# 3-on-the-tree shifting pattern?



## tbishop

I have to admit that I should have found this out before I bought the truck. It was an impulse buy almost a year ago. I'm just about to get it on the road and I need some help.

I have a '64 International c1100 pickup. It has the 3-speed transmission on the steering column. It's the first time I've driven one like this. I've found diagrams that say that it's in a H pattern with reverse in the top left position, then 1st in the bottom left, 2nd in the top right, and 3rd in the bottom right. Does this sound correct? Thanks for your time!

Tim Bishop
Hill City, MN


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## rambler

That is how every tree I've driven has worked. Can't say I've driven your model tho. 

--->Paul


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## moopups

OMG! There are people young enough to not know this? The floor pedal to the far left must be pushed down, the shift arm is then moved either up or down for the selected gear, as described above. Back wards is nearest the driver and up, down is the first gear. Shift arm is away from the driver and up for second gear, third is away and down, as stated; you people are making me feel too old...

If this does not work correctly you may have the linkage incorrectly connected to the transmission, it needs to be changed at the up/down positions.

I regularly changed the linkage to prevent theft in the past...


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## jefferson

go out, start 'er up, and stir the stick till you find out what works!!


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## tbishop

moopups said:


> OMG! There are people young enough to not know this? The floor pedal to the far left must be pushed down...


Yay- someone thinks I'm young!! 

If it makes you feel any better, I have 4 vehicles and the only one with a automatic transmission is the one my wife drives. I've just never had a 3-on-the-tree. Thanks for your help!

Tim Bishop
Hill City, Mn


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## Gailann Schrader

Some of those three tree +R would hang up in the middle or in a gear. Specifically Chevys. The linkeage would do funky things... DON'T force it if yer a big guy. Woogie it until it comes out if it hangs up. Us Chevy folks would pop the hood and monkey with the linkeage under the hood if it wouldn't come out.

Tinker with it in an open field or big parking lot until you get the hang of shifting on the column...

Looks like the wife will be leaving your truck alone...


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## tbishop

Gailann Schrader said:


> ...Looks like the wife will be leaving your truck alone...


That's the plan- although she did mention she saw a stepside truck "just like the one I want someday."

Tim B.


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## Blu3duk

I aint that old only 43 but it has been a cons age since i had a 3 on the tree.... my uncle bought a 79 malibu that the factory put 3 on the floor for him... dad got it and sold it last year to a fella that wanted it for the custom carriage works floorboards..... probably coulda got more for it....

I drove a 3 speed as a kid, many friens had them as well on the tree, must have been a fad in the late 60's out in these parts..... cause there were quite a few.

What i really think dates a fella is seeing a kid climb in an older truck witha 5 and 4 or 5 and 5 and wanna know "whats that extra gear shift for" ...... my first 3 ton was 58 F-800 and it had a 5 and 3..... over, direct and way under although not deep. maybe yer wife would really appreciate a second tranny in a truck.

I am still looking for a 2 speed browning [brownie] to put in a one ton i have.... I tracked one down and it had been sold the week before i got there..... "luc o' the irish" eh?

William


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## Up North

Back in college I had a '69 Rambler 2 door with 3 onTree and an inline 6.
Worked beautiful. Great gas mileage as well. None of that sissy stuff like AC, power steering or a radio,LOL. You know you were young when you could put all of your worldly possesions in or on top of your car and move to a different state.


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## Nature_Lover

Ha - you're right about that!

In 1981 I moved across country in my 1969 Camaro (3 on the tree) with my foosball table tied on top, and my pet bluejay riding on the rope that held it on.
Stopped for gas somewhere in Oklahoma, and the service bay had a pool table instead of tools!
Went back out & got my stick and bird, and hustled up a little gas money on my way to Texas. I didn't tell those "good ol' boys" about my (other pet) snapping turtle climbing out of the 3 gal. bucket on the back floorboard, they probably could've given me some tasty recipes for 'Ugly' the turtle.

Oh yeah, I had an eight-track plugged in to the lighter socket, manual track advance, and house speakers in the back window that made the rearview mirror vibrate (maybe that's why Ugly kept trying to crawl under the seats) the bird just sang along with me and Charlie Daniels, lol.

Now I drive a minivan.

In my 3-speed, first gear was really a granny gear, I only used it to get rolling, plenty of power in second to get up to speed (unless we were playing the first off the line street drag game) - boy, I miss that game!

I used to carry cotter pins for when the linkage would shear them off, of course it was the linkage, not the driver.

OK, time for a midlife crisis, this summer I'll get my '93 Z24 convertible back on the road.
...Hmmm, maybe it's time for a new, old fashioned, tranny this year....

I learned how to drive in a 1969 International Harvester Travelall ("The Daddy of the Scout") and a 1967 Cutlass.


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## John Hill

Right, now that we have the tree shifting sorted lets get on with the double-declutching for non-synchro boxes!


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## moopups

Or better yet, lets use the clutch to start moving and then not touch it again. Just raise the engine speed, place shift pressure on the lever and lower the engine speed, at a point the drive pressure will nuteralize, allowing the gear to be exited. Then speed is again raised, shift pressure is applied to the higher gear, as the engine slows it will fall into the higher gear, again without the clutch being used.


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## blufford

moopups said:


> Or better yet, lets use the clutch to start moving and then not touch it again. Just raise the engine speed, place shift pressure on the lever and lower the engine speed, at a point the drive pressure will nuteralize, allowing the gear to be exited. Then speed is again raised, shift pressure is applied to the higher gear, as the engine slows it will fall into the higher gear, again without the clutch being used.




