nismos14

iTrader: (56)

how can i get smooth shifts 1) from a start? 2) between 1st and 2nd, i try to shift at 2k, is that too low? 3) between 2nd and 3rd, just want to know how to shift smoothly in all those situations

TIA

endus

iTrader: (1)

Use the clutch.

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

duh, so yea anyone else?

cantgofast

use the clutch like youre supposed to

Dave B

It's pretty much impossible. The clutch in the 95+ Maximas has a quick and inconsistent take-up which makes getting off the line smoothly nearly impossible. Same goes for the 1-2 shift. At the drag strip, I love the setup, but on the street it can get annoying. I could get off the line and shift much smoother in my buddies 90 LX 5.0 Mustang with a heavy-duty clutch.

Nearly every magaizine article written about the 5 speed 4th gen makes a note about how hard it is to get the car off smoothly.


Dave

tomj

Practice, practice, practice. It took me a couple of months to get it pretty good and maybe a year to do it perfectly(from a stop that is). Now it is second nature.

MrEous

iTrader: (11)

Just hold the clutch halfway in and give it a hell of a lot of gas...




...just kidding...

I was noticing the other day this same thing, it is pretty difficult.

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

ahh see i've kept trying the past month and never get it smooth and its just sucky, i thought i was doin something wrong the whole time, glad im not the only one, do u guys come off the clutch slowly when shifting into other gears? so as to not jerk? i think thats the best way to shift from 1st and up

djshawnee

iTrader: (2)

this way works pretty smoothly for me, except i am letting off the clutch while on the way to giving a lot of gas..... i can get it to shift pretty smoothly even in 2nd if i give it a little gas when the clutch is halfway out, then slowly give more gas as letting off the clutch. this probably seems pretty simple to a lot of people...... but i can get it pretty smoothly (some jolts here and there, but mostly good).

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

when i do that i get this loud almost grinding sound...... yeah i know its bad lol..... dunnno what it is tho

Dev

iTrader: (5)

what are you guys talking about?
its not that hard to come off the line smoothly.
i've been in a couple other 4th gens and we launch smooth.

for shifting, if you do it properly and rev-match precisely, then the shift will be very smooth.

for the majority of the time, my shifts are smooth with the odd jerk.
i find it easier to drive smooth when accelerating moderately, rather than hard.

greenmax95se

iTrader: (4)

holding the clutch in half way and then releasing slowly gives me a nice smooth shift, does that burn my clutch?

Mad Dhan

not burn, but will casue premature wear. At whar RPM do you guys shift at when going from 1-2-3? Maybe that might be the casue of rough take-offs.....

Dev

iTrader: (5)

as stated above, it will put unnecessary wear on the clutch.
i shift at different RPM's based on the kind of acceleration i want.
but regardless of rpm, it is possible to make all shifts smooth.

if you guys rev-match properly, you can come off the clutch fast, and it will be at the correct rpm for the next gear, so there won't be any jerk or extra clutch wear.

i come off the clutch fast to reduce wear, and there is usually no jerk. every now and then it'll happen from not rev-matching properly tho. when you shift, look at the rpm you shift at, and where the needle lands after the shift. if its not in the same place, then the engine is spinning too fast or too slow for the speed of the transmission, which will make the clutch bring the engine up to speed resulting in a jerk in the car.

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

i shift at 2.5 k from 1 - 2, 2 k from 2 - 3

96BLUMAX

iTrader: (3)

From a stop let out the clutch slow. In between 2nd and 3rd just let it out pretty fast and give it a little gas until it catches. The rest are the same as 2nd-3rd just give it less and less gas. Then it should be smooth and connected.

NismoVQ

When shifting make sure you dont take too long to shift and release the clutch or the rpm will drop too low to rev match for the next gear. That way, you dont have to release the clutch slowly to shift smoothly.

Juki5536

iTrader: (1)

I'm still new, so I let off my clutch slowly. I drop the clutch at around 1.5k RPM in first, and it catches at 1K. Then its 3K every other gear. Gas is getting expensive. What's it called when you let off the clutch slowly, and still on the clutch when u give gas. I know it causes premature wear, but I'm gonna get an ACT soon (hopefully) and its smooth.

