(Double) Clutching at Straws

[Pete Kraus <Pete_Kraus@EMORY.ORG>]

I taught myself to double-clutch on one of those unsynchronized first
gear '60s cars some of you were talking about (okay, it was a Plymouth
Valiant).  When I got it right, it was very satisfying to feel and not to
hear the lever ease into first on the move.  I generally don't bother with
synchronized transmissions because it's harder to tell if I'm doing it
well.  Sure, a perfectly timed double-clutched shift is smooth as silk
(and, admittedly, it sometimes feels smoother through the lever), but so
is a well-timed synchronized shift.  For me, Mr. Uncoordinated, both
approaches require unwavering concentration and/or a bit of luck.

I am fascinated by the notion of learning to shift without benefit of clutch
while still keeping one's transmission intact.  I know the practice is
followed by certain groups of truckers, race car drivers and
motorcyclists.  Does anyone know whether clutchless shifts are
possible/advisable with synchronized transmissions?

Being a member in good standing of the Save the Clutch Bearing
Crusade, I never hold the clutch down unnecessarily.  General practice
is to leave the car in whatever gear it happens to be in as I approach a
stop, shift to neutral just before the engine would otherwise start to
buck, then release the clutch and not press it in again until I'm ready to
shift into first and go.  

Pete
Pete_Kraus@emory.org
Stone Mountain, GA
'85 4KSQ
'89 Ford F250 4x4 diesel
'95 Z28