Rescue rig project

[Bob Holmes]

Don't do it.

Buy a Ford....

[SuperBuickGuy]

last I checked, Ford diesels were the subject of "project cars" over any other diesel on a 2 to 1 ratio

Really Bob, and I thought you were a nice guy

*as an aside, several years ago I went to pick up a trailer that was going to be given to someone who was homeless; I'm pretty certain if I had pulled the trailer up the freeway it would have blown apart because it was so rotted - in short, the homeless person still wouldn't have a home but would have another piece of trash to lug around... for some reason I remembered that story just now

[Bob Holmes]

When three times as many were sold to discerning buyers, the fact that they make up more projects, makes sense.

[Bob Holmes]

When three times as many were sold to discerning buyers, the fact that they make up more projects, makes sense.

The chebbies have already been turned in for scrap value.

[SuperBuickGuy]

The chebbies have already been turned in for scrap value.

LOL

[SuperBuickGuy]

speaking of scrap

so I jumped in my truck after giving my Buick a tour of Washington and Oregon, and it's shifting late.... hmmm, new transmission.
warranty time

Took it to the shop that installed it (a providence moment was having to have him install it because I was out for the count) - can't find anything wrong (yut oh) - so go back and demonstrate a couple things - first, the late shifting, and second that it freewheels between gears, rather then shifting up to the next gear. Transmission shop thinks it's simply a TV cable problem - which it might be, but why would it freewheel? even more, why would it start 1000 miles after install? mechanic and I both think internal problem - him sticking governor, me a valve or valves are sticking in the valve body....

in any case, it doesn't seem (at this point) to be something requiring removal of the transmission.... crossing fingers, I need this truck in 2 weeks to haul my new (to me) camper to the Search and Rescue conference (read, wife going for training, me going bicycle riding).

[Mater]

if it is the TV the free wheeling could be becuase of the reduced line pressure allowing the clutches to slip. but if that was the case the fluid would have a burnt smell to it even only after a 1,000 miles and the fluid would be quite a bit darker

if the trans 100% new or was it a rebuild? wounder if the replaced the input clutch piston or just left it in there becuase it looked fine

[SuperBuickGuy]

it was rebuilt - supposedly upgraded/rebuilt. And nope, no burned smell to the fluid.

I suspect you're right - it "looked" fine and they left it.

[SuperBuickGuy]

They replaced the governor, readjusted the TPS, and replaced the shift-accumulator (why do I think that's the wrong term - it's the big, round, doomaflitchy on the side of the 700r4)... shifts better.

So one of tonights projects was curing my wife's chronic shortness-related issues....

The problem, my wife is a bit short for the step into the camper while it's in the back of my pickup. I could remove the camper, lower it to the ground, and let her get in, then put it back in the truck to travel - but that seems a bit... well, time-consuming

so


manufactured steps are $200, and I'm simply not impressed with them.. so a bit of steel



some sand



Some paint



and other then the problem of a black step, it's done.... what's that? what's the black step problem? ever try to step onto a stair in the middle of the night that's painted black? how about when the night-light doesn't work? It's kind of a b#tch if you miss the step (or partially catch a step). Other then fixing my POS camper (and really, it's a complete POS, but everything works except the roof) I'll have to come up with a solution (probably involve pink, reflective paint)

[Mater]

not sure if the term is correct but i know the part you are talking about glad it shifts better

[Beagle]

We call the black step problem a drunk trap. Like the tent lines to moor a tent are drunk lines. Somebody finds them all stumbling through a dark campground at 3:00 a.m.

The LED lights they give away at Harbor Freight would make good marker lights for it maybe. I should look into that myself, all kinds of stuff around the camper becomes invisible at night.

[Russell]

Yeah I would paint that a bright color. Walk around the back of the camper and you could loose a knee cap!

[BBR]

Nice step. Now paint it with some glow in the dark spray paint. Google it.

[milner351]

Glow in the dark spray paint, and some underbody LED's would help a lot.... is that step installed into the reciever hitch? nice work.

[SuperBuickGuy]

After I took that picture, I found some orange, flourescent paint - so the treads are bright orange. I also had my paint testor make sure the paint was dry - it wasn't



"don't touch that it's wet" I said "this? oh"....


There's an everything hardware store nearby, I'm going to go get plugs to put in the end of the steps - that should at least cushion the blow if I walk into it.