I'm picking up my new 53 f-100 tomorrow. The seller says it grinds going into 1st and reverse only. He also says sometimes the only way to get it into grear is to shot off the engine, put it in gear and start it back up. I've been told that some of these old trucks have no syncos in those grears. Is this true about a stock 3 speed, with column shift? He says for $250 he knows a guy that can fix it. I need some advice here.

 

First and reverse should be non syncro in the stock 3 speed for your truck.

 

I'm not sure that the fixing needs to be in the tranny.

Number Dummy Bill told us all in a post here recently that the 3 Spd trannys that Ford put in it's trucks were non syncho until late (something like the early 60s or some such rediculous thing), so your transmission is probably ok.

I had a 3spd overdrive in my 55 that did the same thing - absolutely no getting it into first gear rolling up to the stop sign, you had to STOP! (I actually beat a ticket by showing that to the judge once).

Reverse is the same.

The problem with not being able to get it into gear sounds more like the clutch is not completely disengaging. I would suspect a throw out bearing or the clutch actuating rod needs to be adjusted (lengthened) which is easy to do. I don't think you need to spend the $250.

None of this is really serious even if the tranny is shot there's lots of them available cheap.

When you get the truck, and it gets in the mode where you think you have to shut it off, don't. Just let the clutch pedal up, let the engine settle down, push the clutch pedal in and up a couple times, then try to gently slip it in gear. If that doesn't work, try pushing in the clutch, and let the truck role a couple inches forward or backward while gently trying to put it in gear.

Let us know how that works out.

 

To think of it, I do remember him saying the fix would be to the clutch. Hopefully it's something I can fix because double clutching is a pain. But if it's something I have to get used to, in order to drive and injoy the truck, I'll get over it pretty fast.

I've read with the 4 speeds you can start from a stop in 2nd with no problems. Would a 3 speed be the same? Or would I be damanging/burning the clutch to do this on a regular basis?

Thanks for the tips Julie. By the sound of things I'm going to have to learn how the truck wants to be driven. It will be like going to driving school all over again. Non-Syncho Driving 101.

 

1st gear non syncro - come to complete stop before shifting into first.
2nd gear syncro from 1 to 2, 3 to 2. unless syncros are shot or clutch worn/adjustment needed.
3rd gear syncro from 2 to 3, 3 to 2 same with wear.
Rev non syncro - got to be stopped.

 

On a three speed in the older trucks, it would probably be hard on the clutch to start in second gear because it isn't that low. If it was a 4 speed, the first gear is the "granny" low and you can start in 2nd as that is about the same as 1st in a 3 speed. The first gear on a 4 speed was to get the truck moving with a load before shifting to 2nd.

 

1963 was the first year Ford offered a three speed manual all syncromesh transmission: Type 3.03.

I've never seen or heard of any such thing as a syncronized reverse gear.

Y'all have no idea what some types of manual transmissions us old pharts have driven...with ease.

Reo's with their self shifter mounted on the dash (looks like a hand brake lever), pre-selector gearboxes, Fluid-Drive, T's with the Planetary transmission, Mercedes-Benzes with Hy-Drac, Packard's with Electro-Matic.

Fords like Model A's, early 1930's cars had no 3 speed syncromesh transmissions at all. You had to double clutch up and down.

Your grandma's and great grandma's drove and steered these vehicles, none of which had power steering, or power brakes.

 

You are right on there Bill. When I was a kid on the farm, we had an old Binder farm truck with a 5 speed transmission and 2 speed rear axle that was impossible to shift without grinding gears unless you double clutched. It got so on the road after it was moving about half the time in the upper gears you didn't even bother with the clutch, but just matched engine speed to shift.

 

The best way to engage 1st gear in a tranny w/o syncro in 1st is to use 2nd gear to stop the gears from turning and then put it into 1st quickly. And Bill, for your info my '02 f350 superduty W/powerstroke has the 6 speed transmixer and the reverse is syncroed.