Mile High C5

How do you shift smoothly with the 6-speed manual when accelerating hard? I am used to the quick smooth shifts on my street motorcycles, and have fond memories of my old Acura Integra. On my 02 C5 coupe (with 16,000 easy miles, so clutch is fine), when I run it close to red-line and then shift, the car lurches and jerks when I let the clutch out quickly. The only way I have found to be smooth is to let it out slow, but that loses you allot of time between shifts. I am no drag-racer, but I want my street manners to be a bit better? Any advice on technique? Is there something with throttle and clutch technique that I am missing?

AU N EGL

the termic transmisions of the vettes do not like powershifting. To get the most out of the shift it is almost a two stage motion.

as in: click click. click out of gear, click into gear. this gives the syncros time to adjust.

0Jeff @ TPE

I dont understand this part.. :o

BLAZBYU

I don't understand it either? What I do is take it to red line, Clutch in, slam it in to gear like your in control and dump the clutch. Works for me everytime. Love to spin the tires in second. I have learned that you must have a clean shift on your mind to do it correctly. If you don't concentrate on a good shift you run the risk of the dreaded missed shift. Been there done that.

Good Luck!

JChrisF

I asked my uncle this a few months ago. He was a drag racer in the 60's and no one could beat him. The first thing he told me was Practice, Practice, Practice. Then he said you accelerate until the car stops pulling.. . this happens before the redline and every car is different. Then you push the clutch in just far enough to release.. shift and let the clutch back out. My dad said you couldn't even hear my uncle shift back in the day because he did it so fast. He never let off the gas... he said the rpms would only go up about 200 rpm during the shift with his foot still on the floor

AU N EGL

Ok example. shifting from 3 to 4th gears.

Your in 3rd gear, you move the shift lever out of 3rd to the neutral or center part of the gate ( click ) and then from the neutral or center part of the gate into 4th ( second click) That moment that the gear shift is in the between the gears allows the syncos to match speeds.

How long does this, "click click" take? about as long as it takes to read "click click"

just jamming the gears will cause grinding and / or missing the shift as teh syncros have not aligned. and why so many guys have problems powershifting and miss or grind gears.

Does this slow you down?? No you actully go faster as the shifting is smooth and easy. Transmissions will last much longer too.

And I agree with Chris's uncle, practice, practice more practice and never take your right foot off the floor

28tudor

The part about Practice and "visualizing" a clean shift is good advice. The "Power shift" stuff and keeping your foot on the floor is a prelude to the Threads about boo-hoo I have to replace my clutch, and my transmission "exploded" , yaddah-yadda-It's called abuse. I don't think they went to so much trouble to develop and race a great SPORTS Car at LeMans. just so it could be a drag car? Seems like a waste to drag race a Corvette? The C5 & C6 racecars may sound like they're not lifting between gears, but they are, Additionally, they have a sequential racing gearbox. so they aren't moving the lever through the gates like we do, and the shifts are sooo fast. Anyway, this "old timer" hopes yoy don't ruin the clutch & driveline. There's more to Corvettes than the quarter mile.

cenzo

Make sure you're not hitting the rev limiter. Try shifting a bit before the redline and see if things improve.

MikeNMaxZO6