1978 Manual Advice
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Instructor
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 123
Likes: 17
1978 Manual Advice
So I’m new to driving a manual and after some practice I feel confident in my ability to at least get from point A to B on the road without stalling. However, I just don’t feel like I’m shifting at the right time and can’t really tell when to shift. I’ve been going off of the following, but am not sure if I’m shifting early or late, but around 2300-2500 rpm is typically when I do it.
1st: 0 to 15-20 mph
2nd: 20 to 30 mph
3rd: 30 to 40-45 mph
4th: 40-45 and up
23000 - 2500rpm is where I feel like I hear the engine telling me to shift but honestly the car is so loud I could be wrong. Especially when I’m in 1st it just feels like I’m either too slow and need clutch or am too fast and need to shift asap, no in between. I also have a new 355 crate engine and original transmission.
1st: 0 to 15-20 mph
2nd: 20 to 30 mph
3rd: 30 to 40-45 mph
4th: 40-45 and up
23000 - 2500rpm is where I feel like I hear the engine telling me to shift but honestly the car is so loud I could be wrong. Especially when I’m in 1st it just feels like I’m either too slow and need clutch or am too fast and need to shift asap, no in between. I also have a new 355 crate engine and original transmission.
Race Director
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From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
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Shifting a manual comes naturally for some, but not others.
You seem to fall in the second group. Have no fear, you will get better with practice.
There is no "Set" RPM at which to shift. If your accelerating hard for instance. you want to shift just as your torque curve starts to drop of. (when you feel the pull let off). (With a mild cam around 4,500 - 5,000 RPM.)Just because the engine is spinning faster doesn't mean it's still pulling hard. Ignore the tach. rev that baby through the gears.
FEEL when the pull stops pulling as hard. grab the next gear. Do this a LOT! like I did when I was 14 and learning to drive.
Once you get the drive hard and fast down, the rest will be easy.
And by the way
around town at 25 MPH. 2nd gear 35 -50 MPH 3rd gear. drop it into 4th only when your up to speed. these engines like to spin over 2,500 RPM. Don't lug it.
(Sounds like you have been).
Practice !
You seem to fall in the second group. Have no fear, you will get better with practice.
There is no "Set" RPM at which to shift. If your accelerating hard for instance. you want to shift just as your torque curve starts to drop of. (when you feel the pull let off). (With a mild cam around 4,500 - 5,000 RPM.)Just because the engine is spinning faster doesn't mean it's still pulling hard. Ignore the tach. rev that baby through the gears.
FEEL when the pull stops pulling as hard. grab the next gear. Do this a LOT! like I did when I was 14 and learning to drive.
Once you get the drive hard and fast down, the rest will be easy.
And by the way
around town at 25 MPH. 2nd gear 35 -50 MPH 3rd gear. drop it into 4th only when your up to speed. these engines like to spin over 2,500 RPM. Don't lug it.
(Sounds like you have been).
Practice !
Last edited by 4-vettes; Oct 8, 2021 at 04:42 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 7,650
Likes: 2,466
From: Indiana
good advice.. i would also reference the owners manual.. it tells you what range and some advice and range to shift....
drive it!
also find an uphill terrain with no one around and practice stopping and taking off with minimum of roll back into the guy behind you... probably the hardest part of a clutch.. don't repeat too often keep clutch cool.
it was easy for me.. i never knew what AC or an automatic was when my dad bought cars.. no $$$ ...mom never drove..
drive it!
also find an uphill terrain with no one around and practice stopping and taking off with minimum of roll back into the guy behind you... probably the hardest part of a clutch.. don't repeat too often keep clutch cool.
it was easy for me.. i never knew what AC or an automatic was when my dad bought cars.. no $$$ ...mom never drove..
Last edited by interpon; Oct 8, 2021 at 08:35 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
Your tach is probably the same as in my 79, where 3500 is straight up. That's about where I shift mine in anything but easy driving and it's easy to see, in that you don't have to be looking at the tach. You can see straight up out of the corner of your eye. As others have said, you'll get much better with practice and you'll just know by feel/sound when to shift. Honestly I call the left half of the tach the sleepy half, and the right side the fun half, and with headers, a bigger cam and flowmasters, I love hearing the fun half of the tach!
