The Washington times., 1924-11-26

many drivers are unable 20 enlkT
back into second when going down
hill without coming to dead stop.
They are getting out Of practice
because their brakes are so reliable
that they feel there are very few
hills where second 3 essential. This
might be well enough IL it didn't go
any farther, but when a driver
forgets how to shift down" through
the gears he has forgotten a first
principle, and 1t rs only a short
step to- a point where he hasn't
the slightest idea Of what the gears
are for anyway.
To be able to shift down
through the gears it is necessary
to be able to visualize the clutch
to understand the Relationship be-
tween them. One must know just
how fast the engine and clutch
must be revolving in order to
permit the second-speed gear to
mesh with it's respective gear on
the transmission countershaft, and
one must be able to Judge engine
speed by engine noise.
Avoid Double Cutching."
Shifts can now be made on some
transmissions without double
clutching," which is simply a proc
ess of speeding up the engine
and clutch an instant while the
gear shift lever is passing through
neutral position. But it is risky
to presume that because a trans
/ mission works like magic it is no
longer necessary to know the prin-
ciple of shifting and the details of
how to make perfect shifts with
a transmission and clutch that are
not in the pink of condition.
Old timers who were troubled
with dragging clutches had various
ways of getting around such a diff
Guilty because they knew the prin-
ciple of the thing. This suggested
the remedy. Nowadays, when one
of these perfect clutches starts TO
| drag, the average driver is at a
complete loss. He presses the
clutch pedal out as far as it will
go but finds that he cannot shift
to low without running the risk
or stripping a gear. So he calls
for the service car.
If he were still essentially de.
pendent upon his own knowledge
| of conditions he would first switch
off the ignition and stop the engine.
Then he would place the gears in
low, hold out the clutch and crank
the engine. If the clutch wanted
to drag it would make no differ
ence, except that the subsequent
shifts to second and high would
not be as noiseless as usual. 1t
would not prevent him from start
ing, nor from proceeding. When.
ever he stopped in traffic he would
Eeep the gears in high and hold
cut the clutch pedal, thus prevent
ing the clutch from following the
flywheel. Before letting in the
clutch pedal and starting he would
make quick shift to low.
Quits Being ResOurcefuI.
| AS an instance of the danger of
becoming dependent upon the eff
tectiveness of the excellent controls
found on the newer models one has
only to visualize the average motor.
LIST of today trying to recrank his
engine when stalled going uphill
with an emergency brake that
wouldn't hold. A motorist who re-
Gently related such an experience
made the statement that he con-
sidered himself lucky in having with
him someone who could step on
the starter button while he used
his feet to operate clutch and brake.
It was an admission that the driver
had ceased being resourceful.
Any car can be cranked and
started on a hill with ease and
safety even if the emergency brake
had never been thought of. 10
do this the driver holds the car
stationary by pressing down rhe
brake pedal with his left foot. The
gears are in neutral The right
foot is thus free to operate the
starter button or pedal. When the