The Black Hole

[gmanpaint]

Thanks for the memory refresh Jon. I forgot about that thread and your ordeal. After reading it again, I think it will be best for "me", to just pull the engine out, if I can't repair this after removing the diff.

Don, that's what I was thinking too, with the gasket seal. I had to ask for confirmation. Thanks!!

Since this repair isn't going to happen for months from now, I am going to forget about it, and shelve it in the back of my brain for another day. It has me wanting to get rid of the rig, and start over, plus doing something I might regret. Need to let the anger subside, and fill my head with something other than this debacle.

 

[CDW6212R]

If the leak is already at the gasket and there's no hole in the pan yet, then it'd be good if you could gain a little pan clearance, and decide if the pan seal can be improved. If the pan shifted(broke the seal), then there's not likely any harm to loosening any of those bolts. I'm thinking you can lessen the leak a lot now before pulling the engine.

Ultra Black RTV will stop fluid from the outside of a seam, if it's cleaned really well and put on well. I had my 3rd Mark VII have a medium oil pan leak along several inches of the seam, the back on both sides. I loosened all of the bolts and get the areas cleaned well, and spread the RTV carefully along the back 3rd of the pan. It didn't leak after that, not counting a minor rear seal leak. I've also resealed the rear of an intake manifold on a 351W, without removing anything but the air cleaner. It was nasty to clean the mess, and the old seal was 1/4" thick(cork), but I filled the gap well enough to stop the leak.

There's no magic, when you get time to drop the diff, then figured out what will work best.

 

[gmanpaint]

Still have to cut the pan corner off and weld a plate on to clear the cad, if hammering on it more doesn't work.

I want the pan on a bench for that job.

 

[WormsExplorer]

Still have to cut the pan corner off and weld a plate on to clear the cad, if hammering on it more doesn't work.

I want the pan on a bench for that job.

What You do not want to Weld Looking Up?!?! LOL

I agree with the Pan on the Bench to do that part.

 

[gmanpaint]

Day off due to the traditional Bird basting & family arguments around the table. With me alone, and not participating in any of that Tom Foolery, I can spend the day in the shop. Sweet!

Not so sweet... I ran out of welding gas again last night, and need some specialized materials, for this latest project. Problem is every place needed is closed today, tomorrow, and the upcoming weekend.

Guess I will brave the retail stores and take advantage of the sales. BOGO on power tool batteries is a for sure buy, and might find a deal on a good electric chainsaw for camping? Stihl is out of my price range, but the Dewalt saw might be doable, if I can find one.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!

 

[410Fortune]

I have 20V and 40V dewalt chainsaws
We use chainsaws ALOT since we live in the forest and the wind / snow will knock trees over our road
Firewood is a family thing we do together. I decided to try the electric saws because I love the rest of my dewalt tool so much and I get tired of handling the gas saws all the time, when the saw is running you have to hurry up and make your cuts, put running saw down, move wood, make more cuts etc. Then there is mixing of the gas and keeping them clean and running, etc. We use Stihl and Husqvaurna of course. Well I decided to try electric, boy am I happy I did that. SO MUCH EASIER to just grab a saw, pull trigger and cut. Battery dies change it out, keep cutting. No fuel to deal with, clogged carbs, etc.
The girls LOVE the 20V dewalt 16" bar it is perfect for limbs and clean up, also perfect to keep in the utv/snow machine for those down trees
The 40V dewalt 20" bar is a serious work horse and will keep up with smaller gas saws all day long no problem.
DO not be afraid to get a dewalt electric chainsaw, they are friggin awesome.
My fav tools: dewalt 20V weed whacker, Dewalt 40V chainsaw, dewalt 20V shop vac, Dewalt 20V jobsite shop blower, followed by by 20V 1300 lb impact, 20v sawzall, 20v grinder and 20v multi tool
Did I mention I love my dewalt stuff?
I use the friggin litte vaccum and the blower every couple of hours around here it seems
Get those coupons out and go get some!

I have yet to try the 60V stuff, I can only imagine how well it works the 40V stuff is a friggin beast
I BEAT the SNOT out of my tools, I use those chainsaws enough to need to sharpen chains weekly. No regrets, the dewalt tools are worth every $$$$. The 40V batteries you can barely run them down, two will last you all day cutting wood. The electric saws are lighter, they are powerful, and they are always ready to go. I cannot say enough good things about them. I have 3 husqvaurna saws for sale now....replaced by a stilh and two dewalts.

 

[gmanpaint]

I am looking at the 60v dewalt.

The stihl electric is at the top of the chain for these, and the price reflects it. After getting everything you need (extra battery and charger) its over $600 for it.

The Milwaukee fuel is also a top dawg, but pricey as well.

I chose the 60v dewalt with the flex batteries, for power, and been eyeballing other 60v items from them. Batteries are the deciding factor on these electric items, as they are consumables that need replacing. Same thing when deciding on new printers and ink use.

