Finally Done!

Paul Downes

Member
Messages
959
Location
Westphalia, Michigan
I've had the lighter-on-gas-than-my-big-truck-S-10 up on blocks for a transmission re-do. After months of picking away and avoiding it mostly, my son got in a big yank because his own car broke down. We got her goin tonight. Had to get the tranny rebuilt and a new clutch put in. Sure is a good feeling to have the baby truck back on the road.:thumb:
My son drives a former state police crown vic. The rear end is making lots of noise and the yoke coming out of it is loose. Looks like the garage is going to be tied up for a while yet.:(
After we get that done, I have to put the big truck in the barn for a front end rebuild........It never seems to end. Of course that truck is out in the woods a lot. It's hauled a lot of wood this winter.
 
Good going Paul!

When rebuilding transmissions, I'm always happy when I finish, and I have no parts left over, and the gears all work :D

Good luck!
 
I admire you guys who can do that kind of mechanic work. Saves you a bunch of money, I'm sure. It's just something I've never had a lot of experience with (or affinity for). I typically break $20 worth of stuff -- and skin up at least three knuckles -- trying to replace a $2 part. Then it'll turn out being a different $2 part that needed to be replaced the first place. I once spent all afternoon replacing the ignition electronics on a Jeep, just to find out it was only out of gas. :doh:

I tell people I'm pretty good at fixing a lot of things, as long as it's not a car. I've done a lot of minor stuff, but rebuilding a carb or replacing a water pump is about as deep as I ever got into one. The first time I really cursed in front of my mother, she came out front one day while I was working on my '67 Mustang and asked how things were going. I'll spare the details, but she gathered her jaw off the ground and went back in the house pretty quietly. :p
 
I'm like you Vaughn, cars and light trucks just isn't my thing.

A few years ago I decided I was going to save money and start working on my own cars, at least doing the little things like putting in a starter or changing the oil. I drop underneath my wifes car, and the first thing I do is strip out the oil plug. That right there was my sign I have no place under a car.

Now keep in mind I have two years of schooling as a Diesel Mechanic and was a railroad machinist for 10 years. Machinists on the railroad are glorified mechanics so I ought to be able to do this stuff. I can work all day on a two million dollar locomotive, or a 15 million dollar yacht, but working on a 15,000 dollar car just isn't for me!
 
Years ago I used to do just about any work that needed done on all my cars and trucks, up to and including rebuilding my engines. I had the tools, and it was satisfying and rewarding but time consuming work. Don't do any of that anymore, just the basics now. I'll change out a starter/alternator or do my brakes. Relatively easy stuff you don't need a ton of special tools for, but most importantly, I have TIME for. Like many things, when it comes to working on your own vehicles you are trading time for money. I'd rather be either in my woodshop working wood, or out with my milling equipment making lumber. Example... got a call last night from a friend of a friend who had a black cherry blow down in his neighbors yard. Said they left a 16" dia 8ft strait log after they cut most up for firewood and do I want it? That's what I'll be doing Sat morning, should be a good 100+ bd ft of cherry if there aren't too many defects. Point being, weekends and evenings are too precious to be spending a month of them rebuilding an engine. 25 years ago yes... today no.
 
I did run into a snag or 3 on the tranny. It also took a lot longer than I thought, + I had to listen to the wife ask frequently when it was going to get done. With the cost of burning up more gas by having to drive the big truck into work, I figure I lost money on the deal. So I hope I'm somewhat converted. I don't really like doing vehical mechanical work either. I'd rather work on 20,000lb. to 120,000 lb. dies. Go figure.:huh:
A few years back I pulled apart a quad-4 engine to replace a cracked head. I had only had the car for a few months. I got soooooo mad when I discovered that the head problem was a design defect and that my own employer, who made the car, would NOT stand behind their product. (It was under the warrenty mileage but over the time limit.) My engineering co-worker was even the crankshaft designer for that engine, but couldn't get me any help. Every time I went out in the barn to work on the car I would get so mad I couldn't do anything. I finaly put all the parts in the trunk and trailered the car up to my God son's and gave it to him for a high school graduation present. He was thrilled and his dad is a diesel mechanic so it all worked out.

I have been thinking lately that I have only been going fishing 3-4 times a year max, and I used to do that in a week. Something has got to change!!!!!!!!
 
Top