Bullwinkle wrote:
> 3) Stop lights used a different sequence. Red is followed by a red AND
> YELLOW before the green. Thus the sequence at a stop light was:
> Declutch, Shift to neutral, set hand brake, release the clutch pedal.
> When the lights went to red and yellow, you would declutch, shift into
> gear and released the hand brake when the green appeared. That was one
> reason for the "Fly Off" hand brake.
In the UK, you could be cited for an infraction if a policeperson saw
you not using the handbrake when stopped at a light. The transmission is
to be in neutral and the handbrake on while waiting.
> Therefore, one never sat at a stop lamp IN GEAR with the clutch
> disengaged. The carbon throwout bearing will last very long when used
> that way.
It was explained to me that it was so that if you suddenly died, or
fainted, your car would not lurch out in traffic and kill a bunch of
innocent bydrivers.
Now, when you consider that these are the people who made cars that use
a thin cable or leaky hydraulic system hooked up badly to a flimsy pedal
mounting to keep the clutch from engaging suddenly, throwing you out in
traffic to possibly kill a bunch of innocent passersby . . .
Then it makes even more sense.
> I still declutch and shift to neutral at stop lights. I watch the cross
> signal light and when it goes to yellow, I put the transmission into
> gear.
I do the same. It's good LCB practice. Not only saves wear on the clutch
release bearing and the pressure plate release mechanism, but also saves
wear on the inner thrust bearings. When the crank end-play gets out of
spec, it starts eating front and rear seals, leading to the dreaded
Castrol Tsunami.
-Rock http://www.rocky-frisco.com
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