Same here. Is there any actual benefit, other than knowing how to if my clutch dies? I'm pretty sure I'd be able to give it a go on the spot if it was ever required, but I don't intend to crunch it all up in the meantime for no benefit!
Driving without a clutch
- Thread starter Maccapacca
- Start date
Same here. Is there any actual benefit, other than knowing how to if my clutch dies? I'm pretty sure I'd be able to give it a go on the spot if it was ever required, but I don't intend to crunch it all up in the meantime for no benefit!
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Yes
I remember spending a week driving around Germany back in February '79 in a van like this one with no clutch cable
The band I was in at the time were contracted to do 3 weeks of dates on UK bases entertaining our boys over there. Things started badly when the heaviest snow since 1963 fell the night before we should've set off from England trapping us all at home for the next 24hrs. Managed dig out my completely buried car and meet up with the other band members and the
van next day and set off for Felixstowe and the ferry. A journey which should've taken 4 hours took around 15 eventually with us having to wait at various points whilst the roads ahead were dug out. We actually moved the 'road closed' sign to access the sliproad onto the A14 at Bury St Edmunds and were the only vehicle on the A14 for miles ploughing through virgin snowdrifts.
Missed the last ferry of the day by minutes and had to spend the night in Felixstowe sleeping on someones floor as all accomodation in the town was filled with stranded lorry drivers.
Got across the channel next day but conditions were no better over there and we missed our first gig completely. Managed to play the next couple of dates then the fun started, clutch cable snapped.
Plenty of Ford dealers in Germany but nobody could get us a right hand drive clutch cable for that sort of vehicle. So the next week was spent jumping it off on the starter motor sometimes needing a couple of people to get out and help the struggling starter motor by pushing then jumping back in through the sliding doors before the van got away from them much to the amusement of the locals
.
As a last resort we arranged via our agent for the next band to come over from England to fetch the correct cable with them. That band were 'Shag Connors & the Carrot Crunchers' LOL.
The agent rearranged some dates so that both bands were on the same bill at the R.E.M.E. base at Hamelyn where the clutch cable was handed over and some guys from the Royal Engineers kindly fitted it for us in the workshop.
We finished our tour in Germany and moved onto the next set of gigs which was 2 weeks mixed venues in Holland before returning to the UK. Just before getting on the ferry at Zeebrugge to return the clutch cable failed again.
The R.E.M.E. boys had left it trailing across the manifolds and it melted the outer.
The band I was in at the time were contracted to do 3 weeks of dates on UK bases entertaining our boys over there. Things started badly when the heaviest snow since 1963 fell the night before we should've set off from England trapping us all at home for the next 24hrs. Managed dig out my completely buried car and meet up with the other band members and the
van next day and set off for Felixstowe and the ferry. A journey which should've taken 4 hours took around 15 eventually with us having to wait at various points whilst the roads ahead were dug out. We actually moved the 'road closed' sign to access the sliproad onto the A14 at Bury St Edmunds and were the only vehicle on the A14 for miles ploughing through virgin snowdrifts.
Missed the last ferry of the day by minutes and had to spend the night in Felixstowe sleeping on someones floor as all accomodation in the town was filled with stranded lorry drivers.
Got across the channel next day but conditions were no better over there and we missed our first gig completely. Managed to play the next couple of dates then the fun started, clutch cable snapped.
Plenty of Ford dealers in Germany but nobody could get us a right hand drive clutch cable for that sort of vehicle. So the next week was spent jumping it off on the starter motor sometimes needing a couple of people to get out and help the struggling starter motor by pushing then jumping back in through the sliding doors before the van got away from them much to the amusement of the locals
.As a last resort we arranged via our agent for the next band to come over from England to fetch the correct cable with them. That band were 'Shag Connors & the Carrot Crunchers' LOL.
The agent rearranged some dates so that both bands were on the same bill at the R.E.M.E. base at Hamelyn where the clutch cable was handed over and some guys from the Royal Engineers kindly fitted it for us in the workshop.
We finished our tour in Germany and moved onto the next set of gigs which was 2 weeks mixed venues in Holland before returning to the UK. Just before getting on the ferry at Zeebrugge to return the clutch cable failed again.
The R.E.M.E. boys had left it trailing across the manifolds and it melted the outer.
I was shown and learned how to drive without a clutch at a young age, the theory behind it was I could always get home if the clutch fails, it now forms part of my daily drive, just slip it in the next gear smoothly no need for the clutch, does anyone else do this, can you drive without?
For those who don't know you can start a car in 1st or 2nd on the flat with no throttle, then build up speed, when it's time to change gear come off the revs with slight pressure on the gear and it will pop out, and as the revs are dropping it should pop into the next gear down, the idea is to match the engine revs with gearbox and it will pop in with no grinding.
Down is a little different you have to again back off pop out then raise the revs, I rev high then let them drop down and the box will pop in when matched.
I think it promotes forward planning similar to driving with no brakes, a few mates and the wife have had me drive their car home when the clutch has gone.
Yes auto drivers well done
IME, As an emergency/dont care type thing, I'd be surprised if most people can't do it, but as a regular day in/day out affair on a working car, especially changing back down through the gears etc, I'd question the extra wear on the cogs/bearings, if you have to 'pop' it out of gear, that's a clear sign it's suddenly unloading, which isn't a good thing is it?
Most of us do it on bikes, changing up through the gears, it just 'snicks' into gear, and you can feel/hear it is perfectly smooth, but changing down, and having to put extra pressure on the lever and any noise, you are just inducing extra mechanical wear/duress for no reason.
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Soldato
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It'll only 'pop' out of gear if it is already unloaded, negligible wear on the selector ring and the gear TBH. If the synchros that suffer from this practice.
I almost always use the clutch, just do it sometimes to make sure I still can, it takes a bit of practice.
By raping the starter motor! I had to drive my old vitesse from fordingbridge to marlborough when the slave cylinder gave up, going through salisbury was interesting to say the least!
DD?
I H/T all the time as part of normal driving, you don't need to be *that* precise with that to achieve a smooth and quick shift.
ah, double declutch, no point at all, nothing to discuss there.
I did remember though, as something vaguely related to this, I do knock it out of gear clutchless all the time too when pulling up to lights or whatever. Just a light pull on the lever and a small prod on the accell, that is just pure laziness though.
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Ideally, you keep it rolling rather than stopping (really narks those behind you!) yes you can get going again, but you tend to either stall or launch from the lights like a scared cat!
There is when you are driving something you need to double declutch.
Point was not how worthwhile either HTing or DDing is but rather that if you can do either then clutch-less driving is easy because you've already got practice in rev matching for down shifts. Way to miss the point though.
In a car, I guess so.
In a 12 speed twin split HGV,its another matter!
Very valid point. I haven't driven a HGV before!
There is when you are driving something you need to double declutch.
Point was not how worthwhile either HTing or DDing is but rather that if you can do either then clutch-less driving is easy because you've already got practice in rev matching for down shifts. Way to miss the point though.
I didn't miss the point at all, I disproved it.
You just switch it off at the lights, put it in first or second while the engine is off, and when the lights go green you turn the key and press the accelerator and off you go.
I've driven god knows how many miles with no clutch in the past, 205 and 309 GTIs have a bit of an appetite for cables