I've only owned a Mustang for a little over a month now, and prior to that the only Manual Transmission car I've owned was a 1988 Acura Integra LS with like 144,000 miles on it.
So I would not say I'm a manual transmission driving expert, so if this question comes off stupid then please just humor me and don't flame me.
A few people that drive sports cars that are manuals (not mustangs) have told me that when trying to race someone I should not release the accelerator when shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd etc. Basically floor it on 1st to about 4 or 5 thousand rpms then push the clutch in and shift to 2nd without letting off the gas, and then shift again at 4 or 5 thousand rpms to 3rd without letting off the gas and so on. I was told I would achieve much faster acceleration in short runs using this method.
So I tried it, and while completely feasible my traction control light came on for a few seconds, my tires scratched the pavement, and the overall feel of the shift just didn't seem right. After a couple tries at this I noticed the smell of burning rubber, like I had been roasting the tires however I did seem to accelerate quicker in the short run. So my basic question is this "Is doing this type of shifting bad for either the clutch or the transmission of my Cobra?"
Thanks in advance for any help provided
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Cobra2k1
03 Nissan 350z (stock)
03 Mitsubishi Outlander LS AWD
Former 01 Cobra Owner & All Around Mustang Enthusiast
"You Can Put A Rocket On A Dump Truck & It Will Be Really Really Fast, But It Will Still Be A Dump Truck."
that is what is known as power shifting.. while most people do it from 3rd to 4th, ive known people that never lift their right foot. If you do it for 1 race a year, you do have the possibility of breaking something, but 1 time you should be ok... its not something you want to do daily cuz it really is bad on the transmission,drivetrain etc.
Keep traction control OFF, and you dont want to completely floor the gas pedal. You should release the pedal a bit, else your RPMs will climb enough to trigger the RPM limiter and you will loose power for a moment.
If the tranny engages properly the most likely damage would only be to the clutch wearing out prematurely.
If you've got an '01 Cobra, rev that thing up to 6000 - 6500 before you shift. You're just starting to get into your powerband at 4000. Powershifting takes practice. Just start shifting as quickly as you can, let off the gas a little, and keep practicing. Once you get the hang of that, start progessing yourself towards not letting off the gas while you shift. I think you might be putting too much power to the ground to be able to powershift 1-2 and 2-3 without lighting the tires up.
Will too much of this practice with shifting, period, ruin your tranny? Like if u mess uyp and the car shuts off!LOL, I know that's a noob question for some of you, don't be too hard on me.
I would like to add another question to this thread as well. What is double clutching and why is it done?
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'05 Sonic Blue GT w/ '07 V8 engine, 5-sp, IUP, Beige leather interior, nothing else -
just the way I wanted it. (1 of 113)
OK, so I've added a few things to it. Check my Profile - too many to list here.
i would also like to add a question. how do you launch with a manual?
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1996 Dodge Ram 1500 5.2 Liter V8 Magnum 4X4. Lund Hood Scoops.
Coming soon: Green Underglow Neon (or LED Lights) Cold Air Intake, Pipes coming right off the headers for an exhaust, and maybe a sound system too.
I would like to add another question to this thread as well. What is double clutching and why is it done?
I don't know why anyone would double-clutch a Mustang unless there was some kind of mechanical problem that necessitated doing so. There might be a reason, I am just not aware of any. Some older, big trucks needed to be double-clutched, as did many semis (this may still be the case with the big rigs and some larger trucks, I don't know.) Basically, it means you have to push the clutch in, shift out of gear into 'neutral', release the clutch and then push the clutch in again in order to shift into the next gear. One of the first stick shifts I learned to drive was a 1946 International logging truck that my dad had. When I was first learning, I often had to double-clutch it when it was cold but not once it got warmed up.
That's about all I have. Maybe someone else can tell us both if there is any other situation where double-clutching might be necessary or advantageous.
In pretty much any car/truck with a non-synchronized transmission... you're going back pretty far (60s and older in general) to find that, but it is necessary in those situations.
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
I would like to add another question to this thread as well. What is double clutching and why is it done?
Double clutching is a term some dilrod ricer heard and thought must be some kind of high performance shifting technique. Like the redneck said, you have to go back to the days of non-synchronized gear boxes, or drive a big truck (semi), to find a need for double clutching. There is absolutely NO performance gain from double clutching a synchronized transmission, no matter how much some idiot ricer tries to tell you there is one.
