THE CLUTCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 31 May 1930, Page 5

THE CLUTCH

USE AS BRAKE

ADDED SAFETY FACTOR

One of the matters overlooked in the 'handliin/of the clutch is safety. Quite as essential as stopping ability is power, and the clutch assists the'engine in this regard. < . "Slipping the dutch," so vigorously denounced, has virtually no followers anion"- drivers who consider themselves competent, and yet this process in lty self.can be'a life-saver if employed at the right time and in' the right way. That the modern driver, by so strictly limiting the use of the clutch, has cramped his own style in driving and placed himself in a position where he is forfeiting performance and safety, seems to be apparent.

CLUTCH TROUBLE REMEDY

How many drivers, for instance, know that a clutch can be used to assist the engine as a brake? How many appreciate that numerous clutch troubles can be remedied through radical changes in use? How many realise that through more skilful use of the clutch they could save repair bills, especially for such matters as replacing universal joints? How many have ever considered the relationship between skilful clutch use and the car's riding qualities? The answers are obvious when it is recalled that nine drivers out of every ten utilise the' clutch for just three purposes: — Engaging it to transmit power from engine to transmission. Disengaging it to interrupt that power. . Disengaging it and engaging it in gear shifting. The clutch, used as a brake, can be of great assistance"to the driver. Most motorists know that an engine, especially if it is of high compression, can be a most effective brake. It will not briim' the car to a dead standstill, but it will greatly retard the car's speed. This is done "merely by removing the foot from the accelerator. The engine then starves for air and gas and the action is such that „ the . car itself/is forced to keep the engine in rotation against the hitter's resistance (compression). How the clutch figures in this process is simple. The clutch, broadly speaking, is the coupler between engine and rear driving wheels when the transmission is set for any one of the gear combinations. The arrangement is the same whether the car is going forward or backward, but for the sake of simplicity consider the forward motion only. It would seem that if the clutch weredisengaged the car would run so freo that all opportunity to utilise the engine for breaking purposes would be sacrificed. This, however, is not the case.

The minute an idling engine is released from the car, through declutching, its speed is reduced to a minimum. If, then, the clutch is engaged again the pistons of the engine will resist the sudden speed they are forced to travel. This greatly increases the engine's braking effectiveness, and if the process is repeated several times in quick succession the reduction in the car's speed will bo surprisingly rapid.

NOT RECOMMENDED Such a process is not recommended for daily use, but it does well illustrate the point that, closer acquaintance with

the elutcli gives to the driver additional safety factors which will serve him effectively in an emergency.