What did YOU do today?

[JoshT]

Today, I did not as much as I should have. Shot some paint on some brackets, wasn;t after a qualioty paint job, just making them look a little better and less messy to handle. Got the engine separated from the transmission and blasted the grime off with the pressure washer. Things might be right to start disassembling the Ranger tomorrow.

Vinegar and salt did make the cables look better, but not sure it was good enough that I want to throw a terminal on it. I'll wait and see how my cable length looks once I get the cables installed in the truck and make a decision then. I'm not above using one of those cable repair splices that the parts store sells either.

Parts did not arrive today, I coul dhave sworn that amazon said thursday when I ordered. Checking on it this morning it's saying delivery was scheduled for Saturday, but will be delivered Friday. Weird, I don't normally have issues like this with Amazon. I've got time, truck definitely won't be going back together this week. Looks like I've got about three days worth of working before my mind starts wondering and I need a break. Just hoping that I Can actually get the ranger apart and prepped to go together in those three days. If I can get it apart installations should go quicker. Well longer since I'll be just doing weekends, but less touch time and easier since I won't be fighting rust and dirt.

 

[Rick W]

Today, I did not as much as I should have. Shot some paint on some brackets, wasn;t after a qualioty paint job, just making them look a little better and less messy to handle. Got the engine separated from the transmission and blasted the grime off with the pressure washer. Things might be right to start disassembling the Ranger tomorrow.

Vinegar and salt did make the cables look better, but not sure it was good enough that I want to throw a terminal on it. I'll wait and see how my cable length looks once I get the cables installed in the truck and make a decision then. I'm not above using one of those cable repair splices that the parts store sells either.

Parts did not arrive today, I coul dhave sworn that amazon said thursday when I ordered. Checking on it this morning it's saying delivery was scheduled for Saturday, but will be delivered Friday. Weird, I don't normally have issues like this with Amazon. I've got time, truck definitely won't be going back together this week. Looks like I've got about three days worth of working before my mind starts wondering and I need a break. Just hoping that I Can actually get the ranger apart and prepped to go together in those three days. If I can get it apart installations should go quicker. Well longer since I'll be just doing weekends, but less touch time and easier since I won't be fighting rust and dirt.

Way cool project. You’ll get though it and it’ll be great. Journey is more than half the joy and satisfaction. I still can’t believe the way I powered through before the Truck Nationals. Maybe you need a deadline!

 

[JoshT]

Way cool project. You’ll get though it and it’ll be great. Journey is more than half the joy and satisfaction. I still can’t believe the way I powered through before the Truck Nationals. Maybe you need a deadline!

I have one... Before summer. Once the temps start getting into the upper 80s and 90s, I'm not going to be able want to work on it much.

When I bought the donor there were two choices on how this progressed. It needed to be done and proven before September or started in 2025. If I get to go to LBL I want to be driving this truck. Between then and christmas is hunting season and I'm not going to be building the truck. Since I started the engine swap has to be done by summer, but needs to be done much sooner. Hopefully I'll have the suspension where I want it too, but might still be in offroad AWD mode (31-32" tires). Drivetrain will be done, suspension might now be, but I was planning to bring an ATV (2010 Honda Rancher) for any trail riding either way.

A more accurate/earlier deadline I cannot set because life won't let me. Progress is basically relegated to weekends. I'd like to say by easter weekend, but 3out of 5 weekends in March are not available so it's unlikely. I have to help with an Eagle Scount ceremony on one. Recovery from my eye treatment on another (Unless we moved it to Tuesday? I'll have to check). Then easter weekend the extended family is going to decide to do something and I'll have to show for it, I'd rather be driving it to show off though. Cousins are always asking what I'm working on now, so it would be nice to drive one and show them for a change.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Worked on the camper some more, got some new screws and got further on the trim installation. Got most of the nose piece on, I didn't do the top part yet since it's the more complicated part dealing with the membrane... especially dealing with where someone before me cut it in an important location, I'll deal with that tomorrow... I did get the gutter on the bottom of the overhang on and the 3 pieces of trim along the back corner on though. Gotta get another box of screws tomorrow, gonna be about 40 short...

 

[Rick W]

I have one... Before summer. Once the temps start getting into the upper 80s and 90s, I'm not going to be able want to work on it much.

When I bought the donor there were two choices on how this progressed. It needed to be done and proven before September or started in 2025. If I get to go to LBL I want to be driving this truck. Between then and christmas is hunting season and I'm not going to be building the truck. Since I started the engine swap has to be done by summer, but needs to be done much sooner. Hopefully I'll have the suspension where I want it too, but might still be in offroad AWD mode (31-32" tires). Drivetrain will be done, suspension might now be, but I was planning to bring an ATV (2010 Honda Rancher) for any trail riding either way.

