Lets learn to drive manual! Save my clutch Season 1

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

Sorry - I missed the last part.
AVOID holding the clutch in for extended periods of time.
Press the clutch in, put it into (or out of gear), and release the clutch ASAP.
IIRC this is to keep the release bearing and springs etc. good for as long as possible.

Ding ding ding. The throw-out bearing does wear out with too much clutch-in. That's how my WRX's throw-out bearing wore out at 53k miles.

[Manic]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

Ding ding ding. The throw-out bearing does wear out with too much clutch-in. That's how my WRX's throw-out bearing wore out at 53k miles.

Hmm, that gives me a bit to think about. I generally don't stay clutched-in for too long. However, during those long bouts of traffic, I tend to get too lazy for the constant Neutral-First-Neutral-First-Neutral-First business, so I just end up leaving it in 1st and clutching in and out. I'll make more of a concerted effort to break this habit.

On a side note for those trying to learn heel-toe, CodeSplice was spot on. Being a noob myself, I decided to try and tackle heel-toe early on just so I could nail it down before developing bad habits. Miserable failure I was. Then I learned that it's more or less unnecessary for usual daily driving, thanks to this forum.

I think one of the hardest parts to figure out is how to modulate brake pressure while blipping the throttle. Unless you're applying the brakes with a decent amount of force, the whole motion feels very off. Coming from an automatic, I imagine you were accustomed to slowly and gradually applying the brakes with some gentle touch from the ball of your foot while resting your heel on the floor. Trying to replicate that touch while having your foot turned sideways just raises all sorts of confusion, which is why people say it's easier to do when braking hard since you're not worrying about feathering the brake nearly as much.

In my opinion, it's all about isolating the movements of your foot. I.e., learning how to move your heel without moving your toes. Try sitting in a chair (preferrably one with a bit of a recline in it) and placing a Pringles can where your brake would generally be. Then touch the ball of your foot/toes to the top of the can. Turn your foot sideways and try to move your heel about. If you can manage to do this without knocking the can over, it'll help you get a feel for isolating the movements of your foot.