Thanks for the reminder. I used to do that with my 1978 Pinto. I could even downshift that way even though 3rd gear was a little touchy. My friends were really impressed. It didn't seem to hurt the car any.
I had a friend with an early 70s Ford P/U whose clutch had worn out and he would put the truck in first and let the starter drag the truck till it started. Then he shifted gears as you explained above. When he had to stop he kicked it in neutral and then dragged the truck with the starter again to get moving. When he had the money he replaced the clutch and drove it for another 5 years.


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## blufford

Blu3duk said:


> What i really think dates a fella is seeing a kid climb in an older truck witha 5 and 4 or 5 and 5 and wanna know "whats that extra gear shift for" ...... my first 3 ton was 58 F-800 and it had a 5 and 3..... over, direct and way under although not deep. maybe yer wife would really appreciate a second tranny in a truck.
> 
> William


Come to think of it what is the extra gear shift for?


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## HermitJohn

How about 4 on the tree like a 1960 Peugeot that I had. While Americans were figuring out 3 on tree, 4 on the tree wasnt uncommon on Euro cars of that vintage. And by way linkage hangup problems were usually due to worn or missing bushings. And you could get a universal floor 3 speed shifter to replace the column shift. course those cheap aftermarket floor shifters werent much better. Best floor shifters were from cars that had them from factory. When I put the Dodge slant six and manual three speed into '80 Volvo wagon, I used three speed shifter I had saved from an old '75 Vega.


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## Pony

blufford said:


> Thanks for the reminder. I used to do that with my 1978 Pinto. I could even downshift that way even though 3rd gear was a little touchy. My friends were really impressed. It didn't seem to hurt the car any.


Oh, I remember my Pinto!!

My then-now-late DH bought the Pinto because I did not know how to drive stick, and he didn't want me to be able to drive.

I showed him.

Got up WAAAaaaaaaaaY early one Sunday morning when the sky was still grey and little old ladies were starting to make their way to early Mass. I ground the gears and stalled it out a few times, but before time to go home and cook Sunday dinner, I'd figured that stick shift out and was having a grand time. Even took it on some hilly streets. 

Don't EVER try to keep Pony from doing something!!! Hmph! 

Pony!


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## papaw

1st car .... '63 Chevy Impalla .... I'd speed shift from 1st to 2nd .... when slammin the lever into 2nd it'd bruse the palm of your hand. 

Three on the tree ...... gone but not forgotten


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## Gideon

Column shifters work great until the shifter box starts wearing. I used to be able to unhang the gears nearly as fast as shifting inside. The trick is to pull both levers halfway up. Sometimes you had to rock the vehicle a bit to release the pressure. Worked everytime. Gideon


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## jefferson

Moonpups, remember, that was called speed shifting where I came from. Also, I had a mbz once that was 4 on the tree and no clutch pedal at all.......Had a vacume clutch that operated when you grabed the shift lever.


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## rambler

Up North said:


> Back in college I had a '69 Rambler 2 door with 3 onTree and an inline 6.
> Worked beautiful. Great gas mileage as well. None of that sissy stuff like AC, power steering or a radio,LOL. You know you were young when you could put all of your worldly possesions in or on top of your car and move to a different state.


Mine was 68, had the auto-overdrive (still 3 on the tree manual tranny you understand), which meant it was free-wheeling.

Confused the heck out of my friends, as it would shift itself into OD. Roll down hills as fast as it wanted to.

Very efficient car - had the same extras as yours.

--->Paul


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## Up North

rambler said:


> Mine was 68, had the auto-overdrive (still 3 on the tree manual tranny you understand), which meant it was free-wheeling.
> 
> Confused the heck out of my friends, as it would shift itself into OD. Roll down hills as fast as it wanted to.
> 
> Very efficient car - had the same extras as yours.
> 
> --->Paul


The '69 came with 3 options- Heater, Keys, and self adjusting headlights( they aimed where they wanted and adjusted based on roughness of different roads).


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## papaw

Up North said:


> The '69 came with 3 options- Heater, Keys, and self adjusting headlights( they aimed where they wanted and adjusted based on roughness of different roads).


ha ha ha ha ha ..... we've come along way


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## rambler

papaw said:


> ha ha ha ha ha ..... we've come along way


I'm somewhat of a technology nerd, but the car my sis just got kind of scared me - too many lights & buttons, how does anyone have time to watch the road?????

--->Paul


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## Up North

One of my favorite college cars was a red VW Rabbit. The fellow said he just couldn't get it to run without overheating and wanted $50 for it. I negotiated him up to $80, installed a $27 part which controlled thermostatic radiator fan, and Voila, I had wheels. Another one in which you sang to yourself. Only problem was, when you stepped on brake, the angle between the hood and windshield became more acute. When you accelerated hard(if that's possible in a Rabbit), the angle became more obtuse. This was solved by pop-riveting triangles of galvanized sheet metal cut from an Allis-Chalmers Gleaner combine to the kick plates on both sides of car. Kept her going for two years.
Shoulda' seen the look on my girlfriend's parent's face when she told them the Rabbit died. They relaxed considerably when she explained it was the car.


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## Ramblin Wreck

Every vehicle I learned to drive on was a three on the tree. When I was old enough to get a license, I bought a 64 Ford Fairlane with a three on the tree. I went to the Western Auto store to buy a kit to convert it to a floor mount shifter. The salesman tried mightily to talk me out of the purchase. He asked "Do you know how much Henry Ford spent to figure out how to move the shifter to the column?" I bought the shifter, installed it, and then promptly began to beat my knuckles to a pulp shifting into second gear...which crashed my hand into the dash board. We live (hopefully) and learn.


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## papaw

rambler said:


> I'm somewhat of a technology nerd, but the car my sis just got kind of scared me - too many lights & buttons, how does anyone have time to watch the road?????
> 
> --->Paul


Yep,
Now they even watch TV while driving !!!! :flame:


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