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J

joeq

Jedi Hopeful
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as some of you know, i'm still new to the world of manual transmission... so i hope you'll excuse this beginner question: sometimes when in first or right when i shift into second, the car jerks forward several times before levelling off. am i going to fast or slow for the gear i'm in? am i not pushing the clutch in enough? what do you think?

as always, thanks!!
 
Hi Joe,
Not exactly sure about your problem. Everyone has to learn sometime, you are not the first.

When engaging the clutch (letting the pedal out) it is necessary to "feather the clutch". This means to let the pedal out a bit slowly & smoothly as you feel it start to engage & continuing slowly until it is fully engaged. It has to slip a bit as it is engaging to prevent jerking.

When shifting, it is also beneficial to somewhat match engine speed to the speed that is expected in the next gear. Slower for a higher gear, faster for a lower gear. These things will become automatic to you as you gain experience.

There is a slight possibility that the clutch itself is grabbing/slipping, due to clutch plate contamination with oil. Clutch "chatter", "stick/slip", can also be caused by loose engine mounts. I would not consider this until you are sure that you are doing it right.

It's a lot easier to demonstrate than to explain. I don't want to insult you but is there someone experienced with stick shifts that could demonstrate? If not, I'm sure you will get the hang of it soon.

Nice car, BTW.

Regards,
D
 
Joeg, I do not know specigfically what your problem is either, but we rarely use first gear in these cars. You might just forget first temporarily, unless you are on a very stiff grade or heavily laden, and see if she does not smooth out.---Fwiw---Keoke
 
not insulted in the slightest – just learned towards the end of last summer... so i haven't really had all that much road time. oddly enough though, it did seem to be going a lot smoother last year! that said, i won't rush to judgement and assume its the cars fault for a while!

complicating matters is how i have the pedals configured (gas on the left, clutch on the right)!
 
Yep Joeq, give it a try as I said we rarely use first gear.---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
I regularly start out from second gear in my four-cylinder, four-speed Healey (it originally had a three-speed transmission), since a lot of people have said first gear is very low - great for pulling tree stumps. I have found a good use for first gear here in So Cal, though - every once in a while I'll be out during rush hour going up a metered freeway on ramp - I put it in first and it slowly rolls forward at just the right speed, probably 2 mph, so I don't have to keep coming to a complete stop and use the clutch.

Also every once in a while, just for the practice, I'll start out from non-synchro first gear, and when I do, I very consciously think of what I am doing as I go into gear and release the clutch, because 1) you can't go very far until the rpms tell you it's time to shift into second gear, 2) you're going so slow, the maniac in the non-LBC behind you wants to roll right over you, and 3) if you don't release it carefully, the "rhythm" won't be right, resulting in a sloppy shift, i.e. lurching - very uncool!

Sharon
Four-speed BN1
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have found a good use for first gear here in So Cal, though - every once in a while I'll be out during rush hour going up a metered freeway on ramp - I put it in first and it slowly rolls forward at just the right speed, probably 2 mph, so I don't have to keep coming to a complete stop and use the clutch.--- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif---Sharon!- What are you doing getting on a So Cal Freeway at rush hour??- very uncool!---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Sharon
Four-speed BN1

[/ QUOTE ]
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sharon!- What are you doing getting on a So Cal Freeway at rush hour??- very uncool!---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, actually, it's a great feeling knowing everyone else is probably going home from work, while I'm just out cruising! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Sharon
 
Geez...I thought I was the only one that thought first gear was useless on my car. I usually started out in second. Like someone said earlier....If you start in first the guy behind becomes a trunk emblem because he is mashing his pedal to the floor on his automatic transmission car.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Geez...I thought I was the only one that thought first gear was useless on my car.

[/ QUOTE ]
I find that the 3.54 rear axle ratio actually makes first gear usable in addition to more relaxed cruising.
D
 
Dave,

I have seen the 3.54 on some sites including Dennis Welch. I was wondering, is it hard to convert? Is this something for the weekend warrior or for the pro?
 
I think you might get a 3.54 ring & pinion from Mike Lempert for much less than the Cape or DW offerings. Quite a few Healey owners have used Mike's gears with success.
https://www.lempertgroup.com/gears.html

I would suggest having a trusted auto shop install the gears. It's quite critical to get all of the clearances/gear positions exactly right with shims. I think Mike could suggest a good shop near to you.
D
 
I have a 3.54 from Lempert that I use at higher speed tracks. I agree that changing the the gear in the dif is best left for specialists, however removing the dif itself sometimes referred to as the "pumpkin" is fairly strait forward and is covered in the shop manuel. I have three "pumkins" (3.54, 3.909 and 4.11) and change them based on track.
 
Gentleman,

Thanks for the advice. I think maybe this winter I will order one up and have it installed
 
If you are having problems from 1st to 2nd, you may want to
shift from 1st into neutral, rev the engine a little, then depress clutch and go into 2nd.
On the BN2 trans, I usually start from 2nd only if going downhill, or slightly moving in slow traffic. I believe that continually starting from 2nd will cause premature clutch wear.
Any other comments on this?


Lou
BN1 w/ 4 speed
Bugeye
 
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