Manual Transmission question.

[Spike88]

Actually, now that I think about it I think my grandfather has an '86 Ford pickup on its last legs thats manual.

[{1.SS}Eberhardt]

Originally Posted by Chad

Most of today's cars are pretty good when it comes to clutch strength. My car was almost 12 years old when I sold it and the clutch was still as good as day 1. The car I own now I haven't noticed anything except when starting it, I have to press it all the way to the floor, which could just be a manufactor thing.

Being a mechanic, i couldn't help but notice this. You said you had to press the clutch pedal all the way to the floor. This shouldnt happen. You might have a loose or frayed clutch cable (if its cable operated which i doubt) or a hydraulic leak (if its hydraulic which is much more probable since its power assisted, theyve been implementing power assist clutch pedals for a long time now) or it has a vacuum leak (if its vacuum assisted) which would be pretty bad because thats most likely pulling vacuum from your engine which means you could have an engine vacuum leak which opens up a whole new box of candy.

Since I don't know what kind of car it is i cannot be certain, but at least i hope i helped a little bit. If not I had some fun typing this anyway

[Chad]

Originally Posted by {1.SS}Eberhardt

Being a mechanic, i couldn't help but notice this. You said you had to press the clutch pedal all the way to the floor. This shouldnt happen. You might have a loose or frayed clutch cable (if its cable operated which i doubt) or a hydraulic leak (if its hydraulic which is much more probable since its power assisted, theyve been implementing power assist clutch pedals for a long time now) or it has a vacuum leak (if its vacuum assisted) which would be pretty bad because thats most likely pulling vacuum from your engine which means you could have an engine vacuum leak which opens up a whole new box of candy.

Since I don't know what kind of car it is i cannot be certain, but at least i hope i helped a little bit. If not I had some fun typing this anyway

Ah thanks for your concern, and welcome to the board.. It's a 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, I'm not sure if that helps you or not. I don't have a lot of money to spend, so if it is just a vacuum leak, to fix it would it just be replacing a faulty tube?

My dad is a motorcycle mechanic, but can work on almost anything. Last month he replaced my master cylinder. All I have to do is purchase the part, and i get free labor for repairs. He's asleep now or otherwise I'd ask him what he thinks.

[XabbaRus]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

If you plan on taking it to the track maybe a manual is for you. But to use one effeciently and effectivley takes alot of practice and I don't think you'll want to take your brand new pony anywhere other than to show it. IMO, it's well worth the extra bucks to get an automatic. I lived in Miami, you will appreciate an automatic waaay more than a manual with all the start and stop traffic associated with city driving. Highway makes no difference as you won't be shifting gears all that much anyways.

Now days it's hard to beat a automatic off the line if thats what you're thinking of, unless you're good at a manual the other guy will leave you behind chokin on dust.

I took out a perfectly good automatic once and threw in a B&M manual-automatic with transmission brake and set up an independent front wheel brake system. I could rev up those RPM's, let go the tranny brake and with the front wheels locked those back ones would smoke for all they was worth. Release the front brakes and away I went Course I'd burn a transmission or two up every few months

I have to respectfully disagree with you on some of the points here.

To drive a manual effectively or efficiently doesn't take that much time or practice. They are a lot easier than people realise.

I wouldn't say that driving a manual in stop start traffic is a big deal. If your careful and with my car I can gently slip the clutch all the way out and the car rolls on tickover. Get the distance to the car infront correct and you can keep rolling. That's what I do in a jam, I keep a large enough distance that I can trickle along, then usually the traffic infront has started moving before I have to stop, my gap opens up and I can keep going.

I wouldn't know about drag racing an automatic so I'll take your word for it, though I believe I can get the jump on one.

Then again in the UK I think 90% or more of drivers learn on manuals and most people drive manuals. Also a manual transmission is more fuel efficient. One thing that bugged me with an auto was when it would hunt the gear, usually between 3rd and 4th for example of I was going up a hill at a certain speed, the system couldn't make up its mind.

However I will concede if I'm feeling lazy I'll drive an auto.

[gandalf71]

Shifting manually is simply more fun!

But today´s automatic gearboxes are quite efficient, their biggest backdraws in the past were slow gear changing and fewer gears than their manual contenders. Most car makers here in Germany are switching from the classic automatic gearboxes to semi-automatic twin-clutch gearboxes since the last 5 years. Those are absolutely excellent, very fast gear changes and 6-speed usually, hard to beat in means of acceleration and fuel efficiency for a manual shifter and for the driver the semi-Automatic makes no difference to an fully automatic gearbox in terms of handling.

Shifting manually is basically very easy, the only point you should take care of is your clutch, a clutch can last 250.000 km, but can also be gone in 20.000 km depending on the way you use it. Replacement is quite expensive and elaboratory.

