Doc had me saddle up and go to the coast with her. Galveston seems to have bounced back from Hurricane Beryl fairly well, despite the power being out for something in between 3 and 9 days, depending upon where one was. I checked in with some of my favorite places of business and everybody had water coming in from the storm surge that came up OVER their 17' seawall. (It's a real thing) There were a few people that had their sandbagging efforts overcome by thoughtless people who just HAD to drive down a street or two, thereby creating a wake.
That's something to think about, the next time it seems like a good idea to go wading with your green machine. Anyway, I spread a little money around to my favorite businesses in an attempt to help out.
Since Doc likes to sunbathe (and I detest sitting around doing absolutely nothing) I hopped in the DocMobile and made my way up to the greater Houston area and visited an associate's surplus store (had never been there). He's got the Agent Orange Disease and he looks all whittled down. It was quite an eye opener. Of course the fact that he's lighting one cigarette off another doesn't do a lot to help his situation and I suppose at this late date it really doesn't much matter. I snagged a couple of NOS jerry can mounts (that are really too nice for the M715) and I paid a little more than I otherwise would have. Not charity. Just a kind of wave-off.
I smelled like the bottom of an ashtray for that day and the next. Dang.
And, somewhere, I picked up a Marvel Comic Book, Issue No.8, Aug, 1974. Some day I'm going to have some of these fun things framed for the War Room (which is already under water (figuratively). I've pretty much run out of wall space in there.
On the way back from Galveston I visited a guy who makes his living buying from Gov't auctions on the cheap and flipping the stuff. What I didn't expect to see there was a very tired 1945 International Harvester M5-6 6x6. Don't recall whether it was a short wheelbase or a long but if it is a shorty....well, they only made 25 of those. Rare indeed. I related its story to me - It, having been nabbed by Customs in an illegal export scheme...
...to Russia. The land of - We'll Do Anything We Want. Just You Wait And See!
Cheers,
TJ
Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Moderators: rickf, raymond, Mr. Recovery
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
I'm going to go on something of a rant in what follows, so buckle up.
I rounded up some hardware for mounting a few things on the M715 and while this vehicle is no longer going to be anything other than an old ranch truck, I decided to get the right hardware (Grade 8, 20TPI) only because that's what's supposed to be on there and I want to back away from the ol' 'Anything Goes' attitude of my predecessors. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with doing that at this late date but, it's just not my style.
Well, sometimes bold talk and bolder attitudes earns one a kick in the crotch. Between our new ACE Hardware and NAPA, I was able to put together what hardware I wanted and needed to do what I consider to be a small job. Tractor Supply, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the fact that there IS a 7/16" size out there that some of us still use. So, TS was no help at all. Had to do some running around but I finally got what I needed.
The price for two fists-full of nuts and bolts and washers? Over $100. Yup! It cost over $100 to purchase the hardware necessary to mount two jerry can mounts, two bumperettes and two shackle hangers. With that, I wonder what some young up-and-coming mechanics are doing, or not doing, because they cannot swing the cost of doing it. I wonder what farmers are doing (provided they are running ANY machines that they are still allowed to work on themselves). I wonder how big machine shops are doing. All of this extra expense finally gets passed along to the little guy whether he's actually buying such things or someone else is buying them for him. It's really insane that something as basic as nuts and bolts should be so expensive.
Now, you may be getting ready to say that I should just lower my standards and stop complaining. Maybe go with Grade 5 and course thread. Well, if you are, then most assuredly, you will eventually get what you deserve for having that kind of attitude. Things like this lead to other, larger problems with more far-reaching consequences. I am lucky enough to be able to continue to involve myself in this kind of hobby without having to give it up because it's unaffordable but I must say, if I have to begin judging prospective vehicles that I might like to add to my inventory, based upon how many nuts and bolts and washers are missing at the onset, there will be some big changes to what I will allow myself to get involved in.
And sadly, so will some of you.
Cheers,
TJ
I rounded up some hardware for mounting a few things on the M715 and while this vehicle is no longer going to be anything other than an old ranch truck, I decided to get the right hardware (Grade 8, 20TPI) only because that's what's supposed to be on there and I want to back away from the ol' 'Anything Goes' attitude of my predecessors. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with doing that at this late date but, it's just not my style.
Well, sometimes bold talk and bolder attitudes earns one a kick in the crotch. Between our new ACE Hardware and NAPA, I was able to put together what hardware I wanted and needed to do what I consider to be a small job. Tractor Supply, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the fact that there IS a 7/16" size out there that some of us still use. So, TS was no help at all. Had to do some running around but I finally got what I needed.
The price for two fists-full of nuts and bolts and washers? Over $100. Yup! It cost over $100 to purchase the hardware necessary to mount two jerry can mounts, two bumperettes and two shackle hangers. With that, I wonder what some young up-and-coming mechanics are doing, or not doing, because they cannot swing the cost of doing it. I wonder what farmers are doing (provided they are running ANY machines that they are still allowed to work on themselves). I wonder how big machine shops are doing. All of this extra expense finally gets passed along to the little guy whether he's actually buying such things or someone else is buying them for him. It's really insane that something as basic as nuts and bolts should be so expensive.
