Topic: Driving without a clutch cable (Read 1945 times)

J A M E S · « **on:** May 29, 2007, 08:05:21 AM »

How to drive without a clutch cable

I learned this from the AA. My clutch cable snapped and they told me how to drive it home.

Remember these key things
-   It’s easy to change up a gear (You don’t need a clutch)
-   It’s bloody hard un-less you get the revs right to change down a gear

If your lucky and have a turbo, driving without a clutch cable is a lot easier. You can still get the car to pull under 1,500rpm in 4th gear.

The key to the game is finding out how low an rpm your car will pull without stalling. Keep driving without going lower than you have too. If you need to stop, turn the engine off and put the car in to 1st. Turn the engine on and the starter motor will push the car forward and apply some gas.

Before taking off, plan your route. Make sure you
-   Choose a route with the least amount of stops (This helps when choosing which gear to drive home in)
-   You drive home out of peak hours (Helps because you won't have to stop / start as much)

K30 / Adam · « **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2007, 12:20:29 PM »

or, just call the AA and get towed to a garage and get them to fix it LOL
nice one James!

Wayne · « **Reply #2 on:** May 29, 2007, 12:27:37 PM »

AA won't always take the car, as James found out.

Trigger · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2007, 08:29:51 AM »

If you have no clutch and you need to change down eg 3rd to 2nd, pull the lever from 3rd to neutral, blip the throttle and slide into 2nd as the revs decrease. Takes a bit of practice but it's simple once you get the knack.

conalnugent · « **Reply #4 on:** June 01, 2007, 22:38:59 PM »

im sorry for being such a tw*t, i hope that you see this messege., any one stupid enought to drive a car home with no clutch deserves to be shot..... It wouldnt matter where in the country i was, if i broke down with a dead clutch i'd sooner wait the 3 or 5 hours for a mate to come than drive it home as you discribed. I dont think you love your car as much as some of the people here. Go home (with the clutch working) and shoot yourself and put us all out of our misery.......

CalibraTurbo666 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 01, 2007, 22:53:29 PM »

its easy to drive with no clutch and i think they should teach it on the driving test,
its one of those things that you might need to do sometime
it doesnt hurt anything to do it
in gear, go up the revs, hold gear lever to pull out of gear, put small amount of presure on gearlever, let revs off, as revs drop it will come out of gear with not the slightest noise, rev up a bit, let the revs drop, as they do push into the next gear, not the slightest problem doing it once youve done a couple of changes

One time i left liverpool in a 5 ton van, cable snapped as i got about 10 miles away, i was going to stutgart i had a ferry to meet, middle of the night no chance of geting it fixed in time.....
i phoned the AA said see you at the ferry port and they met me there to fit it, i drove to dover like that from runcorn, not a problem, new cable fitted 300 miles later and off i went to germany i couldnt have got there without driving with no clutch and would have lost about 6,000 pound id paid for a stand at a show and about 25,000 pound in takings from the show

the only awkward bit is geting to a red light and having to stop, then you ned to stop engine and start in gear driving down the road, but you avoid stopping

Trigger · « **Reply #6 on:** June 01, 2007, 22:59:25 PM »

I used to drive trucks with 'Crash' gearboxes and it was so much easier not to use the clutch at all. Only really used it when pulling away. Driving without using the clutch does no harm at all if done properly. No shooting necessary

conalnugent · « **Reply #7 on:** December 15, 2007, 16:46:11 PM »

how'dy ho james,

just writing to say, ive a year under my belt now and im a bit more experienced than when i last posted on this thread. I experimented with the gear change thing and now have it to a tee. Only one thing though, how the hell do you stop and once stopped how do you start off???

cheers and sorry bout the abusive message from ages ago lol

J A M E S · « **Reply #8 on:** December 15, 2007, 18:44:59 PM »

Quote from: conalnugent on December 15, 2007, 16:46:11 PM

how'dy ho james,

just writing to say, ive a year under my belt now and im a bit more experienced than when i last posted on this thread. I experimented with the gear change thing and now have it to a tee. Only one thing though, how the hell do you stop and once stopped how do you start off???

cheers and sorry bout the abusive message from ages ago lol

No worries; it didn't bother me what so ever.

