The last two days i've been powershifting, I figured I'd try it because i have to use my clutch A LOT going to and from school and i know i'll wear it out in no time. I have only grinded the gears once, and i'm doing good at it. Does it hurt anything as long as I don't grind anything?


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

That's it for mods now, saving for a Stang. Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

 

If your not using the clutch you will mess up your synchro's. other than that should not hurt alot.

 

So I shouldn't do it at all huh. darn.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

That's it for mods now, saving for a Stang. Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

 

I used to do that when I was in school too. Cost me a big bucks rebuild to learn that clutches and synchros were put in trannies for a reason. Unless you are really skilled with synchronizing your engine speed to tranny speed, you should use the clutch. A clutch is a LOT cheaper to replace than a tranny rebuild.

Same reasoning for brakes versus downshifting. Sounds cool, but brakes are way cheaper than replacing a clutch.

Learned all these lessons and many more the hard expensive way.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Well, how would you get it in gear w/o hurting the syncos, since you said you have to be skilled with matching speeds. Theres only one way it goes in, either grinding, or it just goes in. I can easily get it in w/o grinding and it feels somewhat smooth, just not as smooth as with the clutch.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

That's it for mods now, saving for a Stang. Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

 

You're not really wearing out your clutch when you shift as much as when you take off from a dead stop. Slipping the clutch, using to high a gear to start out in, or resting your foot on the clutch pedal will take out a clutch quick. The factory put those syncros in there so it would make shifting easier with a clutch. A nonsyncro trannie needs to be double clutched inorder to match revs and trannie speed. In the big rigs where there are no syncros clutching is seldom used other than starting out.

 

In my case, I do acutally burn the clutch alil when I shift, because I have a small problem with my engine not reducing RPMs quickly, I posted a question in the 302 forum i've gotta get that fixed. I have to use the clutch to force the engine rpm down. But going to and from my school, I shift probably 100 times and i just know i'm wearing the clutch out because it takes like, literally 3-4 seconds to shift if I wait, so its a pain and i wanted to powershift instead, but oh well i guess. I gotta figure out what my engine problem is. Thanks.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

That's it for mods now, saving for a Stang. Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

 

one thing.... powershifting is when you keep the gas pedal on the floor stab the clutch while you quickly shift to the next gear without taking your foot off the gas, if it takes that long for the RPM to drop your revving the engine too much. For clutchless shifting a tachometer helps, find out what RPM the engine will be at what speed then just match it. If possible at least use the clutch to get out of gear and slowly put increasing firm but not hard pressure on the shifter to try to get it to slide into gear (while varying RPM right around where it should be so you find the sweet spot) you aren't trying to force it just have enough pressure so that when it's matched up it will slide in. But like has been stated this can be very hard on the tranny.

 

I have a tach, but even if I didn't, it's not that hard and I can shift it flawlessly w/o grinding. If you try to force it to much w/o the speeds matched it'll grind. I can upshift/downshift w/o a problem but i just didn't know if i was doing damage. It's not me over revving the engine, its the computer holding the RPMs for some reason. If I put it into gear, get her up to about 2100 rpm, push the clutch in, shift, i have to wait about 3-4 seconds for the RPMs to come down to 1400 to let the clutch out w/o burning it (speed matching).


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Thats it for now, saving for a stang. Check out my Gallery for a look-see.


Justin

 

>In my case, I do acutally burn the clutch alil when I shift,
>because I have a small problem with my engine not reducing
>RPMs quickly, I posted a question in the 302 forum i've
>gotta get that fixed. I have to use the clutch to force the
>engine rpm down. But going to and from my school, I shift
>probably 100 times and i just know i'm wearing the clutch
>out because it takes like, literally 3-4 seconds to shift if
>I wait, so its a pain and i wanted to powershift instead,
>but oh well i guess. I gotta figure out what my engine
>problem is. Thanks.
>

Mustang, do you really think it's an engine problem? Mine is the same way, the 1-2 shift I have to take real slow and easy or it'll be "jerky". 2-3 isn't as bad, and 3-4 and 4-5 aren't bad at all. I thought that's just the way a 302 5 speed is. But this is the only one I've driven too.

--------------
[font color="green"]1995 F-150 Supercab XLT 4x4 302 M5OD 8' bed [/font]31x10.50's
[font color="green"]1986 F-150 4x4 300 I6 NP435 [/font]Warn hubs, DeeZee bed caps, '96 XLT bench seat, new paint job

 

Most of us, including me are not consistent enough to always shift smoothly without using a clutch. If Detroit could leave out the clutch and teach drivers to shift "properly" then they would. But we don't, so best to use the clutch.

I have done many wonderfully smooth shifts without the use of a clutch. Even from a dead stop one time when my clutch cylinder went out. The gear will just snick in place if you do it right. But most of us will grind gears more often than we would if we used a clutch.

Each of us can drive as we like. I just happened to learn the expensive way, that a clutch is a good thing. I killed the synchros in one tranny after about 60,000 miles, not all of them "powershifting". I also used to wear out clutches in 50K miles. Once I got a little older and didn't need to be cool by powershifting, my trannies and clutches lasted me much much longer. How strange eh? Gears, synchros and clutches all lasted longer when I learned to shift properly with a clutch.

Of the 13 or 14 cars I have owned over 30 years, about 5 had sticks. I have 1/2 million miles experience on that and only the tranny that I powershifted, ever needed rebuilding. Maybe coincidence who knows. But that tranny went another 130K miles after the rebuild and after the tranny shop owner explained the error of my ways to me.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Interesting.


Yeah I think it's an engine problem because there is no reason that the engine should take 4-5 seconds to shift, literally. Look at my post in the 302 forum if you want, I don't really want to type it twice.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Thats it for now, saving for a stang. Check out my Gallery for a look-see.


Justin

 

It must be just the ability to do it I guess, as the performance benefits are minimal. Next time a nascar short track race is on, watch even the better drivers when their in-car camera is on! Even these guys use the clutch to shift!! Particulary Sterling Marlin and Mark Martin. Think you can go faster without it?

 

You can't go faster without it, you go slower, but thats not my goal. I was just trying to help my foot out, and lessen clutch wear as I upshift/downshift a lot on my commute to school.


On short tracks with tight turns they don't shift, they have another tranny with straight teethed gears vs curved gears so the gears slide in and they don't use the clutch.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Thats it for now, saving for a stang. Check out my Gallery for a look-see.


Justin

 

I think you're talking about the Lenco type transmission which NASCAR doesn't use. NASCAR primarily uses Jasper, Roush, or Jerico type transmissions and they definately DO use the clutch to shift. As I said, watch any in-car camera showing the feet. These are some of the strongest transmissions made, but they have to last 500 laps and the drivers know it. Of course they use the clutch!!