Frustration Factor

Spent a few hours with Hanky yesterday. Ever since Pinelands, it won't run. Barely got it off the trailer and into the driveway. Had to prime the carb just to get it to fire and run long enough to move it 10 feet.

Not much has changed. Still wont idle. Sound like it is running on 4 cylinders. I suspected a vacuum leak because I found a unattached hose under the hood, but thee was no place on the carb to plug it, so I just plugged the end. No change.

So yesterday I pulled 5 plugs they all looked good other than being wet. Could get it to run if I set the idle super high. Now I'm thinking maybe diet in the idle circuit. Which means I will have to pull the carb. Gah. Not what I really want to do. I also need to time it once it get it to run a little.

Oh, and there is a short somewhere cuz the battery keeps going dead. One more thing I don't have time for. Hopefully I can get it sorted out by Spring Pinelands. But at this rate, that's questionable.

What's better than a warm touchie

So Brian H and I took a ride down to Crazy Ray's a few weekends ago. I was in search of a sun visor for a friend's car. Of course they had not one, but two. I got one. What, you thought I'd get both? Um, no.

But I did happen to have just enough cash in my pocket to haul home a pair if heated leather seats out if a gray PT Cruiser. Score!

Now I just need to find some time to install them. That and remember which of the leads is for the side airbag so I don't get a rude surprise.

Pinelands. A few weeks late

With the help of Allan and Brian, I was able to get the new '80 front axle rebuilt and installed the night before Pinelands. Got the F250 from my bro and my trailer from mom's, loaded it up and off I went on Friday morning. Aside from a tire blowout at the Harbor Tunnel toll, it towed great.

Hanky performed great on the trail. The new locker and front did great. Unstoppable. Got just a wee bit muddy, but that's the goal, right?!

However, when I got it home, I didn't want to start. Had to prime the carb to get it to fire and run long enough to get it off the trailer and parked. Still haven't gotten into it any more. I changed the fuel filter and washed the engine to get the mud out of the plug wells. Sooner or later I'll have some time to really mess with it.

Where are you Mr. Clean?

Well, I certainly haven't been blogging, that's for sure. Lots has happened though. A whole summer has gone by.
I broke the fron axle on Hanky prior to Pinelands. Munched the pinion and ring gears. Took Heavy D to Pinelands instead and stoved in the side of the bed. Thankfully it (mostly) pushed right back out.

Alan is helping me rebuild another front axle. Will be heading down to his place his week as a matter of fact. Gotta get ready for Pinelands in two weeks. Eek, I'm cutting this close.

Took Heavy D to a car show earlier in the summer with Bryan and the Devil's Chariot, his '73 WagonMaster.  Also took Hanky to Carlisle. That was fun, as always. There are pics around here somewhere.

And I bought a car trailer. yeah baby. Did I post that already? Anyway. The idea is to use my brother's F250 Powerstroke to pull Hanky to Pinelands. Yup, ride in comfort and get better gas mileage too.

Tag Along

Something followed me home last night. Literally. Looky what latched itself to my hitch. It's a car trailer. Fancy that. Yep this is the one I was talking about the other day. 16', 7000# with 10k winch, new tires, one new axle with new brakes,  new LED light all around, new breakaway battery new aluminum diamond plate storage box full of straps. Also has diamond plate ramps and reinforced driver's side fender so you can stand on it.

What's not to love?

Haul Me, Haul You

Agreed to terms on a car trailer today. Not a bad unit. 16' wood deck, new tires, rear axle, brakes and backing plates, wiring and LED lights. 10k winch, diamond plate tool box. May pick it up on Saturday.

Have also been working on those gauges bit by bit. Today I plumbed the oil pressure line (but realized that I don't have the compression fitting for the block, grr). Also plumbed the vacuum gauge and tachometer. I still need to wire the tach illumination and fuel gauge. Then calibrate the tach, hook up the speedo and bolt it in and see how it all works.

