<VV> NO VAIR 3 on Tree/59 Chevy and '69 DKW

[HallGrenn at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/17/2010 8:34:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
corvairduval at cox.net writes:

I have  lots of practice doing this  for myself and other people back  then.



The three on the tree linkage on a '59 Biscayne six jammed when the engine  
died straddling a RR crossing.  It was a totally worn out pharmacy delivery 
 car I used on one of my first jobs.  The crossing  bell started to clang 
and I didn't want to leave it on the tracks.  I  got lucky using the proper 
open palm technique and coaxed it back into first,  let out the clutch and 
used the starter to crank it off the tracks looking left  and right for the 
light of the train (it was at night).  After the freight  train passed and I 
calmed down I got under the car and worked the  linkage a bit and drove the 
Chevy back to the pharmacy.  I  refused to drive it until it was fixed after 
that.  
 
About five years later that experience helped with a friend's DKW in  
Germany when the linkage broke.  The DKW used nylon bushings at the  wear points 
and one was completely gone.  Using the logic from the Chevy I  was able to 
use coat hanger wire to make a cradle to cage the linkage so it  wouldn't 
slip out and she drove the car for months before she got it fixed  properly.  
 
By why is it that these things always happen when it's cold with snow on  
the ground?
 
Bob