How'd you learn to drive a manual transmission?
- Thread starter TallPaul
- Start date
- Status
Dad and his 1980 AMC Concord. I think that sucker had a heavier clutch than my Dakota. Anyway, started out in the parking lot at the junior high, graduated to street driving, but supervised. The "Final" exam that you had to pass before driving alone: there was a steep railroad crossing near the house, no signals, just a stop sign at the top, and to pass, you had to come to a complete stop just before the top and start the car again without stalling it or rolling backwards.
And now 75% of the fleet is manual.
And now 75% of the fleet is manual.
Kestas
Staff member
I learned when I was hired in as a summer student engineer at Ford Manual Transmission department.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Rob_Roy
My first experience with a manual transmission was in a '67 Ford F250. 390 power with a 4 speed and 4.56 gears, you could pop the clutch in 2nd gear and not stall it...a real confidence booster.
Yeah, though I've driven stick for a long time now, I was loving how easy it was to drive the twingo with its massive torque from its 1.5L turbodiesel because of the low torque. It would be so easy to learn if one part of the coordination is out of the picture early on.
My first experience with a manual transmission was in a '67 Ford F250. 390 power with a 4 speed and 4.56 gears, you could pop the clutch in 2nd gear and not stall it...a real confidence booster.
Yeah, though I've driven stick for a long time now, I was loving how easy it was to drive the twingo with its massive torque from its 1.5L turbodiesel because of the low torque. It would be so easy to learn if one part of the coordination is out of the picture early on.
68 Bronco plow truck.But took my test in an underpowered 77 Nova -6/3speed manual.Only point deductions I was given was due to "excessive gear changes" but I informed them the engine was grossly underpowered and not luggable at all.Didnt change his mind though.
I learned on a mid 80's Saab 900. I told my buddy's older bro (his car) that I guaranteed him I could get it down the road and out of the driveway without stalling it (never driven one before in my life) I did what I said I would! I have owned nothing but manual cars since I owned my own first car.
The hardest part of driving stick is KNOWING what to do. Knowing when to shift gears, which gears to shift into, when to downshift, and most importantly, WHY you need to all those gears in the first place.
Teach him about gear ratios and how they affect speed and torque. A 10 speed or 21 speed bicycle is a fantastic way to demonstrate this and will let him feel the difference first-hand. Once he has the concepts down, give him some seat time. The rest is just practice.
When I first learned, I already understood gear ratios and how/when to shift. All I had to do was practice taking off smoothly without stalling. I was a delivery driver for Napa. They made me work at a different store one day a week one summer. The other store of course, had its own trucks, one with a manual. (95 Chevy S10 4 cyl) The manager asked if I could drive stick. I said, "Yeah, no problem." And off I went right into traffic. I stalled it about 7 times that day and made some people behind me frustrated, but by the end of the day, I had it down pretty well.
Teach him about gear ratios and how they affect speed and torque. A 10 speed or 21 speed bicycle is a fantastic way to demonstrate this and will let him feel the difference first-hand. Once he has the concepts down, give him some seat time. The rest is just practice.
When I first learned, I already understood gear ratios and how/when to shift. All I had to do was practice taking off smoothly without stalling. I was a delivery driver for Napa. They made me work at a different store one day a week one summer. The other store of course, had its own trucks, one with a manual. (95 Chevy S10 4 cyl) The manager asked if I could drive stick. I said, "Yeah, no problem." And off I went right into traffic. I stalled it about 7 times that day and made some people behind me frustrated, but by the end of the day, I had it down pretty well.
My aunt taught me on my first car when I was 16, a '64 Bug 4 speed with the anemic 40 HP 1200 cc engine. Learning on a car with a hand emergency brake, and developing the "rhythm" to push on the throttle gently and let out the clutch, and vice-versa, seemed to be the key. Moving on to non-hand-ebrake cars/trucks after starting on a hill is mastered. To this day I still like manuals better in bad weather, and for towing-much better control!
12 speed, 6 forward and 6 reverse farm tractor.
I agree that getting the feel for the clutch is key.
It's hard to really describe it to a person that never drove a stick shift that is why they need to practice a lot. Just be patient and explain that they should concentrate their effort to not stall the engine. Of course if it stalls don’t get mad.
I would also play “red light” scenario or sudden acceleration on the parking lot once they are more comfortable. Let the driver sit in first and you just say “go” at random. This way they will learn to quickly get going, as real world traffic will not sit back and wait for them.
I’ve seen it many times at red lights. The young driver gets distracted, so he/she doesn’t notice the red going to green, and when the car behind honks, they panic and stall the car. Stalled engine induces more panic and usually they stall again.
I agree that getting the feel for the clutch is key.
It's hard to really describe it to a person that never drove a stick shift that is why they need to practice a lot. Just be patient and explain that they should concentrate their effort to not stall the engine. Of course if it stalls don’t get mad.
