What Is Double Clutching? 

I used to double clutch in my old golf for fun. Really interesting video!

I’m confused, what do I do after I put it in D?

This wizard is very good at showing his spellbooks and sharing his magics.

why do i think he is like 15 and 45 at the same time

you lost me at release accelerator.

What's granny shifting? I almost had this guy in an RX7 but he ended up beating me. When I was talking to him after the race he told me I was "granny shifting" and not double clutching like I should have been.

"Granny shifting and not double clutching like you should"

The fact that this guy doesn't beg for subscribers makes him more deserving of it

I cane here just to read the fast and furious references.

Great explanation! The only thing better after or before that description would have been a demonstration. Also, more about where this is useful with a modern synchro transmission; High RPM down shifts, while towing heavy loads, and on older transmissions with a worn synchro - you can stretch life before service if you’re willing and able to double clutch.

quadruple clutching is where its at, you need super swift kicks to do it. Kind of like Chun Li (street fighter) with her swift kicks! hya ya ya ya!

Hopefully i'm not the only one who didn't catch any of that....

Semi trucks don't have synchronizers. Double clutching is required to pass the CDL test, but 99% of the drivers I know, myself included, float through the gears without using the clutch at all. The only time I press my clutch is when I'm stopped.

Nicely explained. I especially liked how you simplified things with a very basic drawing. Pop taught me the hows and whys of double clutching on a 1951 GMC pickup truck. It had the really low "creeper" gear as first gear. Later in life I got hooked on Triumph Spitfires. The Synchromesh components were all shot. Double clutching became natural. Learning this technique is a lifesaver for those folks with worn synchro's. Learn how to do it rather than spending thousands on a transmission rebuild.

Hooray at last someone who knows why you double de-clutch (as we call it in the UK). Most cheaper cars when I started driving had gate boxes with no syncro as did many lorry's (Trucks) then in the UK we moved to syncro on 3rd & 4th then 2nd 3rd & 4th and finally all forward gears. Good explanation EE

Here I am thinking at some point he’s actually going to get in a car and drive

Concise, logical, linear, and easy to follow instructions. Thank you. Your choice to explain lesson vocabulary/terms prior to teaching the actual lesson increases overall comprehension and lesson success. Excellent Teaching Dr. E2!

I think I have been unintentionally double clutching the entire time...

Pretty nice. The only thing you left out is that you only have to let the clutch about half way out during the first release of the clutch peddle. No gear engaged, very little wear on the clutch, simply matching up spinning gears. Decades ago I visualized this as "an upshift into neutral" where you lead with the gas as if neutral is a higher forward gear while I was learning the technique. So double clutching can be thought of as "an upshift into neutral" between downshifts. Doing it all while doing perfect threshold braking with little more than the ball and big toe of your right foot is where all of the art occurs, of course.

Ive understood this process when my jetta started requiring it in 2nd on cold starts from worn syncro and bad oil..... problem is my head could never fully wrap around the idea of why but after this video, understood it completely. Thanks for another great video. This would help some learn to drive a manual trans better since it seems quite a few meed it

Seriously people, just rev match. You only have to double clutch when the synchro's are worn out. Rev matching already reduces synchro wear massively and it's what racing drivers use when downshifting (Heel toe)

I found that with floating, single clutching or double clutching, all require the driver to manually synchronize. This is something I discovered during my first month driving large trucks.

I learnt about double declutching when I learnt to drive (and non synchromesh gearboxes were still relatively common in older trucks), but was never actually taught it. I used it on one of the works vans when the synchromesh failed for 2nd gear, and despite my being the youngest driver there, was the only one not to crunch 2nd in that van.

These principles really came in useful when my throwout bearing went out and I needed to get my car to the shop without using the clutch. Pretty tough to do, but you can just barely blip the throttle to allow you to go into neutral, then either wait to shift (if you are upshifting) or rev match if you are downshifting. I was also lucky enough to have a car with a strong enough starter to start the car in first gear when I shut it down at lights.

