StandardShift.com

I'm 17 and I just got a 2001 Honda Civic Ex which is a standard, of course. I was just wondering, if you're taking off, say in a drag race, is it ok to keep the gas to the floor while you change gears? I know this might sound silly but this is my first time driving a standard and I'm still improving on my launch . I know there will obviously be some wear on the engine but I was just wondering if there's serious potential to break something serious. Btw, I'm not doing any racing soon, just a question lol.

shifting with the gas floored is called power shifting, and yeah it's very hard on the car. i don't think it will cause any immediate catastrophic failures, but it is certainly something i wouldn't do in my own car.

Yeah, the Civic I got is in mint condition. There was only one owner before me and he must have taken care of it because clutch catches pretty low and the transmission is still excellent. I don't have to money to replace any of that so I think i'll just drive smart.

good thinking

as they say, "you gotta pay to play" can't risk messing something up if you can't afford to fix it.

It is still a good idea to keep a little gas through shifting just to keep the rpms up. Sometimes the engine will lug out when i switch up, but maybe its just cause i'm shifting too early. I usually like shifting at 2.75 rpm, I find that the smoothest, but when i'm taking off onto the highway i'll try to hit 3.5. Sometimes i like to go to 4 to piss my dad off too.

TomCivic wrote:It is still a good idea to keep a little gas through shifting just to keep the rpms up. Sometimes the engine will lug out when i switch up, but maybe its just cause i'm shifting too early. I usually like shifting at 2.75 rpm, I find that the smoothest, but when i'm taking off onto the highway i'll try to hit 3.5. Sometimes i like to go to 4 to piss my dad off too.

I have a 2001 Civic DX Coupe, and I drive it very randomly. Sometimes, I shift at low RPMs and accelerate very slowly. Usually, I rev the engine up to what sounds like 3500 RPM before shifting (I don't have a tach). When my parents are in the car, I try not to rev too high. When I'm alone, I sometimes rev the engine all the way up to redline. I've even hit the rev limiter a few times, which was pretty fun!

TomCivic wrote:It is still a good idea to keep a little gas through shifting just to keep the rpms up. Sometimes the engine will lug out when i switch up, but maybe its just cause i'm shifting too early. I usually like shifting at 2.75 rpm, I find that the smoothest, but when i'm taking off onto the highway i'll try to hit 3.5. Sometimes i like to go to 4 to piss my dad off too.

yeah, leaving a little gas during the shift is good, especially the 1-2 shift. i usually prefer to reapply a little gas at the same time or just before the clutch. i usually rev up close to redline on 2nd and 3rd a few times a day. i just love the way my car pulls at high rpms

i've hit the rev limiter a few times too

yeah, if you cant afford to fix it, then don't do it.

I was considering getting a jeep or pickup or other truck for my first car, but I decided I'd rather not, because then i would be tempted to take it off roading, and with that, just like racing, things break, and I don't have lots of money. So unless you or your parents are willing to fix a destroyed clutch or engine, don't do things that will wear it prematurely.

That's exactly why I abuse my car so much. If the clutch goes, my dad will buy a new one. My dad also said that he'd replace the "throwout bearing" (in his words: "whatever the hell that is") if it decides to crap out, because he keeps the clutch floored at a stop light.

I have a 01' Civic Si (US model Ex) and I visit civic forums and I know the durability of the drivetrain in our cars.... Lets just say if you are planning to do any racing, you better have lots of money because parts breaks easily in our cars under stress

Yeah, I guess i'll just have to stick to picking up babes.

there you go

thats much more fun than racing anyways