Now, you may be getting ready to say that I should just lower my standards and stop complaining. Maybe go with Grade 5 and course thread. Well, if you are, then most assuredly, you will eventually get what you deserve for having that kind of attitude. Things like this lead to other, larger problems with more far-reaching consequences. I am lucky enough to be able to continue to involve myself in this kind of hobby without having to give it up because it's unaffordable but I must say, if I have to begin judging prospective vehicles that I might like to add to my inventory, based upon how many nuts and bolts and washers are missing at the onset, there will be some big changes to what I will allow myself to get involved in.
And sadly, so will some of you.
Cheers,
TJ
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Work continues on the M715. Happily, most of it is replacing the odds and ends that have gone missing over the fullness of time. Lots of bolt holes that need to be filled with whatever belonged there in the first place....which brings me to the tale of the mount for the blackout driving light assembly.
I actually bumped into one for sale at the website of one of the usual purveyors of military vehicle goodies. I only mention this because, finding one of these 'in the wild' is a rare occasion indeed and knowing this meant that the seller put an unobtanium price tag on it. I know. I know. Demand vs. Supply = Price. But there was no way on God's green earth I was going to lay out $65 (add to that, shipping) for a piece of sheet metal with four bends and 7 holes in it.
NOPE.
Compounding my troubles, the 20P tech manual showed the part (Figure 31 if I remember correctly) but did not assign it a number OR a name. Either of those would have improved my chances of finding one on the internet. Having no better options, I decided to make one. Trouble is, the pictures on the internet are lousy and when you do find a good one, the angle at which the picture was taken is lousy and there are a few really good pictures of them that are just absolutely wrong. Surprise, surprise. Not knowing any better, I took one of those really good (unbeknownst to me) wrong ones, scaled it up to a known value and extrapolated the rest of the measurements from there. Then I made one.
It looked beautiful.
It matched the image.
And it was..... wrong.
One leg was too short.
You see, the whole idea of the thing was to take a very stylish civvy hood and create a level place on it upon which one can mount the blackout driving lamp assembly. Properly mounted, it looks like a giant middle finger and much of that is lost in translation if said middle finger is tilted off to one side or the other...
...and we can't have that.
So, I contemplated bending up yet another one out of somewhat lesser steel in order to make a template but it's really too darned hot out. So, I sawed off the too-short leg, bent up a replacement leg that was generously long and took the two pieces out to the truck. I assembled them with magnets, eyeballed the whole thing and made little adjustments until it was dead level (using the cowl cap as a visual reference) and marked it. I had to remove precisely 1" to make it work. I welded it back on and then dressed the weld. Perfect-O.
I had just saved myself a bunch of money and, with that in mind, I decided to resolve another issue I had with one of the side-view mirror stalks in which the bottom half was rusted out. I discovered that particular problem when we were trying to recover the vehicle from the side of a ravine. If you have been reading along, you may well remember THE DRIVEWAY OF DEATH. Anyhoo, there, I tried to adjust the mirror and the thing nearly came off in my hand. Yeah.
THAT.
Back at home, I pawed through my buckets of various materials and found the perfect bit of steel tubing for the job. Then, I examined the original because I wanted to see how they reinforced the base. If you have never actually cut one open here's how they did it. They took the cut piece of tubing and inserted a little roll of lightweight sheetmetal and then stamped the base which had the effect of flattening the little roll into what might appear to you and I as a single flat piece between the sides of the end that was flattened. Inside, it is flattened on the one end and flares out and retains the shape of the tube. It only intrudes into the tube about 3/8" This saves the manufacturer the additional steps of having to begin to flatten the tube and then having to insert the reinforcement and then finalizing the flattening. It's a manufacturing process that is not quite as interesting as it should be, but there it is. Now you're smarter than you were. You're welcome.
Are you not entertained?!
On the other hand, I was free-handing the process using an ancient Harbor Freight press to get the job done; one with a leaky 12 ton hydraulic jack that has rebuffed all my many efforts to repair it. I was using the jobber method of inserting the reinforcing metal after the tube began to flatten and things began to get tricky when the hydraulic fluid contaminated my work surfaces and pretty much everything else. Slippery. But, I did get it done and with that, I saved myself even more money. What they want for repro mirror stalks is highway robbery.
And with those two things being made up right here at 'la casa del pobre loco' I saved enough money to purchase a couple of mirrors...which are also grossly overpriced. Alas, my skills do not include whipping up mirrors on demand.
But one does what one can.
Cheers,
TJ
I actually bumped into one for sale at the website of one of the usual purveyors of military vehicle goodies. I only mention this because, finding one of these 'in the wild' is a rare occasion indeed and knowing this meant that the seller put an unobtanium price tag on it. I know. I know. Demand vs. Supply = Price. But there was no way on God's green earth I was going to lay out $65 (add to that, shipping) for a piece of sheet metal with four bends and 7 holes in it.
NOPE.
