SHIFTING GEARS WITHOUT CLUTCH??
Dajavu
>I am told that once you get rolling, a good driver doesn't have to double
>clutch to up-shift gears. How do you do that??? (Besides V-e-r-y
>C-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y. Also, what about downshifting...can you do the no-shift
>as well. Again...how as well. Many thanks in advance. email to
><we...@soltec.net>
>
>-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
>http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
I don't know if I should reply to this or not, I've had the discussion in
person with a boss or two and nothing good came from it.
I admit, I shift without using the clutch! (Except on range shifts, up or
down)
Yes, you should do this very carefully!
It all started from the third truck I had ever driven, a 1991 Western Star,
60 series Detroit, 18 spd.
VERY short travel on the clutch pedal, had a tendency to engage the clutch
brake when clutching shifts. Plus, a very sloppy shift lever, I couldn't
tell if I was headed for the right gear unless I let it "rub"(? didn't want
to say grind) a little.
The trick is being precise with your RPM when shifting, up or down. Plus,
Cat, Detroit, Cummins, etc, all rise and fall (rpm) differently. ie:
Cat-fast rise and fall, Cummins-sloooowww rise and fall.
Okay, I said it. Now let the criticism begin!
DAJAVU
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism"
we...@soltec.net
tscottme
following information is provided for entertainment purposes. Sender
excepts no responsibility for any damage occurring while following or
attempting to follow this info. Your mileage may vary, wear your crash
helmet."
The boss and the tranny manuf may rightly not want you to "float the
gears." They're opinion is more significant than mine so use your own
judgment. I believe the majority of drivers (if able) do float the
gears. But if you break something it won't affect my job.
"Floating gears" or shifting without the clutch doesn't work with air
clutches, as I am told. Floating gears causes more wear on the tranny
than using the clutch. You should practice only in areas without
traffic because you may be tempted to stare at the Tach more than usual.
First you need to know 2 important RPM figures. The upper RPM is the
RPM at which you would normally shift to the next higher gear. The
lower RPM is the engine speed at which you would normally put it in the
next gear. For example I upshifted when the RPMs got to 1600 RPM, I
would then let the RPM drop to 1300 and then put it in that gear.
One method of getting the RPMs to use in your truck is to maintain a
constant road speed while at the upper RPM you would use to shift up.
Then using the clutch as normal, shift to the next higher gear and
reestablish the road speed your were maintaining. The RPM should be
very close to the lower RPM number. You want the lower RPM that makes
it the easiest to put it in gear. Using the clutch allows a little
broader range of RPM for shifting gears, without the gear you have to be
more precise to change gears..
The easiest part to learn is pulling it out of gear while under way.
While accelerating, when you reach the RPM you would normally upshift,
apply a little pressure toward pulling the gear lever toward idle (don't
pull hard enough to pull it out of gear) and then increase the RPM
slightly. The gear lever should very easily fall toward neutral, let
the RPMs drop. Then increase the RPM to the lower RPM number and slide
the gear lever in the next gear. If you are at exactly the right RPM it
will go smoothly into gear with no noise. If it doesn't go in gear you
need to increase or decrease the RPM to this magic value.
If you like you can pull out of gear without the clutch by using the
above technique and then use the clutch to put in in gear. Putting it
in gear without the clutch is the harder of the 2. It may take a couple
of attempts (vroom, vroom) to get the RPMs right.
--
Scott Methvin
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I
cannot change, the courage to change the things
I can and the wisdom to hide the bodies of the
people I had to kill because they p****d me off.
tscottme
except ...accept
they're...their
gear...clutch
--
Scott Methvin
Stop plate tectonics!
John Kunkel
>
> Floating gears causes more wear on the tranny
> than using the clutch.
I have to disagree here. Properly executed "float shifts" won't cause
any extra wear or damage.
> You should practice only in areas without
> traffic because you may be tempted to stare at the Tach more than usual.
I never look at the tach when upshifting. With practice, it's not
necessary.
> The easiest part to learn is pulling it out of gear while under way.
> While accelerating, when you reach the RPM you would normally upshift,
> apply a little pressure toward pulling the gear lever toward idle (don't
> pull hard enough to pull it out of gear) and then increase the RPM
> slightly. ^^^^^^^^
I hope you meant decrease. Throttle back slightly to unload the
gears.
> The gear lever should very easily fall toward neutral, let
> the RPMs drop. Then increase the RPM to the lower RPM number and slide
> the gear lever in the next gear.
There is no need to increase the RPM before engaging the next gear, just
catch the next gear while the RPMs are descending.
> If you are at exactly the right RPM it
> will go smoothly into gear with no noise. If it doesn't go in gear you
> need to increase or decrease the RPM to this magic value.
At this point I would use the clutch. Once you've lost the rhythm it's
best not to try to save it without the clutch.
John
Diago
when you get it down, you will not even think about it. It's like riding a
bike. Once you learn you don't think about your balance anymore, you just
ride. I never touch the clutch unless I come to a complete stop, and I MAY
grind a gear once a week. This includes at least three trips into and back
out of New York City each week. With all that city driving, if I used a
clutch my left knee would be a total mess. I also have never had any
transmission or clutch problems.
What I do is just apply a slight amount of pressure on the stick and then
let up on the fuel peddle. I waite about a second and then slide it into
the next gear. When down shifting, once it is in nutural, I just give it a
little rev and the slide it into gear. I could never tell you at what the
RPM's measure. you just get a feel for it. I also work about 10 hours a
week doing yard work, and there again, I only use the clutch when I come to
a complete stop.
we...@soltec.net wrote in message <7ci0pn$sku$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
we...@soltec.net
put a good picture in this knuckle-head of mine. By jove, I thing I got it.
A BIG TIME THANKS AGAIN. Will
In article <7cke7l$l...@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net>,
Carpenter
past 30 years and 200000+ miles with out a problem. I know they are
not "big trucks" but the principles are the same.
"Dajavu" <dajavu...@usa.net> wrote:
><we...@soltec.net> wrote in message news:7ci0pn$sku$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com...
>>I am told that once you get rolling, a good driver doesn't have to double
>>clutch to up-shift gears. How do you do that??? (Besides V-e-r-y
>>C-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y. Also, what about downshifting...can you do the no-shift
>>as well. Again...how as well. Many thanks in advance. email to
>><we...@soltec.net>
>>
>>-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
>>http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
>I don't know if I should reply to this or not, I've had the discussion in
Gerald Van Meppelen
'practise' on his a bit, its a heck of an experience going from a lil 4-wheeler
to the tractor. I've been driving for a total of about maybe 10 hours, and i
can do the shifting without the clutch, my dad was trying to tell me how, but
its just one of them things you gotta get on your own. i still grind it abit,
but its getting to be a nice gentle grind that i can live with :)
couple more years and i hope to be running the big highway...
l8r
gerald
Don Carpenter
road test, the first thing the guy said was "float the gears if you need
to." Of course the guy out there with me couldn't shift for shit and
passed as well.
"Here, have a.....The Rock doesn't even know what the hell this is!"
Don Carpenter - carpen...@webtv.net
http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/court/1698