Stupid Newbie question.

[Egon]

Double clutching on the way up should be possible without throttle control. Going down it may be more difficult.

It also takes practice.

In some cases manuals can be shifted without the clutch with little problems. Again practice to coordinate throttle and the pressure required on the gearshift.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GeneD14]

Most Allis Chalmers tractors made in the 50's & 60's had what they called a "Power Director". It was a long hand lever on the tractor's right side that had Low Range, Neutral, and High Range. It was like a wet clutch that you could slip to gently take off or slow down. You could also start off slow in low range and once you got rolling shift into high range on the go, no clashing gears. I will attach a picture of one of my AC's that have the Power Director.

 

[GeneD14]

This is a 1959 D17 Allis Chalmers that also had the Power Director.

 

[beenthere]

Good looking AC in your pics.
I liked that 'hand' clutch that could be slipped. The AC's I drove were just prior to the two that you had pics of. They had the steel seats and the two-arm lift. Great tractors.

Great engines in the AC's. Could never figure out why they lost out in the competition wars. Bought up by Fiat, and not sure where they exist now.

Are parts for your AC's available through 'dealers' or mostly through other sources? I wondered that the other day when at an auction, and wild thoughts going through my head about bidding on three older AC's that looked in pretty good condition. Believe a couple were WD45's.

 

[RoyJackson]

My first question would be...how fast would you expect your tractor to go?

I think my Deere 790 can do about 12 MPH.

I know nothing about Jimna's, but you must remember most of these machines are a bit top heavy. One does not want to turn too quickly at a high (for a tractor) rate of speed.

Tractors are pulling machines...that's what they are geared for.

My second question would be...are you pulling a load? Don't expect the same braking you would get with your car. If you're pulling a load, the tractor brakes may not be adequate at a higher rate of speed.

I don't know how good the Jimna owner manuals are. I would be surprised if they delve as deeply into safety as the Deere manual do.

I strongly suggest you learn more about your tractor before driving at it's maximum speed.

All that said...I'm assuming you have a manual transmission with two or three ranges. I'm also assuming your Jimna has a hand throttle to set the RPM. For road use, select the top gear in high range. Ensure your throttle is set at a fairly low RPM. Let the clutch out smoothly, then increase your RPM's using the hand throttle. Use a nice smooth increase rather then jerky.
If it's just the tractor with no load being towed, the above technique should work for you. If you're towing a load, perhaps you could use a lower gear (or range) until you're on a level stretch, then follow the above procedure.

If you're towing a load or transporting an implement, you really want to run a bit slower. Remember, that towed load may weigh as much as the tractor. Definitely slow down for going down hill or any turns. Never coast!! If you knock it out of gear going down a hill or slope, you won't get it back in gear until the tractor stops. By that time, you might be lying in a ditch with a tractor setting atop you.

If you do feel like you're going too fast for the situation, lower the RPM first. Frankly, those brakes aren't going to slow you down too much. Engine braking (by lowering the RPM) works better. If you have to go down a slope, select a lower gear before going down that slope.

 

[GeneD14]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Are parts for your AC's available through 'dealers' or mostly through other sources? )</font>

Engine parts you can get at a dealer or through aftermarket sources. Sheetmetal just through the aftermarket. For the WD45 they make reproduction sheet metal like: fenders, hoods, tool boxes, etc... For most AC tractors made from the 1930's on up you can buy engine parts, steering linkage, clutch, brakes, bearings, just about anything mechanical.
Here is a picture of a big Allis Chalmers 210 that I had a few years ago.

 

[Boomerang1]

Semi Tractors do not have syncronized gears. I, along with most drivers, do not use a clutch when shifting and we do not grind gears. (well, maybe sometimes.) You need to find the rpm split between gears, then you can let up on the throttle enough to break torque, pull into neutral, let the rpms fall to where they need be and then slide the shift lever into the next higher gear. When down shifting, you need to raise the rpms to the correct amount.