Gears feel 'Blocked' when downchanging?

[Rystar]

Hi All,
Just a quick question really, when changing down gears it feels like they are literally blocked off until you rev the engine a tad and the gears slide in a treat. My first car was a 1.2 8v which did the same. Is this a clio thing or a sign of problems to come?😂

(Evol Motorsports Road mount fitted, haven't looked through the service history for a gear oil change but from memory theres no record of one, now on 78k)

Cheers

 

[imprezaworks]

I would guess a gear linkage issue

 

[dann2707]

Are you not rev matching when down shifting?

 

[imprezaworks]

Regardless of rev matching. You wouldnt need to do that to get it into gear easily.

 

[Stay Puft]

Are you not rev matching when down shifting?

So every driver in the world has to be a race car driver for their gearbox to work?

I don't know how to rev match etc and mine works fine btw.

 

[Rystar]

You can blip the throttle up to what i guess would be 'rev matched' engine speed with the clutch fully depressed and only then itll slide in effortlessly. If you're say changing from 5th to 4th/3rd for a roundabout, without blipping the throttle youd have to wait for a significant decrease in road speed before the gears would start to engage, even then it would be an ordelal. I Have got into the habit of blipping the throttle to change down, but i cant help but think it shouldnt be needed.

 

[imprezaworks]

It's really not needed lol, but helps

 

[Rystar]

In that case i'll probably just change out the gear oil as theres no record of it and it cant hurt, and continue to blip the throttle on down changes!

Cheers guys

 

[Mr Plums]

My old gearbox was really hard to downshift into 2nd, 2nd gear eventually disappeared into thin air.

 

[dann2707]

So every driver in the world has to be a race car driver for their gearbox to work?

I don't know how to rev match etc and mine works fine btw.

Fair enough, I just naturally do it when really gunning for it and it just seems natural. Don't think I've done it without on this car as the gearbox is a little delicate as standard.

 

[TRH_Racing]

Always rev match, when I'm gunning it or driving around town

Better on the clutch and gear box plus is helps with engine breaking

 

[fairm010]

Always rev match, when I'm gunning it or driving around town

Better on the clutch and gear box plus is helps with engine breaking :smile:

Braking. You don't want to break your engine.

 

[R3k1355]

Yea you've gotta rev match otherwise no-one will know you're a real racer.

 

[leeds2592]

Yea you've gotta rev match otherwise no-one will know you're a real racer.

Or it'll just be smoother and kinder to your gearbox?

 

[Knuckles]

Or it'll just be smoother and kinder to your gearbox? :wink:

Nope. It's all b****cks about it bring mechanically sympathetic.

The only reason is to make noise when you're slowing down.



...I jest of course. Rev matching/heel and toe helps/is good practise but it really shouldn't be required to change gear!

 

[Darren S]

It's really not needed lol, but helps

I think it's one of those things it does actually benefit the transmission - over the life of the components. If your car is driven 1k per year and you sell it within 3 years - I doubt it will make any difference this side of being a demented tyre destroyer.

However, with my car being over 140k+ with the same gearbox and just one clutch change - the combination of regular oil swaps and being relatively gentle with the 'box itself, will all help.

You have to ask yourself this. Rather than the 2.0litre lump being connected to the gearbox - there was a push-bike with you sat upon it. The ham-fisted numpty behind the wheel wants to brap past the traffic in front - every day slamming down from 5th to 3rd while travelling at 65mph and without at least blipping the throttle first. Would you and your legs be happy? :tongueout::smile:

I blip the throttle as a matter of habit. Always have done and probably always will - so long as Man-Spec gearboxes and three pedals continue to exist!

 

[Mr Plums]

Nope. It's all b****cks about it bring mechanically sympathetic.

The only reason is to make noise when you're slowing down.



...I jest of course. Rev matching/heel and toe helps/is good practise but it really shouldn't be required to change gear!

You would probably fail your driving test if you did this during it, then tried to explain to your tester that you were just looking after his/her gearbox.

 

[imprezaworks]

I think it's one of those things it does actually benefit the transmission - over the life of the components. If your car is driven 1k per year and you sell it within 3 years - I doubt it will make any difference this side of being a demented tyre destroyer.

However, with my car being over 140k+ with the same gearbox and just one clutch change - the combination of regular oil swaps and being relatively gentle with the 'box itself, will all help.

You have to ask yourself this. Rather than the 2.0litre lump being connected to the gearbox - there was a push-bike with you sat upon it. The ham-fisted numpty behind the wheel wants to brap past the traffic in front - every day slamming down from 5th to 3rd while travelling at 65mph and without at least blipping the throttle first. Would you and your legs be happy? :tongueout::smile:

I blip the throttle as a matter of habit. Always have done and probably always will - so long as Man-Spec gearboxes and three pedals continue to exist!

No doubt it does help. But unless I'm in the mood I don't do it. But then I don't drive like a plank

 

[Knuckles]

You would probably fail your driving test if you did this during it, then tried to explain to your tester that you were just looking after his/her gearbox.

I do often wonder if I'd be able to pass a test again with how I drive now.

I'm still observant and reactive in plenty of time... Im just a likely more enthusiastic with the pace and revs lol

 

[TRH_Racing]

Braking. You don't want to break your engine. :tongueout:

Piss off

 

[STEVE.M]

Hi All,
Just a quick question really, when changing down gears it feels like they are literally blocked off until you rev the engine a tad and the gears slide in a treat. My first car was a 1.2 8v which did the same. Is this a clio thing or a sign of problems to come?😂

(Evol Motorsports Road mount fitted, haven't looked through the service history for a gear oil change but from memory theres no record of one, now on 78k)

Cheers

This thread has gone a bit sideways,but using some opposite lock,I may be able to get it back on track?

How low/high is the clutch bite point?

 

[...]

Difficulty in Shifting on the downchange is actually a sign of worn synchro in the box .
Rev matching is required on non synchro dog boxes and comes from the times of old way before synchro boxes when the need to double declutch was prevalent .

gearbox oil changes at the right times are the best way to prolong gearbox life , and not driving like an utter tit .
Smooth shifts , don't rush changes (no need they gain you nothing on th traffic light GP)

you don't need to rev match/heal and toe on anything outside a dog box , and i have done hundreds of thousands of miles without heal and toe down shifting on the road .

only gearboxes i have distroyed on track had bearings fail and i have also done thousands of track miles in different cars .

first check the clutch on your box , and the gearbox oil level , after that it may be a worn synchro and the box needs a rebuild .

 

[McGherkin]

Yeah, sounds like worn synchros.

I don't buy that rev matching doesn't save some wear though - it means less clutch slip, and less jerking on the drivetrain when engaging the next gear.

 

[...]

rev matching may save some wear , but its totally unnessasary in a road car no matter what you might tell yourself .

i have seen boxes used by non racers on the road go past 200k and have gone to 180k myself .

if a box is made of cheese maybe , but i almost guarantee a few fluffed up shifts when your trying to beat 75 year old mr smith from the lights will do way more damage

the other thing that will kill a box is a quick shift ,

track boxes get rebuilt because high revs cause damage , its way easier to just deal with rebuilding a box to make sure they don't break

Caterham boxes the 6 speed used in grads ,supers, and megas last a couple of races , because they hate revs and are made of cheese , some drivers rev match some don't , boxes still fall apart .

In summary there is no need to rev match on the road , things break when you mistreat them .

 

[Rystar]

Just came back to this and its turned into a bit of a debate, whoops! :smile:

Clutch Bite doesnt feel abnormally worn. Im gonna change gearbox oil and see how it goes, gear changes have been feeling smoother recently, maybe it was all in my head all along, coming from a golf mk4 maybe I should expect a little less of a 'refined' gear change from a shouty 2 litre petrol compared to a 1.9tdi tugboat

 

[Cookson]

I'd say it's a clutch issue. What mileage is the car on and any history of a prev clutch change? Maybe a stretched cable so not fully engaging?

 

[pepinosport]

I have EXACTLY the same problem and clutch is new (Luk) and gearbox is new purchased in Renault. I'm suspecting of the clutch cable, but didn't have the time to investigate properly

 

[Rystar]

Car is coming up to 80k soon with no history of a clutch change. Is there no way to adjust the clutch cable? Seem to remember some method of disconnecting the clutch end the of the cable, giving the clutch a few pushes then reconnecting?

 

[197.]

If rev matching isn't needed, how would you recommend changing down a gear and not jerking forwards?

 

[Mr Plums]

If rev matching isn't needed, how would you recommend changing down a gear and not jerking forwards?

Dont change from 5th to 1st at 80mph.

I never rev match and never jerk forward?

 

[197.]

Dont change from 5th to 1st at 80mph.

I never rev match and never jerk forward?

Easy to say when not all cars have short gearing like Clios do. My 206s gearing was so s**t despite it being a car designed to be driven around town

 

[Mr Plums]

Easy to say when not all cars have short gearing like Clios do. My 206s gearing was so s**t despite it being a car designed to be driven around town

But everyone on here is on about clios?

 

[197.]

But everyone on here is on about clios?

Fair enough, that's true. I was just asking in general.