Yes. If you can count to 2, you can shift from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd gear without double-clutching and without grinding gears.
For example, running in 1st gear, ready to shift to 2nd:
- Step on clutch and take foot off gas at the same time
- Shift from first to neutral, keep stepping on clutch
- Count slowly to 2 while shifter is in neutral, still stepping on the clutch
- Gently push the shifter over and up into 2nd and you will feel it drop right in when the gear RPMs match
- Let clutch out and go (step on gas)
If you hardly run the RPM up in 1st gear before you shift, then you only need to count to 1 in neutral. (This is not very common because everybody runs the RPM up before they shift, even though there is no need to.)
If you like to run the RPM up kind of high in 1st gear to accelerate before you shift, then you may need to count to 3 in neutral, instead of counting to 2, before going to 2nd gear.
If you are drag racing, you need to double-clutch!
The above works the same for 2nd to 3rd gear shifts. Count to 2 in neutral, then gently apply pressure to the shifter down toward 3rd gear position. You will feel it drop right in.
If your gears still grind a lot, try lowering the idle RPM. Also check the thickness of your transmission oil; it might be too thin (modern gear oil instead of 600W). The oil viscosity is what slows the spinning gears in the transmission, so it needs to be a bit goopy (technical term) to slow them down in 2 seconds.
If your gears grind a lot when the engine is cold, try shifting sooner (count to 1, then shift). The thick oil slows the spinning of the gears quicker when cold.
I hope this helps.
