truck

Three layer carburetor? REALLY?!?

Pulled and repaired the carburetor on my truck last night.

Some yutz at Carter/Webber decided that these single barrel carbs should be made in three pieces(which, I’m told was/is common!) Having an extra layer for the bottom flange/main butterflies as compared to Any 2 or 4 barrel I’ve ever seen, where the flange and mains are integral to the bowl..

Anyway, as odd as a 3rd layer is, the assinine part is having all 4 screws go UP through the flange into the body… All the spaces but one are exposed flange on the body section, NO reason they couldn’t thread down into the lower piece. But No!

SO, it the ever vibrate loose, you not only can’t get at them to tighten them with the carb installed, they can fall the frack out!

Thankfully none of these came all the way out, but 3/4 were backed out a long ways.

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Ran interesting with the carb loose above the mains! Way too lean, but not consistently.

Couldn’t get at more than one to tighten it, so I pulled the whole carb. Easiest carb removal and replacement I’ve ever done. Including the drive to warm it up first(no heat in the shop) for working on it, and the test drive after, this took 1.5 hours flat! Found the main mounting stud nuts loose as well. (and two different sizes of nut lol) But side intake on a straight 6 sure makes it easy to get at!

I checked the threads, they all went in fine, seated good. I fully removed all 4 and put them back with blue Loctite! Not usually advisable on such small screws, or on carbs, its just asking for broken or stripped screws… But I didn’t want to have to deal with this again anytime soon, and since I did it, I’ll know its there, shouldn’t get into trouble. AND the blue is designed to be removable… using Red loctite would be suicidal here..

Fixed a lot of issues I’d had since mid summer, and a few that were new.. Got rid of the hard miss it’d developed in Aug. Hopefully it fixes the tank my milage developed then too! Recent rough idle/dieing/lope smoothed out, and having to pump the hell out of it to get it to start was new, that went away too! More power than its had in months, and none of the recent dieseling on shut down.

Looks like this is a remanufactured carb in recent history, or else I’d have done a rebuild… Its actually a made in USA Carter made for Motorcraft, so a stock Ford part… With a rebuilt by Holley sticker on it.. Stock carb that was sent in as a core and came back somewhere in its life. Up until mid summer it really did run great. Assuming the carb itself is fine. It did leak a little at air horn to bowl/body, but I tightened those screws too. If it continues to leak noticably, I’ll put main body gaskets in it this summer, won’t touch the rest..

Categories: Automotive, Automotive Work, truck, Vehicles, Wrenching

Custom truck bed cargo divider bars.

Got this a couple/three weeks ago, cargo divider bar to keep gas and water cans in place in the truck. PITA to always be strapping them in. Looked at building something, but I didn’t have any viable scrap on hand and buying even electrical conduit or black water pipe and needed fittings cost more than this thing!

$25 @ Lowes. Easier to move it around than what I would have been able to build too. Adjustable from like 50″ to 72″

Did learn much to my amazement, that my bed inside width is wider than 72″. Hell, the outer width if the flatbed is only 72″, and I swore it was wider than a stock box. This box might actually be sprung an inch or so, but still…

But yeah, the feet on the ends have holles in them already, assumedly for what I did; screw them to 2×6 chunks. Little less grip than the rubber grippy feet, but it works fine so far.

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There it is with my improvised sideways divider, to separate diesel and water jugs… A scrap stove pipe support bracket I brought home from work, already made up. Didn’t quite clear my 5th wheel hitch(gotta get rid of that soon) but if you flipped it around and sat it at a slight angle it worked for most arrangements.

Most…

I got tired of it not fitting all the cans I needed, separately, on the right sides… And it all still had to be strapped somewhere.

Went browsing online for parts ideas(Lowes app is a rube goldberg/macgyver designers dream for finding hardware! )

Between black steel pipe and SteelTek structural pipe, I figured I could make a couple L shaped dividers that would slide on the sucker, outer L sitting on the bed floor (2 because there are the two telescoping tube sizes on it) and lock in place with some set screw/knobs.

Thats sorta what I ended with..

