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

Alan Riley ariley at cox-internet.com
Wed Jul 21 19:37:11 PDT 2004


Dean, I've done as you do all of my driving life.  I recall reading about
this in a magazine (probably Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, or
Mechanics Illustrated) many years ago - the magazine stated that
New York City taxicab drivers did this to extend the throw-out bearing
life.

It was at about this same time (1950's) that another article said that
police cars were still using manual shift transmissions because
acceleration was so sluggish with the automatic transmissions of
the day.  I would like to see an officer today try to handle three-on-
the-tree while punching numbers into his laptop.  I think I would
rather meet the drunk than the officer chasing him.

Alan Riley
Deville, LA

  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean Vinson" <vinsond at voyager.net>
To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 5:52 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/>
> 
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