I would also play “red light” scenario or sudden acceleration on the parking lot once they are more comfortable. Let the driver sit in first and you just say “go” at random. This way they will learn to quickly get going, as real world traffic will not sit back and wait for them.
I’ve seen it many times at red lights. The young driver gets distracted, so he/she doesn’t notice the red going to green, and when the car behind honks, they panic and stall the car. Stalled engine induces more panic and usually they stall again.
I'm Old, so;
1. My father taught me in the mid 50's with my first car, a 49 Chevy, in February. (This is why I don't have problems driving in the snow and ice ).
2. When I teach someone how to drive a manual, I first explain to them that I car is like two different things. First you have the engine and second you have everything else from the transmission back to the bumper. Then I explain that a clutch is nothing but a device that sits between the engine and the transmission, to connect the engine to the rest of the car. The left peddle on the floor is nothing other than the thing that operates the clutch. Once that is understood, then I show them that if an engine is running, and the car is at a standstill, you have to engage that clutch slowly, otherwise the engine will stop. I get them to practice stops and starts. Once they can do that, I then explain to them that once the car is moving, you have to shift to the next higher gear, so the car will go faster while the engine is going slower. First, disconnect the clutch, shift the the next higher gear, then reconnect the clutch. With practice, they get to do the shifting smoother. My wife always had trouble knowing which gear to be in when going around a corner. I told her that there is not one exact gear to be in, because it depends on your speed, and how sharp the corner is, and if she feels the engine is going too slow, to shift into the next lower gear. In time, a "light bulb" will go off in a new manual transmission drivers head, and they will understand how it all works.
The most important thing is that the Clutch connects the engine to the rest of the car.
Although this has nothing to do with all the above, the last two Renault Laguna's I leased on my last two trips to France, had the very best manual transmissions I've ever driven. They were like shifting through butter, unlike the last Manual I owned, a Honda Accord, which would grind when shifting into 2nd, 3rd, or when downshifting into 1st.
1. My father taught me in the mid 50's with my first car, a 49 Chevy, in February. (This is why I don't have problems driving in the snow and ice ).
2. When I teach someone how to drive a manual, I first explain to them that I car is like two different things. First you have the engine and second you have everything else from the transmission back to the bumper. Then I explain that a clutch is nothing but a device that sits between the engine and the transmission, to connect the engine to the rest of the car. The left peddle on the floor is nothing other than the thing that operates the clutch. Once that is understood, then I show them that if an engine is running, and the car is at a standstill, you have to engage that clutch slowly, otherwise the engine will stop. I get them to practice stops and starts. Once they can do that, I then explain to them that once the car is moving, you have to shift to the next higher gear, so the car will go faster while the engine is going slower. First, disconnect the clutch, shift the the next higher gear, then reconnect the clutch. With practice, they get to do the shifting smoother. My wife always had trouble knowing which gear to be in when going around a corner. I told her that there is not one exact gear to be in, because it depends on your speed, and how sharp the corner is, and if she feels the engine is going too slow, to shift into the next lower gear. In time, a "light bulb" will go off in a new manual transmission drivers head, and they will understand how it all works.
The most important thing is that the Clutch connects the engine to the rest of the car.
Although this has nothing to do with all the above, the last two Renault Laguna's I leased on my last two trips to France, had the very best manual transmissions I've ever driven. They were like shifting through butter, unlike the last Manual I owned, a Honda Accord, which would grind when shifting into 2nd, 3rd, or when downshifting into 1st.
I'm still not good at it (had a bit of time to learn, but not enough, and don't own a car with a stick).
However, the first stick car I drove was my boss's 09 Audi S4. I got sent to Wendy's to get some food, and he gave me his car to drive. I stalled it twice on the way there, and most of my takeoffs were pretty rough, but once I was moving, I was fine (even managed to rev-match a couple of downshifts). That thing does have a pretty grabby clutch though, so even when I felt like I was letting it out way too slowly, it was really still too fast.
However, the first stick car I drove was my boss's 09 Audi S4. I got sent to Wendy's to get some food, and he gave me his car to drive. I stalled it twice on the way there, and most of my takeoffs were pretty rough, but once I was moving, I was fine (even managed to rev-match a couple of downshifts). That thing does have a pretty grabby clutch though, so even when I felt like I was letting it out way too slowly, it was really still too fast.
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Ford 8N tractor. non-synchro box...on/off clutch...
Yamaha DT-125 (bought with my earnings from lawnmowing when I was 12), Suzuki RM-125 (an upgrade when I was 14), taught me about powerband and gear ratios...
Car was a piece of cake after those...much easier clutch than the 8N...synchromesh...and a much wider power band than the MX bike...
I had an IT200 as my first manual transmission. It did make switching to a car easy except the odd time I'd try to fan the clutch to hit the "power band"
Cars don't seem to like that very much!
Ford 8N tractor. non-synchro box...on/off clutch...
Yamaha DT-125 (bought with my earnings from lawnmowing when I was 12), Suzuki RM-125 (an upgrade when I was 14), taught me about powerband and gear ratios...
