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Originally Posted by pne /img/forum/go_quote.gif
So we've got some stick drivers eh...maybe you guys can answer some of my questions.
can someone explain to me exactly what auto and manual synch gearboxes are? I have a vague idea it involves matching transmission speed to engine speed but the whole process is over my head.
Also, how does double clutching work? I know the procedure but what is it supposed to achieve that standard clutch manipulation can't?
What is the big deal with short shifters? Is their sole purpose just to make the lever travel shorter? Why don't cars just come with short lever throws in the first place?
Finally, every single manual I've driven has absolutely terrible feel at the lever. It feels like you're wobbling a stick in mud. Is there any reason why they are not more precise? This is based on a comparison to a motorcycle shift mechanism, which is smooth and accurate, with a sharp *snick* each time you change gears. In a cars shifter there is so much free play and wobble, and it doesn't help that most of the time you are wobbling around the needlessly thick cover that seemingly serves no purpose but to make the action feel even worse.
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Yeah, basically the synchro is made to automatically match the 'box speed to engine speed so you don't grind gears. Double clutching is where, in between shifts, you let the engine speed drop to the approximate speed of the gear you're selecting (in the case of shifting up, you have to let the engine die down a little bit). It's basically just to minimize grinding gears. Most people call heel-toe shifting double clutching, which is totally wrong. They are totally separate things, no matter what the YouTube trolls tell you (though, they can be performed simultaneously).
The reason a motorcycle gearbox is so precise, is because it's a sequential, cassette-type gearbox. It's not like a car gearbox, where if you wanted, you could go 'first, second, third, fifth'. To get to sixth gear on a 'bike, you have to go through all the previous gears, in order. Hence the term 'sequential'.
But yeah, manual gearboxes are hit or miss, most of the time. My 'box on my focus works well enough. Not the best I've ever driven, but just fine. My roommate's shifter on his 240SX, though, is garbage. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have your BMW gearboxes and Mazda gearboxes. My friend's RX-8 is an absolute treat to shift. I also once drove a 1977 International Hauler 25' moving truck. It had no tachometer, and a clutch from a friggin' tank. It was the heaviest clutch I've ever felt. My leg hurt the next day, just from driving it.
