Shifting the SM465

[nele22]

Hello all,

I have a new to me 68 C10 4x4. It has a Rancho 4 in lift installed. My question is in regard to shifting the 4 speed. It has the granny low gear.

How hard should it be shifting from 2nd to third and third to fourth. I've only driven newer manuals. Obviously they are easier to shift. How hard should it be to get the truck into gear during normal driving?

[j ripper]

It's not hard but it is a truck transmission so it's gonna feel diff at first. My only advice is to go drive it!!!
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[nele22]

I hear ya. It's not 'hard' per say just takes some umph to get it in gear sometimes.

[Billett]

depends. What car are you used to? Before my 68 the manual I drove the most was in a 240sx so this felt MUCH heavier, but I like it that way. When I shift I want to feel like there is a little man in my transmission with a sledgehammer pounding gears into place. I still can't get used to my father's new Tacoma.

[custom1970]

It shouldn't really require to much to get it into gear. But, yes it will be harder than a newer truck. The gears aren't growling or grinding are they? If so, you definitely have a problem. Also, if you are having to really push it into gear you could eventually hurt the shifting forks/levers.

[nele22]

No growling or grinding. Just takes some extra pull into second. Does not just slide in effortlessly.

[vectorit]

My 68 K20 burb with SM465 is easy to shift, as far as truck transmissions go.
I am not having to put extra effort, nor do I feel like I am forcing the stick to get a gear.
The shift pattern is tight, and shifting is positive but this transmission has been overhauled.

In my 70 K10 PU with an SM465, the pattern is sloppy to me. Much different than my K20 465 that has been redone.

There are times when either transmission has trouble getting into gear, but I just slip the clutch a tad to clock the gears and it finds the gear.

Funny the Toyota Tacoma was mentioned above, since I have one of those too ('02 4x4) and it's 5spd transmission is very much like my 40 year old 465's. It can be a pain to get into reverse at times, but I am so use to manual transmissions it just seems normal to me.

[camrycurt]

You shouldn't really have to force anything, but it does take time to find the new gear and get everything settled, so driving an SM465 is kind of a casual, zen-like thing. I take my time and am used to it so I don't usually have any problems, but I do still have to "encourage" it every once in a while to get into gear. I don't think you can really hurt anything on it so don't be afraid to use a little force. Of course, if you really have problems something might be broken or misadjusted, etc.

If you've driven it you've probably already figured this out, but for normal street driving you can start out in 2nd. Granny low is only for towing, big loads, real tough work, etc.

Also, granny 1st and reverse are not synchronised gears so you have to be at a dead stop to shift into either one of those. Both of those gears are so low that I just lift my foot off the clutch at idle and the truck starts to move. If I give it any gas at all starting in 1st or reverse my truck will buck and jump.

And if you have any forward momentum at all and need to downshift (for going around a turn, etc.) don't even try going into 2nd; third gear is all you need to drop into. You can almost start from a dead stop in 3rd, so unless I'm just creeping along I only use 3rd and 4th.

The SM465 is a great truck transmission and never lets you forget you're in a real truck, so like j ripper said just get out and drive.

Hope that helps! Have fun!

[nele22]

Awesome feedback guys. I am so happy to be back in a classic. I sold a 72 IH Scout many years ago and have missed it badly.

[OSM 70 C20]

Just read this, I found it all to be so true. I don't "force" it into gear, but I do have to do more than just go through the motions. Mine almost clicks when it goes into gear. Unless I miss, then it growls at me. I never had a Granny gear, so that was new to me. I find I will spin the tires in 2nd pretty easy, but then I don't have a box on right now

[Billett]

My dad's Tacoma is a 2012 so it has a newer 6 speed with a really short throw compared to mine. Also mine hasn't been redone so it is pretty sloppy. 3rd takes some convincing sometimes, but in general its a great drive. I never use first unless I'm showing someone the granny gear and you can definitely start in 3rd with no problems, I just try not to do it because I don't want to abuse the thing. Around town I often come off a stop in second then skip right over to 4th.

[my67c20]

Before i read this thread i didn't even know that trans had a first gear. I think in the 10+ years of owning mine i have only used first a few times. I always start in second. The shifting from 1st to 2nd does take some getting used to. Problem is you end up running the rpms up pretty high to get actually moving in first that when you go to push in the clutch you are rpms have to drop to something that allows a smooth shift due to the gear ratio diff. So unless you are running a 5:13 rear and pulling 20,000 lbs first gear is pretty useless, even for doing burnouts.

[vern650]

if you drive in the mountains regularly or do farm work u will definately appreciate the granny gear. i've had a 73k10 and a 71 k20 both with the sm465 and they worked flawlessly. i used granny a lot when crawling up some rocky rough roads in the hills and even occasionally would pop the t-case in low on some of the bad ones. the low range was also just the right speed for hauling hay, point the truck down the field pop it in granny and low and get out and start loading. both i had shifted good and smooth but i think the 71 had some synchronization issues in 2nd cuz a few times i got in some situations where i had to rock the truck to get out of the mud/snow if i shifted to quick from 2nd to reverse or vise versa it would grind but the 73 you could slam that one back and fourth as fast as u could make the motions. the 71 had a built motor and got me a bit into street racing right out of high school. these are definatly not geared for racin but i could row the gears with the best of them back then and if you can hit the gears u can make them move pretty quick. i pounded the crap out of that trans and had no issues so i wouldn't worry about breaking one. i got a 67 I'm working on putting a 350 in that has the sm420 that i hope is as good as the 465, i haven't really drove it yet but i know it has a lot more slop than my old ones.