pablo_ottawa

Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried clutchless shifting on a quattro system. I've seen some vids on you tube about it but the vids were only on front wheel drive cars.

I've been plaging around with it a bit and I noticed that I can shift out of gear and into neutral without the clutch. It's very easy to do and there is absolutely no grinding. When it try to shift into a gear I hit the "wall" and out of fear of breaking something I don't push it.

The vids on YouTube all showed the shifting to be almost as smoothly as using the clutch however, the cars were FWD. Can anyone do it on a quattro system?

mikeh

Used to do this quite a bit on a honda civic and a toyota corolla many years ago. Haven't and don't want to try it on the Audi.

BillR

Shifting a manual transmission without the clutch isn't dependant or front, rear, or all wheel drive.

I onced drove my old 140 Volvo for several days without a clutch when the cable broke.

As you've found it's fairly easy to shift out of a gear. All you need to do is play with the throttle and find the point where there is no load (either acelleration or decelleration) and you can pop it out of gear.

Shifting into another gear requires synchronizing the the transmission's input shaft, which with the clutch engaged means the engine's RPM, to the transmission's output shaft, which is connected to the drive wheels. If you can get close enough the synchro rings in the transmission will help you, and presto changeo you're driving without a clutch.

This might be a skill you want to develop in case your clutch mechanism fails one day, but driving like this just for fun is going to cause premature wear on your transmission.

Bill

pablo_ottawa

Hey Bill

Thanks for the tips.

Question,....... Have you ever donr it on an audi quattro system? I hear ya! it makes bno diference but I'm curious to know if YOU have done it on an audi quattro.

BillR

Nope. I never tried it on my old A4. The clutch always worked!

Dog

Done it many times on my old Coupe Quattro, my 90 and 100. Up is easy, pop it out of gear, apply gentle pressure to gear lever to go to the next gear, as the rev's drop it'll pop in. Down is the same, just requires a blip of the throttle to get the RPM's up so the syncro's are the same speed and mesh properly. Never tried it on anything newer, hey Mike can I borrow your car for a minute...

sakimano

I think I'd pass on this. What's the benefit?

The only alternative shifting technique I'd be interested in is power shifting (not lifting the accelerator when changing gears) but that's only for someone with an upgraded clutch (or a disdain for their stocker )

cheeba

If you're going to get into power-shifting, I'd get a WOT box. I'd be more concerned about damaging your syncros, than damaging your clutch

mikeh

In your dreams......

mikeh

What is WOT?
WOT stands for Wide Open Throttle.

What is the WOT Box?
The WOT Box is an electronic device that makes WOT shifting easy by reducing your engine's power for a very short timed period while you shift. It allows the synchros in your transmission to mesh easily, reducing the chance of missing a gear and damaging your transmission. If the input shaft on a manual transmission is not allowed to slow down enough it will lock you out of gear time after time. We have developed a solution to the problem by controlling the ignition at the shift point to ease the transition from one gear to another.

What is WOT Shifting?
WOT shifting is a common practice used by drag racers regardless of if they are running turbo, supercharger or naturally aspirated. WOT shifting is accomplished by holding the gas pedal to the floor and never "lifting" off the gas during the shift. The problem with doing so is when you depress the clutch engine RPMs flare up and a brief amount of time is required for the transmission input shaft to slow down. Even the most successful drivers have been known to miss a gear occasionally. It requires complete concentration and lightning quick reactions in order to pull it off.

"Keep the pedal to the metal, blip the clutch, and grab the next gear. Do it fast enough before the redline, and your reward will be a zero lag, constant boost shift."

When you WOT shift, your engine is still producing peak power through the shift. With the clutch released, the engine revs up. This increase in RPMs and the full output power of the engine makes it very difficult for the synchros in your transmission to engage. The result means that WOT shifting can be very difficult and potentially damaging to your transmission.

How does the WOT Box make WOT Shifting easy?

Our WOT Box momentarily disrupts the engine power long enough for you to make an effortless, fast WOT shift. The result?

Lower ETs - One of our big turbo customer cars dropped their E.T. in the quarter mile from 12.0 to 11.3 seconds just by adding the WOT Box!

Reduced chance of missing a gear
More consistent, effortless shifts
Reduced wear on the transmission
Reduced chance of major transmission damage
You can see the WOT Box in action by clicking on this page.

How does the WOT Box work?
The split second that you place your foot on the clutch pedal with the throttle all the way down, a signal is sent to the WOT Box that a shift has been initiated. When the module sees the signal from the clutch switch it will reduce engine power by cutting the ignition. The ignition control is a precise timed event that the user has complete control of. The box is capable of controlling ignition from 25 milliseconds to 700 milliseconds in 25 millisecond increments. With a range like that the wot box can even make Mr. Magoo look like a seasoned pro!

The drivers in our test cars describe using the WOT BOX as sitting in the car and going through the gearbox with the engine off!! All the drivers were amazed at how smooth the gearbox was. The transition from gear to gear is effortless and the boost gauge would barely show a blip between the shifts. We were able to test on an Evo8 with a laggy 60-1 turbo and managed to hold 30+ psi through every gear! Even on a stock turbo equipped Dodge SRT-4 we were able to knock 3 tenths off e.t. by simply hooking the box up. Our big turbo SRT-4 cars were able to drop up to 7 tenths off their E.T. with the WOT Box alone!


Will the WOT Box affect normal driving?

No. The WOT Box will only activate when you are WOT Shifting. Normal shifts will be ignored and continue to work just as you expect. You won't even know its there, until you make a WOT Shift!

What is 2-Step Launch Control?
2-Step Launch Control allows you to program a desired launch RPM, then if you press the clutch and subsequently floor the gas, the engine will rev up and the WOT Box will kick in to hold your desired RPM. It will cut fuel and spark to accomplish this. The turbo will also develop boost. you can use this feature at the track for a more consistent and more powerful launch in boost! Visit our See It In Action page to see it at work!