Lets hear some of your “get you home” repairs.
I had my share which I will add a bit later if the thread develops any interest.
What truck, where and when the breakdown happened, what was done to get you rolling and how long was it before the repair was “repaired” !! 
GS
Not a repair a such.
Renault R340 in Valencia and the clutch pedal pushed to the floor and stayed there.
I had previously heard some older hands talk about how to overcome this so I thought I would give er a go.
Start up the truck and build up your air pressure then turn it off, select crawler gear and release the hand brake, then flick the key and away you go.
Have to modify your driving by hanging back at junction or traffic lights and such but essentialy dont stop rolling.
Loaded oranges at a packhouse and delivered 8 traders in 3 London markets and drove back to Yorkshire to have a new master cylinder fitted.
Felt like a proper driver that week.
I think it was 1992 and it was my own Daf 95. Somewhere in northern Spain noticed diesel on the ground.
I was waiting to load back to France (I pulled a Dentressangle trailer).
Cab up and saw a small hole in diesel pipe to the pump. Out with my tool box (never left home without it)
and a rummage in my side locker to see what I had. Found the internal diameter of an air line was the same as the
external diameter of the diesel pipe. Cut the pipe either side of the hole then spread a very small amount of instant
gasket on the two ends. Pushed the two ends into a small length of the cut up air line then wait a while. I smoked then
so probably stood back to admire my work will having a smoke.
Started it up and no leak. It stayed that way for a couple of weeks till I could get back home.
Ian
1984 c series ERF ■■■■■■■ l10 250 , 60 mph middle lane near Leicester forest , exhaust brake decided to come on , cab up on the hard shoulder, open manifold , remove the plate which had come off the spigot and fell into the manifold , and throw over hedge, reassemble, climb over hedge to retrieve said plate , carry on. reassembled the exhaust brake later that week. happened again several months later middle of Mkt Harborough, same fix.
same vehicle, M6 through b’ham this time , gearstick decided to become detached from linkage , so no gear changing. again cab up on hard shoulder , found the u/j at the bottom of the gearstick had more or less disintegrated. handily british steel put tags on rods in the ends of the tubes , so remove one of those , wrap around offending u/j tighten with pliers cab down , carry on. the fitter decided to weld it together when I got back to corby, and it broke again a few weeks later , when he said he’d weld it again , he got the f-off i’ll stick with my wire fix tks. itstill had the ‘temporary’ fix when it was sold to LV a couple of years later.
tony
Backward bleed a clutch on a 290 Volvo at Zahko using a brass garden pump on my first trip to Baghdad.
Fit new clutch to FIAT on Telex truck park Ankara.
Gearbox front oil seal failed on Scania 111 just south of Belgrade.
Drop gearbox, new oil seal not available. Take spring ring out of seal and shorten it to make the seal tighter, refit gearbox top up with oil, got me to Baghdad and back.
Mates Volvo 290 with broken gear selectors on 3rd and 4th, down by the Dead Sea in Jordan.
Removed gearbox top, go to Volvo in Amman for new selectors, fit new parts, drive back to UK.
Propshaft UJ failed at Haditha on the way home with Scania 142. Working for Expo Freight, always carried plenty of spares, changed UJ in customs compound.
Dropped a valve on Scania 111 at A’rar on the Tapline. Towed to Incirlic, topped to Belgrade, firm sent out another cylinder head with a driver.
spent two days changing cylinder head, reloaded, drove home.
Repaired more tyres than I kept track of, good job they were tube type in those days.
Just a few of the jobs done in the eleven years on m/e.
On nights coming down from Scotland blown headlight bulb , rang Scania sent fitter to replace bulb, … before anyone starts it wasn`t me I found out the morning after when I got to work .
Most of us old’uns will no doubt have a list. I think one of my late father’s is worth relating. During WW2 he was driving a Bedford OW for a London builder’s merchant. He was down in Kent when an old Ford farmer’s lorry got out of control coming the other way when the steering went, came across the road at him and hit his offside, ripping the petrol tank and back wing off the Bedford. He got hold of his firm who asked him whether he could get it home. The tank lay in the road leaking precious wartime petrol from the seam that had opened up one end. He stood the tank on the good end. He had some empty putty kegs he was taking back, dug out some remnants of putty and tried to seal the splits, but it wouldn’t hold petrol. He decided that if he could get some rubber tube he could stand the tank on end in the back of the motor, (it had high slatted sides and a tilt), run the tube from the tank through a slat and connect it to the remains of the pipe underneath. But where to get some tubing? Somebody offered him some garden hose but it was too big. Then the brainwave – on those Bedfords they had a draught excluder round the doors called “Furflex” it was made of a sort of velour material wrapped around guess what, a bit of rubber tube the right size. So he stripped both of the tubes out, joined them with a bit of the original metal pipe cut with a hacksaw borrowed from a nearby house, hooked it up and carried on with the rest of his drops before going home. Just like any of today’s drivers would do 
Bernard
Sort of get you home, shattered windscreen n bound Watford M1on a Sat morning. Pub at dinner so donkey jacket on back to front n scarf wrapped around my head like an Arab. First drink a nip of whiskey
coomsey:
Sort of get you home, shattered windscreen n bound Watford M1on a Sat morning. Pub at dinner so donkey jacket on back to front n scarf wrapped around my head like an Arab. First drink a nip of whiskey
I had the windscreen on my Sed Ak 400 ‘drop into my lap’ twice, not nice! Made a mess of the steering wheel but after a few days my hands smoothed it again. I just carried on as it was summer anyway and the extra breeze was welcome.
