Ooops. Failed to mention that when I did step on the clutch in
the Dodge Powerwagon, It made GOD AWFUL crunching noises as it ate the
TO bearing and presure plate fingers. Had to change it all just to fix
it.
Now it makes more sense..
Rich
> ----------
> From: Richard Atherton (Entex)
> Reply To: Richard Atherton (Entex)
> Sent: Sunday, June 15, 1997 11:12 PM
> To: t_wiencek(at)qmgate.anl.gov; 'RobCarpent(at)aol.com'
> Cc: alpines(at)autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: thrust washers (was clu
>
> You mean to say that you haven't disabled that stupid switch?
> My old Mustang had that, and it was removed the day I bought it used,
> along with the seat belt buzzer. I always wear the belts, I just
> don't
> have them on when I start the car. The little ding ding ding had to
> go!
> The Clutch lockout starter switch is in reality, a litigation
> inhibitor.
> It keeps idiot drivers from driving through shopping center windows
> after starting their car in gear. ..."I just turned the key, and the
> car learched forward and drove through the crowd. The bodies were
> flying everywhere. I swereved three times before I hit the
> fountain.....". If they can't grasp the simple mechanics of operating
> a
> vehicle, then they should not be allowed behind the wheel, period.
> When I lost a TO bearing in my old Dodge PowerWagon (4X4), I
> could not disengage the clutch, but I still had ten miles of city
> driving to go. Smooth no-clutch shift up and down were no problem,
> but
> starting from a stop was, of course. My solution was to stop, kill
> the
> engine, put it in first and when the light turned green, hit the
> starter. Granted, this is a bit tough on the equipment, but it got me
> home, instead of blocking traffic for an hour waiting for an expensive
> tow. This is one of the reasons I disable those lockout switches.
> The
> other, is by flexing the presure plate springs every time you need to
> start it up, you will weaken the springs, and thus shorten the life of
> the clutch before it starts to slip. You only need to go down far
> enough for the clutch disk to spin free. How far that is varies from
> car to car.
>
> Rich
>
> > ----------
> > From: RobCarpent(at)aol.com[SMTP:RobCarpent(at)aol.com]
> > Reply To: RobCarpent(at)aol.com
> > Sent: Sunday, June 15, 1997 5:26 PM
> > To: t_wiencek(at)qmgate.anl.gov
> > Cc: alpines(at)autox.team.net
> > Subject: Re: thrust washers (was clu
> >
> > In a message dated 97-06-15 09:36:17 EDT, you write:
> >
> > << With the amount of throw-out bearing failures I've seen, just
> > pressing
> > the clutch, much less while starting, is a spooky experience.
> > >>
> >
> > I will be the first to admit that I had never heard of such a thing.
> > I have
> > started my manual shift cars with the clutch in since I was 16 [35
> > years, you
> > do the math]. I have learned tons reading this list so I assumed I
> > have
> > been killing my bearing all the while and would have to relearn.
> >
> > Yesterday I forced myself to start my 1984 Ford Ranger pickup [daily
> > driver]
> > 5 speed and found that the ignition will not fire WITHOUT the clutch
> > being
> > depressed. Yes, I had it in neutral. It simply requires me to
> > depress the
> > clutch if I want to start it.
> >
> > Are Alpines built differently? Is this really a problem?
> >
> > Rob Carpenter [doing it wrong for years]
> > Seattle
> > Series V
> >
>
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