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Is a Farmall A capable of starting in 4th gear?

S

sald

Member
Hello,
I can not for the life of me start from a stop in 4th gear with my 1940 Farmall A. It is running very well. When I let out the clutch it just stalls. All other gears no hesitation. I tried low rpm, medium and 3/4. I am probably just doing something wrong, but wanted to know if this is something the tractor can do? Or do you have to double clutch from 3rd to 4th while moving? Don't want to try that.
 
It's a lot easier to start off in 3rd and shift to 4th but my A and Super A will both start out in 4th gear on the road from a stop at around 1/4 throttle. Level ground and no load of course. You have to ease the clutch out and let the governor work, but they will do it.
 
Ok, so I just need to work on my technique. Started driving in the 1980s, that is when automatics cost a few bucks more but everyone had one. Never got the experience with standard and a clutch.
 
Rev it up 1/2 throttle or better,ease out the clutch,the tractor will begin to move step down slightly on the clutch pedal-slip it a little,and repeat as needed to get moving,and then add more throttle.Mark.
 
(quoted from post at 19:26:54 08/15/18) Rev it up 1/2 throttle or better,ease out the clutch,the tractor will begin to move step down slightly on the clutch pedal-slip it a little,and repeat as needed to get moving,and then add more throttle.Mark.
Click to expand...

Does that prematurely wear out the clutch?
 
It will wear the clutch more than taking off in 3rd and shifting to 4th, but unless you do it over and over every day, it is probably negligible.
 
Sounds like what you need to do is buy a motorcycle a nice size dirt bike. You would learn fast how to feather the clutch and let up on it real easy like or eat handle bars. LOL.
That is how I learned to drive something with a clutch I rode a motorcycle and learned the hard way. I have no trouble taking off with my BA which is the front half of a B and the back half of an A in 4th gear but I have also been driving for decades and most wit ha clutch and have over 1.9 million mile under my belt be it motorcycle car truck or big rig and many over size loads

Most people make the mistake that when you start moving you just say to heck with it and take your foot off the clutch. But what you should do is slowly let up on the clutch and keep doing so slowly till it is all the way up never even pop it. By the way I can make my BA pop a wheelie by letting up on the clutch to fast and can make it get the front tires up 18 plus inches off the ground
 
Mark, you are correct, doubt I will ever use it in 4th. Got it for parades and driving around for fun. I just wanted to be able to do it.
 

I run both my IH 140's from stop in 4th gear. Takes a few seconds to get up to speed, and I ride the clutch a little on the way up in speed. Might do that once a year or every 2 years at most. They really haul azz.
 
Yup, can't just dump the clutch and expect it to take off.

Also, if you do suddenly have clutch problems, it's not from you slipping the clutch to start out in 4th a few times. It's from 78 years of wear and tear. God knows when the clutch was replaced last. Probably sometime in the 1960's. It needed a new clutch when you bought it. You just finished off the last little bit of use the clutch had in it. A's are easy to split, though. Hood, fuel line, a couple of wires, ~6 bolts, a floor jack and a cherry picker, and it's apart.
 
It should start from standing easy in 4th at less than half throttle all of my As and Bs will do it easy your engine needs something just slip the clutch a little and away it will go
 
On flat ground my super A starts in fourth with no trouble with minimal throttle. But, I agree with others, I don't use it very often. I probably use third the most and reverse the second most.
 
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