stick-shift...PLEASE help!!

hey, i want to learn how to drive a stick-shift. I know how to shift and all that, like clutch in and gas out..shift..then let the clutch back in slowly. But I have a few questions.

When you do what I mentioned above, and let the clutch back in slowly, do you give it a little gas while you're doing it?

What makes the car stall? and how do you prevent it from stalling?

When you start to move from a stop and the car is in neutral, what do you do?

Can you stop for a stop sign or a red light while still in 1st gear?

If you're crusing along in 3rd gear, and you see a stop sign or a red light ahead, what do you do? (do you shift into neutral, or whatever)

If you're going in 3rd or 4th gear, and you see a big turn ahead, what d oyou do? could you just step on the break a little? if you do that, do you have to shift down a gear after or before the turn?


Sorry if these are stupid questions.

Thanks for all your time.

No, these aren't stupid questions at all. I'll explain best I can.

1. When you do what I mentioned above, and let the clutch back in slowly, do you give it a little gas while you're doing it?

Simply put, yes. As you let out the clutch you want to give it more and more gas to prevent from stalling the car. Do it nice and smooth to keep from bogging the engine. It will take you some experimentation to find the best rate of pushing the gas plus rate or releasing the clutch.

2. What makes the car stall? and how do you prevent it from stalling?

Letting the clutch out too fast without applying enough gas to the engine. I guess I explained that it the above question.

3. When you start to move from a stop and the car is in neutral, what do you do?

I rarely have the in neutral at a stop. I'll explain this in the next question.

4. Can you stop for a stop sign or a red light while still in 1st gear?

Yes, the best thing for your clutch is to push in the clutch pedal and apply the brake. Once you come to a stop shift the car into first. Once it is your turn to go accelerate as mentioned above. It is better this way because every time you release the clutch pedal it makes contact with the flywheel causing wear. Wear in the clutch is inevitable, but the less you release the pedal the longer the clutch will last.

5. If you're crusing along in 3rd gear, and you see a stop sign or a red light ahead, what do you do? (do you shift into neutral, or whatever)

I simply push the clutch and apply the brakes. I then shift into first.

6. If you're going in 3rd or 4th gear, and you see a big turn ahead, what d oyou do? could you just step on the break a little? if you do that, do you have to shift down a gear after or before the turn?

Well this all depends. If you just go around the turn and apply the brakes if you go to slow you may bog the engine and stall it. What I do when going around turns, I slow down, push in the clutch while still slowing, then shift into second or first depending on how sharp the turn is, I then slowly release the clutch and re-accelerate.

If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

I'm the one who posted the first post here, but for some reason it wrote my username as yahoog20...not sure why.

Anyways, thanks a lot for your help.

But I have some more questions that confuses me...
Could you explain what makes a car stall, and what ways I could prevent it from stalling.
Also, how long could I press in the clutch pedal for? And if I hold in the clutch pedal for a long time, would there be any long term damage on any part of the car?
Could I hold in the clutch pedal for the whole length of a red light? (like if i'm going in 3rd gear, and I see a green light turn red..could I just start to press on the brakes, press in the clutch, come to a stop, shift into first while still pressing on the clutch and brakes...and when the light turns green, give it a little gas while letting off the clutch slowly)

I hope that made sense.

Thanks a lot for your time, and all your help so far.

I'm the one who posted the first post here, but for some reason it wrote my username as yahoog20...not sure why.

Anyways, thanks a lot for your help.

But I have some more questions that confuses me...
Could you explain to me what makes a car stall, like does the engine not make enough force to make it go forward or something? And explain what people do that makes the car stall, and how to prevent this?
Also, how long could I press in the clutch pedal for? And if I hold in the clutch pedal for a long time, would there be any long term damage on any part of the car?
Could I hold in the clutch pedal for the whole length of a red light? (like if i'm going in 3rd gear, and I see a green light turn red..could I just start to press on the brakes, press in the clutch, come to a stop, shift into first while still pressing on the clutch and brakes...and when the light turns green, give it a little gas while letting off the clutch slowly)

I hope that made sense.

Thanks a lot for your time, and all your help so far.

oops, posted twice by mistake

No problem.

1. Could you explain what makes a car stall, and what ways I could prevent it from stalling.

The car may stall because you are letting out the clutch too fast without applying the gas pedal enough. The engine just isn't getting enough gas to propel the piston back down so the car stalls. To prevent this play around and see how much gas to give the car as you release the clutch.

2. Also, how long could I press in the clutch pedal for? And if I hold in the clutch pedal for a long time, would there be any long term damage on any part of the car?

As long as your foot can hold it. No, holding the clutch in will not damage your car. Read on for more details.

