Starting to get better

[2Taco]

My experience is similar to the previous poster. When I was 10 or 11 my grandad had a farm and an old Jeep. He would put in in 4wd and low range and let us kids drive it around the fields. Even with the manual transmission you could hardly stall it. So my sister and I learned to drive a manual years before we were old enough to get a driver’s license.

I have had several manual cars in my life but currently all of them, including the Camaro, are automatics.

[Aug]

I had similar issues. I have driven manuals for more than 750k miles throughout my life and this is the most challenging to do smoothly. I was VERY frustrated and was thinking I had made a mistake buying a manual. A year went by and I was bugged by a VERY slight cold start stumble on the very first few moments after start, very brief. I resolved that, was a bad injector (some here have suggested it could have been a poorly seated injector - perhaps, haven't yet bothered to test the injectors I replaced). Anyhow, since replacing, the engine runs sooooooo much better, smoother. Looking back, I had noticed an ever so slight stumble (not just on cold start but all the time) just at throttle tip in. Stumble isn't really fair, more like a flat spot. THAT flat spot was amplified by the shifting/driveline backlash etc that made it even harder to shift smoothly. Once the bad injector was replaced, this car is a dream to drive and shifts ultra smooth. It is like a different car! This is my experience, not saying it is your issue, just sharing.

[MosesBarkley]

Originally Posted by JLSuperfly

I remember when I first started to drive a manual (27 years ago). My biggest fear was stopped on a red light on a steep hill. In San Francisco, there are a lot of them. I know of the hand brake method but my brother who taught me was so against it.
Now, there is this feature called Hill Assist. I hate it so much.

JLSuperfly,

I started driving a manual a long while ago too (32 years), so I know exactly how you feel about the Hill Assist feature... I hate it too!

In fact, the first time it engaged shortly after I bought my Camaro in 2013, it caused to me stall. At first, I thought something was wrong with the brake system, and then I realized what had actually happened.

Hill Assist may be useful for today's drivers that are learning to drive a manual, but it's a really annoying feature for old skool folks like us.

[Skyblu]

I stalled mine a few times the first week I got it but only because it took some getting used too, I have been driving stick since I was 6 years old on the farm, the clutch in mine (2010) in my opinion is a little touchy, I laugh whenever I take it somewhere for service and watch the guys try to pull it in the bay, they ALWAYS stall it at least twice trying to pull it in. Practice makes perfect though, I have had it since July 2009 and rarely stall him now.

[Cody2399]

Nice stories (and info on hill assist) I guess considering this is my learning manual car hill assist is something that just is a part of the driving experience with the car.

Now my truck on the other hand, no help there.. luckily enough though I haven't been on many hills with it haha. But when I am I guess it's since I'm still learning but boy are those some hard takeoffs. No mercy on that poor thing, rev it up fast and drop the clutch faster. A positive, my home road has lots of hills so I go out there with my truck and practice hill take offs a fair bit and I'm starting to get it down. (And don't worry it's out in the country and there's never any cars coming or going and I always make sure it's that way before parking on a hill)

[CamaroFred]

I learned to drive stick on a 1966 C30 stake bed. It had a 3+1 transmission, which meant a shift pattern like
L 2
1 3

I don't remember which side R was on.

So I start my journey into becoming an ironworker when I was 15 years old. I was restricted to the shop until I was 18. We had this old truck that sat around the yard most of the time.

My dad or my uncle would move it out in the morning and back in again before we locked up. After a couple of weeks I went next door to see Old Al. Old Al was a spin-off from Chicago Fence, the same as my dad and his brother (there is some history in this). So they struck out on their own businesses but found a building that had been an old laundry and had been added onto many times so it was pretty easy to make two businesses in one building with separate entrances. Old Al went into small engine sales and repairs and dealt with lawn mowers, snow blowers and everything in between. My dad and uncle formed a fence company.
Every morning I would get a list of jobs to get the materials ready for the next days jobs. As well as general maintenance. (cleaning the shitter)

One day I needed to move the old truck so I went to Old Al and asked, "Will you teach me how to drive a stick shift?"
"Hell no!" "Go back and forth in the parking lot and when you think you are ready go around the block."

Worked for me.

[Cody2399]

Originally Posted by CamaroFred

I learned to drive stick on a 1966 C30 stake bed. It had a 3+1 transmission, which meant a shift pattern like
L 2
1 3

I don't remember which side R was on.

So I start my journey into becoming an ironworker when I was 15 years old. I was restricted to the shop until I was 18. We had this old truck that sat around the yard most of the time.

My dad or my uncle would move it out in the morning and back in again before we locked up. After a couple of weeks I went next door to see Old Al. Old Al was a spin-off from Chicago Fence, the same as my dad and his brother (there is some history in this). So they struck out on their own businesses but found a building that had been an old laundry and had been added onto many times so it was pretty easy to make two businesses in one building with separate entrances. Old Al went into small engine sales and repairs and dealt with lawn mowers, snow blowers and everything in between. My dad and uncle formed a fence company.
Every morning I would get a list of jobs to get the materials ready for the next days jobs. As well as general maintenance. (cleaning the shitter)

One day I needed to move the old truck so I went to Old Al and asked, "Will you teach me how to drive a stick shift?"
"Hell no!" "Go back and forth in the parking lot and when you think you are ready go around the block."

