Sure, the transmission is odd. But here's a bunch of other groundbreaking features that make these old Fords really stand out, for good or for bad! th-cam.com/video/8CMRn9VUfaQ/w-d-xo.html
Glad I found your channel, good content and great presentation style. And, always enjoy listening to that beautiful flathead V8 - among the most beautiful sounds in the world. Thank you
An experienced driver can shift 2->1 while rolling without any gear clash by "rev matching." This is done by double-clutching and goosing the accelerator pedal to bring up the revs. The driver will then gently "feel his way" into first gear. It is also possible to do the shift without using the clutch by feathering the gas to the point where the engine is neither powering the vehicle forward or slowing the vehicle with engine breaking. This allows the tranny to slide into neutral, goose the gas, and soundlessly slide into first gear. I've used this no-clutch rev-match shifting successfully when nursing a car home with a failed clutch actuator (linkage, cable, or hydraulic). This technique avoids a costly towing fee. Rev-matching facilitates smooth and damage-free shifting from any forward gear to any other forward gear. Starting from rest calls for a different technique. With the engine off, engage first gear. Operate the starter motor. Assuming a well-charged battery and good starter the engine will start and simultaneously the vehicle will lurch into motion. Been there, done that.
I am really enjoying these videos. I have been driving a stock 1940 Ford for just under 50 years now and like to see your stock '36 in such excellent condition! Great information too!
Yep, that's the standard 3 on the floor pattern. Jeeps (military and civilian) had it. It's like the 3-on-the-tree shift pattern moved to the floor. Also, had a college roommate who had a 1970 Mustang with the straight 6, and three on the floor.
Little tip for 8:42 - Try giving it some throttle with the foot off the clutch in neutral before shifting into 1st. (Imagine neutral is a gear as well, that often helps to understand the concept). It brings the transmission up to speed - and if you hit it right, you can just drop 1st straight in without any grind or hesitation. Granted, 2nd to 1st is the toughest shift. I've practiced by going certain speeds in certain gears and making a mental note of the engine noise (or tach reading in your case). Rev the engine to that point by memory (the faster you go, the higher the rev), and it matches close enough for the transmission to be happy :)
Thanks for the comment, Adrian! I've never tried double-clutching to grab first gear while moving, but I suppose it would be no different than shifting a Model A or any other "crash box." I'll have to give this a shot... - Craig
Great channel, the algorithm did on your suggestion 🎉🎉 great info, nice cinematography, audio is mint, humor is spot on. Definitely see this as a new top contender to the car enthusiast favorite list.
Driving such cars back in the day was truly a skill requiring task. Not like today. I once drove 60s car and it was HARD. Engine had to be kept alive by keeping accelerator slightly pressed, gears felt like they were "somewhere here" and brakes would only start working after few presses (no hydraulics at all)
Any and every car or truck in the 60s had hydraulic brakes. Possibly manual, not power brakes, but hydraulic. Mechanical brakes disappeared in the 30s.
Yet another fantastic video Craig! Next you've got to cover Columbia 2-speeds and the Borg-Warner R10 Overdrive like my '50 has! 😉 The early V8 3-speeds were a notable improvement over the old Model A non-synchro sliding gear 3-speed. (Which honestly isn't too bad...just not for hot-rodding) Actually the '39 transmission seems to be a go-to for early Ford hot-rodders, though 2nd gear can be their weakness. My grandfather had a '39 sedan with a 331 Cadillac mated to the Ford trans. It was dismantled on the kitchen table more than once! Also worth noting, the early Ford V8 museum in Auburn, Indiana has a fantastic working cutaway of an early Ford 3-speed! I think that has become my 2nd favorite car museum, only behind the Gilmore! Love the fantastic flathead sound of that '36, and of course the iconic flathead starter sound! Look forward to more content from you! Hope to get these old Fords together sometime too!
Sounds like the three on the tree. Had the chance to take an European car with a similar configuration for a spin and it was a bit challenging to take off at rush hour on a busy road. (1961 built, all syncro but 1st recommended only for taking off) Also found the 1-2 shifting the most challenging because it's up-deep(towards the dashboard)-up. But low-end torque meant I could take a roundabout in the top gear and gently pick up speed on my way out. Probably the best feature of that era and configuration is that you can drive for hours in a row without shifting (just keep the top gear).