I did buy a chunk of pipe, a couple pipe fittings, and one steeltek fitting… but my total for one divider was over $30…

On the way out of the store, I decided to hell with it and got another of the ratcheting dividers for $25, too.

I’d already found that the feet are just pinned on with a rivet(the pipe bottoms in the cup on the foot first, pressure is dirrect, not held by thd rivet/pin). I’d removed the feet and hair clipped/bolted them back on the first one. Easier to move around and be able to put it in trough the other frame without the 3m2x6 ends on it…

With the second one, I found that with the feet off, the inner pipe will slide out the back of the outer one…

So I got to measuing and cutting.

Liked the idea of an adjustable divider, I can put the main bar further forward and still use it… Would have liked to leave more length, but to get it to shorten enough to trap the cans, it left me with just about 30″ max. Thats with it cut to be a minimum length of 16″, 1″ over the 15″ gas cans…

The bigger bar OD is 1.25″, small inner one is a touch over 7/8″.
Unfortunately Steeltek(and plumbing pipe) specs for 1.25″ are off… Its ID of their pipe. So all the fittings are much bigger!! And 3/4″ pipe OD is even bigger than 1.25″ OD, so i couldn’t just drop a size.

Could have used 3/4″ water fittings IF I drilled or machined the threads out, then the dia would work. Too freaking much work. 

So yeah, the smaller pipe goes into the steeltek T, with about 3/8″ of play, but locked in with the set screw on the short one… the other two screws on the cross bar are snugged up, but so it can slide.

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So, maybe $55 in actual used materials, got me one bar and one divider, that I can move on one side of the main bar. If I need the divider past center to the other side of the truck I can just flip the whole affair endo. If I need divider on both ends after all, I’ll think of something for a slider T then… maybe weld one up.. and cut down another ratchet bar, or use the water pipe I got… will find out at the time. 

:)

Ir bows the main bar out a little, with the ball pivots on the feet, and the center joint only being overlapped a couole inches lets it flex. Just have to remember to just snug the divider, not torque it in. The only real downside now is since its tightened against the tail gate, it drops every time you open the gate, and has to be re-ratcheted in place when you close it. Only mildly annoying. I might get another T and put a foot/leg under the end.. maybe.

Going to get a female/female coupler somehow, maybe find some pipe that will slip over the 7/8″ tube(maybe machine out a short chunk of 3/4″ steeltek pipe?) And I can butt joint the piece I cut off, back on at times… and use it as an extension, have a longer divider that way, with some adjustment still… will have to play with it.

Categories: Adapters, Alaska-Life, Automotive, Automotive Work, Custom, Customized, Fabrication, Improviser, MacGyver, MacGyverism, Modifications, truck, Truck EDC, Truck gear

Snack knife.

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Just a little thought from several weeks ago. Finally got this one back to its proper place, as snack knife in the truck. Its been my favorite for summer saidage and cheese for a few years now! That blade is like a laser. Case Stainless and Yellow Delrin 4.125″ Slimline single blade Trapper.

Categories: Adventures, Alaska-Life, Camping, Case Knives, Cowboy, Daily-cary-log, EDC, Field gear, Food, Food Gear, GetOutdoors, Good Times, knives, Pocket knives, truck, Truck EDC, Truck gear

Auxiliary truck lighting and 110V wiring. 

I now have a 110V cord hard wired, or permanently mounted anyway, in my truck. Run from under the center of the dash in the cab, out the firewall, and ending in the drivers side inner fender. Should come in handy for any 110V current tools I might want to run off of my power inverter. 


I’ve actually wanted to wire a setup like this in both the front and back of the truck for a while, just never got around to it.

So, Why now? your asking…

Weeeeelllll….

What do you get if I’m bored, not feeling the season, wanting to do something festive, and just plain silly fun, and have a brand new 20′ spare set of Christmas lights just laying around?

😀  😉 

Cut up a couple old cords, one from a dead fan, the other from a dead string of lights, to make a small extension cord. Cord ends wouldn’t fit through the hole in the fire wall, and I needed a custom length anyway, so I put it through, then installed the 2nd end, thus my now permanent cord.


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Dug out the old power inverter I cary in the truck;

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Lots of zip ties;

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And voila!

