My Mini is my first manual shift transmission i've ever driven as a daily driver, so I was just wondering if anyone had any tips for me to extend the life of my clutch. It's far from stock, I bought it with quite a few mods. Obviously the extra power will affect the clutch life, so I guess part of the question is whether it's worth it to upgrade the clutch when it finally goes out (and if getting a heavy duty clutch would make the clutch life shorter).

I know the basics, don't hold the clutch down for longer than needed to shift (put the car in neutral if you're sitting at a light), don't "Ride" the clutch, avoid high RPM clutch drops, ect. Does anyone have something to add from a mini only prospective? Seeing as how I have limited experiance driving stick shifts, I'm not sure what is and isn't normal. I've noticed sometimes at low RPM's sometimes the car "Bucks". I read about a Yo-Yo problem, but I'm not sure if that is what i'm experiancing. Also, it seems sometimes that the car is a little sluggish off the line (in the idle to 1400 rpm range), so it seems like the car bogs down a lot when rolling to a start. I would assume this is semi normal for a small displacement forced induction engine, but is there a trick to get the car started a little easier? I feel bad, sounds like the engine is really struggling to get the car rolling unless I rev to 2100 or so RPM's off the line and drag the clutch out until I get to 8-10 mph.

I'm new at this, so all the 6-speed guru tips are welcome! I do enjoy spirited driving, but I don't want to go through clutches at every oil change! (PS, I drove 4 other cars, all manuals, then I drove the mini and almost bought the one they had on the lot in the used department... thats how much I like it)

Thanks in advance!

 

Rusty,

If you avoid abruptly engaging the clutch it will last for many years. The slight wear caused by slipping the clutch just a bit to get the car rolliing is nothing to worry about. You are right that you can enage the clutch at low rpm and that the car will feel quite sluggish off the line if you do. And you're right that this is normal for a small displacement forced induction engine. The bucking you've experience is a consequence of engaging the clutch at low rpm. You should avoid this if you can. Just like you want to avoid lugging the engine in too high a gear at really low rpm. It could cause driveline damage.

My suggestion is not to worry a lot about clutch wear. It's not going to be a problem. After many years in BMW's I've come to the conclusion that the clutches are just not problematic at all. The Getrag gearboxes in the MCS are strong and the clutch is too.

When you take off, rev the car to a pinch over 1500 rpm and you'll find the acceleration to be much more acceptable. Ocassional spirited launches at much more rpm are OK too, but they would shorten the life of the clutch some if you made a habit of it.

 

There are no mainstream mods on a street car that will effect the clutch - it's a very beefy design that handles way more power than the Mini can produce. 230 HP is nothing to the clutch. You already know what to do.

 

well i can vouch for the clutch of the mini i have over 109,000 miles on my clutch and its still going strong and mine is also pretty modded, thou not as much as i want it to be but close!


and i drive my mini as hard as possible

clutch drops
burnouts
engine breaking
quick engagements
you name it ive done it and it shows no sign of troble, now every now and then youll get the bad egg but mines been truley bulletproof

 

That's good to know. Not surprising really, but good to know.

 

Well, I'm another manual shift amatuer. But I am getting the hang of it and loving it alot. I would like to know however, what is the best rpm range to shift from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. I seem to have that bucking problem alot when changing from 1st to 2nd. And I would really appreciate knowing the finer points about down shifting from you experienced drivers!

 

Two things I'd recommend: 1) Just drive a lot. It gets smoother and easier as you develop muscle memory for the movements. One day you'll look up and the bucking between 1st & 2nd will just be gone. 2) Find a skilled driver and ride along to watch them for beginning to learn downshifting.

For upshifts, it's not so much that there's a "right" shift point as it is mastering the timing. For downshifts to be really smooth, you'll want to learn two techniques: "double-clutching" and "heel & toe". When used together these two advanced techniques allow for seamless downshifts and help you take care of your gearbox. However, most driving on the street does not require a double-clutch heel & toe downshift. As you gain experience with your MINI, you'll get accustomed to the gear ratios and the "right" gear for a given road speed will become intuitive.

Did I mention you just need to drive a lot

 

ive noticed that i'd need to slip the clutch off the line more than other
cars ive driven in the past. but i don't foresee changing the clutch
anytime soon (while I own the car, atleast).

If you smell your clutch, then obviously that's a warning sign that
you're riding it.

 

When I walked into a dealership on a Friday evening in Oct '02, having left my Miata top down in the parking lot, a salesman tossed me a key to a Cooper and a Cooper S and said "come and talk to me when you are done. But one thing, you need to slip the clutch pretty good to get it off the line."

Yep - you do. I left that dealership 3 hours later driving an Aug build 02 S .... we went back to get the Miata the next day (hey - it is one heck of a car too....)

1. Just because you need to slip the clutch....doesn't mean something is wrong.

2. Heel and toe - slip the clutch - and especially Double Clutch - are unknown terms today

 

I agree completely.

That depends entirely on where and how you're driving. On the track and in aggressive driving, heel & toe downshifts are definitely advantageous. Under those same circumstances, double-clutching tells your gearbox you love it. On the street... most people don't need either.

