The Washington times., 1913-05-31
CARS GEAR LEVER
IS HARD TO HANDLE
Amateur Automobile Drivers
Should Learn More About It.
Makes Riding Easier.

fronting the average afnateur automo-
bile driver than that OF gear changing.
according to man who has driven a
car for a dozen years or more. one
may be possessed Of ample theoretical
knowledge OF motors, he says. anG of
an entirely adequate practical ability
to keep car in good running order. end
yet be classed by ones friends as a
bad driver. simply through inability to
change gear quietly.
There ere many men who may claim
an accurate Judgment of speed and dis
tance, a delicate touch on accelerator
and steering wheel. and the ability to
anticipate and correct side-slip. but who
are Yet rough and unpleasant drivers
through unskillful handling OF the gear
lever
It is frequently. said that on some
particular car 1t Is difficult to change
speed. and in the case of few old ma
chimes there may possibly be some
grounds for the statement, but in the
vast majority of cases the fault lies
either In the adjustment Of clutch and
clutch-stop or in the hands of the
driver. Whichever Of these latter ex-
plantations be the true one. the remedy
lies In a thorough understanding of
what happens to- the car mechanism
when change Of speed is effected.
How To Use Gear.
1t is common knowledge that for .
given speed Of the car the engine must
be turning faster when on q low gear
than on the next higher one. A fact
that is not SO generally realized is
that. for a quiet change OF gear. the
driven member Of the clutch must be
II the gear to be engaged were already
In mesh. Suppose, for example. that
q car Is travelling at fifteen miles per
hour. that the third speed ID engsged.
and that II Ia desired to engage the
fourth speed. 1t may further be as
that on top gear the engine must turn
at 500 revolutions per minute to drive
the car at fifteen miles per hour. also.
that to attain the same speed on third
gear, the engine must be turning at
] Loo revolutions per minute.
changing gear Is carried out quickly,
30 that there IL no appreciable veria-
ton from fifteen miles per hour on
the part of the car. The third speed is
engaged. the engine and clutch shaft
are running at LOO revolutions per
change to fourth gear. First he dis
engages his clutch; II he releases the
accelerator at the same time, as he
should do. the engine Will slow up,
and with II the driving Ia-t OF the
clutch. Tie point that most people de
the clutch is still rotating at exaStiy
the same speed. 1000 revolutions per
minute; the only difference IL that the
car il driving the clutch instead OF the
clutch driving the car. The next step
and il is roc until this Is done that
the clutch snafr will begin to slow Up
We have already seen that, for fifteen
miles per hour on top speed, the engine,
and consequently the clutch, must De
turning at 800 revolutions per minute
Clearly. then, for a quiet change. the
operator must wait with his lever In
neutral until experience tells him that
the clutch has had time to SLOW down
from Loo revolutions per minute 10 SO
revolutions per minute; the lever u
and the clutch pedal re-engaged.
The reason for many noisy changes OF
speed IL that drivers, knowing certain
interval must clapse to allow the driven
clutch member to slow down. judge this
interval from the moment Of disengeg-
ing the clutch. This. Of course. is
quite wrong; as just explained. the
driven portion Of the clutch goes on
running at exactly the same pace untii
the gear lever ID brought to neutral.
and the interval found by experience to
be necessary before the top speed can
be engaged must be counted from the
moment Of coming into neutral. not
with reference to disengagfng the Gluten
In practice. OF course, the problem II
slightly complicated by the fact that
while the change is being effected. In
other words, II may have dropped from
fifteen to fourteen miles per hour by
the time the fourth speed Is engaged:
the driven member OF the
clutch will have to slow down to little
under 800 revolutions per minute 10 ef-
feet a quiet change.
The actual time taken varies with every
car. II the clutch be heavy II Will take
a long time to slow up. ana very per-
ceptible pause will be required In pass
ing from third to top speed: On the
other hand, a very light clutch. or the |
use Of very thick lubricant in the gear |
boz, NAV cause the clutch to slow up !,
rerv rapidly. SO that the gear lever
must be pulled quickly through from
,hange. The adjustment Of the clutch I
stop further complexities matters
II IL be set I'D too tight, 80 that II !
begins TO hold the driven member OF
he clutch before II is fully disengaged
rom the driving member. It may be
stopped SO suddenly that a quiet change
s impossible. even IL the lever be
;natched through from one gear 10 the
,ther as rapidly as possible. The clutch
stop should be set SO mar mere ~
he clutch from the engine and the
OF engagement of the
stop. The driver then has the clutch
properly under control.
IT. on slightly depressing the pedal.
,e finds the interval between the gears.
'or a quiet change. is unduly long.
le can correct II bv depressing the
,edsl 10 a greater extent. thus slowing
he driven portion Of the clutch by aid
II the clutch stop Exactly the same
principles apply in changing from
first TO second or second to !
third except that in the latter case
he lever usually has to pass through
he gate This occupies a little
oneer, SO that the clutch has more time
O slow up: consequently there will be
ess need 10 use the clutch stop.