Holding clutch in.

[Mike1919]

I just want to know, do you guys hold the clutch down at stops or do you put it in neutral and leave it engaged. I have always been one to hold the clutch down at stops, even for long drive throughs but i just want to make sure I'm doing it right and not putting unecessary wear on the parts. Or does it not even matter? What do you guys think?

 

[AndyB.]

I put it in neutral and let it out. It seems like you'd be putting a lot of stress on the fingers of the pressure plate and pilot bearing by keeping it down.

 

[futon]

I always shift to neutral if I'm going to be stopped for a bit, but I also make sure I'm back in gear a few seconds before the light changes, or it's my turn to proceed.

There's nothing worse that waiting to shift into first gear until the light turns green then finding that your car/truck has decided that THIS time, it's not going to do it. You either force it in (unwise), or switch to another gear then back to first, but that delay to earn you a honk from someone behind.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I put it in neutral and let it out. It seems like you'd be putting a lot of stress on the fingers of the pressure plate and pilot bearing by keeping it down.

+1

I was taught to not do that.

I always shift to neutral if I'm going to be stopped for a bit, but I also make sure I'm back in gear a few seconds before the light changes, or it's my turn to proceed.

There's nothing worse that waiting to shift into first gear until the light turns green then finding that your car/truck has decided that THIS time, it's not going to do it. You either force it in (unwise), or switch to another gear then back to first, but that delay to earn you a honk from someone behind.

Pretty uncommon for that to happen. Don't know if I have ever had that happen on a modern synchronized transmission. My tractors will do it but they are straight cut and/or non-synchronized. The one I drive on the road the most has a second clutch that runs in oil, I use that one.

 

[adsm08]

I used to go back and forth, but lately I have started putting it in neutral and letting the clutch out. I made the change after reading a thread here from a guy who had been pulling and rebuilding 2.9s out of the junk yard and had begun to notice that engines with a manual trans always had the thrust bearing worn out while autos never did.

Also, my legs gets really tired.

 

[Slammin Sam]

I put the trans in neutral and let out the clutch. Its interesting how things change. When I learned to drive (mid 60s) theory was to put trans in 1st and hold clutch in. The thought was if you had to move unexpectedly it was quicker. Recent advise tells us to go to neutral, saving throwout bearing wear.

 

[matt2003333]

What?????? your wearing you clutch holding it in.I dont even step on the clutch coming to a stop.I just put a little presure on the stick and it slides right into neutral once the rpms match give enough slack in the gearbox.Every time you step or hold the clutch you put wear in the parts.Be it the clutch assembly or the master cylinder if the vehicle has one and they all tend to go around the same time.Don't do it on a dry clutch.Ive seen clutches go out at 40000 doing that to a car from brand new

 

[matt2003333]

I always shift to neutral if I'm going to be stopped for a bit, but I also make sure I'm back in gear a few seconds before the light changes, or it's my turn to proceed.

There's nothing worse that waiting to shift into first gear until the light turns green then finding that your car/truck has decided that THIS time, it's not going to do it. You either force it in (unwise), or switch to another gear then back to first, but that delay to earn you a honk from someone behind.

I know what you mean but thats the lumpy,notchy ass gearbox and the foot long stick doesnt help either.I just watch the opposite light for a yellow and get ready.If they honk they get the bird and a smile.lol

 

[gandrimp]

Neutral, clutch out. Saves the thrust brgs, throw out bearing, pilot brg, and the pressure plate.

 

[Mike1919]

What?????? your wearing you clutch holding it in.I dont even step on the clutch coming to a stop.I just put a little presure on the stick and it slides right into neutral once the rpms match give enough slack in the gearbox.Every time you step or hold the clutch you put wear in the parts.Be it the clutch assembly or the master cylinder if the vehicle has one and they all tend to go around the same time.Don't do it on a dry clutch.Ive seen clutches go out at 40000 doing that to a car from brand new

I've popped it in neutral a couple of times without the clutch but assumed that was bad for the transmission. Is ut?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I've popped it in neutral a couple of times without the clutch but assumed that was bad for the transmission. Is ut?

How would dragging two gears out of mesh under a load be hard on anything? It isn't like they are meant to drive on specific parts of the tooth or anything like that?

It is something you could probably get by with but I would rather change clutches every decade than gears every two decades.

We just got a truck where the last guy "saved" the clutch by rev matching and not using it. Guess what, it needs syncros in first, second and third.

 

[Mike1919]

I know what you mean but thats the lumpy,notchy ass gearbox and the foot long stick doesnt help either.I just watch the opposite light for a yellow and get ready.If they honk they get the bird and a smile.lol

Thats usually why i keep it in gear, if I put it in neutral and engage the cutch, i usually have to wait about 2 seconds before it'll go smoothly back into first, unless I force it which doesn't feel right.

 

[matt2003333]

I've popped it in neutral a couple of times without the clutch but assumed that was bad for the transmission. Is ut?

No as long as you aren't pulling on it to hard.I have been doing it with all my vehicles all my life and was taught to drive manual by a truck driver.In some cars you actually feel the tension release in the gearbox as the drive train and motor reach the same speed.In some you cant feel it.If you put a little pressure on the stick at the right time as the truck is coasting it will slide right in to neutral and if you watch the speedo while you do it you will know where that shift point in that gear is from then on.Each gear will shift freely at a different speed. You can also do the same thaing at any speed by giving it a bit of throttle and shift into neutral as you let get off the gas as there is a second of slack in the gearbox the instant the rpms start to drop.This is actually how you learn to clutchless shift into other gears but dont try doing that.Go to you tube and watch how it its done if you like.

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, there is a very specific point where you can pop the trans out of gear without doing undue damage to the trans.

It can most easily be found by placing slight pressure on the shifter and then releasing the accelerator. When it hits the point where the gears are unloaded between going from drive to coast the shifter will pop out of gear. If you do it wrong you can either push it out of gear too early, or grind it because you moved too slow.

 

[matt2003333]

How would dragging two gears out of mesh under a load be hard on anything? It isn't like they are meant to drive on specific parts of the tooth or anything like that?

It is something you could probably get by with but I would rather change clutches every decade than gears every two decades.

We just got a truck where the last guy "saved" the clutch by rev matching and not using it. Guess what, it needs syncros in first, second and third.

Thats cause he he had no clue what he was doing an was probably banging it in and out of gears like an ape and its the forks from what i have seen.I have never had an issue in 30yrs.