If you release the cluch slow enough on a leval road you can actuly get it started with out giving it any gas. Try that, then just add more throttle as nessisary. You just not matching the two right. You can exsplain it you just have to get the feel for it.

 

yup, eventually this is what your launches should end up being

don't worry about it too much if you're not getting it 100%, I'm not always getting it every launch, but we're just learning still. You'll get better... experience is what matters, of course.

Don't worry about holding the clutch a few extra seconds here or there, you're not going to be doing that for much longer (since you'll get more comfortable and can launch quicker), clutches are meant to wear and have long life so a little abuse when you're learning won't kill it

 

any tips for launching on hills? other than stay calm haha

 

Practice. That's all it takes. Or get your little brother to lay under the tire to stop it from rolling. Clutch in (out technicly) Foot on the brake. Cluch out as you take your foot off the brake and on to the gas. Dont worry to much about rolling back its not a big deal, your clutch will survive untill you get slick at it. The pro's still stall in the pits every once in a while. Even monkeys fall from trees.

 

i know that bob very well. i've been told it's when the clutch is in full contact with the flywheel and all the motion has been shifted to the tranny, appartently thats what causes that bob.

i've also read on standard shift.com that having that bump when you start off is much better for the life of your clutch compared to slowly letting out the clutch for a smoother engagement

 

Well, you have two options. There's the handbrake method, then the footbrake method.

1) The handbrake method. This method is reliable and safe in all situations. Ok, so let's say you're on a hill
* Pull up your e-brake, but hold the button, do not let go of the e-brake because it is keeping you from rolling back
* Start clutching out and launching normally (do it slowly)
* when you feel your car start to struggle against the ebrake (or if you know the engagement point of your clutch well enough), let it down and you will take off, not even having moved an inch backwards

2) The footbrake method. This method is ok for small inclines, it could work on more steep inclines/declines too, but you should really use the handbrake method since that is the proper way.

* Hold the brake with your right foot, and clutch with your left (normal)
* Start slowly bringing your clutch up to the engagment point. When you are learning this method, you will start to feel (and hear) the car struggle against the footbrake. In the future you will learn (or if you know now) the engagement point without needing to having it struggle to the point where you hear it
* Once you get to that point, let off the brake slowly. You shouldn't roll back. Get on the gas quickly (don't rev quickly, just get to the pedal quickly. You don't want to hold the car with the clutch (which is basically what this method is) for more than 1-2 seconds, if that), and take off like normal.

Some people swear by this, and will do jerky shifts because they want to keep clutch slipping to the absolute minimum. However, I'm of the opinion that clutches were meant to be slipped, and there's nothing wrong with smooth shifting. How many 100k+ miles clutches are there out there that people have driven smoothly on? (I'm not attacking you btw )

 

Depends on if it was 100,001 miles or 150,000 miles.

You should still be able to get a smooth launch and little to no clutch slippage though.

 

right, I wasn't suggesting people go and do extended slips on their clutches (I realize the end of my post was a bit vague), but just a response to all the people who jerk and slam their clutches because they are afraid of slipping for 1-2 seconds to smooth things out

I agree with you

 

on level ground you barely have to give it any gas to launch smoothly, i kind of agree thought that smooth shifting is a little harder on the clutch, but rough shifting is bad on the rest of the tranny.

 

I have never replaced a clutch earlier than 100,000 miles on any stick shift I have owned. I replaced mine in my other car at about 125k or so, and it had life left. I was moving, and had access to a full shop back home, so I decided with the life on the clutch I would take advantage of the lift and shop to replace it then. You should easilly get 100k on a clutch if you drive it right.

 

E brake method makes me nervous. I tend to just ride hills normal with a lil roll back. Than again I've peeled out of hills a few times before I got the catch point of my tC. Only had it for a week. =P. And yes first gear is so short. I try to get outta it as fast as possible.

 

I noticed that this "bob" was reduced dramatically when i installed my engine damper.

--Not totally off topic, but different: Has anyone noticed that when they let off the gas to shift, the RPMs actually go UP a little? I guess it's the wonderful throttle lag? This must have something to do with the "bob" problem, as there is such a large differential between RPMs between gears.

For example, let's say I upshift at 3500 RPM from first gear at around 15 mph. To keep the car at 15 mph, second gear will be around 2000 RPM. Letting off the clutch fast will cause the car to buck hard as the different speeds get matched up. The two options to make it smooth are to slip the clutch a little, or to wait until the RPMs drop from 3500 to around 2000, which takes a good 2 seconds.

This is part of the reason that I'm really excited about getting a lightweight flywheel. Hopefully will be able to shift quickly without as much jerkiness.

 

No, your RPMs go up alittle because you foot is still on the gas a little when you push the clutch in. This used to happen to me, but once I adjusted a bit it stopped.

 

You know...if I just got a mtx and I read this whole thing I would ____e myself.

I mean...you clutch to slow and your gonna wear out your clutch on thursday. You shift to fast and your tranny is gonna explode...

 

The only way to learn is to just drive it. Go by feel and get used to how it works until you get it in one smooth motion. We can all give advice about this and that.. and it will only make it more complicated.

 

I agree driving it is the only way to learn it... Bond with ur tC.

 

adress the ball