i shift without using the clutch. if it goes into gear easy. is that hard on the tranny?

 

IF it goes into gear easy, it does not hurt the trans.

How many gear changes can you make that way, vs. the ones where you are forcing it past the synchros or getting caught in the gear and having it bang out of gear when you lift the throttle?

imo, not worth it.

 

Done it for years on four and five speed fords. Drives the wife nuts. Why did they give you a clutch?, she asks. To start and reverse, my love!

 

When my '94 still had its M5OD I would sometimes do this on the 4-5 shift. Same with my old Sunbird and Acura Integra, but can't imagine doing it all the time, esp on the lower gears. I just gotta ask: Why? I sure can't do it on the SROD that's in the truck now. Its' syncros are going to crap and it doesn't like to shift even WITH the clutch! Maybe you need one of the old Beetles with the auto-stick. Drove one once. Don't know the exact mode of operation other than it somehow clutched for you when you grabbed the shifter. Once again: Why?

 

Off topic of the original post, perhaps, but for the sake of knowledge and since I once drove a VW Karmann Ghia with the "auto stick" transmission...

Under the shifter was a micro switch. Pressing, even slightly, on the shifter and the switch went to a vacuum operated servo unit which caused the clutch to disingage (instantly), so the shift could be made with the 3 speed manual transmission. By the way, there was a torque converter which enabled idling in gear.

 

well thats what i thought is that if it whent in easy then it must not be too hard on it. but i have my foot ready so if it wants to shift hard or hang up i can use the clutch. but most of the time clutching is only for takin off an backin up! haha

 

if the rpm's are right, it will down shift, and upshift without the clutch. most truck drivers drive without useing the clutch to shift, only useing it to start out.

 

Big trucks have a completely different type of transmission that requires "floating" or double-clutching to make a shift. Either way, the speed of the gears must match in order to make a shift.

 

You mean unsyncronized manuals?

The use dogs instead of synchronizer clutches to grasp the gear onto the shaft.

 

well dusty bumpers y ya got my name on ur post? haha

 

only if it matches mine

 

haha well thats my name. but i got another question. i have a 4od tranny an the tag on my diff. cover says it has 305 gears. would they have put a 4od with gears that high in it?

 

try this :
Ford Transmission Spotter's Guide .: Articles <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

A 4 speed manual OD trans? Lots of early '80s trucks had very tall axles and these transmissions. You sure it's not 3.50 gears? That's what my '85 E150 had. 3.05 does not register as a ratio available with the 9 inch axle. 3.0, 3.25, 3.50, 3.91, and some taller ones like 2.47 iirc.

Yours is also a 4x4, that would also seem to preclude the really tall ratios...

Read that tag again...

 

last year for the 9" is 83, I think. most likely he has an 8.8. he probably has 3.55's, that is the most common rear ratio.