What did YOU do today?

[pjtoledo]

right end, wrong pipe

 

[scotts90ranger]

I have the same thing and have done it, I don't remember it being that tough? It's been a bit though... being an 8 rib belt and 10' long it's a touch different...

I finally figured out and lined up everything to get my F350 going today, found a 50k mile transmission that was apparently previously stolen which ended up in the tail housing being broken off and did some damage to the output shaft... my tail housing is fine but output shaft is likely screwed but lined up those parts too, should be right about $1600 for a low mile transmission!

 

[Blmpkn]

Tried out the drill press I got for free from work last winter. Put a pair of 2.5" holes in a slab of 1/8" plate.

Works good! And feels even better to finally have one It's definitely not the most powerful.. stalled it out a couple times even with the belt set up for its lowest speed AND being relatively gentle on the handle.. but success is success, and there's no beating the price I paid. Damn thing is practically brand new too


The plate will be cut in half between the holes, and used to help make the crossmember I'm putting between the spring hangers on my '96 much more rigid.. super excited for tomorrow now


Whats everyone's lube/temp control liquid of choice for cutting steel anyways? I found an old spray bottle from a decade ago filled with (what I remember being) used motor oil and kept er wet with that.. but am wondering if there's something readily available that works better enough to warrant spending money on it..

 

[scotts90ranger]

There are better cutting oils but I haven't played enough to know a for sure difference, my go to is air tool oil or WD40 or some thread cutting oil I got on clearance at Lowes or whatever I can find... Tap Magic is supposed to be good...

So far I pulled the likely bad SLA D35 from the '00 Explorer and have the one from the Mountaineer bolted up, have everything done from underneath but stopped for brunch. Still have to stab in the upper ball joints, bolt the hard brake lines back to the frame and finish stabbing the CV shafts into the axle. Conveniently the sway bar end links I bought 2 years ago are completely shot, at least 3 of the 4 ends have blown bushings, garbage... have maybe 1500 miles on them. After I get the suspension back together I get to play musical tires, all 4 are coming off the '00, two are getting taken off of the '98 to go on the front and two from Craigslist are going on the back...

 

[rumblecloud]

I managed to do a number on my lower back yesterday and am down for the count ...wife will not let me move.
Sucks big time cuz I discovered what I was doing wrong with my HVLP learning-to-paint adventure.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Finished putting the Explorer back together, forgot to top off the gear oil though... did a 10 tire rotation between the two sploders and the two craigslist tires... going to do a test drive before I get too distracted, probably won't top off the gear oil until tomorrow morning as it's in the 90's now and supposed to get near 100...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Working on my flat deck car hauler. Couple weeks ago I started on removing the rotten wood deck. Cut away 6 cross member that were not doing anything as they were badly warped from a fire prior to me buying the trailer. Lots of re-welding where the PO had tried and left bird poop. Decided it was a good time to go thru the wiring and replace some crappy wire, the insulation was cracked. Finished that today. Now back to welding... Hopefully finish the welding today and start putting on the new pressure treated 2x12's. Those will get covered by 1/2" plywood stained with waterseal.

 

[Rick W]

I tried - and FAILED - to put a new serpentine belt on Big Red (96 f250 7.3).

View attachment 132725


What do these four blueprints have in common?

View attachment 132726View attachment 132727

View attachment 132728
View attachment 132730

THEY CAN’T BE DONE IN THE REAL WORLD!!!

Wait, someone just told me I’ve been doing it wrong. You have to start by inserting the serpentine belt through the exhaust pipe…

Honestly, I gave up yesterday because I was hot, tired, old, still recovering from the flu, cranky, my right hand still doesn’t work right, it was starting to drizzle, and it was getting dark.

Better success today up until I realized they gave me the wrong belt. I went to NAPA and got the correct belt, they said geez I’m sorry and charged me $10 more. I still took an hour and a half to get it on, I guess I’m just brain dead. Once I did it, it really wasn’t that hard. It’s like that old saying, “12th time is the charm!”

I hopped in and fired it up and everything is working good now. I think I still have a little vacuum leak behind the controller, but everything is working.

So then I got some soapy water, used the pressure washer to foam the whole outside of the truck, and then started scrubbing on it.

Then I got bit on the lip by a wasp.

Then I canceled the date with the cute brunette.

Otherwise, my weekend has been great so far!

 

[Sharky]

I am supposed to be finishing the remodel of the back porch, however after 30 plus years of no issues the allergy has come back with a vengeance ...... eyes are watering so bad I can barely see plus they itch like crazy, nasal congestion to beat the band with a throbbing headache..............

 

[superj]

Went and sat in the rio frio river. The water is up higher than i have seen it in 8 years. People are floating down it on tubes and kayaks. It was really nice

 

[scotts90ranger]

Realized how horrible SLA RBV's drive without a sway bar up front, holy monkeys... not scary but not really predictable either...

 

[Maritime Drag Racing]

Got some help from my neighbor and dropped the 385 in the Ranger this AM but the oil pan's side kickouts interfered with the I-beams so it had to come out and get replaced with the smaller oil pan from the dead 355. All back together now and tomorrow I will try to get it back in the same position it was in this morning. Have to wait until Monday for another "volunteer" session though.....

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

 

[racsan]

Worked on my 8N some today, got the rear fenders painted, still have the extra hood, side panels & grille to do. They may look bad but what is on the tractor is even worse. Have a alternator kit & other miscellaneous parts on the way, Put in a new pto oil seal. Have the rear tires flipped around to make it easier when I swap out the hydraulics. It looks like a pulling tractor right now. Parked my escape 2 days ago, it goes into town next thursday for a alignment- and whatever else is going on with it. Hope its under a thousand $.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So… I will say that o do really like Tap Magic for cutting threads… I just use regular oil for drilling though. I had some spray cans of some drilling stuff but apparently they are gone now because I can’t find any. Tap Magic gets pricy for drilling fluid.

I’ll also say that, @Blmpkn , check what speed it runs at. My benchtop HF drill press, the slowest speed is still waaayyy too fast for steel. It will drill, but it’s too fast. I’m considering ways to resolve that…