Piddlin'

[ProbablyBroke]

Been working on this truck lately without updating. I ended up buying 7/16 banjo soft lines and 25” of nicopp line and the Eastwood tube flaring press. It made quick work of the brake lines. Master and booster are GM 1 ton I believe.

had an exhaust dude up the road bend me a new

@hurt4x4 bent me some tubes for the start to my front bumper. I was able to get it tacked and centered with the help of my girlfriend. Ordered some Amazon winch rope. Got the motor on my Ramsey 8000 cleaned and the terminals repaired by the local start shop for 25$. Wired the contactor inside the engine bay, behind the battery with a remote going to the glove box.

Hurt also hooked me up with some shock hoops that I was able to make work. Fought terrible porosity issues with my welder for over a week before realizing it was blowing my shielding gas out at the power block before it made it to the gun.

Installed an ammo can console and got the seats mounted up.

Snagged a ruff stuff Dana 60 cover from @Van-go , got it installed and added vent breathers to the front and

As she sits . I dig the rust wheels but I’m thinking about pressure washing them. Sanding then and painting them cream
I charged the ac, but haven’t seen the compressor come on. Any suggestions, let’s hear em. I don’t know anything about ac as most of my trucks have corner windows.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Put a tag on it and 100 miles so far. She’s not fast but she’s fun.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Got a couple days off and might paint my wheels.
Went to the Southeastern Threshers Reunion in Denton last week. Did a little junk picking and came home with this specimen.

It’s a Samsonia “Perfect Vise” . 4.5” jaw with a 5.5” opening. Has a jaw quick release function that’s actuated by the lever closest to the screw handle. Smooth as glass.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Had to do something about tool and fluid storage. Found this dandy of a jobox on marketplace. Paid 35$ at a junkyard that bought it for scrap. Oh well.

took the plunge on adding a bumper and cutting holes in the bed. Pictures of the bumper are it hanging for mock up. Planning to paint it and add a provision for the license plate.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Finished product. I should have capped the ends, but figured I would miter them at some point. So this will do for now.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Made it to Harlan with CORE this past weekend. Got some great seat time and a lot more confidence in the buggy. Mason jar sure got gnarlier since fall crawl 2020. Can’t wait to go back. Everything worked well. Got a rear diff leak to address, raise my idle for low speed steering, put together another tool kit, maybe a fan to keep me cool and a place to store all my LaCroix and nabs.

tires really started to work once I aired down to 5 psi.

 

[rcalexander105]

Made it to Harlan with CORE this past weekend. Got some great seat time and a lot more confidence in the buggy. Mason jar sure got gnarlier since fall crawl 2020. Can’t wait to go back. Everything worked well. Got a rear diff leak to address, raise my idle for low speed steering, put together another tool kit, maybe a fan to keep me cool and a place to store all my LaCroix and nabs.

tires really started to work once I aired down to 5 psi.

View attachment 353436View attachment 353437View attachment 353438View attachment 353439View attachment 353440View attachment 353441

MAN! I'm just now putting it together that this is you. Was good to meet you, had a good time this weekend. I almost asked you if you were on the forum, lol. Here's a few more pics.

Coming up the side entrance to Mason Jar

 

[DannyH]

@ProbablyBroke made some bad parking choices and his only way out of lions den was through it after I got him blocked in. This buggy flat out works!

 

[ProbablyBroke]

@DannyH you’re gonna make me blush in front of my internet friends .

it was good to have some peer pressure and some good spotters. @rcalexander105

 

[rcalexander105]

@DannyH you’re gonna make me blush in front of my internet friends .

it was good to have some peer pressure and some good spotters. @rcalexander105

Glad to decided to run it. Knew that buggy would do work up that line

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Straddling the transmission with both a clutch fan and electric fan hasn’t been as uncomfortably warm as I thought it would be. Added this jewel yesterday. She moves air pretty good. Will report back after a mid August scorcher.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Here is a my dilemma. The hydraulic fittings were originally sticking out the front of my ram, greeting every hard object I would roll up on. I have rotated the ram 180 degrees and one fitting clears just fine. The one closest to the differential has a credit card thickness of clearance, (without a hose attached) . What are my options to get a little more clearance between the elbow the diff housing.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

Or what about flipping the ram so that the body of the ram is moving and the yoke would be fixed against the diff .