Man you are genius... Just want to thank you for explaining us all those things.. I learn much about cars by watching your videos. BIG THANKS mate, you are the best..

Nice to know, even though manual transmissions are a dying breed in America with about 2.7% of vehicles being sold with a real manual transmission-it was about 25% in 1995 (and similar numbers in Canada and Australia), and the ones that are still available have synchronized gears. Double clutching is useful to know for old vehicles or heavy trucks. Also a great anti-theft device as fewer and fewer drivers know how to use a clutch with each year that goes by.

thanks! i will admit, I've never double clutched in my life, and my first clutch ever (06 Impreza) lasted 160k. so I don't think it's entirely necessary, but I definitely understand the theories on how it can increase the life of your clutch and synchros. but since I just got a 350Z with a brand new clutch put in, I will definitely give this technique a try going forward especially when doing some "spirited driving" as they call it. Your videos are great! Really appreciate your knowledge of cars!

Even into the 1960s cars there were many cars like my brother's Mini Minor 850 that were sold with no synchro on 1st gear which is how I learnt to double-clutch! Knowing the technique is extremely useful to get you home or to the mechanic if your gearbox decides to play up on you!

I did not even understand what I did not understand 😑

Good explanation, would have been great if you showed us double clutching in action. I think you should do video of you doing this technique.

This practice was super scary and daunting when I first wanted to try it. I have a car with a transmission from 1982 and my transmission in my 2007 daily has some synchros that are starting to wear. It took me a while to get it through trial and error, but now I do it out of habit, even when I don't need to. Even if you have a modern manual trans, this is great to know for when you try to drive an older car.

9th: Press the throttle. Very nice explanation, I've learned this in actual driving on my own (tho I never drive to any track yet) because I just want to eliminate that back drag when your shifting down gears so that you could go more smooth even your just driving in the city, more comfort while driving, comfort for the passenger as well in your car transmission. (didnt notice that I was doing already 9steps with this method till I watched this)

In the chase scene in the movie Bullitt, you can hear Steve McQueen double-clutching and rev matching when he downshifts the Mustang, probably a habit to make the transmission live longer.

Works well when you've killed the 2nd gear synchro ;)

8 years later and I’m trying to figure out for the life of me why double clutching doesn’t make sense. As a truck driver, I still couldn’t rap my head around why single clutching doesn’t work. Of course learning in a car first didn’t help. I needed visual reasons. And old reliable “Engineering explained” finally allowed my simple minded brain to comprehend the complexities of this concept. I cannot thank you enough. 🙏

Had to do it in my second vehicle, 41 military 1/2 ton closed cab pickup. Straight cut gears with granny low 4 speed. Took a bit to learn the idea but once I had it down it was very easy to shift up or down. Sometimes I could even shift up without using the clutch going up on a good day. Very tough transmissions in those old Dodges, only saw one with a broken tooth and it still worked, just clanked when it hit the missing tooth.

Do you think it's worth mentioning how flywheel weight can affect this? If your flywheel is lightweight aluminum and you are shifting at lower rpms, then on upshifts you may have to blip the throttle.

so basically double clutching a waste of time.

Excellent presentation, young man! Really a succinct, very knowledgeable, very detailed explanation! I don't think that I've ever driven a crash box manual, but my father drove a semi and double clutched (Brits call it de-clutching - uh huh, okay, weird and IMHO unnecessary) going up and down the gears. Don't know your experience is with 1960s era semis, but that damn clutch was a hefty thigh exercise. In traffic it could completely tire out your leg.

