I'm getting my F1 roadworthy, and I have a few clutch/transmission questions I'm sure you guys can answer better than the shop manual.

I'm from a generation that's never had to row our own gears (though I've had a '55 Chevy for 10 years, so I'm no stranger to it), but I'm struggling with the crashbox. Once the engine is running, I can't get into gear without the transmission grinding. If I kick the clutch in to the floor and hold for about a minute I can slip it into 3rd and then down to 2nd with minimal clunking. When I upshift, I double clutch but I get grinding unless I wait almost 5 seconds with the clutch released in neutral. It seems excessively long to me, and it makes traffic lights in the city awful because I sit with the clutch pedal down and I know I'm stressing the throwout bearing.

I flushed the gear oil and added some fresh 90W to the fill line with no luck. I thought the clutch might not be fully disengaging, so I turned the pushrod a few times and added about a 16th of an inch to it. I can tell the engagement point has changed, but I still can't get into gear from neutral without waiting forever.

What could it be? When I was down there, there was no clutch pedal return spring. I've ordered one, but it seems like the spring takes the pedal weight off and if anything would make the grinding worse!

Thanks all for the help - expect a lot more soon, once summer gets rolling! Next stop is to try to figure out where the heck my frame is bent or if the bed mounts are just wacky... Tips on that would be welcome too!

 

If the cab mounts are rotted the cab sages and clutch linkage does not perform correct other wise ck clutch adjustment again it may be just dragging a little

 

As the clutch disc wears, the pressure plate fingers move to the rear. By the time it's ready for replacement, there may not be enough travel to completely disengage, unless the release bearing is running against the fingers all the time.

 

With the four speed you do have to hold the clutch in at a stop sign. You'll won't be able to get it into gear without grinding if you let the clutch out.

When I come to a stop I wait until I'm completely stopped and then shift it into second. Also, you can't speed shift with a four speed. You have to run out the gear and then let off the gas and then double clutch to the next gear. Driving the four speed is a lot different than driving a synchronized tranny.

 

I agree on checking the clutch adjustment. If you can't shift without grinding while stopped with the engine running your clutch is not fully disengaging.

Also when you get that fixed Mac VP just posted a good double clutch shift instruction for a non-syncho 3 speed but the 4 speed is the the same just 1 more gear.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post14318859

 

Bob Jones has some good advice. Second gear has synchromesh. If you are stopped at a light. By putting it in second, you allow the syncro mechanism to stop the gears from turning. Once you are in second you should shift to first and it will go right in W/O grinding.
If you still have trouble getting it into second then you better check you release mechanism and finally the clutch itself.

 

Bob,
So the reason to stay with the crashbox is......?

 

best reason for keeping a crashbox is if someone tries to steal it, they'll probably abandon it within a mile.

 

Not true on a spur gear 4-sp, there are no synchros at all

 

I don't believe that 2nd gear has synchos in 1949 in the 3 speed or 4 speed. AFAIK it wasn't available until 1951.

 

3-sp's were all synchro'd on all gears but 1st

 

ALBQ is right. The 49 3 speeds have synchros in 2nd and 3rd. I have a 50 F-3 with the 4 speed which has no synchros in any gear. Not being able to get it in gear when stopped after pushing the clutch in and waiting about 5 seconds is probably symptoms of a bad throwout bearing or clutch disc/ pressure plate problem..