Reply to Double Clutching & What is it

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <19970713.131507.7647.0.FACEMATE@juno.com> facemate@juno.com (Adam D. Spiker) writes:

> I am by no means a mechanic, but my dad used to race open-wheels and
> taught me the artful precision to "double-clutching".  It was apparently
> used to get into a lower gear before they had put sinchro's into gear
> boxes or something like that.
> 
> At any rate, for what ever mechanical reason which prompted double
> clutching, we are not bothered by it any longer.  The entire purpose of
> d.c. is to maintain the ability to accelerate through and out of a turn,
> and to use the natural friction of the engine to slow the vehicle AND NOT
> THE BRAKES.  Often, you might see a sign which says NO ENGINE BRAKING as
> a major road enters a residential area.

First part's right.  I might argue with the second ...
 
Double declutching is the noble art of changing gears _without_ crashing them 
and without the use of syncromesh - which _HAS_ to be one of the world's 
greatest inventions.  At present, due to a shot syncromesh ring on the Coupe 
GT, I have to do it going from first to second.
 
Anyway, in a d-c gear transition, the clutch is let out _between_ the gears, 
i.e., with the gearbox in neutral.  Matching engine rpm and speed perfectly is 
part of the deal, but by no means the real meat of the trick.

--
 Phil Payne
 (Temporarily 100012.1660@compuserve.com)
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club