Question on shifting and clutch life

[Kiamo]

Ok, I'm pretty damn good (if I do say so myself) at smooth shifting through just timing and rev matching (as in I pop the clutch for pretty much every shift and never slip it, but it still shifts smooth feeling thanks to timing). I try to keep my foot off the cluch as much as I can. On upshifts, I blip the throttle and match it there, too.

Anyway, my question is this: I just want to make sure this is better for my clutch. I figured it would be, so I just started driving like this all the time, but I just want to make sure.

Thanks.

[petar7408]

yea, i drive like that too usually.. i think it is better

[CAP-E-TAN]

do you guys think bmws have a larger than average engagement point......?

[SG_M3]

By rev matching you are saving the gearbox. As long as you don't slip or ride the clutch you are doing everything fine.

[triplebeam]

???When coming coming up on a stop light at a average speed is it better to A. Downshift B. Shift into neutral or C.add your own answer , Question is open to any one ???

[SG_M3]

Its not good to put the car in neutral, you don't have control of the car then.

Personally, if i'm going 45 or so and coming to a stop light. I put the brakes on then downshift to 2nd with i'm near 30 and stop.

Brakes are cheaper than clutches, but don't coast in neutral.

[AMG]

Originally posted by Kiamo
Ok, I'm pretty damn good (if I do say so myself) at smooth shifting through just timing and rev matching (as in I pop the clutch for pretty much every shift and never slip it, but it still shifts smooth feeling thanks to timing). I try to keep my foot off the cluch as much as I can. On upshifts, I blip the throttle and match it there, too.

Anyway, my question is this: I just want to make sure this is better for my clutch. I figured it would be, so I just started driving like this all the time, but I just want to make sure.

Thanks.

How do you blip the throttle to rev-match on an upshift? Aren't the revs supposed to COME DOWN?

[E36DJ]

That's how I drive, I'm the third owner and the car is pushing 82k miles now.

....on the factory clutch.

After 3k the clutch will not grab (if the car is going slow.) It's fine @ WOT in first as long as the clutch was fully let out before I go WOT. I need to do an LTW flywheel / E34 M5 clutch swap soon.

Shit, if a factory clutch lasted 7 years, I'm going to have a LOT OF FUN with an M5 clutch for the ~10k more I'm going to put on the car till I sell it.

Burn outs at every light!!

btw: I always go into neutral if I know I have to slow down. It's easier on the brakes and the engine (you aren't slowing the engine down using the drivetrain) also, the engine is simply turning less. On a car with 82 thousand miles on it, I don't see the point of keeping the thing turning till you come to a stop if you already know you are eventually going to stop.
Enging braking is just STUPID btw, unless you are downshifting to be in a better gear coming out of a turn or something, there's NO need for it. Even then, you should be rev-matching so the drivetrain doesn't take up the difference in speed between the clutch / flywheel. As already stated, brakes are a lot cheaper than clutches. Furthermore, think of what's connected to that clutch.
When you figure it takes a lot more friction to speed up an engine from ~1k to 2.5k if you use the engine for braking than it does simply accellerating through the gears, engine braking more than DOUBLES the use/friction applied to the clutch...needlessly.

Don't do it.