my skills to the utmost and have even been practicing double clutching for fun. Yep I know it is not really necessary, but fun all the same. It's alright to be humble with this group of Bullitt owners, I at least feel that way. I am not embarrassed to say what I need in the way of help, that to me is what keeps me spending time on the site.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Lightning said:
That's the easiest lesson of all; Clutch in, select 1st gear, bring the revs up to ~3500-4000, foot off the brake, and then with the clutch still depressed slide your left foot straight left off the clutch...

Do it right and you will be rewarded with a nice cloud of smoke ;)




Oh, and be prepared to counter-steer, you may find your rear end sliding sideways...
I have zero problems with hole shots,I like the 5,000RPM approach better; you made me smile! because that is what I love the most!:lol:
 
#21 ·
Terry said:
Yes I am with you. I am not sure it matters if I burn a little clutch, and usually it is not an issue, but in a loud environment and I can't hear the engine is when I will jerk the car at a start. Sometimes I get in my little 3 series BMW and find myself pressing a clutch that doesn't exist. I moved my socks to a different drawer in my bedroom 10 years ago; and still go for the wrong drawer. Maybe I should just drive the Bullitt everyday but I am trying to keep it pristine.

When I was in college in the early 70's I had a VW Beetle, put 115,000 miles on it and never replaced the clutch, of course it had about 80HP I would guess.:lol:
A 70's Beetle? Try 50 horsepower, and that is when it was new out of the factory! :lol:
 
#22 ·
That is the best and simplest explanation I have ever seen!

tigerhonaker said:
Terry,



So, I gave this some Real Thought and this is what I have come up with for "You-Terry".

It is really difficult to put into Exact Words as to what to and Not to do as far as using the Clutch "Correct". So I searched and came up with this video that I really like. It is Simple but I could not have done it any better myself. This is "Exactly" the Correct way to take off from a Stop with No Unnecessary Ware on Your Clutch. Watch and Listen to what this guy says. It is really good and he keeps it Simple as he should.

You (Ease) the (Clutch-Out) until you Feel the Car Starting to (Move-Forward) and at the same time give the car some gas. The Smoother the better. The Clutch will last for ever in this manner of driving.

I have owned so many Very Fast Cars with Manual Transmissions that it would be next to impossible for me to List them here. Yes, I am being Serious.

And my reason for saying that is this. I have NEVER EVER Replaced a Clutch, Period. NEVER !!!!!

So, I think if you take My Advise as well as watch this Video and look at this guys feet and Listen to what he says you will be in (Excellent driving Style) and Your Clutch Worries will be of No Concern at All.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6YRI0EUkKQ&NR=1


Happy Motoring,

Terry
Well you get 5 stars for that one, because it is so obvious I and I should have realized that when all went right I was doing just what is shown! That video does the job in 30 seconds, I am cured! Terry#1 thanks much, you helped me at the beginning of my enrollment on the IMBOC site; and you then, like now did it again...Terry#2
 
#23 ·
DavidMidgley said:
A 70's Beetle? Try 50 horsepower, and that is when it was new out of the factory! :lol:
Probably was 50HP and the funny thing is, it only got about 20m/gal, no BS, I owned 3 of them as a kid. I guess I forgot cars were getting 12 mpg then when gas was 27.9/gal. I could fill the car for less than what a gallon of petrol costs today.
 
#24 ·
BB2008 said:
This "Save the Clutch" is starting to sound a little bit like "Save the Whales" :lol: I am a new stick driver too, and based on what I have heard I have decided not to worry too much about wearing out the clutch. I'll put a little money aside (about $1200 I am told by the dealer) for a "Clutch Fund" just in case. Lugging the motor in trying to save the clutch is probably a worse idea, so I am just going to wear out one thing instead of several others.
Well I in my heart, I feel the same, as you, But I still like to know what I can from this site. Believe me, when I drive my car it is not babied, I actually abuse it and I am trying to find a middle road. I have found lately it costs you $1200 for spark plugs at a dealer if you get my cynical attitude about car repairs.
 
#25 ·
Terry said:
Probably was 50HP and the funny thing is, it only got about 20m/gal, no BS, I owned 3 of them as a kid. I guess I forgot cars were getting 12 mpg then when gas was 27.9/gal. I could fill the car for less than what a gallon of petrol costs today.
I worked for a VW/Porche/Audi dealer in Ohio, back in the day. I was the make ready guy for new cars. Cleaned off the cosmoline, installed radios, high dollar leather seat covers, changed oil, etc.:wink: I got my eyes opened at the not so tender age of 19 in that dealership. Some things/cars that people buy from a dealer are really amazing! And they are happy with them... :lol:
 
#26 ·
DavidMidgley said:
I worked for a VW/Porche/Audi dealer in Ohio, back in the day. I was the make ready guy for new cars. Cleaned off the cosmoline, installed radios, high dollar leather seat covers, changed oil, etc.:wink: I got my eyes opened at the not so tender age of 19 in that dealership. Some things/cars that people buy from a dealer are really amazing! And they are happy with them... :lol:
Well, I grew up in western Pa, not more than 15 miles from Youngstown, so you must have been in a bigger city, I think there was a Porsche dealer in Youngstown. I grew up in steel country Sharon, Pa..has nothing to do with what we are talking about, but we must be close to the same age as well. and similar backgrounds, I worked in steel mills to get my butt through college.
 
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