Compounding my troubles, the 20P tech manual showed the part (Figure 31 if I remember correctly) but did not assign it a number OR a name. Either of those would have improved my chances of finding one on the internet. Having no better options, I decided to make one. Trouble is, the pictures on the internet are lousy and when you do find a good one, the angle at which the picture was taken is lousy and there are a few really good pictures of them that are just absolutely wrong. Surprise, surprise. Not knowing any better, I took one of those really good (unbeknownst to me) wrong ones, scaled it up to a known value and extrapolated the rest of the measurements from there. Then I made one.
It looked beautiful.
It matched the image.
And it was..... wrong.
One leg was too short.
You see, the whole idea of the thing was to take a very stylish civvy hood and create a level place on it upon which one can mount the blackout driving lamp assembly. Properly mounted, it looks like a giant middle finger and much of that is lost in translation if said middle finger is tilted off to one side or the other...
...and we can't have that.
So, I contemplated bending up yet another one out of somewhat lesser steel in order to make a template but it's really too darned hot out. So, I sawed off the too-short leg, bent up a replacement leg that was generously long and took the two pieces out to the truck. I assembled them with magnets, eyeballed the whole thing and made little adjustments until it was dead level (using the cowl cap as a visual reference) and marked it. I had to remove precisely 1" to make it work. I welded it back on and then dressed the weld. Perfect-O.
I had just saved myself a bunch of money and, with that in mind, I decided to resolve another issue I had with one of the side-view mirror stalks in which the bottom half was rusted out. I discovered that particular problem when we were trying to recover the vehicle from the side of a ravine. If you have been reading along, you may well remember THE DRIVEWAY OF DEATH. Anyhoo, there, I tried to adjust the mirror and the thing nearly came off in my hand. Yeah.
THAT.
Back at home, I pawed through my buckets of various materials and found the perfect bit of steel tubing for the job. Then, I examined the original because I wanted to see how they reinforced the base. If you have never actually cut one open here's how they did it. They took the cut piece of tubing and inserted a little roll of lightweight sheetmetal and then stamped the base which had the effect of flattening the little roll into what might appear to you and I as a single flat piece between the sides of the end that was flattened. Inside, it is flattened on the one end and flares out and retains the shape of the tube. It only intrudes into the tube about 3/8" This saves the manufacturer the additional steps of having to begin to flatten the tube and then having to insert the reinforcement and then finalizing the flattening. It's a manufacturing process that is not quite as interesting as it should be, but there it is. Now you're smarter than you were. You're welcome.
Are you not entertained?!
On the other hand, I was free-handing the process using an ancient Harbor Freight press to get the job done; one with a leaky 12 ton hydraulic jack that has rebuffed all my many efforts to repair it. I was using the jobber method of inserting the reinforcing metal after the tube began to flatten and things began to get tricky when the hydraulic fluid contaminated my work surfaces and pretty much everything else. Slippery. But, I did get it done and with that, I saved myself even more money. What they want for repro mirror stalks is highway robbery.
And with those two things being made up right here at 'la casa del pobre loco' I saved enough money to purchase a couple of mirrors...which are also grossly overpriced. Alas, my skills do not include whipping up mirrors on demand.
But one does what one can.
Cheers,
TJ
-
D Pizzoferrato
- Master Sergeant
- Posts: 358
- Joined: May 1st, 2010, 8:16 am
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
TJ, you're just a few years too late. When I did my M715, our very own Hambone fixed me right up with a complete M715 BO Drive light with bracket and some other bits. We traded wampum and other shiny beads. It seems like that ugly appendage on the hood is often the first casualty of non military ownership.
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Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Sadly, I'm ALWAYS a few years too late. What is this incredible and unexplained hatred towards this little piece of tin?! It always served faithfully and never did anyone any harm.
I had the B/O and the guard on the shelf...and now, I suspect I may also have found the correct backup lamp in my Great Big Pile of Stuff. But, it's 106 degrees outside at the moment so that'll have to wait.
If only I had thought of it earlier.
I did take time out to rewrite Rick's prescription for Mentos and Coca-Cola. The dude is so bored he's taking pictures of the moon out his hospital window. The biggest decision he made today is Lime, or Cherry jell-o. What a life!
Cheers,
TJ
I had the B/O and the guard on the shelf...and now, I suspect I may also have found the correct backup lamp in my Great Big Pile of Stuff. But, it's 106 degrees outside at the moment so that'll have to wait.
If only I had thought of it earlier.
I did take time out to rewrite Rick's prescription for Mentos and Coca-Cola. The dude is so bored he's taking pictures of the moon out his hospital window. The biggest decision he made today is Lime, or Cherry jell-o. What a life!
Cheers,
TJ
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Actually it was vanilla or chocolate pudding!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
....just like they served in the Long Bihn stockade, eh?
Good times. Good times.
Get better...
and stop sending me all those cute kitty memes. My wife is beginning to suspect something is up.
Good times. Good times.
Get better...
and stop sending me all those cute kitty memes. My wife is beginning to suspect something is up.
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
la casa del pobre loco
Very appropriate description!!!
Very appropriate description!!!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Welcome back to the world of the living, Señor.
