Is shifting to neutral without clutching bad?

[DoMahMeGok]

I was in 4th gear today, and I saw this major bump, I slammed on the brakes and my hand naturally went to put the gear into nuetral. but I don't think I remembered to press the clutch in and I still managed to put the car in nuetral from 4th without pressing the clutch. :confused: What did I get myself into?

[Peking]

I was in 4th gear today, and I saw this major bump, I slammed on the brakes and my hand naturally went to put the gear into nuetral. but I don't think I remembered to press the clutch in and I still managed to put the car in nuetral from 4th without pressing the clutch. :confused: What did I get myself into?

I think you will be fine, just don't do that when putting her into gear :)

[SHAKEnBAKE]

It's okay, just don't make a habit out of it, it could fuck up the synchro in the long run.

[amctmg]

the only time I use the clutch is when I'm stopped or racing. I shift to all gears without clutching but I don't recommend it but It hasn't acted up and doesn't grind into gears either. It will make your clutch last longer and I don't believe there is any damage done as long as you don't grind going into gear.

but I could be wrong.

[raiyo]

???

Has it become second nature that you stepped on the clutch without knowing? Happens to me all the time. I shift without stepping on the clutch sometimes, that's without grinding, heheh. :D

I step on the invisible clutch when I drive an automanic.

[oinojo]

the only time I use the clutch is when I'm stopped or racing. I shift to all gears without clutching but I don't recommend it but It hasn't acted up and doesn't grind into gears either. It will make your clutch last longer and I don't believe there is any damage done as long as you don't grind going into gear
but I could be wrong.

WTF? omg i hope your just kidding...

[amctmg]

why? did I break it?

[BSEVEER]

If you know how to do it it's fine.

[civicSIracer]

the only time I use the clutch is when I'm stopped or racing. I shift to all gears without clutching but I don't recommend it but It hasn't acted up and doesn't grind into gears either. It will make your clutch last longer and I don't believe there is any damage done as long as you don't grind going into gear.

but I could be wrong.


make your clutch last longer.. yes.. but i would rather replace a clutch then a tranny.. might wanna think about tht next time you dont use your clutch :rolleyes:

[todaCspec]

I still managed to put the car in nuetral from 4th without pressing the clutch.

Truck drivers do it all the time.

[Gasp23]

I step on the invisible clutch when I drive an automanic.

I do this all the time in my fianc

[amctmg]

Truck drivers do it all the time.

that's where I learned it. same concept but slightly different technique

[STP03BlueSI]

[QUOTE=Gasp23]I do this all the time in my fianc

[BlasTech]

Though i do it sometimes too, I cant help but think of all those "Help, my car pops out of 2nd gear" stories on ClubRSX. :confused:

[cdr127]

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't one of the reasons for a disengaging the clutch to sync the engine speed with the tranny speed. There for as long as the engine speed is correct when shifting gears there should be no problem.

[SHAKEnBAKE]

make your clutch last longer.. yes.. but i would rather replace a clutch then a tranny.. might wanna think about tht next time you dont use your clutch :rolleyes:

I agree

Is it possible to shift without clutching? Yes
Is it possible to drink milkshake thru your nose? Yes
Is it possible to shove a bowling pin up where the sun don't shine? Yes

I just won't recommend it. :smilem:

[ep3si02]

i put it into nuetral somtimes without the clutch. you can do that on every manual car i think. i also learned to shift without the clutch smoothly with out grinding, but i've only done it a few time , people have told me its not good to do

[2fastcivic]

how do you shift to another gear w/o steping on the clutch?????????

[todaCspec]

how do you shift to another gear w/o steping on the clutch?????????

Listening to the engine.

[Grookes]

I believe it's called rev-matching.

Upshifting is easy - don't touch the clutch, and I wouldn't recommend doing it frequently. I also wouldn't do it from 1st to 2nd with all the 2nd gear grinding problems I've heard about. ANYWAY, pop the gear out of second and apply light pressure to the stick shift to put it in 3rd. When the rpm's fall to the right level, it should slide easily into 3rd gear.

