Having problems shifting to first gear

[TracidTrax]

im having problems shifting to first gear when the car is in motion. eg: im going around 15km/h around a bend and i wanna gear down from second to first i have to use a bit off force to get it into first though if my car is idle or going under 5km/h theres no problem at all.

Any 1 got any ideas on what the problem is?

[Zahos]

ur not suppossed to put it into first once you pull it out.

There is an old thread on here somewhere. Have a search for it...

[eXc]

Double clutching is the way to go if you need to get it in 1st while moving more than walking pace.

[Jax]

Not the gearbox-----Driver. Pity you're so far away, I'd teach you how to do it !!

[R33Hesh]

yeah, use the cluth. dont try to force the 1st gear in. specialy whn the car is in moting, DEF not at 15k

[someonestolecc]

heh a good rule is not to downshift into 1st. If you have trouble doing it you shouldn't be doing it, especially not 15kmh

[Duncan]

just blip up when you do the downshift, if you get it right it will go straight in, every time

[dangerous_daveo]

I thought if your below 40kmh you do it. Get a good jump that way

But yeah, technically you shouldnt do it.

[(B1) MR_fanny]

why would you want to put it in first anyways?

[TracidTrax]

why would you want to put it in first anyways?

everytime im about to pull up to my driveway i have to slow down to the max to put it into first, y cant i put it into first while im a few metres from my driveway?

[Jax]

We sure do get some funny opinions on here. Like the [apparently] commonly held view that there is something technically wrong with changing back to 1st gear. No more than changing back to any lower gear! If you syncronise the speed of rotation of the gear driven by the engine, with that of the gear driven by the wheels - Viola!! or Presto!!! or whatever, then they will mesh easily and silently, and no damage done, and why not?

The syncromesh normally does this for you, but it becomes harder for the mechanism to syncronise speeds, the lower the gear, and the further apart are the revs of the 2 gears. Don't think my one finger could take writing a full description of how and why on this, however........

You actually can do this syncronising yourself by "double-declutching" sometimes known as 'doubling the clutch',which among other things will make your Syncros last virtually forever. It's a slower method of changing, but I habitually do it all the time, except when some nut 'has a go' and annoys me.

If anybody really wants a run-down of how to do it,I will,reluctantly write it up. Trouble is, it sounds much more complex than it is, albeit after a bit of practice.

With that in mind,when I went out to-day, I thought I'd see just what was possible [R32 GTSt] -- The first surprise I got was at the 1st Round a bout, when I found that I normally change back into 1st at between 15 and20k, because the exit of this round a bout, goes into one lane and there is mostly some Galah, who has gone around the outside, and is going to beat you to the one lane.. NOT!!!

I found that I do the change back to 1st so naturally, that I was not even aware of it.

So,,,,,,, I did some experiments and found it perfectly easy up to 30k. Got more difficult over 35k, in that you needed to be more precise with revs. As around 40k is about [i find] about the fastest USEFUL speed when going UP in 1st gear, there was'nt much point in trying anything else, but it would be possible, but useless, up to your rev limit.

[Duncan]

Hey Jax, no need to type up the double clutching story in here, they can just search for "double + clutch" its been covered in some detail on here before

[Jax]

Yeah, I looked and found it. My advice to anyone who does'nt already know all about it, to stay away from it. About 50% of it is wrong and the other 50% of it is not right!!! No, it's not quite that bad, but at least 50% of the opinion is wrong and the rest is only slightly more difficult to understand than the theory of relativity. They've all ignored the function of 'baulk rings', which is why Tracid Trax originally thought there was something the matter with his gearbox, because it was just plain not possible to force it in. Therefore,that's why those who say that double de-clutching is'nt necessary, or is a waste of time, are WRONG.

It allows you to go into a gear you want to go into, by the use of knowledge and skill, when the wonderful 'Do everything for you - you don't need to know, Syncromesh gearbox' fails. Before anybody trys to explain the double de-clutching method, or what syncromesh does would be well advised to first find out how a basic gearbox works.

[R33S2]

As an apprentice our work truck was an international with no syncros so I had to learn pretty damm fast how to double clutch. they way I learnt was to listen to to revs (no taco)at certain speeds so if I had to change to that gear at that speed i'd rev to that sound and it would slip in with no crunch, up was allways easier than down.

[Duncan]

hahah no synchros is a great way to learn. The other way is to drive the car without using the clutch for a while, you will soon know if you are getting it right or not

But Jax, don't you agree there is no real benefit to double declutching if your sychros are OK? We have had a lot of synchro trouble with our race cars but when they are OK good old heal toeing is all that is required

[Jax]

No, sorry, I don't agree. Unless the clutch is engaged when you rev the engine, then you don't bring the engine driven gears up to match the gears driven by the wheels. If you don't get those speeds right [with no,or worn syncros] or close, with good syncros, then the baulk rings will stop the gears meshing.

I know nothing about Eastern Creek, left Sydney before it existed, but very familiar with Oran Pk, Amaroo and most other Aust circuits, and agree that, as there are no, to my knowledge,1st gear corners anywhere [unless you lost it] then what you say is OK for circuit racing, BUT, I was addressing the original question of this thread. He needs to get it in 1st., and in an efficient way, and as I do on that round a bout the only way is by doubling the clutch. [There may have been a hillclimb or two around which may have had a 1st gear corner -- maybe there still is?]

By the way, some gearboxes won't come out of gear without using clutch - most will so long as throttle is floating or backed off. I had several GTR Toranas and none of them, M21 g/boxes, could be got out of gear without the clutch [not without so much force that you went straight thru neutral into another gear. Lost clutch several times - bloody nightmare]

By the way,again - like to see someone enter that round a bout with me and come out in front, without using 1st gear and without doubling clutch - Horses for courses.