Thanks for the clear explanation. Plenty of videos out there explaining HOW to double clutch, but they all leave out the existence of synchros. Seems like a significant detail now that I know. :)

we was using this when i was street racing. never thought i would watch a video of someone explaining it scientifically

Virtually every semi-truck, though virtually no truck driver double clutches. Should though, based on this video. Though a common counter-argument is that it wears out the clutch. Though I suppose a counter-counter-argument would be that it wears out the transmission if you don't.

i wish i could have gotten into racing at an early age... my only real time with a standard was my friends mom's 5 speed Jeep Cherokee(like the older 97 model had the larger engine in it, think was a 5 liter), he was teaching me how to drive standard at the time. pulled out onto our main road and he told me to just "open it up", it's like 10 pm at night no one around on a straight stretch of rural road. so i just dropped the gas to the floor and never took my foot off of it, i just listened to the RPM and just shoved the clutch in while throwing the gears. honest to god it was so smooth between them you'd have thought it was like the drive system on a snowmobile didn't buck once and you couldn't even feel the transition between the gears! i remember glancing over for a slight moment to see my friend white knuckling the door handle and the center console lol the needle was pegged up over 90 mph where the speedometer stopped before i had to slow down because we were coming up on my driveway. was the most exhilarating experience i've ever had and hope to hell i can do it again some time! slowing down and down shifting is a lil jerkier for me though XD as having to break and clutch was a lil counter intuitive to just stepping on the gas and making it go! i could have trashed an automatic transmission in a race that night!

Bro I love that I can just google something technical related to cars and one of your videos pops up lol. So much great content.

hmm if we're discussing transmission already. would you do a video on 'dog box transmission'? it's the transmission that was used in the original R32 Godzilla race car. and it seems to be a 'cheap'-ish way to 'upgrade' a transmission if you wanted to go serious racing

People are missing what gear speed is judging by comments. Maybe this guy can do a vid on that...imagine the gear speed is like your engine rpm: fast in third but slow in forth at a steady speed. So if you want to go back down to third you need to get third spinning fast again. Not "true" but its to the point. It is irrelevant with modern cars due to syncros but if you can grasp this relationship you can shift up or down without the clutch! If interested in shifting without the clutch: If what i said makes sence then recreate the situation and play with it to learn. This is not a one day look what i can do thing to learn so dont get in a rush at all. Corny to say but you will be devolping a deeper connection with you car and it won't happen overnight. First hold steady light throttle speed, hold throttle steady and you will find you can effortlessly pull it out of gear and put it right back into same gear, play with that a while. Next while driving normal ease off the gas slightly when you are getting close to time to shift and you will find you can pull it out of gear the same as before without the clutch, let off gas and put light steady pressure agaist the next gear and when the rpm is right it will let you into gear, move quickly when it invites you. Completely master upshifting before the next part, downshifting. Note that you will have mastered this when you feel like you just know what to do. It could be years before you are ready to downshift. Downshift is harder: Steady speed: Note what speed your tachometer says in third, shift to forth and note tachometer in forth. Without clutch push shifter into neutral, raise tach to the third gear number and it will effortlessly slip into third. Its easiest to go just past and while rpm is dropping catch the gear at the correct rpm. If you are still holding the same speed the you can go neutral to forth without clutch at the correct rpm. Practicing this 2 to 3rd or 3 to 4th is ideal, other gears are a little harder. Dont force anything, It should feel like it wants to do what you are asking of it. If you miss or grind just step on the clutch and get into normal gear. Anyone with a diesel will have a much much easier time learning this due to the operation of the diesel. You still need clutch to get going from a stop. If you dont grasp the idea of the gears spinning at their different speeds at different vehicle speeds then forget about it. Ive done it since i was 15 years old, 40 now, never broke a trans or wore out a clutch. I was lucky to learn with a diesel. 160,000 on my lancer that has been driven this way, no problems.

Great video. I don't release the gas; i do drop pressure applied. I like when my rpms jump a little bit before shifts; especially in the rain. It makes getting groceries fun again. Subbed

This pretty much confirms the 4th gear synchro in my Subaru Legacy is dead. Almost always grinds/crunches when going into 4th gear, up or down. Recently I experimented with double clutching up shifts and down shifts and it almost never crunches when doing it this way. 4th is the only gear with the problem. Great video.

this video probably has even more views because of people like me that every 6 months on the regular forgets how double clutching works, and rewatches the video

Aaaaahhhhh so "maybe" I can use this in my 74 Beetle, which crunches when you shift 2nd to 3rd unless you shift really slowly.