I belong to Overland forums, and lots of good first hand knowledge shared with the electric saws on them. Been wanting to pull the trigger on one for a while now, but costs have always stopped me. Just waiting on a deal!! Lol

 

[410Fortune]

the 40v batteries are pretty heavy, I can only imagine the 60V stuff. The girls stick with the 20V because the 40V saw gets too heavy for them
My luck of course has it that I pull trigger on the 40v stuff then they come out with the 60V = lucky me. I ended up getting the 40V brushless saw and the 40V hedge trimmer..... monsters in their own right!! We are clearing 12 acres of river valley and turning into a park like setting...we are talking 8' tall scrub oak brush only a moose could love....the dewalt stuff comes in very handy
Good luck! Please share whatever you decide to get, I know I put up with ALOT of crap from the lumberjack neighbors I have back here for pulling out an electric saw..... they are not laughing anymore...all I hear now is "dude that dewalt saw is awesome" lol

I could barely afford the dewalt 40V stuff LMFAO I can only imagine what Stilh or Milwakee want for theirs! I do love my stihl chainsaws and my milwaukee 12V stuff..... but Dewalt owns all here in this shop. I have a whole pegboard wall just for dewalt

 

[Brian1]

A few weeks ago just outside of Death Valley I had to use a Dewalt 20v chainsaw to clear some branches our big offroad truck camper wouldn't clear through. First time I had ever used a battery powered saw and I was pretty impressed! I'm used to gas Stihl saws and it was nice to just insert the battery and pull the trigger. Plenty of power to saw the pine trees we encountered. Definitely a good addition if you have the room for it!

 

[gmanpaint]

Both awesome posts guys!! Great stories, thanks for sharing!

I've been sold on electric versions for off road use for sometime. They are better suited for this application over gas in every way.

The 60v dewalt combo pack with 2 batteries and charger is on sale today, but is kinda out of my price range still. Actually more like out if this week's budget, to be more precise. Lol

Got some thinking to do on it, as I have other stuff I need as well. Something's will be sacrificed if I pull the trigger on the saw.

Sucks being a poor ass working stiff. Lol

Edit:

Time was of the essence, so I thought it out. I ended up sacrificing other must haves I waited on black Friday for, and pulled the trigger on the Dewalt 60v saw combo kit. Went through Home Depot website, and free home delivery in a few days.

Had enough left out of the black Friday savings funds to get some items needed to finish off this latest project on Amazon. I will make due until next year's sales, on the other stuff.

Gotta admit, I'm pretty stoked about getting a new power tool! LMAO!

Brian, I happen to have room for it in the new adventure trailer! lol Can charge the batteries off the solar grid, shore, or inverter to boot!

 

[gmanpaint]

I'm not fast, but dang it, I am pretty slow! Doesn't help I have to step back, scratch my backside and get lost in the cosmos thinking things out. Wonder how much of my life I have actually lost doing that?

Finally finished the build a few minutes ago. Took me a while, but it's done the way I wanted it. Kept having those moments and saying... Yep, it's gotta have that, and... It needs this, oh... and that too! Turned out heavier than I wanted it, but it will work & help me a bunch.

Tomorrow, I disassemble, & clean the shop. Prime & paint next week, and reassemble after it cures out. Then comes the fun part for me... Wiring this thing up! This train still has some steam left for the chooch ahead!

Oh, I guess now I can open the box the chainsaw came in 5 days ago, and check it out. LOL!

 

[CDW6212R]

Good deal, next you can post some pictures, when you get time.

You guys made me look at Dewalt tools, now I'm paying for it literally. I just got the 20v trimmer, but the chainsaw/blower deal is back ordered, as is the air pump. Let me know how your chainsaw works, I won't be needing mine for a few months I hope.

I also noticed there are various adapters to use batteries from different brands, on other tool brands. For about $20 each, you can use Dewalt or Makita batteries, for most tools brands, including my 19.2 C3 tools. So I can keep using the C3 tools I have, with the Dewalt batteries, and the Makita fan I like so much. The tools I see being the least useful, are the Craftsman bolt on series, which they haven't sold a 20v battery since I bought the one drill kit(3-4 years ago). I'm fuzzy on whether those 20v batteries may work in Dewalt tools, I'll check tomorrow. If they happen to, then I can use the Dewalt batteries for those too, which I have the air pump in my truck now. I prefer the C3 air pump, but there's a tiny rubber hose length(about an inch long) that wears and develops a leak.

 

[gmanpaint]

I will test it asap.

Dewalt has a 120v line now too! Lol

This saw came with the flex batteries. They can work on all 20v dewalt tools as well. The combo package came with two 3.0 batteries. I want the 6.0 or the 9.0, but man, $200/ea, is hard to swallow. They even have a big 12.0 for around $250. Ack!!!

That battery sharing device sounds interesting.

Pics of this teaser project will be posted after it's done completely.

