Murphy strikes again!!

[airmech3839]

Murphy decided to come help me in my axle seal change....needless to say I will have to continue tomorrow!! Broke a steering tie rod nut!!! didnt think that was possible but I did.....for being a mechanic I sure didnt think a whole lot before doing half the stuff!!! well next time i do this I should at least know better....just have to do better!!

I will post pic of broke nut in morning....anyone know where to get one that might be open on Sunday??

Well I have spent all my fun coupons for today...time for bed!!

 

[joeypushjr1]

that sucks dude hope you get her alll put back togethere with no more further problems

 

[roscoe]

Got that project comming up -- so please advise with pics. Thanks.

 

[BugEyeBear]

Don't feel too bad....

Murphy stops by to "help" me on most of my repairs & projects!

Now I routinely plan 2X the time to get a repair/project finished.
& somehow I STILL run out of time!!

 

[papabear]

Try again tomorrow Airmech...I will be doing "honey dew" stuff around the house so Murphy should be well entertained...and kept busy!!!!!!!!!

 

[GoHot229]

I'v used the standard stuff ie. WD 40 and Liquid Wrench and still had trouble. Sometimes thats just all there is to it, it's goin'a break. PB Blaster seems to work the best, it absorbs it deepest and quickest and for overnight, if this dosen't get it to break, get out the Smoke Wrench. PB Blaster......you can get it 'bout everywhere. Fortunatly I'v been lucky with all the nuts and bolts or fasteners on my Deuce, and hay......it came from LaJune NC. right on the coast, but by appearance must have lived in some other locale most of its life, hence no rust.

 

[airmech3839]

Thanks guys.... will be putting everything back together today after I get the steering tie rods loose....does anyone have the castle nut for the tie rod...an extra that they wouldnt mind overnighting me??? I am in need of one...will be checking the usual suspects today but may have to wait till Monday to get it....I need to drive this thing!!!!!!!!!

 

[airmech3839]

I'v used the standard stuff ie. WD 40 and Liquid Wrench and still had trouble. Sometimes thats just all there is to it, it's goin'a break. PB Blaster seems to work the best, it absorbs ite deepest and quickest and for overnight, if this dosen't get it to break, get out the Smoke Wrench. PB Blaster......you can get it 'bout everywhere. Fortunatly I'v been lucky with all the nuts and bolts or fasteners on my Deuce, and hay......it came from LaJune NC. right on the coast, but by appearance must have lived in some other locale most of its life, hence no rust.

I figured with as much as she was leaking at the axle that it would have come right on outa there!! oh well!!! I have one from VA and she had no top on her when I got her....she was a rust bucket....well still is...but still solid!!

 

[Floridianson]

Sorry about your troubles. Next time try not removing tie rod from either side as it seem to work for me just fine. Just when you go to put one side back on balance the outher side on a 5 gal buckett to keep the rod level.

 

[airmech3839]

I couldn't get it off that way...trust me I tried!! I got the brakes rebuilt and inner seal replaced and installed on the RH side.....put in drive shaft and installed boot and got brake assy mounted!! Mannaged to get tie rod off on other side and worked one side still attached...Ya'll need to try doing this in the rain!!! It is just down right fun!!! I have a tarp over the cab of truck going out over the wheel wells and trying to keep parts dry and keep hands warm while they are wet and the wind is blowing in gusts trying to use the tarp as a sail!! I havent even taken the boot off the other side yet and I have to call it a night before I catch a cold or even better the swine flu!!! Murphy had some help today and I knew I should have gone to church today!!!

As far as advice goes....do it in a shop...follow manual and have all tooling ready and check out the "stepxstep" thread. It was very helpfull!!! Have a tie rod tool available and a good puller... do not use a finger puller it needs to be a "T" type end like what is called out in the thread as mentioned....Have plenty of gloves and a couple of old muffin pans for your hardware and a 3/8, 1/2 impact are nice along with extra brake fluid for bleeding brakes after done. A torque wrench if you wanna make sure you dont go overboard on tightening... I wont have any pics to post cause I am not proud of this job and it has just pissed me off as to my stupidity!!