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Efforts to continue hanging parts on the M715 continue with hanging the side view mirrors on the truck...which took two tries because I didn't pack the tiny little wrench meant to hold the post of the mirror so the nut could be tightened.
grumble-grumble-grumble
It never fails to amaze me how getting the little things back on the truck does so much to change the look from 'abused & forgotten' to, 'up & coming'.
Anyhoo, much of it is just theater (and, let's not forget, it's also instant gratification!) which will help me get through the other, harder stuff. When a truck looks like it has promise, it makes knuckling down that much easier.
Today, the weather was amazing. Woke up to 71 degrees! Got out to the M715 by the time it was 81 degrees. The plan was to drain the coolant (really nothing more than greenish brown water) but I couldn't get to the radiator drain. Dodgeman had put a modified lower radiator hose on (from some other application) and he had installed the worm-drive clamp in the worst possible way. Add to that poor orientation a biggish radiator shroud and a bit of metal that didn't look 'factory' and it simply couldn't be done....which is to say, it couldn't be done simply.
What would have been about 10 minutes of getting things to drain and then walking away became undoing the four bolts that held the shroud (and surprise-surprise, ALSO the radiator). So, after edging the shroud to one side and loosening the upper and lower clamps on the lower radiator hose, the hose refused to budge. Much as I hate to ruin a newish hose (even one that didn't really belong on this truck) I decided the better part of valor would be to scrap the hose to insure I wasn't hauling away against something that might be found to be an important part of the radiator. Out came the box cutter; the one I keep in Longfellow for just such emergencies and with two, quick slices the hose nearly fell off.
And with that, the radiator came up and out, followed closely by the shroud. The radiator looks absolutely fabulous. On the other hand, the shroud has a big crack, top dead-center, and will need to be mended. Mending is what I DO. From a design perspective, the radiator is hard-mounted with only four bolts that screw into speed-nuts. Drop dead simple and being hard-mounted seems to have spawned no problems with the radiator. No stress cracks, no aging rubber mounts, and none of the heartache of psoriasis.
I love the simplicity of the old designs. They just go, and go, and go.
With the good, comes the bad. With a new and improved view of the front end from above I could see the front brake line was severed. It's a tiny little thing, maybe a quarter of an inch in outer diameter and ridiculously LONG. One section goes from the junction block to the left front soft line. From there it continues forward about 3', across for 3' and then back another 3' to the other soft line. It has to take this route because there is no crossmember below the engine as you might expect there to be.
It will be far easier to replace the line with the radiator out of this machine. So, I win again. Instead of just putting new hoses on and claiming victory, some other, very necessary, work has been exposed and the door to do it has been thrown wide open.
Love it when a plan comes together.
Cheers,
TJ
grumble-grumble-grumble
It never fails to amaze me how getting the little things back on the truck does so much to change the look from 'abused & forgotten' to, 'up & coming'.
Anyhoo, much of it is just theater (and, let's not forget, it's also instant gratification!) which will help me get through the other, harder stuff. When a truck looks like it has promise, it makes knuckling down that much easier.
Today, the weather was amazing. Woke up to 71 degrees! Got out to the M715 by the time it was 81 degrees. The plan was to drain the coolant (really nothing more than greenish brown water) but I couldn't get to the radiator drain. Dodgeman had put a modified lower radiator hose on (from some other application) and he had installed the worm-drive clamp in the worst possible way. Add to that poor orientation a biggish radiator shroud and a bit of metal that didn't look 'factory' and it simply couldn't be done....which is to say, it couldn't be done simply.
What would have been about 10 minutes of getting things to drain and then walking away became undoing the four bolts that held the shroud (and surprise-surprise, ALSO the radiator). So, after edging the shroud to one side and loosening the upper and lower clamps on the lower radiator hose, the hose refused to budge. Much as I hate to ruin a newish hose (even one that didn't really belong on this truck) I decided the better part of valor would be to scrap the hose to insure I wasn't hauling away against something that might be found to be an important part of the radiator. Out came the box cutter; the one I keep in Longfellow for just such emergencies and with two, quick slices the hose nearly fell off.
And with that, the radiator came up and out, followed closely by the shroud. The radiator looks absolutely fabulous. On the other hand, the shroud has a big crack, top dead-center, and will need to be mended. Mending is what I DO. From a design perspective, the radiator is hard-mounted with only four bolts that screw into speed-nuts. Drop dead simple and being hard-mounted seems to have spawned no problems with the radiator. No stress cracks, no aging rubber mounts, and none of the heartache of psoriasis.
I love the simplicity of the old designs. They just go, and go, and go.
With the good, comes the bad. With a new and improved view of the front end from above I could see the front brake line was severed. It's a tiny little thing, maybe a quarter of an inch in outer diameter and ridiculously LONG. One section goes from the junction block to the left front soft line. From there it continues forward about 3', across for 3' and then back another 3' to the other soft line. It has to take this route because there is no crossmember below the engine as you might expect there to be.
It will be far easier to replace the line with the radiator out of this machine. So, I win again. Instead of just putting new hoses on and claiming victory, some other, very necessary, work has been exposed and the door to do it has been thrown wide open.
