The best way to minimize wear on your thrust washers is to use the clutch
sparingly--put the car in neutral and take your foot off of the clutch
rather than leaving the car in gear and pressing the clutch pedal. When
your foot's on the clutch, you're pushing the crank against the thrust
washers.
The most important time to do this is when you start the car. Always start
the car in neutral with your right foot on the brake and your left foot off
of the clutch. At startup, there's no oil pressure to lubricate the thrust
washers
Here's another tip I learned on the BritCar list years ago: to save wear and
tear on the dash consol, before you pull the choke cable, press the
accelerator pedal to the floor. The choke mechanism has a cam that opens
the trottle valve as it closes the choke; this cam is pretty stiff, and it
accounts for the bulk of the resistance you feel when you pull the choke
cable. By pressing the accelerator pedal, you relieve all the pressure on
this cam, making the choke much easier to pull out.
Kevin "trying to make this thing last" Riggs
'72 TR6
rkriggs@ingr.com
Huntsville, AL
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