Yesterday we opened the gear box on Solan. The trouble has been like this:

I can change freely to any gear position as long as the engine is running and the car is not rolling. When the car is rolling and I try to change from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd lots of noise and resistance comes from the box. The clutch uncouples as it should. Correct oil level in the box.

Yesterday we checked, but could not find any reason for the difficulty to shift gear properly. We even tried to "drive" by lifting the rear wheels from the ground, and no trouble was noticed.

Anyone coming up with some bright ideas?

Hi Solan

Has the problem become worse? Suddenly? To me it sounds as the normal problem with this type of gear boxes. After 2 500 miles practicing I'm quite happy if three out of four gear changings is noiseless or with little noice. One thing that I've lerned is that I have to be quite fast shifting from 1st to 2nd and from 2nd to 3rd. Often the change is best if I don't make any stop at all in the neutral position. I guess it depends on that the engine revs slows very fast.

The gears in my gear box are quite worn. Three years ago I had new washers made for the axels, because I had exessive axial play. But I didn't notice any differences in the handling.

I had the same problem with the FB and now with the 1918 490. It takes practice to match the speed of the engine with the gears in the transmission. Once that is done then "grindless" gear changes can be made. I have found that the higher the viscosity of transmission lubricant the quieter the shifts.

Thanks. I use 600 W oil in the box and have had little trouble before with the shifting. I only drive up to 10 miles speed before shifting to 2nd, wait until the clutch has stopped and then change to next gear. I do not go straight from 1st to 2nd without a pause in neutral. This normally has worked well but not this last part of the summer.

We have checked the gear box for any visible problems without having found any. So next week we will clear the way out of the garage and make some turns outside, even in the snow, which has come down the last days.

Hopefully we will find the trouble to have disappeared and Solan to enjoy racing a little in the white powder?

My 1919 FB 50 shifts much better in cold weather or when the transmition is cold than it does in hot weather. The thicker oil seems to be the key to smooth shifting.

I have formulated a theory that the higher viscosity helps to turn the meshing gears toward a similar speed and therefore makes the shifts easier and less noisy.

Thanks. I have heard about steam boiler oil. Is that type even thicker than 600W? And would it be better to use?

From what I had read last year before purchasing Lubriplate 600W, it was listed as steam boiler oil.

Thanks. So I will have to make some test driving in the snow to find out about the gear trouble.

Would be nice to run Solan some meters in the snow.

Have you tried "Double Clutching"?

You clutch before moving the shifting lever from 1st to neutral, then when you reach neutral clutch again quickly and shift into 2nd gear. do this quickly and the gears mesh because they are both at the same speed. Try it!

MrMack. I appreciate your comments/help, but as I have practised double clutching during 33.000 km. when driving our Petrine from 1931 since 1994, I think I can manage both how to shift up or down by now. It works without trouble even downwards steep hills.

But as to Solan the strange thing is that at the moment I can easily shift to any gear position when the car is not rolling and drive on in that gear. As soon as Solan is rolling and I try to shift up or down, I get resistance and too loud noices in the gear box. (And at the same time the clutch is uncoupled and not engaging the gear.)

I may use correct double clutching or single, but the present result is staying so far. That was not happening in the years before and in the first part of this season.

The gear forks looks like OK and working properly, but why is the shifting "depending" on the car not rolling to make an easy, troublefree shift?

I think I have to ask Mr. or his when he comes around. Would be a very nice present if he could solve my problem!

Mobil still make what they term "600W Super Cylinder Oil",which was used in most pre '30's cars.The modern equivalent is an SAE 140 grade.I got some of the Mobil 600W
from work,and use it in the gearbox & diff in my '28 truck,
as well as the gearbox & diff in my '29 Olds.

You write "the modern equivalent" to 600W Steam Cylinder Oil. I thought that SAE 140 was a little thinner.

The last two years I have used a heavy mineral based non-additive transmission oil, Penrite Transoil 250. In the broschure on the web, they write that the oil is "equivalent to 600W or what was known as 'Steam Cylinder Oil'". They also have non-additive Transoil 90 and Transoil 140, and a lot of other oils and lubricants for veteran, vintage and classic cars. So far I'm satisfied, I use the Transoil 250 also in the rear axel, in the clutch collar and on the axel that slides into the clutch hub. Maybe I will use it in the steering gear too, if I don't chose grease.

Penrite was founded in Australia in 1926, now it is a UK Company. Anyone else who has experience of Penrite products?

If the problem began when nothing else appeared to change it is highly likely that the problem is a change in rolling resistance or part fit inside the transmission. If the gears can not easily achieve equivalent meshing speed then shifting will not be smooth or quiet. The viscosity of the lubricant has an effect but if that has not changed then it is not likely the cause of the problem. Contamination or dilution of the lubricant can be eliminated by draining and replacing the fluids.

The Penrite Transoil 90,140 & 250 gearbox oils,are SAE numbers.Their Transoil 140 is a direct equivalent to an SAE 140
grade,such as Castrol STH 140,or the Mobil 600W Super Cylinder Oil I previous posted.All the Transoil range,except for their Mild Ep & Hypoid range are straight mineral type oils.