Manual Transmissions: A Primer

    While every new Ferrari comes today with a transmission that is filled with Formula One technology, there are still a lot of manual transmission cars out there and I was thinking that many of us may need a refresher on the care and feeding of a shift-it-yourself gear box.

    The mechanical bits need some description so what follows makes more sense. The “clutch” is really a thing made up of a fly wheel, a pressure plate, a clutch disk and a mechanical thing called a throw-out bearing.

    How this all works is really simple. When you press the clutch pedal, you “disconnect” momentarily the engine from the transmission.

    That happens because the throw-out bearing pushes on the pressure plate. This pulls the pressure plate away from the clutch disk, so it isn’t clamped against the flywheel – that flywheel is connected to the crankshaft and is spinning whenever the engine is running.

    When you let up on the clutch pedal, the springs in the pressure plate clamp the clutch disk against the flywheel and the power from the engine gets sent to the transmission. Easy peasy!

    My bona fides in this area are based on the fact that I have not owned a car with a “slush box” since 1968. In that time, I have never replaced a clutch for wear.

    Several of my vehicles have reached over 150,000 miles with the original clutch working just fine. Fortunately, when I bought my first VW, I was taught by my first mechanic and friend, Joe Hein, his rules for proper manual transmission use.

    First rule, at the traffic light, the transmission must be in neutral, and your left foot … completely off the clutch pedal. Some people (ignorantly) sit at traffic at a light in first gear and the clutch pressed. That is a recipe for a shorter clutch and throw-out bearing life.

    Second rule, keep your foot off the clutch pedal while driving and only press the clutch pedal when you have to shift up or down.

    Yes, the temptation to rest your left foot on the clutch pedal is strong … you want to be ready for a quick gear change! But for the best service life of your clutch components, I urge you to resist the temptation.

    Even a slight bit of pressure on the clutch pedal puts some stress on the throw-out bearing and can cause slippage. That slippage will lead to premature clutch wear.

    Third rule, when you are driving, do not rest your right hand on the shifter. I know, you have seen all the cool guys driving with one hand on the wheel and one on the shifter. They may be cool, but they are ignorant of how manual transmissions work.

    Resting your hand on the shifter can put pressure on the gears and delicate parts called “synchros” or synchronizers.

    A synchronizer is a ring placed between the driving gear and an internal part called a synchronizer hub. These relatively soft rings act, through friction, to equalize the speeds of the main transmission shaft and the desired drive gear.

    All of this technical magic help mesh the gears more smoothly during up shifts and, more importantly, during down shifts. Without these vital bits, gears will grind.

    Before the invention of “synchro-mesh” technology, manual transmissions were called “crash boxes” because of the grinding sounds made by drivers uneducated in the mysteries of mastering their technology.

    Ok, there won’t be a quiz on how synchromesh transmissions work. Just remember to keep your hand off the shifter until you have to actually make a shift.

    Final thoughts – If you are a little rusty on how to start up without stalling, join the club. Overcoming inertia is the reason moving a manual transmission automobile forward is a bit of a challenge.

    Newton told us that a body at rest tends to stay at rest so you will need practice to overcome inertia. The famous Skip Barber Racing School teaches a simple method to develop the muscle memory to learn how to start from a complete stop.

    Step one – Put your car on level ground with a fully warmed up motor.

    Step two – Put your right foot flat on the floor … do not touch the gas pedal.

    Step three – Press the clutch pedal full and shift into first gear.

    Step four – GENTLY lift your left foot up as slowly as you can. If you do it gently enough, the car will roll forward. If not, the engine will stall.

    Step five – Repeat step four as any times as needed until you can consistently get the car to roll forward in first without stalling. This will train your muscles on how to properly get going from a dead stop.

    Once underway, watch the tachometer for your shift points. Press the pedal fully first, engage the next higher gear and immediately take your left foot off the clutch.

    For a downshift, you will need to slow down before going down one gear. Brake, press the clutch pedal, shift down to the next lower gear and, as before, take your left foot off the clutch pedal.

    Expertly driving a manual transmission car on a twisty, exciting road is a joy. Matching the gears to the undulations of the road while driving your Ferrari briskly is why you bought one of these great cars. Don’t be afraid to try one of driving’s greatest pleasures…

 

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    Dom’s lesson of how to learn to drive a manual transmission automobile is accurate. I personally have taught many young (and older) people how to drive.

    Manual transmission basics should be taught to everybody. My daughter, when learning how to drive, had to master the manual shift.

    When this skill is learned it doesn’t matter what the vehicles is: car, tractor, eighteen-wheeler, they all work the same.

    The only thing I could add is once you have mastered the take-off you should then refine your technique to be able to use minimal throttle to get moving and then let the clutch out completely.

    Slipping the clutch WILL shorten the life and cost $$$. Always try to keep the slip time to a minimum.    J.W.