The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk I`m a dummy, How to shift a (3 in the tree)????

This takes me alot to ask, I usually like to figure things on my own. I`ve never owned a 3 spd manual on the column. What is the pattern? Man I feel dumb for asking this. Thanks for any replies given, Darcy

Darcy, pull towards you from neutral and down. Thats first. Come straight up to neutral then push away from you as you raise the shifter all the way up. Thats second. Pull down to neutral then push away from you as you push down. Thats third. Reverse is from neutral pull towards you and keep pulling while you raise the shifter up all the way. This method will help with hanging up between gears because of worn shifter bushings. Hope this helps, good luck.

Hmm, you're a younger guy, eh? Anyways, it's an "H" pattern. Toward you and down is 1st, away from you and up is 2nd, away from you and down is 3rd. That leaves reverse toward you and up.

Fred

Hey Darcy....I had to ask what double clutching is and how to do it. Now I can shift into third without loosing a few pounds of gear teeth....I thought I was the only guy on the planet that did not know how to double clutch! I have gotten only one mean answer here on the forum and I have asked many a DUMB question....as the man said," knowledge is for sharing or its just wasted". SJB

Oh I still have 2 years left of the 30 era lol. just never owned a 3 in the tree before.

I guess that dates me. I had to laugh when we took our '51 into the tire store for new tires. I offered to put the truck on the lift, and the 30-something guy said, "insurance says I have to do it". He climbed in, then sat there stumped trying to figure out where the starter was & how to shift it.

How many of you guys out there remember the hidden gas cap on 49-50 cadillacs, the accelerator pedal starter in mid 50's Buicks and the mysteries of Plymouth Hy-drive transmissions?
Fred

How about the Chrysler M-6, or the same transmission in the Dodge called the Gyro-Matic? ("Jerk-O-Matic")?

Then there was the compression release lever on the old Cummins 220's and 262's- - - - - -pull the knob, get the engine spinning with the starter, and then push it in to make it run! That was in warm weather. On a really cold day, there were the little rubber capsules of liquid ether that had to be slit with a pocketknife and squeezed into a tube attached to the intake manifold!
Jerry

Do you all think this a legitimate question?? I can't imagine anyone not being able to figure it out after a few ground gears.

Here's the shift pattern, see link.

shift pattern

Its as legit as can be lol. Sure I could hop in and grind the gears and all, but its getting delivered to me in a public area cause the semi can`t unload in residential areas and I really don`t want to look like an idiot lol.

Nothing like doing it in a public place right off, I was 12 the first time in Dad's 65 C10. I killed it right off LOL. Goodluck, oh I'm 40 and I still have some friends the same age that can't drive a stick of anykind, so you aren't alone!

It sounds like you have enuf help with the shift pattern already,,,good luck with the clutch! That part just takes some "feeling out".

There are a lot of people who have never seen a 3 speed tranny on the tree. I'm not sure if my kids have either--they can drive a stick (at least 2 of them can), but it's always been on the floor.

My grandson had never seen crank up windows. He thought it was cool when Grandpa turned this crank on the door, and the window went up!

Also, we went on a hayride a couple weeks ago, pulled by a John Deere with a hand clutch. My nephew was fascinated by that process, as he had never been around one of those.

So there's a lot of this stuff that the younger generation is missing out on.

I was 15 when I first drove my 66' 3 speed, now I'm 18. I never had any problems at all, not trying to brag but I’m just saying that it isn't that hard to figure out. I have grown up on manual transmissions so it is all natural to me. The first truck I ever drove was a 1965 3/4ton. The truck was a 4 speed with a heavy clutch (especially for a youngster) and no power steering, nothing teaches you to drive like that. None of my friends know how to drive a manual and many have probably never seen one! When working on a film project for school, one of my friends had a 68' Karmann Ghia that I had to drive because I was the only one in our group of friends that could. Absolutely no one at my school has seen a 3 speed. I constantly get asked if my truck is an automatic. Often, I notice drivers around town have a puzzled look when they see a 3 speed being shifted while coming down the road towards them.

Just laugh at yourself and enjoy the scene. I'm sure you will be proficient soon enough.

talk about doing it in public, after getting my 54 back after 2 years in the shop i went to take a friend for the first ride. after goin in to get her i proceeded to start the truck without putting in the clutch and it lurched forward, no damage but to my ego. the only dumb question is one that goes unasked. ron

Don't feel bad, man. It made me really stop and realize that the old three-on-the-tree hasn't been made in quite a few years so anyone younger than I am (I'm 48) may never have had the chance to drive one. It reminds me of when I was trying to figure out how to drive a Model T Ford. It's all relative, I guess.

Anybody know when the last 3-speed column shift was made?

Fred, You mentioned the 49-50 Cadillac and the 50's Buicks. That was the first thing I thought of too!! I had a '49 Cadillac and used to have fun pulling into a full serve station and saying "fill-er-up" and then walking away from the car. I've seen quite a few attendants crawling around on their hands and knees trying to figure out where the damned gas filler was (BTW, it's under the taillight. You had to push a small reflector and then the whole taillight would flip up).

The same with the Buick. I had a '55 and the starter was actuated by turning on the key and mashing the accelerator to the floor. I had fun with that one at a car wash one time. These days it would sure deter theft. If the car was stolen you would have a pretty good idea that the thief was at least 60 years old.

I am 51 & when I got my truck a few years ago, I had never driven a three on the tree. I think I looked in the owners manual for the pattern. The other thing the got me was not having 1st gear synchronized. I don't know if double clutching would let me downshift into first or not, I usually just wait till I'm stopped or barely rolling.

The newest truck that I can remember that used a 3 on the tree was a '87 Chevrolet C-10. It had a 4.3 V6 with a 3 speed.

The '56 Chev car also had the filler behind the taillight on drivers side, the '57 car had the filler in the fin above the taillight behind a hinged door.

I didn't read all the reply's. I figured with over 15 responses there is nothing more I could add............except get in it and drive it

I unknowingly played a trick on some valets back in the spring I pulled up in my 63 Chrysler and handed the attendant the keys then I sat down had lunch came back out and the car was sitting in the same spot I parked it. The very first thing the young guy asked me was how do you get it in gear LOL. I told him I would show him how a pushbutton drive works and ended up showing all three valets. Not only did I fool one but I got all three of them!! the look on there faces was priceless.. I can't wait to show up in my 52 HEHE

But back to the original question my 52 was the first time I ever drove a 3 speed and double clutched. boy to be a fly on the wall at that time! The cab was just blue from the swearing

The question has been answered and now we're getting into oddities of other vehicles. Please take that discussion to The Greasy Spoon. I'm locking this one down.