Downshifting is a little trickier. Start in 3rd and pop it into neutral. While decelerating, blip the throttle to where you think the rev's would be at your current speed if you were in 2nd gear. Apply light pressure to the stick to put it into 2nd and it should slide in easily once you find the right rpm.

That's how you do it. I did it more in my old Metro because I really didn't like that car much anyway. I just can't believe it's good for you car over the long-run.

[amctmg]

how do you shift to another gear w/o steping on the clutch?????????

get going in 1st gear accelerate while trying to pull it out of gear lightly and when you let off the throttle it will come out.then put it against the detent for 2nd gear and apply some good pressure and when the rpm falls enough it will slip right in. well if you pull hard and fast enough. if your not pulling hard and fast enough the rpm will drop to far and it will just grind. repeat process for the remaining gears but keep in mind the rpm drop for higher gears goes by much faster then the lower one. for instance 1st to 2nd takes about 2 seconds where 4th to 5th takes less then half a second.

note: do not continue to apply pressure once it starts grinding just clutch it and try again on the next gear.


to downshift without clutch: coast in the gear your in then apply light pressure to shift to the next lower gear while squeezing the gas very lightly but enough to bring the rpms up a little and it should go right into the next lower gear.

downshift is harder to master then upshift and by no means am I recommending shifting without the clutch but it could be nice to know how if for some reason you lose the use of your left leg and must drive your car.

[2fastcivic]

not to be an ass. but by what you guys are tellin me, that is the most retarded thing ever to do to your car. take the extra effort and step on the clutch alittle. its not that hard. omg. i cant believe people actually drive like that. i will never buy a used car in my life. OMG :shockm:

[ep3_civic_si]

LMAO...you should see when i get in to a automatic...its sooo different :shockm:

yup! me too! when i get into an automatic now...since my foot is so used to have a clutch i tend to step on the invisible clutch :D

[2fastcivic]

yup! me too! when i get into an automatic now...since my foot is so used to have a clutch i tend to step on the invisible clutch :D

some times when im fucked up, i would trip out for a sec thinking that i missed the clutch. ahahhahaa.

[Gs02SiR]

It is threads like this which prove my theory. Never buy a used car.

Be nice to your ep.

Anybody ever clutch the break in an automatic. Damn peddle is MASSIVE!

[atomic_rice]

LMAO...you should see when i get in to a automatic...its sooo different :shockm:

many-a-times have i gotten into a automatic car and pressed where the clutch should be before turning the key. then i remember its an AUTOMAGIC! :tongue:

[kenscivic]

the only time I use the clutch is when I'm stopped or racing. I shift to all gears without clutching but I don't recommend it but It hasn't acted up and doesn't grind into gears either. It will make your clutch last longer and I don't believe there is any damage done as long as you don't grind going into gear.

but I could be wrong.


wtf!!! you cant be serious..

[portugeetex]

I step on the invisible clutch when I drive an automanic.




i do the same thing lol...... im like wheres the clutch.. then im like oh yeah automatic..... bummer

[FattyMcJ]

not to be an ass. but by what you guys are tellin me, that is the most retarded thing ever to do to your car. take the extra effort and step on the clutch alittle. its not that hard. omg. i cant believe people actually drive like that. i will never buy a used car in my life. OMG :shockm:


Well....not to be an ass either...but you apparently don't race (other than Drag racing). This technique is VERY similar to "Heel-toe shifting". Only difference is a little pressure on the clutch. Basically, match the revs and the syncro's take over. It's PERFECTLY fine for the transmission, albeit our tranny's are not MADE for this technique, but it's also not going to cause DETREMENTAL damage to the car.

What DOES cause damage is when people are LEARNING how to do this...and grinding gears......THAT'S bad.

When I'm racing, sometimes (based upon the sound of the engine) I just put it into gear because, believe it or not......it CAN be faster than clutching. I don't make a habbit out of it, but I'm also not worried about it.

If you think it's bad for your car, fine....use the clutch. If you know what your doing and don't grind the gears...fine....do it. Either way, "It's a Honda...it'll run forever!" lol :D

[nmysiismyn]

Yeah... but I have too much love for my ep :*

[fatathaland]

I imagine the "CRACK" sound your car made when you disengaged fourth is what concerned you so much. Actually that was probably better than grinding your gears, but don't do it too often because the crack sound you heard causes stress that is distributed throughout the transmission.

Also, you can safely shifting to neutral without clutching if you blip the gas, let it off, and then go to neutral the instant you let off the gas. This can help save the clutch plate a little bit.

As far as shifting without the clutch goes...some of the world's best race drivers shift without using the clutch. This is very tricky, but if done correctly will pose no danger to damaging the transmission.

You have to "hear" the point where you can slip the gears in without using the clutch. You actually hear this point every time you shift gears. The RPM value to listen for is the exact value it drops to after you've shifted gears.

Example: Shifting from 3rd to 4th using the clutch may have your RPM's drop from, say, 6500 to 3500. Hence if you were shift without the clutch you would let off the gas, shift from third to neutral, let the revs continue to drop to the 3500 RPM value, and then slip it into 4th at that precise moment. The shift should be a smooth & continuous motion...which is more difficult in a stock car because the revs will drop much slower. You can practice by noting the revs on the tach after you've shifted gears and then memorizing how your car sounds at those points.

Sorry if I confused..

[2fastcivic]

Well....not to be an ass either...but you apparently don't race (other than Drag racing). This technique is VERY similar to "Heel-toe shifting". Only difference is a little pressure on the clutch. Basically, match the revs and the syncro's take over. It's PERFECTLY fine for the transmission, albeit our tranny's are not MADE for this technique, but it's also not going to cause DETREMENTAL damage to the car.

What DOES cause damage is when people are LEARNING how to do this...and grinding gears......THAT'S bad.

When I'm racing, sometimes (based upon the sound of the engine) I just put it into gear because, believe it or not......it CAN be faster than clutching. I don't make a habbit out of it, but I'm also not worried about it.

If you think it's bad for your car, fine....use the clutch. If you know what your doing and don't grind the gears...fine....do it. Either way, "It's a Honda...it'll run forever!" lol :D

i know about the heel and toe thing. and that its used in racing but this dude is talkin about daily driving. NOT RACING.

[FattyMcJ]

i know about the heel and toe thing. and that its used in racing but this dude is talkin about daily driving. NOT RACING.


Either way....it's not TERRIBLE for the tranny/clutch.....but I GUESS if done TOO often it CAN add some extra wear-n-tear on things.... :rolleyes:

[BarracksSi]

I wish I had the Road & Track article that told the story...

The writer was riding with one of their regular legendary race driver friends, and commented about how smooth his shifting was. The racer told how his father taught his brother & himself about how to shift by using an old Ford Model T (I think), with no syncros, and only using the clutch to start moving.

Obviously, for a while, they ground the hell out of the gears just trying to find the right revs for each combination of road speed & gear selection. But, eventually, they learned, and as the writer noted, the guy's shifting technique was smoother than anyone else he'd experienced.

SO.....

Occasionally, I'll take the car out of gear without using the clutch, BUT UNDER CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS -- either the car has slowed down to engine idle speed, or it's in that transition between acceleration and engine braking. If there's load on the transmission, whether it's from accelerating or engine braking, it's not a good idea to shock the tranny or motor mounts by yanking it out of gear. But, for that split second of coasting right after lifting off the accelerator pedal, there's almost no load on the transmission, and taking it out of gear won't be much of a problem.

Same thing with slowing down to engine idle speed. Say that you're coming to a stoplight. Rather than shifting into neutral at cruising speed, or downshifting all the way to the intersection, you leave the car in the same gear all the way until you slow down to where the engine is turning at 1200 rpms or so. Right at the point where the engine wants to feed itself with fuel to begin idling, there's another transition between engine braking & engine power. You can slip the car into neutral right there.

In my previous car, I have tried shifting into & out of gear without using the clutch (right after reading that R&T article.. go figure), and after a few attempts I eventually achieved some success. It's entirely possible, and it's doable, but I simply don't want to practice on my EP.

You just have to learn exactly what engine speed matches with every combination of road speed & choice of gear. Otherwise, you're going to wear out the syncros in a hurry.

[FattyMcJ]

Long winded....lol...but EXACTLY!