Rob

"Momma" is threatening to "whack me off" tonight; I don't like the sound of it neither...... Rob

You can bet your ass it is cheaper in the long run. Rob

Feeling the stress and strain of the work performed. Gonna eat some ibuprofen and head to bed as tomorrow is another day. Rob

Well the fat man finally got off his ass at the internet chair and did some work today. Got the flywheel, pilot bearing, clutch assembly all mounted up. Also pressed a new bushing into the throwout crank arm, replaced the bushings in another clutch housing, (since I had them) and slid the new 13 speed up into the truck. Was really a sumbitch to get the ears bolted to the sides of the housing cause of all the interference items down there. Also got the driveshaft bolted back up to the companion flange on the trans. I have yet to get the carrier bearing bolted to it's mount and a floor jack holds it elevated, install the shifter, run the air lines, and a few minor things to be truckin again. Need to pick up a new suply line to the regulator as the regulator is relocated on the new trans and the former line is too short to reach. Gonna run synthetic trans oil in this gearbox, (SAE50 Delvac) and have to get that either pumped in, or dumped in through the top till is comes out the fill plug on the side. With the exception of the fasteners I removed and reused, most everything was replaced. The flywheel was surfaced, flywheel bolts replaced, drive dogs replaced, clutch relined, center plate replaced, pilot bearing replaced, throwout fork and shafts and bearings replaced, release bearing replaced, clutch brake replaced, so should be pretty good to go. Also had the power steering pump rebuilt while the truck was down and replaced the drive coupling for safe measure but I'd installed that a few weeks ago. Been entertaining and my shoulders are paying for it. Bout busted my ass when I gave the trans output shaft a slight twist while pushing the trans against the clutch disc splines and it fell in. Everything lined up nicely except my bearing lube line was between the pressure plate and throwout fork shaft. There was enough room to feed it back by hand so was easy to fix. Rob

They are very good looking trucks. Nice to see someone take pride in their equipment without applying so much chrome it makes you want to puke. Rob

He can only drive one at a time so volunteer!! Rob

If you knew Arnie, you probably knew a guy named Larry Nien also. I ran with his kids, (Larry jr, Robbie, Mitch) when I was young. Larry built a LOT of Pontiac 421 "Super Duty" engines that would hold up to the rigors of drag racing. He actually ran a 62 Bonnevile named "Weekend Warrior" for several years and we spent some time wrenching on it. Rob

Come to think of it, we haven't seen much of Bigen lately neither. We was getting really concerned. Rob

Well, welcome back. Going from coast to coast wouldn't you have crossed over "Brokeback Moutain"? Rob

They sit real close to the same height. I'll bring you a frame and see about the seat itself. Rob

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Never was any doubt in my mind and I've never seen your truck. Now I'm certain both of your boys' legs would be sore from swinging short of 167,000 times. To help him along, I would volunteer to share his pain. Rob

How are you going to license the truck? Antique? Commercial? Rob

Do you need just the bottom, or complete frame? I found some latches too. I'll have to look at a seat complete. They were plywood and springs so I'll have to see what I have. Do you have something that could be used as a pattern? Rob

There is a detailed procedure to adjust those requiring some special tools, gauges, and sockets. You don't just adjust the governor but go through the complete injection system for the adjustments. Rob

I have a fixed base seat frame I can bring. The window latches come up from time to time as reproductions out of Chicago and work well. A glove box door and hinges is gonna be tough as they are getting scarce. Hood latches? do you need the front, or rears? The angle iron sides will most likely need to be fabricated locally as there are so many variants. Rob

Those are generic replacements. I've seen them advertised several places. Rob

The american way: Greed before honor. Rob

A V-71 Detroit does use a series of linkage and spring for dampening the rack travel through these linkages. The same thing but different in your application. The problem you experience with the idle is governor related. If you put the front of the truck up one ft. on jack stands, it will probably idle just fine as you have changed the normal "attitude" the truck usually sits at. This changes the flyweights inside the governor housing settings against their respective balance spring pressure. Rob

Is it a Gemmer, or Ross? I have a good Gemmer brand, (which is now owned by TRW/Ross). Rob

I'm still planning to make it this year. Spoke to David earlier today reaffirming my plans. I need to get to the Columbia, MO area in the next couple of weeks and will be leaving my place in the Communist Republic of Illinois coming that way. I will be driving the "Trusty, yet Crusty" Dodge to ensure I get there this time. Anybody in attendance there need anything brought? I'll be hauling my 18' car trailer behind the truck. Rob

Me an Ernie could make good use of that at 10% of the asking price for certain. Rob

Back in 2000 when I was first starting on my new building, a guy comes up to the jobsite and tells me he would like to sell his 1980 R model tractor. Says it runs good but needs a crank kit, (EM6-300). I go to look at the truck and it is a unit that has been run to death. Sitting in a back lot of an abandoned building with spoke hubs on front, budd style on the rears, 4.17 Mack rears, bald tires, (two flat) a nine speed Fuller which I don't know the model. The best part is the engine cause on the ground beneath the truck sits the oil pan. This thing has been sitting so long the liners, and the crank journal that has a spun bearing are completely rusted over. It does have a good hood, cab that could be salvaged, and a good straight frame long enough for a sleeper, (it was a day cab). The price? $2500.00 cash. To top this off, he was going to keep the doors because they were lettered in his defunct grain elevator business. Told him I couldn't do that and we parted company amicably. Couple weeks ago this guy stops by the shop again saying he needs to clean up the property where this truck is sitting, (it has not moved since 2000 I know of). Still, it only needs a crank kit and the selling price is $2500.00 and bring my checkbook and trailer. Once again I tell him "I can't do that", but I'll give you $750.00 the way it sits. He replies, "I can scrap it for $1500.00". I responded that if he were looking for scrap value I would trade him an equal amount of weight in scrap steel and iron for the tractor to keep it from going to the crusher. I have a couple of chassis that are stripped of almost anything usable for a restoration, and a couple blown engines etc. Anyways I could give him about 16,000# of legitimate scrap for his tractor and I could load it. I seen the tractor underneath a couple of crushed cars on a drop deck this afternoon go by the shop. Such a shame. Rob

I always wanted to see the "Valley Girl" in a leather teddy. Rob