Can’t really think of any ‘get you home tricks’ that I had, driving Fodens for twenty years I never actually broke down with one apart from punctures. I did have a rear spring snap on the Sed Ak on Bristol Road, Birmingham, but I was only a mile from the council yard at Northfield where I was tipping tarmac so got there OK. Two fitters came out from the quarry with a spring and replaced it, I treated them to a drink at the cafe on Tyburn Road and then, when we got back to the workshop, they took the spring off again and refitted it the correct way round as the axle was running out of line!! 
However I remember dad having problems with a BMC 701 in Trafalgar Square when the Eaton two speed stuck in neutral, the copper on point duty borrowed some tools, removed the little plate from the change unit and wedged it into gear with a piece of wood to get him moving again. I wonder if the Police still do that sort of thing to help stranded truckers?
Pete.
windrush:
coomsey:
Sort of get you home, shattered windscreen n bound Watford M1on a Sat morning. Pub at dinner so donkey jacket on back to front n scarf wrapped around my head like an Arab. First drink a nip of whiskeyI had the windscreen on my Sed Ak 400 ‘drop into my lap’ twice, not nice! Made a mess of the steering wheel but after a few days my hands smoothed it again. I just carried on as it was summer anyway and the extra breeze was welcome.
Can’t really think of any ‘get you home tricks’ that I had, driving Fodens for twenty years I never actually broke down with one apart from punctures. I did have a rear spring snap on the Sed Ak on Bristol Road, Birmingham, but I was only a mile from the council yard at Northfield where I was tipping tarmac so got there OK. Two fitters came out from the quarry with a spring and replaced it, I treated them to a drink at the cafe on Tyburn Road and then, when we got back to the workshop, they took the spring off again and refitted it the correct way round as the axle was running out of line!!
However I remember dad having problems with a BMC 701 in Trafalgar Square when the Eaton two speed stuck in neutral, the copper on point duty borrowed some tools, removed the little plate from the change unit and wedged it into gear with a piece of wood to get him moving again. I wonder if the Police still do that sort of thing to help stranded truckers?
Pete.
Middle of winter Pete bludy cold. I’m about the same on breakdowns only had 3. 2 engine seized Leyland n Foden diff cooked when odd tyres fitted sit n let it cool, took a while
Coming back from Greece in a F88 Volvo.Just got into YU and started to leak water[can’t remember wherefrom].Put app 25ltrs every 100kms.Got to National at Belgrade.Bought a box of eggs in hotel,cracked them and tipped them into radiator.Drove to loading address in Italy with just 10ltrs of water added.Boss in Holland was surprised to get bill for 10eggs.
Used blocks of Wood wedged in between to get to garage with broken spring.
Not a '‘get u home’'but remember when g\box died in Southern Iran.Took g\box out,stripped down on old sleeping bag.Then went with another truck solo back to Tehran [only 600kms]for parts,return to truck,rebuild then continue to Karachi.Easy Days.
There is a very good book about an Australian outback carrier named Tom Kruse. He operated various trucks in the 30’s to the 60’s. One of the tales is about badly bending the front axle on a Mammoth Major in the bush and he and his mate removed the axle and straightened it over a camp fire, refitted it and went on their way! They hung the front of the truck up using a chain block off a tree. The book is worth a look and there is also an old film about his mail run in the desert. Great stuff.
Well I remember when I was driving a A Type Bedford 4 wheeler flat traveling from Manchester to Rutherglen when the nearside back hanger bracket broke, I jacked it up & placed a bit of timber in to stop in rubbing on the tyre & got to Rutherglen safe & sound, Just driving slowly of course .When I was empty I went to SMT Bedford dealers & they fitted a new hanger bracket for me, The problem with this wagon it had a long tailend overhand, & carrying high loads of soap powder didnt help, IIRC 8 foot high, The old thing used to rock & roll without Bill Hayley,s Music. Regards Larry.
AndieHyde:
Not a repair a such.
Renault R340 in Valencia and the clutch pedal pushed to the floor and stayed there.
I had previously heard some older hands talk about how to overcome this so I thought I would give er a go.
Start up the truck and build up your air pressure then turn it off, select crawler gear and release the hand brake, then flick the key and away you go.
Have to modify your driving by hanging back at junction or traffic lights and such but essentialy dont stop rolling.