Love it when a plan comes together.
Cheers,
TJ
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Q - What does one do when one discovers a broken brake line?
A - Install the refurbished thermostat housing, a proof-tested thermostat and a new radiator bypass hose.
In my world, that makes perfect sense.
A - Install the refurbished thermostat housing, a proof-tested thermostat and a new radiator bypass hose.
In my world, that makes perfect sense.
Last edited by m3a1 on August 28th, 2024, 6:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
La casa de un amigo, el mismo pobre loco.
Different place same nutcase.
Different place same nutcase.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
A full day spent, doing nothing...because if you give a mouse a cookie...
...he's going to want a glass of milk.
Better said, I spent a full day spend doing things that did absolutely nothing towards the advancement of the M715.
The Mouse
The Christmas Party Tent, which has been up and partially decorated since LAST Autumn (don't judge me) has been well silted-in since May. So, I thought that since the weather has been at least somewhat tolerable, I really ought to begin doing something to clear it out a bit. Not all of it, but some of it. For the overflow, just before crunch time, we rent a storage unit and unashamedly just jam everything into it, rather than actually do anything that solves the problem once and for all. This more immediate process begins with moving stuff from the tent to a more suitable storage space here on the property (read that - another long term dumping place NOT under cover).
I will be the first to admit that I know how much of this stuff ended up in the tent. When not in 'party mode' the tent represents the absolute pinnacle of convenience when it comes to unloading treasures and then immediately moving along to the next big thing like some addled Attention Deficit Disorder goofball. The tent also makes a good place to collect refurbished stuff that needs to wait somewhere, in order to be reassembled to other not-yet refurbished stuff which is ALSO in the tent because while it is there, rather than somewhere else, it is acting as a reminder that, it too, needs some attention. It's a system that COULD work, provided that other layers of stuff don't cover the previous stuff up...
...like that's NOT gonna happen.
The Cookie
In that spirit, I finished refurbishing a piece of a high-top table yesterday and reassembled it today. Where did I put it upon completion? Why, back in the tent....of course. With a bit of shuffling (and with a newly assembled table, upon which to put stuff) I actually made some space. Thus began the process of moving this, to get to that, in order to deal with the other thing. Then I spotted the refurbished OEM jack and tire changing kit for my '93 YJ (which had come to me without those very necessary tools). Growing bored with the tent project, this seemed as good a time as any to put that kit ON the Jeep where it might eventually do someone some good.
So, I took it OUT of the tent (an undeniable hash mark in the 'Win' column for 'tent clearing') and over to the Jeep. Three bolts and it was in and looking very smart, even if I must say so myself. It wasn't that easy, of course, because any grouping of bolt holes which, in total, exceeds one, never allows all holes to line up perfectly. With a bit of trickery, I got it in.
The Glass of Milk
In the doing of it, I noticed that my Jeep's battery was developing some corrosion at the positive connection and, with the tent project already in the rear view mirror, so to speak, I elected to clean that all up...
...which lead to the discovery of the Incredible Dissolving Bolt which is/was meant to apply pressure to the battery terminal clamp. A small stainless steel wire brush got everything on the clamp looking corrosion free after I finagled the offending bolt from that chunk of lead. I'm embarrassed to say that I took the low road, finding only an eye bolt in my huge assortment of hardware as the only suitably-sized replacement. No, it is NOT right but I'm just too darned hot and tired to go out and source another, mo bettah one. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them it's meant to be a great place to clip on an alligator clip, or clips (since there is plenty of room for 5 or 10. Before I put everything back together, I did a level 5 tidy-up of the battery and surrounding surfaces. Last but not least, I hosed the electrical junctions down with the greasy red varnish stuff.
And there you have it. If you give a mouse a cookie...he's gonna want a glass of milk.
Cheers,
TJ
...he's going to want a glass of milk.
Better said, I spent a full day spend doing things that did absolutely nothing towards the advancement of the M715.
The Mouse
The Christmas Party Tent, which has been up and partially decorated since LAST Autumn (don't judge me) has been well silted-in since May. So, I thought that since the weather has been at least somewhat tolerable, I really ought to begin doing something to clear it out a bit. Not all of it, but some of it. For the overflow, just before crunch time, we rent a storage unit and unashamedly just jam everything into it, rather than actually do anything that solves the problem once and for all. This more immediate process begins with moving stuff from the tent to a more suitable storage space here on the property (read that - another long term dumping place NOT under cover).
I will be the first to admit that I know how much of this stuff ended up in the tent. When not in 'party mode' the tent represents the absolute pinnacle of convenience when it comes to unloading treasures and then immediately moving along to the next big thing like some addled Attention Deficit Disorder goofball. The tent also makes a good place to collect refurbished stuff that needs to wait somewhere, in order to be reassembled to other not-yet refurbished stuff which is ALSO in the tent because while it is there, rather than somewhere else, it is acting as a reminder that, it too, needs some attention. It's a system that COULD work, provided that other layers of stuff don't cover the previous stuff up...
...like that's NOT gonna happen.