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Yes, I know I’m a total redneck… And that I’ll Never live this one down. But its just so freaking cool to drive around! 

One guy that passed me on the 4 lane, as he went by me slowly, his passenger suddenly did a double take as they came up even with my front fender… The guy just about Garfielded himself on the window! Just so hillarious! 

That reaction alone was worth it if no one else noticed… And a lot of other people noticed. Got lots of smiles out of people on our quick trip to town last night. 

If nothing else I “lightened” up a few folks evenings, hopefully for the better… Definitely got me feeling a lot better

Next year I’m thinking I’ll hang a wreath in the middle of the grill, and light it, and run the other lights on out down the full bed length.  😀

Merry Christmas everybody.  🙂

Categories: Adventures, Alaska-Life, Automotive Work, Christmas, Custom, Customized, Decorating, Fabrication, Funny, GetOutdoors, Good Times, Just Plain Fun, MacGyver, MacGyverism, mechanical, Modifications, Sillly, Silly, truck, Truck gear, Winter

A first since the 80s!

A current trailer plug on my truck!

Been spliced into twice before, but no added plug on it now, and I don’t remember the factory one being hooked up either. 

I didn’t want to cut into the old splices since they’re solid and transferring power past them, and cutting them out runs me short on harness length… I’m lazy. Someday I’ll clean them up.  I added a splice where I could. 


Temporary mount till I find my die grinder, and can open up the hole in the bumper (why on earth do these plugs have to be 2″ in diameter!??!) Hole was from the small factory plug, that wasn’t hooked up. 

Proof is in the pudding they say… this time it’s in the trailer! 

MacGyver would be proud… lol. How to hold the brake to check tail lights by yourself.

Categories: Automotive Work, Electronics/Media, MacGyver, MacGyverism, Modifications, truck, Vehicles

Midnight in the garden of good and….

….Electrical problems. Which are very close to being evil! 😉 :p

Not what you wanna be doing at midnight(yes, it’s that light here at exactly 12am! ) …

 Wired in new trailer wire plug on my truck(1st time it’s had a current/useful trailer plug since the 80s !). Got all done, works great, then notice I have a truck tail light out. 

Uhuh. Trailer lights still ok. Hmm. 

 Check bulbs, ok. 

Start tracing/probing for power before my splices, and after… at the socket… good past the splices for 4″ I can see, nothing at the socket…

 Normally I’d have ignored it for a day or two till I could trace the 4′ of remaining harness. But I had to be in town to the trooper sub station/dmv in the morning. Uhuh, not doing that with a light out. 😉

 I cheated and spliced in, and ran a new bypass wire for the tail light on that side. 😉😈😇 

I’ll go back and pull the old wire and see about sheathing this one later when I have more time. 

I hatecwiring/electrical/electronic work. Although ironically I find it very interesting and intriguing! And amazingly I’m getting passable at it. Ha!

Categories: Automotive Work, Electronics/Media, Fabrication, Improviser, MacGyver, Modifications, truck, Vehicles

Milk crate traction.

Amazingly, these things wee originally used as a milk bottle carrier… I doubt most people know that.  I didn’t for years…just figured it was an odd name, if I ever gave it any thought.   To most of us, they are simply The greatest portable step/stepstool in existence. 

Especially the older metal ones!  

If you can find them. We always had 3 of them, one that I adopted and carried in my truck for forever, one that’s had a broken top as long as I can remember, and one with a Christmas tree stand permanently wired to the top (raises the tree for clearance under lower branches for packages and watering the tree).

About 3 years ago, I lost mine.   Had to climb into a dumpster to dig for something of sentimental that was accidentally thrown away… when I found it and headed home, I forgot the crate by the dumpster. Oops. Couple hours later when realized, it was already gone.  Someone here picked up a great find, a metal crate at the dump that night. Lol. 

So, I’ve been carrying one of the modern plastic ones in the truck for a while. Nothing wrong with them really, they work fine. I just miss my old metal one.

