3 stick shifting?

[Green Dash]

That's like most of the ones I drove when I drove cabovers. Here's an old polaroid of the interior of a '74 Transtar with a VT903. This was a RT9513 ,13 spd.direct.

img_4222.jpg

Some 13 spds had the same type knob but it had 3 positions on it- lo, direct, and hi. They didn't have the separate range selector valve as shown, you just went through the bottom 5 in low, moved the button to the middle position "direct" for your range shift, then split the top 4 direct/overdrive normally.

I've driven both types in the same year truck, and both were Transtars.

I had always wondered about that. I used to think the 3 position was an updated version but I read somewhere that it was a matter of preference and the 2 position splitter with the range button was more durable or had some sort of advantage. You had the older splitter with the flat top and red switch which is my favotite of them all.

Or maybe you switch was blue with the direct???

[Green Dash]

Is that a suction cup with a waving hand on it stuck to the windshield?

FAR OUT!!

I see you also have the Hillbilly Splendor Upholstery option.

[NoClueJoe66]

Yea I noticed that also......I always thought those was neat looking brake pedals

[vision386]

I drove a KW with a 14 speed Spicer SST in my youth,really neat trans.! (yes,i drove a KW, one trip only!) especially when backed by a 3408 CAT! i have'nt seen any other trucks with this combo,but it seems they are/were very popular with "truckies" down under. I found a video of 16 speed operation,pretty much the same,and very easy once you get the hang of it....................................Mark

[other dog]

I had always wondered about that. I used to think the 3 position was an updated version but I read somewhere that it was a matter of preference and the 2 position splitter with the range button was more durable or had some sort of advantage. You had the older splitter with the flat top and red switch which is my favotite of them all.

Or maybe you switch was blue with the direct???

I think the splitter buttons were both black, like in Mark's picture, but I really don't remember for sure.

[other dog]

Is that a suction cup with a waving hand on it stuck to the windshield?

FAR OUT!!

I see you also have the Hillbilly Splendor Upholstery option.

yeah, the waving hands were very popular back then, everybody had one for a while. I later broke all the fingers off except the middle one.

[vision386]

I think the splitter buttons were both black, like in Mark's picture, but I really don't remember for sure.

I don't know if it was a year or maker thing,but i do remember the split button in my dads White Frieghtliner C.O.E was red......................Mark

[other dog]

101-0154_IMG.JPGNow here.... is the "real deal"!! As my son would say.......if a real truck has 2 sticks then what do you call one with 3?.......a whole other story.

reminds me of a picture I once saw...

[Don Hancock]

Now we gotta pick on Larry

[farmer52]

Now we gotta pick on Larry

How did Freightrain Larry get into the picture?

[NoClueJoe66]

It's from the Secret Spy Cam

[mackdaddy]

I pulled into a truck show and an old boy was standing there waiting for me to jump out. When I did he leaned inside and saw the 3 sticks and just let out a big ahhh. He said to me now that was the set up I had when I was young and driving an LT. He said you could catch a 150rpm split and that was enough to get around your buddy in a 2 stick. He did say the only problem was that everyone once in awhile you would forget where you were at and have to start all over again!. I told him that while I was registering he could jump up and move the truck around to the show grounds. when he got up in the seat and took a hold of the wheel he just looked out the windshield and let out a big old breath.........

[Green Dash]

Nice Kenworth and reefer Mark!

[vision386]

Nice Kenworth and reefer Mark!

Thanks Jim,that was a really nice truck,a friend of my grandfathers owned it,he had a driver quit,needed a load delivered,so pop "volunteered" me to go! I ended up taking a mixed load of produce from Vineland,NJ to Toronto. This guy was a real "fly by night operator" he gave me two checks for fuel (one up one back) and $50.00 expense money (it bounced) I made the trip,re-loaded a load of flour at Pillsbury in Buffalo,delivered in Jersey the next day. I think i made $85/90.00 for the whole mess! BUT i got to drive a "pretty" truck! this one had the nice V.I.T interior (blue buttontuck) 3408 CAT,14 speed Spicer sst,and 3:35 rears if i remember correctly.this was also the one and only truck i ever drove with a 120 MPH speedometer in it,and given the proper circumstances,i think it would easiliy have done it! my first foray in the pilot seat of a "largecar" lol!........................Mark

[Bigdogtrucker]

Truck in the video is ridiculous....I'll take a REAL twin stick any day!Sure do love my Q box,esp. bringing people for rides and seeing the look on there face .

[oilburner]

Too bad he doesn't have a free hand to turn the Jake off and the wipers on.

Is it necessary to move the stick into neutral whens splitting? He does that here ( assuming the stick on the left is the splitter, middle stick is the shift lever, and right stick is hi/lo.) I have not driven a late model 13 speed but the instruction plate on the old ones stated that the driver only needed to back off the throttle. The other video is with the stock setup and he does it there also.

some of them split better if you rock the stick to neutral before you flip the button, i drove a 18 speed that would drive you nuts, the damn thing would split fast and if you didn't hit it just right it would pop in gear, i was used to the 13 speed in a old mack you could split it and you had a few secounds before it was in gear. The 18 speed i drove you could actally shift faster by rocking the stick, that's what we call it around here, putting it in neutral before fliping the button. Some transmission don't like it at all, my 1980 w 900 has a 13, speed in it and if you try that with it, you will end up having to stop and start all over, it will get between gears and there you will be.