Loaded oranges at a packhouse and delivered 8 traders in 3 London markets and drove back to Yorkshire to have a new master cylinder fitted.Felt like a proper driver that week.
Happy days
a 350 ■■■■■■■■ a Fuller 9 speed, and no clutch. Been there,seen it, done it. But we didn’t ring in…‘HELP HELP HELP’. We got the thing home (and did a couple of deliveries on the way) 
Simple one this!
When I was on night trunk, I was sent solo from Derbyshire to Essex to pick up a trailer in a lay-by that had been repaired in situ.
I got there, coupled up to the trailer and started to wind the legs up and SNAP, the bolt connecting the winding handle to the crossbar was no more 
It was 1am so not best pleased and couldn’t find anything to replace it so it was head scratching time. I then had a thought, how about my metal tin opener
so I gave it a try and hey presto - RESULT! Lesson learned and hence forth, a spare nut and bolt always carried in my spares bag.
Leyland clydesdale throttle linkage broke first thing in the morning on site so at back of cab wae wire at pump half revs worked rest o the day , Engine cracked losing all water on a MAck so of wae header cap rummaged through the skip at the quarry for plastic cans filled up with water all the way home 3 hrs. Drove a foden artic for 2 days with a blown clutch ( stop in gear an go lol) to get it home from south of England… Hit a kin deer in Canada went under pulled cross over pipe of one tank,snapped brake pot off front drive axle on unit,had just fuelled up both tanks full so under neath in the diesel blood and guts ,luckily one side was still ok so turned off valve ,got a piece o branch cut it to size and hammered it in to seal up tank ,next was the brake pot hanging, some wood into airline crimped it further back with locking pliers ■■■■■■■ out of sight then wind of the brakes …was doing well ,trailer next ,belt of my trousers to hold up airlines to sliding trailer axles .phone up office to check scale was shut (only one on way in as t was a bank holiday). boss tells me its shut so off I go … well after stripping of and trying to get cleanish black bag on seat with windows down 8 hrs later back in yard ,go in with paperwork nice envelope with $100 cash as a thank you. What I found like a timewarp was ((it was when I first came to Canada) that 99% of trucks passing all stopped,driver got out and asked if I needed the use of tools /a hand.
Evening all.
One that sticks in my mind (there are quite a few) was when I was coming home from Doha, loaded wine in Bulgy. I had just finished my Yugo entry formalities. I jumped in the cab started up and pulled away when I heard a horrible grinding noise and felt the vibration. After a bit of an inspection I established the the left side driveshaft cone had spun on the splines, resulting in no drive. So as it was late at night I went to bed, as you do in a situation like this !!
Up early in the morning and get a lift up to Scania Belgrade but they didn’t have the part so I got a cab to the National where I arranged a lift down to Thessaloniki in Greece. The first used truck yard that I found had the cap. Sorted…Now just get a lift back to the National and then another lift this time with Ronnie McNulty back down to the Yugo border at Gradina. Fit the cap and get cracking. I only lost three days.
GS
Silverdale:
There is a very good book about an Australian outback carrier named Tom Kruse. He operated various trucks in the 30’s to the 60’s. One of the tales is about badly bending the front axle on a Mammoth Major in the bush and he and his mate removed the axle and straightened it over a camp fire, refitted it and went on their way! They hung the front of the truck up using a chain block off a tree. The book is worth a look and there is also an old film about his mail run in the desert. Great stuff.
And, if I recall correctly, the repair was good enough to stay on the wagon for a further year or so!
God, so ,many where do I start…
Dodge highline/Commando - throttle linkage - stupid tiny ball joint coupling worn out and kept falling/popping off - tied some straw from a field round it and got me home, main power lead from batteries to starter decided it liked the exhaust and decided to short out all the electrics, killing the electric stop on Perkins 354.4 leaving me stranded on the M56 - wrapped plastic bag round it and tied it back to the chassis where it should have lived with a bit of rope - that lasted a few weeks. as you may have guessed this one was passed its prime
Bedford TL - thrust bearing seized on input shaft cover, could no longer engage the clutch - Chesterfield to Hyde crashing the box, and turning the engine off at any lights when I had to stop, it also broke a rocker shaft post (thought it had dropped a valve but was stilling running (a bit rough though!!) - transhipped the remains of the load to another OD, we went off and delivered them, came back to the steelworks in Birmingham where I left mine and borrowed 2 cranes and lifted the whole wagon on to his now empty artic and returned back to Poynton and did the hole operation in reverse and limped it back to the yard for repairs - somehow cant see being allowed to do that nowadays
The joys of being a OD on a crap low paying job, where calling a breakdown company would have meant working for nothing for a couple of weeks
Just a little diy fix but done it twice to two different Mercs.
The old V8 1626 Mercedes had loose piece of exhaust pipe connecting the manifold to the rest of it. They would rattle themselves to extinction on a regular basis. Fortunately I like proper coffee and the tin from Lyons Ground Coffee was the exact length and diameter to replace a missing pipe. Just cut the bottom out with a tin opener.