The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts shiftn gears

Bought a 1954 6100 w/4 speed trans and a two-stage rear axle last sunday. hav'n it shipped. should be here in 3 weeks. my first bigbolt. YEA! the shortcoming....i don't know how to shift it. i'm clueless. it will be dropped off down at the local john deer dealer and i would like to drive it home. is there any information available showing the shift pattern (is it simply the H pattern) and when and how to use the low high switch? we all start somewhere and its time. thanks.

The shift pattern is the regular H, reverse would be all the way left from neutral and then back towards the seat. To start off just leave the 2 speed in high range. Once you get the regular shifting down then move to the 2 speed.

As long as you're not loaded, you won't need the 2-speed. As Don said, just leave it in high. Later on, you can practice with the 2-speed. I'm sure that procedure has been covered here before.

The truck manuels I've seen will tell you to start out in low on the 2 speed, this way clutch slippage is kept to a minimum, and to always park in gear but in the low side of the 2 speed as it can fall out of high range if all conditions are right into nutreul. Quite often on the top of the drivers side visor the gear patteren and shift sequence is still there.

Thanks for the explanation and the tip with parking. Good tip on the safety side.:-) I will look at the drivers side visor(hope the truck has one)once the truck arrives. how i interpret what i have been told is the low/high control for the 2 speeed rear axle is located on the dash. w/o a load keep control in the high position with normal shift throught the 4 gears. When loaded, start in the low control position, clutch into first gear, then change into the high control position while in first gear w/o the clutch; clutch, change back to low position then shift to second gear, repeating this pattern through the gears. do you switch from low to high position with or w/o the clutch? I purchased a 1954 "truck data book, specifications catalog for chevrolet salesmen" from BowTie Bits and it shows the std. shift pattern (H) but no explanation when using the low/high 2 speed control when shifting gears. Sounds pretty elementry but when you don't know it is monumental.

Typicaly you dont have to use the clutch to go from lo to hi. You keep your foot on the accelerator, flip it to high, then let off the gas and it will pop into high as the load is taken off the rear end and the engine speed goes down. Takes some practice as you'll tend to feel it slam into gear till you figgure out your shift points and throttle positions.

I'm still not up on that myself so much tho, I still like to switch it, let up on the gas and push the clutch in momentarily as the engine winds down and then release the clutch and roll onto the gas again. Shifting up gets pretty easy with some practice, down shifting is a whole other matter tho, I'm still learning that one!

Once the truck is in motion, using the clutch is optional. You can simply ease up on the gas and slip the main trans in and out of gear without clutching, ditto on the 2-speed. I learned to drive big rigs on a Mack B-73 with a TriPlex trans, a 5-speed main and a 3-speed Brownie in the same box. 15 forwards, and 3 reverse ratios, and the only time I used the clutch was for starting and stopping. With a little practice, yours will work the same way.
Jerry

Although most of the 2-speed instruction stickers on the old bolts say: "Driver need not de-clutch"; I agree with Freq. I have found it simply gives a much smoother shift, especially if you are loaded and split shifting(using the transmission and 2-speed in combo).
Sam the Meat Man
52 2 ton Chevrolet

It's amazing how easily most manual transmissions can be shifted without clutching but it is not something you will learn overnight. When I was lots younger we kids would do it just to keep in practice. Did it regularly in a 1937 Chevy with a four-speed. Then did it a lot in my '63 Ford Galaxie with a 4-speed. Of course the Ford was all synchromesh so that made it easier also but it was fun to kick it into neutral, blip the throttle and then shove it into the next lower gear. It would be an act of kindness to your truck to use the clutch to shift the transmission and to downshift the two-speed until you get used to it. Upshifting the 2-speed is not difficult. Like someone said, operate the 2-speed button and then just let up on the gas, it should shift and then step back down on the gas.

when running through the gears like you said start in 1st gear low then switch to high let off gas (can clutch if you want) and then get back on the gas (in my 61 chevy it says on the sticker to shift it from low to high then let of gas count 1... 2... then get back on gas) but rememeber when you go the the next gear say your in 1st high push in clutch shift the transmission to 2nd then switch it back to low and let out clutch

Nate

thanks to everyone for your explanations. I feel alot better with understanding the answer of "how to" shift the rear axle speeds. I will learn real fast about downshifting. Our maiden drive home brings with it a steep 1 mile uphill climb. I liked the idea of high rear axle speed all the way home. :-)

Fredico,

I have both 4 and 5 speed transmissions and Vacuum and Electric rears in my trucks. I always start in "low rear" normally in 2nd gear (unless I need "granny" for a steep hill start or and loaded). Then I just run the gears 2,3,4 or 2,3,4,5 then flip into "high rear" after the transmission is in high gear. It makes it seem like you're putting it into Over-drive...works for me!

Good luck and be safe!

Mike B

Holy peppermint sticks! The title and the 1954 truck operators manual arrived this weekend. I can now affirmatively state that the model is 6103 w/body style TK. The truck owners manual explains the Shifting Two-Speed Rear Axle as follows:

"The vacuum shift makes this operation comparatively simple as it is unnecessary to declutch while shifting. The control lever for the vacuum shift is located below the instrument panel and to the right of the steering column. Turning this lever also shifts the speedometer adapter to maintain reasonably accurate speedometer and odometer reading regardless of the axle ratio used.
To shift from low speed to high speed, move control lever to high speed position as indicated on the instrument panel "DECAL," release accelerator, pause a second to allow engine speed to drop down, then again step down on the accelertator.
To shift from high speed to low speed, move control lever to low speed position, release accelerator and again step down on accelerator."

Thanks to everyone for your input.