[AT] OT, sort of: Harm in keeping clutch engaged while stopped?

[Larry D. Goss]

Somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind I remember there being some
commentary about this in a driving manual for some state.  There was a
reason for sitting with the car in gear but with the clutch pedal
depressed, but I don't remember what it is.  That technique was the
"standard" right after WWII.  Remember the "hillholder" on Studebaker's?
It was designed to keep the brakes applied while the clutch was
depressed so that it was easier to start uphill from a complete stop.
There was a ball valve located under the floor that only could close the
brake line when the car was nosed uphill, so the hillholder didn't work
when you were pitched downward.

Larry

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of George Willer
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 6:39 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] OT, sort of: Harm in keeping clutch engaged while
stopped?

Hi Dean,

Good to hear you are still alive and kicking!

I've always understood the reason was to reduce wear and tear on the
throwout bearing and clutch fingers.  It is almost always a second rate
bearing working in a difficult environment... dirty, not lubricated, and
poorly aligned.  Some, like the Cub and some small cars aren't really
even
bearings, but rather graphite sliding blocks.

Teach Dee to do it your way if you can.  I'm sure she'll do it if she
understands why.

Will we see you at Portland again?

George Willer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean Vinson" <vinsond at voyager.net>
To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 6:52 PM
Subject: [AT] OT, sort of: Harm in keeping clutch engaged while stopped?


> Gang, I've always believed you should shift into neutral and release
the
> clutch on a manual transmission any time you're just sitting there
> idling, rather than holding the clutch in.  My dad always did it that
> way, I learned to drive the tractor and the truck that way, and so for
> lots of years I've been driving my cars that way.
>
> But my wife noticed me doing that the other day and asked why, and I
> couldn't really come up with a reason other than "it just feels like
> there ought to be less wear and tear that way."  As I think about it,
I
> don't see where it would heat anything up or cause any more wear on
the
> clutch disks, which would already be disengaged.  Maybe add some
> unnecessary strain on the linkage and springs and bearings or
whatever,
> but would it be enough to make a difference in the service life of the
> clutch?  I've never worked on one, so I don't have a good mental image
> of what I'm talking about.
>
> I saw a website that said holding the clutch in at a stoplight is
> dangerous because if you get rear-ended your foot will slip off and
the
> car will lurch forward, but I was thinking there's some mechanical or
> service-life issue.  Any smarter views out there?
>
> Thanks--
>
> Dean Vinson  --  Dayton Ohio
> <http://my.voyager.net/~vinsond/>
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>


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