Purchased 46.5 Acres Near Kingman, AZ | Page 40 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Purchased 46.5 Acres Near Kingman, AZ

Really need to get this area fenced off. I'll miss the up close and personal wild horse experience, but they are dangerous animals. I don't want Ranger, or the horses to get hurt. We all need our boundaries.
20240323_145316.jpg

20240323_145329.jpg
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year or try it out for $5 a month.

Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Made a low-ball offer on the 3rd lot because it's been on the market for over two years. They accepted it, so now I'm in escrow again. My sister and I will use the other lots to build two houses at the same time. Should save about $10,000 in construction costs and keep the 3rd lot in reserve.

Talked to the realtor and the contractor today. Realtor says as soon as we go into contract to build the houses she will list them. They both think they will be sold before they are finished, maybe before we start building.

Anybody want a 1488 sq ft house with a big three car garage on a 1/4 acre lot in a private golf community for about $300,000? They will be only one street removed from the golf course on three sides.
 






Pics are from yesterday as the sun was going down.
20240329_173043.jpg
20240329_173036.jpg


It's raining and windy today. I've got the entire series of The Sopranos on DVD, so it's not a wasted day.

Fence guy was out this morning. He lives on his father's ranch in the canyon to the south. He should have a estimate for me on Monday. He did say that gates installed are about $400 each, which doesn't sound bad at all, since basic farm gates cost $200-300. Going to go with four strand barb wire. It's the most cost effective way to fence this much uneven land. He uses a skid steer with a pile driver to set posts and braces. Said it goes much quicker to pound a post 4' into the ground than digging and concrete. Uses 3" drill pipe for braces and gate posts. The driveway gate will be temporary, just a farm gate until after the house is built. Then I can make some heavy gabion cages for walls and a custom gate. I can have him come back over to move the fence so it lines up with the walls. Want a gabion wall on each side of the gate about 6' high and 20' long, tapering down to 4', made with angle and heavy wire like this.
10649456_943074959079697_9183857033538259125_n (1).jpg
 






Rained all day yesterday and until about 4am this morning. Woke up at 2am because the dog wanted to go outside and it was 37 degrees. It didn't snow here, but it did across Red Lake in the Music Mountains.

Today is a little cold, but beautiful here.
20240331_120847.jpg

20240331_120837.jpg

20240331_151958.jpg

Went hiking to set the T-posts for the AR500 gong targets. Stuff is heavy. 100, 300 and 500 yards for rifle, with a pistol silhouette at the back embankment, should work for now.

I ended up making two trips to the 100 yard post spot, then two trips to the 300 yard spot, then one trip to the 500 yard spot. The 100 and 300 yard targets are 8" rounds. The 500 yard is 7.5x12.5 silhouette. I don't plan on hitting that one anytime soon. Might replace it with a 10" or 12" round.
 






Past two days were near perfect weather. Today is very windy, but a nice 70 degrees. I decided to get some more practice with the backhoe. Dug a 6-7' deep hole, then filled it back in. Worked on a corner of the pad where I am making a ramp down to a lower level. It's an almost flat area about 300'x50', tapering down to about 20'. Would be a great place to store some donor 1st Gens or future projects out of sight. When the property gets fenced, it will go along the edge of this flat area. It also is where the dirt work guys dumped a bunch of large rocks I want to stick along the edge of the property not being fenced. I got the ramp almost usable. Took a while just getting some boulders out of the way. The last few feet started getting sketchy. Need to start the ramp farther back to reduce the angle.

The backhoe is seriously rear heavy. I started working on the low corner of the embankment at the back of the pad, smoothing it down to make a ramp up to the back of the property. Doesn't take much of a up angle before you can feel the steering get light. If I extended the boom, it completely changes the center of gravity. I can also use the boom to push the backhoe up an embankment, or just go up in reverse. If the loader has something heavy in it, it shouldn't be as much of a worry.

I finished off the backhoe fun by filling and smoothing a low point in the driveway that got washed out.

Replaced two O-ring in the transmission filter lines last week, same ones that were leaking last trip. Its also dripping from the top, probably where those same lines go into the trans. I'll have to pull the access plate and have a look someday soon. There is a foot pedal cable lever that is supposed to dump line pressure when shifting into 3rd or 4th. I noticed today it appears all the cable and pedal parts are there, but the cable is unhooked/unbolted. That could explain why the O-rings started leaking right after I pressed on a disconnected foot pedal and shifted it into 3rd gear. The manual I have says not to shift into the upper gears without using this pedal. For now, I'll just not use 3rd or 4th gear. Who needs to go over 10 MPH in a backhoe anyway??
 












Snow in April reminds me of Illinois. Yikes. It was windy and chilly here yesterday, but no rain.
 






