Pre-Moab Rig Fixing Get-Together!

[Paul]

Okay, no sense hijacking the NW Moab Caravan thread, so lets identify a date/time and place to work on some of these Exploders before heading southeast to Moab.

Even if you can't make it to Moab this year, this repair party will also function as a "Meet & Greet" for some of the newer NW guys, cause, lets face it, we always need someone to fetch tools. . .:

Place: I'll offer up my place for the repair party, not because I have the most tools (I don't), but because its a good sized garage (in case the weather doesn't cooperate), with cable T.V. satellite radio, and Tacoma is kind of centrally located between Seattle/north, Olympia/south and the peninsula. The fact that we're going to work on my Explorer might also play a factor...
If there is a better place based on location, equipment, etc. then post up, my place can be a default location if no one else wants to host...

Date/Time: Open for discussion, but I'll start out by recommending Saturday, the 20th of March as an option. Still a couple weeks away if you need to order parts, and soon enough so that if we need additional work, we're not trying to get it done the weekend before Moab...

Work:
Paul - 1) Grind off old rear shock mounts, 2) Weld on new rear shock mounts, 3) Flip rear shocks, 4) Mount Duff traction bars, 5) Add a leaf to rear spring pack.

Phil - 1) Head gasket replacement, plus . . .?

Others - . . .?

Tools: I've got a basic load of tools, but always looking for an excuse to buy more. Kevin (DWD) will bring a welder , and if you're planning on coming out and have a few task-specific tools, you'd be better off bringing them with you....

Festivities: I'll plan on firing up the grill for dogs/burgers/etc. sometime around noon and keep it going as required. Adult beverages will also be available, but no plans for this to be a drunk-fest, :bdrunk: because as they say, "Drink Responsibly, 'Cause You're not Staying Here"

Soooo, who's in?

Paul
'91 Sport

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Phil - 1) Head gasket replacement, plus .190* thermostat . .?

Tools: I've got a basic load of tools, but always looking for an excuse to buy more. Kevin (DWD) will bring a welder , and if you're planning on coming out and have a few task-specific tools, you'd be better off bringing them with you....

Festivities: I'll plan on firing up the grill for dogs/burgers/etc. sometime around noon and keep it going as required. Adult beverages will also be available, but no plans for this to be a drunk-fest, :bdrunk: because as they say, "Drink Responsibly, 'Cause You're not Staying Here"

Soooo, who's in?

Paul
'91 Sport

Yup, I'll be there. March 20th sounds ok for me. I should have another oil sample analyzed by then.

 

[jrgaylor]

What did you figure out for your rear shocks?

 

[Paul]

What did you figure out for your rear shocks?

Joe - Biggest problem was that I swapped out the shocks the weekend before I went to Moab last year, and the Rancho 9000s now have an oversized head that did not fit the bracket, so they were mounted upside down. . . which didn't work very well. The valving did not work, and the rear end has had excessive "bounce" ever since.

Hoping the "right-siding" of the shocks fixes the issue, traction bars for additional suport in an effort to fix the SOA wheel-hop tendencies...

Paul
'91 Sport

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

I second the March 20th

I will also bring the plasma cutter (air compressor required)since it's on the same cart as the welder. Do I need to bring the air compressor and/or air tools? I have a 20 gallon compressor and it has wheels so it's pretty portable.

 

[Paul]

I second the March 20th

I will also bring the plasma cutter (air compressor required)since it's on the same cart as the welder. Do I need to bring the air compressor and/or air tools? I have a 20 gallon compressor and it has wheels so it's pretty portable.

Kevin -

I guess the answer would be "yes", I don't have a compressor or air tools - - Jeez, should I pay for rental use...?

Paul

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

Diesel fuel

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Kevin -

I guess the answer would be "yes", I don't have a compressor or air tools - - Jeez, should I pay for rental use...?

Paul

How about a grinder and sawsall??

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

I'll bring those too.

 

[Paul]

Diesel fuel

Arrive on "Empty" and I'll top off the truck before you head home....

Paul

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Arrive on "Empty" and I'll top off the truck before you head home....

Paul

It'll be empty again when he gets home

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

It'll be empty again when he gets home

Nah, I'll have my welding cart and air compressor back there. Don't want those flying out on the freeway

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Good news???

OK, Ben turned me onto a test kit that checks for exhaust gases in the coolant. $43 plus tax, from NAPA.

It says to pour some test fuild in the resevour tube and seat it firmly in the radiator filler neck and use the suction bulb to suck air through the fluid with the engine running. It says to do this for 1 mintue.

When I got it all prepared and shoved the test tube in the filler neck it would only suck 1 or 2 pumps of the air through the fluid. The only way to get any air through it is to barely break the seal with the radiator. SO,,,, I extended the test time to 20 minutes and the fluid is the same color as when I poured it in the tube.

Unfortunately, I'm still not 100% comfortable there isn't a problem brewing but at least for now, it seems I'm good.

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

Phil, I would have to say that if your not overheating or losing water, than you are probably okay. The traces you might be getting in the oil analysis may just be slight leak by from high temps, not overheating, when pulling the trailer through the mountains.

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Yeah, this test gives me some added level of comfort.

I still plan on sending an oil sample for analysis soon, then probably doing a flush with Seafoam or B12 Chemtool and sending yet another sample before Moab.

The engine temp never gets high after I replaced the radiator a couple years ago. The Tranny temp gets up to about 230*-240* going over Chinook Pass though.

There is a minor loss of coolant, about 1 cup/3k-4k miles. That could also be old hoses but I think it is more than typical evaporation from the overflow bottle.

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

Well, let's see. I dump about 5 gallons every two weeks into my 95 gallon aquarium. So if you adding 1 cup per month to the overflow, in the winter when it eveaporated faster in the cooler weather, than I would call that normal.

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

The Tranny temp gets up to about 230*-240* going over Chinook Pass though.

That's pretty high for an A4LD Your gonna cook those clutch packs. Might I recommend an additional tranny cooler for the repair party.

 

[Albino 94LTD]

That's pretty high for an A4LD Your gonna cook those clutch packs. Might I recommend an additional tranny cooler for the repair party.

I have 2 already It is relatively short duration at that temp though.

That's why I bought the tranny from Joe it's just waiting for 'THE DAY'.

 

[Paul]

Phil -

Any updates? This thing is starting to look like a "Bring your Tools to my House and Fix my Rig" day...

Any other work you need to do on Abby?

Joe - Not sure if you even considered coming up based on the set-up you have in your neck of the woods (why drive 80 miles to a place that has less tools than you[?]), but of course you are welcome if you want to come on up...

Paul
'91 Sport

 

[jrgaylor]

If I get my Dodge put back together and I don't have to work that Saturday, I may come up to lend a hand.

Phil- I can put that transmission on my trailer if you want? for the trip just in case.