got started on assembling my crossmember far too late this evening,
and recently ran out of welding wire. I got the outside mounts 90%
welded, but still have to do the inside mounts and the brace that runs
up to the trans mount, so there's a bit left to do. I might get it
done before I leave tomorrow, I might not. As long as I leave here by
noon I've got plenty of time to run my two errands before work at 1600,
so if I get up and get to work I could do it....
for the moment it looks real "official" though - in spite of a couple
boogery welds where I'm working on my filling-huge-gaps-with-gas-MIG
technique (my experience is almost entirely flux core gasless MIG, so
caring where the tip of the torch is in relation to my puddle is new,
but I'm picking it up very fast)
in other news, the ramcharger ate way too much time today with what
turns out to have been an unnecessary water pump swap. the grinding
noise was actually the fan clutch bearings, so I locked that before
putting it back in. now it won't fall apart on me when I don't want it
to, and hopefully my temps will be down (I kinda doubt that clutch
works, since I've never noticed the fan go on or off). I'm also seeing
blessedly increased oil pressure from the 10w40 I put in - hasn't
affected the leaks from the pan gasket or valve covers though =) I
also got the rearend accessible and changed it's fluid (required an
hour with the sawzall to "mod" the remains of the hitch a bit more).
both difs were a tiny tiny hint milky (i.e. wet) but both sets of gears
look brand new (good and bad since gears aren't cheap, but 3.21s just
SUCK: I need 5.38s and 37s ;-) ). only thing left to do on that truck
is the trans fluid. going to drop the pan next week, do the filter and
install a drain plug, and then when the Dak is on the road I've got a
shift kit to put in it, which should take care of the rest of the
marginal-at-best old fluid.
tomorrow's schedule:
hit up NAPA to see if I've got brake pads.
also see about more lug studs and lug nuts
see if I can get a pan drain plug kit
hit up TSC for some welding wire
race to the finish! with the crossmember. I may leave the inner mounts
for next week since they'll be a bit complicated to mark holes for
since they're aiming for existing holes.
next week I need to get some 1.75"x.25" 1026 round DOM tubing and
some 2"x.25" flat stock to hopefully complete the materials I need for
fabbing. Adam - your skid plate is seeing good use here! (I do plan to
use about 1/4 of it for a skid plate running from my new trans
crossmember back to the old tortion bar mount, so some of it will see
familiar duty, but so far it's made 4 wonderful mounting brackets for
that crossmember.)
that's all for now. hopefully my tent will get hotter than hell nice
and early as usual, and kick my ass out of bed at a useful time in
spite of the currant hour. shouldn't have spent so much time writing
this - or drank so much Dr. Pepper <g>
g'night, all!
-- Mike Maskalans <http://mike.tepidcola.com/dodge/> '84 RamCharger Daily Driver '98 Dakota under the knife mobile.612.618.4652 home.585.935.7129 fax.360.364.3930
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