by Mr Cholmondeley-Warner » Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:00 pm
The comment about "being able to start bringing the clutch up before the gear is engaged" may be to blame here. Yes, by a fraction of a second. No, not as a matter of course. Where is the biting point of your clutch? Near the top, or the bottom of the travel?
As someone said, you need to be conscious of your right foot also. Revs need to match, both up and down the box, and that means almost never removing the right foot completely from the accelerator. Having the speeds of the engine and gearbox matched will help avoid crunches too.
@Ivor, a modern Ford gearbox is entirely remote, operated by a long lever. The selectors are entirely hidden in the gearbox.