What is double-declutching and how do you do it? Nifty footwork!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Driving a Fiat-500-based Autobianchi Bianchina was an ideal opportunity to demonstrate why you need to double-declutch when there is no synchromesh, and show how you do it. See also the Austin 12 Heavy test video, where some pedal-dancing was required!
2023 CALENDARS NOW IN STOCK! They and other delightful HubNut goodies can be purchased at hubnut.org
Or, support HubNut at / hubnut or via Channel memberships: / @hubnut
Want to help Hubnut for free? Don't forget to like the video if you like it, and share with your friends if you really like it! Thank you all.
What he doesn’t explain is that he’s using the clutch the first time to take the car out of gear, then a second time to put it into the next gear. This makes it easy to follow/understand what’s happening and therefore how to do it oneself if ever faced with the situation. With this concept in one’s head, timing/coordinating the entire sequence becomes a piece of cake.
Nice simple explanation!
My dear old Dad taught me to double declutch, back in the late 1970's. Definitely an art not everyone can master, so hats off to you, Ian. I still do it occasionally in my modern car when the gearbox is cold, just adds to the driving experience!
My Dad also taught me, around the same time (1970's). I never thought I'd need it, then a bought a Fiat 500 and found it dead handy to know.
In the U.S. it's simply called "double-clutching". No "de-". And unlike the trucks (lorries) in Europe, our big-rigs here still don't have synchromesh gearboxes. But instead of double-clutching, most truckers in North America usually don't press the clutch at all when changing gears on a non-synchromesh gearbox. If you get your timing right, it's easier that way.
I remember my Grandmother talking about double declutching. I imagine she became weary of it in the end. After Austin Sevens, Fiat Topolinos, and 500's she went automatic by the 1960's with Fiat 850 Idroconverts and a string of DAFs.
My first proper experience doubling was in an AEC Regent!
That punished you if you got it wrong by making your wrist feel like it was being snapped!
They sound so innocent and sweet when they’re ticking over, then you put the clutch in and engage 1st and all hell breaks loose next to you!😮
Great vid mate!
Great little instructional video Ian. When I first started learning to drive lorries, the training school insisted that we learned double de-clutching despite the fact that none of the lorries they taught in had crash gearboxes. It would have been fair enough if crash gearboxes were still a thing but this was 1998! Not many haulage companies ran vintage Fodens! Even more inconvenient was the fact that they expected you to do it all the time including during your test! The other trainee on the lorry that week didn't double de-clutch on his test and passed but I did and failed!
Rant over. I got there in the end.
Great video. Thanks!
12 speed Fuller was also a handful at first.
It is good that you could demonstrate double declutching in fewer than four minutes, it shows that it really isn't difficult. I taught myself the technique as a new driver many years ago, it certainly helped with the recalcitrant gears in my Mini Metro. Synchromesh itself is like mini clutches (not gears) that engage before the dog clutches that actually transmit drive. I suspect the Austin 12-4 didn't even have constant mesh for its lower gears (hence the wonderfully musical gear whine).
It helps to know your car and the spacing of the gear ratios; the difference between fourth and third gear is usually less than the difference between third and second, which is usually less than that between second and first. That's why the change into top on a four-speed box probably feels easier than any other, the revs need less time to drop or (on a synchromesh 'box) there is less work for the synchronisers to do. Knowing the relationship of the gear ratios gives you an idea of how much of a pause to leave when going up, and how much of a blip when coming down. I remember the owner of a vintage bus telling me that the best way to time the pause when going up the (crash) 'box of his machine was to recite the first two lines of the Lord's prayer. I suppose even if the timing was off, you could always rely on divine intervention to smooth the change.
I learnt how to double declutch into first in a 2CV when I was 14! Still do it when changing down for an overtake in modern cars as it's smoother. A great skill all should learn.
I taught myself to double declutch due to having cars with knackered gearboxes years ago. I still do it as even with a syncro gearbox, downshifts when dropping a gear due to, for example, needing the lower gear for a hill, is so much smoother double declutched. When i did my blue light ambulance training, my instructor exclaimed 'where did you learn to double declutch'. Clearly a rarely known skill he was surprised, impressed and pleased all in one go. He encouraged me to keep doing it as it helps keep the journey smooth for patients.
Same here.
I actually first learned to double declutch in an ancient Bentley and it was a right horror after driving my first owned car which was a mk2 Ford escort.
I learned to crash-box from a capri which had a snapped clutch cable which I couldn't afford to replace until payday....a month away , so I got rather expert at that lol.
