Series 2 The case of the disappearing 2nd gear

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TinCup

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Hoping someone might be able to shed some light on an issue that just developed.
My ’59 series 2 doesn’t seem to want to shift up into 2nd anymore… no matter how long I shift into neutral for before trying, it would seem. First to third works great. And it’s perfectly happy to launch from second… just 1st to 2nd is a no go.
My driving pattern hasn’t changed, so any guesses for the sudden development, or how to go about correcting it?
 
So you are saying if you put it in 2nd at a stand still it goes in and then moves to 3rd as normal ?
Try putting transfer box in neutral and changing 1st to 2nd with no load on them.
Change oil and check what comes out.
 
Thanks so much for the reply. Yes, it drives in 2nd just find and shifts out of it without a problem. However, when launching in 1st, and trying to shift to 2nd, it yells at me. I had assumed the RPMs were just running too high for a smooth change, but I am not sure what would cause that to be the case all of a sudden. I did check the oil level in the gearbox and transfer box and they were both over filled, so perhaps that had something to do with it? I will change the oil and see what comes out as you suggested. Any other ideas would be also appreciated. Thx again!
 
Thing is with a 2 / 2a box there is no syncro on first and second gear. When going up 1st to 2nd matching speeds with a hesitation blip or doing a double declutch are the way and it is much the same going down from 3rd. Second down to first can be done at low speed with care, the first gear is straight cut making the timing harder. It does sound like you are taking the revs up to far before changing, first gets you just moving second is here the acceleration is.
Old type gearbox's and operating them is a bit of an art and each one of the same type can be different.
 
TinCup said:
Thanks so much for the reply. Yes, it drives in 2nd just find and shifts out of it without a problem. However, when launching in 1st, and trying to shift to 2nd, it yells at me. I had assumed the RPMs were just running too high for a smooth change, but I am not sure what would cause that to be the case all of a sudden. I did check the oil level in the gearbox and transfer box and they were both over filled, so perhaps that had something to do with it? I will change the oil and see what comes out as you suggested. Any other ideas would be also appreciated. Thx again!
Click to expand...
You could make life a bit simpler by not using first much. A Series is quite torquey, and 1st and 2nd are very low geared, for towing and off road.

So in practice, I don't find it necessary to use first unless pulling away on an upslope, or towing.
 
tottot said:
Thing is with a 2 / 2a box there is no syncro on first and second gear. When going up 1st to 2nd matching speeds with a hesitation blip or doing a double declutch are the way and it is much the same going down from 3rd. Second down to first can be done at low speed with care, the first gear is straight cut making the timing harder. It does sound like you are taking the revs up to far before changing, first gets you just moving second is here the acceleration is.
Old type gearbox's and operating them is a bit of an art and each one of the same type can be different.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much. My double declutch tempo had worked previously, and I had developed a rhythm that all of a sudden doesn’t work anymore. Glad to hear you agree it might be an RPM thing though. I will drain the oil and if half a gear doesn’t fall out in the process :) perhaps will just do what Turboman suggests above and start to skip 1st all together?
 
TinCup said:
Thanks so much. My double declutch tempo had worked previously, and I had developed a rhythm that all of a sudden doesn’t work anymore. Glad to hear you agree it might be an RPM thing though. I will drain the oil and if half a gear doesn’t fall out in the process :) perhaps will just do what Turboman suggests below and start to skip 1st all together?
Click to expand...
You don't have to skip it altogether, just when it isn't needed.
And generally, when driving a Series, I try and minimise gear changes. Try braking hard when the lights change, and then coasting slow as possible, and then back into second, or even third, while still moving, instead of coming to a standstill, unless essential.
And on country lanes, you can drive almost all the time in 3rd and 4th, they will pull 3rd from about 10 mph.
 
One other thing worth a check is clutch fluid level, a failure to fully disconnect clutch would be more noticeable on the non syncro gears.
[ lynall above may well have been on to this ]
 
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