instructions and started reading while Herman and Einar jacked up the Ford and blocked it. Herman ran off the nuts on the spring shackles while Einar took the bolts out of the bell housing at the back of the transmission. Torvald disconnected the brake rods and took off the hubcaps and pulled the cotter pins and backed off the axle nuts. In fifteen minutes they had the whole rear end out and had the wheel puller on the wheels. A couple good whacks and the wheels were off. They grabbed the rear end and set it up on the bench. Einar took out the little 5/16 bolts holding the two halves together and Herman took out the driveshaft spool bolts. They pulled the radius rods to make it easier to work around and in ten more minutes they had the whole thing pulled apart. Torvald told them to make sure they kept the babbitt washer and the spacer washer so they wouldn't have to reset the ring gear and pinion. There were pictures of just how every thing went together and he couldn't believe how easy it was. Einar unbolted the ring gear from the old spider gear carrier and bolted it on the new carrier. He slipped the right side axle through the hole and laid the spider gears in on top of it. The left axle fit right into the other side and the three little pins with the gears on them, the big planetary gear and then the bronze plate and washer went right on without a hitch. There was a little sack with the bolts and washers and some wire to safety wire the bolts with and some cotter pins for the others. They slipped on the change gear, dabbed a little grease on the shifter plate and stuck it inside the housing before putting the big bearing on and then turned the gears and watched how it made the axles go around slower when it was in Ruckstell low and how they went faster when it was in Ruckstell high. Damnedest thing he'd ever seen and about the easiest thing he'd ever worked on. Everything was nice made, the parts looked good, he could see why they were selling so many of these. If this worked as good as everybody said they did, he'd feel good about spending the money for it.

They had to quit. Ford & Henry came out to the barn and said Mama said it was time to milk and eat supper and what were they doing anyway. They washed their hands in some gas and then water and lye soap and Torvald and Einar went to milk. Herman told them maybe after supper they'd come back out and finish up. He'd thought it would take them two or three nights but the way it was going they just might put it back in tonight. The boys could stay up a little late.

The boys milked faster than they ever had. Supper was barely over when they had their feed buckets in their hands and went to feed. In twenty minutes they were back out to the barn. Herman got out his axle sleeve puller and pulled the sleeve out of the old axle housing and put it in the Ruckstell housing. They slid the new housing over the axle, put the shifter in its spot and bolted it tight. Ready to go back in!! Since the floor boards were already out of the Ford it was easy to roll the driveshaft under the car and stab the u joint in the square hole in the end of the transmission shaft. Einar put the bolts back in the bell housing, attaching the shifter at the same time, while Herman and Torvald bolted up the rear spring and put the brake rods back on. Herman was surprised how quick Torvald was to see how everything fit together and how it worked. "Maybe he'd never be a farmer," Herman said to himself, "But he's a smart boy for 13, he'll do OK." "Maybe he'll be the Ford man someday."

Einar took a couple turns on the low band and cut a little hole in the floorboards and put them back in the Ford while Herman and Torvald filled the Ruckstell with grease. "Let's try it on the blocks and make sure it all works," Herman said to the boys and fired up the Ford. They