Snow in April reminds me of Illinois. Yikes. It was windy and chilly here yesterday, but no rain.
I was born and raised in the flat part of Indiana, then moved to the east coast after graduating college. One thing I miss is the thunder storms. We don't have them much here and when we do they just aren't as majestic as ones in the Midwest. There is something about the air just after a thunder and lightening storm. It smells so fresh and seems to rejuvenate your lungs.
 






Still snow skiing here in north Idaho! Had new snow yesterday
Par for the course
We need the moisture

So glad you are getting backhoe time!

Edit to add some pics taken during yesterdays solar event,
From up north we did not see much only
Partial Blockage

Spring has finally arrived here

BC28FFDD-C56B-4BAC-85FB-F06AF99F21C2.jpeg


78C02C28-BEB2-4060-A114-9B37D953FBFC.jpeg


BC4E5EFB-7824-47FD-A6F9-B15C1B489B2E.jpeg
 






Winter might be finally letting go of Northern Arizona. Tonight is a nice 50 degrees. Light wind, no moon, quiet, clear, beautiful. I let Ranger out to do his business, then spent about 30 minutes wandering around the pad looking at the stars.

The property is in a bowl of mountains. The mountains are back-lit by Kingman to the south and Vegas to the east so you can see the outline of the peaks. Even with no moon the stars are bright enough that my old eyes can adjust so I can see enough to walk around on flat ground. I know it's not for everyone, but for me the high desert is where I want to call home.

Two spec house builds are going to be starting soon, probably early May. The contractor says he has everything in place to get them done fast. They will be listed for sale as soon as we get the permits.
 






Yesterday I pulled the inspection plates off the tractor so I could see the transmission. It's been leaking from up top. I could see right away It's the line fitting that goes to the filter housing. It looks just like a banjo bolt. I sent a picture to a friend who said that's all it is, and the hydraulic place in town should have the washers. I tightened it a little and the trickle went to a very slow seep. I should have left it alone, it's a 40 year old tractor.
20240411_171235.jpg

Today I went into town to get the right wrench as I didn't have a 1-3/8" and a socket won't clear the cross member. I unbolted it, and it surely is not a banjo bolt.
It's some type of spring loaded connector. Ford calls it a connector and it appears to be discontinued. I couldn't get it out because the compression fittings on the attached line are not budging. I can't get the threads to start, with the tubing attached it won't line up. I know I can pull the lower connection at the filter because I just replaced the o-rings, so that's the plan for tomorrow. Hoping I can find a rebuild kit, or clean it up and see if it stops leaking. Its in a very awkward spot to wrench on, just under the edge of the dash cross member, and under the pedals.

Not a banjo bolt.....
20240412_173131.jpg


I found this diagram, it's 2.0-2.5.
534628.png


After I gave up for the day, I took the dog for his evening walk. When I got back I went to roll up the Explorer windows for the night and the R/R window won't roll up. I swapped in a spare door control I have, and it's still not moving. Good thing I'm not at a RV park or somewhere I need to worry. I'll have to figure that out first, then mess with the backhoe.

This sucks. I was planning on starting the trenching for the water line tomorrow.
 






Yesterday I pulled the inspection plates off the tractor so I could see the transmission. It's been leaking from up top. I could see right away It's the line fitting that goes to the filter housing. It looks just like a banjo bolt. I sent a picture to a friend who said that's all it is, and the hydraulic place in town should have the washers. I tightened it a little and the trickle went to a very slow seep. I should have left it alone, it's a 40 year old tractor.
View attachment 451358
Today I went into town to get the right wrench as I didn't have a 1-3/8" and a socket won't clear the cross member. I unbolted it, and it surely is not a banjo bolt.
It's some type of spring loaded connector. Ford calls it a connector and it appears to be discontinued. I couldn't get it out because the compression fittings on the attached line are not budging. I can't get the threads to start, with the tubing attached it won't line up. I know I can pull the lower connection at the filter because I just replaced the o-rings, so that's the plan for tomorrow. Hoping I can find a rebuild kit, or clean it up and see if it stops leaking. Its in a very awkward spot to wrench on, just under the edge of the dash cross member, and under the pedals.

Not a banjo bolt.....
View attachment 451359

I found this diagram, it's 2.0-2.5.
View attachment 451360

After I gave up for the day, I took the dog for his evening walk. When I got back I went to roll up the Explorer windows for the night and the R/R window won't roll up. I swapped in a spare door control I have, and it's still not moving. Good thing I'm not at a RV park or somewhere I need to worry. I'll have to figure that out first, then mess with the backhoe.

This sucks. I was planning on starting the trenching for the water line tomorrow.

