VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Shifting to 2nd gear

I am having a problem with shifting from 1st to second gear unless I double-clutch.I have no problem going into 3rd. This is on my '32 coupe.I would appriciate any help. Thanks :rolleyes: :confused:

You must have a problem with the synchronizer or a bushing or rough shaft or other drag in the transmission. Do you know if you have the early (straight cut) or late (helical cut) gears? It will make some difference on how easy it is to shift from first to second.

Thanks for the response Chipper. I assume that I have the straight cut gears as the car was built in February 1932. Would you say, "live with it and keep double-clutching" or overhaul the trans.in hope that I find one of the problems you mentioned?

...just adapt to the car rather than adapt the car to you!

If you are going to drive your car a lot and really want to enjoy it, I would look at solving the problem rather than living with it.

You know, I always look at it this way. If I had the car up 'for sale,' what would a potential buyer think?? Would HE like it 'this' way - whatever 'this' way is??

Presumably the potential buyer wouldn't like it and 'it' would become a negotiating point. In other words, 'it' would add a 'hassle' to making the sale.

So, I say to myself, "self, why the he!l are you going to put up with 'this'?"

And then I almost always get about fixing 'it.'

Bill.

The early '32 with the straight cut 2nd gear should shift as well as a later '32 or any '33-'36 Master.The only difference was the straight cut gear was very noisy in 2nd gear....the late helical cut gear was advertised as the "silent second gear".This transmission will not sift as fast as the more modern 1937 and up...Although double clutching isn't necessary a fast shift will get some gear clash.

Thanks for all of your comments guys, Might be a good project when the snow flies, Till then, I'll just enjoy driving (and double clutching)

.. You can always put in a R2-D2 (700R4) automatic and go shiftless!

:( :( :( :(

Well if you are going to start modifying the car, rather than adapting your driving to the original equipment, why go half way?

tinnocker Do you need a spare transmission for parts. I have one with the freewheeling attached. You can have it if you pick it up I won't ship it. I'm near I-96 & M-23 in Michigan. Trans case is p/n 590532 & cast date B-32.

Who is talking about "modifying" anything. I'm sure that problem wasn't there when it was built. Repairing a problem isn't "modifying"

Sometimes Macky Wacky is the only one that understands his postings. The rest of us just have to guess at it! ha ha! At any rate, I don't think that he was talking about you modifying the car by repairing it...I think that he was talking about him modifying the car by adding a 700R4 transmission instead. At least....I think that is what he meant. But.....then again.....who knows? ha ha! :confused: :confused: :confused:

I don't know why JYD would want me to put in a R2D2 since a 400HT behind a 350 small block with TPI and a 605 power steering unit with tilt and cruise, and some power squeeze juice brakes,is my favorite setup. That isn't considered a Modification as long as it came from a pre 1980 Chevrolet, is it? (maybe I have been spending too much time over on the Chevy Talk site). Ha!

Really, I am in favor of upgradeing like putting a 54 standard transmission in a 50 up thru a 53... or a 53,54 powerglide in a 50 to a 52 for a more reliable job.

Tinnocker's comment about "repairing isn't modifying" makes sense to me.

I'm not so sure about the rest of the comments.

The idea of "just adapt to it" is really nutz to me.

In the meantime, Tinnocker can double-clutch around the problem and enjoy the car while the sun is out.

Bill.

See......I told ya that Macky Wacky's postings usually don't make any sense. :eek: That's why we call him "Macky Wacky"!

Well an explanation seems to be needed so here goes.

I think (in my opinion), I guess I am entitled to have an opinion?,

If you are going to drive a new car you will adapt yourself to it's quirks,... so if you want to drive an old car, adapt your self to its quirks rather than trying to get the old car to drive like a new car. If you can't stand to double clutch it with the drivetrain in it as it was sold new, then maybe the car ain't for you.

But if you want it to just look like you are driving an old car, modify it into a street rod,and do a good job of it, many do.

what is the problem understandng that?

P.S. I have driven many old cars and trucks that need to be double clutched to shift smoothly, that is just part of driving.

In the late '40s and early '50s we were lucky to have a '40s model Chevy that would start and run every day. I was lucky to have a good '40 Chevy sedan that looked good and drove good. MM is correct about working around the "quirks" of an old Chevy. There is always someting "wrong" with an old car. Some serious and some not so bad. There are a few things with my "41 Coupe that I would prefer that worked different or better but I just drive and enjoy the car.
How many of you had "hill starters" on your old cars. I couldn't afford to buy a battery very often so occasionally I used the "hill starter". It works good here in Missouri because you can park anyplace and be on a grade.
I never had a car that I had to double clutch but I did drive my brother-in-laws new 1953 GMC ton and a half a lot hauling cattle and hogs to St. Louis. You had to double clutch the truck.
So Tinknocker it looks like the majority of us feel you should adapt to the shifting problem and enjoy your car. I'm glad to see that so many of the people on this Chat agree on keeping everything original..
JIM

There was never any intention on my part not to keep it original. All this "modification talk" was generated by someone else,I merely asked the members opinion on whether to " live with what I have or repair to original" Would a sane person spend all the money it takes to restore a car to original,then modify the transmission? ? ? ?

Tinnocker, I guess when you asked for opinions you got some? That is one thing around here, there is never a shortage of opinions, high, low or right or wrong? there always are some!

Yes, I have seen some folks around the hobby, that did what you asked about, restore to original then for one reason or the other convert it to an easy shift or to a shiftless transmission, it seems they are more into changeing the car just for the sake of change... Have you ever belonged to a Street Rod or a restor-a-rod club or attended some of their meetings? It is somewhat different than VCCA!

Different strokes for different folks

Tinnocker: What YOU say is so OBVIOUS to anyone that's read all these posts. It proves to me once again that (lots of) people really DON'T thoroughly read "email" type stuff..... they just sorta 'speed read' it. And then they start pounding out a 'reply.'

There's lots of talk about 'modify' in hear. But NOT from YOU!!!

Here's a quote from Tinnockers post today @ 150pm:

Agreed!!!!

My 2 cents was why 'live' with something that's a hassle... something that's not working correctly?? It seems so much more sensible to (try to) figure out what the problem is and then go about fixing it.

I think some of these guys are just talking to hear themselves 'talk.'

Carry on.....

Good luck with whatever it is that's necessitating the double-clutching.

Bill.

Bill, and Tinnocker, any change to improve a correctly functioning transmission, like replacing the original gear with a newer version of a gear, would be a "modification" or is that stretching the meaning of modification? the alternative to a modification could be to adapt thy own driving style to the car, OK?

Oh, and another thing, I don't think modify or modification is always a "dirty" word!

Hey Macky Wacky! I think that you are misunderstanding this whole thread, or you did not read the beginning of the thread. "Tinnocker" is having a problem with the transmission in his 1932 Chevrolet. He cannot shift from first gear into second gear without double clutching. His 1932 transmission is a SYNCHROMESH! He should be able to shift from first gear into second gear without double clutching. Chipper told him that the problem is probably related to a synchronizer or a bushing. If he wants his transmission to function like it should, he needs to repair it. Fixing the transmission to make it "function correctly" as it came from the factory is not modifying the car....since the transmission was a synchromesh in the first place! :eek: