One Thing Leads To Another:

[Rob]

Well today I decided to wake the A40 up from it's winter nap and take her out for a drive. Had to jump start but fired right up and ran around town for a bit. Lot's of rubbernecking going on and a lot of friendly waves as usual. I really like this truck and it's still my favorite.

Upon returning to the shop and the nice clean stall I had departed from, I decided this just could not be. Tired of moving the RL797 each time I need to get to the spray room with a vehicle, and being the truck I'm concentrating on finishing first, it now resides in the stall which has good access on all sides. I then gathered up all the parts from the B67 which is torn apart, palletized and containerized everything that needs to go to the blaster, set my spare shop compressor on the scissor lift table and moved everything out into the storage building which was cleaned up a little last week. I'm now gaining room in the shop which is packed too full.

While I had the RL797 out in the driveway idling I noticed a growing pool of oil under the front end. This truck has never leaked anything on the shop floor for the years I've had it. Opening the hood I discover the auxilary shaft sheave, (pulley) seal has gone bad and is the source of the leak. I plan to yank the engine and trans out of the truck later this summer and will take care of it then. I hate oil leaks. For now a bit of oil dry will do.

Got in the mood to go for a swing around the fields in ole "Yella Dog" too. So with the B61 attached to the drop deck, and with some light oil tanks sitting on the deck, off we go. This truck really does run well but is brutal on my back when off road. Could only get about 20 mph and stay in the seat so went easy.

Deciding this was not enough accomplishment before noon, I jumped onto the skid steer and headed out back to drag my air ride cutoff into the side parking area of the shop. This will be stripped of the front drive axle, (which is junk) and the unneeded holes welded up, then grafted to the front 1/2 of my other B61. I got lots of plans for this summer as I'm not on the road constantly with my job any longer. After seeing Larry's progress with the sleeper and extension, I may do the same thing with a smaller bunk with rounded corners from a KW or something older. I may even build something of my own. To many options to comprehend right now.

Being right at noon, Nikki brought me out some lunch so we ate together. Don't really get to do that often any longer. Had a nice conversation too. As we were finishing up a trucking outfit showed up to pick up a large military winch I had sold some time ago to a fellow in Canada. We talked about fuel prices and in Alberta they are paying about $5.80 per gallon, (american) of #2 diesel. Taxes are amazing there apparently. I then came home and caught some much needed "beauty sleep" on the couch.

All this interest in the RL755 series of trucks has got my interest going again. It is the one most buried in the shop and the rusted cab is just setting on the frame. Think I'll go ahead and zip the bolts out and lift the hulk off with the gantry crane, then finish stripping it out. I have the new donor cab in my car wash bay on the cart so may try to get some paint work done on it this next couple of weeks too. I could set the donor cab on the chassis and gain some much needed room and kinda kill two birds with one stone so to speak. It is however much easier to build up a cab at floor level rather than climb up a chassis to install parts. I really want to finish the RL797 roof replacement but have too many projects backed up against each other now.

Ohh well, just another entertaining Saturday.

Rob