**** CDL liscensed truck driver told me (You know..a PRO.) "It's easier on your tranny and clutch if you learn how to shift that thing kid." He said...."If your good...you don't need to use the clutch to shift....just to start and stop." So I learned with 200000+ miles of practice how to do just that. I have to say.. I got **** good at it!

Is this what wore my syncros out??

I very rarely had gear clash when I slipped shifted. But I sure as shoot do now between 5th and 6th unless I use the clutch and shift slow. Or Is this to be expected at 200000 miles? I ain't crying cause my brother has his 3rd Auto at 100000 miles. But after I rebuild the 6-speed should I get out of this habit or did I do ok? BTW: I got 185000 or so before we replaced the clutch and it wasn't done yet. Is that good mileage? Don't really tow heavy but don't get passed much either!! Go ahead beat me up...Do you use the clutch or not?

 

Here, I had the same kinda question. But in the end, I think it's up to you whether to use the clutch or not.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...threadid=29549

I have been using the clutch more than I used to, but still slide it to the next gear without it sometimes.

 

I had 180,000 miles on my truck when i changed my clutch I don't use my clutch except for take off and going into 5 th gear.I never have had any problems and my truck has had its share of abuse.

 

I don't know the dodge 6 speed, but having said that, I have shifted everything from a cushman scooter to a shelby GT 350 and a ford 9N tractor, '36 ford dump, '47 chevy flat bed, '51 [color red] white dump, '55 mack, '56 ford, '74 ford, '74 international, '83 ford and a '86 ford one ton, mostly without the clutch and hardly any problems! Oh, the mack double tranny twin screw never did wanna cooperate from day one and one of the fords got a little cranky after while going into third, but nothing life threatenin'.

Then even starting off and ending up by clutchin' was to much work and I had to face the fact that my left foot was just plain lazy.

So, I went with automatics and have had NUTHIN' BUT TROUBLE since!!!

Since I still suffer from LLI [lazy leg itis] I'm thinkin' of going back and riggin up something of a hybrid between a model T and a international TD 20 hand job!

Can't afford the warranty stuff but still enjoying the options! LOL .

STY

 

why wouldn't you use the clutch, isn't that what its there for

 

Clutch. Scmutch. Just power shift the sucker.

 

It would be nice to see a poll of guys that use\don't use the clutch to shift, what do you guys think?! 65\35

 

The clutch is there for a reason. Syncros were never designed to be used without a clutch. Yes, changing gears without using the clutch will work, but sooner or later the additional forced wear on the syncros will cause premature failure. I don't care how good you are at slip changing or whatever you want to call it, but whenever you change gears using this method, there will be some degree of undesigned force and wear on the synchro. A new clutch is a lot cheaper and easier to change than a tranni.

 

I second what mexstan said. A synchro'd tranny is supposed to be shifted w/ the clutch. If you don't like using the clutch, you could go to using a non-synchro'd tranny.

 

Let's see the math. Or is the assertion,"Syncros were never designed to be used without a clutch", strictly anecdotal?

I have a M-22 4 speed in my '69 and only use the clutch to start and stop. As you know its a syncroed manual transmission. When I replaced the fore, aft, and side seals after swaping to an Autogear case the syncros were in fine shape. This after some 68,000 miles behind a big block. As far as I can tell the only harm that will occur when slip-shifting happens when you grind'em.

Just a thought

 

as of lately ive decided to double clutch mine i figure thats the best way to save the syncros, rpms match better up and down shifting

jed

 

psalm69, I don't think this is anecdotal. We are not talking about just some incidence. In your case I would suggest that maybe you are just fortunate in that you have the ability to match engine speed to wheel speed better than most and that is what makes you the exception. The average Joe does not always take the time to EXACTLY match speeds and that forces the synchros to work more than they were designed to work.
How are synchros designed to work? By acting as a type of clutch to slow down or speed up mating gears so that they can engage without grinding. The synchro is designed to match gear speeds just prior to them becoming meshed.
Now, if a driver tries to force the synchro to work harder and match speeds that are a lot different to one another, (slip shifting or by being impatient) that is going to apply a lot of extra load on the synchro surfaces. It works fine for a while, but sooner or later the extra loads are going to cause premature wear, which in turn quickly results in a much lighter wallet.
So this all boils down to individual preferences. For me exercising the left foot (double clutching when changing to a lower gear) is likely to prolong the synchros in my tranni. Some of you obviously have more money than me, or are lazier than me and are not worried about the money spent down the road for a costly repair. I think that I can safely say to all the majority of you that do not use the clutch except for starting and stopping, you are going to pay. It is just a matter of sooner or later, but pay you will!
OK, just give me a minute to get my asbestos suit on, then flame away.

 

Ok ill jump in...the only reason they ever put syncs. in was to make it ezer obviously.....If you shift the trany and match things up (the dogs) then you do the job the syncs were suposed to do for those who could never figure it out and probly never will.
By doing this with a gear clash once in awhile (none of us are perfect) there is a lot less wear on all componets involeved and I could try to impress you with all the nomenclatures and kenitacs of things (and bad spelling).
So just here to tell ya the driver is right.............but do it anyway you want.

 

I agree with what Mexstan said. If you can drive it such a way as to match your speeds closely before putting pressure on the syncro, you should not cause much wear, but if you are making the syncros work too hard, you'll definitely wear them out. It's kinda like a clutch in a way. Many people wear them out like crazy, because they don't know how to drive them well. Others can get 100, or more, thousand miles out of a clutch.
My BMW has 137K on the clutch, so I don't consider the clutch a "wear" item.

Chris

 

My 1996 F150 has 230,000 km on original clutch (145,000 miles roughly) and they were famous for destroying clutches.

It depends completely on how you use it.