Hi,

my Astra 1.4 clutch cable snapped this morning on a busy intersection. 
Managed to start in second and get to the garage next to my workplace after 
not quite making 3 junctions without having to stall.  Great fun.

Anyway, hour and a half later, its fixed, £40.

Reasonable?  I'm well happy anyway.   The same guy fitted a front wishbone 
last year for the MOT (that triangular shaped thing with the bushes that 
wear out).  Pretty sure that was £45, which again I was quite happy with.

Have I found myself a decent mechanic?



Cheers,


Gareth.

"Gareth Magennis"  wrote in message 
news:CJidnW227_tk5ErVnZ2dnUVZ8uWdnZ2d@bt.com...
> Hi,
>
> my Astra 1.4 clutch cable snapped this morning on a busy intersection. 
> Managed to start in second and get to the garage next to my workplace 
> after not quite making 3 junctions without having to stall.  Great fun.
>
> Anyway, hour and a half later, its fixed, £40.
>
> Reasonable?  I'm well happy anyway.   The same guy fitted a front wishbone 
> last year for the MOT (that triangular shaped thing with the bushes that 
> wear out).  Pretty sure that was £45, which again I was quite happy with.
>
> Have I found myself a decent mechanic?

Doesn't sound bad if they supplied the cable.  I've had to drive with no 
clutch on a couple of occasions (not for the faint hearted).  Judge it right 
and you can change gear ok without any crunch and praying the lights are 
green and no stopped traffic.  I've always started (kangeroo'd) mine in 
first gear as I thought that is the easiest gear to start without clutch - 
is it actually easier to start off in second?

"Redwood"  wrote in message 
news:6jpda8F40rchU1@mid.individual.net...
> "Gareth Magennis"  wrote in message 
> news:CJidnW227_tk5ErVnZ2dnUVZ8uWdnZ2d@bt.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> my Astra 1.4 clutch cable snapped this morning on a busy intersection. 
>> Managed to start in second and get to the garage next to my workplace 
>> after not quite making 3 junctions without having to stall.  Great fun.
>>
>> Anyway, hour and a half later, its fixed, £40.
>>
>> Reasonable?  I'm well happy anyway.   The same guy fitted a front 
>> wishbone last year for the MOT (that triangular shaped thing with the 
>> bushes that wear out).  Pretty sure that was £45, which again I was quite 
>> happy with.
>>
>> Have I found myself a decent mechanic?
>
> Doesn't sound bad if they supplied the cable.  I've had to drive with no 
> clutch on a couple of occasions (not for the faint hearted).  Judge it 
> right and you can change gear ok without any crunch and praying the lights 
> are green and no stopped traffic.  I've always started (kangeroo'd) mine 
> in first gear as I thought that is the easiest gear to start without 
> clutch - is it actually easier to start off in second?
>


I didn't try too many variations, but in second, the starter motor will 
drive the car without too much drama til the engine kicks in.
I always practice driving with no clutch in case this happens and to show 
people it can be done..  My Escort was really easy, the Astra is a lot more 
jumpy and notchy.


Gareth.

"Redwood"  wrote in message 
news:6jpda8F40rchU1@mid.individual.net...
> "Gareth Magennis"  wrote in message 
> news:CJidnW227_tk5ErVnZ2dnUVZ8uWdnZ2d@bt.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> my Astra 1.4 clutch cable snapped this morning on a busy intersection. 
>> Managed to start in second and get to the garage next to my workplace 
>> after not quite making 3 junctions without having to stall.  Great fun.
>>
>> Anyway, hour and a half later, its fixed, £40.
>>
>> Reasonable?  I'm well happy anyway.   The same guy fitted a front 
>> wishbone last year for the MOT (that triangular shaped thing with the 
>> bushes that wear out).  Pretty sure that was £45, which again I was quite 
>> happy with.
>>
>> Have I found myself a decent mechanic?
>
> Doesn't sound bad if they supplied the cable.  I've had to drive with no 
> clutch on a couple of occasions (not for the faint hearted).  Judge it 
> right and you can change gear ok without any crunch and praying the lights 
> are green and no stopped traffic.  I've always started (kangeroo'd) mine 
> in first gear as I thought that is the easiest gear to start without 
> clutch - is it actually easier to start off in second?
>
No.

Steve

"shazzbat"  wrote in message 
news:gb93mi$pc8$1@news.datemas.de...
>
> "Redwood"  wrote in message 
> news:6jpda8F40rchU1@mid.individual.net...
>> "Gareth Magennis"  wrote in message 
>> news:CJidnW227_tk5ErVnZ2dnUVZ8uWdnZ2d@bt.com...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> my Astra 1.4 clutch cable snapped this morning on a busy intersection. 
>>> Managed to start in second and get to the garage next to my workplace 
>>> after not quite making 3 junctions without having to stall.  Great fun.
>>>
>>> Anyway, hour and a half later, its fixed, £40.
>>>
>>> Reasonable?  I'm well happy anyway.   The same guy fitted a front 
>>> wishbone last year for the MOT (that triangular shaped thing with the 
>>> bushes that wear out).  Pretty sure that was £45, which again I was 
>>> quite happy with.
>>>
>>> Have I found myself a decent mechanic?
>>
>> Doesn't sound bad if they supplied the cable.  I've had to drive with no 
>> clutch on a couple of occasions (not for the faint hearted).  Judge it 
>> right and you can change gear ok without any crunch and praying the 
>> lights are green and no stopped traffic.  I've always started 
>> (kangeroo'd) mine in first gear as I thought that is the easiest gear to 
>> start without clutch - is it actually easier to start off in second?
>>
> No.
>
> Steve
>
I had a clutch failure - the end of the cable pulled a hole in the bulkhead. 
Temp fix was a pair of mole grips.

