The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts gear shifting

Hi all I think this might be an easy one for the seasoned truck owners.With my purchse of a 1&1/2 ton 1942 chevy I drove it briefly before it went into storage for the winter.Is it normal to have a lot of gear grinding when shifting and down shifting?Especially down shifting it seems i have to come to a stop to down shift.Thanks for any help,there are a couple of pics in the gallery.Thanks again Chad

old truck lover,

My guess...this transmission is non-synchromesh and has straight cut gears. SOP for shifting it is double-clutching.

Stuart

Thanks (how do i do that?)When its between gears do i rev the gas with clutch out?I have heard about but with out more damage could you please brief me?Thanks

no need to guess Stuart! we know yer right .... there isn't a deco 4 speed that doesn't require double clutching to down shift, and the more they've been abused in their long life, the more they need it

the basics, Chad: clutch in, slip trans to neutral, quickly let clutch out, tap gas to rev engine, quickly clutch in, downshift, apply a bit of gas as you let the clutch out again - takes practice, and the non-syncro trannys work better double clutching on upshift too, slightly different sequence

and welcome to the shop, that's one nice lookin rig you've got

Bill

Thanks very much ,i will cut &paste and save .With my memory this 1 may be on the windshield till i get the hang of it.I sure feel confident to tackle about anything on the oldtruck with ALL the help and truck lovers out there.Have a Good weekend and thanks again Chad.

Hi Bill(red58) would have a web site that might give a detailed pic of the horn assembly?I would like to get working thank-you Chad

Alright! Another double clutcher. Took me a long time to master mine. Especially considering I drive a 5 spd. syncro every day. Pretty straight forward once you get used to it. Rev, clutch, neutral, clutch, into gear and rev on accelerating. Clutch, neutral, rev engine to approximate road speed vs. rpm, clutch and put into gear.

I think it's a blast. Great sound, but can be a bit challenging when everyone around you is in such a big hurry!

Welcome Chad,,,thats one super sweet truck!!!!
I'm with RED58,,once you get the double clutch dance figured out,,it'll be even MORE of a joy to drive.,Youve found the right spot for knowledge,advice and tips.(and parts)
Marty

Chad - you sound like you need a shop manual!
you might find some pics in one of the 40-47 shop manuals listed here , a site built by one of our more industrious members .... prolly an electrical problem like a broken wire in the column, or the horn itself may be dead

Bill

Double clutching, like the rest of driving an old Stovebolt is a learned art, and those who don't drive old Chevys don't appreciate the skill and pleasure of the "how to."

You will learn it.

Make sure your transmission is filled to the PROPER level--do not overfill! Filling the transmission involves taking the screw fitting out of the side on the lower part of the tranny, injecting the right gear lube into the hole until it ALMOST runs out and screwing the fitting back in.

Most mechanics test the fluid level by putting the pinkie finger in the hole after filling. If the finger gets some grease on it, but the grease is not dripping out of the filler hole, the amount is about right.

If you stick your pinkie in the hole and there is no grease to be found, well, fill it up a little.

Now, with the tranny properly filled, climb in, crank 'er up and go drive it. The couble-clutch instructions here are right. Just take it easy on the shifting. It is never necessary to "force" the transmission into a gear. Don't be in a hurry to start with and practice on a level road, or even a little downhill--not so much that she will run away when you go to neutral.

The less shaft pressure you have in the gearbox, the easier it will be to learn to double clutch.

The when you really get good, try a little uphill shifting. The secret of double clutching is to shift to a higher gear without loosing a whole bunch of speed which would require shifting back to the lower gear (number).

Downshifting is what separates the men and women who drive TRUCKS from those that ain't got a clue.

Now, once you are really comfortable with double clutching, you can dream about shifting WITHOUT EVEN USING THE CLUTCH! That part of the art of shifting involves matching the engine speed with the speed of the transmission and effecting a smooth shift. Wait a while until you feel completely comfortable double clutching and come back for Stovebolt Shifting Lesson #2.

That's the way the old-timers did it, and you can learn to do it too.

take what the guy's are telling you hit a back road and perfect it in a way it works for you,,,straight cut trans's are a SOB...doc

Thanks Bill on the horn advise,in the back of my jim carter book was a detailed pic.They forgot to send me the spring,i went to the hardware store and found 1 close and adaped it.Thanks everyone and Glen for the advise and vote of confidence.Now all i have to do is wait till the sun shines to fine tune my double clutch dance shifting.My hat's off to a great website ond a great bunsh of guys----- Chad

Our department aquired a '60's Hahn pumper/tanker which we wanted to use for parades. Ran fine but the trans was a tad worn. The youngsters weren't able to move it without making coffee. I told them to double-clutch both up and down, and boy, did I get blank stares. (I also remember vent windows and dimmer switches on the floor.)

PETE/ME That's what neet about the old trucks, kid's now a day have no clue what a basic vehicle was .Just driving it home before the snow fell to store it,i was blown away.It sure got the look's all the way home with the vent up front for fresh air and the crank out windshield.And it's just 1 cool old truck ,starter on the floor dimmer light switch on the floor.Just the whole truck and preserving a part of history is a good feeling.Not to mention a WHOLE LOT OF FUN for us big boy's. Chad

Ahh, the Dependable Hahn! What tranny did THAT big boy have in it?!