So. I had this chunk of steel diamond plate I scrounged last summer. And some time to kill. And my welder already setup. 😆😇😆

The plate was too wide one way, too narrow the other. Cut it down to fit. Turned out to be tough tempered plate, should wear great for eons..  The 1/2″ or so on the other axis doesn’t bother me.. Still sturdy enough, and won’t hurt anything.

I really, Really,  REALLY need to practice my “out of position” welding (technical term for any welding not on a flat, level surface in front of you…)  Turns out it’s a bear to weld the inner lower corners/edges of a box! Whether laying down, or stood vertical.  

Inner welds look like crap, but will hold more than enough. 

Outer edge welds were a lot better, right up until I ran out of welder wire. Ha! Will have to finish it later (if it ever seems to need it) 

1/2 can of Rustoleum gloss black later, and I have a fancy, rugged, heavy, should last a lifetime step! 😎

With a younger sibling 

Categories: Custom, custom-made-tools, Fabrication, Modifications, old tools, Sentimental, truck, Welding

Spring time catch up.

Been a while. It’s either been a lot going on with no time to post, or I’ve been sick as hell(flu, twice through, laid out for 3 weeks, then almost gone, got too cold working, relapsed, and now running into 6 weeks total) and literally Nothing going on to post about. 

Anyway, here is a random slew of pics from the last couple months.

Moon and Venus.


My first day out snowshoeing.



Recent knives used and the books I was reading that week.(for a forum thread)


Dads stainless handle Sabre jack knife that lives in the den, which is currently the reloading room.


Case hobo and an Alaskan cookbook

225 grain LWN (long wide nose) hard cast .41 caliber bullets I ordered from GTBullets.  100 lubed and sized for $13, even with $6 shipping, it’s almost cheaper than I could cast my own.. And is considering I can’t afford the mould right now! 😉  


Cleaning up an old Schrade USA stockman, a 8OT , that a friend gave me last summer.



Knives and guns, notable pairs, (for a forum thread )

My Beretta. 45, that I’ve now amazingly had for 10.5 years! And the custom Andy Sharpe coffin fighter that it’s come to live with. I rarely ever carry one without the other.


My Mom’s Liberty Mustang .22 and Dad’s Case peanut.


Most sentimental pairing; my Ruger Security Six 357 mag. Which has belonged to both my older brothers,  and my Dad before me. With Dad’s Western brand hunting knife. 

New stuff, second week of March, my takes from the EDCC (edccommunity.com) passaround box.


Old style finned bomb shaped beads are a fad right now, had some shop time so I tried one. LOTS of work to get the rounded nose, and fins. Had to freehand the cutters on the curve, and lots of file work off the lathe. Too time intensive to make many of them, but I might still..


A slew of pocket dumps, in mostly cronological order, late Jan. to now. 



On my knees in a sniw bank digging out firewood at 0F or 10F. Something like that. Proof that I wear my guns working, they’re not babied. (Much.. 😉 )




Simple day last week, hour or two after dark working on firewood. Headlamp and the bluetooth speaker did constant duty… I zip the speaker into a mid layer pocket, hit Google Play, usually Springsteen,  and have music wherever I am while working. 

Yesterday’s carry, 3-15-17, an outside day. been cooped up sick, wanted to get out and work for a while, puttered around with a few projects (most of which involved shoveling snow!). 


Cousins. Both old used and worn, but great Schrade USA stockmans. Large 8OT, and medium 34OT. 


My Titanium Eng1nerd Prangler  (mash up of key dangler and pry bar) is getting some great coppery brass colored wear stripes in its anodizing. The things that swing and rub on it are brass and it sort of burnished onto the area as it rubs. 

And, more of 3-15-17… got the sled out for a bit.And found out how out of practice I am… Was stuck a total of three times! Oi.  Thankfully all within ~100 yards max from the house! God is good to me!


Categories: Adventures, Alaska-Life, Beads, Clothes, Custom, custom-made-tools, Daily-cary-log, EDC, Field Notes, Flashlights, Guns, Hanks, key-chains, knives, Leather, Modifications, Multitools, New Gear, No-pain-no-gain, old tools, Outdoors, Pocket knives, Reloading, Sentimental, Theory/Thoughts, titanium, truck, Vehicles, weather and seasons, Winter, wood processing, Woods tools

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