Hi all,

Question for any professional mechanics out there.

When I took my MSF safety course several years ago, our instructor told us that its safest to hold the clutch out at stoplights instead of shifting into neutral. For years I have been shifting into neutral instead of clutching at stoplights because when I was learning to drive as a teenager, my dad (and at least two mechanics that I respected) always told me to shift into neutral at stoplights because holding the clutch out for an extended period of time causes wear on the throwout bearing and would lead to premature failure.

I am asking this because it would make my life easier to be able to hold the clutch at stoplights when traffic is heavy, but I don't want to put too much wear on my clutch. Of course, I should say that the vehicle I learned to drive on was a '67, and I know things have changed. Is the bearing technology today so much better than it was in the '60s that throwout bearing wear is not an issue anymore?

So the basic question is ... should I continue to shift to neutral, or can I hold the clutch in without damaging it?

not a professional mechanic but any car or truck standard shift you would never shift to neutral at a stoplight just push in clutch...

same with a bike...especially on a slight incline...only time you would want it in neutral would be to park her...

I would think the extra shifting to neutral and out again would be MORE

wear an tear on the Clutch

Saftey first. Be in 1st gear hold clutch. Some person behind you may not stop and you'll need longer to move if your in neutral. Also when stopped I flash the brake lite continuoslly till I see everyone behind me is stopped. You be surprised at the amount of folks I have caught napping. Seconds count. Be safe

Gr
OW ooooooo

ditto on what Jersey said, unless traffic has stopped beheind me I keep it in first, its good to be in 1st if you need to make a quick escape. Also, I'm not usually quick about going on green especially if I'm the first to go... redlight runners

The only time I ever put it in neutral is on a long stop light, just to take a rest. And only if people are behind me stopped.

bmatpt wrote:
The only time I ever put it in neutral is on a long stop light, just to take a rest. And only if people are behind me stopped.


Same here. Once a couple of cars have stopped behind me , I put her in neutral and then go from there. 2 cents. BB

Thanks for your input guys ... I guess my life is worth more than a throwout bearing (at least I hope so ) so I'll do the clutch thing.

Also, the clutch on motorcycles is different from a car or truck. You can ride the friction-zone in first gear, for example, and by finessing your friction-zone and throttle, you can cruise along nice and steady at 3-5mph, while keeping slight pressure on the rear brake. Pulling the clutch all the way in disengages the gear-box. In effect it IS neutral.

True ... and the clutch disengages the gearbox in a truck too. The problem I was worried about is the lateral force on the throwout bearing when you are holding the clutch out.

The throwout bearing is attached to the pressure plate inside the clutch, and there is a fork that pushes out on it to separate the pressure plate from the clutch disks when the clutch is actuated. Most bearings are made to withstand vertical forces only, and there is a lot of horizontal force (from the clutch springs) on a throwout bearing when the clutch is out.

The guys are right though... safety first. I have never had to replace a throwout bearing, but they are bound to be cheaper than a hospital stay!

The thing I see people do, that I suspect causes damage to clutches in four-wheeled vehicles, is when they are waiting at a light and rather than pressing the brake, they'll hold the clutch halfway and use the tension of gravity to hold them in place. I see (rednecks) people do this all the time.