A more accurate/earlier deadline I cannot set because life won't let me. Progress is basically relegated to weekends. I'd like to say by easter weekend, but 3out of 5 weekends in March are not available so it's unlikely. I have to help with an Eagle Scount ceremony on one. Recovery from my eye treatment on another (Unless we moved it to Tuesday? I'll have to check). Then easter weekend the extended family is going to decide to do something and I'll have to show for it, I'd rather be driving it to show off though. Cousins are always asking what I'm working on now, so it would be nice to drive one and show them for a change.

Cousins can’t turn wrenches?

 

[Rick W]

Afterthought for inspiration, when I built the shed of miracles, I had a barn raising on a holiday weekend. I had the slab poured, I had framed the walls, and they were laying on the ground, and I actually handmade the trusses and they were laying on the ground.

I had 12-15 friends from the church come over for a “picnic.“ There were three of us who knew what we were doing, and everybody else were office workers and accountants and retail or whatever. Long story short, we stood the walls, set the trusses, covered them with plywood, got 3/4 of the vinyl siding on it, and got about half the roof shingled in about 10 hours. Some of it is even straight (well, compared to the tree branches).

The women handled the refreshments and the food mostly, but a couple of them were actually climbing around with the rest of us putting it together.

If you ask them to this day, what was the best party they ever went to, they’ll say the barn raising. Everybody loves to see the results of their labor.

when I’m doing my car and truck projects, if a buddy comes over, I always handle a wrench or a screwdriver and have them do some little bit while we’re talking. Forevermore they talk about how they helped me build my truck or whatever. It’s a win-win.

Feed them and give them drink, but get the whole family working on your truck!

 

[Rick W]

Afterthought to the afterthought, if there are any bozo bums who come over (we all have them in our families), and you put them to work, maybe they won’t come back!

 

[ericbphoto]

Afterthought to the afterthought, if there are any bozo bums who come over (we all have them in our families), and you put them to work, maybe they won’t come back!

Bozo bums can't be put to work. They repel it like oil and water. The laws of physics will not allow them to work and the harder you push, the faster they fly away.

 

[JoshT]

Cousins can’t turn wrenches?

The ones that do, don't live in state. They've got lives and projects of their own. We just tend to gather at grandma's in Juliette on major holidays.

There are bozos/bums, but they already stay away fortunately. One of them even lives about 10 minutes from me and haven't seen them in years. Would be any use for a project like this if he did.

Project is being done at parents house in dad's shop. I wouldn't invite over anyone that they don't know. No place to do it at mine yet. Not that it would matter if I did. I live a very solitary existence and interact with y'all more than most people that I know outside of work and family. No longer have any co-workers that I'm that close to, or want to be that close to.

The few buddies info have are former.co-workers. while they would be handy to have help, they don't live close enough to pop in and lend a hand. Again, I'm not going to invite them to parents house to help.

 

[racsan]

was going to start on body work with my escape today but a co-worker called me and said he just bought 2 zero-turn mowers and wonderd if I was too busy to take a hour or more to trailer them home. So I drug my trailer out of the backyard & hooked up her escape to it. Have the hitch for mine but haven’t got it on yet. He got a cub cadet & a husquvarna, both small decks, 42” at best for $2000. My 54” bad boy I bought new a year ago cost me $4K+. Maybe I will get into bodywork tomorrow.

 

[JoshT]

was going to start on body work with my escape today but a co-worker called me and said he just bought 2 zero-turn mowers and wonderd if I was too busy to take a hour or more to trailer them home. So I drug my trailer out of the backyard & hooked up her escape to it. Have the hitch for mine but haven’t got it on yet. He got a cub cadet & a husquvarna, both small decks, 42” at best for $2000. My 54” bad boy I bought new a year ago cost me $4K+.

Don't you hate when stuff like that gets in the way of what you want to get done. You sound like me, have stuff I want to do, but still going to drop what I'm doing and go help. That's how I'm getting roped into a Scouting event in a couple of weeks. Don't want to have anything to do with the program any more, it ain't the same as when I was in, but old scount master called and asked.

Those would be a little small for my yard, but two for $2000 doesn't sound like a bad deal. I've been eying the Airens sold at the BBS in town, I've had good luck with my rider for 15 years plus, and dad has had one of their ZTRs for several years. Prices sound don't sound far off the Bad Boy mowers though, so maybe I'll look a little closet at those too.