Some older, big trucks needed to be double-clutched, as did many semis (this may still be the case with the big rigs and some larger trucks, I don't know.)
Semi tractors still use non-synchronized transmissions because the gears are wicked heavy and would waste lots of energy and cause lots of friction heat spinning for no reason. Plus semi tractor transmissions must handle between 1550 and 1850 ft. lbs. of torque, I don't think any brass synchronizers are going to last long under those conditions.
They teach you to double clutch when learning to drive a semi, and it is easier on the gears for a novice to double clutch on downshifts. Once you start driving a semi, after a few days you learn to shift without using the clutch more and more. After awhile you only use the clutch to come to a stop, and take off from a stop.
Double clutching is a term some dilrod ricer heard and thought must be some kind of high performance shifting technique. Like the redneck said, you have to go back to the days of non-synchronized gear boxes, or drive a big truck (semi), to find a need for double clutching. There is absolutely NO performance gain from double clutching a synchronized transmission, no matter how much some idiot ricer tries to tell you there is one.
Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't asking specifically regarding Mustangs, just in general. It's a term I heard regarding shifting and thought I'd bring it up in this thread. Thanks again.
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'05 Sonic Blue GT w/ '07 V8 engine, 5-sp, IUP, Beige leather interior, nothing else -
just the way I wanted it. (1 of 113)
OK, so I've added a few things to it. Check my Profile - too many to list here.
Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't asking specifically regarding Mustangs, just in general. It's a term I heard regarding shifting and thought I'd bring it up in this thread. Thanks again.
After re-reading that, I didn't really explain the 'why'.
Synchronized transmission gear sets are always meshed together and spinning at the same speed, the gear you are in is the only set locked to the shaft- all the rest are just rotating freely. But because all the gears are rotating at the same speed you can depress the clutch and shift to the next gear up or down, or skip shift to any gear you want, without regard to mph or engine rpm. It will shift from 5th gear at 100 mph to first gear or 1st gear to 5th gear at 10mph without grinding if it is working properly although not recommended.
On the other hand non-synchronized transmission gear sets are not meshed together and are rotating at different speeds. This means when you up shift you must shift to neutral and wait until the engine rpms fall (actually the trans input shaft) to match the speed of the slower rotating higher gear set (on the output shaft) then shift into that gear. Clutch to neutral, clutch into gear- double clutch. When down shifting you would need to depress the clutch, shift to neutral, release the clutch, rev the engine up to the rpm needed to match the faster spinning lower gear (remember input and output shaft rpms must match the gear), depress the clutch and shift into gear. Again, clutch to neutral, clutch into gear- double clutch. It may sound complicated but once you realize that engine rpm is input shaft rpm, and mph is output shaft rpm, it gets easier. All you have to do is memorize a few rpm/gear/mph ratios and you can skip shift non-synchronized transmissions, or find a gear if you forget mid-shift what you were doing- don't laugh, it happens all the time.
Double clutching is also known as double declutching.
There are times, however, that a normal car driver may want to make use of double clutching. Many manual transmission drivers realize the advantages of downshifting in slippery conditions. Rather than brake and skid, a car with a manual transmission can make use of the engine to slow down - thereby eliminating the possibility of a skid. But even with synchronizers, a driver trying to shift from fifth gear into second could have some trouble. In this case, double clutching by pausing in neutral and giving the engine a little gas to match speeds of the engine and gearbox, can allow such a drastic shift.
Some driving purists maintain that it's still the proper way to shift, and makes for a much smoother ride. It eliminates some of the jumpiness sometimes felt in a manual transmission car, and it decreases the stress on the gearbox. In any case, double clutching a skill worth having in emergency downshift situations, and not very difficult to learn.
In response to the question of how to launch in the Mustang, it is quite simple. You keep your foot on the clutch and rev up to about 2500 or 3000 depending on the year of the Mustang and how high the rev goes. Then you just drop the clutch and floor it to enjoy your peel out. If you want a great launch, you have to figure out the RPM which gives you some tire slippage but not a lot so you just keep peeling out. Every car is different.
Serious Shifting Question 
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