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Today's update. I took a. 1/2 day off to get material and work on trans mounts. I think they turned out nice. Just need to dress them up and get some paint on them. Be nice to get transmission off a jack stand. Just something scratched off the long list........

It happened! It's in there. Let the fun begin.....all over again.....ugh. It went well. 1.5 hrs from friend backing into driveway until he pulled back out. Took a little finesse, wasn't perfectly engineered, but it got set in place. I can't post pictures of friends truck because it is a Cat service truck and it will get him in trouble with corporate. We just back from lunch and it just started pouring rain.

I finally received my chain I ordered. Took 6 days and it was only about 30 miles away. Shipping was cheap or I would have just drove up last Monday and just picked it up. I welded my cross bars on the spreader pipe. I am not a certified welder but it AIN'T coming loose! I contacted my friend with crane to see what he has going on this week. I have to make two hook plates to weld on top of bar to chain to hook to. I can use the plasma cutter at work to make short order of putting holes in the plates. I did fill the transmission with the 50w oil I bought. It is ready for installation!!

Truck update: Power steering installed. I cut the original tube and steering shaft. I then made a bearing ring to weld onto the bottom of the cut tube. This supports the bottom of the shaft/column Mock up Steering shaft conversion. 3/4" key stock cut round to slip into shaft. Then welded and pinned. The bearing is a tight press fit but I also got two clamps for added support. I lined the square into the joint and drilled for 5/16" pin diameter(3/8"-16 bolt turned down on the end). The yoke has 3/8"-16 thread so I used a bolt with lock washer. Installed. Seems very solid. I may need to put an additional support clamp on the column if it seems to wiggly when driving. Time will tell The column is just barely aimed upward more then before but my hand doesn't contract the windshield. I can put a 1/4" spacer under the clamp to shim the column downward slightly if need be. Just glad it is basically done. Waiting on R model drag link to cut and paste with my B drag link to attach to spindle. Then once motor is in I can work on lines to pump. Hope to get motor installed next week. Fingers crossed.

More retirement money spent..... 118" of all new steel. Getting an eyeball on making carrier bearing mounting plate. It needs to be a 12" drop from the existing cross member. Time for so more 1/2" plate. More progress up front also Lots of little stuff. I have the cruise control box apart and bought some new throttle cable to extend the reach as the new backwards throttle arm has a Z bar and I need to get to the block side to make a bracket to attach casing so I can hook cable up. Figuring exhaust out. I have new flange and a 45* SS elbow to cut down to make it go down and hook up to my existing flex pipe that attaches to exhaust. I laid out my clutch linkage on CAD this morning at work. I need to get some plate steel and start that project also. I left it at work, I will post a picture of the layout. I need a few new pieces to correct my AC suction line that is in the way of intake tube to turbo. I bought a new piece of 4" exhaust to make new intake tube to air cleaner. Just a straight shot now, old motor needed a zig zag. I also received my new dry element air cleaner today. That will one of the last additions as it is in the way when working on the truck of it is mounted on the cab. The struggle continues......

Thanks. For a blind guy with a band saw and an old Miller welder they turned out okay. Like I typically say...." Not always pretty but not going to break".

So, Zina decided she wanted to get some chickens. As for me, I'd just as soon get chicken from KFC and eggs from Kroger. But there's a saying, something about "happy wife..." So I've been working on this chicken coop that we got at Tractor Supply. They loaded it with a forklift and It was way too heavy for me to lift, I can only lift 490 lbs. So I had to open the box on the truck and carry it to the jobsite piece by piece. We've made decent progress on it though... I guess. I'll try to finish it tomorrow.

So we had our Touch a Truck event today. It was a beautiful day, and lots of familie's came out to see our toys. It was nice to see the kids faces when they were allowed to sit in the crane.

Well the City bought me a new truck. ... Just kidding. They replaced the slow A$$ Mack ASET underpowered truck, with this new Freight shaker. It's got a big Cummins and an Eaton 10 spd. Hendrickson Spring ride. Locking axles and diffs. That crane had a good smooth ride. I didnt go far, just across town. We are having a public event tomorrow called, ''Touch a Truck'' it's for kids to come and see all the cool trucks and equipment we have. They get to climb in them and blow air horns and such. I will try to post pictures.. When I got in the truck it only 126 miles on it..

