shifting gears

[twitchy]

I drive a couple different cars from day to day decides my own.

My dad has a honda civic si which i use once in a while and it has led me to ask this question.

On his car, I can shift gears very quickly when I want to, sometimes even fast enough to chirp the tires into second gear. Whenever I (stoplight) race someone in that car, I can really slam through the gears quite fast

same with any other car almost

Now I get into mine, and the once in a blue moon I do race someone It seems way harder to shift fast, let alone squack second gear. But my shifter is smooth as glass and very precise. I just plain cant shift it very fast.

Anyone know whats goin on? Yes I know its bad for the synchros and gears and all that but is it just my driving or does the 240 not like to be "slammed" through the gears?

Any tips?

[Dousan_PG]

you can chirp/launch great on 240sx. its about the driver. i do it with easy w/ the stock KA and fm901s....but i also have a CA18DET gear ratio.......

so this means:
you have to take into consideration

gearing tires clutch etc..

variety of factors.

[mrmephistopheles]

Originally posted by dousan36
but i also have a CA18DET gear ratio.......

Hahaha what'd you do, swap bellhousings?

[theronin]

I have no trouble chirping second if i want to! stock ka, vlsd and proxes in the rear! Isht once in the rain i even chirped 3rd lol!:rolleyes:

[Dousan_PG]

oops
sorry i meant final gear (diff)
:p

me type no think fast.

[twitchy]

lets say mine is stock, and it is. I dont have any special tires that are very grippy or anything (radial TA by BFG)

so lets say your drag racing (which I like to do every so often)

I seem to have an edge except for the shifting. Do you lift your foot from the gas when you shift or not? (ie when your giving it all hell)

any tips you can think of would be great. Im running a buddy tonight (if it stops raining) and I need every little bit of shifting help I can get.

I have driven standard since I was about 13, but havent had much luck doing it very fast on my own car.

[twitchy]

could not chirping be a side effect of a worn out clutch (ie not biting hard enough?)

[mrmephistopheles]

Originally posted by dousan36
oops
sorry i meant final gear (diff)
:p

me type no think fast.
ahhhh you silly post whore! :D :D :D

[masta]

Yeah I shift very fast too, but everytime I do, the shifter sort of "bites" back and is not smooth like the higher gears. Is this bad?

[RanciD]

Generally you would let off the gas while shifting. Staying on during the shift is called power shifting I believe and isn't very good for anything. The split second you push in the clutch you're just going to start revving right past redline and making your clutch try to catch when the flywheel is spinning so much faster is not any good for it. I do believe it IS faster though, but I'm not sure. I've personally never done it nor do I intend to start. I'm having trouble understanding exactly what you mean.

Do you mean that it takes you longer to physically move the stick from gear to gear? Perhaps you should invest in one a short throw shifter if this is the problem. If you're having trouble actually pushing it into gear then it's a problem with your synchros and continuing to drive like that is not going to help any..

[ISTOTOSAO]

I have an sr in a '89 coupe I have no problem with shifting fast. and with 195/65 hard rubber tires I can chirp them into 4th. maybe you should check out your synchros?

[kandyflip445]

I have a completely stock s13 cept for a K&N filter. I can chirp the tires into second EASY. I don't have sticky tires either. I have Eagle GTII's w/a wear rating of like 420-80 or something like that. I let off of the gas the same time i'm pushing in the clutch and I shift at the same time. Then when i got it in gear I let go of the clutch completely and slam the gas. It's pretty easy if you think about it. Just practice.....unless you hear grinding...then just stop...:D

[Andrew Bohan]

with crappy 3/4 bald goodyears i can chirp 3rd.
i also have an ACT street clultch :D

[S13Grl]

Maybe your car's just too slow... :-D

[Dousan_PG]

Maybe it's the driver... :-D

[logo20]

I think he's talking about throtle response since he said his shifting is smooth and precise.
the stock 240sx is very slow in straight line unless you have vlsd or lsd for more grip and some mods for better response.

[nrcooled]

This is funny!:D I have a hard time keeping traction in second...third gear:p

My KA was stock for a very long time and I had no trouble chirping into second. You just have to hit it hard and dump the clutch (i.e. no slipping)

Maybe your clutch is on it's last leg?:confused:

[neo]

All cars will feel different.
Even the same model car- the clutch pedal engagement might be in different spots as well the wear on clutches are different- and tire grip/condtitions and other factors.
Are you speed shifting or power shifting? Do you know what those are?

[240SxTYLE]

Yeah I shift very fast too, but everytime I do, the shifter sort of "bites" back and is not smooth like the higher gears. Is this bad?

actually i have the same problem... and im pretty sure its a sign of your syncro going bad.

i have no problem shifting fast. i think it depends on the driver :D .... but chirping is actually you losing traction so if your racing someone try to find the peak point you can shift at before chirping

[neo]

chirp is good.
chirp chirp not good.

[SilviaSR20DET]

I have the exact same question about shifting in a 240sx compared to other cars. The gear box is very long compared to alot of cars ive driven but with the right timing on clutch and shifting will make a huge difference. What i figured out is that the 240sx clutch doesnt grab as hard as some other cars so you have to let out the clutch a little slower and put more gas before the clutch fully engages. Everytime i let out the clutch to fast it makes this "thump!" sound but now i get the way the shifting goes in my car. Its kinda hard to explain in words but i hope this gives you an idea to start with.

[twitchy]

Originally posted by RanciD
Generally you would let off the gas while shifting. Staying on during the shift is called power shifting I believe and isn't very good for anything. The split second you push in the clutch you're just going to start revving right past redline and making your clutch try to catch when the flywheel is spinning so much faster is not any good for it. I do believe it IS faster though, but I'm not sure. I've personally never done it nor do I intend to start. I'm having trouble understanding exactly what you mean.

Do you mean that it takes you longer to physically move the stick from gear to gear? Perhaps you should invest in one a short throw shifter if this is the problem. If you're having trouble actually pushing it into gear then it's a problem with your synchros and continuing to drive like that is not going to help any..

yes yes, compared to some cars mine seems to "hang on" to the gears harder, like it seems to be doing something inside to try and slow me down between each one. When the engine is off and I do it, it works fine. Get the car running and its a whole lot harder

Im going to go practice since i need new tires soon and I am looking at a new clutch in the next year or so anyhow