The clutch gang!

[sf5211]

do you have a JL with manual transmission? If you do, please say so and maybe tell why you still like to drive with a stick.
I’m just curious how many of us are left. It was very difficult to find my JLU with Manual transmission. Most dealers said they would not carry them for stock, that it had to be ordered.
10 years ago was the same story with my FJ Cruiser.
I love to be in full control of the gears. I guess I like driving for the sake of driving. A car to me is much more than just a mean of transportation. Just like I love analog watches, and mechanical ones even more.
And by the way, I really like the JL transmission. I believe it is Japanese.

I’m with ya Torero, I drove my dads trucks before I even knew how to put an automatic trans in “drive”. I love that metal to metal gear mesh and being in control of my gears. I never get sick of shifting (it’s like breathing I don’t even notice it). I’ve never owned a auto-trans car and never will.

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[sf5211]

• It’s fun
• My oldest is 16 in June, and I want him (and my other two kids when they’re old enough) to learn on a manual.
• I have a 50 mile round trip commute, usually all stop and go. It’s sooo boring in an auto (I never understand when people argue the other way about manuals and traffic)
• I like engine braking to save my actual brakes
• More control in the snow
• It’s fun

Good point Old, The engine braking thing is huge! I’m a plumber and had a automatic trans Sprinter Van. Breaks and rotors every 20,000 miles religiously. (500 bucks a clip) I now have an Isuzu NPR with a 6 speed Manual. 60,000 and still haven’t changed my brakes!

 

[8flat]

That's not lugging. The engine is fine doing that. You'll hear and feel plenty of protest from the engine if you are lugging it.

On flat ground it works OK if you slip the clutch a little as you let it out, but try doing this on an incline and it lugs, pings, or dies. Sometimes all three. LOL.

(sorry, I'm frustrated that reverse is so damn high geared and the 3.6 has no low end torque. Even first gear....I wish it was a granny low)

 

[8flat]

ive got a 2019 ram 1500 with the hemi.. and every time i drive it i think what fun it would be to have that motor in the rubicon with the manual. i may have to get a challenger one day to to have both the hemi and the stick.

A 5.7 in a JLUR would be pure heaven. Nice low-end torque but nothing too crazy that it'd break things. I'm seriously considering the swap when my jeep is out of warranty. This 3.6 is a car engine, no torque.

 

[DanW]

On flat ground it works OK if you slip the clutch a little as you let it out, but try doing this on an incline and it lugs, pings, or dies. Sometimes all three. LOL.

(sorry, I'm frustrated that reverse is so damn high geared and the 3.6 has no low end torque. Even first gear....I wish it was a granny low)

What kind of incline are you talking about? Mine does it up my driveway, even with 35's, but few vehicles with a manual would do this up any meaningful incline. Even V8's. I'm not seeing why you would even want to do this?

 

[sf5211]

I admire you guys that order a car. That I cannot do. I decided on Saturday I wanted a Rubicon and look all over the country for the one and got it within a week. Next Saturday I was driving it.

I totally respect that Torero but I would only do that if they had every feature I want including the color I’ve got the hots for. I’d rather wait 4-8 weeks than not have say the convenience package or LED’s.

 

[8flat]

What kind of incline are you talking about? Mine does it up my driveway, even with 35's, but few vehicles with a manual would do this up any meaningful incline. Even V8's. I'm not seeing why you would even want to do this?

Sorry I almost missed this.
My driveway is a long sorta steep incline, not sure of the angle but I could measure it with the off road pages this weekend if I remember and get back to you.

When approaching my place, I always turn around first, then back up the driveway so we can easily load/unload the jeep. So I'm starting out already on the incline, using reverse to back up the hill, and it's a headache of constantly revving/slipping the clutch. If I completely release (engage) the clutch, the v6 doesn't have enough power to idle itself up the hill without dying or making an awful near-death shudder (bad lugging). If I give it much gas and fully engage the clutch, we're going wayyyy to fast (we have little kids, I'm not going to travel that fast in reverse, too dangerous).

Every single pickup with a manual I've ever owned will idle up this driveway in reverse quite easily, at an idle. Because a. they have torque at idle and b. their reverse is lower geared.

