A beginner's MT question: Is it normal that when the engine is off my manual transmission shifts without a clutch? When the engine's on the clutch has to be engaged for vertical movement, though it still seems to move side by side without it. I'm probably being paranoid because a friend drove it a couple miles and I could swear it's not shifting as smooth... :-)

 

NORMAL it is!

 

yes, it is normal that you will be able to shift into SOME gears under the condition you described, sinse some of them will be aligned just right. some of them however will be "unshiftable into" since they are missalighned and our engine is not turning to align them.
however dude, not to insult you or anything but you need a good reading about how it all works if you ask questions like this one. search for manual transmition on Wiki for example and read the section about syncronised gearboxes. since you drive manual i think you and your driving can only benefit from that knowledge.

 

I don't think that's necessary. I think I know how to drive a stick shift fine, but I don't even know what a clutch or a transmission looks like on the inside. IN electrical engineering, they use a concept called black box concept. It says you don't need to know how a device works. What is important is you know how to use it or how it behaves, but not worry what is inside the mystery box.

 

It seem's like you know what your talking about.....I'm shifting up to 3rd gear and give it a little bait of gas and let off and it make's a cutchhhhhhhhhhh noise only when slowing down?..its shuts up when you gas it and its getting worse, 2nd and 4th are starting to do the same....I have a friend and he grinds gears, but i think thats on him not driving it right....would you say i might have a re-call on my hands or what?? input would help..thanks.