Regarding a Corvette that I once owned, this explains why a chattering sound could be heard if the engine were to be shut down while in neutral and with the clutch pedal released - it was the winding down of the lay shaft that was making the sound. On the other hand, it was silent when shutting down the engine while in gear with the clutch pedal pressed (to the floor), which makes sense because the lay shaft wouldn't have been spinning immediately prior to shutdown (well, unless the vehicle was in motion, which it never was).

Amazingly good explanation as usual. Your videos are really high quality and enjoyable man. I always spend like 20 mins explaining this to people and now I can just send them the video :))

Question: While doing some research, there is a debate on whether it's necessary to shift into neutral, releasing the clutch pedal, and then depressing the clutch pedal before engaging the next gear VS. keeping the clutch pedal down the entire time. Which is right? Does it matter? Does it depend on if you have synchros? I think shifting into neutral makes sense because you can re-engage the clutch, having more parts move together. What do you think?

Did this going down an A road at 60 went from 6th gear to 3rd, that engine noise was beautiful and the speed was sublime

Nice. My buddy’s Old Man had some sporty Escort and explained double-clutching when we’d rip down our town roads. Great illustration here.

My stepfather drove my old Cavalier all the way to the auto shop with a busted synchronizer and I haven't known how for 16 years now. He is a commercial truck driver. Thanks so much for the video.

Wait hold on; so what is the difference between double clutching and "heel and toe" technique?

The Deuce-And-A-Half I drove in the army needed to be double clutched.

I am a big rig driver and I use this method all the time particularly with down shifting. Timing is everything! I have witnessed new drivers trying this and will grind an Eaton Fuller ten speed transmission to powder if they don't get it right.

Thanks! I've used vehicles without syncros before but never really understood why you had to release the clutch in neutral.

For all the people saying double-clutching is useless in a car with synchronizers, I respectfully disagree, particularly for downshifting. While downshifting can be a smidge slower since you have the pause in Neutral where you bump the layshaft up to speed, it makes less work for the synchronizers, which have to work hard to speed up the layshaft. It's usually not all that useful for upshifts, except has anyone driven their manual car in seriously cold weather where it just does. not. want. to. engage. any. gear? Double-clutch all of your shifts (especially between the first three gears), and magically the car will let you get into that next gear until the gearbox warms up and starts to behave again.

Double clutching is useless in any modern car, bc a syncronized transmission does exactly this for you. All you can do is clutch back in in time to match the rev while upshifting and rev match while downshifting, but no need to double clutch. Thats a myth that is never going to die. All it does is making you slower because you need more time. It also increases the risk of crashing because it needs a fuckton of concentration, you destroy your transmission while training.

love youre videos and how you explain then with a visual aid with the whiteboard and demonstrate them. Hope to see many more!

Thanks for all your hard work man, really have learned a lot from you. Feel like I owe you tuition or something.

I think I'm to tired to understand this video. Been driving standard cars and MC since I was 16yrs old for nearly 40 yrs now. I was tought to listen to the engine sound and shift up or down accordingly. Frictioning the clutch is what happens in traffic and chutch breaking correctly to slow down.

Isn’t this just down shifting in complicated form?

Dude you just made realize my father taught me something I’ve been doing for years as a ‘standard’ when is apparently a technique.

This guy is brilliant! I never miss an EE video.

I once tried to explain the simple process of double-clutching to my ex-girlfriend. Then her head exploded.

If I downshift from 5th to 3rd because i want to overtake someone, can't I just press the clutch once, hold it in, go from 5th to 3rd, rev match, then release the clutch? I'm kinda new to stick shift.

Thanks. always wondered why you would do it. I learned the day I bought my 06 Hyundai Tiburon. I told the lady selling it that if she wanted me to buy that car that day, she had to teach me standard. She sort of did and I learned the rest. Funnest and scariest two week of stalling and learning of my life. But now I love stick and never want to go back.

