[AT] DC Case

[charlie hill]

My cousin's dad bought a home built go-cart.   The guy that built it used a 
cable throttle like the ones used on old lawn mowers.  The only thing is he 
hooked it up so that when the cable was pulled all the way out the engine 
was at idle and when it was pushed all the way in the engine was wide open. 
The first time I rode it the front wheels got in some soft sand and I kind 
of lost control so I quickly tried to
kill the throttle but instinctively threw it wide open.  Next thing I knew I 
was aimed head long for the side of my uncles brand new Chrysler that had 
been delivered by the dealer that very morning.    The go cart came to rest 
with the front wheels under the Chrysler.   Luckily the steering column 
jammed under the rocker panel of the Chrysler with out so much as putting a 
scratch on the car.  The only thing hurt was a minor bend in the steering 
column and my pride.   My uncle never let me drive the go cart again.  Of 
course I never asked.   It was absolutely not my fault.   My attempt to stop 
the engine was the first time my hand had ever been on that throttle.  My 
uncle set it for me when I took off  (it had a centrifugal clutch like a 
chain saw) and I don't know how a 10 year could have known the thing was 
hooked up backwards.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ron Cook
Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 3:57 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] DC Case

Gene,
     Now that would be a real bugger!  Up is down down is up.  Back is
forward and off the trailer onto the tongue.  Danged good way to get
badly injured or even killed.  I actually know of a Thrush that had the
elevator hooked up wrong after rebuild.  Luckily an experienced pilot
took the test flight and discovered the problem before takeoff during
preflight control check.  Unfortunately the mechanic was never reported
and he is an AI today operating an airport and mechanic business and his
work might just still be as bad.  Before I knew better, I had him adjust
the valves on my 1340 and reinstall the prop after overhaul.  Two very
bad and very unsafe experiences with him all on one annual inspection.
Whole nuther story.
      I think that clutch business was why I was the primary operator of
that old DC on our farm for the short time we had it.  I had done quite
a bit of operating my uncle's D4 Cat, so I never had a problem with that
clutch.  I did think that flat lever was a bit cheap appearing at the
time.  But it worked fine.

On 1/15/2012 1:58 PM, Gene Dotson wrote:
>      Ron;
>
>      Sounds like you had a 1939, or early 1940 DC. Early models had the 
> same
> clutch setup as the C and CC model tractors. Got some guys in trouble with
> the different engagement. One guy had several DC tractors and bought a CC
> and while loading it on his trailer, instinctively pulled back to 
> disengage,
> only to have the clutch fully engage and run off the front of the trailer
> into the back of his truck. He, the tractor and the truck all got banged 
> up
> somewhat. Guess that would be like having your elevator cables reversed?
>
>                          Gene
>
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