What did you do today?

[ebinmaine 80,111]

24 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

Yesterday I started into replacing the valve cover gaskets, plugs/wires, and thermostat on the Explorer. When I got the passenger side cover off I found the rear timing guide was broken (A known issue with this engine).

 

Today I started removing the engine to replace the timing cassettes. The front one isn't bad. The rear one requires removal of a bolt, that is behind an oil plug, that sits inside the footprint of the transmission bell.

 

 

 

 

Yeeeeesh.  

[adsm08 4,921]

2 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

Yeeeeesh.  

 

Well, this is what happens when you take a reasonable, reliable, pushrod engine and give it to the Germans and ask them to make it OHC.

[cleat 9,125]

58 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

Yesterday I started into replacing the valve cover gaskets, plugs/wires, and thermostat on the Explorer. When I got the passenger side cover off I found the rear timing guide was broken (A known issue with this engine).

 

Today I started removing the engine to replace the timing cassettes. The front one isn't bad. The rear one requires removal of a bolt, that is behind an oil plug, that sits inside the footprint of the transmission bell.

 

 

What year and engine is your explorer.

[cleat 9,125]

58 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

Yesterday I started into replacing the valve cover gaskets, plugs/wires, and thermostat on the Explorer. When I got the passenger side cover off I found the rear timing guide was broken (A known issue with this engine).

 

Today I started removing the engine to replace the timing cassettes. The front one isn't bad. The rear one requires removal of a bolt, that is behind an oil plug, that sits inside the footprint of the transmission bell.

 

 

What year and engine is your explorer.

[ineedanother 2,783]

3 hours ago, adsm08 said:

The rear one requires removal of a bolt, that is behind an oil plug, that sits inside the footprint of the transmission bell.

That sounds like a chapter in a day of my life 

[adsm08 4,921]

10 hours ago, cleat said:

What year and engine is your explorer.

 

Its an 04 with the 4.0 SOHC. This was a known issue with these engines which Ford didn't really get nailed down until 2005 or 2006.

 

I've owned this vehicle for 7 years and put 55 or 60k miles on it and have kind of suspected this guide was broken the whole time, but it hasn't been causing real issues, so I left it alone. I inspected it while doing valve cover gaskets and disturbed it. Now my technician brain won't let me put it back together broken.

 

 

I am also going to look at a Flex that's about 10 years newer next weekend to replace the Explorer. If I buy that I know two people in need of a vehicle right now who may either be given the Explorer outright or sell it to them very cheap, and I want to make sure its right if that happens.

[SylvanLakeWH 32,022]

Another ski bench finished up...

 

Trash picked skis and bench sides / back...

 

 

Edited Monday at 11:30 PM by SylvanLakeWH

[adsm08 4,921]

Well after being yelled at over nothing by a psychotic co-worker, and then running out of gas on a test drive, I decided I did not hate my life enough yet today, sooooo....

 

 

 

Engine is out. I forgot the flexplate bolts are e-torx, so it can't go on the stand yet, because I didn't bring the right sockets home.

[Handy Don 17,214]

Had a team taking down three large Norway Maple trees (a fast-growing invasive) from a place on the property inaccessible to their truck. Many loads from the worksite to their truck with the 854 and trailer to saved them using a hand truck (and saved me some $$ in hourly rate!)

[ebinmaine 80,111]

12 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Had a team taking down three large Norway Maple trees (a fast-growing invasive) from a place on the property inaccessible to their truck. Many loads from the worksite to their truck with the 854 and trailer to saved them using a hand truck (and saved me some $$ in hourly rate!)

 

 

 

Niiiiice! 

[8ntruck 9,183]

I had a large Norway Maple in my front yard in East Lansing.  Seemed to be the first tree in the spring to leaf out and last one in the fall to drop it's leafs.  Great shade tree in the summer.  Dropped lost of seeds, which many, many sprouted in the flower beds, too.

[Handy Don 17,214]

7 minutes ago, 8ntruck said:

Dropped lost of seeds, which many, many sprouted in the flower beds, too

Non-native plus prolific equals invasive!

I have a few more to deal with but I need to plant some in the now-open area of hillside. I’m leaning toward sapling-sized hardwood and flowering trees. Arborist will be here tomorrow to work the plan. 

Edited Tuesday at 11:03 PM by Handy Don

[adsm08 4,921]

3 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Had a team taking down three large Norway Maple trees (a fast-growing invasive) from a place on the property inaccessible to their truck. Many loads from the worksite to their truck with the 854 and trailer to saved them using a hand truck (and saved me some $$ in hourly rate!)

 

I have found a K181 and a WH 3-speed to be a great wood-moving combo.

[adsm08 4,921]

I have the broken cassette replaced. The other one is intact and I am debating if I want to just leave it alone as the front (aka easy) one is not known for breaking. On the other hand I have all the parts.

 

We also dropped the engine off the stand when two of the bolts pulled out. Fortunately the only piece that appears damaged is the thermostat housing, which was on the list for this round of repairs. Then I broke two fuel injector connectors picking it back up.

[ebinmaine 80,111]

24 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

 

I have found a K181 and a WH 3-speed to be a great wood-moving combo.

 

 

BBT agrees.  

 

My first Horse was a '74 B80. 4 speed. Same thing... almost.  

