<VV> Clutch Trouble in Twinsburg

[Marc Sheridan]

Unfortunately, I practiced the clutchless technique most of this afternoon 
:o). This thread started just before I left for Twinsburg and got paranoid 
about my clutch cable, so I went out and put a glob of grease on the ball 
end of the cable. Too little too late. About 5 miles after I left Nelson 
Ledges for home, it popped. Nothing else to do, but drive it home. It was 
rather stressful, but I made it.

I learned a few things along the way home: For one, Murphy's Law is alive 
and well :o). If you don't have a clutch, most traffic lights you encounter 
will turn red right before you get to them, especially the ones on an uphill 
grade. My starter will move my car up a hill, but it won't do that and start 
the car at the same time. Freeways are your friends when you have no clutch, 
except when you hit a major city like Columbus at rush hour. All those 
people you cuss when they run red lights aren't in front of you when you 
want to run the light.

My clutchless trip was a little over 200 miles. Is that farther than from NH 
to Brooklyn? Has anyone gone farther?

By the way, the clutch cable I bought about 35 years ago from the local 
Chevy dealer for a spare is still in my garage :o). It will have to wait 
until tomorrow to go in the car.

Marc Sheridan


From: "Michael Kovacs" <kovacsmj at sbcglobal.net>

> Going 'clutch-less' can be done. Back when I was in college in N. 
> Hampshire, (1960) I drove a friends '51 Chevy all the way from NH  to 
> Brooklyn NY without using the clutch, as it was inoperative.
>
>   It takes looking far ahead and anticipating gear changes well before you 
> get stuck.
>
> Padgett <pp2 at 6007.us> wrote:
>  BTW it is possible to drive a very long distance with a clutch locked in
> gear. It does take a well-tuned engine and a tip-top battery. Shift to
> neutral and turn off the engine coming to a stop. Put in first and use the
> starter to get going. Upshifts need to be relatively quick and in the
> following manner: pull back to neutral then take foot off gas, wait for 
> the
> revs to drop a bit and put in next gear. With a little practive it can
> become second nature just do not try to force it. Gentle works.
>
> Once you get proficient, downshifts are possible: with foot on gas pull
> back to neutral. Rev engine and slip into lower gear.
>
> In both cases you give it a little gas while shifting from a gear into
> neutral. If you take your foot off the gas first, the assembly will bind 
> in
> gear.
>
> That and taking care to avoid as many stops as possible will get you 
> almost
> anywhere. I've use the same technique to get a slipping clutch home 
> before.
>
> Padgett