Yes, you are correct. The shift pattern is the same as a three-on-the-tree, or perhaps, the three-on-the-tree shift pattern is the same as this. Thanks for watching! - Craig
The car is happiest at about 45 mph, but it'll do 60 all day long without any trouble. At highway speeds, the V8 really wants to run, and has no trouble accelerating up to 70 mph and well beyond with surprising ease. (I say surprising because the car only has around 100 horsepower and the aerodynamics are worse than a jackknifed tractor-trailer. 🤣) Thank you for your comment! - Craig
ATTENTION CITIZENS: If you feel as though you couldn't figure all this out, on your own, in less than 5 minutes, please stay off the road. Driving requires thought, perception and dexterity. Figuring out how to shift a simple H-pattern 3 speed with reverse is about as easy as it gets. Don't believe me? Try driving (and starting) a model T sometime.
I clicked on this video expecting to learn something, nope its like driving any old manual car except no syncro on first. Yet he didnt even try double clutching..
Clutches are for amateurs. And syncros just slow your shifts down. You should be able to downshift all the way using heel toe of your right foot, for the gas and the brake, never touching the clutch
Sure, the transmission is odd. But here's a bunch of other groundbreaking features that make these old Fords really stand out, for good or for bad! th-cam.com/video/8CMRn9VUfaQ/w-d-xo.html
The transmission is not that odd. If you want odd try driving a Model T.
Glad I found your channel, good content and great presentation style. And, always enjoy listening to that beautiful flathead V8 - among the most beautiful sounds in the world. Thank you
Thanks so much! Appreciate your comment.
- Craig
An experienced driver can shift 2->1 while rolling without any gear clash by "rev matching." This is done by double-clutching and goosing the accelerator pedal to bring up the revs. The driver will then gently "feel his way" into first gear.
It is also possible to do the shift without using the clutch by feathering the gas to the point where the engine is neither powering the vehicle forward or slowing the vehicle with engine breaking. This allows the tranny to slide into neutral, goose the gas, and soundlessly slide into first gear.
I've used this no-clutch rev-match shifting successfully when nursing a car home with a failed clutch actuator (linkage, cable, or hydraulic). This technique avoids a costly towing fee.
Rev-matching facilitates smooth and damage-free shifting from any forward gear to any other forward gear.
Starting from rest calls for a different technique. With the engine off, engage first gear. Operate the starter motor. Assuming a well-charged battery and good starter the engine will start and simultaneously the vehicle will lurch into motion. Been there, done that.
I am really enjoying these videos. I have been driving a stock 1940 Ford for just under 50 years now and like to see your stock '36 in such excellent condition! Great information too!
The '40 Ford is an awesome car. Thanks for watching!
- Craig
Love the sights and sounds of the old Flathead! Thanks for sharing! Beautiful old car too!
That was a fun video. I think this channel is going to do well!
Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed the video.
- Craig
Yep, that's the standard 3 on the floor pattern. Jeeps (military and civilian) had it. It's like the 3-on-the-tree shift pattern moved to the floor. Also, had a college roommate who had a 1970 Mustang with the straight 6, and three on the floor.
Yes, nothing odd about it for older cars. My first car, a '68 Mustang was this way.
That's standard pattern for a 3-Speed Direct. Standard pattern for a 3-Speed OD had 2-3 reversed.
Little tip for 8:42 - Try giving it some throttle with the foot off the clutch in neutral before shifting into 1st.
(Imagine neutral is a gear as well, that often helps to understand the concept).
It brings the transmission up to speed - and if you hit it right, you can just drop 1st straight in without any grind or hesitation.
Granted, 2nd to 1st is the toughest shift.
I've practiced by going certain speeds in certain gears and making a mental note of the engine noise (or tach reading in your case). Rev the engine to that point by memory (the faster you go, the higher the rev), and it matches close enough for the transmission to be happy :)
Thanks for the comment, Adrian! I've never tried double-clutching to grab first gear while moving, but I suppose it would be no different than shifting a Model A or any other "crash box." I'll have to give this a shot...
