13/18 speed transmissions

I never pull the main box out of gear when splitting up or down unless I'm actually shifting the main box up or down a gear (eg 5H to 6L or 6L down to 5H). On the downshift I just give it a little fuel so it syncs up and goes in.

 

It is called pre-selecting the gear. Perfectly fine to do with those transmissions. Even with the range shift. No need to wait, just let it do it's thing.

 

^^^what he said.

 

I thought preselecting was moving the splitter before you took it out of gear, then (optimally) the back box splits while you're completing your shift. I've stopped this practice and my shifts in the 13 have become smoother.

 

On a 13, in high range, I go from hi on the splitter, grab the whole next gear and then split down to low. When I split to high, I just barely press on the clutch so the synchro go in smooth without the slapping. I have always shifted any 13 speed this way. My transmission guy confirmed it was the correct way.

 

This is the correct way to shift a 13 spd particularly the earlier models. I you shift them any other way you will destroy the back box eventually

 

RTO and RTLO split differently. Need to know your model.

 

You preselect on a rtlo .
You don't on a RTO.

 

yup, get in a rto for the first time after years of rtlo and you will feel like an idiot.. BTDT