Discussion
It means that when changing gear you should adjust the engine speed to be correct for that road speed in the new gear. Let the revs drop when changing up, increase them when changing down. The idea is that your passenger should not be able to detect the gear change by sound or feel. If there is a jerk you are doing it wrong!
To expand a little...
When chaging from say 3rd to 4th, once theh change is made the revs will be lower for the road speed. The trick is to ensure that when the cgange is made and the clutch is coming up, that the revs are already set at the 'position' they will be when the clutch is up. If the engine revs drop slowly, this can probably be achieved by timimg. If they drop quickly, like on my car, then as the gear chage is made I don't lift off the accelerator completly, but keep it depressed a little to keep the revs where they need to be.
Changing down (4 to 3 say) is the reverse, the revs need to be higher. I achieve this one of two ways.
1.. If cgange 4 to 3 at a constant speed (approaching a bend for example), I can keep my right foot completly still and just change gear, the revs will rise due to the load being removed, and as luck would have it, to the point they need to be for third.
2. If I'm going uphill, more throtte is required to maintain speed, and if method 1 was used, the revs woud go too high. Or, if I'm using no throttle, braking perhaps, then again method 1 is no good. Instead, I just blip the gas to get the revs up. Practice is needed to know how far to blip, but this takes a fairly short time to get right.
Martin
When chaging from say 3rd to 4th, once theh change is made the revs will be lower for the road speed. The trick is to ensure that when the cgange is made and the clutch is coming up, that the revs are already set at the 'position' they will be when the clutch is up. If the engine revs drop slowly, this can probably be achieved by timimg. If they drop quickly, like on my car, then as the gear chage is made I don't lift off the accelerator completly, but keep it depressed a little to keep the revs where they need to be.
Changing down (4 to 3 say) is the reverse, the revs need to be higher. I achieve this one of two ways.
1.. If cgange 4 to 3 at a constant speed (approaching a bend for example), I can keep my right foot completly still and just change gear, the revs will rise due to the load being removed, and as luck would have it, to the point they need to be for third.
2. If I'm going uphill, more throtte is required to maintain speed, and if method 1 was used, the revs woud go too high. Or, if I'm using no throttle, braking perhaps, then again method 1 is no good. Instead, I just blip the gas to get the revs up. Practice is needed to know how far to blip, but this takes a fairly short time to get right.
Martin
)mph999 said:
Or, if I'm using no throttle, braking perhaps, then again method 1 is no good.
That's where the old heel and toe trick comes in useful 
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g4iQM9P044Y
Blipping the throttle is one way of smoothing a downchange, but it's not rev matching. mph999's 1st description is correct, and by adjusting your right foot rather than keeping it still during the change you can cope with both up and down shifts.
The easiest way to check if you're doing it correctly is (on a quiet bit of road) to watch the rev counter as you change. The needle should move smoothly from one position to another. If it drops and then rises as you engage the clutch, or if the car jerks and the needle drops suddenly, then you need more practice.
The easiest way to check if you're doing it correctly is (on a quiet bit of road) to watch the rev counter as you change. The needle should move smoothly from one position to another. If it drops and then rises as you engage the clutch, or if the car jerks and the needle drops suddenly, then you need more practice.
useful knowing how to do it when your clutch cable breaks though...As i had to a few weeks ago, clutch replaced now, didn't like having to start it in gear on the starter on the odd occasion where I had no choice but to come to a standstill, good explanation of sustained revs by Mph999, I'm a blipper but its an instinct thing which you can't teach,
Gary
Gary
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