HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE
NUMBER 10 VOL 6
JANUARY 13TH 2008
WEATHER; COOL, HIGH HUMIDITY, 33/54 DEGREES
KELLY HAD HIS TRUCK ALIGNED TODAY AND LOADED UP AN OLD DeWALT RADIAL ARM SAW THAT I INTENDED TO REBUILD AND USE WHEN WE WERE REMODELING THE MOBILE HOME WE WERE LIVING IN! IT’S A MODEL GW 1, REL. 7, SERIAL # 18401 AND WAS MADE IN 1950-55! IT WOULD RUN ON 110-220 VOLTS! TIM IS GOING TO REBUILD IT FOR USE IN HIS WOODWORKING SHOP!
KELLY ALSO HOOKED ON TO A TWO WHEEL DOLLY THAT HE’S GOING TO BRING OUR INTREPID UP FROM TIMS WITH TOMORROW! WE’LL PROBABLY TAKE IT TO B&B TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED NEXT MONTH! I WANT TO TRY SOME THINGS BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO THEM! I’M A GREAT BELIEVER IN A PRODUCT CALLED BARRYMAN B-12 AND HAVE MADE TRANSMISSIONS START WORKING FINE BY USING IT!
ONE CASE I’LL NEVER FORGET; AN OLD BLACK MAN WALKED INTO A STATION I WORKED AT NEAR SIX-FLAGS IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS AND ASKED IF HE COULD USE THE PHONE TO CALL HIS SON TO PICK HIM UP! I SAID SURE, WHAT’S THE PROBLEM! HE TOLD ME HE HAD HIS 1959 PLYMOUTH TO THE CHRYSLER DEALER IN ARLINGTON AND THEY SAID HIS TRANSMISSION WAS BURNED UP AND TO REBUILD IT WOULD BE $750.00 THEN TRIED TO TRADE HIM INTO A NEW CAR! HE GOT SUSPECIOUS WHEN THEY OFFERED HIM $1500.00 TRADE IN SO HE DECLINED AND STARTED HOME, HE GOT WITHIN ¼ MILE OF THE STATION SO I TOOK THE PICKUP AND PUSHED HIM IN AND UP TO THE DOOR AND ON THE CHASSIS LIFT! I PUT THE CAR UP ON THE LIFT AND STARTED THE ENGINE, IT RAN LIKE A NEW ONE, I LOOKED AT THE ODOMETER AND ASKED HIM IF THE MILEAGE WAS CORRECT, HE SAID YES, HE’D BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND IT STILL LOOKED IT! NO WONDER THE DEALER WANTED THE CAR, IT HAD A LITTLE OVER 30,000 MILES ON IT! THIS WAS IN 1955-56! I PULLED THE TRANSMISSION DIP STICK AND THE FLUID DRIPPED NOT RUN OFF THE END AND SMELLED LIKE ROTTEN EGGS!
I WENT OVER TO MY TOOL BOX AND GOT A PINT OF B-12 AND POURED IT IN THE TRANSMISSION AND PUT THE SELECTOR IN #1(IT WAS A TORQUEFLITE AUTOMATIC AND HAD 1-2-DR) THEN WENT IN THE OFFICE AND SAT THERE TALKING TO HIM AND WATCHING THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. AFTER ABOUT 20-30 MINUITES THE WHEEL STARTED TO JERK AND MOVE AND STOP THEN IT STARTED SPINNING, THE LEFT REAR WAS TURNING SLOWLY BACKWARDS! I WENT OVER AND LET THE CAR DOWN TO ALMOST THE FLOOR AND GOT IN AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, BOTH WHEELS STOPPED AND I PUT IT IN REVERSE THEN NEUTRAL AND THEN 1-2-DR AND KEPT STEPPING ON THE BRAKE! I PUT IT IN PARK AND LET IT DOWN AND BACKED IT OFF THE LIFT AND DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, PULLED IT AROUND THE PUMPS AND PARKING AREA STOPPING AND REVERSING THEN DRIVE! I FINALLY TOOK IT OUT ON THE ROAD KNOWING IF NECESSARY I COULD PUSH IT BACK IN WITH THE PICKUP! IT DIDN’T SHIFT TO SMOOTH BUT NEVER FAILED TO GHANGE TO A HIGHER GEAR! I PUT IT BACK ON THE LIFT AND TOOK IT ALL THE WAY UP AND PULLED THE TRANSMISSION PAN AND FILTER, YUK; WHAT A MESS, THE PAN HAD GUNK ABOUT AN INCH DEEP IN THE BOTTOM AND IT WAS HARD! THE MAN WAS STANDING OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR AND I ASKED HIM WHEN THE LAST TIME HE HAD THE FLUID CHANGED? NEVER HE SAID, I DIDN’T KNOW YOU HAD TO CHANGE IT! I TOLD HIM TO READ THE OWNERS MANUAL! AND FOLLOW IT! I ROLLED THE TORQUE CONVERTER AROUND AND TOOK ONE PLUG OUT THEN DID IT AGAIN AND TOOK THE OTHER ONE OUT TO LET IT DRAIN!
MR. PETERS CALLED HIS SON AND HAD HIM COME AND PICK HIM UP! I TOLD HIM THE CAR WOULD BE READY THE NEXT DAY AFTER LUNCH! HE ASKED HOW MUCH? I TOTALED EVERYTHING UP INCLUDING LABOR AND THE USE OF OR PICKUP AND IF I REMEMBER IT WAS LESS THAN $75.00! THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR OUT ON THE HIGHWAY AND TRIED MY BEST TO MAKE THE TRANSMISSION ACT UP BUT IT NEVER DID! WHEN HE CAME FOR THE CAR HE HAD ME FILL IT WITH GAS AND HANDED ME $125.00, THE GAS WAS ONLY $4.35! AS LONG AS I WORKED THERE HE WOULD STOP IN FOR GAS AND LET US SERVICE THE CAR! I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I DID SOMETHING GOOD FOR A FELLOW MAN AND HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO DO IT WHENEVER I COULD! THIS IS A GOOD FEELING TO HAVE!
FYI; YOU SHOULD CHANGE MOST AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERY 25,000 MILES UNLESS YOUR OWNERS MANUAL SAYS DIFFERENT! IT’S ALWAYS BEST TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER’S RECOMMENDATIONS!
THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE.
HOWARD
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