Heel-Toe video: My first attempt at making an instructional video

Nice!

 

1. Brake On
2. Clutch In
3. Select Next Lower Gear
4. Blip Throttle
5. Clutch Out
6. Brake Off

 

Cool vid, just curious tho, whats that blue thing to the right of the steering colum, looks like an air horn?

 

LOL!

 

Very good instructual video mate well done. That video will be on most the driving forums by the end of the week

 

Very intresting, first thing to try out when I'm at Francorchamps, ... it's a while from here!

 

The very *first* mod I made to my Alfa Spider (back in '79) was to augment those anemic electric horns with air horns.

My mechanic made mounting brackets for the compressor and horns, and I wired up a switch to select standard (for inspections at a NJ state station that would fail a sportscar for any reason), air, or both. (That's the station that failed the XASs for "asymetric tread wear" -- despite their being made that way.)

As it turns out, the "both" position was all I needed. A tap on the horn ring sounds the little "meep" horn, but holding it down spools up the compressor.

I'd have preferred fiamms to the trucker horns, but they were a gift. Either way, those horns have saved me from convergence with a sleep-driver three or four times in the last 27 years. Second-best investment I made on that car (after the industrial strength undercoating).

 

OK, I guess I could have done a search, but here it goes:

Is heel-toe shifting (and/or double clutching) required with Sycromesh? I thought Sycromesh kept the revs up, eliminating the need for the fancy foot work.

I told you it was a newbe question.

-F

 

Haha sounds like a great idea, the horn in my little saturn isn't very powerful either, but at least people can see my car when they're backing up into it.

 

Your next instructional video should be on how to shut off pace makers with your horn device

 

Agreed...

Once you learn the technique, you'll always have it...like riding a bike.

Practice is all it takes.

 

Excellent video. I have seen several on this and yours is by far the best. The elise seemingly the ideal car.

If I were you I'd slow motion the naughty bits.

 

nice video, especially in the Elise without anything in the way blocking the view!

I must agree that it is much easier on a vehicle with better placed pedal positions. A good read up on the importance of H&T practice is in the Porsche Owner Club driving manual (PDF), 26 pages of methods and race terms for the novice.

 

I read Mike's answer and, while informative, it may not have answered your question. H&T is not required with a gearbox equipped with "synchromesh," however, it can help reduce the loading on the synchros and even better, it can make sure that when you release the clutch (for the final time, if double de-clutching), the engine speed and the rear wheels are near the same provided you are in the appropriate gear, promoting better control of the car at a sensetive time. <grin>

Synchromesh are two-piece "brakes", one part (like a clamp) affixed to each gear (except reverse) in most modern road-going cars that allow the gear to "come up to speed" as the second part of the synchronizer, the "sleeve," compresses the "brake" on the gear and makes it "match" the speed of the shaft that the sleeve is indexed (via the hub) to.

Synchros "wear" by becoming less effective over time by repeated harsh use and "hurrying" the process. The part that everyone hears grinding are actually little engagement teeth on the gear gnashing with their equivalent on the sleeve. The gears are actually all in "constant-mesh," turning on the shaft until "selected" by the driver.

I've probably opened up more of a can of worms by this obtuse explanation, but suffice it to say that using a proper heel and toe regimen in a Ferrari can reduce wear substantially on the gearbox, plus it makes you look cool to whoever is riding with you! <grin> On the racetrack, it's a mandatory "advanced technique" with a synchronized 'box, even more so with a "dog-ring" non-synchronized 'box (unless you move your hand really fast <grin>)

Good luck and thanks for the video.

-Peter

 

Slow motion, nah... Let's put it up @ SPEED!

http://www.aimsports.com/video/policastro2.mov

 

You, my friend, need to install one of these under the bonnet of that Lotus - damn the weight increase! Just imagine the looks on their faces!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BkJwcR21VLk

 

That's funny. I have never seen or heard one installed in a car before in person. I hope they will not become the new fad.

(Anyone else here remember Bub Rubb and Lil' Sis? Wooo Woooooo!)

Cheers!!
Steve