Living without synchromesh - an issue?

hi Guys,

Still looking for a Series III, but seen a great 2A. I have never driven a vehicle without synchromesh and am nervous about it. What do you say? How much hassle is it? Do you have to stay in 3rd and never change down till you stop?

Appreciate advice please.

Cheers,

David

Used to drive a 2a without mesh - it's a beautiful thing double declutching and a lost art. All part of the experience that promotes mechanical sympathy with your Land Rover.

Dave Richards, hmm - don't you own Pro-Drive in Banbury?

it's an art you can aquire through practice. try driving yer normal car without using the clutch ( except for starting off) just use the revs to ensure a clean noise free change. don't forget to blip th ethrottle on the down changes.
on my escort i had a few years back i had to blip the throttle changing up into 5th for some reason.
but once to get the hang of it, its a dodlle. lots of practice and a few crinches and soon you'll be double declutching with the best of us.

Sounds okay then - thanks guys. Didn't really want the missus to drive the Landy anyway!

On a serious note, dont the police advanced drivers train using the double declutch method???

David7richards said:

hi Guys,

Still looking for a Series III, but seen a great 2A. I have never driven a vehicle without synchromesh and am nervous about it. What do you say? How much hassle is it? Do you have to stay in 3rd and never change down till you stop?

Appreciate advice please.

Cheers,

David

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Don't be nervous chap my old Series 2 has the early box with no synchro on 1st n 2nd. It is said that the early box is the stronger of the two and a favorite behind some V8 jobs as well. Go for it, you'll get used to it.

Regards WP.

Lenny1969 said:

On a serious note, dont the police advanced drivers train using the double declutch method???

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In some cases yes, and they still teach 'milking the cow too (not crossing hands).

Both outdated and irrelevant on cars with mesh and power steering - yet ingrained in anachronistic police training.

Bobbins.

Widget said:

anachronistic....................

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Isnt that a fear of spiders wearing japanese watches?

why would any one want to double declutch in a car with syc.?? the syc if working correctly does all that for you. it just means it has to do it twice. so twice the wear on it.

Lenny1969 said:

Isnt that a fear of spiders wearing japanese watches?

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Nope - that's tarantulaseiko.

David7richards said:

hi Guys,

Still looking for a Series III, but seen a great 2A. I have never driven a vehicle without synchromesh and am nervous about it. What do you say? How much hassle is it? Do you have to stay in 3rd and never change down till you stop?

Appreciate advice please.

Cheers,

David

Click to expand...

Hi David, the lack of synchromesh is not an issue and you will have no problem dealin with this believe me. Reply if you need more assurance or info.

of course its an issue. its a skill you have to learn, or would you susgest just banging it into gear??

It is a lost art, but on a landy, where nothing happens very quickly it is not too hard to learn. All you have to remeber is that what you are trying to do is to get the layshaft (which will be connected to the engine via the clutch one you are finshed) going at the right speed for the new gear. Modern cars (ie anything after about 1950) have a set of cones to do this automatically, but the old way is still a quicker way to change gear if you are really good at it, and the only way to do it on those few crash gearboxes still around like IIA landy (which did have synchro on 3rd and top) and the old Hewland mark 8 and 9 gearboxes beloved of the Formual Fraud boys in the 70s.

This is what you do:
Changing up: Relase throttle as you depress the clutch as normal, with the throtle still at idle shif to neutral let the clutch up briefly with the throttle still at idle, this uses the engine to slow down the layshaft, then clutch down shift into new gear and clutch up and depress throttle as usual.

Changing down: A bit harder: Shift to neutral, let the clutch up and blip the throttle - how much is a bit of a knack but it feels good when you get it right this gets the gears spinning at the higher speed needed for the low gear. Clutch down and shift to new gear as usual.

Persoanlly I wouldn't try clutchless changes for practice - that's quite a tricky thing to get right and a good way to break something expensive.

Once you have mastered it you will find yourself doing it all the time - even when you don't really need to.

percyatok said:

Persoanlly I wouldn't try clutchless changes for practice - that's quite a tricky thing to get right and a good way to break something expensive.

Once you have mastered it you will find yourself doing it all the time - even when you don't really need to.

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its no harder than double declutching. i've even taught my 12 year old son to do it. i learned the hard way when the clutch gave up on a landy and i had to get away from where i was in a hurry. so now i do it with all me cars just to keep the knack.( not all the time)

lts been about 17 years since l had my 2a and l still double declutch a lot of the time, its something l've always done. A bit sad really, oh and l always have to have my seat bolt upright as well, since.

Re: Living without synchromesh - an issue?
of course its an issue. its a skill you have to learn, or would you susgest just banging it into gear??

..............It is hardly a black art and no I do not suggest banging it into gear. Put simply the presence or lack of synchromesh with respect to purchasing a landrover " is not an issue ".

i love showing peeps how to change gear without using the clutch.
the trick can get you home sometimes.
once drove over a 100 miles (non motorway) without the use of the clutch pedal. (was at night though).

Rollerball said:

Re: Living without synchromesh - an issue?
of course its an issue. its a skill you have to learn, or would you susgest just banging it into gear??

..............It is hardly a black art and no I do not suggest banging it into gear. Put simply the presence or lack of synchromesh with respect to purchasing a landrover " is not an issue ".

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i think it best if you keep taking yer medication yer burblin more **** than i normally do