I have got to use a X reg ERF for the next few days, and have just been informed that it has a ‘crash Gearbox’.
First of all am I right in saying that I just need to double the clutch to get the correct gear ? and if so at what revs ?
Any help will be appreciated.
matt2489:
I have got to use a X reg ERF for the next few days, and have just been informed that it has a ‘crash Gearbox’.First of all am I right in saying that I just need to double the clutch to get the correct gear ? and if so at what revs ?
Any help will be appreciated.
Matt are you talking about an Eaton twin split or a Fuller.
I’m not to sure - Its a rigid fuel tanker, all I have been told is that it was four over four but with a crash gearbox - I think it only has the one splitter.
matt2489:
I have got to use a X reg ERF for the next few days, and have just been informed that it has a ‘crash Gearbox’.First of all am I right in saying that I just need to double the clutch to get the correct gear ? and if so at what revs ?
Any help will be appreciated.
Going up the box double de clutch when the revs have fallen to the engine speed for the next gear up going down the box match raise the revs with the accelerator while double de clutching to the correct engine speed for the next gear down.But if you need to ask the question it seems like you’ve never been taught anyway so you’re going to have a steep learning curve for the first few miles after leaving the yard then you should be ok.By the way in the old days some/most instructors wanted to see you block change going down the box when slowing down instead of changing down one gear at a time sequentially 
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Seems odd that an X reg wouldn’t have synchromesh. How the hell ERF got away with being stuck in the dark ages for so long I’ll never know.
Starting off, push clutch to the floor and you will feel the clutch drop a bit, this is the clutch brake. Give it a second or two and gently engage gear-you might feel the stick “take” and move off as normal. When upchanging, push clutch about 2 thirds the way down and put stick to neutral. As you get to neutral, push the clutch down about the same distance and engage gear. The gear change from one to another is almost 2 separate motions rather than straight through with a synchro 'box. When down shifting, you’ll probably grind and find til you get used to the box or it warms up, depress clutch 2 thirds again, whilst in neutral rev engine to the same revs you would be at if you were in gear and driving along eg 1200rpm, clutch 2 thirds again and engage gear. Another tip is if you have a Jake brake fitted, switch it off before downshifting as it kills the engine revs. Avoid putting the clutch to the floor while moving as you can cause wear to it. If the rev counter doesn’t work, you’ll have to take note of the engine noise to tell when to double de-clutch, that’s the fun bit! Sounds long winded but you get the hang of it, good luck! 
Matt sounds like a fuller range box take your time nice and slow foot right to the floor and ease it into gear to pull away after that just watch your revs and you will be fine.
chris_89:
Seems odd that an X reg wouldn’t have synchromesh. How the hell ERF got away with being stuck in the dark ages for so long I’ll never know.
Sounds like an old ERF EC and one of the last I should think. I drove a crash box Foden on a W reg last week-no rev counter working!
chris_89:
Seems odd that an X reg wouldn’t have synchromesh. How the hell ERF got away with being stuck in the dark ages for so long I’ll never know.
To some of us synchro boxes are the dark ages.Slow changing heavy to use zb things. .
I dove a foden with an eaton crash box. You use the clutch to pull away then just ease from one gear to the next balancing the revs. Into neutral the gently increase the revs while aplying light preasure till it slides in. same on the way down. Just takes practice.
Being an X-reg it could be the Eaton Synchromesh box that was fitted for a while. The Co-op had some with a range-change & a splitter on the top 4 gears, similar to the old Fuller 13 speeder. Always thought that was an ideal combination myself (if a twin-split wasn’t fitted).
marble:
I dove a foden with an eaton crash box. You use the clutch to pull away then just ease from one gear to the next balancing the revs. Into neutral the gently increase the revs while aplying light preasure till it slides in. same on the way down. Just takes practice.
Without using clutch at all , except when initially starting off or coming to a slow standstill ,
I like your style 
Have driven many a mile and saved a fortune in clutch wear like that myself 
and before anyone says … No, it didnt need a new gearbox either
Takes practice , but very rewarding on the left foot sole-wear 
marble:
I dove a foden with an eaton crash box. You use the clutch to pull away then just ease from one gear to the next balancing the revs. Into neutral the gently increase the revs while aplying light preasure till it slides in. same on the way down. Just takes practice.
For clutchless changes that sounds like the right idea for down shifts but going up it’s take off the torque loading the same by lifting the accelerator a bit then into neutral then feed it back into gear as the revs fall back to the right engine speed for the next gear up.But for the sake of a bit of extra effort I always found it a faster change if you use the clutch.
i remember in the seventies when i used to dream about driving an hgv an old fella i knew used to drive his leyland marathon without using the clutch
(except from a standing start) and changed gear when the revs were exactly right for the engine speed.
he also taught me how to rope and sheet a trailer like it was a christmas parcel 
weewulliewinkie:
i remember in the seventies when i used to dream about driving an hgv an old fella i knew used to drive his leyland marathon without using the clutch
(except from a standing start) and changed gear when the revs were exactly right for the engine speed.he also taught me how to rope and sheet a trailer like it was a christmas parcel
when the engine speed was exactly right for the road speed
Carryfast:
By the way in the old days some/most instructors wanted to see you block change going down the box when slowing down instead of changing down one gear at a time sequentially
Eh? Me thinks you’ve got that the wrong way about.
In the very old days when brakes were crap (remember that 40mph single carriageway limit?) the way to drive was to change down gear by gear to get engine braking to assist the brakes.
Nowadays (like the last 20+ years) we have powerfull brakes that work. Block changing is the norm & is expected on test.
Gears are for going, brakes are for slowing.
Driveroneuk:
Carryfast:
By the way in the old days some/most instructors wanted to see you block change going down the box when slowing down instead of changing down one gear at a time sequentiallyEh? Me thinks you’ve got that the wrong way about.
In the very old days when brakes were crap (remember that 40mph single carriageway limit?) the way to drive was to change down gear by gear to get engine braking to assist the brakes.
Nowadays (like the last 20+ years) we have powerfull brakes that work. Block changing is the norm & is expected on test.
Gears are for going, brakes are for slowing.
But there was a time like when I did my tests 30 and 26 years ago when the zb’s were starting to bring in those new ideas of using the brakes because it was supposedly cheaper to wear them out instead of using the gearbox to help slow the thing down and we were trained that way at that time even though we still used good old fashioned drum brakes and ‘proper’ fuller boxes amongst others.I can also remember using that block changing method to keep the instructors happy but using the sequential one on test.Passed both first time.Block changing might be the norm and expected on test these days but hopefully if the OP really is driving a ‘proper’ box he’ll forget what he was taught and downshift through the gears one at a time if the box is to survive .
Use the clutch in a constant mesh Eaton-Fuller 
No…
newmercman:
Use the clutch in a constant mesh Eaton-Fuller
Maybe if you’ve got plenty of time and you don’t mind risking wrecking the trans but if not and if you want a fast change then using the clutch is best.
Carryfast:
newmercman:
Use the clutch in a constant mesh Eaton-FullerMaybe if you’ve got plenty of time and you don’t mind risking wrecking the trans but if not and if you want a fast change then using the clutch is best.
Oh no it ain’t