This has got to be the fastest growing post in the history of the forum. 28+ posts in about an hour is nearly one post every other minuet 8)
But I wanted to say that this reminds me of when I was taking my driver training. The instructor told me that when even I come to a stop, I should IMMEDIATELY shift into 1st gear and wait for the green light. I told him that if you do that, then you are putting unnecessary hours onto the pilots and release bearings and its not a good practice. He said he didn't care and everyone should always be idling at a red light with the clutch activated and the trans in first gear..
Well of course I know why he is teaching that: because most beginning drivers would freak out and not know what to do if a tree was going to fall onto their car and they were in neutral. They would just hit the gas and go no where, or they would have to think, "ok which pedal is the clutch, oh oh oh where is first gear!"
But come on, if you are driving a manual, then you've gotta be quick for any situation. DUH. Anyways, Marlin taught me correctly when I learned how to drive stick shift when I was 12, always leave the trans in neutral and rest the clutch and bearings.
Get more life out of all the parts, including the pressure plate.
Also did you know that its best for the syncros if you delay before engaging into gear after the truck has been in neutral? For instance, if you are at a red light, then you should have the trans in neutral and the clutch disengaged. Then when you see that the lights are changing and yours is about to go green, or if you are a ways back in traffic, you should activate the clutch -- but then wait until the last moment -- to shift into first gear. This gives all of the gears and shafts time to slow down and stop spinning before you slide the shift hubs over the syncros and onto the gears.
Now the syncros do not have to do any work at all and you get more life outta them
BigMike