Dec · « **Reply #9 on:** December 15, 2007, 20:26:38 PM »

I have done this many years ago, only 2 miles from home, sod if i was gonna wait hours for recovery.

CalibraDTM · « **Reply #10 on:** December 15, 2007, 21:17:07 PM »

lol, Yea I did it on the way back from work the other day! Dead easy in my deisel astra! Real Lazy man driving!

SEMI AUTOMATIC ASTRA!!!! Yea Baby!!

Wayne · « **Reply #11 on:** December 16, 2007, 01:25:20 AM »

I did it once in an Austin Mini, from Norwich to East Grinstead, 160 miles lol

J A M E S · « **Reply #12 on:** December 16, 2007, 01:33:30 AM »

Well Matt, your clutch cable is new so shouldn't snap!.

Torquemada · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2008, 10:19:12 AM »

Good thread subject!

I learned to drive clutchless 30+ years ago, from my taxi driver boss. I had a fare in the car when the clutch went. They sent another car out for the customers, and the guvnor arrived a few mins later and drove us back to the garage. After I had watched his method it was easy.

As James says, stick it in first before you start the engine.
Turn the key and steer with the other hand for a couple of seconds, a tiny bit of right foot will see you moving nicely. Watch out for kangaroos!
Once you're moving, and aren't accelerating, you can take the gear lever to neutral and as the revs are dropping, a light pressure by you against the next gear position will usually allow the lever to slide in usually without grinding. Usually! Don't worry if you allow the revs to drop too far, even down to idle, while you're moving, just back off any the gear lever pressure, rev the engine up a bit, then re try the gear as the revs drop again. You can even do this if the car is going slow enough for first gear.
Once you've done a couple of smooth changes you'll get the idea.
When you want to change down, take it into neutral, rev the engine up a bit and light pressure against the next gear like before, but while the revs are higher, will usually allow the change.
You should be able to roll up to junctions during the drive, by just knocking it out of gear. Engine off, if you have to stop, into first again, wait for a good gap, turn the key and carry on.

The V6 is the best engine for smooth clutchless driving by the way. 2nd gear will pull from about 2mph to 60+ !

So if you're planning on having your clutch blow up, get a V6 first.

Proxie_dk · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2008, 11:41:03 AM »

Well when I snapped mine once , I have driven only 2 miles or so.

It happen 2 miles from my friends workshops part supplier

I got new one and fitted on site on a parking lot GG

By the way..on my KTM bike I only use clutch @ 1st gear

Wayne · « **Reply #15 on:** June 22, 2008, 12:08:21 PM »

Quote from: conalnugent on June 01, 2007, 22:38:59 PM

Go home (with the clutch working) and shoot yourself and put us all out of our misery.......

I think we should just shoot that guy!

ALZ1307 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 22, 2008, 16:39:41 PM »

I drove without a clutch in C4 not lot ago at work, the clutch went, major panic in office, we need to get it towed bla bla, no you don't! It can be driven. A lift to said car later and I proved my point!

JB · « **Reply #17 on:** November 05, 2008, 13:32:52 PM »

Oddly enough, when I tried this I found that upon taking off I'd already had the engine running.
Pushing it towards (it won't let you push it INTO) first saw the car begin to move slowly..

With a little momentum I upped the revvs, put it straight to second and off I went.

Worked on both my cally's and an escort.

J@zV6 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 05, 2008, 15:26:07 PM »

It should be possible to do clutchless changes, although you have to get the revs (engine speed):road speed exactly right. I'm not very good at it, but my ex-brother-in-law was an expert. Even then, it is quite difficult to do it without crunching the gearchanges and this is likely to wear the synchromesh off the gears much more quickly.

Richie86 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 05, 2008, 15:30:29 PM »

I can do it without any thought whatsoever, so much infact that not only do i not have to move the gear lever i also don't have to press the clutch pedal. It's almost as if it's automatic

Author Topic: Driving without a clutch cable (Read 1945 times)

CalibraDTM

Proxie_dk