View Poll Results: How do you shift your manual transmission?

By feel everywhere, always

75.00%

By feel up to 4th, 5th rare/as needed

By RPM displayed on tach everywhere, always

4.17%

By RPM on tach up to 4th, 5th rare/as needed

I follow the shift indicator on the cluster

I drive an automatic, it does the thinking

16.67%

Other (comment below)

4.17%

Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll

How do you use you manual transmission?

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05-04-2018, 07:45 PM

#31

Battle

CF Veteran

Join Date: May 2013

Location: Asheville, NC

Posts: 2,563

Likes: 485

Received 250 Likes on 168 Posts

Year: 1999

Engine: 4.0

Quote:

Originally Posted by investinwaffles

I
My question to all of you is:
Do you find the gas pedal positioning to be too low to properly heel-toe and blip the throttle for a down-shift? I always engine brake and it would be nice to have the gas pedal sit basically in line with the accelerator

I can only do it with bulky hiking or work boots on, and it's not very precise.

Ha! Yes. Success is directly dependent on what shoes I'm wearing. I always try to rev-match though - it's smoother.

I do shift by the shift light when I want to be amused. It's so afraid of rpm - I like wailing on the throttle out of defiance.

I downshift to engine brake a lot too - not sure how good that is for longevity but these 4.0/ax15 drivetrains are pretty tough.

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05-05-2018, 06:22 AM

#32

Tbone289

CF Veteran

Join Date: Oct 2011

Location: SEMO

Posts: 1,394

Likes: 0

Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts

Year: 2000

Model: Cherokee (XJ)

Engine: 4.0 L6

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugout4x4

My Daughter has a 2001 with the 2.0 zetec DOHC. It's a little formula 1 screamer but I highly suggest changing out the timing belt and idlers as a regularly scheduled maintenance item just cause. I think it is cool how they designed these with RPM controlled variable valvetrain dynamics, it probably increases the output by 50%. That thing has always impressed the heck out of me for being a small 4 cylinder. It has twice the power as the V6 in my Bronco II. lol

I changed mine at 120K. Not a problem, it's not an interference design engine. The 2.0 Zetec in the Focus doesn't have a variable valvetrain, and has plain 'ol solid lifters too. I think there was an Escort variant of the Zetec that had variable exhaust valve timing, but that was just for improved emissions rather than power.

Power-to-weight is a great thing. That and good chassis dynamics are what makes the first generation of Focus so fun.

Last edited by Tbone289; 05-05-2018 at 06:28 AM.