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Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:19 pm

I just noticed something strange with a car that is fairly new to me.

I had just finished adjusting the torsion bars -- thanks for the advice btw -- put everything back together and drove it around the block. Car ran just fine. I parked it, turned off the engine and put it to neutral. Then I noticed that I had forgotten the push on the clutch when putting it into neutral. I tested it out and found that I could shift into all gears easily (with the engine off) so my questions

1. Could I have messed something up when I reinstalled the CVs?

2. Is this a clutch problem? The pedal has the correct freeplay but the clutch cable wingnut can't move any further

3. A sign of a dying transmission?

4. Nothing to worry about?

Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:23 pm

danielsan wrote: I just noticed something strange with a car that is fairly new to me.

I had just finished adjusting the torsion bars -- thanks for the advice btw -- put everything back together and drove it around the block. Car ran just fine. I parked it, turned off the engine and put it to neutral. Then I noticed that I had forgotten the push on the clutch when putting it into neutral. I tested it out and found that I could shift into all gears easily (with the engine off) so my questions

1. Could I have messed something up when I reinstalled the CVs?

2. Is this a clutch problem? The pedal has the correct freeplay but the clutch cable wingnut can't move any further

3. A sign of a dying transmission?

4. Nothing to worry about?

Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:52 am

Hi,

That makes me feel better but I would like to know what is going on. Can anyone explain why I am able to shift into gears without the clutch? Are there any tests I could perform?

thanks again everyone

Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:56 am

I'm going to hazard a guess that the only reason you need a clutch is because the engine and tranny are in motion when you need to shift. When you are standing still it shouldn't be that hard to move things around, since they aren't turning. The only thing that matters should be how the transmission shifts when things are running.

Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:58 am

It just means things are working as they should and that when it stopped, everything in the gear box was lined up.

Next time you stop, it may not fall into gear so easy. It just depends on if the teeth on the dog rings are lined up to mesh or not.

All the clutch does when you push it with the engine off, is disengage the engine from the trans so the trans input shaft is not in a bind and the sliders can slide into gear with a little movement to make the teeth mesh.

It's perfectly normal - Enjoy the ride!

Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:59 am

If the clutch matches engine and transmission speeds so you can change gears, then a speed of 0 RPM on both would allow it to change gears. Its the same way people shift with no clutch while driving. There's no test to do because there's nothing to test for: it's working.

Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:59 am

danielsan wrote: Can anyone explain why I am able to shift into gears without the clutch? Are there any tests I could perform?

Just to make sure I understand--you can shift in and out of gears, without clutch, without the engine running and this worries you?

This perfectly normal behavior for a manual transmission. This has been true of every car with a manual that I've ever driven (My dad's Ford Escort that I learned to drive on, and three cars that I've owned). Now, since the transmission isn't turning, occasionally you'll have gears that happen to line up tooth to tooth so they won't quite engage without pushing in the clutch, but most of the time they'll go all the way in.

The clutch dis-engages the trans from the engine so that the input side of the trans can match speeds with the output side. There's nothing in the cluch that allows or doesn't allow you to operate the shifter. You can switch gears without while driving without pushing in the clutch, but if you don't match the speeds just right you'll get a little gear grinding (I don't recommend this, I've never done it, but I've heard it's possible).

Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:42 am

Now I understand. From the replies I cam concluding that that the gears just landed in a sweet spot where everything was perfectly aligned.

I was worried because I haven't been able to do this on any other car I've driven -- but then again I've not experimented.

I've learned something and my mind is at ease -- thanks again everyone!