the_IRFmack

- I double sticked and old Mack to feed a stone crusher in 12 and 14 hour shifts six days a week all summer to pay for my chemistry degree.
- Because I wanted to sleep for 1 min and 26 seconds each trip out of the quarry at the crusher's vibratory dump box at the top the quarry during those 12 hour shifts, I bulled the old MACK up long 20 degree and sometimes steeper grades.
- THAT meant that I split each gear 1, 2, 3 after coming out of boggy low.
- All I did was rev to the right engine note, reach my left arm down through the steering wheel to hold the curve I was on or hold the truck's path steady; slip out of 1st, throw the 2nd stick high into low and slip into 2nd gear... rev to the right engine pitch, slip to high.
- Then when it was time, reach through the wheel again, slip high to low and 2nd to 3rd {if I correctly remember 60 years ago}.
- The Igneous rocks were too heavy and the grade too steep for me to ever get into 3rd high.
- The crusher team were the mechanics for everything and had replaced the old Mack's tranny gears because they had been ground too much. - - They later told me they didn't believe me when I told them I slipped all my shifts because the gears showed no wear.
- Except for start and stop; Not once did I use the clutch because that made my leg ache too much after an hour or so.
- I slipped all my standard 4 speed shift vehicles all my life...just to be with the music of the engine and car or truck.