Burn baby burn

[Paul Markowski]

Took my 2017 Ram 3500 Diesel (manual transmission) to the Ram dealership the other day to get regular maintenance performed. Even before I turned the keys over to the service guy, I wondered whether the eventual mechanic that would be working on my truck would indeed know how to drive a standard transmission? As far as I know, only about 5% of car/small truck owners in America today drive a manual vehicle....so the vast majority of drivers out there today have never driven a manual transmission vehicle.

So, after the work was finished on my truck, they offered a complimentary truck wash so I agreed to this. The truck wash "kids" as I understand are just a bunch of 16-22 year olds....so sure enough, when they brought my vehicle back from the hand wash, as I entered the cab, I could smell that obvious scent of "clutch burn".....so, looks like they took off some life on my clutch......was wondering if anyone out there ever thinks about things such as this when they entrust their Ram to a service center?

 

[jgillott]

Think about the confused looks that my old Chevy with the 3-on-the-tree would give them.

 

[Paul Markowski]

Think about the confused looks that my old Chevy with the 3-on-the-tree would give them.

Haha...I can just imagine!!

 

[SnoKing]

Think about the confused looks that my old Chevy with the 3-on-the-tree would give them.

And it got stuck in two gears at the same time, which was a common issue in the 70's, that would really throw them for a loop.

 

[jgillott]

And it got stuck in two gears at the same time, which was a common issue in the 70's, that would really throw them for a loop.

I still have the truck. It only goes to a car show once, maybe twice a year. Every once in a while I'll have someone ask me about how the transmission works. Surprisingly, it isn't only younger people.

 

[SnoKing]

I still have the truck. It only goes to a car show once, maybe twice a year. Every once in a while I'll have someone ask me about how the transmission works. Surprisingly, it isn't only younger people.

For that do not know about the problem, going from 1st to 2nd the linkage would fail to move the first/rev gear lever out of first and still let move the second/third lever into 2nd. You had to open the hood and move the first gear lever by hand.

 

[jgillott]

For that do not know about the problem, going from 1st to 2nd the linkage would fail to move the first/rev gear lever out of first and still let move the second/third lever into 2nd. You had to open the hood and move the first gear lever by hand.

Surprisingly, I've never had that happen.

 

[Missouri Mule]

I had. Some idiot at the wp dealer ship drove where customers pick it up 4 wheel high. The last time Is at time I took it their..
I learned how to drive a manual in high school. My Dad try to teach me but a Friend who had a VW bug took for a spin in the parking lot and told me my opel had a fast clutch is his vs had a slow clutch. He told me how and when to depress the clutch and when to start moving the stick shift.
The funniest manual I drove was a Renualt with a 4 spd on the column. My Mom had to remind my Dad to double clutch to get in fourth gear ( He taught my Mom how to drive a manual on Montgomery Wards delivery truck. She said you had double clutch in every gesr.). On most of the manuals I drove I was able to syncronise shift in every gear ( HAVE not tried to do it on Mule or Moose as of yet.)

 

[MW Gibson]

As an aside my best friend had a 46 Chevy coupe in 1958. We would race anybody with it. The engine was bone stock so we lost a lot. Anyway he was left handed so he moved the shift lever to to the left side of the wheel. This made the shift into second a straight down shot which was very quick. Disconnecting the vacuum assist on the shifter also helped. The old days when we were poor and didn't know it. Our "custom" exhaust was a chunk of 3" aluminum irrigation pipe we repurposed. Made it sound like we had a mighty 271 Jimmy under the hood.

 

[Paul Markowski]

For that do not know about the problem, going from 1st to 2nd the linkage would fail to move the first/rev gear lever out of first and still let move the second/third lever into 2nd. You had to open the hood and move the first gear lever by hand.

Wow....Imagine that? Having to physically move the actual gear lever by hand under the hood. Awesome.

 

[JackFate]

Took my 2017 Ram 3500 Diesel (manual transmission) to the Ram dealership the other day to get regular maintenance performed. Even before I turned the keys over to the service guy, I wondered whether the eventual mechanic that would be working on my truck would indeed know how to drive a standard transmission? As far as I know, only about 5% of car/small truck owners in America today drive a manual vehicle....so the vast majority of drivers out there today have never driven a manual transmission vehicle.

So, after the work was finished on my truck, they offered a complimentary truck wash so I agreed to this. The truck wash "kids" as I understand are just a bunch of 16-22 year olds....so sure enough, when they brought my vehicle back from the hand wash, as I entered the cab, I could smell that obvious scent of "clutch burn".....so, looks like they took off some life on my clutch......was wondering if anyone out there ever thinks about things such as this when they entrust their Ram to a service center?

