clutch riding

does anyone know if its clutch riding.. if i hold on the clutch while waiting for the green light..?..is it like burning out my clutch or what...

I dunno, generally I chill in neutral with the clutch out at lights and shit, and I also neutral on the way up to a stop sign or red light, just the way I have always drove stick.

Originally posted by Melt
I dunno, generally I chill in neutral with the clutch out at lights and shit, and I also neutral on the way up to a stop sign or red light, just the way I have always drove stick.

thats the same way i do it.

Thats how i drive mine too.....


gunnmen01

Originally posted by Melt

me too!

I wait at the light with my foot on the clutch, and i have heard that its bad for your throw out bearing......

i thought riding the clutch was where u keep ur foot on it and have it slightly engaged when your driving, think that makes sence, or like out when u normally drive but still have it in just a bit... anyone out there understand what i just said? i hope so.
all i know is when i was driving before i started working on it i put it in neutral and just hit the brakes to stop instead of down shifting then sit in neutral at lights and stuff or traffic

ya i think its when u just rest ur foot on the clutch pedal while driving.
i downshift and let the car slow me down along with the brakes till i almost stop then put the clutch in when i pull up to a red light, then let it chill in neutral

yeah..cause i dont know if im buring my clutch if i hold down the clutch too long...so yeah....

just by holding it in isnt hard on the clutch, i Think it just wears the pressure plate spring tension..... i think, thats what i have herd

Originally posted by 1PhatCX
i thought riding the clutch was where u keep ur foot on it and have it slightly engaged when your driving, think that makes sence, or like out when u normally drive but still have it in just a bit... anyone out there understand what i just said? i hope so.
all i know is when i was driving before i started working on it i put it in neutral and just hit the brakes to stop instead of down shifting then sit in neutral at lights and stuff or traffic

Yes i understand and your rite. Having a clutch not in all the way and pressing the gas pedal while moving your is riding your clutch. Dont try to do it and dont' ever do it.:)

ya thats rite now i remember

Unless you're using the clutch to get going or change gears keep your foot off the pedal. Resting your foot on it can prematurely cause throwout bearing failure. Holding the car in position by slipping the clutch will prematurely wear the clutch and glaze the disk. It can also crack flywheels and crack or warp pressure plates.

It's OK to sit at the light with the clutch depressed completely. If I'm gonna be there a while I usually go to neutral however just before the light changes pop it in gear.

If you want to hold the car on a hill learn to "heal and toe" or use the handbrake.

It's a good idea also to learn to drive your car without the clutch. If your cable fails or the disk gets stuck you may need to keep going.

Holding the car in position by slipping the clutch will prematurely wear the clutch and glaze the disk. It can also crack flywheels and crack or warp pressure plates.

Previous owner of my car must have done this, we had to replace pressure plates and retune the clutch cause it was slipping.

Interesting thread.


Riding the clutch = Holding the clutch partialy out. Its generaly not good for it, as it creats excessive wear and just plain smells bad.

Slipping the clutch = Releasing the clutch slowely. Not good to do it often or for a long period of time as it has a similar effect to riding the clutch. However its often the only way to get a smooth start on a steep hill, or when racing off the line.

Dumping the clutch = Taking your foot off it as fast as you can. Not a good idea from a standing start, or when making fast violent up or down changes. Ok occasionaly, but do it to often you start stressing things in the drive line and engine.


Holding the clutch in = or sitting at a set of lights with the car in gear and your foot on the clutch should be kept to an absolute minimum.
Its puts excess load and heat into the Thrust/Throwout bearing, and cause it fail prematurly. (especialy if it wasnt properly lubricated when installed, or is getting old).
You should only do this when your getting ready to move off, say when pulling out of a side street, or at a set of lights where you know the phases, or at the frount of a set of lights where you don't know the phases.
Otherwise if your in Traffic when the light goes green you have more than enough time to get the car in gear before the car in frount starts moving. (if you can't then you need more practice)


I also noted someone mentioned throwing the car in neutral to slow down.
Don't.
Change down throuh the gears as you slow down, its better for the car and gearbox, and it means your ready to move off should the light change, or something happens in frount of you requiring you to have total control of the car. (e.g. dodge to the side etc)


And when changing into reverse due to the design of Honda G/boxs its always a good idea to select a forward gear first, then go straight into reverse. It stops the layshaft from spinning, which if often the cause of a grunch when putting the car in reverse.

