two questions about manual gear boxes
two questions about manual gear boxes
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Discussion

BHML

Original Poster:

307 posts

186 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
Two questions about manual gear boxes:

1) does it damage the gearbox if you lightly rest your hand on top of the gear lever?
2) changing from 3rd to 5th or from 2nd to fourth damage the gear box? should one go through all gears sequentuiallu?

RicksAlfas

14,090 posts

260 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
No and No.

hombrepaulo

1,303 posts

187 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
No No, No No No No, No No No No, No No theres no damage

zakelwe

4,449 posts

214 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
You might want to think about road speed if you are not going through the gears sequentially in regards to subsequent engine revs.

Andy

JonnyFive

29,674 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
doogz said:
zakelwe said:
You might want to think about road speed if you are not going through the gears sequentially in regards to subsequent engine revs.

Andy
And the load on the clutch as a result.
But, if you accelerate hard in say, 2nd.. You've no need to go through 3rd if 4th would do.

Same on the way down, unless as you say you drag the clutch up to speed rather than blipping and matching.

Chiswickboy

549 posts

204 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
1) Yes. You can inadvertently put pressure on the change mechanism (selector fork) which can cause premature wear.

2) No. My instructor was an advanced driver and taught me to skip gears when changing (mainly up but also going down when the situation was suitable). I still do this today when driving a manual box. It's simply getting the engine and road speed to match. On a clear road pull away rapidly in second and then go into fourth without thinking about it. Also do this on the bike.

Obviously this depends on the vehicle; four, 5 or 6 gears and road conditions.

RDRR

95 posts

174 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
I have a question about manual 'boxes specifically Mercedes manuals (sorry for the thread hijack!)

How do they work? Never been in one but they have four pedals how do you do a hill start? Put it in neutral hold brake pedal??! It must be like rubbing your stomach and tapping you head shirely?

fido

17,826 posts

271 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
BHML said:
1) does it damage the gearbox if you lightly rest your hand on top of the gear lever?
That's a myth spread by driving instructors so that you hold the steering wheel with both hands!

hornetrider

63,161 posts

221 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
Chiswickboy said:
Also do this on the bike.
Really? Unusual I would have thought... (I block change in the car but never on the bike - doesn't 'feel' right).

trickywoo

13,099 posts

246 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
fido said:
BHML said:
1) does it damage the gearbox if you lightly rest your hand on top of the gear lever?
That's a myth spread by driving instructors so that you hold the steering wheel with both hands!
The handbook on my UR Quattro said not to do it as it would wear the selector forks - as someone also said above.

Chris Chilton

15 posts

174 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
RDRR said:
I have a question about manual 'boxes specifically Mercedes manuals (sorry for the thread hijack!)

How do they work? Never been in one but they have four pedals how do you do a hill start? Put it in neutral hold brake pedal??! It must be like rubbing your stomach and tapping you head shirely?
You only press the fourth pedal to engage the handbrake, you pull an umbrella lever to take it off

craig7584

152 posts

175 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
1) depends how hard I suppose, some gear levers which you push down to select reverse gear would presumably be moving something in the gear selector when ur pushing down on it.. also, if u lean in a particlar direction u might pull out of gear slightly.. leaning on the clutch pedal is a more common problem!

2) generally this is ok, as you say a technique taught on advanced driving, however on some vehicles this can (apparently) be bad for the syncro, but u can help by double clutching.

OneDs

1,629 posts

192 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
Another question on manuals, clutchless changes, in some circumstances when going up the box I find it possible at relativity low revs to slip into gear without using the clutch at all.

Why does this happen?
Are there any other circumstances where this could happen (down shifts)?
Do you have to declutch first, when taking the car out of gear?

F i F

46,959 posts

267 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
Chris Chilton said:
RDRR said:
I have a question about manual 'boxes specifically Mercedes manuals (sorry for the thread hijack!)

How do they work? Never been in one but they have four pedals how do you do a hill start? Put it in neutral hold brake pedal??! It must be like rubbing your stomach and tapping you head shirely?
You only press the fourth pedal to engage the handbrake, you pull an umbrella lever to take it off
Yeah but it's a complete PITA driving in stop start traffic in hilly places, eg Sheffield, and especially if you don't like blinding the bloke behind with the brake lights which negates the liberal use of heel and toe.

JonnyFive

29,674 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th February 2011
quotequote all
doogz said:
OneDs said:
Another question on manuals, clutchless changes, in some circumstances when going up the box I find it possible at relativity low revs to slip into gear without using the clutch at all.

Why does this happen?
Are there any other circumstances where this could happen (down shifts)?
Do you have to declutch first, when taking the car out of gear?
you can pull the car out of gear without the clutch, then it's just a case of matching the engine speed with the road speed appropriate to the gear you're going to select.

I wouldn't do it all the time, to save clutch wear, but if you've never messed about with it as a technique, do it, it's handy to be able to do in case your clutch gives up the ghost when you're out and about and don't want to get stranded.
I tried this in the scrappage cars we took over to the scrap yard.. They had a good final drive before going to the car crusher.