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

Maybe a hose with a 90* fitting on the end that threads directly into the port?

The other option would be to cut off the tabs on your ram body, and weld them back on 90*. The rams are typically easy to take apart to do that.

 

[drkelly]

I would investigate relocating the ram up and behind the tie rod if you have the room at full bump.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

I flipped the ram so that the tube was mounted to the tie rod and the rod was mounted to the diff. Won’t work either way because of the orientation of the ports. They are in the way of the tie rod. Considering grinding the housing. Cutting the ears of the ram would be the easiest fix. I would worry about cooking the seals tho.

 

[BigSouth]

With a fabricated housing, you could always just build a skid with armor. Leave the ports on the front.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

I considered that as well. But by the time I did all that planning and cutting and welding, I would be silly not to build a ram mount for double ended and go that route.

 

[paradisePWoffrd]

I flipped the ram so that the tube was mounted to the tie rod and the rod was mounted to the diff. Won’t work either way because of the orientation of the ports. They are in the way of the tie rod. Considering grinding the housing. Cutting the ears of the ram would be the easiest fix. I would worry about cooking the seals tho.

They are stupid easy to take apart. you would pull the seals and everything out.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

We will see if this works. I actually trimmed 2 threads off the npt end of the elbow that goes into the ram port, polished the housing with a grit disc, and ground the back of the fitting.
Got about a 1/4” when wheels are straight and about 1/8” at lock.

 

[DannyH]

clearance is clearance.

 

[ProbablyBroke]

I’ve been scooting around town in the TonYota. I have a terrible disease where I can’t stop pointing my temp gun at things. My rear diff is getting up to 160 degrees F. Gear driven transfer case was 140. I drove it for probably an hour intermittently today.
5.14 gears and 37s rolling around 55mph most of the time. Too hot, cause for concern?

 

[NCJeeplover]

Too hot, cause for concern?

There is alot of good info in this article from ECGS.

ECGS Gear Oil Recommendation

ECGS recommends Dino (Non-Synthetic) 85w140 Lucas oil with a Ford or Dana limited slip additive for clutch style posi's. The gear oil question is an age old debate that comes down to opinion. We base our opinion on differentials we have seen. Scientifically it has been proven that when measuring...

eastcoastgearsupply.com

 

[ProbablyBroke]

That’s just what I needed to see. Thanks !

 

[ProbablyBroke]

I’ll start by saying, I am an idiot. There is no logical explanation for a lot of the things that I do, but that hasn’t stopped me in the past.

I saw that 1970 Unimog 404 pop up on here listed by @xGROMx for his buddy. I just so happened to have $1000 and had already taken Friday off work. So I made a pilgrimage back to the coastal plain of NC from the foothills. It was a solid day of driving at 3.50 a gallon for diesel in my 7.3. Between fuel and a bottle of additive, 200$ there and back.

Deal with the mog is: cab is exceptionally well rusted. Frame and drive train appears to be complete and in good shape. It was an adventure tour vehicle in the OBX before it was purchased by the previous owner. So I imagine it will take work and a lot of rare and expensive parts to undo what the salt environment did. Oh well, I’m in it now.

I brought her home and gave her a once over at the spray and wash car wash. Rust and paint chips everywhere. Still waiting on a cease and desist order from that business.

Pulled what was left of the original plywood floor out of it, cut the exploded , rusted muffler off, removed all the trailer air brake parts. Soaked the cylinders in marvel mystery oil and cleaned the plugs. Sat back, admired my work and wondered what I had gotten myself into.