On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 12:17:42 GMT, "Martin Underwood"
wrote:

"Bill Hayles" wrote in message
.. .

Things are different now, but when I took my (car) driving test in
1968, many cars didn't have synchromesh, so you got used to it from
the start.

As recent as 1968? I thought all cars had synchromesh on all gears except
sometimes first and reverse (where it's less important, as you're unlikely
to want to engage first or reverse while moving) long before that.

I took my test on a Ford Popular. I think that all the new cars had
synchromesh on most forward gears by then, but the vehicle I was
supplied with for my work (Land Rover) didn't.

I know that the Police driving manual "Roadcraft" makes reference to
double-declutching, and still recommends it even with a synchromesh box.
When I asked my IAM "observer" (instructor) his response was "that's a load
of archaic ******** [I'm paraphrasing!] - it's not necessary with a
synchromesh box and just slows your gearchanges down unnecessarily".

I am saying what I do; I'm not claiming it's current thinking or the
"correct way". But having driven that way for over 35 years, it is
sort of second nature!

Why do rally-drivers use clutchless gearchanges?

If you're asking me, I don't have a clue. My driving skills, such
as they are, are with the other end of the vehicle spectrum - big
and slow.


OK, when changing down, you're describing *increasing* the engine revs until
the gear slips in whereas I was describing blipping the engine revs over and
letting them *decrease* until the gear slips in.

Possible with a fast revving car. It would take far too long on the
buses I'm talking about. The Gardner engine was rumoured to get
from idle to full revs in just under a fortnight.



So very much the same technique as with a synchromesh gearbox. But... was it
as easy for the gear to engage when the engine revs matched if you didn't
have synchromesh?

Many of us thought it was.



I presume no vehicles (cars, lorries, buses) produced nowadays have
non-synchromesh gearboxes.

Interesting question. I don't know the answer.


--
Bill Hayles

http://billnot.com