This probably belongs in the other daily thread, but I started talking about it in this one several posts back. I should probably start a thread in the build section, but I'm not good at taking pictures. So, today I...

Actually made some progress on the engine swap. Pulled the Ranger into the shop around 1PM. When I stopped for dinner around 6 everything was off the engine except for exhaust manifolds and starter. Drive shafts dropped out. Was working on the manifolds when called in, but one of the collector bolts wasn't budging. After dinner I tried again with same result, sprayed with some Kroil and will try again tomorrow. If they turn loose the manifold to head bolts seem like they will come right out. Moved on to prepping the transmission and transfer case. Crossmenber bolts are out or loose. Transfercase has two bolts loosely installed.

Tomorrow hopefully those collector boltsd will turn loose and I can get the moanifolds off. A couple of bolts I need to cut further back in the exhaust to drop it out. After that It'll be starter, torque converter nuts, transfer case etc. One way or the other the drive train will be out tomorrow. If done early enough I'll start cleaning and prepping for reinstallation. Still won't be finished this weekend, but might be on track for the deadline that @Rick W made me set earlier.

Since it won't be back together this weekend, I need to start studying some upgrades for battery cables. These need some repairs as previously mentioned. I'd rather step up a gauge or two while I'm in there.

 

[Rick W]

Don't you hate when stuff like that gets in the way of what you want to get done. You sound like me, have stuff I want to do, but still going to drop what I'm doing and go help. That's how I'm getting roped into a Scouting event in a couple of weeks. Don't want to have anything to do with the program any more, it ain't the same as when I was in, but old scount master called and asked.

Those would be a little small for my yard, but two for $2000 doesn't sound like a bad deal. I've been eying the Airens sold at the BBS in town, I've had good luck with my rider for 15 years plus, and dad has had one of their ZTRs for several years. Prices sound don't sound far off the Bad Boy mowers though, so maybe I'll look a little closet at those too.



This probably belongs in the other daily thread, but I started talking about it in this one several posts back. I should probably start a thread in the build section, but I'm not good at taking pictures. So, today I...

Actually made some progress on the engine swap. Pulled the Ranger into the shop around 1PM. When I stopped for dinner around 6 everything was off the engine except for exhaust manifolds and starter. Drive shafts dropped out. Was working on the manifolds when called in, but one of the collector bolts wasn't budging. After dinner I tried again with same result, sprayed with some Kroil and will try again tomorrow. If they turn loose the manifold to head bolts seem like they will come right out. Moved on to prepping the transmission and transfer case. Crossmenber bolts are out or loose. Transfercase has two bolts loosely installed.

Tomorrow hopefully those collector boltsd will turn loose and I can get the moanifolds off. A couple of bolts I need to cut further back in the exhaust to drop it out. After that It'll be starter, torque converter nuts, transfer case etc. One way or the other the drive train will be out tomorrow. If done early enough I'll start cleaning and prepping for reinstallation. Still won't be finished this weekend, but might be on track for the deadline that @Rick W made me set earlier.

Since it won't be back together this weekend, I need to start studying some upgrades for battery cables. These need some repairs as previously mentioned. I'd rather step up a gauge or two while I'm in there.

A lot of the guys will probably groan, but I have used 8 and 10 gauge wire to connect batteries when I put a second battery in a vehicle. I’ll take two or three strands and twist them together. If you’ve never done it, you cut the two or three strands too long, clamp them together in a vice or such, and then tape a hook into the other end. Put the hook in your drill, pull it tight and slowly turn the drill. They twist together like a factory job.

For regular old battery cables, in the past, I’ve just gone to the Pull a Part, and pulled off cables that were longer than what I was going to need. Then you can cut the crappy ends off, put new ends on clean wire a little further back, and you have a first class budget build item.

hope it helps

 

[4.0blue98]

Swapped carbs on the Pontiac with one I recently rebuilt. I think I got the float just right. Old one is well worn and potentially causing a few vacuum leaks.

 

[DRanger024]

Brought home a parts truck for the frame.

 

[ericbphoto]

Drove home from Pennsylvania today. 11hrs on the road. Thought traffic would be light on a miscellaneous February Saturday. But nooooo. Last 2 hrs from Lake Norman, through Charlotte to Spartanburg were full of accidents and slowdowns. Probably caused by the setting sun being in people's eyes.

Them; " Hey. There's the sun. I'll just slam on my brakes so the semi-blinded driver behind me can slam into my back bumper."

Me; "Damn the sunlight. Full speed ahead!"