El Producto

Good, productive day today. We gathered at Brian H's place today to pull the transmission from the Wagonmaster, which we did. And to swap some lift springs onto Chewbacca, which we also did. Well half way. We got the rears on, but not the front. And there are still a few things to do on the rear to really call it done, like getting shorter bolts for the front spring hanger, so the shims can come off and put in a longer rear brake line. No problem, that's stuff he can do himself. Helps having some extra hands around, especially when the old bolts don't want to let go or if the centerin pin head is too big and needs to be 'adjusted'.

The best part might have been Bill's Irish Red and IPA home brew that he brought with him. Mmm, mmm, good. Might fine brew, that was and a good way to end the day.

It's Here, It's Here!

The new JL Scout has been released, so look for it in your friendly neighborhood toy store. I scored two from my favorite online distributor, but haven't spotted them at Toys-R-Us yet. Keep your eyes peeled.

Crispy or Regular?

Remember when I let the smoke out of my dash wiring on the trail a few years back? Well, at the time I couldn't find any seriously burnt wires. I must not have looked very hard. After exposing innards of the dash during my gauge installation, I found one of the taillight wires totally fried from the switch to the bulkhead and from the firewall side of the bulkhead down about three feet. The mud and the loom hid it until I really looked.

So, I need to fix that before I move on with the gauges. Yesterday and today I spent replacing the plug on the engine side and splicing it into the rear harness. All good. that's done. Now I need to pull the bulkhead connector from the cabin side and replace that whole length of wire. That's going to be fun.

Nibble, Nibble

Today I took out the jigsaw and cut up my perfectly good dash. Well, I didn't feel too bad because 1) this is going to be totally awesome and 2) the stereo hole had already been hacked. I think I'll have to bob the heavy metal bracket behind the dash also to fit in the Tach. So be it.

Not much support left in the sheet metal, so I might add a little back in when I get to final fitment.

Test Fit

Couldn't resist braving the blizzard today (ahem) to test fit the new dash into Hanky. Here is what I started with.

and here is after it all came apart ( I fugure I might as well swap in the new dash pad too while I'm at it).

I think I'll clean up the dash and paint it while I'm going to the effort. Shouldn't take much longer to prep and shoot it with a rattle can. Next up was to lay the new dash in place with the gauges in, just to get a feel for what it will look like.

Ooh, la la. Me likey. Ok, now to take out the gauges and see how the panel fits and see how much cutting I'm going to need to do.

Yeah, baby, this is going to work out just fine. A little trimming and I'll be ready to roll. Might tackle that tomorrow. Gonna go out and play with other stuff this afternoon. You know, since it's snowing so hard (uh, not!).

Reminder to self: move the steering column collar out of the way or protect it when removing stock gauges. I scratched the crap out of it when disconnecting the ammeter, as you can see. Nothing a little putty and sanding won't fix. I need to paint it anyway.

Bill, did you say it could be none more black? Why yes, yes it can be just a little more black once the dash is all painted.

A Dash of This, A Dash of That

Score!
Received my round gauge dash from Aaron Graham today. It's sweet. Seven gauges in all, though I really don't need a boost. Might replace that with a clock or something. Might have to install it this weekend. I'm thinkin' this thing is gonna look too cool. It's stainless under the black paint. I might strip it since I need to repaint anyway to fix a couple chips.

Crawling Around

Finally got Hanky out to where I could test the Aussie at least a little. Went up to my mother's place and crawled around on the rocks in her paddock. Climbed up a little incline strewn with rocks, over some fallen timber, over some other rock piles. Performed great. Got the front right spring hanger hung up on a rock and had to jack it up to get off of it. Rolled another rock under the driver's frame that lifted the tire on that side about 6" off the ground.

One of the front hubs made a nasty clang/pop sound when I was done then the opposite one did the same when backing out of a parking space at a store on the way home. Hmmm. Need to pull the hubs apart and inspect, lube them anyway. Hope I didn't break anything.

Also swapped my spare radiator into Tony's Scout. Had to clean a mouse nest out of it, but it seems to be working well. Now to put the new pump motor on the plow pump and get that hooked up.