Fully agree to disengage gears when halted @ traffic lights.
One can hear from the engine revs, that pressing the clutch pedal takes
force from the engine.
As the gears are not running then, the power must be consumed by the trowout
bearing.
It is obvious this will create wear.
We have learnt from the English people and now in the past 10 years lots of
roundabouts have been built in the Netherlands as well.
Quite an improvement for clogged road junctions.
Cheers,
Hans
'71 BGT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bullwinkle" <yd3@nvc.net>
To: <mgs@Autox.Team.Net>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 1:59 AM
Subject: Re: replacing clutch on the MGB
>I am surprised that someone familiar with the British driving style of
> the the 1960s hasn't mentioned that the clutch usage on the British
> Isles is different than that in the US.
>
> The British hardly ever sat with the clutch disengaged more than a few
> seconds. The clutch was mainly used only during shift changes.
>
> 1) When I was there in the early 70s, you seldom saw a stop sign and
> traffic control lights were few. Yield signs were used extensively
> where the US would have placed a stop.
> 2) Many intersections use "round abouts" instead of stops or signal
> controlled intersections. Just watch the British comedy "Keeping up
> Appearances."
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> Regards,
> Blake
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