3. Could I hold in the clutch pedal for the whole length of a red light? (like if i'm going in 3rd gear, and I see a green light turn red..could I just start to press on the brakes, press in the clutch, come to a stop, shift into first while still pressing on the clutch and brakes...and when the light turns green, give it a little gas while letting off the clutch slowly)

That is exactly what you need to do. That is the best way to handle it. That way is better for the clutch because when you let out the clutch it makes contact with the flywheel, weather it is in gear or not, this causes wear which is inevitable. If you hold the clutch in at the light as you described it will proling the life of your clutch.

just one note... you can cause damage by riding your clutch. if you're going to keep your clutch pedal pressed down, make sure it is ALL THE WAY down...

These articles will help you to better understand what is happening when you switch gears. Theu make it very easy to understand.

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

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

To sum things up, when you apply the clutch you are disenaging the engine from the transmission, so their is no resistance to the engine. Since you now are not applying gas the engine is at idle and is getting very little power. So if you do not apply gas and put it in gear, the engine all of a sudden gets the resistance of the tranny and the wheels. Since the engine is not getting enough gas (and power) to turn anymore, it stalls.

And to sum it all up... there's only one way to learn how to drive stick, go do it. It's like sex, the first few times are a bit awkward and somewhat mechanical, but once you get the hang of it there's nothing better.

I wouldn't hold the clutch down for extended periods of time. It will wear the clutch throw out bearing faster and push on the crank shaft. Just push the clutch in long enough to shift it. And at stop lights, leave it in neutral.

The clutch has no contact with the crankshaft. The reason I suggested keeping in gear at lights is because everytime you let out the clutch it makes contact with the flywheel and wears down the clutch. Holding it in at lights will prolong it's life rather than letting out and going in neutral the puttin git in gear and letting it out again. It is causing needless wear.

While there is no direct contact with the crankshaft, the force of the throw out bearing against the pressure plate does put more pressure on the thrust bearings on the crankshaft through the flywheel.

and plus when you let out the clutch in neutra, the engine only has to turn the weight of half of the transmission, whch really sint that much, so it hardly wears the clutch plate at all.

Alright, here is what I am trying to say.

When you let the clutch out the clutch, which is not spinning, makes contact with the flywheel which is spinning, that causes wear. And if you are coming to a light and you are in gear, you push the clutch and take it out of gear, then put it in neutral, then let the clutch out. Or you can do it my way. Coming to a stop you push in the clutch and shift into first and leave the clutch in at the light, light turns green you release the clutch. And if the clutch is in the engine doesn't turn the transmission at all. Doing it my way causes half the wear that the other way does. That is what I am trying to point out.

When you let the clutch out the clutch, which is not spinning, makes contact with the flywheel which is spinning, that causes wear

Yes, that's correct. The amount of wear is related to (contact load)x(sliding velocity)x(elapsed time) and the wear characteristics of the surfaces in question.

Doing it my way causes half the wear that the other way does.

That's not an accurate statement. There will be more wear of the clutch disk, pressure plate, and flywheel under the "other" method, but it will be nowhere near a factor of two. The amount of clutch slipage time will be next to nothing when the transmission is in neutral, and thus the resulting wear for the "extra" engagement will be very slight as well.

Leaving the clutch in (disengaged) at a light does load the crankshaft thrust bearing, and it does load the throwout bearing. In both cases, the bearings will be doing the jobs that they are intended to do. The throwout bearing should be designed to outlast the clutch disk (although not all of them will), and the crankshaft thrust bearing should last longer than most people need to worry about.

My personal opinion on the subject is that taking the car out of gear at a stoplight is less safe than leaving it in gear. I'd much rather keep my maneuvering options open by keeping the car in gear, than sit there with a comfortable leg and my fingers crossed. You never know when you'll need to accelerate suddenly (expeshilly in some 'hoods)...

Originally posted by ivymike1031
...Leaving the clutch in (disengaged) at a light does load the crankshaft thrust bearing, and it does load the throwout bearing. In both cases, the bearings will be doing the jobs that they are intended to do. The throwout bearing should be designed to outlast the clutch disk (although not all of them will), and the crankshaft thrust bearing should last longer than most people need to worry about...
What about aftermarket performance clutches? How much more force will they subject to the thrust and throwout bearings?

That information should be available from the manufacturer for your particular application. Common figures are between 25% and 50% increase. A new throwout bearing will probably come with the new clutch, but I would guess that the stock bearing would do just fine in most cases.

If you're racing the car, you'll be changing the clutch regularly anyway, right? If you're not, then what're you doing with a performance clutch? Towing something?