Floating Gears

I was so used to sloppy transmissions aka my first bosses worn out crap that when in the early part of 96 in Jan I went out with my father for a few weeks to ride with him. He had a Stupid 10 and well I had my CDL already current Medical card so he from time to time throw me behind the wheel late at night. The first time I drove that thing I was like WTF I was grinding it more than I ever did. Took me about 2 days to get used to that freaking POS transmission.

 

Hahaha that happened to me also. I taught myself on the back roads with an old 15 spd direct. Got my CDL first try but couldn't get insurance unless I took a course. So I paid my $5K and showed up to CDL school. My instructor put me in a brand new 10 speed and I couldn't find the holes. He asked to see my license it was so bad. They finally put me in a worn out old FLD 120 with a 18 and I was at home again.

 

When are you going to sell me that truck?

 

rank when I went with my father for those weeks called I asked for sometime off first time in over 2 years from my boss he said yeah I deserved it besides my rig was due for a set of rods and mains and the Emeryville aka my backup well his son had tried 2 weeks prior to haul a load of cattle from the north farm to the southern farm with it and had cracked a head on her. So I was basically milking the clock for my hourly rate I got in the shop and working in the barns which was 14 an hour.

This should tell you how worn out the 13 speed linkage was in the Transtar I drove rank. When in gear I could move the shift lever 5 inches side to side before getting any resistance at all. There was one time another of the drivers that had a New truck in the fleet his was an old JB Hunt 9670 IIRC a 84 model year he tried to drive mine for a day and said HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU DRIVE THIS THING. I looked at him and said we have an understanding she does what I want when she WANTS to however I know she also loves to be pampered.

The best one however was when I was driving the Emeryville hauling grain during the harvest in 95 when we saw a massive storm was about to hit and ruin a massive amount of harvested beans. I told the weigh wagons and the combine drivers to dump everything into my high sided Grain wagon. I normally started off in 1-1 with the rears in 2 which was 3.93 for them. I grabbed the rear end gear lever and shoved it into LOW which was 5.55 I normally could carry 51K lbs of beans into the elevator without breaking 80K. I hit the scale the guy comes out and goes split it now. Front half alone was over 84K on 3 axles. Back half had 66K on 2 axles. I pulled into the elevator at 150K gross on only 5 Axles. No wonder the boss man said I was throwing flames 5 feet into the air out of the stack. That 238 Detroit was screaming her guts out. Got the load off went back to the yard boss is there goes are you nuts I went WHAT I CAN NOT HEAR YOU.

 

When I read this I reached into the top right hand drawer of my file cabinet to see what that load weighed back in 2014. 95,636 lbs of 14% wheat and 130,636 lbs gross. 48 ft two compartment hopper. 2 axles plus a lift. Tires were squatting pretty good but it was only 10 miles to the elevator.

Ok you got me.

 

That poor old Detroit after that load after I dropped that load sounded more like a Washing Machine that someone had thrown a handful of quarters into than a Engine yet it kept running. We pulled it apart that winter put new rings in her and kept her running for another year. However the boss issued a decree that 2 trucks were to be at the combines at all times.

 

Simply put, if you grew up driving a stick you will have zero problems and if you grew up on automatic it will take longer.

 

It isn't hard. it's not like using a clutch on a car. Just bump the clutch pedal quick and only move it enough to break the torque on the drive line. Put the pedal to the floor like a car and you're going to have problems.

 

I am sure you'd give it a good home but I am having too much fun with it. Sometimes I just go to the barn to look at it. I did have a fatal heart attack a 1 1/2 yrs. ago and was bought back to life to enjoy it and the grandkids.