Downshifting

Punches on grind was common, verbal abuse in lawbreaking (No coasting over RR etc) was common.
Stalled a pete 379 once with big Cat on a stop sign above Tuscorora bridge for 15 WVa/Md, it was hanging the trailer down a 6% immediately behind tractor.

That turned out to me my nightmare. The stopsign from hell from a shifting failure. I grew a pair and get into that kitty make it MEOW. Later on in life I saw far worse stop signs.. those I did not stop at. Liable to tear your shaft out.

 

When I first started, would get hired and given an old junker with a 220 Cummins with a 4 x 3. You HAD TO shift both boxes at the same time because if you don't the engine would not pull the next higher gear. No clutch pumping was involved.

 

When I took my test I couldnt downshift worth a flip. To me the problem is that double clutching nonsense. You gotta remember these trucks dont shift like a car and its easy to try to downshift at too high a speed when you are new.. Ease Louise our instructor would say -

 

I once lost my temper in school. It was a 73 transtar. GRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDD over about oh.. 2 miles as the speed fell off slowly. Engine was pegged at 2300 foot on the floor.

CLANK! SHAKEAHAKAKAKA... Instructor. OMFG DO NOT MOVE YOUR CLUTCH YOU STUPID (Many vile words, there is a different between bad and vile)

If I had moved it out to add power, the whole thing would have torn out. It was truly stupid.

 

Those are past days....now you've earned an auto....lol...sorry I couldn't help but tease ya

 

I messed up on my video up there. I said get your RPM's down to about 1000 and downshift, but there is a critical thing I totally forgot to say, is clutch in, bring it to neutral quickly, let clutch out, and also quickly bump up the throttle a little and you clutch back in and slide it into that lower gear that you have now rev matched.

 

@RedRover i know what ya mean, feels so natural to shift in intersection. I hated having to wait in 3rd and poke through.

 

At Swift, we started out in 4th gear on our 10 speed Eaton volvo. We are talking 5mph. And the instructor would be screaming about over revving his engine at 1500rpm trying to get through. 1100 rpm. And then be screaming about us not shifting into 5th in a timely enough manner. I think he just liked to scream.

 

OK let's try this again==