The Truck of Doom: An Occasional Build Thread

And in other news, my compression check came back nicely:

Another reason I like NGK's.
I have NEVER had one come with the wrong gap. (knock wood)

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Another reason I like NGK's.
I have NEVER had one come with the wrong gap. (knock wood)

These were all good as well - I didn't actually have to change anything.  But dad always taught me to never assume the guy in the factory was doing a good job that day.

Things have changed since dad's time...

"The guy" is a computerized machine that doesn't come in hung over, need a pee break, get sick or injured on the job.
It also scans -probably- 10 plugs every second for at least two shifts every day.

Don't even tell me that you long for (in Ray's words) Hipster, trysexual, artisanal, fair trade, and carbon neutral 'hand tested' spark plugs!

It's official - I'm completely out of things to do on the truck until after that Scout project sometime this month.  Just finished swapping out the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor, and the test drive went very well.  I've had an intermittent miss at idle for some time now, and while I didn't drive it far enough to say definitively that it's gone, I didn't notice it tonight.

I think next up will be the carburetor rebuild, after which I can get everything timed and adjusted to spec.  Then it'll be time to get dirty under the truck...

Well.

Waddya know, 'Job one, is job DONE!'  💪👏🏆🚀👑🎉📯🍻

Dorsai wrote

It's official - I'm completely out of things to do on the truck until after that Scout project sometime this month.

OK, I lied...I forgot that I could do the windshield wiper blades.  From my experience it always rains in Arkansas, so that was a must-do before September.

Speaking of windshield wipers...how much play is normal in the wiper arms?  When they're in the 'off' position I can wiggle them 3"-4", which seems like a lot and probably contributes to the clunking noise when they reach the end of their sweep and reverse direction.  Is it time to get new ones?

Plastic linkage bushings inside the cowl.

Dorman has an assortment in the HELP! Section.

You can also use these for the clutch linkage on hydraulic trucks. (If the crank arm pin does not have a groove worn in it)

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Plastic linkage bushings inside the cowl.

Dorman has an assortment in the HELP! Section.

Good to know, thanks.  I’ve been planning to get into the cowl at some point anyway, this will be extra incentive.

Congrats!  🎊

As for Arkansas, my experience is that it rains insects. So you will need both good wiper blades and lots of windshield washer fluid.

So I've mentioned some of this elsewhere, but just to document it here...the starting problem first encountered a few weeks ago at Lowe's didn't go away after replacing the battery cable, and didn't go away after replacing the starter relay...so after stranding me at Publix today forcing me to beg a ride home from a friend, the truck gets a new starter tomorrow.

Protip: if you clean your truck out in order to replace the seat and flooring, remember to put your toolbag back in after you're done!  If you forget you may be stranded somewhere without tools, and end up with one of these in a desperate attempt to do minimal repairs:



Yep, that's a housewife-grade adjustable wrench, forged by the finest Chinese peasants and purchased from the Housewares aisle at Publix.  My shame is everlasting.

But it was your 'helping hand'!  
**you know it's forged of yak dung, right?**

Couldn't have happened at Lowe's, Noooo!  

At least it worked!  And now you can donate it to your wife - after you put your tools back in the truck, where they belong.

And about that AAA membership.....  

Dorsai wrote

It's official - I'm completely out of things to do on the truck

Ahahahahaha!  

Just when you thought it was safe.....

Gary Lewis wrote

At least it worked!  And now you can donate it to your wife - after you put your tools back in the truck, where they belong.

I wouldn't let her use a tool that bad...it did work, but barely.  Every other turn of the wrench I had to re-tighten it, it was so loose that the jaws kept slipping open.  It's going in the trash.

And about that AAA membership.....  

The one that I purchased on Tuesday, in preparation for my upcoming trip?  It takes three days for the towing benefit to become active, so if I wasn't able to get the truck started today it would have come home tomorrow instead.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Dorsai wrote

It's official - I'm completely out of things to do on the truck

Ahahahahaha!  

Just when you thought it was safe.....

That's why the starter went out!  I should never have said anything.

The Scout project is this weekend, though, so after that the list was going to get long anyway...but still.

Dorsai wrote

I wouldn't let her use a tool that bad...it did work, but barely.  Every other turn of the wrench I had to re-tighten it, it was so loose that the jaws kept slipping open.  It's going in the trash.

You can hang it on the 'Wall of Shame' with all the other junked parts.
Doesn't everybody keep these things to remind them of the consequences?

Dorsai wrote

The one that I purchased on Tuesday, in preparation for my upcoming trip?

Wise man.
It's always good to have a safety net.

Well you have good projects down the line.

You'll get a chance to help your son rebuild the YF.  

Gary Lewis wrote

Congrats!  🎊

<tangent> what the Heck is that, Gary? A piniata? </tangent>