The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-04
PARE YOU ONE OF THE
CLUTCH RIDERS?'
Even Slight Pressure on
Clutch When Not Neces-
sary Reduces Power.
BY II. CLIFFORD BRoKAw.

Are you a clutch rider? Does your
foot continually rest upon the pedal con-
trolling this important part Of your car?
II 80. you are unconsciously wasting
power and are helping put the clutch
Into a condition where It will slip per-
manenty. Spend a few minutes study
Ing your clutch, It's makeup and prin-
ciples on which 1t works. learn how
TO keep II In condition and likewise
learn to keep your foot Off the pedal
when 1t is not required to be there and
you need never have any trouble from
this device
Now about clutch riding. The man
who keeps his foot continuously on the
pedal exerts some pressure-however
slight and though but the weight OF
the foot-which has tendency to re-
lease the spring tension and make the
clutch slip. Slipping Is waste Of
power and there IL friction which
wears away the contact surfaces, add
ing all the while to the slipping pro-
pensity. You should not act as though
fearing a need to release the clutch
ell the time. With practice the foot
should go automatically into place.
On some cars clutch riding will in
variably burn out the thrust bearing,
due to the mechanical construction.
There are some other cars, however.
where a careful driver may safely rest
his foot on the pedal. II pressure suf-
ficient to release the clutch is not ex-
erted.
Clutches are OF two general types, the
cone and the multiple disk. the latter
being either dry or running in oil bath,
commonly called wet, and this kind will
not go dry on July 1 II you care any
thing about the power of your car.
The cone clutch usually Ii built into
the fywheel, the inside of the rim
forming one of the friction surfaces.
Very often the wet disk clutch is
integral with the crank case and It's oil
bath is a part of the general oil supply
carried therein
The purpose Of the clutch is to connect
and disconnect the engine and the rear
(drive) wheels. so that the engine may
continue running without driving the
car and to relieve the load from the
transmission gears when they are
shifted to the various positions and
speeds. II the load were not taken
of the gears when shifting 1t would
be impossible to make the shift in many
cases. and II the shift were by chance
effected there would be excessive strain
put on the gears and very likely teeth
would be broken off. When the load
Is Off the gears at the time OF the
is applied. II 1t were not so the FULL
load would be on the instant the gear
teeth touched. Gears are made to stand
severe knocks and strains. but teeth
break with the best of care and shift
ing under load would leave few corners
on the teeth.
All the clutches In use. except per-
haps the magnetic, are Of the friction
variety, that is, the power is trans
mitted by the friction Of the parts.
which are held together with a spring.
And all provide for the load to be
picked up gradually. II the clutch were
positive in action. by the enga cement
Of Tugs or otherwise. the car speed
at once would be that OF the engine
and it would start of with jerk.
with all its discomfort and strain; II
would be the same as though there
were no clutch intervening. And the
clutch must be kept in shape to allow
this gradual engagement In leather
faced cone clutch when the leather be-
comes hard the engagement is sudden.
you have a gripping clutch and 5erlsy
action. To prevent and remedy this the
leather must be made soft by applying
neatsfoot oil or castor OIL
ON the other hand, too much oil Will
make the clutch slip, with the resultant
boss of power Sometimes oil will ooZe
in from the engine or transmission gear
case and make the leather greasy. On
the road the best thing to do Is TO
shake in some French chalk, tale or
fullers earth to absorb the excess oil
and dry the surface Use It sparingly.
In the garage 1t is better to wipe off
the surface with kerosene-gasolene
dries the leather too much.
The plates OF the dry multiple disk
clutch usually are faced with asbestos
Usually there is an opening in the bot
tom OF the clutch housing to permit any