Has anyone here attempted/learned how to clutchless shift a 5spd or 6spd max? I've heard its possible on any manual tranny, but I've never seen it mentioned on the org. Thanks.

 

Sure...just match the revs. But why?
Jae

 

it seems like it would be pretty difficult without grinding the gears. How large of a window do you have to get the car into gear? 200 rpms? 300 rpm? or do you have to have it perfectly matched? and as to why, I am wondering that myself. Are there any advantages? is it faster than using the clutch? I was just curious.

 

it's really tiny. I can't always do it...just based on feel after u get to know your car. I'd say I can do it 30% of the time I want to.

I've been told that the clutch is there for a reason...and it's cheaper to replace a clutch than tranny internals.

Jae

 

yeah i think you're right about the costs. so you don't know of any advantage to using this technique (other than the "Hey that's neat!" factor)?

 

i could never impress a girl doing that. I've tried 3x...they were "ho hum"
Jae

 

I have found that I have smoother shifts most of the time if I take the car into neutral without using the clutch and then use the clutch to get into the next gear. It may just be that the shift is executed slower that makes it seem smoother. who knows

 

About last October there was a thread "Shifting without the clutch???" [edit - in the 5th gen forum] that you might want to look through if it's still available.

My opinion is that it's a useful skill to have, but only for such times when the clutch is inop for one reason or another and you absolutely need to keep going (been there, had to do that, just not in the Max). And I'll also note that sudden clutch operation failure is far more likely with either mechanical linkage (pushrods can fall out of the fork) or cable mechanisms (cables tend to break at the ball on the clutch pedal end) than with hydraulic actuation. IOW, you can expect some warning before it goes away completely.

Mostly, it takes some "feel" to go along with the knowledge that you have to match revs for the new gear at whatever road speed to make clutchless shifting work. Some people pick this up right away, others never do.

Norm

 

Norm, what's it mean when the shifter can be shifted into neutral easily. On my 97, it takes a lotta force to get it out. In my 93, it's super simple. In my 2k, it's medium...and in my friend's 2003 Tiburon 5sp, it's super easy (i knock it out when changing radio stations!)

Jae

 

I've also notice different gears are harder to shift to neutral namely 1st and 2nd. They don't seem to want to come out of gear without the clutch in even if you are off the gas and not slowing down. I haven't forced the issue in those to gears for fear of hurting something.

 

I searched for that thread in the test site and couldn't find it, Oh well, no big deal.

 

I'd guess that the detail design and overall condition of the synchro mechanisms would be primarily responsible. Other things probably include differences in the leverage that the shifting forks have, amounts of friction and/or binding present, deflections in the shifting mechanism, etc.

j2k15spd - 1st and 2nd share the same fork and hub in most transmission designs.
Disclaimer: I have not torn down my '01 nor do I have the service manual for it, but I doubt that the tranny is of a tremendously different design from the '87 that I did rebuild or the tranny in the Mazda 626 (that service manual was handy).

On edit, engaging/disengaging the synchros is tied to the rpm's of the mainshaft and countershaft (secondary shaft), not road speed. 1st and 2nd involve far greater rpm's per mph, so there may well be some friction load applied to the synchros that you don't feel as deceleration/acceleration that still interferes with their easy motion. Hit the perfect engine rpm and "no load" point just right with your gear lever motion and it should go right into neutral. Don't "cram" it out of gear or you might well go too far and catch the gear that's across the neutral line and graunch that one up.

Norm

 

mine is horribly hard to get out of gear when I'm on/off the gas. I've also found it almost impossible to shift without the clutch on this car. I used to drive all day long in my old mitsu truck and never miss a clutchless shift.. with the Maxima, I have yet to hit more than two in a row.


anyway.... as for popping it out of gear without the clutch, (like when I'm coasting to a stop light in 3rd or 4th), I just blip the gas while I'm gently pushing the shifter out of gear. pops right out with no fight and no clutch.

 

Yeah, I only have problems getting it out of 1st and second, it seems like the "no load" point is harder to find in those gears, it requires rolling off the gas pedal to find the right spot. At lower RPMs in 1 & 2 its easy, but once you get above 2500RPM I can't find the "no load" point to get it into neutral without the clutch.

 

Ok, just for the hell of it, I did clutchless shifts again today. 1st gear, up to 3k, level the gas and pulled the shifter out...applied slight pressure till it fell into 2nd, but i forgot about engine braking!!! Car slowed and I aplied gas.

went up to 3k again, level gas, pull out...applied minimal gas and popped into 3rd smooth.

But I'm not doing it again. Kinda lame. But nice to kno, I can hit 2nd and 3rd now. Heh.

Jae

 

I drove a Lancer OZ over the weekend (the non-turbo version unfortunately) and was able clutchless shift through all the gears effortlessly. I still have problems with the Max, I guess some transmissions are easier than others