Re: (Double) Clutching at Straws

[quattro@rogerswave.ca]

> 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.  

The problem is with used cars where synchros are tired and do not 
work properly.  On my '82 Coupe double clutching makes a big 
difference.  If I try to shift without it (on upshifts) I get a few 
noises once in a while.  

>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?
>
I did that for a month.  The hardest part was getting the car 
rolling.  Pushing the gear into first would make the synchros drag 
the car along, they would prevent the gear from engaging at first but 
once the car rolled enough the gear would pop in and it was time to 
step on the gas.  I usually took a long time to slow down for a light 
just like the truckers do, to prevent from coming to a full stop.
Unless the rpm's are exactly mached the synchros will not allow 
engagement of the gear.  If perfectly mached the gear will slide in 
just as smooth as if it was done with a clutch.  Do not try this on a 
car with old synchros, they will grind.  My Rabbit was perfectly fine 
if driven without using the clutch, the Coupe on the other hand does 
not like it (old synchros).

Hope this helps.

> 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   
> 
> 
Martin Pajak
quattro@rogerswave.ca
www.geocities.com/MotorCity/5939

1982 Coupe (435,000 km)
1984 4000s quattro (320,000 km under the wrench)
1970 Porsche 911E Targa (also under the wrench)

Who put my tools in the dishwasher?