Shifting without a tachometer

Those old CF short Coe Freightliners with the air starters looked brutal as far as ride goes.

 

I always wondered what was the advantage of those air starters. You drain the tank, you're screwed, although, they probably never shut those trucks off except for a service. I don't remember many having those. The big air tank, I thought was for doubles and triples. Years ago, air start was used on gas tankers before vapor recovery they feared an electrical spark from the starter could ignite fumes. I remember as a kid, hearing that noise and wondering what it was.

 

Pretty sure it was a 290, that was a very common motor in the 70's and 80's. I remember junkyards had piles of 290's, nobody wanted them. With 7 speeds, 55 was about it, empty, and that was the speed limit then, so they were spec'd out right, on paper.He said one night, he ran all the way across Iowa in a stiff head wind, in 6th at 48 mph. Even I used to pass them with the Mack. Aside from my early dump truck shenanigans, which was a '63 IH R190 tandem with a 450 ( cube) gas motor, set of clubs, so I know what slow is, my 1st real trucking job, was a '75 R model Mack with a 300. It was better than that miserable 238 Detroit which a 237 Mack could eat for lunch, but a shiny 290 could leave that 300 in the dust.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^What He Said.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

floating gears is no big deal

 

I ran a CF COE 7 sp 265 hp single screw buck board pulling a train over Hood without jakes. Man I'm getting old....

 

Something like this? I bet the driver did that to you on purpose.

 

Lighter weight, not affected by extreme heat/cold or vibration, spins over faster, and if you think about it, what are you more likely to find: someone to supply you with a little air, or someone to provide you with a jump? Any truck that was running could charge your air tank. Jumper cables are a little more difficult to come by (unless you actually carry a pair)...and even then, companies are a little more willing to allow their drivers to give air than they are a jump due to the risk of a driver who doesn't know what they are doing frying electronic components by hooking up wrong.

 

Come to think of it, I saw CF trucks with their air lines connected.