deckboypeggy:
I hope this is relevant ,to tell you the truth I am looking for maybe a explanation to why I had my most embarrassing 24 hours in a FODEN .
At the time I was working in Padborg [DK] FOR euro driver service [ in 1998] I was as they say on a sabbatical lol
we lived in a very nice bungalow about 5 of us I think, owned by the agency and you would get told in the morning what you would be doing and at what time it would be from then either you went back top bed or cleaned the place we all mucked in.
my time was 1 am the next morning for work, the driver who you double manned with would be a complete stranger ,a Norwegian, Swede ,or Dane, they would have been given a key and they would come to your room and knock you up…
once outside there was this FODEN ,[zb] I HAD NEVER DRIVEN A Foden before, ever ,fully loaded with wet fish I was to take him to a northern port in HOLLAND .AND HE WAS GETTING IN THE BUNK AS I GIOT IN THE CAB .I was obviously skilled in a left hand drive truck, but not a FODEN, I JUST HOPED HE WENT STRIGHT TO SLEEP, GOD KNOWS WHERE HE HAD DRIVEN FROM AND I DID NOT ASK. I just put a card in .I had changed my shoes to my driving clacks, as you do, and started of I could see that it had a high /low ratio ,direct, splitter, on the gear stick head, but it w was so worn I could not see any numbers to give me a clue, also I think there was a up and down switch on the gear stick…my I am still embarrassed ,how I got on to the autobahn I do not remember but I did it flying past Hamburg on south east -ish. I thought If I don’t stop until I get there all this AUTO BAHN at night he will be snoring wont know no different,.
i could not start messing about with the gears as there was no need ,customs finished so it was full stem ahead and that is what I did ,I found the town ,on the coast ,THE NAME HAS GONE but it was a fishing port ,fish to a fishing port.
Now my problems began I came upto some lights on a short brow of a hill, they changed and I hoped I got 2nd, pulled away, went to change up I never split but would it go in ,no way, I waited for the revs to drop ,Jesus I could not get any gear, he was now out of the bunk shouting something, I could understand why I could not get any gear, I started again pulled away, selected again it just would not go in ,I thought I am the wrong range because the switches were together on the gear stick top. so in sort of a panic [at my age then]holding traffic up. I put the brake on and he knew it was his time to drive ,and he just sailed away I watched him like a hawk ,and I do not know to this day what was doing wrong .
I was reading the Simons thread and one chap was on about changing with using the exhauster . maybe after all theses years I did not drive correct any answers on the Foden the lorry was old…
I think this vehicle had an Eaton Twin Splitter box, easy when you know how to us it. No need to us the clutch except for starting off and stopping. Basic four speed box with three position direct splitter, low, med, high.
You could change up or down or skip shift by just the use of the throttle pedal (gas). Best box ever made, stuff all the auto crap.