Downshifting from 3rd to 2nd

C

chris_m78

New member
I've gotten Dad's 29 tudor out that has been sitting for the last 3 years. I've changed all the fluids and greased everything to start driving it. I've mastered double clutching to go up through the gears, but cannot downshift for the live of me. I try double clutching, and also feather the throttle and cannot get it to go from 3rd to 2nd until I'm almost stopped. What am I doing wrong? I am running the 600w oil in the ****** from mikes afordable. Thanks.
 
Double clutching is OK for upshifts, but, really not needed. Just take your time, slow down and it'll upshift just fine.

Downshifts are a bit different as you have found. Just push in the clutch, push lever from 3rd to neutral, raise engine speed and hold that engine speed, let out clutch, push clutch back in, easily slip lever into 2nd, let clutch out. You'll probably need to raise the engine speed more than you first think.

Practice makes perfect.
 
Back when I used my '29 coupe as a daily driver, I had to make a hard (more than 90*) right turn off of a fast moving 4-lane to a narrow 2-lane. Almost all of the time, there was another car waiting to get onto the 4-lane. The way I did the down-shift from 3 to 2 was to let off the gas and push in the clutch and then push the shifter shifter into neutral. Let out the clutch and then I would rev the engine with the hand throttle, all the while steering around the corner and trying to brake some as well. Then as soon as I could get the right hand from the throttle to the shifter I would push in the clutch and move the shifter up to second gear. Finally let out the clutch and add gas as needed. Never did badly, but got to where there was no noise or grinding of any kind. Give it a try.
 
I would take the car as slow in 3rd as you can then, push in the clutch, shift it to neutral, let the clutch out, tap the accelerater, push in the clutch, then shift to 2nd and let the clutch out.. The amount of gas and speed as "guesses".. By taking it slow, you should be close...

Remember, this is learning to shift a non-synchronized transmission so it's learning all over again..
 
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Have someone from a Model A club drive your car. Perhaps there is a problem with your clutch adjustment. If that is okay, have the person watch as you demonstrate your procedure. A minor tweak may be all it takes. I was teaching a chap to drive a AA truck that drove beautifully. He ground the gears and I couldn't seem to impress on him that double clutching isn't stabbing the clutch pedal to the floor twice and then cramming the shifter into the next gear. On upshifts you need to pause with the pedal down while the gears slow down so they will slide together. On a down shift it is reversed, you shift into neutral, rev the engine to a bit above the speed it will be tuning when in the lower gear, immediately put the clutch peddle in and shift to the next lower gear. It is a two footed and one arm maneuver and getting the timing correct take a few attempts for most of us. I have found that none of my three cars all shift alike, but I have to treat each as it likes best.
 
Hi just get a old truck driver I drove truck a long time and when I got my model a had no trouble at all John
 
chris_m78 said:
I've gotten Dad's 29 tudor out that has been sitting for the last 3 years. I've changed all the fluids and greased everything to start driving it. I've mastered double clutching to go up through the gears, but cannot downshift for the live of me. I try double clutching, and also feather the throttle and cannot get it to go from 3rd to 2nd until I'm almost stopped. What am I doing wrong? I am running the 600w oil in the ****** from mikes afordable. Thanks.
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YOU WILL ALSO BE BETTER IF YOU DON'T SHIFT INTO 2 ND at speeds over 15 mph, if your running gear is orig. gearing. just practice. Have fun model A tony tony white Lafayette, LA
 
you must rev the motor while ****** is in neutral and the clutch is OUT, if the clutch is in when you rev it doesn't work.
 
modelAtony said:
YOU WILL ALSO BE BETTER IF YOU DON'T SHIFT INTO 2 ND at speeds over 15 mph, if your running gear is orig. gearing. just practice. Have fun model A tony tony white Lafayette, LA
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I go along with this and as you get the hang of it, you will be able to shift at higher speeds. If you listen to the motor at say, 20mph in second, that is at least the number of revs the motor should be doing when you try to engage second. You will have to rev it higher than that as it will loose revs quickly while you press the clutch again and shift the lever. Practice, practice, practice.
 
There is a big gap in the gear ratios from 3rd to 2nd......most folks do not rev the engine fast enough when down shifting, and the faster you are going, the higher the revs or blip of the throttle needs to be. Practice makes perfect & you will soon get the hang of it.
 
Agree with all here, just to share my experience, I've found that trying to change down 3rd to 2nd at anyhing much above 10 - 15 mph produces a bit of a crunch fest. Take away for me is to respect your elders she's not a modern car :)
 
Just put a little Kid in your car & listen, as he "downshifts"--Mimic what he does & you can become a MASTER!
I could downshift Minerva from high to second @ 30 to 35, without a whisper. Chief taught me this, at an early age.
WARNING: Be SURE to master down shifting, before doing STEEP hills/mountains!!!
Bill W.
 
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The trick is - when reving up the engine in neutral with the clutch out, the RPM of the engine needs to be approximately the same as it would be in 2nd when going at said vehicle speed. Comes only with lots of practice and getting a feel for your vehicle. Same is true for shifting from 2nd to 1st.
 
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