After a couple of weeks in the shed I decided it was time to bring the OC-3 out of the shed and to the garage for its check-up. Spring had sprung so there was no problem with parking one car (my car) outside while the crawler took up a stall (3 days later it snowed about 4 inches and I had the ice scraper out that morning).
Before I ventured to the garage I just couldn't resist taking a stab at a small dirt pile I had out back. I soon realized the blade is not one of those fancy see-through plastic blades you see on pick-ups during the winter. If it was see-through I would have seen my septic system vent tube was about to get clobbered. The OC-3 was not kind to the 4 inch PVC tube - there was a sharp POP and pieces flew everywhere.
I didn't let the PVC incident stop me and I continued on to the dirt pile. The old girl pushed a fair amount of dirt at 3/4 throttle. She even spun the tracks. I was somewhat impressed that this machine of 50+ years of age could grunt down and spin the tracks.
However, it also verifies what the critics of the OC-3 have said for years. . .It is geared too high for serious dirt dozing. I will certainly keep my eyes open for the remedy - the Ford Model A 3-speed step-down transmission. The Model A 3-speed is bolted between the engine/clutch housing and the original 3-speed Clark transmission. This takes you from 3 forward speed to 9 forwards speeds. Ultimately, it takes you from 2.02mph in 1st gear down to 0.64mph in super-low 1st gear. Then you can really capture all 26 horses from the little Hercules four-cylinder. Oliver actually offered this transmission (made by Trasco) as an install option in the mid-50's. People are still installing these transmissions today - so if I find a well-priced Model A 3-speed, you know I'll have to buy it. http://www.cletrac.org/pages/auxtrans.html
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