Floating gears i just suck

I sometimes float gears, and sometimes double-clutch.

I have definitely noticed what you just described. If I am floating and the gears just aren't meshing right, I will start double clutching. After a couple gears, if I return to floating, the gears normally start meshing right again.

I have no idea what sort of mechanical adjustment might be happening. I've always just assumed it was more an unconsious adjustment of some sort between the pedal and steering wheel.

 

Double clutching when going up in gears is super-easy.

Clutch in.
Disengage gear.
Clutch out.
Clutch in.
Engage next gear.
Clutch out.

If you disengage and then re-engage in less than a second, the engine RPMs will fall far enough for a easy gear match. Delay too long and the engine RPM will fall too far and you have to goose the fuel a bit. On significant up-grades and down-grades, you have to act a bit faster.

Downshifting is exactly the same except you always have to goose the fuel between the first Clutch out and the new gear.

If you can float, you already pay close enough attention to the motor that learning to double clutch should be simple if you work at it a little.

 

When you shift without the clutch, try to watch your tach while upshifting. It will help you to know when you are exactly where the gear should go in.

Bear in mind if you are climbing a hill the truck will slow down faster and be hard to shift. If you are going downhill it also will be harder to shift as the truck picks up speed in neutral, maybe you could skip a gear if needed.

Downshifting is a matter of understanding your maximum RPMs and knowing what RPM's to go to find the lower gear.

Like most things that seem to be happening in trucking, the newer trucks are actually harder to shift without the clutch, I have found. The reason for this is because of the cut of the gears I believe.

On the older Transmissions, like the RTO 9513, say from the 80s era, you can actually feel the gears on every shift and you know whether you need to slow the RPMs or speed them up.

I suppose there is some reason they changed the cut of the gears, but it's so nice when you shift and you can feel every single tooth.

It may not be your fault because the newer Transmissions, in my opinion, stink just like the newer trucks stink.

There may be some newer Transmissions that shift well, but the ones I drove were lousy. Some were better than others, but none of the ones that I drove could shift like the old Transmissions.

They are harder to "feel for the gear".

 

You might be hitting the clutch brake, or possibly not fully disengaging.

The first little bit of travel does nothing. A lot of drivers rest their foot on the clutch at all times (guilty) so a little play keeps us from zorching the clutch.

After about an inch or so of travel, the clutch will start to disengage, and stay disengaged for most of the full stroke. Two inches of movement on the clutch is normally enough to shift without dragging the clutch.

Pressing the clutch all the way in engages the clutch brake, which is something that you should rarely need. If you pop out of gear at a high engine RPM, then stop, getting back into gear to start the truck moving without grinding is a lot easier if you engage the clutch brake.

So, there is a sweet spot on the clutch for shifting. It is a really big sweet spot for most trucks.

 

Think about it in terms of Road speed vs gear vs engine speed.

If you drive the same truck everyday, get used to what gear you are in for a particular mile-per-hour.

So know that when you are doing 30 miles an hour you are in 5th gear or when you are doing 20 miles an hour you're in 3rd gear or whatever the case may be.

If you know what gear you're supposed to be in for what road speed then you have to find the correct RPM to shift up or down.

If you watch your tachometer also you begin to see a pattern.

Then concentrate on listening to the engine. Because if you know when it's time to up shift or when it's time to downshift your timing will be correct and you'll be able to hear it in the engine.

Pay attention and keep practicing. You'll get it.