The Cookie
In that spirit, I finished refurbishing a piece of a high-top table yesterday and reassembled it today. Where did I put it upon completion? Why, back in the tent....of course. With a bit of shuffling (and with a newly assembled table, upon which to put stuff) I actually made some space. Thus began the process of moving this, to get to that, in order to deal with the other thing. Then I spotted the refurbished OEM jack and tire changing kit for my '93 YJ (which had come to me without those very necessary tools). Growing bored with the tent project, this seemed as good a time as any to put that kit ON the Jeep where it might eventually do someone some good.
So, I took it OUT of the tent (an undeniable hash mark in the 'Win' column for 'tent clearing') and over to the Jeep. Three bolts and it was in and looking very smart, even if I must say so myself. It wasn't that easy, of course, because any grouping of bolt holes which, in total, exceeds one, never allows all holes to line up perfectly. With a bit of trickery, I got it in.
The Glass of Milk
In the doing of it, I noticed that my Jeep's battery was developing some corrosion at the positive connection and, with the tent project already in the rear view mirror, so to speak, I elected to clean that all up...
...which lead to the discovery of the Incredible Dissolving Bolt which is/was meant to apply pressure to the battery terminal clamp. A small stainless steel wire brush got everything on the clamp looking corrosion free after I finagled the offending bolt from that chunk of lead. I'm embarrassed to say that I took the low road, finding only an eye bolt in my huge assortment of hardware as the only suitably-sized replacement. No, it is NOT right but I'm just too darned hot and tired to go out and source another, mo bettah one. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them it's meant to be a great place to clip on an alligator clip, or clips (since there is plenty of room for 5 or 10. Before I put everything back together, I did a level 5 tidy-up of the battery and surrounding surfaces. Last but not least, I hosed the electrical junctions down with the greasy red varnish stuff.
And there you have it. If you give a mouse a cookie...he's gonna want a glass of milk.
Cheers,
TJ
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
I made a visit to the M715, intending to remove the broken front brake line(s). Those tender little lines don't look like they belong on something otherwise built like a tank. I suppose this is necessary for such a long run given the fact that the master cylinder is equally small; in fact, almost vestigial. I'll plumb it back up as it was and we'll see just how effective the 715's brakes really are. For a vehicle that wasn't designed for bombing down the road, I suppose they'd be okie-dokie and for what I'm going to do with this truck. It will probably work just fine, as-designed.
ANYhoo, the brake line fittings down on the junction block popped loose after I prepped them with a good brushing with the tiny stainless steel wire brush. The trick with brake line fittings is taking into account (1) where the vehicle has been all those previous years, (2) a judicious bit of prep with the previous information in mind, and (3) when it's finally time to break things loose you shouldn't pussy-foot around. Oh, and (4, 5, 6) use a goshdurned line wrench because, as you have heard me say -
You ain't no kind of mechanic if you don't own a set of line wrenches!
Which were recently on sale at almost 50% off at Harbor Freight (yeah...HF, if you like to get a lot for your money.)
Long experience has taught me that a good, sharp yank on a brake line tube nut (like you mean it) is far better than just bearing down on it till it gives. Nope. Brake lines do better when they're treated like (insert your favorite folksy euphemism here or select from one of our following options)...
a. a red-headed step child
b. an Army mule
c. a cifesboren
(I'll just let you look that last one up. It's a great word that I really think needs to be returned to the modern lexicon. Example: TJ is a loquacious cifesboren. But, you had better say it with love in your heart and a a smile on your face. Goodness! I'm getting off topic.
Again....
As for No. 1, where the M715 was parked and forgotten, was a rocky shelf carved into the side of a ravine and, from what washed down from above, what remained was gravel and the lightweight stuff (dirt and tree droppings) which continued downward toward who-knows-where. Whatever water remained on the shelf quickly soaked into the cracks in the rocks. So, by a happy set of circumstances, this old truck ended up sitting on a remarkably dry, piece of ground (dry as one might want, for being left outdoors that is).
Yes, there was rust (there's ALWAYS rust!) but No, it wasn't like the kind of rust you'd expect from an extended say in the bush. So, the brake lines were somewhere between, An-Absolute-Write-Off and Oh-I-Think-I've-Got-A-Shot-At-This.
And bear in mind, all this equipment is 57 years old and bone-stock original so whatever it once was, it ain't no mo'.
Regarding No. 2, as you know, I simply wire brushed around the the tube nut so that the wrench would get an honest grip on it. Had it resisted further, I might have put some PB Blaster on it in the hope that it would soak in and help break the rust bond between the tube nut and the tube. Heat also helps if you don't mind heat where one typically doesn't want heat and I would eventually use both those options down at the junction of brake lines-to-brake hoses.
As for No. 3-6, as I have so eloquently stated, give that LINE WRENCH a snappy yank, like you mean it.
Yes, I got things loose from the junction block.
It would have been easier just to say that but, TJ really is a loquacious cifesboren.
