Let me know if I'm belaboring this point. I really want to quantify and demystify what made good shift vs. poor shift on my Contour. Not only is the transmission a major expense bill if something goes wrong, but shifting is something I do many times while I own this car. So naturally I want to be more skillful.
Earlier I noted Japanese cars are not sensitive to how you shift, they shifted well anyway you shifted. This isn't so with the MTX. One key difference was that their dashpot function is more stronger than ours. In other words, the engine rpm is held longer after you let off the throttle than is calibrated into Contours.
So I emulated this by not fully letting off the throttle while depressing clutch. This is when I discovered the sweet spot. With my foot almost off but not fully off, the engine rpm would blip up just a little when shifting and the shift goes smooth and quick.
This takes a bit of finese and that may be what other person was saying about being like good dancing. But it's my opinion that anyone can be taught to dance well if the mechanics are broken down and analyzed. Though not all of us will be great dancers as a result.
