Changing gear without a clutch

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Right Ive been in 2 works cars when the clutch has died one was a Vauxhall Vivaro van clutch pedal went to the floor and did not disengage. It did this in the best place in earth approx 14.00 in picadilly circus. Bastid! It was a case of starting in gear after the traffic in front has moved off an dleft some room driving at tickover to hopefully give the traffic more time to go in front of me to get out of town/a safe place while not being cut up and sworn at by everyone. luckilly it did well and got me back to work changing up and down leaving plenty of room at roundabouts and traffic lights.

The second was my passat dies on the m25 about 50 miles from home knowing the area I come off a couple of junctions early before any traffic build up and took the back roads again starting in gear and being careful at junctions. next day driving it into the clutch place to get fixed. I find it quite easy to drive without the clutch but a clutch is there use it!!
 
Last edited:
Having been in the motor trade for all of my working life I agree, but unless the clutch has failed there's no point in doing it, is there. As for lorry drivers changing gear without using the clutch, bollocks.
The whole thread is a wind up, wise up.

yer a grumpy very very very old fooker :D
 
Having been in the motor trade for all of my working life I agree, but unless the clutch has failed there's no point in doing it, is there. As for lorry drivers changing gear without using the clutch, bollocks.
The whole thread is a wind up, wise up.

yer a grumpy very very very old fooker :D

Aye! there's no denying that. :hysterically_laughi:hysterically_laughi
 
I was just wondering if changing gear without a clutch on normal day to day driving, when the revs are matched so no grinds come from the gear box

Any thoughts??

I do it all the time. A tad easier with a rev counter though. It takes practice to be able to do it on the down shift too, but once you've mastered it its no bother.

I've been doing it in all sort of vehicles for years, never had any problems, but someone did tell me once that it knackers the synchros. My 3rd gear synchro in the 90 is kaput anyway, so have to match the revs even with the clutch. :)
 
Having been in the motor trade for all of my working life I agree, but unless the clutch has failed there's no point in doing it, is there. As for lorry drivers changing gear without using the clutch, bollocks.
The whole thread is a wind up, wise up.

ERF trucks used to advertise the fact that the clutch was only needed to start off withtheir twin splitter gearbox, it was four speed with a three speed split in every gear giving twelve gears much like the old Foden 12 speed box from the sixties with four on the floor and three on the column.

All non syncro boxes and to split up change you just moved the lever on the stick and eased off the throttle and it changed like an auto
To down split you moved the lever and blipped the throttle.

To change gear you just used the throttle, ease off pull out off gear select next one ond then apply the throttle again, no clutch

you could also preselect the split change as with the Foden and to hurry up the split on an upward change you pulled the stck out of gear and back in agian quickly and it changed immediately

Similarly with the 13 speed Fuller gearboxes , no need for the clutch all day as long as you didnt stop.

It was possible to shove it in crawler gear from rest without the clutch and it was so low geared that it just set off.

So yes lorry drivers in the old days did not need to use a clutch, just that the modern syncro mesh boxes changed all that.

New trucks dont even have a gear lever now and no clutch just buttons for forward reverse and park:)
 
ERF trucks used to advertise the fact that the clutch was only needed to start off withtheir twin splitter gearbox, it was four speed with a three speed split in every gear giving twelve gears much like the old Foden 12 speed box from the sixties with four on the floor and three on the column.

All non syncro boxes and to split up change you just moved the lever on the stick and eased off the throttle and it changed like an auto
To down split you moved the lever and blipped the throttle.

To change gear you just used the throttle, ease off pull out off gear select next one ond then apply the throttle again, no clutch

you could also preselect the split change as with the Foden and to hurry up the split on an upward change you pulled the stck out of gear and back in agian quickly and it changed immediately

Similarly with the 13 speed Fuller gearboxes , no need for the clutch all day as long as you didnt stop.

It was possible to shove it in crawler gear from rest without the clutch and it was so low geared that it just set off.

So yes lorry drivers in the old days did not need to use a clutch, just that the modern syncro mesh boxes changed all that.

New trucks dont even have a gear lever now and no clutch just buttons for forward reverse and park:)

another true story.
 
Having been in the motor trade for all of my working life I agree, but unless the clutch has failed there's no point in doing it, is there. As for lorry drivers changing gear without using the clutch, bollocks.
The whole thread is a wind up, wise up.
with the same broom ?:eek::D
 
I always shift gear in three movements like I did for years without the clutch in me lorry.
Out of gear pause and then into the next one, prob dont need the clutch anyway.
:)
 
ERF trucks used to advertise the fact that the clutch was only needed to start off withtheir twin splitter gearbox, it was four speed with a three speed split in every gear giving twelve gears much like the old Foden 12 speed box from the sixties with four on the floor and three on the column.

All non syncro boxes and to split up change you just moved the lever on the stick and eased off the throttle and it changed like an auto
To down split you moved the lever and blipped the throttle.

To change gear you just used the throttle, ease off pull out off gear select next one ond then apply the throttle again, no clutch

you could also preselect the split change as with the Foden and to hurry up the split on an upward change you pulled the stck out of gear and back in agian quickly and it changed immediately

Similarly with the 13 speed Fuller gearboxes , no need for the clutch all day as long as you didnt stop.

It was possible to shove it in crawler gear from rest without the clutch and it was so low geared that it just set off.

So yes lorry drivers in the old days did not need to use a clutch, just that the modern syncro mesh boxes changed all that.

New trucks dont even have a gear lever now and no clutch just buttons for forward reverse and park:)

Rob got to agree with landowner Lorry/semi only used clutch for stop/ start

weather a 8,9 10 12,13 15 or 18 speed fuller or eaton transmission and they do have syncro's use the tach but with experience by sound and feel. My truck I drove the sweet spot for gear shift was 1650-1700 rpm flat out red line was 2250rpm
 
iphone-20110103164947-1.jpg
 
Back
Top