 

I think my MCSC's first gear is pretty prickley. I have to rev between 1500 and 2000 rpms to keep it from dying. I have not driven a stick for a few years, so I'm not as smooth as I'm sure I'll be.

I don't "ride the clutch," but I'm not as good about taking my foot off the clutch (in neutral) as I should be when I come to a stop. I'm going to try double-clutching and heel-to-toe for downshifting. Sounds fun.

 

I've done some reading, but can someone fill me in on the proper technique for double clutching? Obviously reading is one thing, and experiance is something different entirely, but any tips would be appreciated

 

With modern synchromesh gears, double clutching is really completely unnecessary. The whole point of synchromesh gears is that you DO NOT have to double clutch.

Don't bother

 

Try these links for information about heel & toe downshifting:

http://www.motoringfile.com/2005/07/...ng_made_simple
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/how...2/article.html
http://www.ferrariclub.com/faq/heeltoe.html

and this link for info on double-clutching:

http://felixwong.com/openroad/double_clutch.html

And one last tip: Learn this by doing it on the street under normal driving conditions. It takes time to master. In the process you will undoubtedly annoy or amuse your spouse and other passengers. When they cease to be annoyed or amused, you have mastered the technique.

 

Although, in downshifting it is nice to rev the engine up to match the speed of the wheels with a quick push, then let the clutch out to have everything synch up to keep from having the synchros buck your speed and handling out of line in a turn. I find it to be fun in the mountain twisties.

But, double clutching when upshifting is pretty much worthless, and I don't see much point in pushing the clutch in twice for downshifting, either. I understand that's not how it used to be, though.

-Steve

PS edit- great moteringfile article on heel-toe!

 

You are correct that it is not required. But it does reduce wear & tear, and it's is a lot of fun once mastered. Few of us keep our cars long enough to know the difference anymore, but it does increase the longevity of the transmission. And, did I mention that it's fun?

 

You got me there. I don't double-clutch on upshifts, only downshifts.

 

Whats the concensus on shifting to neutral before blipping vs blipping with the clutch in (I would think the blip with the clutch in would hurt the life of the clutch ). One of the heal toe shift guides didn't say anything about shifting to neutral before blipping...

Thanks for the guides! They help alot!

One last concern, sometimes it seems like it takes more effort than it should to "Lock" the gears in place when shifting. I learned to drive stick on a 14 year old toyota corolla, so... maybe i'm used to the transmission being much more loose than a 2 year old mini . Seems like first is always smooth, while second takes slightly more effort, and third a little less. Mini guru's to the rescue!

 

Finding written instructions for this technique that are correct, complete and easy to understand is probably almost as tough as doing it. For me it has become second nature, so I find I have trouble explaining the steps.

If you don't double-clutch, blip the throttle with the clutch pedal pressed all the way in.

And, from one of the websites linked above:


It's also worth noting that this technique is most valuable when braking for a turn, so you'll proably have your right foot on the brake the entire time as well.

 

I'm also new to driving a mini and a manual car. I just got my new cooper s on monday. I was wondering what the rpm's of the car should be with just normal driving. Is 3 good? Also I am having a hard time starting off at a decent speed. It seems like 1'st gear you just get in and out of really quick. But i'm trying to start up after a red light and cars are easily going faster then me while i'm struggling to go through the gears and get to a good speed. I'm not looking to race anybody but what's the secret to going from 0-60 at a solid speed? :impatient

 

If you want to accelerate harder, don't shift at 3,000 rpm - let it stay in gear longer! Most engines make much more power at higher rpms.

HOWEVER, I strongly recommend you don't do this when the engine is still cold. Doing that will cause extra stress on the engine. When you first start the car, keep the rpms fairly low (I'd suggest no more than 4,500 rpm) until the engine has warmed up (usually takes only 5 minutes of normal driving)... if you have a temperature gauge, that can help to determine whether you have reached "normal" operating temperature yet.

As for me, if I really want to get moving, I stay in each gear until I almost hit redline. Some drivers are paranoid to rev the engine up, but that's what it's designed for! As long as you keep it below the redline (and also only when the engine is warmed up), you won't break anything.

However, of course you should realize that revving it up higher will lower your fuel efficiency. :smile:

 

the only time I double clutch is when skipping gears or when engaging 1st

while rolling.

 

Andrew is more than right.

I don’t know if any of you 30ish even 40ish people know what double clutching is, I’m guessing no one of the 20ish would. Modern cars with synchromesh gear boxes do not need to be and for the fact can’t be double clutched. That’s the synchromesh part.

 

Those of us who drive tractors do. It was always a lot of fun to try to downshift a Massey-Ferguson 135 with a hand throttle, no syncros, and a mile-long clutch throw. Recommended operating procedure is to just stop, but what's the fun in that?

 

One more time... I'm not saying it's necessary for normal operation. But in really aggressive braking and downshifting, such as one might encounter at the track, it is desirable. Even in a modern car such as a MINI. And it does reduce the wear on the synchros. I'm not making this stuff up.

I am interested in hearing more about your assertion that the synchromesh transmission cannot be double clutched. If that's the case, I must be missing something.