How To Drive A Motorcar
A Key To The Subtleties Of Motoring

HOW TO START under these circumstances, so as only to have the straight movement in the gate to engage the direct drive. It is not good practice, however, as it puts an excessive stress on the clutch and the universal joint, or joints, between it and the gearbox, and then again on the universal joints on the tailshaft and the driving gear generally. It must be remembered by those who are addicted to this bad habit that when starting away from rest, in addition to the pressure on the universal joints of the tailshaft, due to the actual power being conveyed through them, there is also the starting torque from the rear axle casing, which is, of course, at its maxi- mum for a given power input, when moving the car from rest, and this tends to put a lifting thrust on the universal joints, although, of course, many cars have torque tubes or stays to minimize its effect. Even with these fitments, however, it is still bad practice to start away on the third gear of a four-speed gearbox. Unless on a declivity, where the third or even the top gear may be put in straightaway, as the car gathers its initial motion by gravity, engage as a general rule the second gear. Now, whilst engaging this second gear remember that there is a little point which is overlooked nine times out of ten, namely, that there is a distinct dif- ference between theoretically and practically disen- gaging the clutch and the time when the clutch is actually disengaged from the mechanically practical point of view. To explain in further detail, one may depress the clutch pedal, which, in point of fact, ac- tually itself disengages the clutch from the flywheel, but that movement does not in itself immediately stop the clutch member from revolving. It is necessary, therefore, not to make the movements of declutching and gear-engaging synchronous, but, on the other hand, to wait two or three seconds, as the case may be, until the clutch member has had time to stop revolving; still better, when it can. be gauged accu- rately after a little practice, let the movement be made when the clutch member is just on the point of ceasing to revolve. 31