Hope all goes well tomorrow and I hope to find a nut and finish getting this job done!!

 

[BugEyeBear]

I gave up on doing repairs outside in bad weather YEARS AGO!


I had a pick-up truck MANY years ago that was my daily driver.
Had recurring issues with the transmission front seal, so I got really good at removing & installing the trans in my parent's driveway (I was just a kid back then...).

One time in the middle of the reinstall (while I was trying to get the clutch lined up and the trans in) it started to rain.
I thought I was OK cuz I was under the truck, but I soon discovered that the drain for the cowling was directly above the bell housing!
AND therefore directly above where I was working!!
"Drip, Drip, DRIP, DRIP! DRIP!! DRIP!!! "

So I climbed out from under the truck and covered the cowling grill with a piece of plastic, taped to the windshield.
Back under the truck...
Almost got the trans (balanced on my chest) to line up & slip into the clutch disk, when I felt more water crawling down my back! (It was raining harder now, and water had managed to run down the driveway to where I was working...)

So I finally gave up, and finished the job when things had dried up a bit!


I NOW have a nice workshop for doing many of my hobbies & repairs while protected from the elements.
UNFORTUNATELY my BIG TOYS don't fit in this workshop....
A BIGGER shop is planned (when I get the spare $$$).



GOOD LUCK with completing the repair!
ONE DAY you'll look back at this ordeal and LAUGH!!

 

[ajg6989]

The Deuce maintenance is never ending

 

[airmech3839]

Well Murphy must be my "Battle Buddy" cause he has followed me on this project like a lost puppy!! Here we go.... went and found a nut today, at SECO for 5 bucks, and went to put it on.....now the threads didnt look too bad but they were off just enough to start to strip the nut....now here we go....tried to striaghten the threads but no luck... they are crushed on one side.. so I call up SECO and ask for a rod end.......$95 and it comes with new boot and nut....ok I just came from there so before I left I checked the other side in case I would need that side...sure enough that side is smashed too!! Well I go get them and 200 bucks later I have two rod ends....I get home and loosen the clamps and index everything and mark LH and RH and all the good things a mech does!! change the RH one and go to change the LH and it looks like tube is slightly bent at the rod end...HUH...I say....before I start I know this one may be a little tigh so I put some Sila-kroil on it and let it sit and I go work on the final assy of LH axle and brake drum.... I come back and try to get her loose and she is snugg as a bug in a rug!! so I try tapping on the tube a little not hard but firm...and it starts to move a little...so I say self we are replacing this rod end so tap on rod end to see if that helps...and it does... a little... so I try to lightly straighten the tube and that helps a little more....but after 3 rotations it has stopped and I am not gonna beat on it any more cause I know I will be buying a tube if I do!!!!! So I just ran out of light and called it a night....let it soak in the kroil and maybe tomorrow Murphy will go visit Wreakerman or PB and leave me the heck alone!!! Sorry PB but I am tired of him hanging out withme!!

 

[BugEyeBear]

Bummer!

I feel your pain! (Been there...)

Hopefully Sgt.Murphy will go somewhere else tomorrow!!

Just please DON'T send him to MY house!!

 

[airmech3839]

Well with the help of a good friend I am roadworthy again. Battery was nearly dead on one side and used his truck on that battery for a jump. I have her idling in the driveway and we took her out and gave her a quick road check...All good and fluids serviced!! Air pressures increased on front tires to 70 psi. Now to top off WMO and get a drum full in te back of the truck and get tooling cleaned up and orginized for the road!!

 

[mckeeranger]

maybe tomorrow Murphy will go visit Wreakerman or PB and leave me the heck alone!!! Sorry PB but I am tired of him hanging out withme!!

Actually, he came to Kentucky and took the front seal out of my M35A2 transmission.

Thanks, Murphy.