Pushing shifter hard?? Trainer screaming at me while I'm shifting.

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Kevink123, Jan 20, 2021.

  1. Kevink123

    Kevink123 Bobtail Member

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    Jan 20, 2021
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    I'm in my 3rd week of conpany driving school and take my road test in 9 days. We have two trucks for training, same year both Eaton 10's sinilar mileage. One has a great clutch but the trans is close to shot and the gearbox can only be described as crooked or bent?, the other a good trans but a pretty bad clutch.

    Students have voted and we unanimously voted to take the good transmission for our tests.

    One of my two trainers keeps screaming at me while driving for pushing the shifter around "to hard" while double clutching in the truck with the s*** clutch. I'm not like slamming it in, just giving it a good push That's the only problem shifting im really having other than maybe once every 25 shifts or or so I'll grind a gear or miss a shift but I will almost immediately catch a lower one.

    This is where my problem is arising, I get nervous and start making other minor mistakes like not downshifting quickly enough because this guy, is literally screaming at me and telling me I'm driving erratically all because of the amount of force im putting on the shifter. I'm also concerned because of the way im shifting I'll mess the test truck up.

    I'm only doing it because the clutch is shot. He p***** me off to the point that I tried to shift with two fingers like he claimed I should be able to today and couldnt get into 7th and just ground gears, had to come to a complete stop in a 30mph zone, at which point I was informed I would of failed my test for impeding traffic.

    What do I do? Do I continue to put a little extra pressure on the shifter and just ignore the old drunk or do I continue to impede traffic while I try to find a smooth spot in the clutch? Will putting a little extra pressure on the selector hurt anything realistically since it doesn't have synchronizers?

    I'm able to shift the other truck with a single finger btw and the other students are also being screamed at for it.
     
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  3. Kevink123

    Kevink123 Bobtail Member

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    Also will I get points taken off my road test for pushing the shifter hard? I'm in Pennsylvania.
     
  4. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    The way I see it, if you can hear or feel the gears clashing when you try and go into gear, its abuse. If you're pusing it hard and it falls in with no noise or gear clash, its not abuse and its just a transmission with a problem.
     
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  5. SmallPackage

    SmallPackage Road Train Member

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    I’m corious as to how that trans shifts with the instructor doing it. Sounds to me like anyone would have a problem with it.

    Next time you drive it see if you can actually select gears without relying on the clutch to release. Just try to fake the peddle movement like you are using it but don’t actually push it far enough to release it. See if that helps make the stick move in/out of gear smoother and softer.

    I say this only because you sound like you have a better grasp on shifting then most. After you do the double clutch dance for the training and license road test you can throw that out the window in the real world anyway.
     
  6. Kevink123

    Kevink123 Bobtail Member

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    Jan 20, 2021
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    Thank you, I will try that. Part of me wants to believe he's just yelling about anything he can to try to get under my skin to see how I handle pressure. I checked with a diesel mechanic friend of mine and he said from what I described the only thing I could maybe hurt as long as I'm not forcing it in and grinding the gears, would be the shift linkage.

    I already know how to float gears like a champ and have been double clutching downshifts in my stage 2 wrx for years and am well aware that the examiners will not expect me to shift perfectly as long as I can find my next shift.
     
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  7. SoulScream84

    SoulScream84 Road Train Member

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    Sounds like you have the typical can't actually drive trainer. Those trucks go through a metric #### ton of learning abuse, and even an occasional grind won't hurt you with MOST inspectors who know the equipment.

    Forgot to ask, how are the shifts themselves? Are you experiencing lurching, major velocity changes, etc? Also what gear are you typically in while turning to avoid grabbing gears during the process?
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2021
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