[slpwlker]

some of them split better if you rock the stick to neutral before you flip the button, i drove a 18 speed that would drive you nuts, the damn thing would split fast and if you didn't hit it just right it would pop in gear, i was used to the 13 speed in a old mack you could split it and you had a few secounds before it was in gear. The 18 speed i drove you could actally shift faster by rocking the stick, that's what we call it around here, putting it in neutral before fliping the button. Some transmission don't like it at all, my 1980 w 900 has a 13, speed in it and if you try that with it, you will end up having to stop and start all over, it will get between gears and there you will be.

Your right a lot of old 13's are like that or the smaller ones. 88 T-600 I drove was like that, a 9 speed swap was like that and Robs R model is like that just about had to start over when I forgot. My 18 isn't that touchy, If it is really cold out it is slower splitting and sometimes I am to fast on and off the throttle as I miss the gear. Never drove a Mack with a 13 or 18 speed and can't compare the splits to a RR

[cfto30570]

Your right a lot of old 13's are like that or the smaller ones. 88 T-600 I drove was like that, a 9 speed swap was like that and Robs R model is like that just about had to start over when I forgot. My 18 isn't that touchy, If it is really cold out it is slower splitting and sometimes I am to fast on and off the throttle as I miss the gear. Never drove a Mack with a 13 or 18 speed and can't compare the splits to a RR

wow now i see why my ole brockway with a 220 5spd and a air shift 2spd rearand a tag wouldnt go up the hills with 48k very fast it needed more levers ! it breaks my heart to see the boyz in their gangsta trucks think theyre split shifting i was taught to shift the main up then drop the tail section after not as fast as puttin the tail in low then slammin the main box i guess ?

[Green Dash]

Thanks Jim,that was a really nice truck,a friend of my grandfathers owned it,he had a driver quit,needed a load delivered,so pop "volunteered" me to go! I ended up taking a mixed load of produce from Vineland,NJ to Toronto. This guy was a real "fly by night operator" he gave me two checks for fuel (one up one back) and $50.00 expense money (it bounced) I made the trip,re-loaded a load of flour at Pillsbury in Buffalo,delivered in Jersey the next day. I think i made $85/90.00 for the whole mess! BUT i got to drive a "pretty" truck! this one had the nice V.I.T interior (blue buttontuck) 3408 CAT,14 speed Spicer sst,and 3:35 rears if i remember correctly.this was also the one and only truck i ever drove with a 120 MPH speedometer in it,and given the proper circumstances,i think it would easiliy have done it! my first foray in the pilot seat of a "largecar" lol!........................Mark

That truck was geared to turn that trip in one day, hence the pay! When I was younger I would have jumped all over that just to drive that truck, and prolly keep coming back for more.

[Speed]

Last time I heard a turbo that loud,it was an old White hay hauler,headed out of town to a ranch,and came back the same afternoon on a hook. No-that's not true-there's a couple of ranchers' kids' Diesel pick ups around that eat their turbos every few months,and they shriek like that just before the turbo grenades. Wonder why that keeps happening? I have my guesses.

Speed

[Speed]

A REAL truck with more options?

[mackniac]

Personally,i always liked the "feel" of the old style 13 speed knob better than the "new and improved" modern version.......................................Mark

yep those were real knobs !!

[39 Baby Mack]

I drove a KW with a 14 speed Spicer SST in my youth,really neat trans.! (yes,i drove a KW, one trip only!) especially when backed by a 3408 CAT! i have'nt seen any other trucks with this combo,but it seems they are/were very popular with "truckies" down under. I found a video of 16 speed operation,pretty much the same,and very easy once you get the hang of it....................................Mark

Mark

I know, leave it to me, but did you or anyone else notice he's driving barefoot or at least his right foot is!!!

Ron

[Green Dash]

Mark

I know, leave it to me, but did you or anyone else notice he's driving barefoot or at least his right foot is!!!

Ron

Dingo ate his shoes.

[607t1173]

That was a pretty complicated looking setup... until I saw him engage the splitter,while still accelerating,and it was then I realized what it was he had for a transmission.

In 83 we built a 359 Pete glider kit and since it was for extreme heavy haul we equipped it with a 15 over (which was my preferred transmission) and a manual 4speed auxiliary. It was very impressive to look at,but when someone asked me(and they often did) How in the world do you shift it ,since it has 60 possible gear combinations? My simple answer..." leave the aux in direct and shift it like a 10 spd. " The only exception is when it's under extremely heavy loads, you might have to use the aux when starting off on a hill,or you need to catch half a gear to maintain speed. In deep reduction and under under(two unders) you could walk as fast as it would run at 2100 RPM.

"Just because something looks complicated,doesn't always mean that it really is".