Originally posted by Moppie
I also noted someone mentioned throwing the car in neutral to slow down.
Don't.
Change down throuh the gears as you slow down, its better for the car and gearbox, and it means your ready to move off should the light change, or something happens in frount of you requiring you to have total control of the car. (e.g. dodge to the side etc)

Is it? I always figured downshifting and shit all the time would put more strain on the tranny. Whatever though, you posted some great info :D

Originally posted by Melt


Is it? I always figured downshifting and shit all the time would put more strain on the tranny. Whatever though, you posted some great info :D

Downshifting does put more strain on the tranny. It's an old way of slowing the vehicle down when brakes sucked (before we were born). The only time you "need" do it is to be ready to get on it as you exit the corner you just set up so brilliantly for. Regular boring driving doesn't require it.

I do it all the time anyway 'cause I like stirring the gearbox and listening to the motor. My bad. I also shift without the clutch sometimes just for fun to prove I can. In my old 5.0 I used to shift without the clutch all the time. It was an easy gearbox for clutchless shifting.

Originally posted by darolh

I do it all the time anyway 'cause I like stirring the gearbox and listening to the motor. My bad. I also shift without the clutch sometimes just for fun to prove I can. In my old 5.0 I used to shift without the clutch all the time. It was an easy gearbox for clutchless shifting.

Doesnt this grind the gears?? or do u have to find the "sweet spot" to do this, or is there a certain RPM you can do it at? i'm not gonna try cuz i'm afraid of grinding the gears but i have heard about it. i'll just stick to the clutch method when shifting for now lol:smoker2:

Yo - I like this thread...Good info Moppie and darolh. :)

I often downshift too when stopping..keeping the weight of the car on the engine eases brake wear (like darolh said) and also allows for quick control with the throttle if you need it. Those of you who don't live near ice may not care, but if you try to stop and lock up your wheels on a piece of ice in neutral, you are in trouble. I love working the gears too as I downshift.. When I sit tho my throwout?? bearing (there are so many bearings I forget which one) is wearing out so I push the clutch in if I am not sitting for too long so it isn't noisy like when I sit in neutral with the clutch out.

Shifting without the clutch I think puts more strain on the synchros, but is good practice in the event you need to do it. and yeah..there is kind of a sweet spot..the key is to have the tranny and engine spinning at the 'same' speed so the gear will side in without grinding too bad (or if you are good, not at all ;)). I already have to double-clutch 3rd to ease on the grinding..I hope my Si tranny going in with the ZC doesn't grind :(

When I go into reverse, I always hit 2nd as I stop, cuz it is easier to get into than 1st (if I am still rolling a little) and does all that fnacy shit Moppie said..and it cuts WAY down on the grinding..I don't think reverse is synchroed in our trannies, so doing what moppie said helps that issue and makes your car :flash:

Originally posted by sastanley
Yo - I like this thread...Good info Moppie and darolh. :)


When I go into reverse, I always hit 2nd as I stop, cuz it is easier to get into than 1st (if I am still rolling a little) and does all that fnacy shit Moppie said..and it cuts WAY down on the grinding..I don't think reverse is synchroed in our trannies, so doing what moppie said helps that issue and makes your car :flash:

No synchro on reverse and it's a straight cut gear (that's why it's so loud).

All ya gotta do there is if it doesn' go straight in reverse, lift on th eclutch a bit to get things spinning and it'll drop right in without a fight.

Originally posted by sastanley
When I sit tho my throwout?? bearing (there are so many bearings I forget which one) is wearing out so I push the clutch in if I am not sitting for too long so it isn't noisy like when I sit in neutral with the clutch out.



Putting your foot on the clutch puts pressure on the throw out bearing, which makes it go quite. Unforunatly its when its under pressure that it suffers wear.
So your actualy increasing the amount of wear and shortening whats left of its life, even though it does sound better, its actualy not. :)