Gotta have straight cut gears if you want to float 'em without touching the clutch, like what we've got in 10 spd tractor trailer rigs. Does anybody actually float their gears in the Mercedes Benz?

And never downshifting but piddling along at 40mph (or less) in 4th gear strikes me as piss-poor driving habbit, overtaxing and lugging the engine below its power band.

Even worse is NOT downshifting into corners but slamming on the brakes instead... Far, far better to keep up your revs and drop to 3rd without touching the brakes while slowing down at/below 55mph while tackling windey country roads.

Basically, downshifting is good driving habbit that sustains traction. Say while going from 65mph to 25mph on curvey ice-covered Indiana exit ramps in wintertime, you better be using all your gears instead of pumping the brakes or you will be gliding and sliding in 4th gear.

Dunno about of the rest of you guys, but I'm constantly shifting up and down with the 240D sometimes skipping 3rd at dropping from 4th to 2nd approaching red lights, thats all.

Constantly paddling through the gears is one of the greatest pleasures my 240D provides. Why should I let worrying about clutch wear dictate my driving habbits from keeping the engine spinning at peak revs for maximum performance. Even accelerating at tortoise pace, I downshift at the same rpm's using the same power band while slowing down.

Otherwise never using the gears to "save the clutch" is like saying that it's horrible to fishtail around corners while having fun in the wintertime because the tires wear out. Or maybe nobody should take country road curves at warp speed because the Bilsteins will get tired.

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'80 300SD/ w116
'79 240D 4-spd
'71 750cc Guzzi

previously owned:

'83 240D 4-spd
'77 280SEL 4-spd
'74 280/8
'72 250/8
'65 220Sb 4-spd
'63 220Sb 4-spd
'63 190c 4-spd
'61 220Sb 4-spd
'60 190b 4-spd