ok let's try this again, as I had it 3/4 done then something happened and I lost the post. . .
On the way over to GL Mark calls with a list of things to get sicne he has looked over the trucks. He gets on post early cause he has a retired military ID.
So after last night, things are getting going. Did I mention that it was my 15th wedding anniversery and I wasn't home, but I was up in Sparta to pick up trucks with friends? Oh yea.
So we run past Wally World and get some stuff. Get over the the main gate get visitor passes and off the GL we go. Get signed in by Scott, nice guy and head out back to meet Mark and Seth. Mark is looking at the semi-trailer. We pull up to my duece and start goign to work. We know we need to plug the heater hoses to prevent coolant from pumping out the bad heater core.
The bolts we picked up we to small. Hmmm, But the extensaion from the socket set worked just fine. So we got it tied up and jump her and she fires right up. Except still leaving a bit of collant so we shut her down and tighten things up a bit. No more leaks, off we go to help Mark witht he semi-trailer.
Now we thought we were goign to have it plus two other 105 trailers, but Mark informed us that the EUCs did not come in for those so we will have the two trucks and trailer and that's all.
Over at the trailer, Mark dodn't notice the missing and broken crank on the landing gear. So after a lot of thought, a monkeying around, we get to where we can lower the trailer. It was sistting to high for the truck to hook up.
We get the truck hooked up, and fold up the landing gear. But the plug for the trailer lights, doesn't match up with trailer. Ok, did I say this was going to be an adventure.
With the semi-hooked up, we head over to get my duece. Jump it she fires up. But the low air buzzer isn't kicking off. Then we hear a leak. We chase it down to what we think is the dryer. Q-ball figures out a way to bypass the dryer, but it is going to take a fitting or two. So off to the hardware store we go. I take this time to get propane tank filled for my space heater, since the truck has no heat. and a quick trip through the drive through for a burger and back to GL we go.
Q-ball goes to work on the airline and we get the tow bar set up on the 109 van. With the airlines re-plumbed, we jump the truck and no leak. So far so good. Lets see if she will move. Off goes the brake, drop her in gear and just like she's brand new away we go.
Back up tot he 109 and Seth gets the tow bar dropped into place. Q-ball starts on the safety chains and we pull it around the yard for a test spin - no real problems.
At the gate we are waiting for Mark and we are lined up and ready, Mark has his truck and car trailer, Q-ball has my pick up. I got the duece towing the 109 and Bongi has the semi. Like a convoy of missfits, we are ready to roll.
We get to the main gate and things feel ok, out onto the highway we go.
With my foot in it I can't get above 40. Somehting isn't right and I get a bit of a shimmy from the rear of the truck. In town we pull over to top off for fuel and I let the guys now she won't do over 40 and that was all she wrote. Time to look at options.
Now my friend Bongi had helped out, but had to pick his daughter up tonight for the holiday (divorced dad). So since he could make better time, He and Q-ball headed out. Q-ball playing chase with my pick up. Meanwhile Mark and I set out to diagnos the problem. Did I mention this was going to be an adventure?
We had already lost over 3 hours tinkering with stuff. So Mark takes the duece for a spin down the street and thinks it's not shifting into 4th. But we need to drop the 109 to find out for sure. So we find a palce to drop it, and I jump back in the duce and off we go. She hits 50 MPH easy. It's not this truck that is the problem. So we arrange to stash the 109 and He will go back for it later this weekend.
My oldest son turns 12 tommorow on Thanksgiving. WE were going to go out for dinner tonight at a place of his choice, but its now after 2 and I know it will be a 5 hour ride home. Looks like no dinner tonight.
So down the road we go. Mark playing chase.
For the next 4 hours, things are relativly calm. Truck is running good, but I get a vibration that feels like it is comng from the right rear side like a wheel is out of balance. Not constant, but every so often. Steering is good and gauges look good expect the fuel guage isn't working.
So we had planned to stopp before 88 and fill up and then part ways, as that would put me less thanan hour from home. As I came up on the truck stop, I went to disenguage the GI cruise control (hand throttle) and the handle came off in my hand with it running 50 mph and 2600 RPMs.
I tried to twist it loose, no go. So I started on the brakes and got on the phone to MArk to let him know I had a potential run a way truck.
passed the truck stop and was comng up on the 88 ramp. riding the brakes, I managed to get it into 3rd, more brakes and down to second.
Since the batteries are bad, If I shut it off, we wont get it started again. Make the ramp ok and get Mark back onthe phone, he's going to run ahead and get a pair of pliers out of the tool kit and I will pull up behind him if I can get the truck stopped, pop it into neutral and he will jump up and hand me the pliers to undo the hand throttle.
As Mark pulls off, I keep working on the throttle with my right hand and finally get it to budge. and then a little bit more. Then enough to where I can get my foot on it and push it in. Ok we are good, i think. I pull over behind him and tell him we are ok and what happened.
To which he starts laughing. Did I mention this might be an adventure?
We get to a turn off point, the truck seems to be no worse for the wear and we part our ways for the day.
Once home, I applogise to my son and we re-schedule dinner for Saturday. Then I ask him if he wants to go for a ride, as I can't shut the truck off yet, and need to go get flowers and a card for the anniversery and don't want to leave the truck running in the Jewel parking lot un attended.
So off we go. I come back with flowers and a card. He says some guys in "little" pick ups drove around looking at the truck with really big eyes. I tell him if he wants I will take him and his brother to school Monday in the duece -- to which he says awsome and "you're the coolest dad at school"
Off for a couple of tripple thick shakes for the boys and on to home. Where I parked the truck, let her cool down and turned it off. I tried to start it, but she barely turned over once.
I guess I"ll be looking for black friday deals on batteries tommorow.
Since we had more wrenching to do than planned, I kinda forgot about grabbing a bunch of pics as I thought Q-ball would cause he is normally one of those types. But we only got a couple. But atleast we got those. More tommorow.
Todd
pic 1 is Q-ball wrenching on the heater lines.
pic 2 is the two trucks and me.
Pic 3 is my son Jake, and taking the duece out for some icecream.
