Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:16:23 -0400
Reply-To: pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: .................... and vanagons (friday post with little
Vanagon)
In-Reply-To: <ccd73a11003191921jb9d6855v2336cd790d5c1277@mail.gmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
You would need a power assist system to disengage the pressure plate springs
on a Vanagon.
Motorcycle clutch springs are much lighter and can therefore be actuated by
hand over a reasonable distance.
Cars require the oomph of your leg, or a 2 foot long throw for enough
mechanical advantage.
I guess you could devise a pneumatic solenoid or a maybe a linear stepper
motor to push the slave cylinder lever.
Sensitivity may a challenge to prevent herky jerky starts from a standstill.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Roger Whittaker
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 10:21 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: .................... and vanagons (friday post with little
Vanagon)
dear legs
why not install hand controls like on a motor cycle
then you could shift ...
yours
On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 5:01 PM, Annie <lsandrsn@gmail.com> wrote:
> Don,
>
> I agree with you. I much, much prefer a stick myself. Unfortunately, life
> had other plans for me and now I cannot drive a stick shift as my left leg
> falls asleep when I sit. Makes it incredibly hard to push the clutch in
> when
> you can't feel your foot or leg! I tried for a while to just deal with and
> do it anyway, but then it became a safety issue because sometimes I just
> have no control over my leg.
>
> I've gotten used to an automatic now but man, I sure do wish I could still
> drive a stick still! Every now and then I get to drive one and I enjoy it
> when I can.
>
>
> ~Annie
>
> On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 10:56 AM, Neil2 <vidublu@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > My Sprinter has a tiptronic and a Bus feind teased me the day I bought
> it
> > > 'cause it didn't have a real stick. I suppose I might like the tip in
> a
> > > smaller van but Moby is 600cf inside and 25' long so it's still like
> > > navigating a ship and I sure my me Westy and its stick!
> > >
> > > On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 6:45 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> > > scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > I will say that a 'good' automatic is a joy to drive.
> > > > More than a 3 speed slush box like vanagons have.
> > > > I am way satisfied with the 4 speed auto in my turbo volvo sedan,
> with
> > > > electric button shifting in and out of overdrive top gear.
> > >
> >
> > I can't recall ever owning an automatic vehicle. I do not care for
> them.
> > I hate the way they are in snow...They suck in soft sand and having some
> > engineer pre-determine when the vehicle will shift under +his+
> conditions,
> > the one's they simulated on the computer in China, Japan, Germany or
> where
> > ever, that is often awkward. It can be fatal, if you're in an emergency
> > situation right at the limits of traction, and your silly automatic
> tranny
> > decides it must shift... You can't really tow them, you can't push
start
> > them and you can't usually "baby" a faulty one back home in whatever
gear
> > remains. They seem to be more expensive to have repaired and most of
> them
> > are less effective for fuel economy..maybe brand new ones can match a
> > manual
> > trans for MPG..but I doubt I will every buy one until they get really
> good
> > or there are no manual tranny vehicles allowed on the highway..
> >
> > I really can't picture myself driving an automatic Vanagon..Mine, I
> drive
> > it like a small truck..It's pretty heavy and has a similar power to
> weight
> > ratio to a loaded truck, so I like to control where my RPMs are with an
> eye
> > on the highway ahead and the traffic I anticipate.. If I'm caught going
> > slow with a long grade ahead I like to have the option to be in any of 3
> > gears in my 5speed manual..depending on how slow and how steep the
> > road ahead is..Fishing around for a usable gear in a slush box Vanagon
> just
> > makes me shudder thinking about it. On mountain or winding roads, as I
> > brake and enter a corner I can select the proper gear that I will need
to
> > exit the corner effectively and lose no momentum at all nor induce any
> > stress into the drive line with a shift under load, like an auto does.
> >
> > Only if I lived in a big city would I consider an auto-shift...and I
> will
> > never willingly live in a big city again.
> > Don Hanson
> >
>
--
roger w
From Proverbs:
Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a
servant who becomes king ...
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