 

Excellent heavy stuff puller.  

[8ntruck 9,183]

I started the remodel of our new ALiner Scout pop up camper today.  Got to make sleeping quarters for the dog.  The plan is to convert the cupboard under the sink into a crate for the dog.

 

This will involve removing the sink, plumbing, and refrigerator,  and rebuilding it into a dog crate.  Basically, I will end up building a new front panel for the cupboard and give the inside of the cupboard a more complete finish.

 

In all of the camping vehicles we have had over the years, we have never cooked inside any of them.  We don't  plan to start now.

 

Demolition is done.  Now we will start gathering materials to put it back together.  Pictures to follow.

 

Of course, this project produces another project.  The refrigerator that came out of the ALiner is a 12 volt compressor type.  We will reinstall that in our Coleman travel trailer in place of the 3 way refrigerator that is there.  We have very unimpressed with the performance of that refrigerator.  This will require cabinet work, propane piping work, and electrical work.

[Handy Don 17,214]

15 hours ago, adsm08 said:

I have found a K181 and a WH 3-speed to be a great wood-moving combo.

 

15 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

BBT agrees.  

My first Horse was a '74 B80. 4 speed. Same thing... almost.  

Excellent heavy stuff puller.  

 

The tree guys were highly impressed. My cart is rated up to 700 lbs and we got close on a couple of loads but the 854 seemed to be asking “Is that all? Let’s use 3rd gear!” 

[oliver2-44 11,663]

Picked up this Bass Pro brand meat grinder at the local Goodwill $14.99. Goodwill is usually hung on things like this, but this one has some rust where meat was left on it. Easy clean up. Bought a roast and hand some deer backstrap. We made 8 lbs of 50/50 chile meat to test it while it was still in the 8 day return window.   I’ve previously used the meat grinder attachment on my wife’s Kitchen Aid mixer. Grinding 40+ lbs of venison a year may have been over doing it a little 

[Ed Kennell 46,817]

35 minutes ago, oliver2-44 said:

Bass Pro brand meat grinder at the local Goodwill $14.99.

Wow, looks like the $180 deluxe model.

[SylvanLakeWH 32,022]

Added safer beer holders to the back yard fire circle of knowledge... safety first! 

 

 

[MainelyWheelhorse 3,024]

I mowed and weed wacked the Fire Station again and helped My brother Nat the third oldest of my three brothers, move some of his stuff to store in my parents house. I did run out of gas with the tractor though so at least it wasn't that monotonous.

Edited Thursday at 06:59 PM by MainelyWheelhorse

[Blue Chips 826]

Got the M37 engine block back from the machine shop.

 

Hot tanked, magnafluxed, line honed, bored .020", new modern hardened exhaust valve seat inserts installed, valve guides checked (still within new specs), new camshaft bearings installed, block decked .040" to produce about .022" quench (piston height above deck, which is recommended for the Ricardo-type combustion chambers), three-angle valve job using my new valves, including 21-4n stainless exhaust valves. I'll be doing the assembly work myself.

 

 

They also hot tanked, magnafluxed, and milled the head...just enough to get it nice and flat. I had them resurface the flywheel, which was in excellent condition except for some surface rust.

 

The shop also did a bunch of rod and crankshaft work for me. However, I am currently reconsidering my approach (possible upgrade) for the rods and crankshaft. More on that later.

 

Also received more parts for rebuilding the transmission. I think I now have all that I need to proceed with that task.

 

It's been so dry here lately that the lawn has stopped growing and our Wheel Horse and its blue New Holland twin are gathering dust for the moment. Even though our well has never gone dry, I don't want to jinx it by watering the lawn, so for the time being, 'brown is beautiful.'

 

 

[8ntruck 9,183]

Mrs 8n and I took a couple of lawn chairs out to the end of the dock last night to watch the height (darkth?) of last night's lunar eclipse.  Got a bonus of seeing a couple meteors as well.  We both noticed how much ground lighting has increased over the years - she has been visiting this lake since the early 60's, and I've been visiting since the mid 70's.

 

Got 5 yards of topsoil delivered today, so I got a few cart loads moved with Morgan, the 14-8.  Nice weather to do that sort of work.  I listened when my back said enough was enough - just a few years ago I'd have told it 'na, we can move a couple more loads'.

[ohiofarmer 3,467]

I changed out my seriously compromised spring shackles .This is what was left of them . Only a bit of metal holding the truck bed under tension. An amazing amount of completely Bluetooth metal was in left .

  I had to grind out the bottom of the shackle to get to the rubber to burn it out so the base of the shackle could be cut and separated from the bushing. The bushing around the bolt was split so I flipped it over and ground away the other side to free the bolt. 

    Knowing what I know now It would only be maybe two hours or less to do it all. At least the replacement shackles are powder coated 

Edited 6 hours ago by ohiofarmer

[ebinmaine 80,111]

55 minutes ago, ohiofarmer said:

Knowing what I know now

 

 

Our friend that does truck fabrication has said they'll no longer fix a spring in most cases.

If the bushings are gone there's likely a crack too... but these are heavier rigs. 

 

The labor to cut burn chop press and all in reverse is more than just buying all new springs shackles hangers etc and torch cutting the whole thing off at the frame.