On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 18:34:39 -0400, "Bob Chilcoat"
calmly ranted:

Shifting without the clutch on a tranny WITH syncros is a good way to end up
with a tranny WITHOUT syncros. Unless you are perfect every time, the
syncros will jam and produce major wear on the blocker rings.

It's really not hard, but you need to be
very gentle with your shifts. As the engine approaches the speed where it
will be when the gears are meshed, gently ease up against the syncro. When
the engine passes the right speed and the match is right, the syncro blocker
ring will let the collar pass, and it will drop in. Whatever you do, don't
force it in. That's a sure way to cause some damage.

I used to shift with my hand on the tunnel (easy on my
sister's MGB GT with my forefinger or thumb against the
base of the shifter) or with the tip of my little finger
on the shift knob (Corvair, where the floor was a long
way off) for effect. Knowing the sync speed was the key
to a keeping the shift force to about 2 ounces as it
slides right into gear.

To help sync non-sync first gears, shift into reverse before
first when you're at a complete stop. It prevents that CHINK
you hear so often in movies, where people grind gears. That
works with second gear on many boxes, also.


It helps to have driven a few crash boxes. The worst I ever had to drive
was a '42 Chevy school bus that had a box full of sliding gears. Not even
one constant mesh gear, except for top, which was straight through. Like a
whole tranmission of unsyncronized first gears. What a bitch to drive, but
it developed your skills.

Fun! ugh That's where you really learn to listen to RPM
and look at speed to know where to both upshift & downshift.


-- Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Turkey and Drive --