I’ve NEVER had a good experience at a dealership. So the upcoming recalls make me sick 51/79 . I could tell you quite a few stories of me and my family’s experiences ,some funny some serious

 

[Bob4x4]

For that do not know about the problem, going from 1st to 2nd the linkage would fail to move the first/rev gear lever out of first and still let move the second/third lever into 2nd. You had to open the hood and move the first gear lever by hand.

Only happens when worn out or no adjusted correctly........

 

[Newsa]

I always leave a picture of the shift pattern easily visible whenever leaving at the dealer or valeting.

A dealer (service dept) near me trusts kids to drive vehicles to the shop and back to the customer pick up area. One kid told me he had to Google the shift pattern.

 

[Jim W]

I learned how to drive a manual transmission in a 1957 Chevy with a 4 on the floor transmission, my buddies car. I than purchased a 1969 Supper Beetle 1500CC VW 4 speed on the floor. I taught my wife how to drive this car.

When we bought her a new 1986 Ford Escort I made sure that the Escort was a 4 Speed manual transmission. Salesman tried to talk us out of buying the manual transmission and go for the automatic. I said no my kids will need to know how to drive a manual transmission some day and this will be their training car.

Will my daughter was with her boyfriend, soon to be her husband and she had to move a car at a party she was at. She was the only person other than the driver of that car who new how to drive a manual transmission. Her husband still can't drive a manual transmission car.

 

[TMyers]

One day I stopped by my hardwood supplier where the General Manager is married to my cousin and they were building a new house. He asked me if I had time to ride out to the house and look at the progress. I said sure, and he said let's take the ton truck cause my trim guys need the material loaded on it. I jumped in the passenger seat ready to go. He just looked at me and dropped his head. He confessed, "I need you to drive. I have no idea how to drive this truck." On the way he said, "I couldn't ask anyone in the office, they would have made fun of me."

 

[The patriot]

Last time I had my truck @ the dealer, I got it back with a chunk of rubber missing from the sidewall, and a big yellow paint mark.
I found it while I was still there....luckily. They denied it, I asked what bay was it in, then showed the lift cleat with the missing yellow paint.
They were not happy, but bought that tire.:-laf

I pretty much do all my own work because I have a LOT of stories like this.

 

[Paul Markowski]

I had. Some idiot at the wp dealer ship drove where customers pick it up 4 wheel high. The last time Is at time I took it their..
I learned how to drive a manual in high school. My Dad try to teach me but a Friend who had a VW bug took for a spin in the parking lot and told me my opel had a fast clutch is his vs had a slow clutch. He told me how and when to depress the clutch and when to start moving the stick shift.
The funniest manual I drove was a Renualt with a 4 spd on the column. My Mom had to remind my Dad to double clutch to get in fourth gear ( He taught my Mom how to drive a manual on Montgomery Wards delivery truck. She said you had double clutch in every gesr.). On most of the manuals I drove I was able to syncronise shift in every gear ( HAVE not tried to do it on Mule or Moose as of yet.)

My father insisted that I learn to drive on a manual when I was 16....he said that unless you can drive a manual. you really don't know how to drive.

 

[Paul Markowski]

One day I stopped by my hardwood supplier where the General Manager is married to my cousin and they were building a new house. He asked me if I had time to ride out to the house and look at the progress. I said sure, and he said let's take the ton truck cause my trim guys need the material loaded on it. I jumped in the passenger seat ready to go. He just looked at me and dropped his head. He confessed, "I need you to drive. I have no idea how to drive this truck." On the way he said, "I couldn't ask anyone in the office, they would have made fun of me."

Hilarious!!!

 

[SnoKing]

The only manual I had trouble with was my Dad 56 Diamond T with 4 speed Clark and with 3 speed brownie. The Clark and brownie had square cut gears without synchros.

 

[Pawpaw]

I started driving manuals around the farm sometime before my 10th birthday.

A friend of mine told me how he tried to teach his wife to drive his 1960-something Mustang with a 289. It always ended in a fight. I volunteered to teach her in my '82 Dodge van. The combination of that fairly heavy vehicle and that long-stroking 225 slant six made for about the easiest clutch I've ever driven.

After going over the basics with her, we took off driving around Kelly AFB. About 15 minutes into it, she got a big grin on her face and declared, "This is fun!"

Later, my friend was complaining that he couldn't get his 'Stang away from her. :-laf