You may remember tha problems I was having shifting my 55 Ford after a tranny swap. Well, I have the shifter all set, it slides perfectly into R, 1, and 3. The ONLY way it will go into 2 smoothly is if you lift up on the clutch, so it sounds to me that the clutch is adjusted so that it is gripping too high? It will shift really smooth into 2 when the clutch isn't depressed at all. Now, looking at the release lever assembly, it looks like I would want to adjust it so that the throwout bearing side would go closer to the engine and the adjuster side would go further from the engine. Is this correct?
I adjust it so there's approx 1/2" to 1" free clutch pedal movement until the throw out bearing makes contact with the pressure plate release.
I guess I should rephrase that, which way to I turn the adjusting nut to make MORE free play and which way to make less. I'm trying to get the clutch to start gripping a bit closer to the floor.
i would take another look at the linkage if i were you.you just swapped in another tranny right? is it easy to find neutral? also perhaps while you are crawling around under the car you should see if maybe the 2-3rd arm should have another hole drilled closer to the pivot point so you don't have to push the shifter as far to get it to go into gear-george
The shifter moves beautifully into second from first, you just have to "blip" the clutch. It doesn't matter how much you push the clutch in for 1st or 3rd, it will go easily, but for second you have to just move the clutch pedal about an inch or 2 and it will go, not even half way down. If it is halfway or more, it won't go. And downshifting from 3rd to 2nd is near IMPOSSIBLE. I just drove the car for about half an hour, and I could only successfully downshift into 2nd twice.
I'll second that...what you are doing with the moving the clutch up a little before shifting is "double-clutching"...a technique often used with the old non-synchro trans. I remember the day my grandad taught me how to do it.... Brian
I don't think the synchros are bad, we opened the top and had a look before it went in. It shifts FINE with no clutch when the engine is not running. I even tried double clutching, and that didn't work, the clutch just needs to be in a certain spot, or it feels like the shifter binds. If the synchros were bad, wouldn't it make a LOUD grinding noise? I've heard that noise before, but not from this tranny. I'll fart around with it tomorrow and see what shakes out.
Well, the adjustment made all the difference. It shifts into 2nd fine from 1st and downshifts fine now too. I just turned the free play nut in a bit, so that it has more free play now.
Brought it to the local cruise tonight and it behaved rather nicely. I also think that 1st and 2nd are geared a bit lower in this tranny. I don't have to ask twice for the tires to bark.
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