There are some problems in the world that are not meant to be solved by kneeling, crawling, and contorting one's self under an old truck. I found that, despite all reasonable efforts, the tube nuts would not be freed from the brake hoses. But, since all of those bits were slated to be replaced, There really was no point in attempting to wrangle a proper disconnect. I simply bisected the brake line at the tube nut and pulled all the offending bits of broken brake line out of the truck and they would be kept for use as a pattern. The brake hoses would remain in place until the truck could be trailered over to Xloflyr's place for a day or two on the lift and that would be predicated by rounding up the necessary parts to make the lift-time pay off.
Cheers,
TJ
Avowed Cifesboren
ANYhoo, the brake line fittings down on the junction block popped loose after I prepped them with a good brushing with the tiny stainless steel wire brush. The trick with brake line fittings is taking into account (1) where the vehicle has been all those previous years, (2) a judicious bit of prep with the previous information in mind, and (3) when it's finally time to break things loose you shouldn't pussy-foot around. Oh, and (4, 5, 6) use a goshdurned line wrench because, as you have heard me say -
You ain't no kind of mechanic if you don't own a set of line wrenches!
Which were recently on sale at almost 50% off at Harbor Freight (yeah...HF, if you like to get a lot for your money.)
Long experience has taught me that a good, sharp yank on a brake line tube nut (like you mean it) is far better than just bearing down on it till it gives. Nope. Brake lines do better when they're treated like (insert your favorite folksy euphemism here or select from one of our following options)...
a. a red-headed step child
b. an Army mule
c. a cifesboren
(I'll just let you look that last one up. It's a great word that I really think needs to be returned to the modern lexicon. Example: TJ is a loquacious cifesboren. But, you had better say it with love in your heart and a a smile on your face. Goodness! I'm getting off topic.
Again....
As for No. 1, where the M715 was parked and forgotten, was a rocky shelf carved into the side of a ravine and, from what washed down from above, what remained was gravel and the lightweight stuff (dirt and tree droppings) which continued downward toward who-knows-where. Whatever water remained on the shelf quickly soaked into the cracks in the rocks. So, by a happy set of circumstances, this old truck ended up sitting on a remarkably dry, piece of ground (dry as one might want, for being left outdoors that is).
Yes, there was rust (there's ALWAYS rust!) but No, it wasn't like the kind of rust you'd expect from an extended say in the bush. So, the brake lines were somewhere between, An-Absolute-Write-Off and Oh-I-Think-I've-Got-A-Shot-At-This.
And bear in mind, all this equipment is 57 years old and bone-stock original so whatever it once was, it ain't no mo'.
Regarding No. 2, as you know, I simply wire brushed around the the tube nut so that the wrench would get an honest grip on it. Had it resisted further, I might have put some PB Blaster on it in the hope that it would soak in and help break the rust bond between the tube nut and the tube. Heat also helps if you don't mind heat where one typically doesn't want heat and I would eventually use both those options down at the junction of brake lines-to-brake hoses.
As for No. 3-6, as I have so eloquently stated, give that LINE WRENCH a snappy yank, like you mean it.
Yes, I got things loose from the junction block.
It would have been easier just to say that but, TJ really is a loquacious cifesboren.
There are some problems in the world that are not meant to be solved by kneeling, crawling, and contorting one's self under an old truck. I found that, despite all reasonable efforts, the tube nuts would not be freed from the brake hoses. But, since all of those bits were slated to be replaced, There really was no point in attempting to wrangle a proper disconnect. I simply bisected the brake line at the tube nut and pulled all the offending bits of broken brake line out of the truck and they would be kept for use as a pattern. The brake hoses would remain in place until the truck could be trailered over to Xloflyr's place for a day or two on the lift and that would be predicated by rounding up the necessary parts to make the lift-time pay off.
Cheers,
TJ
Avowed Cifesboren
Re: Beverly Hillbillies, Part Deux
Not much to report of late, particularly after a major upheaval in the normal order of things around here. Family stuff is always interesting and that's all I'm gonna say about that. Anyway, a goodly portion of my free time (and that's most of most days) was gobbled up and things like the M715 had to take a back seat. The interruption didn't take every waking moment, though...so I managed to squeeze in some trigger time at the blast cabinet and because I could, and should....I did. Gotta keep things moving forward.
Things are kinda getting back to normal, so today, I gathered up a couple of pieces that I had already renewed (front signal light mounts) and made them ready to mate with the lights. Did some careful scraping of the surfaces meant for the grounding bolts (for the lights) and scraped 'em back down to bare metal and even tapped out the captive nuts on the mount itself in order to have clean metal for the ground to the front firewall. Finished up with applying dieletric grease in the appropriate places and put the lights and their respective mounts together, all very neat and tidy. In other words...
...MORE lipstick for a pig.
Didn't take them out and put them on the truck, though. Ran out of time. Dinner with Xloflyr and his lady fair.
Earlier in the day I was checking the fitment of the fan shroud with the radiator (after I repaired it). This meant hauling the radiator out of the back seat of Longfellow and also giving it the ol' 'Once Over'. I came away from that wanting to comb some of the kinks out of the radiator fins (which I did as best as I was able). I also gave the upper, lower and filler necks a burnish with steel wool to ensure everything was clean and smooth, all the while looking for cracks, separations or other weak points. The tubes looked open, but not nearly as good as they might be which is what one gets in a vehicle that hasn't been treated to REAL coolant since Disco was a thing.