Picked up the B73 a couple of weeks ago from storage. Needs service and a big cleanup, still. Still tweaking little things with it. Added some seat belts to it. Re-did the bumper nickname "KRACKERJACK" in vinyl letters after the painted letters proved a lot less durable than I hoped. It was a gamble doing it, but the trip home from Macungie last year in the rain gave it a real beating. Just had it put on this morning at a local sign shop and it took barely five minutes to do. I actually think it looks better and stands out more than the old sign. Been busy with a lot of other projects over the winter, like managing a project for my employer with recommissioning a 1953 Mack fire truck to roadworthy status. Just mechanical and electrical work until he figures out what he wants to do with it. Took on my cousin's '54 M38A1 for some mechanical work. I generally don't work on other people's vehicles, but he begged me and threw some cash at me to do it. Mostly finished all the work on the '41 ford cruiser for the CT State Police Museum and it had several big reveals over the St. Patrick's Day parades, participating in some big ones in Hartford and New Haven. Lots of coverage of it for the museum. So all my hobbies are keeping me busy while i still work on call for a great employer at this point in my life. I can't wait to see what shows I can make it to this year!!

Hippy, The guy who stabbed that girl in charlotte is a repeat criminal, that Democrat judges let out of jail 14 times before he killed her. And now they are going to split hairs about his metal condition... Bull Sh!t !! He needs a dose of leadacilin.. I am so sick of liberal judges ....

Geez, you're never satisfied, you're always looking for more power! You should just get a race car and be- oh, wait...never mind... 🤣

I have seen first hand the ones that retire and just sit. They usually don't live long. It is just the stress at work that wears on me and makes it hard to come home and work 3-4 hrs in the garage. I always feel better after working on the truck, because I complete small projects and feel like I accomplished something.

May be not:

I got 10 yrs out of that $300 237. It was time to upgrade. It's just insane the cubic money I have spent to upgrade things. But I know the old adage "spend some today, or spend a lot more tomorrow".

That's absolutely ridiculous, here's his birth certificate right here-

😆 Karen asked a few weeks ago about had I had in this project. I laughed and said "you don't want to know". She is demanding to help pay. I always say "she's a keeper".

Here's a handy little reference guide for you-

I've read numerous reports that the 2nd airman has been safely rescued from Iran. I think I can speak for most of us, that is a huge sigh of relief.

Hi guys...this old software will be running out of security updates soon so we need to plan on upgrading to the new version 5 software in the very near future...I know some of you hate changes but unfortunately, they are necessary to keep the software safe and the forum running smooth and fast! I've seen the updates and they aren't too bad...the forums will still have the familiar look and feel but there may be some things reorganized into different places. I upgrade the forum almost monthly but this upcoming update is a little bigger with more visible changes so I wanted to let you guys know ahead of time so you don't get overly shocked after I run the update! There are also 2 features that will be going away after the update...Status Updates an the forum Q&A Mode. This is mainly for security as they can be vulnerable to hack attacks...so expect those features to disappear.

Dont think your anywhere near finnished yet Geoff.Dont know about body and ability but your interest clearly hasnt gone...Your a mine of helpful information..... Paul

I stopped at my friends motor shop after picking up the driveshaft since I haven't made it down to lunch for a few Saturdays. A buddy was there and told me I'm working way too hard and he could never pull all this off. I told him I can't believe I'm even getting it done. It is an endless chore of assembly, fabricating, etc. Nothing like when I bolted the 237 in. Hook up a fuel line and go. Nothing that easy with this. Last night was fabbing up cruise control cable. Bracket is painted and ready to assemble on engine and then hook up cable. Should be good. Much easier with no fender in the way. No way I would get it done if I had to climb over that fender a 100 times. I also got the rear air tank hung back on. It used to feed air steering but I am leaving it for volume. I dropped it off to ease removed of old aux box. I use it to air my tires in race car at track. It has a check valve so it doesn't affect the rest of the system. I hooked the 13 spd air line to it, since it had an open port now with no steering line. The trans does shift ranges, as I confirmed it last night. I just need to fab up a handle. I just did a refresh on my clutch linkage drawing this morning. I think I found a better way and will confirm it tomorrow night.

