Don't ask me how I know this!

I have noticed that many times after receiving very good advice on this forum, the statement (Don't ask me how I know this.) is appended to the answer.  I have used it myself upon occasion.  I will bet there are some very entertaining stories hidden behind that statement.  For instance, after rebuilding the shift tower on a WC you can accidentally install it wrong.  (Daaah)  It was really too dark to work, but I only needed 10 more minutes to finish.  I installed it so that it was permanently in second gear and simultaneously in what ever gear you selected with the lever.  So if you put it in a gear, you could not crank it.  But if you had it in neutral, it was actually in second.   (First law of nature, if the tractor is in gear, it will start on the first hand crank.  But if it is in neutral and the clutch lock is on, you can crank yourself unconscious and empty a whole can of ether without even the smallest ceremonial pop.)  With the new tower on, I gave it a crank and it commenced to chase me all over the farm in the dark.  On a 35 WC the magneto short switch is on the mag and there is no choke lever going back to the operator's station.  When I got behind the beast I could not get up on the seat, but I got a hold of the left hand brake.  Now we are going around in circles in the dark.  After about four complete turns, I got into the seat.  I stopped it with the clutch, but if it weren't for the clutch lock I wouldn’t have been able to get off and use the shorting bar.  Before thinking of the clutch lock, I had visions of climbing onto the fuel tank and hitting the switch with my foot.   When I got into the house, my wife said I looked dizzy and that I should remember not to use starter fluid in a confined area.  I only had enough energy to say "yes dear" and not give her ammunition for a real rant.  When I posted on a link where someone was asking transmission repair advice I just mentioned it would be prudent to use the clutch lock until he was sure the trans was working correctly, and Don't ask me how I know this.  

Hey, we all learn from stuff like that!! LOL

Dave, I'm glad you posted this, now I don't feel like such a fool.  This past weekend was working on a new to me CII combine, was moving the unload auger from transport position to unload position and dislocated my left shoulder.  Ended up doing a complete flip and landed flat on my backside on the ground.  Defiantly a painful  experience.  Went to a urgent care facility in Spokane and had the doc pop it back in and now have left arm in a sling for the next month.  Could have been much worse if some friends had not been close and were able to drive me to the clinic to get fixed.

O.K. Dave. I won't ask how you know this. But I have a confession. The "G" that I have been working on for longer than I care to admit was finally ready for a "shakedown cruise" before painting. It took me a long time to get it to run, but I did. Next day, I rolled 'er out of the shop and fired 'er up. Ran fine. Got on and headed out. Guess What?
I had one forward gear and four reverse gears. What the H**L? Back into the shop for another partial tear down. Well, as some of you have guessed, I had installed the ring gear on the right side, rather than the left side of the bevel pinion gear. The only good thing is I found this before a paint job. Bob@allisdowneast

Mr. Reindeer, Your uncle isn't Red Green is he?  They could make three shows out of that story and pay you in duct tape.    Next time I tell your story, your names will be Ollie and Svwen.

You know, these are amusing stories but also show how dangerous it is to work on Farm Equipment.  Remember, the engine has a governor built in that will open the engine to run over you or chew you up. 
Ladies and Gentlemen, Do be careful out there.  This stuff is fun but dangerous.
Good Luck!
Bill Long 

Watched my dad drive a bobcat on the trailer that was hooked to his truck on a slight slope.
The weight of the bobcat lifted the rear tires of the truck just enough to start rolling down hill.
Big tree stopped the downhill train from running into the shop.  Lesson learned, load and unload on flat surface and use your e brake.

That is why farmers are an intelligent breed.  Natural Selection.

Several years ago I went to get the mail in the snow. Our mail box is about 1/4 mile up the road so I took my trusty 76 ford 4x4. We have a steep hill at the end of our drive that crosses a deep ditch with a big culvert. I was quite sure I had the hubs locked in (but I didn't) and I pulled the shifter into 4x4. I almost made it to the top when it broke loose and slid off the side of the drive into the ditch. I was wearing sweat pants which I never go outside in. About that time my mom drove by in her jeep and asked if she could help. I tried to send her on her way but she insisted. She drove right by my truck since I had slid clear off the drive. I must add that I couldn't open my drivers door because it was against the ground and I had to climb out the passenger side. I hooked up a chain and we tried a couple times but each time right before the chain came tight she would hit the brakes and then it wouldn't pull it out. I soon lost patients and firmly said hit it and she did. The ol ford came right out this time with the wheels cranked hard to the right and as soon as I cleared the ditch the drivers door (which I was sitting against) flew open and I lit butt first in the snow with sweat pants slid  down to my knees. The only thing hurt was my pride.

I was working for a farmer once and his son came over with a home made tilt trailer to borrow the 17IV with loader. He parked the rig in the drive by the shop and drove the 17 around back of the trailer. Pushed the trailer to tilt with the loader bucket and started driving up. When the trailer snapped over center and flopped down flat the park pin snapped in the old Chebby 3/4 ton and everything started rolling. By the time he shut the engine off and ran up to the truck door the whole rig was going downhill in the corn field. He got it stopped before it did any damage other than the park broken and some  4 inch tall corn ran over.

I realy don't remember ever doing anything stupid. BUT i am sure i did. 

CTuckerNWIL wrote: That's funny now right Thad?

I had a '75 GMC dually pickup with a 454 -4 gear. In the winter, I stopped to pickup the newspaper with my foot on the clutch. My snowy boot slipped off the clutch while I was leaning out to pick up the paper so I fell out, rolled away from the duals , got up and ran after the truck, jumped in before it ran into the ditch. Last time for that trick.

driver's door is off my 72 scout (then). i'm changing the left rear wheel and get interupted by a phone call before i put on the lug nuts.  stop by the refrigerator and discover an emergency - no ice cream! leaky jack has lowered and still distracted by the phone call i pull out the jack and head out. dunno how i made the first right turn with no lugs, but 2 residential blocks later the left rear wheel continues on its merry way downhill without the rest of us. i'm halfway out of the non-door with the scout running in a tight circle. about a half mile down the road the free running wheel finally reaches an uphill and stops. imagine a couple of suburban neighbors out watering their lawns watching all this trying not to laugh. and of course no jack in the car, so long hike back and forth to eventually get all parts back together again. not nearly as funny then as it is now in long term memory. now i'm finally living rural, so there's no one to laugh at my catastrophes except me. (well, and joyce, of course...)

       A friend and I are loading his 350 JD on my truck and trailer. The truck and trailer are on a slight slope, near a telephone pole. After parking the truck and SETTING the PARKING