3.6 is a good engine, but no off-idle torque coupled with reverse gearing that's too high makes for a weird combo. It's setup like a sports car, not a body-on-frame off-road rig with 33's and a towing package. Whacky.

 

[DanW]

Sorry I almost missed this.
My driveway is a long sorta steep incline, not sure of the angle but I could measure it with the off road pages this weekend if I remember and get back to you.

When approaching my place, I always turn around first, then back up the driveway so we can easily load/unload the jeep. So I'm starting out already on the incline, using reverse to back up the hill, and it's a headache of constantly revving/slipping the clutch. If I completely release (engage) the clutch, the v6 doesn't have enough power to idle itself up the hill without dying or making an awful near-death shudder (bad lugging). If I give it much gas and fully engage the clutch, we're going wayyyy to fast (we have little kids, I'm not going to travel that fast in reverse, too dangerous).

Every single pickup with a manual I've ever owned will idle up this driveway in reverse quite easily, at an idle. Because a. they have torque at idle and b. their reverse is lower geared.

3.6 is a good engine, but no off-idle torque coupled with reverse gearing that's too high makes for a weird combo. It's setup like a sports car, not a body-on-frame off-road rig with 33's and a towing package. Whacky.

Lol, I agree that the reverse gear is too high. I rediscover that every time I back my boat railer up the driveway. Just for giggles, I had my brother idle up a moderate incline in his 650 Camaro ZL1 1LE. He said it did it, but with protest. I think the big issue is always going to be appropriate gearing. At least we have a low range that is so low, you could almost pull a house off its foundation, even with the 3.6! I idled up VERY steep hills all day every day in Moab in low range.

If I had my druthers, I'd like to see 5th and 6th gear ratios more like the JK, and oh yeah, a much shorter reverse ratio.

 

[8flat]

Lol, I agree that the reverse gear is too high. I rediscover that every time I back my boat railer up the driveway. Just for giggles, I had my brother idle up a moderate incline in his 650 Camaro ZL1 1LE. He said it did it, but with protest. I think the big issue is always going to be appropriate gearing. At least we have a low range that is so low, you could almost pull a house off its foundation, even with the 3.6! I idled up VERY steep hills all day every day in Moab in low range.

If I had my druthers, I'd like to see 5th and 6th gear ratios more like the JK, and oh yeah, a much shorter reverse ratio.

Agreed. I went up a 36deg hill with my kids in the jeep a few weeks ago in 4LO at an idle and it was impressive. Kids were giggling up a storm.

 

[T.T.T]

Has anybody ran royal purple synchromax in their manual transmission?

 

[DanW]

Has anybody ran royal purple synchromax in their manual transmission?

Don't use that gear lube. It would be applicable to the JK's NSG370, although I think it is a little lighter in viscosity than Syncromesh, so I'd make sure it meets whatever the FCA spec is for the 370.

The JL's Aisin transmission uses ATF+4. All ATF+4 brands should be exactly the same stuff, no matter what brand. I'm not sure if Royal Purple makes an ATF+4, but it would be the same formulation as Castrol, Valvoline, Mopar, etc.

 

[WaldorfJL]

New to the jeep family, 2018 JLU..sport S. Too many years in between without a manual...I missed it dearly. The jeep Jeep is all mine, for now. The wife needs a refresher on driving one...(first car was manual). Even in bumper to bumper DC traffic, I'm happy. Only had it a short time, less than a month...but yeah, 6th gear is just there for extra shifting...downhills or super flat only...hardly ever use it...

 

[Shenanigunz]

Hello

New member, new Wrangler, the look on my dealer's face when I refused to buy one of their automatics. They found exactly what I wanted in a manual, over 400 miles away down in Ohio lol

 

[From0toJ]

Had Wruby for over a year now... ordered her brand new, I wanted one ordered and built rather than on a lot.

My big caveat was that it needed be stick or nothing. Same thing with my 5.0 Pony.

 

[Kluk Ztopolovky]

I have pretty much only have driven manual all my life. Would never buy automatic. And for the same exact reasons op stated.
Had an automatic car once, hated it so much I traded it in less that a year old, never again lol.
There were no manual to test drive which sucked.

I never even tested the manual Jl and I got it . I have to say it's taking me some time to get used to the manual Wrangler but I am getting there. : )

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