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

i usually let the clutch pull me off the line sometimes givving a TINY bit of gas to get to 1.5 k or 1k 1 k is almost impossible for me to get to i dunno why, throttle cable too tight? lol, 1st gears to about 3 k but other wise i shift 2 - 2.5k in every other gear

BOZOnPJs

depress the clutch half way or just as long as it engages..it will give you a smooth shift. The premature wear theory is BS, because you're not opening the pressure plate all the way. It would make more sense that the clutch is going to last longer.. it's common sense.
i've been using this method for 13 years on 3 different cars, and i never had to replace a clutch. 120K + miles on each clutch.

but then again... to each his own.. go figure.

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

so do you do this on all ur shifts? between gears and coming off the line? i've been doing it to get smooth shifts, and it sorks

endus

iTrader: (1)

FYI (kind of offtopic but) check out this site that describes how a 5 speed works. I knew the basic deal (clutch synchros, etc.) but modern 5 speeds are a little less simple than I think a lot of people think they are.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm

Here's one for the clutch...

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm

I think there's one for those slushboxes too...but who would care about that?

djshawnee

iTrader: (2)

so you are saying its OK to keep the clutch in halfway and slowly let out to get smooth shifts? I don't know how else to launch smoothly, other than giving it gas while the clutch is in too..... isn't that what you are supposed to do? How would you rev-match in 1st from a stop? you can't, the engine would have to stop (stall)...... so how do you not cause clutch wear? am i totally off in my thinking?

Dev

iTrader: (5)

the premature wear theory is not BS.
letting out the clutch slowly works for you because you rev-match properly. the other people are talking about letting out the clutch slowly, so that it slips to get the engine up to the speed of the transmission. if they are at the same speed (revs are matched) then there is no clutch wear and it doesn't matter how fast you let off the clutch, the shift will be smooth.

djshawnee, from a stop, you have to let the clutch slip, but its at such low rpms that it doesn't do damage. i launch at 1k rpm and stay on the clutch for about 1 second at the engagement point, then release.

nismos14, when you rev the engine just a bit, it will go to like 1.4k rpm on its own. to launch at a lower rpm, start coming off the clutch before the rev's go that high. i used to blip the throttle to get the rev's up, and then come off the clutch when launching. now i come off the clutch as i give gas. this way i launch at 1k rpm and im off the clutch before the rev's go any higher.

MyGray96SE

iTrader: (3)

Keep practicing. But if you feel that you aren't making any improvement, it may be a simple problem.

I had the rough shifting problem for a while with my 96. I've been driving manual transmissions for 17 years (cars, trucks, dump-trucks) and I was having a heck of a time getting smooth shifts.

The problem ended up being air in the clutch line. It had the original fluid in it and it looked like poop. So, I figured that it's hydraulic like my breaks so, it should be changed. Anyhow, I had the dealer change the fluid and bleed the line (twice, second time at their expense) and it's been smooth ever since. It can be a bit of a pain in the **** but you can do it yourself.

Here's a how to from the org.

There's nothing like a 5-speed on a country road on a summer evening. No radio, just listening to the hum of the VQ, the tires digging in on corners... sorry, got a little lost there!

Juki5536

iTrader: (1)

I never depress halfway, *heard* its bad for the clutch. Ride it baby, ride the clutch!!!

TDowg1

OK Here is what you do...

Start out on a road and shift like you normally would up through all five gears. Now STOP. OK, now you need to approximate the speed at which you let the clutch pedal out (I didn't say go yet). Now starting on the road again and remembering the original speed of clutch engagement, release the clutch THIS TIME, A LOT slower. Hey, it's smoother isn't it? Well if it isn't then you messed up.

Just a general rule for all manual transmissions... MINIMIZE the amount of time the clutch pedal is pressed down and depressed.
Unless you like buying new clutch's every other year.

Dev

iTrader: (5)

if you rev match properly, the shift will be smooth if you come off the clutch slow or fast.
if its smooth when you come off slow and not smooth when you come off the clutch fast, that just means the revs aren't matching the next gear.
it takes time to rev match properly...but when you get it, you can shift fast or slow, and it will be smooth, other than the pause in acceleration during the shift.

nismos14

iTrader: (56)

im learnin how to rev match now its going well i guess, now what do u do when u wanna get up and go real fast...? like race someone or somethin