"shazzbat"  wrote in message 
news:gb93mi$pc8$1@news.datemas.de...
>
> "Redwood"  wrote in message 
> news:6jpda8F40rchU1@mid.individual.net...
>> "Gareth Magennis"  wrote in message 
>> news:CJidnW227_tk5ErVnZ2dnUVZ8uWdnZ2d@bt.com...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> my Astra 1.4 clutch cable snapped this morning on a busy intersection. 
>>> Managed to start in second and get to the garage next to my workplace 
>>> after not quite making 3 junctions without having to stall.  Great fun.
>>>
>>> Anyway, hour and a half later, its fixed, £40.
>>>
>>> Reasonable?  I'm well happy anyway.   The same guy fitted a front 
>>> wishbone last year for the MOT (that triangular shaped thing with the 
>>> bushes that wear out).  Pretty sure that was £45, which again I was 
>>> quite happy with.
>>>
>>> Have I found myself a decent mechanic?
>>
>> Doesn't sound bad if they supplied the cable.  I've had to drive with no 
>> clutch on a couple of occasions (not for the faint hearted).  Judge it 
>> right and you can change gear ok without any crunch and praying the 
>> lights are green and no stopped traffic.  I've always started 
>> (kangeroo'd) mine in first gear as I thought that is the easiest gear to 
>> start without clutch - is it actually easier to start off in second?
>>
> No.
>
> Steve
>


Why?



Gareth.

"Gareth Magennis"  wrote in message 
news:5JUBk.61572$E41.33040@text.news.virginmedia.com...
>
> "shazzbat"  wrote in message 
> news:gb93mi$pc8$1@news.datemas.de...
>>
>> "Redwood"  wrote in message 
>> news:6jpda8F40rchU1@mid.individual.net...
>>> "Gareth Magennis"  wrote in message 
>>> news:CJidnW227_tk5ErVnZ2dnUVZ8uWdnZ2d@bt.com...
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> my Astra 1.4 clutch cable snapped this morning on a busy intersection. 
>>>> Managed to start in second and get to the garage next to my workplace 
>>>> after not quite making 3 junctions without having to stall.  Great fun.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, hour and a half later, its fixed, £40.
>>>>
>>>> Reasonable?  I'm well happy anyway.   The same guy fitted a front 
>>>> wishbone last year for the MOT (that triangular shaped thing with the 
>>>> bushes that wear out).  Pretty sure that was £45, which again I was 
>>>> quite happy with.
>>>>
>>>> Have I found myself a decent mechanic?
>>>
>>> Doesn't sound bad if they supplied the cable.  I've had to drive with no 
>>> clutch on a couple of occasions (not for the faint hearted).  Judge it 
>>> right and you can change gear ok without any crunch and praying the 
>>> lights are green and no stopped traffic.  I've always started 
>>> (kangeroo'd) mine in first gear as I thought that is the easiest gear to 
>>> start without clutch - is it actually easier to start off in second?
>>>
>> No.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>
>
> Why?
>
Because if you do it in second, you're asking the starter motor to drive the 
car at a higher speed than if you did it in first. Just like you wouldn't 
drive off in second or top gear, or you wouldn't set off on your mountain 
bike in top gear.[1] The gear ratio, or mechanical advantage, exists to make 
it easier for the driving mechanism to get going, be it the car's engine, 
the starter motor, or your poor little legs.

Steve

[1] Yes I know trucks often set off in second, but that's different. You may 
find also driving off in second is OK if you're on a downhill. We're talking 
about practical purposes here.

On Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:45:54 +0100, shazzbat wrote:

> "Redwood"  wrote in message

>>
>> Doesn't sound bad if they supplied the cable.  I've had to drive with
>> no clutch on a couple of occasions (not for the faint hearted).  Judge
>> it right and you can change gear ok without any crunch and praying the
>> lights are green and no stopped traffic.  I've always started
>> (kangeroo'd) mine in first gear as I thought that is the easiest gear
>> to start without clutch - is it actually easier to start off in second?
>>
> No.
> 

You can practice for this situation and also improve your gearchange 
smoothness and clutch wear by driving without the clutch except for 
starting off.

After a dozen changes or so you get the knack and you can drive along 
without using the clutch at all without any passengers being any the 
wiser. It tends to make you go for more relaxed gear changes and look 
further ahead as well.