Downshifting?

[Burlsube]

I'm new to the manual shifting world and I'm trying to figure out what is best and/or most practical in regards to downshifting in my IIa.

The person who gave me my brief standard tutorial says he never down shifts and usually pops it into neutral and then back into whatever gear is necessary. Downshifting for hills seems to induce intense anxiety, so I have been sticking to flat areas. But that isnt very fun.

Any tips and tricks?

[leafsprung]

match engine rpms. clutch, neutral, clutch-blip throttle, engage second. practice makes perfect.

[Wander]

Rovers are so low geared this isn't something you need to do but shifting from 4th to 3rd does allow engine braking. I do not normally downshift from 3rd to 2nd.

[disco2hse]

Double the clutch, which is how I learned to drive with crash gearbox (no synchro). Some IIa's have synchromesh.

You should double the clutch when changing gears up and down.

I will try to get this right but I do it without thinking about it. When I try to think I mess it up

Procedure (same for any gear and changing up or down the gears):
1. To begin you will either have your foot on the accelerator or brake pedal. Only release these when the procedure begins. It helps when you are gaining or losing momentum.
2. Vehicle is in gear, depress clutch pedal and move gear lever to neutral.
3. Release the clutch pedal and give a squirt on the accelerator.
4. Vehicle is in neutral. Press the clutch before the engine loses the revs from 2 and ease the gear lever into the next gear.
5. Release the clutch pedal and either accelerate (if changing up the gears) or brake (if changing down the gears). Releasing the pedal quickly at first until the clutch `bites,' then release slowly until fully released.

The procedure is essentially a series of fluid movements and takes maybe up to a second or two to complete, especially if the brakes are fading and there's a red light ahead

Practice in the driveway with the engine off. Do it right and there will be no graunching of gears once you do it for real. Or you could pop it up on axle stands.

It is never a good idea to solely rely on brakes to decelerate and stop. You should be in gear and any advice to do otherwise should be ignored.

Changing down to 3rd for stopping is normal. Other times you will need to change down to 2nd or even 1st if you are, for example, on a hill and losing momentum or you need to speed the engine revs up to pass someone who is slower. Don't be afraid to ring the engine a bit.

[Burlsube]

Thanks for the tips

[NickDawson]

I asked a mechanic once about downshifting and he replied:
would you rather replace brakes or a clutch?

Im no expert, but unless you are going down a prolonged incline, I've never seen the point of downshifting for the purpose of slowing the vehicle.

[artpeck]

My grandfather who let me drive a truck on the farm when I was 14 used to say "brake parts are a lot cheaper than transmission parts"...
But strangely on my wife's Mercedes Gl 550 it has a 6 speed automatic that downshifts itself as you slow. Go figure...although with Mercedes perhaps that is to stimulate their service business....

[superstator]

I downshift pretty frequently, but it's not to slow the vehicle. It's to be in the right gear to re-accelerate. In the Rover it's always approach an intersection in third, clutch in & brake to slow, then double clutch into second as I turn, then accelerate away and upshift back to third. Of course, that last bit takes a while .

[disco2hse]

I asked a mechanic once about downshifting and he replied:
would you rather replace brakes or a clutch?

Im no expert, but unless you are going down a prolonged incline, I've never seen the point of downshifting for the purpose of slowing the vehicle.

On the old Austin truck I used to own there is no way I'd attempt a steep downhill run and not shift down. Once momentum has had the opportunity to build up no amount of braking is going to safety arrest your acceleration and speed. The purpose of shifting to a lower gear when going down a hill is not to slow down or stop but to control the speed of the vehicle using the engine brake so it doesn't build up too much speed and become uncontrollable (which is truly frightening in a large truck with no power steering and no power assisted drum brakes).

So far as downshifting when coming to a halt is concerned. The reason is that the engine brake is not going to fade or fail. Old drum brakes have a tendency to be poor and engine braking simply lowers the forward momentum. There is no strain on any transmission parts. It is what they are designed to do, provide a range of gear ratios. Otherwise upward changing of gears would be frowned upon when speeding up too.

[disco2hse]

I downshift pretty frequently, but it's not to slow the vehicle. It's to be in the right gear to re-accelerate. In the Rover it's always approach an intersection in third, clutch in & brake to slow, then double clutch into second as I turn, then accelerate away and upshift back to third. Of course, that last bit takes a while .

In the words of the great Sultans of Swing: That's the way you do it

Get into the wrong gear or try to start off in top and you'll yourself in Dire Straits

[yorker]

I asked a mechanic once about downshifting and he replied:
would you rather replace brakes or a clutch?

If you learn to do it properly you won't be replacing either very often at all.

[Eric W S]

On the old Austin truck I used to own there is no way I'd attempt a steep downhill run and not shift down. Once momentum has had the opportunity to build up no amount of braking is going to safety arrest your acceleration and speed. The purpose of shifting to a lower gear when going down a hill is not to slow down or stop but to control the speed of the vehicle using the engine brake so it doesn't build up too much speed and become uncontrollable (which is truly frightening in a large truck with no power steering and no power assisted drum brakes).

So far as downshifting when coming to a halt is concerned. The reason is that the engine brake is not going to fade or fail. Old drum brakes have a tendency to be poor and engine braking simply lowers the forward momentum. There is no strain on any transmission parts. It is what they are designed to do, provide a range of gear ratios. Otherwise upward changing of gears would be frowned upon when speeding up too.

Bingo! Also prevents brake fade from heat as well.

Someone needs to find a new mechanic.

[Les Parker]

Mark Knopfler fan eh?
Are we, as a collection of Rover fans, Brothers in Arms?

Very good description of what many of us do as a matter of instinct, change down a gear for a corner so you are ready for a new adventure when accellerating away......

[thixon]

Bingo! Also prevents brake fade from heat as well.

Someone needs to find a new mechanic.

His mechanic posed a valid, but somewhat nit picky question. You're wearing material off a surface one way or another. If you choose not to downshift, you'll wear your brakes a little faster. If you choose to double clutch, you'll wear out the clutch a little faster (because you're releasing/re-engaging more often than you would if you chose to brake instead).

[thixon]

I asked a mechanic once about downshifting and he replied:
would you rather replace brakes or a clutch?

Im no expert, but unless you are going down a prolonged incline, I've never seen the point of downshifting for the purpose of slowing the vehicle.

Nick,

I tend to agree with you here. While I DC in the tr6 or healey often its just because its fun. Also, you don't have to be an expert to have an opinion. Look at me. I rarely know crap, yet manage to have opinions about everything!

Oh yeah, as far as brake fade goes, unless you're driving the car like you stole it or towing a really heavy trailer while trying to stop down a hill in San Fran, you'll probably never experience it. I've lost brakes twice in a car. Once, I left the e-brake up and didn't notice (MGA), the brakes boiled, and Travis had to go home and clean out his shorts. The second time, I had an out right master cylinder failure. I'm excluding any track time or auto crossing brake issues as those don't count!