Quote:
Originally Posted by roadburn
I know it sounds like "Be the ball" from "Caddyshack," but the best advice is to really pay attention and get in tune with what your engine and transmission are doing at any given moment, and just help them harmonize.
It's easier to do than to explain how to do it.
Don't follow mapped-out steps like you're in a ballroom-dance class; just get a feel for engine rpms and gear ranges at various speeds. It's like learning scales in music; once you get the feel for it, it seems natural, even beautiful, to make things mesh.
"There's only one reason for an automatic transmission," an old mechanic once told me, "and that's if you want to drag-race people without putting gown your beer." Otherwise, the symphony of the synchros is just too nice to pass up.
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When you get really really good at it, you shouldn't even need to use your clutch. In theory, you can change gears simply by matching egine revs. However, don't try this under acceleration or deceleration unless you know what you are doing.