Worked for me.

That's an awesome story. Thanks a lot for sharing. It's really awesome to learn everything from you guys on this forum. I really appreciate all of you guys sharing your stories on how you leaned

[CamaroFred]

Originally Posted by Cody2399

That's an awesome story. Thanks a lot for sharing. It's really awesome to learn everything from you guys on this forum. I really appreciate all of you guys sharing your stories on how you leaned

I am glad you liked it.

Another hint. Always, always, put the shifter in neutral to start. Hold the clutch in to remove any load from the transmission.

If you don't press on the clutch, even in neutral, the engine will have to spin the input shaft which results in drag from the transmission fluid that causes an extra load on the starter.

On cold mornings as you release the clutch in neutral you will hear the engine going under load.

Since we were working with trucks and heavy gear lube it was possible to stall an engine while releasing the clutch in neutral. It took some revving and feathering to just let the beasts get the juices moving.

Although todays cars force you to depress the clutch to start the old adage is still true. Always release the clutch in neutral to get the fluids moving before sticking it in gear.

The same is true for automatics. In Park the pump is turned off. Shift to neutral for at least some seconds (depending on temperature) before moving to reverse or drive if you wish to extend their lives.

On a personal note I absolutely find the 'clutch safety switch' as mandated by our government to be a death sentence. Some of us old idiots used to be able to crank the starter and move our vehicles out of harms way (off the RR tracks, for instance) when stalled by simply stuffing it into first, releasing the clutch, and cranking the starter.

But, it isn't safe to know what you are doing any more.

[JLSuperfly]

Thanks for posting Fred. I did not know that.

[SquawkVFR]

And if no one has told you yet, avoid riding the clutch and the shift lever.

[Cody2399]

Originally Posted by CamaroFred

I am glad you liked it.

Another hint. Always, always, put the shifter in neutral to start. Hold the clutch in to remove any load from the transmission.

If you don't press on the clutch, even in neutral, the engine will have to spin the input shaft which results in drag from the transmission fluid that causes an extra load on the starter.

On cold mornings as you release the clutch in neutral you will hear the engine going under load.

Since we were working with trucks and heavy gear lube it was possible to stall an engine while releasing the clutch in neutral. It took some revving and feathering to just let the beasts get the juices moving.

Although todays cars force you to depress the clutch to start the old adage is still true. Always release the clutch in neutral to get the fluids moving before sticking it in gear.

The same is true for automatics. In Park the pump is turned off. Shift to neutral for at least some seconds (depending on temperature) before moving to reverse or drive if you wish to extend their lives.

On a personal note I absolutely find the 'clutch safety switch' as mandated by our government to be a death sentence. Some of us old idiots used to be able to crank the starter and move our vehicles out of harms way (off the RR tracks, for instance) when stalled by simply stuffing it into first, releasing the clutch, and cranking the starter.

But, it isn't safe to know what you are doing any more.

Haha yeah I sure did! I always try to start when I'm in neutral, I leave it in gear and pull the parking break when I'm shutting her down for the night, but it goes into neutral when I'm starting it. I didn't know about the auto as well thanks for all of the info man

Originally Posted by SquawkVFR

And if no one has told you yet, avoid riding the clutch and the shift lever.

Yeah haha I thankfully have known that, just a matter of perfecting it. Taking off is getting good where I'm not having to ride the clutch but parking it in the garage (I back it in because there's no doors) I'm riding quite a bit because it just backs up so fast and it scares me

[SquawkVFR]

Yeah haha I thankfully have known that, just a matter of perfecting it. Taking off is getting good where I'm not having to ride the clutch but parking it in the garage (I back it in because there's no doors) I'm riding quite a bit because it just backs up so fast and it scares me

That’s feathering..... it’s ok to do that... just make sure you’re taking your foot off the clutch and your hand off the shifter once you’ve completed shifting and in between shifts. You don’t wanna ride down the road with your hand resting on the gear shift lever or your foot on the clutch pedal. Sorry if I “over” explained. I’m looking for a video.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Cody2399

... where I'm not having to ride the clutch but parking it in the garage (I back it in because there's no doors) I'm riding quite a bit because it just backs up so fast and it scares me

You'll eventually get to the point where you're using the bare minimum of engine power/rpms necessary to keep from stalling. With enough practice and if it's on level ground you might have your right foot completely off the throttle and the left foot not feathering the clutch at all until the last two or three feet.


Norm

[Cody2399]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

You'll eventually get to the point where you're using the bare minimum of engine power/rpms necessary to keep from stalling. With enough practice and if it's on level ground you might have your right foot completely off the throttle and the left foot not feathering the clutch at all until the last two or three feet.


Norm

I hope so norm! That day can't come fast enough haha