ok....at the risk of sounding incredibly green....what is the deal with big truck transmissions! i've got an FL70 with a little spicer 7 speed ,(which at 700,000 miles has been rebuilt thrice), so, i "tried" to test drive an FL106,(a sweet little old lady unknowingly gave me the keys cause her husband was'nt home), anyhoo....is it simply a matter of finesse going from one gear to the next or is there some kind of trick, cause i just could'nt keep her from grinding...used the clutch...then did'nt...even tried double clutching, which worked a little better but gadzooks.....18 clutch manipulations for every start...holy knee surgerys batman! a little help here please :7
eaton fuller 9 speed
- Thread starter grog111
- Start date
wallytrucker1
Expert Expediter
All in the rpm's, once you find that sweet spot, she'll slide right in. One of those things you gotta play with ,but usually after someone shows you,
As Wallytrucker said, it is knowing at what RPM's to shift at. Once you are used to it, you won't use the clutch at all except for starting and stopping. They aren't too bad after alittle practice.
I am lazy though, and much prefer a automatic.
Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator
I am lazy though, and much prefer a automatic.
Davekc
owner
21 years
PantherII
EO moderator
Nines are a little tight. I used to blow more shifts with the first nine I had, and my 8LL is as slick as a baby's skin. As guys said, its all in finding the sweet spot for clutchless shifting. 2 rules of thumb: don't rush and slow down; and rev to about 2000 then make the shift as the rpm falls to about 1500. I initially found it helps to count one-a-thousand. Once used to it, you would never go back to a cheap, medium duty synchro trans...
You will be amazed at how easy it is once you find the sweet spots. Go easy on the fuel pedal in the low range, you're in no big hurry to get up to speed.
dieselphreak2K
Expert Expediter
Learn progressive shifting... Shift up at 1600 rpm, down at 1200 and double-down at 800. saves fuel.
phatTweaker
Expert Expediter
I am currently working for a truck dealership and drive a variety of different transmissions.
My method for driving a non syncro'ed 8LL on up to 18 speeds is I take off in 3rd or 4th using clutch only then give it fuel once moving. In the low side I shift at roughly 200-300 rpm off idle or approx. 1200-1300rpm. In the high side I run up to 1500-1800 rpm depending on what rpms the truck likes.
I downshift at 1000rpm in high range and low range both or double down at 800rpm. When down shifting I've never paid much attention to what rpm I rev to, but I normally just shift to neutral then give a good bump of the throttle and complete the shift. Works well whether double clutching or floating(no clutch).
It goes allot easier if you pause for a second or so in neutral before completing the shift, especially in the high side. I think the general rule is to let 300-400rpm(in the high side)drop while in neutral before completing an up shift.
You can also use road speed if you miss a gear and have to hunt. 25mph 2+5=7th, 35mph 3+5=8th, etc.(works for a 10 speed).
Anyways I love to shift and will always have a soft spot in my heart for a good ole eaton/fuller 10 speed.
My method for driving a non syncro'ed 8LL on up to 18 speeds is I take off in 3rd or 4th using clutch only then give it fuel once moving. In the low side I shift at roughly 200-300 rpm off idle or approx. 1200-1300rpm. In the high side I run up to 1500-1800 rpm depending on what rpms the truck likes.
I downshift at 1000rpm in high range and low range both or double down at 800rpm. When down shifting I've never paid much attention to what rpm I rev to, but I normally just shift to neutral then give a good bump of the throttle and complete the shift. Works well whether double clutching or floating(no clutch).
It goes allot easier if you pause for a second or so in neutral before completing the shift, especially in the high side. I think the general rule is to let 300-400rpm(in the high side)drop while in neutral before completing an up shift.
You can also use road speed if you miss a gear and have to hunt. 25mph 2+5=7th, 35mph 3+5=8th, etc.(works for a 10 speed).
Anyways I love to shift and will always have a soft spot in my heart for a good ole eaton/fuller 10 speed.
excellent! had a chance to drive the truck again over the weekend and thanks to ya'll i understood the concept much better and was able to negotiate my way down the road. man...who'da thunk it'd be so different, i mean, i've been driving "stick" for almost 30 yrs. alot of my pre-concieved notions got chucked out the window! i'm sure it takes some time to re-wire the thought process though, there is so much more going on there! but man....it just feels so much healthier, no whining or clatter, no sloppiness...smooth, quiet. i ran her down the freeway and i wanted to hear it run in 9th...(well 8th...you know what i mean.) but when i got the rpm's up between 1500 and 2000 where my little cat usually runs at 60 mph this thing was doing 78...whoops! smooth as glass though! gotta love it!