All I know is, yah can't take it with you I'll share my latest dumb ass purchase when and if it arrives from the US Don't see any trailers hooked on the back of a hearse A very dear friend of mine is slowly dying of brain cancer, he has no regrets and has lived a full life Anyway, enough dribble from me Your having "Crack" and that's all that really matters Top work and your making us all look like bludgers, or bums or what ever you call no hopers in the States Paul

Yes, all new driveshaft with carrier bearing. When it had the extra box it had two separate shafts. Now with no aux, I have to get all new made. Should be the last big purchase.

Not to be forgotten. Fred & Nessa

I guess it didn’t make it this far out ….. that’s discusting should be hung in the town square our legal system sucks

First time out this year, had to go get inspection stickers

Thank you Vlad, yes that's the official uniform of the Winfall Department of Public Works. I saw one of them at an antique truck show in Colfax, N.C. one time wearing that same uniform. She asked if she could take a picture with me and of course I said "of course", because I'm just that kind of guy.

I saw something recently, it really struck a cord with me, or maybe a reality check It was youtube video, this fella is a retirement planner for people in the US Anyway the guts of the video was, he asked his 80 year old clients what the regretted not doing or doing at different times in their lives The biggest regret by far was (as I understood it) was people not seeing that in their 50's they, by and large have it all, let me explain From the time we start work as a young bloke we can work 20 hours a day 7 days a week and never get tired This is very handy as we are generally struggling to get a foot hold in life In this time frame we can make good money by working long hours, we have our health but we don't have enough spare time to enjoy the fruits of our labour's Most of us apparently find that by our 50's we are now smart enough and capable enough that we don't still need to work these long hours, yet apparently by this stage, that is what we know works so we keep on working Our health is generally really good still, we can make good money and still work long hours What we don't seem to see coming is that this good health only lasts maybe another 10 years and starts to slowly go down hill before accelerating until we pop our clogs and the journey is over These 80 year olds, by and large regret working to hard, for to long and not winding back on the work front and winding up on the enjoying of life and enjoying the fruits of labour's Our health and the ability to just do and enjoy things apparently goes pretty quickly and catches unaware I say to people When I was a kid at school hours took days days took weeks weeks took months months took years I think we all remember those summers that went on for ever These days years are gone in months months are gone in a week weeks are gone days Anyway Larry we have completely ran this thread off into the side cut But reading comments above, it sort of confirms what this video was saying Enjoy every moment as best as we can Paul

The last full time job I had was taking care of 5 rolloffs trucks, four truck tractors, 6 walking floor trailers, 4 garbage trucks, Cat frontend loader, a Case frontend loader, 410 JD backhoe, case skidsteer, 450 JD dozer, a forklift and doing the tire work also I averaged 65 to seventy hours a week now I need a break after feeding the goats and chickens

Did the alcohol go on the boo boo or in the pie hole ?? Just curious, you know,,,, in case i get a tick bite.....

I don't think she will find the numbers...

Well said.

"You don't know what you have until it's gone". USA was built by people who left their homelands because of all the ills in their home countries. They united and co-operated to create a new country. Why does a large percentage of the population want to waste and destroy all the good that was created for their now privileged lives?

"Trump Derangement Syndrome" I have heard that quoted about even on this side of the world Whether you like Trump or not, you have to admit he gets things done Paul

hello all ,well it took alot of figuring out but we finally did. It was a combo of issues . First was the trailer wasn't loaded properly and the drop axle wasnt air up properly . once we did that its was a night and day difference. second we had a big leak on the slave valve on top of the transmission which kept the air suspension under inflated. we never noticed that for some reason. so far its been good riding. thank you all for the help. this was indeed a weird one.