 

[CDW6212R]

Those batteries right now it looks like the best way to get them is with a tool, a deal of some kind. Don't shoot me, but speaking of batteries, I took a chance on two pairs of eBay new take out batteries, from China. They are the 6.0amp 60v Flexvolt versions, just guess how much for all four shipped?

FYI, Home Depot has the 20v trimmer for just $130 now, with the battery and charger. I went there to see if they carried the Dewalt .080 line($15 for 225 feet), but they don't. So I browsed a good bit, saw most of the cordless tools, which are scattered in the store. I liked the big radio, but like most things I don't really need it, plus the price.

 

[410Fortune]

forget the string I use the weed thrasher, they are wicked!!
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Weed-Thrasher/134985834

Best part about the 20V weed whacker is you see something that needs trimmed just grab it and trim...no fuel mixing,pouring, pull start, warm up time, etc etc....you will use the weed wacker way more often now

 

[gmanpaint]

Yeah, your right about the combo deals. I did that so I could get the charger, and two batteries included for $50 more than the saw itself. That saved me $150+.

I seen the box stores don't stock anything above 20v for Dewalt. I asked my rep at the Lowes Pro-Service about it, and said it is all special order. I could get a 10% contractor discount if I go through them, on top of the sales price going on this time of year. Live & learn.

I wasn't able to see the saw in person because of nobody near me having one to look at. I noticed there is a lot of plastic parts for the bar and chain. That really discourages me, as to how long this thing will last to any real use. I did see the Stihl saws, and they was beef compared to this one. I can see the chain slipping off, and not getting the tension set tight enough on this Dewalt. Not so sure about the oiler setup either. Time will tell. I guess it will just be used for the camping trips, not any real service at home. Specs say the 3.0 batteries will make 70 cuts, on a 6"x6" treated Pine post. That will be more than sufficient for camping/overlanding. No need for bigger batteries I suppose.

Speaking of other yard tools from them....I might just get the Dewalt leaf blower now I have a charger & batteries. I have been using a 20 year old corded Weed Eater unit. That thing just won't die, has a mulcher attachment, and kicks out 200 mph air. LOL I always run out of cord length when using it, and snagging it on everything as I go sucks. 410, you have to stop encouraging me to spend $$ I don't have!! lol

 

[CDW6212R]

The Home Depot had the best 60v Dewalt blower on the shelf. I picked it up and see why people love it. That one is like the 20v, a straight through design, big outlet pipe, and fairly light. The one that comes in the saw/blower kit has smaller outlet pipe with two tips, and bigger stand parts. Both will be great I'm sure for normal blowing chores, not for big or long jobs.

That eBay seller from China I mentioned is like many who are selling all kinds of knock off stuff etc, and some original items that we don't know where it came from(how they got it). I laughed seeing some of the copy products on eBay, listed as Dewalt tools but clearly not duplicates. I won't buy that kind of knock off, but the actual batteries that could be legitimate, I took a shot at. I had to buy a no name brand of the Craftsman 20v battery, because the real ones have been unavailable from Sears since I bought the tools 3-4 years ago. I didn't know they were going to drop the line, let alone the store go backrupt. That's the air pump I'm relying on for work now, I have to have a battery powered one for these 98 spare trucks I'm using(no console, so no high current outlet(only the dash 7.5 fused outlet)). My 99 has a 20amp outlet in the hatch jamb.

 

[gmanpaint]

I will check out Home Depot for them if they stock them in store. Thanks for the heads up.

I was mistaken on the batteries it came with. When I bought it, it said two 6.0 units included. When I just opened up the small box for the charger and batteries, it had a 9.0 and a 6.0. The way the batteries was packaged was weird. The saw box came in a bigger box, with the 6.0 battery added to the bigger box. The 9.0 was inside the saw box with the charger. I'm not complaining, as I got what I wanted in the first place. LMAO!

Saw alone weighs 9.9 lbs, and the 9.0 battery "Feels" like around 4-5 lbs. That's about the same as a 16" gas unit, maybe a bit less.

...... Mosey back to the shop. So much fabrication dust in there from this ongoing project. Needs gone for painting. Time to use the corded leaf blower!

 

[410Fortune]

yes that is the same saw I have,the 16" 20V the small "limb saw"
Takes some getting used to the safety/trigger pull
The chain tensioner hold down is plastic so you do have to be careful how tight you go

We also have a 40V saw that is 20", that is the heavy one!
I love those FLEX batteries, works with whatever the tool needs, very nice

 

[gmanpaint]

This unit is the 60v 16" bar. Has to use the 60v batteries, or the 120v switched to 60v use. Can't use the 20v only batteries in it. It explains why they said 3.0Ah use. The 6.0 batteries are actually 3.0 in 60v use. Doesn't explain the 2 different size batteries they sent me tho. Confused yet? I was/am! LOL

I haven't found a storage case made for it yet. Kind of bummed about that. I also want to find out if any 16" chain will work, or if I have to use a DeWalt chain. I need a spare to take on trips.