Hey guys I've always driven auto in the past, but my last two cars (e92 m3, camaro ss) and my current c7 have been manuals. Everyone I've ever talked to or driven with seems to think it's perfectly normal to be slightly jerky/bumpy when shifting (especially 1-2). I My question is: is this normal for a vette, and is it ok? My previous cars seemed a little easier to be smooth in, albeit neither was even close to as powerful. Thanks guys!

 

Practice makes perfect, the more you drive it and learn the car the smoother you'll become

 

Truth is, C7s are not smooth, easy to drive manual cars at all....Every time I go from driving the C7 to our Audi A5, it is like night and day. By comparison, the Audi is light, smooth, and precise. The Corvette gearbox and clutch interplay is clunky, imprecise and downright crude by comparison. I understand the fact that the Vette has so much torque to manage, and that the tranny is actually NOT bolted to the engine, but c'mon, this is 2014 and GM can do better with their "World Class" halo car.....

Mind you, the "manly man" transmission does not bother ME at all...I actually enjoy it - reminds me of the Z28s I have had in the past, but today's consumer's expect more refinement.

 

I agree.Do more city driving.Alot of traffic driving.Stay off the interstates as much as you can

 

It will get soother in time, don't worry. You will be surprised how all this shifting stuff comes together in time, especially when you don't think about it. As you get used to shift, clutch release and throttle control your shifts will become almost seamless -- up AND down.

 

I see this so called smoothness as indication of weakness in the Audi's design not an example of World Class design. If the Audi had an engine with the same type of low end torque it would be just as difficult to get a smooth shift.

The secret to a smooth shift on any high torque Domestic engine since the 60s is to keep the revs from dropping and slip the clutch a little at clutch release. If you let the rpms drop and let the clutch out the engine will be rotating slower than it should for the speed the car is going and you will get a jerky/bumpy shift. Unlike cars with low torque engines the big engine isn't sped up as easily and you get the jerk/bump. If you keep the rpms up a little you can hit the sweet spot and make a very smooth shift but most times you have to have a clear road in front of you. Keeping the revs the same as they were when you pushed in the clutch can jerk the car forward on clutch release but if you slip the clutch a little you can smooth that out. Once you get familiar with the car and the engine characteristics you can get the rpm to match a little better and reduce the clutch slippage. A very long time ago I went from a 55 Chevy with a 283 installed to a brand new 65 Olds 442 with a 400 ci engine. The 55 with a 3 speed transmission was always easy to get a smooth shift but the 442 with a 4 speed was really difficult at first, first the 2nd gear ratio was lower and the low end torque was much higher. Until I drove the car for close to a 1000 miles I had trouble getting that 1-2 shift down smoothly.

Bill

 

I have the same problem, especially after getting the car out of winter storage. I also have trouble jumping to and from my Civic Si to my Vette (my Civic Si is my DD). As already mentioned, practice makes perfect.

 

Turn on Rev Match.

 

Totally incorrect. The Gen V Viper (2013-2014) has one of the smoothest and most precise shifters I've ever felt in a sports car, and it makes FAR more torque everywhere than the C7 does.

The C7 shifter sucks. Plain and simple.

 

Automatic Rev matching causes the 1-2 upshift to rev hang, making smooth shifts nearly impossible.

 

And I feel just the opposite.I like the C7 shifter.If I get lazy I might miss A gear because my food might be lazy with the clutch.
But when I'm in my frame of mine that I want to go,it shifts fantastic for me.Now if I need to downshift A couple of gears I need to pay strict attention.

 

What the people in this thread are talking about hasn't got anything to do with how the shifter works or doesn't work. Engine torque has a lot to do with how smooth the actual shift is from start to end. Moving the shifter is only part of that action and definitely not the end where you find out how smooth the shift was when you release the clutch.

Bill

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned skip-shift, the fuel-saving measure built in to the 1-2 shift. As OP must know, it "skips" 2, 3 and goes directly to 4. If it's anything like the C6, you can go 1-3. But short of that, you're either shifting at a relatively higher rpm or skipping gears. And yes, torque, power and clutch make it a matter of practice, imo, as was said in Post 2*. Don't feel bad, just keep at it.

* You'd be surprised how easy it is to jump from your C7 to a manual trans, lesser-powered car and shift very well and smoothly, like a VW or Corolla, or Civic. Seriously.

 

I never skip shift.I use all 7 of em.Same with downshifting.Thats one of the reasons I bought the C7.I shift often.

 

I have a CAGS delete installed, so no skip shifting for me no matter what rpm I shift at!

 

This is my first stick car. I'd driven stick occasionally in the past but never owned one. I guess I have been getting better almost two months after picking the car up. I find that rev match works (mostly ?) on downshifts, blipping the throttle but while the launch of the car is getting better, I still feel like I suck at 1-2 change.

I've experimented with multiple shift points but was wondering how you guys do it. While not 100% consistent, I find that if I don't shift until the mid 20 mphs (is that 3,500 rpm range?) the shift can be smooth as shifting 6-7. But it doesn't always work which makes me super timid with my left foot releasing the clutch in 2nd at around the engagement point.

What do you all think?

 

OP, you don't say how many miles are on your car, but it took several hundred miles for my M7 to lose the notchiness. And it took me a good while to get used to the clutch. I've driven manual transmissions for years, and this one is the toughest to manage. It's also the funnest.

 

Just practice.Go to A city during rush hour.If nothing else go to A a back road and practice going from 1st to 2nd.stop and do it again.Just do it over And over

 

I've found it challenging to find the sweat shift spots between 1,2 and 3. I shift much quicker and do it based on sound rather than an RPM range.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

It doesn't matter what characteristic you bring up, the C7 shifter is inferior to that of the Viper in every single way possible, even though the Viper makes far more torque everywhere in the curve, which counters your earlier argument. It's notchy, the throws are far too long, it has a rubbery feel, and it's sometimes tricky to find the right gear (just like my C6 Z06 shifter was). What you are talking about is a function of low-end torque and clutch engagement, which the C7 does quite well. However, many people in this thread are talking specifically about 'shift feel' and 'shift engagment'. I love the C7, but the shifter is horrible.

The Viper's is better, the 996 and 997 Porsche's are better, and the GT500's is better.

I can nail gears in pretty much anything (see vid), but this shifter sucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drmd...ature=youtu.be