Another fab video, Ian 😊 When I did my Met Police driving courses back in the 80s, we were all taught to double de-clutch on every change, both up and down, even though the cars and vans all had synchromesh. Funny thing is, it became such a habit through so much driving, I still do it even now; all these years later! It does make for a smoother change and I believe eases west on the gearbox.
Is kind of the same as doctors still tell you not to drink while taking antibiotic. They did that in the childhood of antibiotics because syphilis is still infectious for a few days after starting the antibiotics. Now neither has any practical benefit but still we are told by some to keep it up.
Well done! Proper footwork there (though I'm betting a few crunches were edited out). As you said, double-declutching is rarely needed when changing up, though my car has an alternative arrangement. Press the pedal and the clutch disengages as expected. Press further and a brake is applied to the shaft, giving a very fast change in one operation. The owner's manual describes the processes in detail, and tells you that you should practice on a slight downhill.
I don't double declutch very often, but it can be so satisfying to get just right. Very much part of the art of motoring. Many modern cars seem to have engine management that inserts "rev hang" as you change up - it opens the idle valve to keep revs up when you take your foot off the throttle and theoretically make up-changes better. In reality, it just gets annoying. The same cars all feel like they have big flywheels (not just diesel DMFs, smaller petrol too) which means when you blip the throttle they don't respond very quickly and it can really slow down down-changes.
Fabulous (if short) video Ian. As you say, you can (if you've got some practice) change gear without the clutch on a synchro box, but don't do this at home. Two other things:
1) if the old vehicle you're driving doesn't have synchro on 1st (A30, Morris Minor etc.), when you're at a standstill engage 1st from 2nd;
2) on any synchro box, ALWAYS engage reverse from a forward gear, not neutral. It stops most of the clashing/ grinding noises.
In my days as a student i had a side job as a taxi driver. A Slowwww Mercedes w123 200D. I tought myself to double declutch in that car🤣
Later i got good use out of that skill and knowledge when i was 200+km from home when the clutch cable snapped (Opel Corsa A). I proceeded to drive it home the entire 200+km by just floating the gears in and out and rev matching up and down the gbox as needed. Quite challanging!
I was taught to DDC on my first police driving course (1980s, using Astras, Maestros and Chevettes). They still taught it as late as the mid 90s on advanced courses; tradition rather than necessity with more modern cars, however when 'making progress', DDC-ing (with a throttle blip) does make for somewhat smoother downshifts at high revs. It's a useful knack at which to be proficient.
I have had so many cars with duff gearboxes and or clutches, I find myself doing that on gear changes, or at least pausing in neutral and not going straight through. I do it out of habit now, don't even think, regardless of the car I'm driving.
Even with synchromesh equiped modern ish cars, it sometimes help to get a smooth third to second so to be sure to not ruin a synchro that is becoming a bit tired or lazy, even when it is honestly just due to age and normal wear and tear and good maintenance. On some boxes it is simply inevitable.
Nicely demonstrated!
A major key to get better at it is to learn yourself to not rush it. Doing it slower will get you doing it faster ;)
In the ninetees I drove a 40-ton MAN Truck with Eaton Fuller transmission. 12 gears, no syncromesh. If you know how to drive that thing, it works fluently and soft, without crunching noise! 🙂
You could play a nice tune on them but once you got the hang of it they were a great gearbox, 12 gears but only 4 positions for the lever.
@gilburton I'm fairly sure American trucks are still like it to this day. The big ones have over 10 gears, high/low split and the truckers "float" the gears without clutch all day long.
I had to learn how to double declutch simply because I've owned such knackered cars they might as well not have had synchromesh...
I find failed synchromesh is worse than none...
@@HubNut I can vouch for that.
LoL exactly the same with me.
Amen to that
This is the first time I've heard someone describing the pedals of the Fiat 500 / Autobianchi Bianchina as perfectly placed for double de-cluthing... It might not sound much, I'm just happy that someone finally noticed it. Anyway, thank you for the really educational video, sir!
I drive all of my cars like this!
😁✌🏼
My old 1958 Morris Minor had no synchro on 1st so I just learnt how to drive rarely using it. 2nd was okay at low speed so I’d creep up to lights and give ways, and pull away in 2nd. Saw a MM Traveler creeping up to traffic lights a few months and it brought back memories!
It seems quite a lot of commentors don't know the difference between non-syncro and a crash gearboxes.
In a crash gearbox, the gears themselves are being slid in and out out of mesh. You have to get the teeth of one gear to fit between the gaps of another gear. The gears have quite a lot of teeth, so those gaps are really quite small. Crash gearboxes are mostly found in vetteran and vintage machinery.
