Am I doing this right?

[gr8wytshark]

I have a 2004 Hyundai Tiburon with the v6 6spd manual tranny. I've been driving a manual for 6 years now so I know I can't be THAT bad but tell me why I burned out my clutch in 14000 miles, is it really possible? I guess maybe I don't know that much about clutches and need some tips on how to save my clutch. Also, after getting the clutch replaced at the dealership it grinds when I try to put it in 2nd gear what is the reason for this-its the only gear that does it, and, will it hurt the clutch or tranny if I'm shifting from 1st straight to 3rd

[potownrob]

Unless you have a history of prematurely killing your clutches, it sounds like a defective clutch...

Some tips to mitigate clutchwear:
-Don't add a lot of gas (more than 1500 rpms) until the clutch is fully engaged (all the way up)
-Don't hold your car on a hill using the gas and clutch instead of the brakes
-Don't hold the clutch in when you're not shifting in or out of gear, unless you're about to let it out again (e.g. stop sign)
-Don't rest your foot on the clutch when you're not using it
-Don't downshift without rev-matching if you're going to be slipping the clutch on the downshift
-There are probably others, but Scionkid, John and LS1 will have to come up with them

As for shifting straight from 1st to third, it should be alright as long as you rev high enough in 1st, but I'd look into the 1-2 problem. My guess is that the synchro is worn. I'd try double-clutching into 2nd .

[gr8wytshark]

ok so you say to try double clutching from 1st to 3rd how would i go about doing that

[Warner]

Not to change the subject, but I love the looks of the Evolution X! I was disappointed when I heard they were changing the design, but I will be excited to see that out on the road (or, hopefully, drive it out on the road ).

Also, has anyone else seen the new Skyline? I can't decide whether or not I like the new 350z-esque look. They are dropping the name "Skyline" and just selling it as a GT-R, possibly with the Infinity logo. It's going to run for about $70,000. Here are some pics:

[LS1Leader]

For $70,000, I hope it's got all the bells and whistles.... But I really like Mitsu's new corporate front end, more on the Evo X than on the Skyline... Reminds me of the Audi grilles, and I love those grilles.

Sorry for the hijack, but yeah, your avatar is nice.

[potownrob]

ok so you say to try double clutching from 1st to 3rd how would i go about doing that

I said to try double clutching into 2nd, though I would double clutch into 3rd if I ever skipped gears (I sometimes skip gears on downshifts like 4-2, but I rarely skip on upshifts). Double clutching is pushing in the clutch twice during a single shift. The way this works is say you're in first and you wanna shift into second. What you do is you let off the gas, clutch into neutral, let out the clutch, clutch into second, let out the clutch and get on the gas. The difference between a double clutch (DC) upshift and a regular single clutch (SC) upshift is that on a DC upshift you connect the engine and transmission while in neutral before reconnecting them in a gear. This was a practically necessary practice on earlier cars and big rigs with unsynchronized gearboxes, though there are other ways to shift unsynchronized transmissions without double clutching. On cars with synchronized transmissions, double clutching is not necessary since the synchronizers slow down the gears for the lower engine speed in the next gear. WHen the synchros go south, double clutching will help you to slow down the gears while the transmission is connected to the slowing engine in neutral. If you want to double clutch into 3rd, since the engine will not be slowing down enough for third gear and synchronizing the engine and tranny in neutral will at least slow something down in there and the lag in shift time from double clutching will give the engine time to drop rpms more, all you have to do is clutch into neutral, let out the clutch, then clutch into 3rd, let out the clutch and be ready to get on the gas after reengaging the clutch.

[Johnf514]

Most of the tips were covered by potownrob (nicely done), and my only addition is to keep your RPMs low on launches. Many people frequently rev past 1500 to get going (especially on a hill) and slowly let the clutch out. Not good. You want to let the clutch out at a moderate pace, and as soon as you feel the car begin to move, begin to add a small amount of gas.

I know you've been stick for at least 14,000 miles, however, it is never a bad idea to review your fundamentals. If this isn't the case, along with Rob's suggests, then consider it a bad clutch (and not your fault).

By the way, I love the avatar, but could ya downsize it just a bit? Thank you sir.

[LS1Leader]

It's funny that we have sig limits, but no avatar limits. Usually avatar constraints are worse than sig ones.

[Johnf514]

(Annoyed gay voice) "Mr. Standardshifter? This is seriously getting way out of hand. These huge avatars and tinysignatures? It's just too much and too little, all at once! OMG, I can't handle this right now, I've got to go."

[Paolo300zx]

I have the same problem on my 90' 300zx, i think it may be syncro problem because my clutch was replaced yesterday, and it still hits in second. You may also need to warm it up more, b/c mine doesnt grind as much, if at all when the car has been running for a while.

[Paolo300zx]

P.S. that's not a skyline, its just called the GTR now