A couple of notes to add to the fray.
Non synchro first gears. The biggest problem I have had is with
carbon t/o bearing cars and traffic lights. At the red light the car is
normally kept in neutral with the clutch out. This means the input
shaft and cluster gear are spinning around merrily at engine speed.
When the light turns green, the immediate response is to press in the
clutch, engage 1st gear and leave. The problem is that it takes a
couple of moments for the merrily spinning gears to slow after the
clutch is engaged. With a non-sunchro box, the lay gear must be
stationary with respect to the first gear sliding hub. The first gear
must either be sped up (tough to do, since the car is standing still) or
the lay gear must be slowed down. In a synchro box the slowing down is
achieved by a tapered brass sleeve working on a hardened section of
gear. In a nonsynchro box the speed matching is taken care of by an
interaction of driver brute force and expensive, fragile gear teeth.
The noisy demise of which is well known to all of us.
The ways to depart stoplights then are; Anticipate the light
and engage the clutch early, giving the gears time to slow. Engage the
clutch when the light turns green, then wait until you deem the noise of
honking cars, or grinding gear teeth is preferable.
Whilst sitting at a green light waiting for my Mini
Cooper's expensive transmission to nick into gear it occurred to me that
there is probably a good reason why there are so many roundabouts in
England.
Double clutching and heel and toe. I don't know about anyone
else, but my feet will not heel and toe a 68-76 MGB. I have used more
of a foot/side of foot rolling action. The gas pedal was modified on
later cars to allow easier use. The Paddy Hopkirk pedal does work well
on the 63-67 MGB. I keep on meaning to modify my 65 race car, before I
wear out my ankle joint and race shoes trying to keep the Weber from
coughing.
Double clutching an English car when careening around the
neighborhood is as required as gunning a Harley at stoplights. When
else do you have a chance to really enjoy the sound of the exhaust and
alarms going off.
It is also a required British car survival skill, along the
lines of parking on a hill. Once, during my college days I drove an
Austin Marina (very fragile gearbox) for a week with no clutch.
Starting in gear, and double clutching became a honed technique. It was
almost boring after rebuilding the master cylinder.
Kelvin.
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