Optimum RPM for shifting?

[KS farmboy]

Putting a Tack in my F2 1949 in hopes of improving shifting with the no synchro 4 speed. I swear that I found the recommended RPM per gear in my shop book years ago but can not find it now. Any one have information or success with this notion?

[Kurt in NJ]

It depended on the load and the road when I was driving the 46 1.5 ton truck— and how much noise I wanted to make.
Climbing a hill with a 2 ton load I would wind each gear out until it wouldn’t pull hard.
My father would check the fuel mileage and yell at me if it was under 18 mpg ( yes it would do that with a 2 ton load if I kept it under 65.)
There was a chart on the speedometer for each gear but the speedometer ended at 60

[rotorwrench]

I learned to drive in a 1952 Ford F3 with the old T8 4-speed and I had to learn to shift by ear. Over time, I got used to the sound pitch of the engine ( no tach ) at the best rpm at my own favored shift in points. This works both at upshift and down shift by rpm maching with the throttle. I was simply learning how to shift without any dog or gear grinding.

Ford used to put gear select ranges on the speedometer but they only did that for the larger trucks for the most part. My Pop had a 1948 F6 that we used for grain harvest until he purchased newer models. After that, it was seldom used by anyone but Pop or myself until he traded it off in the late 70s.

[Tim Ayers]

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[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

I learned to drive in a 1952 Ford F3 with the old T8 4-speed and I had to learn to shift by ear. Over time, I got used to the sound pitch of the engine ( no tach ) at the best rpm at my own favored shift in points. This works both at upshift and down shift by rpm maching with the throttle. I was simply learning how to shift without any dog or gear grinding.

Ford used to put gear select ranges on the speedometer but they only did that for the larger trucks for the most part. My Pop had a 1948 F6 that we used for grain harvest until he purchased newer models. After that, it was seldom used by anyone but Pop or myself until he traded it off in the late 70s.

I thought the F2's had that graphic on the speedo, but I'm assuming the original poster's speedo doesn't have that graphic. If you saw it, it's pretty clear.

[tubman]

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Was the graphic on the speedometer the optimum speed to shift or the maximum speed for that gear? I think it was the latter.

[mh_merc]

I actually enjoyed learning to double clutch in my '47 Merc/M-H, but I can also just "single" clutch and let the revs die down if I'm not in a hurry. Super-heavy gear oil helps too.

[Randy in ca]

Originally Posted by KS farmboy

Putting a Tack in my F2 1949 in hopes of improving shifting with the no synchro 4 speed. I swear that I found the recommended RPM per gear in my shop book years ago but can not find it now. Any one have information or success with this notion?

Originally Posted by mh_merc

I actually enjoyed learning to double clutch in my '47 Merc/M-H, but I can also just "single" clutch and let the revs die down if I'm not in a hurry. Super-heavy gear oil helps too.

-
My first thought also - have you tried double clutching?

[ford38v8]

I learned to shift a ‘58 brand x 6 cylinder with no clutch at all while taxiing Navy pilots at Miramar. It went very smoothly till I shifted into first in front of the admin building. That gravel driveway got me a Captain’s Mast.
Then there was the time on Guam with a loaded 10 ton dump truck going down a long grade…

[GB SISSON]

In Roger Huntington's excellent book 'How to Hop UP the Ford V8' , written in 1951, the final page contains only this anonymus poem:

A man is a man who will fight with a sword,
Or tackle Mt. Everest in snow
But the bravest of all has a '34 Ford,
Who will try for 6000 in Low.

[rotorwrench]

Originally Posted by tubman

Was the graphic on the speedometer the optimum speed to shift or the maximum speed for that gear? I think it was the latter.

I could only assume that Ford considered it optimum for speed and rpm. Basically running in the optimal torque band. This link has an example for 1948 through 1950. It shows 1st through 3rd since 4th gear is as far as it goes. The speed band for 3rd is the widest of the three.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/39770274714...Bk9SR9jC_5K_Zw

[glennpm]

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