It's particularly difficult to get into gear of the vehicle speed is changing. This is the origin of the rule about not coasting out of gear. Brakes didn't used to be up to the job of controlling speed on a long decent without the assistance of engine braking and If you were out of gear, then you might suffer brake fade and run out of control.
Something like the Autobianchi will have a constant mesh gearbox, with dog clutch selection of the ratios. The teeth and gaps of the dog clutches are fewer and larger, giving you a much better chance of slipping the teeth into a gap. Nearly all motorcycle gearboxes are constant mesh and have a speed reduction between engine and box, which makes the gaps even easier to find (BMW boxers run the gearbox at engine speed and have a poorer reputation for easy changes).
A synchromesh gearbox is also a constant mesh gearbox, still has dog clutches, but also has a mechanism for bringing the two halves of the dog clutch to the same speed before they actually engage. At it's simplest, this would be a cone type friction clutch.
Cheers mate. My Minis 2nd gear synchro has gone. But instead of rebuilding the gear box I just watched this video!! Problem solved 😊
When I did my PSV in 1970 the test was on a beautiful Bristol bus with a pig of a gearbox . You had to listen for the engine revs before risking a change and that had to be so gentle not snatched . Great days .
Nice instructional video...even though I didn't need to, I taught myself double-declutching on my 1984 Accord (which had a great gearchange, anyway); always especially enjoyed to 4-3 downshift, or getting it just right to do a 2nd to 1st, before coming to a stop. Very handy to know for old cars, or when the synchros get crotchety on newer gearboxes!
This video brought back nasty memories of the day the clutch cable on my old MK3 Cortina decided to snap 50 miles from home one evening. All well and good for the first 40 miles up the A3, not so good for the last 10 miles in south London traffic. Certainly had to get used to speed matching on that journey - also had to work out a route where I would not have to stop on any inclines! Then much later in life I had a MK3 Escort with a bad synchro on 3rd gear, never did get it fixed, just became second nature to double declutch going up, and speed match on the way down.
I guess it's like a mini clutch rather than mini gears to match the speeds of the about-to-mesh-gears. Great video as always!
Exactly. They're vaguely conical rings that first make contact with each other and synchronize the gears, before the actual gears mesh.
My dad learned to drive on crash box cars in the early 50’s. So he had to double de-clutch every gear change. Plus he drove trucks on the farm and for a farm machinery business. When I was learning to drive, he taught me to double de-clutch when changing gears. Now I’m a truck driver and I double de-clutch my gear changes. I can’t drive anything with a manual gearbox without double de-clutching.
I do this when Driving my Triumph Vitesse, it has Synchro in 1st however i wanted to practise doing it on an older car, just for the fun of it :) Nice video!
More fancy footwork than an episode of Strictly!
Passed my test in a crash gearbox can at 17 and then my PSV test in a double decker bus, some were right pigs to get the gears right but very satisfying when you mastered it.
I was taught to listen to and match the revs when double de clutching and not just blip the accelerator randomly.
Really like this channel, great stuff, keep it up 👍
Double-declutching always reminds me of Bullitt and Steve Mcqueen d-deing during the famous car chase. So cool.
Brilliant Ian it's a dying art but not for an oldie like me👍
Brilliant video ian👍very informative especially when know one has ever explained it before Brilliant
My first car had no synchro on 1st and worn out synchro on 2nd and 3rd so I knew no better and double declutched for years after without realising I needn't :-D
Being able to match engine revs came in handy when a mate's mark 4 cortina clutch cable broke and I drove his car for him from central London to mid Surrey for him by just slipping the gears and matching engine speed, less traffic in those days and able to time traffic lights so as not to stop too.
another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍
I have no experience with this but was curious about it from one of your recent videos, thanks for covering this HubNut, very informative
I used to drive an Austin Maxi on which the synchromesh had ceased to work properly. Rather than adjusting the speed of the layshaft to let the gears mesh, it would refuse to go into gear until you had done the work yourself.
The easiest way to drive it was to use the clutch for moving off only, then change gear without it.
This was actually useful! My shop truck has a 5 speed manual with a formerly synchronized 2nd gear that gets quite crunchy when shifted north of 2500RPM. I tried this and it is much smoother. However, it is not a natural thing to do, especially seeing as I have driven this truck 427,000 miles the normal way!
Takes me back to my first car, a 1984 VW Polo where the synchro had gone so had to learn to double declutch rapidamente!
Went to a commercial truck driving school here in the 'states and that skill (double de-clutching) was a piece of cake for me as I have owned several cars with manual transmissions. Unfortunately, several of my fellow students had trouble with it and one truly sad case never really seemed to get the hang of it at all.
