I've always parked my standard cars in first gear with the engine off so the car would usually stay still (Emergency break as a precaution on hills). So my problem is...the other day I parked my FD in my garage in 1st gear, when I started to get out of the car I noticed it slowly rolling backwards (my driveway's on a small slope). The car would roll back about 1/2 a foot and then "lock-up" for a few seconds, then roll back another 1/2 a foot, etc. It seems like something to do with the clutch or clutch fluid maybe? Almost as if someone was pressing the clutch in every second and then letting go. Does anyone have any ideas what this could be or any suggestions? Thanks a lot, -Joe

 

perhaps you just have to tighten up your ebrake (you just need a 10mm deep socket). 99% of the people that i know of have not tightened it up to the point where it actually starts to have an effect on holding/slowing the car down. also, you should beable to turn a rotary engine around by hand so it should not really beable to stop a car from rolling down a hill.

In anycase, even with the ebrake up all the way and tightened and the car in gear, I have seen FD's slip down hills...

not sure if this has anything to do with your problem but i have also seen s14's slip down hills with the ebrake up and in gear

 

Skunks almost hit it dead on.

The engines do not build enough copression( While not running) to use it as a "brake" As with the other manual cars you have had, ( I'll guess Mustang or other V8 maybe) They will build enough engine copression to hold a car on a pretty good grade hill.

Just use your parking brake in conjunction with leaving it in gear.

Mine does this as well in my drive. Pretty steep slope.

Now to Skunks other comment about a FD in gear with PB on and STILL rolling, Then there are other problems with the system. That should NOT happen. If all is adjusted properly and in good working order.

 

haha ok good to know The parking break is fine...it was just the car being in gear. It makes sense that the engine was probably turning then since it would coincide with how the car was moving backwards. It's just odd because I'm positive in the past that the car has held it's ground on my driveway. Actually I should mention something else. I would think what you're explaining makes sense if the car was facing forward down the driveway, but I parked up and placed the car in 1st gear and it was rolling backwards. Not sure if the theory still makes sense because the car shouldn't be able to go backwards while in a forward gear, should it?

 

With the engine running no. But with the engine turned off there is no rotational resistance to backwards turning. Hence you get the little chug,chug feeling when slipping down hill. goes a foot or 2 then stops, then slowly goes another foot or 2.

IMO the low compression is caused by the overlap that the engine has.

 

ah ok, thanks a lot for the great info. Definitely something I didn't know. I always figured the car (any standard car) didn't move backwards when parked in a forward gear...or forward when parked in reverse because of the locking of the gears. I never knew it had anything to do with the engine (which makes sense now). Thanks again, -Joe