I'm with Bill, and I really don't see how changing from 2.94 to 2.85, or even 2.5 would make it hard to get rolling, even on a slight incline, on level ground you should be able to start out in 2nd by slipping the clutch a bit .... as for it 'bucking' on letting the clutch out, are you sure all your motor mounts have good rubber and are tight?

Bill

Moved over to the Passing Lane

"When we tug a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world" ~ John Muir
"When we tug a single thing on an old truck, we find it falls off" ~ me
Some TF series details & TF heater pics