Am I the only one who double clutches?

DaewooOfDeath wrote: Oh God don't double clutch on an upshift. Fast and the Furious is the only place that works!

No, it really does work on old Land Rovers. No synchros on 2nd, a quick clutch dip makes all the difference on how the gear slips in.

steronz wrote: My WAG is that double clutching is more necessary, if at all, on cars with longer gears. Such as, say, a Daewoo versus a Civic Si. The longer the gears, the greater the speed difference between the input and output shafts.

That's really interesting. I'd never thought about ratios playing any part in it at all. Seems so simple when you describe it.

Reading the rest of the thread, I guess I'm happy that I know how to do it..but I had to do it for so long (old Britcars, tractors on friends' farms, etc.) that I just don't do it anymore unless I absolutely have to. Wish I could afford a Series I E-Type, it would give me an excuse to go practice.

EDIT: Or do like Keith and find a real Landy. I wonder how many of those were even sold in the South.

I've got a '97 Talon that someone put normal gear oil in the transmission that requires the ATF stuff. Gearbox seems ok except for the upshift to 5th. Tried double clutching going up to 5th and it helped. Whatever's wrong inside the box is improving, because I don't have to do it as much anymore. I'm guessing the sycnchros are sticky or something like that.

There's nothing double clutching can do on an upshift that doesnt happen much faster just by timing the shifter movement just so to coincide with the gears in question 'spinning down' from friction.

You are welcome to try to make a smooth 1-2 upshift on my Rover without the clutch dip if you'd like I didn't start doing it because someone else suggested it, I do it because the truck likes it. Can't explain mechanically what's going on though.

^That's legit. My Alfetta required the same.

Ok, good. I thought I was losing my mind. I was like "the engine speed is slowing down, and the gear ratio is going down, so shouldn't it work out already?! Ahhhh!"

But that issue is resolved in my head. I'll be able to go through my day (mostly) not preoccupied.

I'm still trying to perfect heel-toe double-clutch downshifts everywhere I drive now. Damn you, GRM. You have to be fast at it, or else you need to blip the throttle a second time to rev-match after you've selected a gear. And that is awkward. And anyone within earshot thinks you're a massive idiot.

Keith wrote: You are welcome to try to make a smooth 1-2 upshift on my Rover without the clutch dip if you'd like I didn't start doing it because someone else suggested it, I do it because the truck likes it. Can't explain mechanically what's going on though.

Massive friction inside the box slowing everything down faster than the engine slows down? That's the only thing I can think of...

Or a big heavy flywheel keeping engine speeds up abnormally long. Because it has one.

Regardless, the truck likes it so the truck gets it.

DaewooOfDeath wrote: Massive friction inside the box slowing everything down faster than the engine slows down? That's the only thing I can think of...

Generally, yes.

I find it much easier to just start off in 2nd or 3rd than bother trying to shift into those gears with a cold transmission. (This on a 350k mile old transmission that balks, but never grinds)

I think the clutch is made out of polished granite - it's still factory and still grips extremely strong.

Keith wrote: Or a big heavy flywheel keeping engine speeds up abnormally long. Because it has one. Regardless, the truck likes it so the truck gets it.

Rare photo of a man installing the Land Rover factory flywheel.

Massive friction inside the box slowing everything down faster than the engine slows down? That's the only thing I can think of...

Thats about the only thing that makes sense. Id have to drive the truck to really 'diagnose' it (because that would qualify as a problem) but the alternatives seem utterly silly.

Regardless, the truck likes it so the truck gets it.

I wont argue with that.. You drive a car the way that 'feels right' when you're just going down the road. And not even feeling the synchros feels so right that i double clutch rev match downshifts constantly.