- Craig
Great channel, the algorithm did on your suggestion 🎉🎉 great info, nice cinematography, audio is mint, humor is spot on. Definitely see this as a new top contender to the car enthusiast favorite list.
Thank you so much! We're glad you're enjoying the content!
Driving such cars back in the day was truly a skill requiring task. Not like today. I once drove 60s car and it was HARD. Engine had to be kept alive by keeping accelerator slightly pressed, gears felt like they were "somewhere here" and brakes would only start working after few presses (no hydraulics at all)
Any and every car or truck in the 60s had hydraulic brakes. Possibly manual, not power brakes, but hydraulic. Mechanical brakes disappeared in the 30s.
@davidkeeton6716 well, no :D. I am talking about hydraulic assist
Yet another fantastic video Craig! Next you've got to cover Columbia 2-speeds and the Borg-Warner R10 Overdrive like my '50 has! 😉
The early V8 3-speeds were a notable improvement over the old Model A non-synchro sliding gear 3-speed. (Which honestly isn't too bad...just not for hot-rodding) Actually the '39 transmission seems to be a go-to for early Ford hot-rodders, though 2nd gear can be their weakness. My grandfather had a '39 sedan with a 331 Cadillac mated to the Ford trans. It was dismantled on the kitchen table more than once!
Also worth noting, the early Ford V8 museum in Auburn, Indiana has a fantastic working cutaway of an early Ford 3-speed! I think that has become my 2nd favorite car museum, only behind the Gilmore!
Love the fantastic flathead sound of that '36, and of course the iconic flathead starter sound! Look forward to more content from you! Hope to get these old Fords together sometime too!
Thanks so much for watching!
- Craig
Sounds like the three on the tree. Had the chance to take an European car with a similar configuration for a spin and it was a bit challenging to take off at rush hour on a busy road. (1961 built, all syncro but 1st recommended only for taking off)
Also found the 1-2 shifting the most challenging because it's up-deep(towards the dashboard)-up.
But low-end torque meant I could take a roundabout in the top gear and gently pick up speed on my way out.
Probably the best feature of that era and configuration is that you can drive for hours in a row without shifting (just keep the top gear).
Yes, you are correct. The shift pattern is the same as a three-on-the-tree, or perhaps, the three-on-the-tree shift pattern is the same as this. Thanks for watching!
- Craig
You either float into 1st gear or double clutch if you're going slow enough for first you can double clutch into 1st with no grind
I have a n orignal 36 Ford pickup, i just shift very slow, and i can double clutch , and get it into first gear
Ah, good to know! Whenever I've tried to grab first while moving it makes terrible noises.
- Craig
What's the cruising speed you drive at my 31 model a will do 55 on a flat road but in hills about 40
The car is happiest at about 45 mph, but it'll do 60 all day long without any trouble. At highway speeds, the V8 really wants to run, and has no trouble accelerating up to 70 mph and well beyond with surprising ease. (I say surprising because the car only has around 100 horsepower and the aerodynamics are worse than a jackknifed tractor-trailer. 🤣) Thank you for your comment!
- Craig
@AutoEsoterica lol that's fantastic thanks for sharing your car online! Antique cars are a blast
What's shifting? what's a v8? -kids now
Im wondering why he doesnt double clutch into first? I was born this century too
ATTENTION CITIZENS: If you feel as though you couldn't figure all this out, on your own, in less than 5 minutes, please stay off the road. Driving requires thought, perception and dexterity. Figuring out how to shift a simple H-pattern 3 speed with reverse is about as easy as it gets. Don't believe me? Try driving (and starting) a model T sometime.
I clicked on this video expecting to learn something, nope its like driving any old manual car except no syncro on first. Yet he didnt even try double clutching..
Clutches are for amateurs. And syncros just slow your shifts down. You should be able to downshift all the way using heel toe of your right foot, for the gas and the brake, never touching the clutch
Very american 3 speeds