1999 996C4

Before trading up to my 996, I was driving a 1977 911S (wish I never traded it!). The owner I bought it from said to make sure to always drive it, while cruising, with the RPM's between 3-4K.

Is this true of the 996? While on the HW and cruising around 75 or so, I notice that in 6th gear the RPM's are around 2500 or so - should I be keeping the car in 5th with the RPM's a bit north of 3K while cruising?

Just wanted to make sure I am driving it right and doing everything I can to ensure the engine is in good hands

Also, when I pull off and go for a stop, in order to downshift I usually just throw the clutch in, put the lower gear in and let the clutch out - am I "downshifting" properly? The reason I ask is because I noticed that some people "blip" the throttle before they downshift, but not sure what that does.

Thx!

redridge

6th gear at 2500 is perfectly fine... especially if you want good MPG...

"bliping" is not necessary on the street, especially going to a stop... it is used more at the track to keep the car balanced while braking and downshifting to get maximum power coming out of a corner... but I know your gonna try to heel and toe on the off ramp anyway...

ElTorrente

Blipping will help save your synchros, and is more fun, so blip away.

ivangene

I learned to "double clutch" shift.. so like BLIPPING you raise the RPM of the motor to equal what the rpm will be when you release the clutch in the new gear...(raise for downshift, lower for upshift) It is easier on the syncro's (my first car didn't have syncro's) and if done right makes shifting smoother and less work on the clutch as the RPM difference between the tranny and motor is closer..causing less work for the clutch to link them together

IF you are really good at it, shifting up or down can be done (with exception of from a dead stop) without using the clutch at all... but if you are off, you will grind the teeth like hell and when you get the bill for the new gears, you will wish you had not done that...

That said... anyone shift w/o clutch ? I have done it on everycar EXCEPT this one.. a bit scared of the repairs
Ed

Paul 996

If you match the revs properly you can shift just about any car this way. If you add a lwfw you will need to be quicker with the shifter motion as the revs now drop much quicker after your blip to match. But use a very light hand on the shifter that way if it is off you are not going to force it in and jam things up. It should slide in effortlessly.

But as someone said if you mess up it is going to cost you big time. There has only been one time in my life where I 'needed' to know how to do this and that was back in college where a clutch cable broke and I drove the car home w/o a clutch.

himself

Use the brakes to stop the car. Pads are cheaper than transmissions and engines. There is no need to use the engine to slow the car UNLESS your brakes are shot. Have you seen how big your brakes are?

Also, no need to blip on the street - it's to match the engine speed with the wheel speed as you down shift. It really helps on the track when you are down shifting. I unconsciously blip all the time...

-td