Shifting directly from 1st to 3rd

[gregstinson]

I agree with the 3rd and 4th gears being the most fun. If you rip all way with 5th as well, you'll hit 90 in the blink of an eye and one ticket will probably keep you from doing that again.

 

[60181]

I agree. I've had manuals before and the MS3 is a picky little car about shifting. It's taken me a couple weeks to really find the sweet spots but now it's habit on how to shift. My only complaint is that under WOT, 3rd and 5th are sometimes hard to engage. Hopefully a MM will fix that.

Tranny wise, I often go from 2 to 4 or from 4 to 6. depends on what the speed limit is and where I'm at come that point. Most of the roads around me are 45mph, so going from 2 to 4 is common. If the road is wide open, I'll loaf her along in 5 or 6 at that point. Freeway I'll often merge a bit of spirit in 4 and then go to 6.

Hell, IMO I think she needs a 7th gear to get the rpms down below 2k on the freeway. Would dramatically reduce noise and boost mpgs too.

Something to think about. I have driven sticks for 30 years and have found the speed 3 to be the trickiest so far. The clutch is pretty much an on/off clutch. The Probe GT I had before was very smooth but the clutch would slip if you tried to carry too many RPM's into the next gear.

My Speed 3 smoothed out alot when I added the Forge BPV. The boost does not drop off and then kick back on like the stock bpv did, causing alot of head jerking. It was a dramatic difference.

 

[StealthWyvern]

Hell, IMO I think she needs a 7th gear to get the rpms down below 2k on the freeway. Would dramatically reduce noise and boost mpgs too.

Just curious what are the rpms like at 70mph? I know in my msp its around 3.2k roughly at 70.

 

[LukeP]

@ 65 mph I get 2500 rpms
@ 70 mph I get 2750 rpms
@ 75 mph I get just under 3000

However the trip computer gives me about the same mileage for all those speeds, so I think the DISI frowns more on engine load than RPM below 3000 rpm.

Although any faster and the engine load increases from wind resistance so my theory could still apply.

 

[F430TECH]

Should I even try to talk about hell and toe downshifting in this thread? This car is almost as nice to heel and toe as the Speed Protege was but not quite...

When you can go UP through the gears AND DOWN through the gears without anybodies head rocking around you know your driving smooth...I always watch out of the corner or my eye to see how much head movement my passengers have...they dont have a sterring wheel to hold on to and it makes a big difference...

 

[tiagotiago]

When you can go UP through the gears AND DOWN through the gears without anybodies head rocking around you know your driving smooth...I always watch out of the corner or my eye to see how much head movement my passengers have...they dont have a sterring wheel to hold on to and it makes a big difference...

+1 Watching/listening to passengers is a great way to know if you're doing good or bad. Besides watching their heads, if they're talking and never stop talking that means they didn't feel anything unexpected, and means you're doing things smoothly (general driving, not only shifting). If you're driving fast and they don't notice it, then you're doing really good.

And I don't know if the OP wants/is comfortable enough with his tranny to hear about heel toe. I wonder how he's doing with his shifts?

 

[coololddude]

if 1st to 2nd gives you fits, dont try 2nd to 3rd during a race!! lol!

 

[phillyb]

heel and toe is a completely new thread. let's keep this one on topic.
i skip gears going up. only coming down

 

[714ms3]

I was always told to take the car through the gears in natural progression, and that skipping gears can be bad for the synchros: is this true?

 

[F430TECH]

If you're driving fast and they don't notice it, then you're doing really good.

Kind of hard for them to NOT notice when you whomp on it in a Speed 3 (burnout)(headbang)

My dad races bikes he has two 1980 TZ750's that he races in a forgotten era class..

Thats a 750cc Two Stroke...oh and he has a Skyline R33 GT-s too over in Scotland. I took him for a ride in the Speed 3...gave him a quick squirt in second and third...he says...

"Thats a good way to get arrested in H-town"

I Say...

"If I can't show my dad what my new car can do whats the point?"

He just smiled and nodded...I love my dad...

 

[robin2660]

The time for me to skip a gear is if I have accelerated quickly for some reason (usually merging into traffic), which means higher rpms, and I would be going into the next higher gear anyway. For example, 4th gear will get you up to highway speed quickly and then it's 6th gear for cruising, unless you anticipate acceleration.

I can't see how it could be harmful to the car.

 

[F430TECH]

I installed Corksport Inserts tonight...and love it...I am a smooth driver and this is just icing on the cake...