Anyone not use clutch?

[88HF]

Does anyone here not use their clutch to change gears? I used to do it alot, but havn't lately. I bet a scangauge would be awesome for this if I had a newer vehicle. The trick is kind of feeling and remembering what rpms and how.

[SVOboy]

I like my clutch, I feel that it is very useful,

[Bill in Houston]

I am in favor of using the clutch...

[kitcar]

Used to only use the clutch on my Ninja at stoplights. All other times, speedshifting. I'll tell you what, that was fun going through 6 gears in a heartbeat getting on the highway.

In the truck since I only use 2nd, 3rd and 5th, it's no bother to use the clutch. Lately I've been going from 2nd to 5th.

[psyshack]

I have to use the clutch in my new Civic. In other cars Ive not had to use it for up shifts and some down shifts. But the Civics cables and rubber feeling of the shifter isnt good for clutchless gear changes.

psy

[ffvben]

I've tried shifting without using the clutch, seems like it only works if there is no load. don't step on gas, the gears seem to line up and easily shift to next gear without touching the clutch pedal. usually after 2nd gear it seems like the best. i don't own a manual at the moment so I cant compare mpg with using/not using clutch. clutch is engaged all the time but you have to let your rmps drop some to smoothly shift.

[JanGeo]

Was driving with a buddy of mine in his beetle and we was doing that . . . here's what happens . . . most of the time you get lucky . . . you put a little extra wear on the syncros waiting for the gears to match speed. Once in a while you catch a gear tooth at the tip and put a lot of load on it and maybe just maybe chip it. That little fragment is hardened steel and finds it way into the bearings and other gears and things start grinding themselves up until eventually . . . you start walking.

[Snax]

I don't believe that there is any practical reason to do clutchless shifting in the name of fuel economy - or for that matter, in the name of anything else except acceleration with a sequential gearbox. It's good practice for finding the correct engagement rpm of each gear, but that's about it IMO.

[Snax]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

. . . most of the time you get lucky . . . you put a little extra wear on the syncros waiting for the gears to match speed. Once in a while you catch a gear tooth at the tip and put a lot of load on it and maybe just maybe chip it. That little fragment is hardened steel and finds it way into the bearings and other gears and things start grinding themselves up until eventually . . . you start walking.

Well if you want to be pessimistic about it.

It's not really worth the effort and risk I suppose.

[Gary Palmer]

I do clutchless shifting, some of the time. You do need to have the engine speed and the car speed aligned pretty close and you do need to have it in a no load from either end, for it to work. I don't do it for fuel economy. I do it because I hate working on my car any more than I have to and if I do clutchless shifting then I'm not putting any wear on the clutch.

However, because of the potential for missing and grinding gears, I have generally gotten to where I still try to match the speeds, as if I were going to do a clutchless shift, but I use the clutch anyway, so I don't grind the gears. My thought is that doing that minimizes risk, the clutch and the flywheel are turning at pretty close to the same speed, so that their is very little wear to the clutch, but if I'm off a little on my speed or something, it doesn't kill the transmission.