Then I noticed that the top shoulder of the radiator mounting frame was sort of waving in the breeze as the solder joint had failed. Normally, this would not be any trouble whatever, owing to the design of the frame because, once it is bolted into place, the radiator has no where to go. I am no stranger to soldering so under similar circumstances I would have just knocked that out and been done with it....
BUT...
Keeping in mind this is a 57 year old vehicle, with a radiator that may be equally as old, I do want it to be as good as it can be. Since this particular type of engine really HATES overheat conditions, I felt it was the better part of valor to send the radiator out to be tanked and tested for adequate pressure and flow....perhaps even rodded out....and let someone else do the soldering along the way.
The Hurricane engine has a strange propensity to crack its head or blow its head gasket (or both) in overheat conditions. It's a well documented weakness. Thus, the wisdom of aiming for a cooling system that is as close to 100% as it can be, cannot be questioned. Well, actually, Dodgeman could and DID question it when I told him what I was up to...but then, he's also the guy who broke the fan shroud. Points taken for heavy-handedness. But Dodgeman has muscles on his muscles. He really can't help it. 
Hundert Dollah Bill rode along and we drove allllll the way down to one of the better known radiator shops in San Antonio. The fellow there had been doing this for a while so trying to get him to give me any insight into which direction this radiator might go was utterly fruitless. Dude obviously has a problem with commitment or, he actually knows a few things cause he's seen a few things and I am left to be the proverbial 'June Bride'...
..I know I'm going to get 'IT' but I just don't know how big 'IT' is going to be!
So, we'll see how this is going to shake out in a few days. They'll tank it and if that doesn't dissolve the radiator entirely, they'll flow and pressure test it and if it passes those tests I'll be in like Flynn. I reckon I have about a 20% chance of all this going south and blowing a huge, smoking hole in my budget. Wish me luck.
Cheers,
TJ
Things are kinda getting back to normal, so today, I gathered up a couple of pieces that I had already renewed (front signal light mounts) and made them ready to mate with the lights. Did some careful scraping of the surfaces meant for the grounding bolts (for the lights) and scraped 'em back down to bare metal and even tapped out the captive nuts on the mount itself in order to have clean metal for the ground to the front firewall. Finished up with applying dieletric grease in the appropriate places and put the lights and their respective mounts together, all very neat and tidy. In other words...
...MORE lipstick for a pig.
Didn't take them out and put them on the truck, though. Ran out of time. Dinner with Xloflyr and his lady fair.
Earlier in the day I was checking the fitment of the fan shroud with the radiator (after I repaired it). This meant hauling the radiator out of the back seat of Longfellow and also giving it the ol' 'Once Over'. I came away from that wanting to comb some of the kinks out of the radiator fins (which I did as best as I was able). I also gave the upper, lower and filler necks a burnish with steel wool to ensure everything was clean and smooth, all the while looking for cracks, separations or other weak points. The tubes looked open, but not nearly as good as they might be which is what one gets in a vehicle that hasn't been treated to REAL coolant since Disco was a thing.
Then I noticed that the top shoulder of the radiator mounting frame was sort of waving in the breeze as the solder joint had failed. Normally, this would not be any trouble whatever, owing to the design of the frame because, once it is bolted into place, the radiator has no where to go. I am no stranger to soldering so under similar circumstances I would have just knocked that out and been done with it....
BUT...
Keeping in mind this is a 57 year old vehicle, with a radiator that may be equally as old, I do want it to be as good as it can be. Since this particular type of engine really HATES overheat conditions, I felt it was the better part of valor to send the radiator out to be tanked and tested for adequate pressure and flow....perhaps even rodded out....and let someone else do the soldering along the way.
The Hurricane engine has a strange propensity to crack its head or blow its head gasket (or both) in overheat conditions. It's a well documented weakness. Thus, the wisdom of aiming for a cooling system that is as close to 100% as it can be, cannot be questioned. Well, actually, Dodgeman could and DID question it when I told him what I was up to...but then, he's also the guy who broke the fan shroud.
Points taken for heavy-handedness. But Dodgeman has muscles on his muscles. He really can't help it. Hundert Dollah Bill rode along and we drove allllll the way down to one of the better known radiator shops in San Antonio. The fellow there had been doing this for a while so trying to get him to give me any insight into which direction this radiator might go was utterly fruitless. Dude obviously has a problem with commitment
or, he actually knows a few things cause he's seen a few things and I am left to be the proverbial 'June Bride'.....I know I'm going to get 'IT' but I just don't know how big 'IT' is going to be!
So, we'll see how this is going to shake out in a few days. They'll tank it and if that doesn't dissolve the radiator entirely, they'll flow and pressure test it and if it passes those tests I'll be in like Flynn. I reckon I have about a 20% chance of all this going south and blowing a huge, smoking hole in my budget. Wish me luck.
Cheers,
TJ
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