You're right. I'm just sitting back and enjoying you guys discuss how poorly those manuals are at engine braking.

 

They do better than the autos o:-)

 

My engine brakes fine for me. I can almost make it (empty) in stop and go traffic without using the brakes (except for the standstill). I think it makes the driver behind me nervous that the truck slows down without the brake lights on. The problem I have is finding the gear quick enough on the double clutch before I've lost my revs. It's a totally new setup for me so I'll get there with more practice. With the window down I sure do hear alot of clanging under there.

 

And why would you double clutch a synchronized transmission?

 

0*F here on the drive to work this morning. I'm glad I live in the balmy part of the country, it's colder up north.

I had the usual balky cold shifting while the engine was warming up. Once up to temperature, I started watching the tach on every shift. Normally I drive "by ear" when it comes to shifting (we never had tachs when I learned to drive).

An interesting thing I noticed was that I was waiting a bit to engage the clutch on a shift. So it was: clutch down + throttle off, move shifter, hear the revs finally drop, then engage the clutch. The total time was closer to 1.5 seconds.

So I had the stick in gear, but was listening for the rev drop to bring the clutch up. This comes from years of experience on wide ratio gearboxes where it is normal to use the whole rev range when driving. So in reality I can probably do a bit faster shifting if I ignore all my previous good habits.

The slow throttle return and weak engine braking is a real PITA. I doubt I'll ever be able to regard the ZF as a "slick shifting" gearbox.

 

I have heard of guys changing the fluid in the manuals to a synthetic and that it helps smooth the shifts. Anyone here tried that?

 

I guess the thing that I am not understanding is the need for a jake brake or better engine braking on a pick up...... Even with a 15k lb trailer in a hilly area, I have not once thought, man, I need a jake brake to get down this hill safely. Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, downshift when needed, and don't ride your brakes. I know everyone wants their truck to be like a big rig, but I think that is just taking a little too far......

 

it comes from driving tractors

Double clutching might also be hindering your engine from dropping in revs. When you add the rotating mass and the inertia of the input shaft and gearset back to the engine, you are giving the engine more to slow down. It is also hard on your clutch. Throw that clutch in and leave it until you're done shifting, or else try your hand at slip shifting (without using the clutch) if you want to be sure your input and output RPMs are matched.

 

Phillips91, I agree! I wasn't trying to imply that pickups need engine brakes. I was just trying to mention that just because it's a diesel with high compression doesn't mean it provides more of an engine braking effect.

 

Yes, but my truck never had any shift issues to begin with, so I didn't notice any change in how it felt.

 

Oh, I know, I wasn't referring that part of the argument towards you. I was directing that towards the people saying our trucks need a jake brake or that the TS is better than a manual because it has tow/haul mode and helps them brake better.

 

The 2009 has synthetic oil in the manual transmission from the factory. Replacement is not due until 168,000 Km according to the Ford scheduled maintenance guide.

 

1. Silky smooth up-shifting, gear change no slower than normal shifting, sometimes faster shifting especially in freezing weather and in the lower gears with less wear on the clutch assembly and syncros,

2. Good engine braking, even on Ford's current Super Duty setup. I can slow my truck down as fast as the rear tire traction permits (with skip downshifting, AND without wear on the clutch assembly, synros or brakes). I haven't loaded it up yet I have 1300 miles on the truck. The heavier the load the more rpms I'd need to get maximum engine braking, but that's true with any truck.

3. Better control in turns and inclines because you're in gear and your rpm's are moderate to high depending on the situation.

I learned to double clutch driving pre-war Chevy and Dodge trucks a long time ago. It was a necessity when I was off-road and loaded down whether or not their syncros still worked. It was critical to keep moving, and double clutching kept you in gear with maximum horsepower. I double clutch my Jaguar E-Type to improve control and performance in turns. The syncros work fine, I just don't want them. They slow me down. This Ford is hard to learn, too many gears but I'm getting there. All kinds of double clutching tricks you can play with this many speeds in a gasoline engine.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2363759_shif...technique.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsyZQAjKvM

Note the driver knows where his clutch engages and how far out he needs to go to match the speeds before pressing it in again.

The last half of this video shows the driver double clutching on the downshift. He ups the rpms when the truck is out of gear and is also using the brake when his right foot isn't occupied. To get good braking on the gasoline Ford Super Duty you have to skip gears and wind it up a little more, which the Ford can take. Otherwise you're also assisting with the brake like this driver is doing, which is probably easier on your passengers when you are without a load.

 

for those that are having difficulty shifting in the cold, double clutching works best for me on cold mornings (haha yeah 40 is cold to me)... the other method that works is to float the first couple of shifts. If you let the input shaft go free the viscosity of the cold oil will stop it (ie. when the clutch is disengaged, and the transmission is in Neutral). That's why a thinner oil was Ford's "fix". When that input shaft stops, you might as well not even have synchros.

If you never hit the clutch, you just have to wait for the engine to drop RPMs and let the shifter drop. If habit makes you hit the clutch to shift into N (which is completely unnecessary on the ZF6) just double it up to keep things moving.

 

My transmission will last long longer if I use the clutch, even longer if I use it twice.