Anyone shift w/o using clutch

[Johnstra]

Just curious if anybody routinely "floats" their NV5600. I've never tried it myself. Is doing this a synchro killer? Is their any advantage to the clutch?



thanks,

-john

 

[PJereb]

Not worth the risk IMHO.





When you shift like that you risk loading the very tips of the gear teeth as you shift. It is possible to slowly round the teeth until the transmission slips out of gear on its own, or chip a gear badly and end up with instant bad transmission.



I know there are a few guys that shift without the clutch all the time, some with a lot of miles on their pickups. All I know is if you read a truck transmission manual (IE roadranger) it lists many reasons to shift properly and it explains what you risk damaging if you don't.



Peter

 

[jnelson]

I have always pulled out of gear as soon as I left off the the go pedal and then clutch into gear.



Unloaded I will occasionally float 2nd, 3rd and 4th but will clutch 5th and 6th.

 

[y-knot]

As one of the guys that use to do the same on several military trucks, it really is a bad ideal for todays manual transmissions. It is very hard on the synchronizers, they are made of brass and the added work makes them wear much to quickly. When you shift from say second to third, you are suppose to push in on the clutch pedal, which removes the load and slows the input gear stack. While the clutch is depressed, you grab the shifter and change it to the third gear spot. As you are changing the gears, a shift fork on the second gear stack pushes the gears out of the drive position, you disengage from the second gear and go to engage the third gear. Again a shift fork pushes the third gear stack into position, as you near that third gear position, their are brass synchronizers which are there to get the get the gears moving before the change is complete. These syncro's are what permits todays transmissions to shift so smoothly, with no gear grind. They engage just before the main gears do, there job is to get them up to speed and lock in, this way the main gear are already revolving at the same rate and when they do engage their is no resistance, which allows a smooth shift.

If you do not use the clutch, the load is never removed and the main input shaft never slows. You force the forks to unload the gears while under a load, and also force the gears to engage the next gear stack under the same load and higher speed. Yes it can be done, and yes I have had to do it. Years ago many shifted the larger transmission on dump trucks and 18 wheelers like this, but it does not make it right for today. The increased wear to the forks, syncro's and gears is just shear stupidity, and should be avoided. Todays transmissions use ATF for oil, not the gear oil of 30 years ago. They also shift much better, and have far less noise, and if you want to keep it like that, use the clutch.

 

[nickleinonen]

i've bumped it into 1 and 2 before while rolling in neutral with no clutch, but that's about it. clutch is much cheaper than rebuilt transmission for NFG synchros

 

[RustyJC]

You might want to look HERE to see how a transmission works. Please note that the gears don't slide in and out of engagement; rather, teeth on a clutch ring lock and unlock the gears to the output shaft. As you look through here, bear in mind that synchronizers aren't discussed until the 6th page - everything up to that is a non-synchronized dog clutch-type transmission.



Rusty

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

I used to shift with out the clutch all the time. A few months old, my truck needed major transmission repairs. DC rebuilt the whole transmission under warranty. I now use the clutch...