• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Deuce and a half questions about transmission

HDN

Well-known member
2,112
5,088
113
Location
Finger Lakes Region, NY
Now take that up one notch and learn to shift without using the clutch. It is a real good feeling to be able to shift by throttle and engine RPM alone.
I had to drive a platoon of my fellow Marines back to base after the clutch got stuck and would not release. That was three hours of fun !
My dad can do that, though he's been a trucker all his life!

My first daily drivers both had a 5-speed manual transmission. I learned stick on a 1999 Wrangler Sport with the 4.0L and drove a 2005 Toyota Corolla with a 5-speed stick for awhile. In addition I've driven a few pieces of green iron with manual transmissions. It's a good skill to learn even as they get fewer in new vehicles!

That said I never would've guessed that my first MV would have an automatic transmission in it! Some day I'll get an older one with a manual to teach the kids how to work it.

A manual trans is also a millennial anti-theft device...
True that!!!
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,280
2,988
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
I can do that Rusty, but normally don't. Never tried it from 1st to 2nd though.
It's fairly easy to go from 1st to 2nd . You cannot go from 2nd to 1st though since 1st has no synchro's. When I drove the Deuce with the platoon in back, I had to stop the truck at stop lights. Then put the truck in 1st. Then start the truck up in gear and go from there.
Thankfully the batteries where fairly new and fully charged !
 

Mullaney

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
7,716
19,766
113
Location
Charlotte NC
It's fairly easy to go from 1st to 2nd . You cannot go from 2nd to 1st though since 1st has no synchro's. When I drove the Deuce with the platoon in back, I had to stop the truck at stop lights. Then put the truck in 1st. Then start the truck up in gear and go from there.
Thankfully the batteries where fairly new and fully charged !
.
Driving a stick and understanding how to change gears "at the right time" is a skill.

My motivation to learn that at 16 was a 1967 Camaro with a three speed Saginaw.
Dad figured that was a good way to give me a reason to learn a stick.
That paid dividends because back then, school buses were manual too...
 

msgjd

Well-known member
1,080
3,317
113
Location
upstate ny
.
Driving a stick and understanding how to change gears "at the right time" is a skill.

My motivation to learn that at 16 was a 1967 Camaro with a three speed Saginaw.
Dad figured that was a good way to give me a reason to learn a stick.
That paid dividends because back then, school buses were manual too...
My motiovation at a much earlier age was a '55 john deere 40 and a '53 farmall SM. By 13 it was mastering (sort-of) a '51 international L122 pickup with a scraper box 4sp .. No matter what one did, 2nd / 3rd shift and the 4th / 3rd shift would always scratch or scrape, right up to the day I swapped it out for a synchro from a '54.. I have a '51 L184 and '53 L173 both with 5sp scraper boxes that shift very nice, oddly, in comparison. When warm, that pair can be treated like the roadrangers in the big trucks with no need to clutch up or down. Have a '53 ex-Army L173 short wheelbase dump with same 5-speed, I wonder if that will shift just as nice if i ever live long enough to have time to get it running

A M123/125 will force you to learn no clutch shifting: no synchros.
DG
YUP! Exactly !! got my 1st taste of M123's at Fort Lost in the Woods
 
Last edited:

msgjd

Well-known member
1,080
3,317
113
Location
upstate ny
I thought A3s were multifuel.
You are not totally off-base with that thought... A multifuel A3 does exist in the form of the M109A3... I can find no difference other than it's "clean air" engine and turbo perhaps. I am confused as to why those were designated A3 instead of following the old logic of becoming something like "M109A2C". .. But then again, since when is there consistent "logic" with military? :rolleyes:
 

HDN

Well-known member
2,112
5,088
113
Location
Finger Lakes Region, NY
You are not totally off-base with that thought... A multifuel A3 does exist in the form of the M109A3... I can find no difference other than it's "clean air" engine and turbo perhaps. I am confused as to why those were designated A3 instead of following the old logic of becoming something like "M109A2C". .. But then again, since when is there consistent "logic" with military? :rolleyes:
There were two iterations of the M109 shop van on the M45A2 chassis - the M109A2 and M109A3. The M109A4 happens to be the 4th iteration of the M109 shop van but on an M44A3 ESP chassis. Crazy, huh? o_O
 

msgjd

Well-known member
1,080
3,317
113
Location
upstate ny
Now take that up one notch and learn to shift without using the clutch. It is a real good feeling to be able to shift by throttle and engine RPM alone.
I had to drive a platoon of my fellow Marines back to base after the clutch got stuck and would not release. That was three hours of fun !
The T/O bearing failed on one of the 818's a few years ago during a 250-mile round-trip haul with the stepdeck trailer, fortunately it happened on the return leg and was empty at that point... Luckily had about 45 miles left to go, mostly uphill and fairly desolate secondary roads at that point. So glad it happened AFTER going thru a very busy town , only because of the attention these trucks get and the perceived embarrassment of having to use the starter to get it rolling at any streetlights . . Low range is very handy, and if one knows where the splits are, i give you bonus points ! (y)
 
Last edited:
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks