What is a power shift? Someone told me you shift without the clutch, but it seems that would not work. I think more likely it is shifting with the clutch but not letting off the accelerator.

What is heal/toe shifting. This sounds like what a novice does to get a manual started on a steep hill. Whatever it is, it is not essential as I have driven a manual for 24 years and don't know about it.

 

>What is a power shift?
>Someone told me you shift
>without the clutch, but it
>seems that would not work.
> I think more likely
>it is shifting with the
>clutch but not letting off
>the accelerator.


>When I was in High School, I drove my dads 79 F100 with a 302 and 3spd+OD. I got to where I could shift through the gears without the clutch. You have to time it just right, let off of the gas and change gears during the slack between acceleration and de-celeration. Pretty cool and very impressive to your HS pals!


>What is heal/toe shifting. This
>sounds like what a novice
>does to get a manual
>started on a steep hill.
> Whatever it is, it
>is not essential as I
>have driven a manual for
>24 years and don't know
>about it.


This I have no idea!

Nathan

 

Power shifting is what you thought. Basically keeping on the gas and doing a quick step on the clutch and throwing that shifter into gear QUICK.This has known to cause damage to the dogs in the trans because of slamming the lever past gear engagement. Every performance shifter will have positive stops on the mechanism so that you can slam it hard against the stops and your dogs will thank 'ya.

Heel and toe shifting has more to do with how performance friendly your pedals are laid out. If your pedals are close enough you are able to manipulate clutch/brake without lifting your heel off the floor. Performance cars usually have their pedals close, trucks usually not.

 

Check out this answer for "heal & toe"
http://integra.vtec.net/driving/healtoe.html

 

Nathan: I used to shift without the clutch. Had to once on my '77 F100 when the linkage broke to get it home.

lvstang: I used to power shift my '84 F150 300 I6 with 2.47 rear and 4spd OD from 1st to 2nd. Never need to power into third as 2nd went up to about 60 mph or so. Sounds like heel/toe is for circle track racing where you have to brake hard into curves and come out screaming and thus need to be braking and downshifting and accelerating all at same time. I'll never need to do that. I may need to do some double clutching if this cheapo Mazda tranny's ('95 F150) syncros get any worse. Of course now my problem is getting into 1st from a stop and double clutching dosen't help there. I have to bump 2nd and then jam into 1st.

 

Seems everyone gave good answers.
POWER shifting is keeping the gas pedal down while shifting the trans.
SPEED shifting is lifting the gas pedal while shifting the trans then pushing the gas pedal back down QUICKLY after the shift is made.
I hear that POWER shifting the factory T-5 series will cause damage to the trans over a period of time.
In my gear banging days the trans were the T-10,SUPER T-10,and Ford varieties.I use to modify these for POWER shifting and the best I could do was to make the 1-2 and 2-3 shift with the use of clutch and the 3-4 shift could be made without the use of clutch.It was fun and expensive at times....Happy Motoring Dave

 

Speaking of abusive shifting practices, I recently read in an auto magazine that the way to do a really fast 1/4-mile time with a manual tranny is you have to "drive it like you hate it." That really puts it in a nutshell, dosen't it?