As mentioned earlier the throw out bearing in the PST was making alot of noise. Well, Deer Season is coming up (Saturday). We need two pickups so into the shop on Tuesday night. We started tearing her apart Wednesday morning. This is a 1973 Dodge and it is full of dirt. Our shop is just alittle bigger than the truck. It has cement floors, that are cold. It is heated with a wood burning stove and compared to some other places that I have worked it is a palace. My good friend Dale owns the shop as part of his house. A long story for another time. He is a mechanic and a Dodge Lover so I am set. As you know I was a farmer but some things you just need a mechanic for. Besides I have put on some weight and have aches and pains and don't move as well as I once did. So Dale does most of the work and cussing. I just am there to get the wrenches, WD40 and the broom. I also get to scrape off all the parts (get all the dirt and grease off) outside. I thought that the taking apart went really well considering all the spittin and cussin that was going on under the truck. While he was doing that I put on new shocks all the way around and replaced the radiator hose. I also tried to fix my seat cover that I got out of Gene's truck that Dale scrapped out but to no avail. We discovered afew things about the PST for instance the floor board is almost rusted out. I knew this to some extent as I had already taken a lid off a Coleman stove. Beat it out straight and screwed it to the floor on the passengers side. But didn't really look any further. Welllllllllll, we need to do some major refab after deer season. I also need to get a new floor mat made. I have a piece of carpet so I can get that done tomorrow. I also need to try to get more heat out of my heater, will try and blow some air through it to see if I can get out some dirt. While we are finishing her up.
We would have gotten her done today, except another friend of ours Olsen had trouble with his Jeep. It wouldn't start and the valve gasket was completely shot. So Dale and I stop an look at it on our way to get the flywheel that we had ground. Dale decided that it would be best for him to drive it to the shop. So we jumped it and he brought it to the shop. It was a fairly nice day and the wind was out of the Northwest so we could get in behind the shop on the south side and get the sun. Had to replace the battery, and do some wiring adjustments, then put on the valve cover gasket. This turned out to be a bitch. For some reason the back bolt wouldn't go in and in this most greasy, oiliest of spots there was much bad language going on for about 2 hours. Finally, someone held their mouth right and it went in. Then we put antifreeze in it and let it run. WELL, with all the oil and grease that was on it and all that had been pushed down. It was a real smokin machine. It ran for awhile and then got hot. Needed more antifreeze. Olson whom is the maintenance man at the Hampton had to go to work because they couldn't get the hot tub to work right. Took Dales little pickup and got some antifreeze on the way back.
While he was gone Dale and I started putting the PST back together. Dale crawled underneath and I laid on the rusted out floor. First we had to put in the clutch assembly (which we discovered we had to rebuild). That went pretty good. Then put the pilot bearing in the cam head. This turned out to be tricky, first you have to get to old one out. Hammer and chisel. The drive the new one in. Hammer and socket. Broke the pilot bearing, have to chisel it out. Got another pilot bearing (I told you he was a Dodge man) and we drove that one in using another method. That went well. Then we put the flywheel back on. Had to tork it down. Went pretty well. Then came the clutch plate and housing. We had some problems getting the bolts started but with alittle patience we made it work and we torked them down. Next came the throw out bearing and the fork for the clutch. That went very well. Then the transmition, we have this hanging on the cherry picker. We adjust it around so as to drop it in the hole in the floor and into the clutch housing inside the bell housing. This was as I saw it a slow and aggravating experience. I was to high, to low, to far back and never right, but all of a sudden I was in the hole. (Sounds like something out of a porno flick, huh) We still had alittle trouble getting the bolts in a getting it drawn up. That was enough for today. Also known as Miller Time. So we cleaned up good as we could and came over to the garage(mine). An had some brews along with Donna and Jule. Dale and I then went downstairs and tried to get our Deer Permits. I got mine but we ran into trouble getting his.
So tomorrow the saga will continue with finishing the PST and Dale's Deer Permit.....
No comments:
Post a Comment