I recently visited my favorite uncle who is now in his 80's. (Raced cars on Daytona Beach after WW2!) We were talking about my 55 Ford Country Sedan wagon. In his opinion, it is better to just hold in the clutch pedal the entire time you are stopped for a red light or stop sign, than to shift it into neutral. Not sure if this issue has been addressed, but I would like some opinions. Thanks. Happy New Year everybody. On a personal note...my car is now at a body shop (Old Skool Customs in North Collinwood, Ohio) getting some much-needed work done to areas below the belt-line.
I always keep it in neutral when I'm at a light cause it is easier and less work for the throw out bearing plus I'm just lazy at times also hahaha
On older cars that are designed to have clearance between the throw out bearing and pressure plate with the clutch pedal fully disengaged it is really better to put the car in neutral and get off the pedal if you are going to stop for any length of time. Especially with the **** replacement bearings that seem to be so prevalent today. Newer OT designs where the throw out bearing spins all the time probably do not matter nearly as much.
The way your grandpa does it is exactly how I was taught and still do it to this day. I will say when I had a hot rod with the old leg cramper Hayes Clutch I did knock it into neutral. "Riding the clutch" is when your on a hill and press and release the clutch over and over to keep the car from rolling back . HRP
Or when you are driving down the road with your foot on the pedal depressed to the point of removing the free play in the system. Kind of like riding the brakes . . .
I pop it into neutral at lights, etc. But then again, I see more people that can supposedly operate a stick that drive like school bus drivers.
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