I've moved, and I have a real job (still no haircut)

[Nesikep]

Well, I've moved my arse into town.. Got myself a well winterized camper trailer, full hookups on a farm thats about 1 minute away from my work... Yup, I got a real job turning wrenches on logging equipment..
My friend who's a contractor "hired" me, though he has no official say in the hiring process, but the bosses there know better than to second guess him.. Thought I'd start slow.. Yeah.. naw.. full steam ahead right off the bat, didn't even get to properly organize my toolboxes and there were emergency breakdowns that farm boy git'erdone knowhow valuable

It was a big bang!

 

[wbvs58]

Good to hear from you Nesi. That job sounds like it is right up your alley. Keep us updated with photos of some of your fixes, maybe do some videos for us. Have you ever watched youtube videos of these fellows? https://www.youtube.com/c/CuttingEdgeEngineeringAustralia, they are amazing the repairs that they do, very good videos.
Do you keep the heat turned on in your trailer while at work so things are toasty when you get home?

Ken

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Nesi - great to hear from you. Keep posting!

 

[Nesikep]

Good to hear from you Nesi. That job sounds like it is right up your alley. Keep us updated with photos of some of your fixes, maybe do some videos for us. Have you ever watched youtube videos of these fellows? https://www.youtube.com/c/CuttingEdgeEngineeringAustralia, they are amazing the repairs that they do, very good videos.
Do you keep the heat turned on in your trailer while at work so things are toasty when you get home?

Ken

Yes, I do watch them.. I don't have the equipment needed to do full cylinder rebuilds like they do though.. a couple other amazing channels on youtube that do that kind of stuff are Abom79, Bcbloc02, and Western truck and tractor repair..

It's a bit hard for me to do videos of my work, but I'll take pictures of the broken stuff.. these guys do break a lot of stuff!
1 week old truck, guy swung the counterweight of the excavator over the hood of it because he thought he heard something and had to spin around to see what it was
Bit of pucker factor on this


As far as heat, it's hovering around freezing here right now, and a little ceramic heater on low keeps the place warm.. I have 40,000 BTU of propane heat and an 8kw diesel fired heater as well.. for this year it isn't sided in and I'll see how it does.. I have a heated mattress pad and a heated dog bed where I sit to put my feet on, with that the room can be fairly cool and i"m still comfortable

 

[greybeard]

ALWAYS good to see your posts Nesi!!! Don't be a stranger...we the folks that really care about you!!!!

'Turning wrenches' tho is not a valid description.
PULLIN Wrenches is more like it.
Impacts and pry bars and cheater pipes Oh My!

That kind of work will either keep you young and spry or make an old man of you.

Been there but was lots younger. Engines weren't bad tho Sour tree sap is probably pretty bad but garbage trucks were the worst. hydraulic nighthmare and all that stinkin garbage 'juice' drippin down on you. I didn't stick with working for City of Memphis very long!! Then went to work for a Kamatsu distributer.

Did work on some big stuff over the years tho. Seen lots of output shafts sheared off like the one you pictured. And other stuff.

This more my style nowadays tho. Oh how low hath I fallen!!

 

[farmerjan]

I always enjoyed your posts and am looking forward to hearing about all your new adventures... glad you are "back"....
BOY oh BOY... on that new truck.....

 

[wbvs58]

Yes, I do watch them.. I don't have the equipment needed to do full cylinder rebuilds like they do though.. a couple other amazing channels on youtube that do that kind of stuff are Abom79, Bcbloc02, and Western truck and tractor repair..

It's a bit hard for me to do videos of my work, but I'll take pictures of the broken stuff.. these guys do break a lot of stuff!
1 week old truck, guy swung the counterweight of the excavator over the hood of it because he thought he heard something and had to spin around to see what it was View attachment 37410
Bit of pucker factor on this
View attachment 37411

As far as heat, it's hovering around freezing here right now, and a little ceramic heater on low keeps the place warm.. I have 40,000 BTU of propane heat and an 8kw diesel fired heater as well.. for this year it isn't sided in and I'll see how it does.. I have a heated mattress pad and a heated dog bed where I sit to put my feet on, with that the room can be fairly cool and i"m still comfortable

I think if your feet are warm you are good to go.

Ken

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

So let's see the "no haircut"

 

[alacowman1]

Good to hear from you Nesi. That job sounds like it is right up your alley. Keep us updated with photos of some of your fixes, maybe do some videos for us. Have you ever watched youtube videos of these fellows? https://www.youtube.com/c/CuttingEdgeEngineeringAustralia, they are amazing the repairs that they do, very good videos.
Do you keep the heat turned on in your trailer while at work so things are toasty when you get home?

Ken

Like to watch him, haven't seen any lately though..

 

[MurraysMutts]

I never could get into transmission work @greybeard

It takes a special person to take em apart and make em right, and it ain't me!