I bought my '44 1 1/2 ton (American Fire Apparatus front-mount pumper/tanker, by-the-way,) when I was greener than green. It had a leaky break cylinder, and needed the gas pedal pumped to keep going. I remember my first drive in it, pumping both the gas & the brake with one foot, "pumping" the clutch with the other, trying to figure out double clutching . . . it's a wonder I didn't "grab a hydrant" literally! Still and all, one of the all-time best moments of my life, one I'll never forget.

Foot starter is my favorite though. "What's that extra pedal down by the gas pedal?!?" Never need to worry about the truck being stolen!

-Michael

Gonna be fun remebering how to double clutch,... Had to do if for my old bug ages back, the synchros ate themselves & it was the only way to get into 2nd gear. Just got in the habit of double clutching it, but then I quit bein a cheap bastage & bought a new tranny.
But yeah, up shift on my truck is a breeze, that downshift tho,... Grind em till you find em!

AHHHH the fine art of double-clutching....
I remember finaly getting down pat as a teen running hay on the farm... till one day my unkle thought I was ready to learn how to drive the big-rig...... A '62 international Trans-star conv... and a set of doubles we had for shipping hay across state........ Yeppers... had to learn the fine art of shifting a 4 & 4 box..... yup..double-clutch and shift two transmissions.....WHEEEEE

This is a great discussion on the pure pleasures of driving for driving's sake. The beauty of a non-snycro transimission is the fact that it makes you slow down and enjoy the world a bit more.

I can say from much personal experience that if I'm in a hurry in my bolt, it lets me know! When you are impatient, the truck makes it clear that you should relax and take it easy.


If I take it slow, work through the gears with patience and determination, there is a symbiotic relationship between human and machine that is not like any experience I have had. The dance of the feet, the sounds of the engine and the song of the gears winding up or down it just great.

The chevy four speed is never going to be a barn burner, but it sure makes you appreciate the driving experience.

39 AZ 3/4 Ton,

Bravo, my sentiments exactly. I wonder how a young person today could 'do the dance' while text messaging on his cell phone, listening to Def Leopard on his I-Pod and trying to drink his double de-caf latte with skim milk and no foam?

Stuart

Old Truck Lover, After you get this down pat, you won't realize you are double clutching, it just becomes natural. In fact you may find your self double cluching a sychro.
Have fun in the slow lane.

Wrench Fetcher ,Thanks for sharing your pics they are a fantastic example of preserving the past.Both were an excellent choice they look Great.

Old Truck Lover - I forgot to ask one important question! When do expect spring to arrive in Iowa so you can get the truck out of storage and drive it! Let us know how it goes!

atomarc - the funny thing for me is that I am supposedly one of those gen-xers. That's why I like my 39 so much. It gets me out of the crazy world of driving in Phoenix - especially when everyone is passing me. I was taught by my step father-in-law to double clutch when I was 23. I sure miss him, we shared so much with this truck until he passed away in 98.

31, 32, 32 - I used to try and double clutch my 98 truck for the first year I owned it. It grinds just like single clutching a non-snycro! After a while, it just became natural as well.

Kind of strange, but I think it falls into this realm of thought that my wife sent me the other day.

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid, too.
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe tuo fo 100 anc.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Strange ....

Hi Wrench Fetcher,This is why i enjoy this website so much,thanks for sharing a bit of your past with the old trucks and family.I guess it's a double plus with having the old vehicle's fixing them up a bit.Also it's seem's there is always a warm touching story behind each truck.For me i'm afraid i may have to wait till june-to august to put mine on the insurance for regular driving.However i live in the boondocks so i will be sneaking a few short drive's arround may.And i would be more than happy to let everyone now how the gear grinding goes.We pretty much borrowed for the old truck -the first year will be a bit tight but i would do it again. After the first year it will be on the road very regularly.As we get older the time goes by so fast waiting isn't a problem. Safe driving and thank's for sharing Chad :-)

Wonderful pictures Chad....

It seems to me the cut on the front fender is more open than a regular Civilian model..... could you truck have a military background...??

Comments from others who have more experience than me......???

Bob C

Pulled my gearbox t'other day & found my 3rd & 4th have synchros, and my 1st has some pretty good wear on the sides from un knowing folks grinding em off. Not complainin tho, everything seems pretty tight!

However,... Anyone listening to Def Leppard on thier I-pod is either wierd, or not all that young. Most young folks in the aforementioned "multi tasking when you should be driving" class have never heard of them. :p

Nothing to do with shifting, but I do have an I-pod and it's got 18 hours of "Dream Theater" on it. I won't explain the music, not the right forum.

However, when driving the bolt (or any other vehicle for that matter), I listen carefully to the sound of the engine and the road the way my dad taught me.

Right now my 98's belt sounds like it needs replacing at 110,000 miles and my 39 starts to miss slightly when the engine gets real hot.

I don't know how anyone could perform a double clutch maneuver without being able to hear the engine RPM.