Agreed it's joyous when you get it right. I'm in posession of a car that should have synchromesh yet has become missing on second...
I learned to double declutch in my Allegro 1750 Sport, that wasn't very old! Not all gears, but enough to get plenty of practice, and become pretty slick at it!
I had a 1750 Maxi . I always double declutched it. Those drop gears slow up normal changes.
When VW did a survey on what improvements people would like to see in the Beetle, back in the very early 1950s I think it was, the most unison feedback was: "Synchronise that gearbox, already!"
"Synchronise that gearbox already?" Nah, too Jewish......
If you are going to drive old cars, you need to learn the magic of double-declutching.
On the right road, with the right driver, in the right mood, a simple old school manual car is impossible to beat for enjoyment.
A 90s 911 (964) Carrera 2 will give you more satisfaction than a 1000 BHP Tesla S Plaid ever could. The trouble is that 99% of motoring is purgatory on wheels, so self driving will be a blessing, most of the time.
I had the joy today as my slave cylinder failed on my Standard 10 just about got me home.
Very informative video especially for people who want to look at buying and learning how to drive older cars without the modern luxuries of syncromesh or power steering.
Why does it not surprise me that the Italians built cars where you can "heel&toe"! Really charming video.
My Grandfather drove buses during the 30s and 40s for the SMT (Scottish Motor Traction) and was used to a 'crash' gearbox. He taught my Mum to drive on his company car, a Morris 1000, in the early 1960s. When Mum started formal lessons in an Austin A40 Farina, the instructor said 'Did a bus driver teach you drive?', Mum said yes and then he said 'Well, you don't need to double declutch.'
I had to learn rev-matching with my early Ford Escort - the reason being it was a cable operated clutch, and the cable was forever snapping. Once I learnt the art of rev matching, driving home with a broken clutch cable wasn't a problem.!
When you get it right brilliant especially on older trucks. When you do not lot of crunching and you are loosing speed.
Watched my dad do this in his 1959 Ford Prefect 100E when I was a kid. Never forget it and it came in handy when I became a truck driver back in the 80s. Have you tried changing gears without using the clutch?! It's a technique called 'floating' and you can even do it in cars with synchromesh. I could also left foot brake when 'floating' gears and that gives great satisfaction when it's done right.
I had a polo with last legs on the clutch, and I had to downsize to change years. I completely understand the feeling of excitement when this works.!! 😅😂😂😂
I had the privilege of looking after a Dennis F38 pump escape (BVX661G) with a 5 speed plus reverse Dennis sliding mesh gear box.
It was a joy to drive, hard work yes but so satisfying to drive well.
I practiced the art of double de-clutch in my car, it’s kinder on the box too.
Drivers of pre-war buses mostly did it clutchless - if the revs are dropping it’ll go in hence the need to,blip n the middle of the change sequence.
Thank you always wanted you to do this video - have driven and owned cars without a first gear synchro (a 2cv6) but never driven a full no synchro gearbox.
I remember my dad doing that. Thank God we don't have to do that on modern cars, I say modern my Yaris is 22years old. Great video as always.
Thank you, always wondered why and how people did that!
Ah, that brings back memories...I used to double de-clutch the tractors I drove. Actually, you still have to...
Had to learn this dark art in my Land Rover Series 2, still do it now in a modern car without even thinking ^^
Nice little van 🚗🚙🚘⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍
Smashing Sir!
This is why I love my wee Punto 😁✌🏼
Wow! I had no idea you had to double clutch going up, I thought it was only when down shifting.
It's like doing a little dance to make things go smoothly... :D
There is something about a 'crash' gearbox that not only adds character but skill as well. For those of us who have a few decades in life it was regarded as an 'art' when matching the engine revs on a downshift. I've not driven a crash gearbox but learned quite quickly to match revs on a downshift on 1980's era shaft drive motorcycles if you wanted to ride with a modicum of let's say spirit around twisty lanes where normal braking would try and lift the bike from a lean (unless you just used the rear brake but that was much less effective slowing down compared to the front as well as the rear). The throttle blip on downshifts became automatic for me for smoother corner entry and exit especially on less than great surfaces. Using the engine breaking with the trailing rear brake allowed much fun. Apologies, I've gone on a bit, sorry. A lot of modern bikes have slipper clutches that are less sensitive to rev matching so I guess the skills that I learnt back then are now moot.