Chaulk it up to "It's always something. If it's not one thing it's another". Rosanne Rosanadana, aka Gilda Radner. :)
 






Decided to work on the Explorer window first. I know every part of this rig and can usually figure things out quickly with it. First I removed the door panel and pulled the duct tape off the slits in the dust cover. I put my hand on the motor and pressed the switch. I could feel the motor bump like it wanted to work, which means there is power to it. Pulled the motor and it was an OEM unit that I obviously had rebuilt with new pucks and Super Lube. Looks brand new inside. Functions fine out of the door. I lubed up all the slides and cables even though they looked OK and reinstalled the motor. Works fine now. When it's rolled down, I need to remember to bump it up so it doesn't get stuck. The rear window motors are easier to work on because the cables hold the window in place, but with the motor removed you can still push the window up or down by hand. The front regulators with the scissor type lift system use the motor to hold the window in place so it's harder to line everything up.

Now, on to the backhoe, which I know very little about. I'm learning that everything is not simple and straightforward as it should be with an old tractor.
 






Backhoe

I was apprehensive going into this because there wasn't any backup plan. If it still leaked like it was, I would be screwed, like call a mobile heavy equipment mechanic screwed.

I couldn't loosen the compression fitting on the tubing, so I removed the other end; filter, filter housing and mount. That is a horribly messy job working in the dirt, especially with the winds we are having today. You have to position yourself almost underneath the filter to work. It drips the entire time it's apart, usually on my face, hair or shirt.

Anyways, having the lower end loose allowed me to easily pull the "connector" out, NOT. The spring and bolt are about 5" long, so I couldn't clear the cross member to get it out. I got some carb cleaner and rags, wiped everything clean as best I could while checking for damage, then carefully lined it up. It screwed down about 2/3 by hand, which I took as a good sign. I got it snugged, then crawled back under and reinstalled the filter, filter housing, mount...

Back up top, tightened it up, said a prayer to the old Ford tractor gods and fired it up. I let it run for 20 minutes and no leaks, at least from there. Drove it around in a few circles, backed up and parked it until the engine got to operating temp, still not leaking. I called it good, thanked the old Ford tractor gods and bolted down the inspection plates. I had a nice talk with the backhoe. Maybe it just never knew what my intentions were. I laid out my plans to use it to trench the water lines. After that it would live the life of luxury, being used occasionally to work around the property, fix the roads, dig holes. If it's good, I'll even let it live in the garage until I need the room. I specifically made the single door on the north side 12x14 so I could get the backhoe or the RV in that side as well.

I'm tired...
 






I'm glad it decided to seal itself up. I hate it when they make stuff difficult to disassemble. Definitely good news that you didn't have to take it any farther.
 






Had to replace the final drives in my Takeuchi track hoe a couple of years back. The machine was half way across the property parked in soft sand when the one drive quit working. This is Giant job your first time, especially when you find out the machine is packed full of sand and I mean packed, like it sat in a river for a full summer. Had to replace all the lines (8’ long) and both drives. They are $1800 each. Now that it’s done I have peace of mind knowing what a final drive is how it mounts how it’s plumbed and knowing the machine is no longer packed with sand in the underbelly. She dripped all her hydro fluid out while waiting for parts, when I removed the belly pan to expose the main pump and hoses the sand in there was the same shape as the belly pan removed. About 12# of wet gooey greasy sand came out of there and about 10 cans or brake clean fixed it all up. Once she was running I used the hoe to cleanup the area make sure we disposed of all contaminated earth, it was a righteous moment

Heavy equipment is a whole new ballgame. I am now versed in compact dozers track hoes and tractors

That machine will serve you well! This is a good sign of things to come. They are not complex but the parts are heavy, expensive and messy!!!
 






The Fords are known for leaks. When I was under there, I noticed the line from the trans filter to the cooler was leaking at a compression fitting, but it was as tight. The tractor is in what I could consider working condition now. Universal tractor fluid (UTF) is cheap. When the house is built and I have a real place to work, I'll pull all the panels, give it a good pressure washing and start with a general overhaul. Fix all the leaks, replace most of the hydraulic lines, rebuild a few cylinders, maybe go through the engine and recover the seat, add some lights, etc. That's the plan anyways. It's down on the big list of stuff I need to do.
 






Surrounded by wild horses and range cattle this morning. The horses seem to bother Ranger on some instinctive level. I really need to get this fenced. Supposed to have the estimate and timeline by this week.
20240414_094903.jpg


20240414_095022.jpg


20240414_092905.jpg
 






I have my military turbo diesel generator on steelsoldiers.com. My machines the tak hoe, the case dozer and the Deere 650 tractor all at heavy equipment.com
My diesel trucks all at Powerstrokenation.com

The forums are so valuable I have learned soooo much! Knowledge is power!!!

I need one of those “certified YouTube mechanic” stickers it is soo true these days
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year or try it out for $5 a month.

Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





I have my military turbo diesel generator on steelsoldiers.com. My machines the tak hoe, the case dozer and the Deere 650 tractor all at heavy equipment.com
My diesel trucks all at Powerstrokenation.com

The forums are so valuable I have learned soooo much! Knowledge is power!!!

I need one of those “certified YouTube mechanic” stickers it is soo true these days
ASE stands for ask someone else
 






Back
Top