If you once drove an automatic in daily stop-and-go traffic switching to a manual shifter will be pure horror, but if you go for a race track it will be a hell lot more of fun.

br
Michael

[gandalf71]

Americans!



Cheers,
Michael

[TarJak]

Cheapest thing to do is to get some lessons. You'll learn it right and as you have your license you'll already understand the main things you need to know. My missus took 3 lessons to get the hang of a manual after getting her license on auto and hasn't had a problem since.

Hill starts are the biggest thing to come to grips with but once you do it's all too easy.

[{1.SS}Eberhardt]

Originally Posted by Chad

Ah thanks for your concern, and welcome to the board.. It's a 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, I'm not sure if that helps you or not. I don't have a lot of money to spend, so if it is just a vacuum leak, to fix it would it just be replacing a faulty tube?

My dad is a motorcycle mechanic, but can work on almost anything. Last month he replaced my master cylinder. All I have to do is purchase the part, and i get free labor for repairs. He's asleep now or otherwise I'd ask him what he thinks.

Exactly. If its a hard plastic line (which it most likely is) then you can either replace it which can be a pain in the butt to do or you can bondo it or if you really wanna save some dough you can duct tape it if its not at the link, like if its just a crack in the line.
PS I always ever see like super hot chicks triving tiburons. That and the mitsubishi eclipse is like the hot chick car around here lol.
Good luck, and be sure to ask your dad since I'm not there to check it out myself.

[XabbaRus]

Chicks here seem to drive Mini Coopers, ie the new BMW ripped one....

Hill starts are fun, plenty of revs, clutch bite and release the handbrake...

[StdDev]

If you take two identical cars, one with auto, the other with manual.. the auto car will most likely beat the manual off the line... not always.. but usually. The manual however will have a higher top end (less parasitic loss from all that crap in the auto tranny).
If you could shift perfectly every time the manual might take the auto off the line.. but perfect shifts all the time is a BIG "if"!... if you shift too late you will probably hit a rev limiter that most newer cars have built in, or if you shift too soon you will not be in the power band.. (both of these scenarios take the motor out of power band!).
The auto tranny is computer controlled.. it shifts at the right time all the time! The manual tranny is "you controlled".. in my opinion a lot more fun!

Been having a blast with my new car!

[{1.SS}Eberhardt]

Indeed, but you could always disable the rev limiter

And what movies is that cat from in your sig, StdDev? I remember watching them as a kid. About a penguin who wants to fly or something.

[XabbaRus]

Well my experience with automatics is that they have been slower to accelerate.

They might get off the line first but overall a manual can beat it due to the fact you can shift when you feel like it and after driving a car long enough you just know.

OK auto boxes have come a long way but I'm not talking about the DSG type boxes but the ones you get in a typical family car.

Manuals are more fun though. To be honest though I'm not too keen on semi-auto DSG things...they look cool at first but there is no fun factor either. Best just to stick to an auto...

[Kapitan]

Ive driven automatics and manuals and i find manuals are better and also cheaper when they go wrong, all it basically is right is clutch in select gear slowly let the clutch out and you should move theres a bit more behind it.

The fun part is when you start driving trucks and coaches especially manual ones as they have a range of gears and half gears and splitters which is complex to get hold of by writing it down.

In the UK if you pass in an automatic vehicle then your restricted to that type of transmition (you cant drive manual) but if you pass in a manual then you can drive both manual and automatic fortunatly i dont have any "teflon" automatic licences all mine are manual.

Go out with an instructor for a day or a mate to see how it fares but you will feel and notice the diffrence between them.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Spike88

I'm planning on getting a manual mustang in the next 3-5 years. When funds allow. The only problem is I don't know how to drive manual. I'm wondering if I should just buy a POS car for 2-3 thousand, and just practice manual in that. Or wait until I can afford the car and risk killing my clutch. Opinions.

Edit: As a side note depending on the exact car, a clutch for most of the newer mustangs runs from 200-500. Which is cheaper, but I'd have to have someone put it in which could run up to 1 thousand and above.

I don't think you can kill the clutch in a modern car just learning to use it. Those things can take a lot more abuse that you will subject it to. As long as you don't "ride the clutch", that is, drive around with your foot touching the pedal. If you want to learn how to drive a stick, get a friend who has a manual car or rent one, as some here have suggested. It's really not that hard, you'll have it down in an hour.

Originally Posted by Spike88

Another reason I want a manual car is because I plan on getting a harley eventually.

A Harley? I better not say anything

Why not a real motorcycle?

[Chad]

Originally Posted by {1.SS}Eberhardt

PS I always ever see like super hot chicks triving tiburons. That and the mitsubishi eclipse is like the hot chick car around here lol.

Hey, easy man! Don't be bashin me, bet you they don't drive anything like my baby..



Okay, not actually my car, but it's along the lines of what i had planned, before a little project elsewhere came up