Quality instruction Mr Seabrook, my god I'm so old most of my early cars needed double clutching 🤣 I still blip when changing down 🤭
Nowt wrong with a bit of rev matching! Smooths things out even with a modern gearbox.
had to do that on my hgv test back in 89 in a ford cargo
I drove a Citrone BX Diesel for 2 weeks with a broken clutch cable by rev matching ;)
I had a Jeep that called for ATF in the transmission and I put 80w90 because hot humid Virginia..it was still good in winter but had double clutch until warmed up as the synchros were quite immobile at startup.
I have a wonky right leg that "toes out" so I could never master heel and toeing, so hurrah for synchromesh!
AY UP MR AND MISS HUBNUT
I grew up learning on cars that all had syncro boxes, but because some of them were Datsun/Nissan products, it was almost inevitable that eventually a clutch cable would wear and break. My K11 Micra managed to do it in peak hour traffic one evening coming home from work. So cue the old turn the engine off, put the car in 1st and key it on to get moving, then floating the gears and hoping you didn't have to stop too many times. I still do it when I am driving trucks sometimes and the clutch foot needs a break. I really want to learn to drive a proper dog box though.
All has been revealed to the mystical art of double de- clutching 🏴
None of that granny shifting for you, Dom would be proud
I had to drive my Mazda Bravo wuthout a clutch that would not disengage a hydrologic problem through the suburbs of Sydney and lwas able to it succesfully l got home without a problem fortunately it had a taco l was able to rev match perfectly and when l had to stop l just turned it of and used the starter motor to get going
Had a series landrover 1962 had to do that with fun times
Ah, proper driving! Have to do it most of the time in the 18 ton Merc at work and usually into 1st with the manual Fusion's.
I once drove an old Dodge truck from from Southampton to Bath with no clutch whatsoever. Just by spred matching to gearbox.
Doubt you could do this with a modern truck.
It was a challenge thus interesting to be honest.
Very interesting video.
I’ve never owned a car without synchromesh on all gears, and although I’ve heard the phrase double de clutch before, I wasn’t sure for certain what it was or what was involved, until now.
Thank you for the insight into this now rarely used art of another era 😊.
Trained to drive fire engines using a Merryweather with a crash gear box. Double de clutching every gear. ‘Joyous’ is any vehicle rated ‘Automatic’😂❤
Learned to drive in a 1959 beetle, no synchro on first, probably made me a better driver.
I've never had a car with an unsynced gearbox, so that's going to be quite a challenge for me when I get into a car like that.
I think the instructions for this feature in the Handbook of my Austin Seven. It can be easy to get lost in the box sometimes, especially if you have to slow down more than anticipated halfway though a gearchange.
Ah double clutching. That reminds me of a certain late 1930's Pontiac I would drive from time to time. non-syncromesh first gear (second and third were)and manual trans on the steering column. Fun times. On paper double clutching looks to be a pain in the rear but in practice, it is pretty easy and once you do it for an hour or two it is like second nature and you find you do it on cars with a syncro trans
My old dad showed me how to double de clutch an albion clydesdale back it the very early 70s .
Had to do this in a mk2 mondeo who's syncro on second was shot.
Certainly an art I would like to learn properly!
such an archaic skill. Now with automatics being the standard the synchromesh standard is a terror and double clutching is a mystery.
[a typo suggests-
Q: Does your car have synchromesh?
A: No. It has synchromash.]
If you have a good ear,you can change gears up and down without using the clutch pedal,I found it useful when the linkage disintegrated on a '53 popular...
Yes, been there a few times, most recently in the pink Multipla...
@@HubNut Now I drive an automatic,almost as relaxing as having a chauffeur...bring on the self driving car...
Synchromesh are baulking rings (brakes) placed between mating gears.
As i drove my grandad Land Rover series II a lot and the 1962 Unimog im used to that a lot, but none if my friends know how to do in it.
If i remember well, the first declutch must be perfomed when the gearbox is in neutral, if you understand that there is less chance to miss the double declutch operation
Great and informative video Ian.
I still double declutch on modern cars in three situatuins.
When the gear oil is cold and thick some cars are very reluctant to downshift into 1st or even 2nd.
On very steep roads with hairpins you can get back to first gear quicker so you are ready to power out.
On crazy high revving cars you often need to make a big downshift to make use of the power. For example in a VTECH Civic if you come up to a car doing 50 mph and want to overtake 3rd gear will get you past about as quickly as a normal Civic.You can very quickly double declutch into 2nd at about 6000 rpm and run to redline and get past in the power band. If you don't double declutch in this situation the down change will be slower and you run the risk of missing the change all altogether.
I used to double clutch in my 90s Fiat Spazio because the 3rd gear bites when engaging at high rpm