Floating Gears
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 354
Likes: 3
From: Athens TX
Floating Gears
Does anyone ever do some good old fashioned gear floating on their corvette? I did it on my last car all the time (especially 3rd --> 4th because it was like butter) but I have yet to try on the vette because ... well ... it's a bit nicer than my last car.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 568
Likes: 2
From: Dayton, Oregon
Oldtimer
Jump in the wayback machine! I used to match gears all the time, up and down
. '46 Powerwagon, straight cut gears throughout, not a hint of synchros. Either double clutch or not use it at all. (That old military ambulance was only 20 years old at the time, 2 years older than me
)
I don't know if doing it properly every time would do any significant damage to a modern synchromesh transmission. I'm not talking about pushing it in gear, I'm saying gently rev matching. Think about the abuse that a quick shift does, using the synchros to their max.
. '46 Powerwagon, straight cut gears throughout, not a hint of synchros. Either double clutch or not use it at all. (That old military ambulance was only 20 years old at the time, 2 years older than me)I don't know if doing it properly every time would do any significant damage to a modern synchromesh transmission. I'm not talking about pushing it in gear, I'm saying gently rev matching. Think about the abuse that a quick shift does, using the synchros to their max.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
I've done it, but only once. Slave cylinder failed not far from home and I did it to get home without having to get towed. A little scary because it wasn't easy but I made it without causing any damage. Getting the car started without a clutch was the real challenge. Many years ago I used to do it in my beetle and my dune buggy when the clutch cable broke. Much easier in those cars.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 354
Likes: 3
From: Athens TX
I'm generally referring to upshifting as the engine RPMs drop into sync with the transmission at the next gear (i.e. pulling the car out of third without pushing the clutch in, then giving it a nudge straight into fourth as the RPMs drop to the 4th gear level). I don't like trying to give it gas to rev match as it can be slightly difficult to get it right where you want.
I almost always pull the car out of gear without using the clutch if I want to coast. If you pull it out right as you let off the gas it comes out like butter and saves your clutch a little (and doesn't hurt the tranny at all).
I used to rev match my old car even when using the clutch to ease the load on the synchros, but I've found the transmission in the vette is more than up to synching up even from an engine idle without grinding gears. My old car had issues with that and would sometimes grind a bit if I didn't sync it up better.
I almost always pull the car out of gear without using the clutch if I want to coast. If you pull it out right as you let off the gas it comes out like butter and saves your clutch a little (and doesn't hurt the tranny at all).
I used to rev match my old car even when using the clutch to ease the load on the synchros, but I've found the transmission in the vette is more than up to synching up even from an engine idle without grinding gears. My old car had issues with that and would sometimes grind a bit if I didn't sync it up better.
