The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Check a Pilot Bearing ?

Thank you all for your further input. As Fred noted, 1st gear is synchronized in this 196(6, 7, 8 or 9) transmission. I am having fun playing with the free wheeling feature and also with having 5 ratios to play with. The forward gears do not grind during shifting. I just cannot get them to engage on the first or second attempt. Even in free wheeling mode (road speed less than overdrive engagement speed) I must rev match to get the shifts done.

I had another truck with a non-syncro 1st. I wait at stops in neutral. It was a no thinking habit for me to go to 3rd then around to 1st.

I checked my records. I installed the pilot bearing during January 2012. I installed this transmission during February 2024. I did not have this problem with the previous transmission (1968 Saginaw 3-speed straight drive,) so I do not rule out that I may have damaged either the clutch disc or the pilot bearing during any of the 3 times I installed this current transmission. It appears the only way to check these items is to take the transmission out again. I'll decide what I will do with that during the winter.

Again, thank you all for your help.