[01yelrt]

Double clutching will help even with a syncro trans. The effect of rotating everything before shifting will place less stress on the syncros and make the car go into gear with far less effort. Your syncros will last longer. The shift can be made sooner, really- "too early" if you aren't careful. You want to wait till the braking is mostly completed before shifting gears while heal toe downshifting, it is safer and easier on the car. If you double clutch you can get the gear lever to move easier at speeds that the syncros wont like to accomodate, this is not really good technique. Try this take the car up to a good relatively high speed in 3rd gear then get off the gas and put the clutch in, now at a speed that is very fast for 2nd gear just pull the shift lever gently against 2nd gear position without sliding it all the way into 2nd. (DO NOT LET THE CLUTCH OUT YOU WILL SPIN OUT OF CONTROL!!!) That high pitched whine you hear is the syncros trying to catch up to the wheel speed. They whine 'cause they're not happy. Also feel that you can pull pretty hard on the lever without the car going down into 2nd gear. Now repeat the sequence accelerating thru 3rd, apply the clutch , rev the engine to slightly higher than what will match the RPM you should be traveling in 2nd with the clutch out and the car in neutral then reapply the clutch and move the lever into Second you'll find the syncros are matched by engine revs and that the lever moves into second MUCH easier. Be careful again not to let the clutch out at high speed with the car in too low of a gear you'll lock the rear wheels relative to the car speed and spinout!