 

[greybeard]

I've had more than one Allison 6061 transmissions (600hp-6 fwd speds-1 reverse speed) disassembled to the last nut, bolt, spring, 'o'ring, clutch, piston and snap ring (and there were lots of snaprings) all spread out on workbench, rebuilt em and made it like new.

That 3 spd Saginaw above was a royal pain only because it had been under water so long and had pulleys WELDED to input and output shafts and some gawd awful home made yoke on the back end as well. as it was part of a home built horse walker carousel. Took me several hours to cut the welds off with a dremel so I didn't damage anything worse than it already was. It was a freebie job I did for a good friend of mine.


I've had more trouble getting differential gear teeth backlash shimmed correctly than anything else. I hate prussian blue.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

My theory on repairing equipment is that somebody in a factory assembled it in the first place (and I've been around plenty of assembly line workers that couldn't change a light bulb) so I should be able to figure it out. Haha

Setting pinion depth and backlash on an axle is an art. Know a guy that did them all the time and he can usually get them correct on the first try just by feel. Me on the other hand takes multiple attempts and some cussing. haha

So unless I'm really looking for some punishment I usually take axles to him to setup. He has them done before I can assemble all the proper tools.

 

[papavillars]

Well my mechanic days are over. Sure miss tinkering on cars and trucks. Once my Dad passed it took all the fun out of it. He was a great mechanic and machinist. Now I like to sit on the back porch, drink coffee and think about rebuilding the tran in a 1992 toyota t100.

 

[Nesikep]

I've had more trouble getting differential gear teeth backlash shimmed correctly than anything else. I hate prussian blue.

I've done quite a few diffs now in my 1 tons.. they certainly take some getting used to.. I have a yellow paste instead of prussian blue.. much less messy.. Setting the pinion depth is harder than the backlash IMHO.. though these Dana 80 diffs are a PITA since they're set with shims behind the carrier bearings, which are pressed on, so you have to get some bearings honed out so they slide on easy, get it set, then press the new bearings on... The old Corp 14 bolts are way easier with screw type bearing caps.


Reason I had to reset it this time... This was making ugly noises towing my camper trailer home.. 1000 mile round trip, 75mph with a 5 ton trailer behind me.. she was working real hard... thankfully it made it home, had to take the last 50 miles real easy

 

[wbvs58]

I've done quite a few diffs now in my 1 tons.. they certainly take some getting used to.. I have a yellow paste instead of prussian blue.. much less messy.. Setting the pinion depth is harder than the backlash IMHO.. though these Dana 80 diffs are a PITA since they're set with shims behind the carrier bearings, which are pressed on, so you have to get some bearings honed out so they slide on easy, get it set, then press the new bearings on... The old Corp 14 bolts are way easier with screw type bearing caps.
View attachment 37434

Reason I had to reset it this time... This was making ugly noises towing my camper trailer home.. 1000 mile round trip, 75mph with a 5 ton trailer behind me.. she was working real hard... thankfully it made it home, had to take the last 50 miles real easy View attachment 37435

That'd be like wondering if you are going to get to the next town with your fuel gauge already showing empty. I hate that feeling.

Ken

 

[greybeard]

That'd be like wondering if you are going to get to the next town with your fuel gauge already showing empty. I hate that feeling.

Ken

Recently, I was coming back from a Dr appointment about15 miles from home in a truck I recently bought. Not used to the electronic messages that come up on the dash, and one popped up saying 'low fuel. 7.4 miles to empty'. It worried me some, because the gage said I still had almost 1/4 tank and I thought "Damn fuel gage must not work right, got that same uneasy feeling and I started looking for a gas station. Pulled into the first one I came to and started to shut the truck off, and looked closer and realized it said '74 miles to empty'.
I went ahead and filled it up but man, did I ever feel dumb... I guess I need new glasses...

 

[simme]

Recently, I was coming back from a Dr appointment about15 miles from home in a truck I recently bought. Not used to the electronic messages that come up on the dash, and one popped up saying 'low fuel. 7.4 miles to empty'. It worried me some, because the gage said I still had almost 1/4 tank and I thought "Damn fuel gage must not work right, got that same uneasy feeling and I started looking for a gas station. Pulled into the first one I came to and started to shut the truck off, and looked closer and realized it said '74 miles to empty'.
I went ahead and filled it up but man, did I ever feel dumb... I guess I need new glasses...

Sometimes a little Windex and a paper towel can take care of that. Either on the dash or the glasses. Maybe both.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Sometimes a little Windex and a paper towel can take care of that. Either on the dash or the glasses. Maybe both.

Well, 74 was better than .74.

 

[Rancher]

Well, 74 was better than .74.

I was about to post the same thing

 

[backhoeboogie]

Good to stay in touch Nesikep.