First Manual/Diesel help!

[jhaffen]

I just purchased my first diesel truck and I may have gotten in over my head. I bought a 2000 ford f350 with 6 speed manual tranny for pulling a large enclosed trailer. I have never owned a diesel or a manual truck before and have so many questions so I hope you guys can help.

1. Starting with a load in 2nd feels sluggish but he low granny gear is unsmooth to shift to 2nd and is so SLOW. By the time I shift to second I have already lost most of my momentum. Can I just start in second with pulling a 6000 pound trailer on a flat grade?? Any tips to starting without destroying my clutch?? I tend to let out the clutch slower to compensate for the load and it makes it smooth but I am afraid of prematurely destroying my clutch/transmission.

2. Maybe it is just this particular truck, but he clutch is SO slow. I mean that in the jeep i drove you let the clutch out fast but it seems this has to be let out slow to shift smoothly. Consequently, the truck doesnt shift fast and with the granny gear I am seemingly holding up traffic.

3. I usually shift around 2k rpms, but 4 gear (3rd on the stick) seems to need to be revved up to almost 2500? Is this normal? Also, sometimes when I shift into 4th, it makes a kind of grind noise when I put the stick into 4th with the clutch engaged? Could this be a bent toth on one of the gears? It only happens like 1 in 10 times so I dont know if I should be worried.

4. With a truck this big is it better to use the brakes or downshift?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BIG JOE]

I just purchased my first diesel truck and I may have gotten in over my head. I bought a 2000 ford f350 with 6 speed manual tranny for pulling a large enclosed trailer. I have never owned a diesel or a manual truck before and have so many questions so I hope you guys can help.

First ? Welcome to SDD . You just bought yer truck so I'm assuming it's pure stock, These things Stock.. are purdy doggie, they need more intake air and a larger diameter exhaust system.. just for starters.

But here goes.....

1. Starting with a load in 2nd feels sluggish but he low granny gear is unsmooth to shift to 2nd and is so SLOW. By the time I shift to second I have already lost most of my momentum. Can I just start in second with pulling a 6000 pound trailer on a flat grade?? Any tips to starting without destroying my clutch?? I tend to let out the clutch slower to compensate for the load and it makes it smooth but I am afraid of prematurely destroying my clutch/transmission.

*Starting off in 2nd towing is perfectly acceptable. About the only time you need 1st is starting off on a fairly steep grade. When you you feel the clutch start to engage, Make It Happen.. don't lug the engine, but don't sliiide the clutch. It's a coordination thing, something you will have to develop. The more you operate your truck.. the better yul get at knowing where it >Needs & Wants to be.... RPM & GEAR wise.

2. Maybe it is just this particular truck, but he clutch is SO slow. I mean that in the jeep i drove you let the clutch out fast but it seems this has to be let out slow to shift smoothly. Consequently, the truck doesn't shift fast and with the granny gear I am seemingly holding up traffic.

*The clutch on these PSDs are hydraulically assisted, that may be what you are feeling (or Not feeling, as compared to the Jeep).

3. I usually shift around 2k rpms, but 4 gear (3rd on the stick) seems to need to be revved up to almost 2500? Is this normal? Also, sometimes when I shift into 4th, it makes a kind of grind noise when I put the stick into 4th with the clutch engaged? Could this be a bent toth on one of the gears? It only happens like 1 in 10 times so I dont know if I should be worried.

*When towing (?), Try Winding it up to about 25/2600 rpm, especially in 3rd & 4th. 5th (OD) should only be used at constant RPMs above 16/1800.

4. With a truck this big is it better to use the brakes or downshift?

Both, but mainly Braking (with a Diesel). A Rule of Thumb: Go Down a hill in the gear you would use to go Up the hill.. using yer Brakes to keep the MPH & RPMs under control.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

All The Above is <Just My Opinion>. Maybe some of the other members will Chime in, with more pointers ?