Hello. I just bought a 1985 F250 460 4 speed. I got it tow a horse trailer. It has a 4 speed trans and 1st gear is a granny first. You can get to maybe 10 mph before needing to shift to 2nd. Its a lot easier to start in second gear from a stop. Will this do any damage? I would guess it will wear the clutch out faster but its only driven a couple times a month. Greg
Is it OK to start out in 2nd with a 4 speed.. 85 F250
Dec 09, 2003
3 Replies
Go for it. That's how you're supposed to drive it.
It is common to start in second when first is a "granny" as is the case in the HD transmissions. If you are loaded or towing, you may want to use first. The bigg thing is to use whichever allows you to start in a particular situation without slipping the clutch or bogging the engine.
Agreed. My shifter knob is actually stamped L-1-2-3 not 1-2-3-4. It's basically an underdrive gear, for load, like was already said.
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