A mans gotta do; what a mans gotta do

[cjcottrill]

I fired up the deuce to get a couple loads of gravel for the driveway. I was all loaded up and started to shift to reverse to back away from the loader and return to the scales when the shifter snapped off in my hand. Fortunately an old plumber always has his pipe with him - and trusty vise-grips. Looks odd but worked fine for the return trip. Take a look at the second picture, from the appearance of shiny metal only a small part has been connected - for who knows how long.

 

[ivbeenrokd]

I'd say keep the copper pipe. I think it's cool.

 

[Speddmon]

now that's odd. That shift lever is a pretty beefy hunk of steel. I'm surprised it could snap off like that. It's hard to tell by the pic, but it looks like a pretty clean break too.

 

[ALFA2]

Hey, quick thinking on your feet cjcottrill.
Hopefully nothing else was damaged, and you get that shifter replaced uneventfully.

ALFA2

 

[DieselBob]

You win the “weird sh??? happens” award. Not that I have a billion miles on the road but I have never seen that happen before.

 

[cjcottrill]

now that's odd. That shift lever is a pretty beefy hunk of steel. I'm surprised it could snap off like that. It's hard to tell by the pic, but it looks like a pretty clean break too.

The only part of the metal that was shiny -as in new break- was the narrow strip down the middle. The rest was well oxidized as if it has been like that for a long time.

 

[mactiredearg]

The only part of the metal that was shiny -as in new break- was the narrow strip down the middle. The rest was well oxidized as if it has been like that for a long time.

Wouldnt surprise me if someone had trimmed it down to the narrow strip while it was still in service. My bet would be on a GI practical joke that hit the wrong target...

 

[5ton4ever]

pretty clever. now everyone will want a copper shifter.

 

[doghead]

I had the very same thing once!

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/49623-post82.html

 

[m16ty]

I saw that happen before. I was on a jobsite that had a a**hole superintendent. It didn't take much for him to throw a screaming fit. A dumptruck driver backed up to start to spread a load of gravel. When he went to take off to spread he tripped the gate, the truck lunged foward a little, and then stopped (the gravel piling up behind him). The Super started cussing him out and all the driver did was hand him the shifter out the window. That shut the Super up and all we did was roll on the ground laughing.

 

[Phantasom]

**** Zombies and there Hi Jinx

 

[gunboy1656]

I have had mine come off in my hands but not break off. WOW.

i would have never guessed it would do that, one more thing to check out tomorrow.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I got shifters, let me know.

 

[Westex]

I wonder if our shift rods are cast steel; would make them more brittle than forged?

 

[roger-wilco-66]

Redneck ingenuity, if there ever was one!

 

[Digger09]

With a lighter shifter you can load more gravel without going over the gvw. Nascar might steal that weight saving idea.

 

[Dodge man]

I got shifters, let me know.

I vote to keep the pipe! It looks SO redneck!

I used to keep a pair of vice grips on my off-road motorcycle. I clamped them on and wrapped the handles with safety wire to keep them from releasing (and a good place to keep the SW!) I crunched the shifter one time and broke the shaft and lever off and had to clamp the vice grips on the remains of the shaft and then had to reach down and hand shift it to get home but I got there.

Vice grips and baling wire, two things a true redneck should never be without!

 

[yetti96]

I vote to keep the pipe! It looks SO redneck!

I used to keep a pair of vice grips on my off-road motorcycle. I clamped them on and wrapped the handles with safety wire to keep them from releasing (and a good place to keep the SW!) I crunched the shifter one time and broke the shaft and lever off and had to clamp the vice grips on the remains of the shaft and then had to reach down and hand shift it to get home but I got there.

Vice grips and baling wire, two things a true redneck should never be without!

I had a 3 wheeler with vice-grips for a shifter for years. I had broken the pull start too many times to repair and then broke the shifter from jumping on it as I push started it every time I had to ride. It was a little dangerous, but worked like a charm. I could take the VG with me if I had to park it somewhere where it might get stolen (friends house, gas station, etc)

But to the OP, I say plumb it with warm water for the winter.

 

[tie6044]

I sold a truck a while back and that very same thing happened a day later to him. Same place and it looks the same as yours. I think the rod is welded to the bracket on the end that goes onto the tranny and it brakes at that spot.

 

[cjcottrill]

Welded back, so it's back on the road again. I might save the custom copper shifter for future use though. Thought about putting a rolling offset toward the driver side so I don't have to reach so far if it happens again.