Car was a piece of cake after those...much easier clutch than the 8N...synchromesh...and a much wider power band than the MX bike...
I had an IT200 as my first manual transmission. It did make switching to a car easy except the odd time I'd try to fan the clutch to hit the "power band"
I learned how to drive manual shift in Germany when I visited my grandparents. My grandfather bought me lessons with a local driving instructor, who came over in a nice VW Rabbit. I still remember him saying, "Ganz langsam mit der Kuplung... ja, so ist richtig." ("Let the clutch out slowly, yes, that's right.") That VW was a good car to learn stick on; it had a smooth clutch and although the gearshift was a little balky, the shifts were positive. After that, I didn't drive stick for several years until I bought my first car, a 1978 Honda Civic. It came back quickly, though! Still driving a manual shift car, a 2000 Saturn.
I learned on a late '80's Pontiac Sunbird, no power steering. That was hard. Had to concentrate on two things at once.
I first learned on a McCormick Farmall Cub tractor. Second lesson was on a E150 "conversion" for farm work - chopped the body off behind the cab and welded in a steel deck. The old 300 inline six. Never needed much more than 2nd gear in that work, but its how I learned. It was part of the job... Those made the new Kubota's we got later seem like a cadillac...
I may as well throw in all my manual tranny experience:
The tow truck: a few runs here and there in mid 70s.
'63 Chevy Biscayne column shifted 3-speed 1977
'77 F150 column shifted 3-speed '77-84
'84 F150 floor shifted 4-speed '84-'99
'80s F350 dump truck 4-speed driven on job occasionally in late 80s
'95 F150 floor shifted 5-speed '99-'11
'01 Ranger floor shifted 5-speed '11 to present
The '77 F150 had fully mechanical clutch linkage.
The tow truck: a few runs here and there in mid 70s.
'63 Chevy Biscayne column shifted 3-speed 1977
'77 F150 column shifted 3-speed '77-84
'84 F150 floor shifted 4-speed '84-'99
'80s F350 dump truck 4-speed driven on job occasionally in late 80s
'95 F150 floor shifted 5-speed '99-'11
'01 Ranger floor shifted 5-speed '11 to present
The '77 F150 had fully mechanical clutch linkage.
I was given the keys to the '63 Chevy (C-50?) trash truck with a four on the floor (first was the creeper) and told to make the rounds, pick up the trash barrels, and take them to the dump.
Or, I was given the keys to the '65 Econoline (engine was between the seats) with a three on the tree and told to make the rounds of the car washes and dig out any pits that were full of muck.
Can't remember which was first - the Chevy or the Econoline, but the learning curve was pretty short - a few stalls and that was about it. Taught a few girlfriends in college, and a wife and daughter. Not a big deal.
It always amuses me that some people think driving a little econobox with a tiny four banger, synchronized tranny, and tiny clutch is some kind of big skill. They should try driving something unsynchronized.
Or, I was given the keys to the '65 Econoline (engine was between the seats) with a three on the tree and told to make the rounds of the car washes and dig out any pits that were full of muck.
Can't remember which was first - the Chevy or the Econoline, but the learning curve was pretty short - a few stalls and that was about it. Taught a few girlfriends in college, and a wife and daughter. Not a big deal.
It always amuses me that some people think driving a little econobox with a tiny four banger, synchronized tranny, and tiny clutch is some kind of big skill. They should try driving something unsynchronized.
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
... and hopefully some of the funny (not funny at the time of course) things that happened while you were learning.
Oh, I left the Econoline in neutral, didn't set the brake, and got out and left the door open. When it rolled off backwards the door naturally struck an object and broke clean off the van.
It was held on by two hinges and a canvas strap, so the hinges were welded back together, a new canvas strap was made, and it was pretty much good as new.
I still set the parking brake on EVERYTHING now.
... and hopefully some of the funny (not funny at the time of course) things that happened while you were learning.
Oh, I left the Econoline in neutral, didn't set the brake, and got out and left the door open. When it rolled off backwards the door naturally struck an object and broke clean off the van.
It was held on by two hinges and a canvas strap, so the hinges were welded back together, a new canvas strap was made, and it was pretty much good as new.
I still set the parking brake on EVERYTHING now.
Too late to edit, but IIRC, the Econoline clutch and brake pedals depressed directly into the floor of the vehicle, but the Chevy had a conventional pedal that hung from the dash. I think. Haven't thought about it since 1975 or so.
Both were heaps, but I liked the Econoline better.
Both were heaps, but I liked the Econoline better.
When I was about twelve I started hanging around the guys up the street who raced a stock car at the local circle track. One day when I was about thirteen, I rode with the driver out to the track to visit the owner. When we were nearly ready to leave, my friend tossed me the keys to his early fifties Ford pickup and told me to go get it. I was in a huge parking lot, no one was watching. Yes, I stalled it a couple of times, but I got the job done.
- Status
Similar threads