Love your videos. My question for this video is, "Is double clutching in a synchro box detrimental to the gear box ?" I drive trucks and find double clutching in the truck and my car very natural. Only on the down change of course. I find the gear selection is much smoother. But I worry I may be doing some long term damage.

Does shifting multiple gears at once (say 2nd to 4th gear) wear out the synchronizers significantly more?

Lmao when I first started driving, I just liked double clutching more than the normal clothing, because it was more comfortable for me and smoother

Love your videos. Using them to help my son about driving, not just how to drive.

Well Done! I understand double clutching and still learned something. Great video!

How old is this guy? He looks young but he's full of grey hairs

I do this every day 15 gears up 15 down #thankatrucker

Question regarding trucks -I was instructed NOT to double clutch when driving a old Volvo truck, why is that? I was double clutching which seemed to help with its slightly difficult gearbox. Thanks for excellent brisk tutorials, giving reasons why.

The lay shaft or cluster gear here is the culprit. It has to be matched to the speed of the desired gear being selected. This is done either by the synchro brass clutch in a synchro mesh transmission or by double clutching in neutral in a non synchro trans. Double clutching in a race car when approaching a corner saves the brass ring and allows the gear to be selected while braking (heel toe) so the corner can be exited quicker. On an old 60's 3 speed at a stop light in neutral (clutch out) with non synchro 1st gear, you had to put in the clutch and wait for the cluster gear to stop turning or there was clash. Putting the selector in 2nd first would stop the cluster then you could quickly select first.

i always assumed double clutching was a technique used to go faster in a race or just in general. am i correct in now assuming it's just how you change gears in a shotty car?

you should show in realistic not only explain on your white board.

Your Vids are great, mainly because you can sense your passion for engineering and mechaniks!👌

I usually double clutch the lower gears and then go to floating around 5th on the 18 speed. If I'm downshifting I usually left foot brake and blip throttle with my right while floating down, letting the engine brake do most the work. It's easy to tell if I get the rev match wrong because the 10k gallons of fuel surges forward in the tanks lol

Why do semi-trucks do not have synchros in their transmissions? (i.e. Eaton Fuller 10, 18 spd) Also, how does hill holding circuit work without waring out the components? Great videos!

What is a "modern" car defined in this video? 5, 10, 50 years? How would I know if the car has syncos?

My old man has been driving an old truck like that for over 10 years. To this day, with multiple operators, he is the only one that can down shift without grinding. Old skool gear box with no synchro and you can listen to him rev the engine to get everything turning at the right speed.

I finally understand what's going on with rev matching with and without double clutching. Great video!

isn't this called rev matching ?

I have never understood why someone would do this? Just feather the gas and keep the revs up. Unless you are driving a split rear end or heavy truck with a non synchro transmission you are just wearing out your clutch.

This is a very good explanation,however, many fail to understand why it is a good thing even with synchronised boxes - if you listen when changing without doubling you can hear the gears spinning up, this is exactly what the synchro hub does, however, if you wish to take the wear off the synchro hub doubling will match the gears and take some of the wear off the hub and it will change quicker and smoother too.

FINALLY A VIDEO I CAN WATCH AND ACTUALLY LEARN WHAT I NEED TO LEARN

"Hey Toretto"

I still don't get why you'd need to do this. Yes I syncro or not, getting the gears up to speed is a reason. But why would one want to do this?

The three color codes really clicked the light bulb on for me. I've watched other videos, but when it hit me that everything in blue is always moving together with all that inertia, then I better understood the three [color coded] masses trying to match up. Thanks!

You should show a closeup of a synchronizer and describe how it works. They're actually quite clever and more complicated than you might think. My '61 Willys wagon is only synch'd in 2nd and third, so I've had plenty of experience double clutching into first.

What? I thought this was just regular downshifting, your telling me I’ve been double clutching the whole time and I didn’t even know what it was?!

@Engineering explained How long did you go to school for all of this man? You know ALOT of stuff about cars.

In England they had crash gear boxes before synchronisation, in trucks where you have to use double de clutch techniques

This guy is one of the best RU-vidrs . Makes things about as simple to understand as one can.