At 07:44 PM 4/15/97 -0500, David Deutsch wrote:
>I Know, I Know, are you guys ever going to hear the end of my having
>O/D? Probably not. I remember sometime ago overhearing a disagreement
>on the proper way of engaging overdrive. Since I didn't have one in a
>car at the time I didn't listen long enough to hear the resolve.
>
>I noticed that when I switch on the O/D there is a surge caused by the
>sudden change in ratio. I have tried disengaging the clutch then
>engaging the the O/D and re-engaging clutch and this seems to make to
>transition smoother or almost the same as shifting into a 5th gear. I'm
>interested in how others operate their O/D equipped Bs. I'm also
>wondering if there is better way in terms of wear on parts.
>
>Safety Fast, David Deutsch
>
David and all,
I almost always disengage the clutch when shifting into overdrive. The
only times I don't disengage the clutch is when I'm shifting from second to
third and I forget that my overdrive is on before I shift.
Shifting into overdrive without putting the clutch in results in a slight
jerk, but it isn't too bad. I don't really like this jerk, as I feel
anything that causes such a shift in mass in auto must be quite forceful on
the tranny. I've got the technique down now well enough that I can shift
into overdrive and clutch within a second or less. You'll notice that the
shift into overdrive isn't instantaneous after hitting the switch and you
can time the clutch process very well.
My vote: Use the clutch and maybe save the overdrive. $100 in clutch
parts(pressure plate, bearing, so on) is a lot less than one broken
overdrive.
Jay Hartwig
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