To Clutch or Not To Clutch

[FreqWiz]

For 25 years I have been driving standard transmission car with out using a clutch, for both up and down shifts. The only time I use the clutch is for starting and stopping.

I wonder does anyone else drive without a clutch?

[NewBeetleMechanic]

Originally Posted by FreqWiz

For 25 years I have been driving standard transmission car with out using a clutch, for both up and down shifts. The only time I use the clutch is for stopping and stopping.

I wonder does anyone else drive without a clutch?

I speed shift in the ol Chevy, I have only changed the clutch twice in 42 years (this is the third clutch). I know exactly when to shift the Chevy, it goes right into the next gear, like you shifted it out of park in an automatic.


Not sure I would try it in a Beetle.

[DZLBUG]

While its a good skill to have; clutches are cheaper than transmissions. Driven properly, a clutch can outlast the rest of the car so I see little reason to not use it.

VW's dual mass flywheels on the other hand...

The SMF setup I put in mine will be there until the wheels fall off or the car rusts to pieces.

[digitalputty]

Wuuuuuuuuh? You drive a manual and shift without pushing in the clutch!? :O What about while sitting in traffic???

I am on my original clutch. 8 years old, never been replaced. I even learned how to drive manual with this clutch. YEAH!

[FreqWiz]

Originally Posted by digitalputty

Wuuuuuuuuh? You drive a manual and shift without pushing in the clutch!? :O What about while sitting in traffic???

Is not sitting in traffic starting and stopping????

Originally Posted by FreqWiz

The only time I use the clutch is for starting and stopping.

------------------------

Originally Posted by NewBeetleMechanic

Not sure I would try it in a Beetle.

Is there an issue with synchronizers or something????

[Smileybug]

Originally Posted by digitalputty

Wuuuuuuuuh? You drive a manual and shift without pushing in the clutch!? :O What about while sitting in traffic???

I am on my original clutch. 8 years old, never been replaced. I even learned how to drive manual with this clutch. YEAH!

I'm on my original. 11 years old and almost 98k on it...I learned stick on the car at 54k, and it was female owned before me (I hate to stereotype like that, but at the same time, I can tell that she parallel parked and liked to bump into cars due to the license plate screw marks on the rear bumper...). No reason, in my eyes, not to use the clutch. No signs of slipping at all with the time and miles on it.

We actually had a talk about this at a local G2G earlier this month. A guy always shifted without using the clutch and was asking a shop owner about his opinion. He said that while you could do it, he probably wouldn't.

[NewBeetleMechanic]

Originally Posted by FreqWiz

Is there an issue with synchronizers or something????

The bushings in an aluminum transmission case wear out causing the rotating assembly to coock. I have a steel case in the Chevy.

[FreqWiz]

Originally Posted by NewBeetleMechanic

The bushings in an aluminum transmission case wear out causing the rotating assembly to coock. I have a steel case in the Chevy.

Are these bushings on the shift forks or the case? If they are in the case, how does it mess them up allowing the rotating mass equalize before shifting?

If they are on the shift forks I could understand more wear if you are forcing the tranny to shift into gear.

I am not speed shifting, if I am driving hard I use the clutch, but double clutch some down shifts to equalize the rotating mass.

I do not shift without a clutch to save wear on the clutch, I do it because that is the way I learned to drive.

[digitalputty]

roflmao. Yes, I read that but, it didn't sink in. :P LOL.

I know what you mean about women and manual transmissions. Everyone is always surprised to hear that I drive a New Beetle ... with a turbo ... with a manual. :P

[SMG]

My friend is a crane operator, and the crane truck is basically an 18 wheeler with a crane on it. He never used the clutch in it and the transmission blew up after 2 or 3 years. I'll stick to driving my cars how they're designed to be driven.

[FreqWiz]

Originally Posted by SMG

I'll stick to driving my cars how they're designed to be driven.

Well I guess that could be argument.....When I was taught to drive I was told the Clutch was for starting and stopping, once the car was rolling I was to keep my @#$% foot off the clutch.

I did not start this thread to convert others or to start arguments....There is thousands of ways to drive from how we use the clutch to how we put our hands on the steering wheel. I will never say mine is the right or the only way.

[SMG]

You started this topic to start a discussion I assume. I guess you didn't expect to hear anything that wasn't positive about speed shifting?

[FreqWiz]

Originally Posted by SMG

You started this topic to start a discussion I assume. I guess you didn't expect to hear anything that wasn't positive about speed shifting?

Touche......LOL

[2004NBTURBOS]

In my mind, and most of the peeps I hung around with, speed shifting was done by not letting off the gas, as you row thru the gears. Driving without the clutch was called short shifting because the r.p.m's needed to be low to get the gears to mesh. Now this info was gathered in my racing years well over 25 years ago, so the term might take on a new meaning now in the present. Yes, I am getting old. But as my 97 year old Grandmother says age is just a number.

[FreqWiz]

Originally Posted by 2004NBTURBOS

In my mind, and most of the peeps I hung around with, speed shifting was done by not letting off the gas, as you row thru the gears. Driving without the clutch was called short shifting because the r.p.m's needed to be low to get the gears to mesh.

Thanks for the clarification, Short shifting is what I do.

[NewBeetleMechanic]

Originally Posted by FreqWiz

Thanks for the clarification, Short shifting is what I do.

I speed shift, i get to a certain rpm, slide my foot off the gas, pull it into the next gear and reapply the gas.

I speed shift in the old 68 Chevy I have, I am not doing this in a Volkswagen.

[FreqWiz]

Originally Posted by NewBeetleMechanic

I speed shift in the old 68 Chevy I have, I am not doing this in a Volkswagen.

OK, OK, I guess I am wrong for how I drive....Everyone is telling me, I am wrong for doing this to a VW, but not why....so to make everyone happy here, I will use my clutch every time I shift gears. I am doing this because of peer pressure, not because of facts.

I was told it was because of bushings, but never explained how these bushings go bad because of short shifting/speed shifting.

Again, to make it clear I will use a clutch from this day forward when I drive BlueBell.

[idriveGermany]

Had a 1979 "Porsche" 924, clutch cable broke on way to work, in traffic no less, made it, and made it home. Hardest part was starting engine in 1st after traffic had stopped... oh, and the synchro's were trash long before I bought it, so, yeah, that was a fun day.

I usually even use my clutch on my dirtbike, which many do not do that on dirtbikes...

On all my cars? Heck YES I use the clutch. It is there to make driving easier. Not saying you are doing it wrong.

PS... The 924 synchros were trashed because someone was abusive with the drivetrain. Like "speedshifting" as someone mentioned. Synchros help gears mesh, driving hard fast and sloppy (slamming into gears etc) tears up the synchros so even when you do use the clutch, there is a little grind when shifting.

PPS... I am not telling you how to drive