Eaton Fuller 10spd Arrgh!

For me downshifting was a problem till I started downshifting every gear, yes every gear.... That was really easy to do and gave me plenty of repetition to learn the feel and not watch the tach.. My Instructor told me to do whatever I needed to do in order to feel comfortable in doing so I stayed with it.. Took a few weeks downshifting every gear and after that I had no problem hitting any gear on a downshift..... (well everybody still gets the oh crap miss no matter how long you been driving lol)

 

LOL - that's not a problem, that's a brainfart. and we all know farts are no problem unless they go solid on you

 

Grind em till you find em....

 

Those are some crazy gears for those speeds with an Eaton-Fuller 10-speed. If I dropped my truck to 7th at 45MPH, I don't know if my motor would blow, my driveshaft would drop, or my transmission would go. One thing I was told that may be helpful:
Add the numbers of your current speed, rounded to the nearest 5MPH mark. For instance, doing 30, round to 35. 3+5=8. 4+5=9. 5+5=10. 1+5=6. Of course, it might need a little revving up to get it into that gear (like 9th at 45MPH would be somewhere around 1400RPM), but at least it'll get you close to where you need to be. Anyway, after you've been driving a while, you'll know you can just give the motor a tiny bit of throttle and stick it in 10th at 45, if you're in no hurry.

 

Yep... it usually happens when you're pulling into the truckstop, and ten old-timers that have a collective 40 million miles, are sitting out front shootin' the bull (probably talking about shifting 5x4's).

Rev... rev... rev... rev... click... lug lug lug ('cause now the rpm's are too low).

 

that is right we are talking about those 4X4 & 5x4 or 5x2 or even 5x3 speed rears. I learned on a browning 5x2.. Pulling bulls... I still can do the reach through the steering wheel and shift with my left hand.

Also in time it will be sound and not what the speedometer or tach say. As you get use to a truck and drive it enough all you will have to is look at your speed and drop into the right gear. Just like it was an automatic.

 

I first started driving a semi when I was about thirteen hauling grain to town from the field on dirt roads. I learned how to drive in an old '67 model r 250 mack with a guadraplex trans. I never learned how to double clutch, just float and the main thing about any truck is the never should the stick be forced ever there is always a spot in there when the engine speed and ground speed and the gear matches up

 

As someone who had alot of problems with shifting, you may want to consider this.
First, the clutch brake is at the bottom portion of clutch travel. Only when the vehicle is completely stopped, you press the clutch all the way to the floor. This stops the transmission shafts so that you can get it into gear. ONLY when the vehicle wheels are not moving do you press the clutch to the floor.
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To prevent accidently activating the clutch brake, I adjust my seat more to the rear. If I can easily depress the clutch to the floor, I am to close to the steering wheel. When I have to stretch to get the clutch to the floor, I got the seat in the right position.
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For Detroit Series 60 engines, the general idea(low range) is start the upshift at 1,300 rpm and complete the shift (clutch out and in higher gear) by 1,000 rpm. This allows a 300 rpm drop for each gear. That puts you in gear in the "sweet spot" with no grinding and still in the torque curve so you can power up the rpm range.
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The details are: depress clutch halfway, shift to neutral, clutch out, pause, depress clutch halfway, shift to higher gear, clutch out. This sounds simple but exactly how long do you pause? You probably did not ask and the trainer probably did not provide the answer. The answer is to pause just long enough to get in gear with the clutch out at 1,000 rpm.
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I suggest that you be consistent and do not alter the speed that you move the shift lever. Change the length of your pause. To consistantly have the correct length of pause, you could use a state name like Alabama, letters like A-B-C or numbers like 6-7-8. If you start the shift at 1300 rpm, lengthen or shorten your pause so completion is at 1000 rpm or slightly above 1000 rpm. When it does not grind, congratulations you got it right. Once you have your word,numbers or letters that allow the right length of pause for YOU and THAT truck, it works for low range(gears 1-5) and high range (gears 6-10).
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For shifting in high range(gears 6-10) start your shift at 1,500 rpm and complete your shift at 1200 rpm. Everything else remains the same.
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Diesel engines create maximum torque at approximately 1,300 to 1,350 rpm. If you are shifting at or near the governed maximum rpm, You will have a lot of problems with grinding the gears. I have been there and done that. The smart person learns from their mistakes. The brillant person learns from other people's mistakes and does not make their mistakes his own. This is a general guideline adjust it to fit your individual situation. Good luck.

 

The clutch brake may also be used when upshifting on an up-grade. The truck is coasting in neutral during the shifting process. If the truck losses speed faster than the engine unwinds, and you anticipate missing the higher gear, jam the clutch brake to stop the input shaft. You will be in a hurry with this gear change, and it is attempted only when you are certain the engine will pull the grade in the higher gear.