All, I am working hard to keep this GTG on my calendar since I am the one that started trying to get all together, but on Monday Hera did not treat me very nicely. I generated this thread, HELP - 6.0L PSD Starting problems..., to start the help flowing in from my fellow FTE'ers. I did manage to get a Ford mechanic to come out and he diagnosed it in a round about way as the FICM. He wanted a lot of money to change it out $875.00, which was getting the FICM supposedly at my neighbor's cost, $550.00, since he also works at Ford and stated 6 hours labor and programming and I would have to have it towed to his house. I got with Toreador_Diesel and with the troubleshooting that he helped me with on Monday and Tuesday, he knew that I knew where the FICM was and that was NOT a 6 hour labor job. He also put a bug in my ear about getting a Swamp's HOT FICM. So I told my neighbor not to order anything and I ordered the Swamp's FICM.

Well I was going to tell you that I am sitting here waiting on it, but I can't because it just showed up at my door!!! YAY!!! Merry Christmas to me!!! Anyways, if all goes well this is a swap out and I am running again, [AGAIN FINGERS CROSSED], and I will get to make Tuesday's GTG!.

Wish me luck with the swap out...

SkySkiJason, still needing a time...

 

Good Luck with the swap! And I'm looking forward to the GTG Tuesday...

Merry Christmas!

 

Well the swap is done and I just got through tromping on it down a back road and I am impressed! It took me, the not-a-mechanic, 1 hour 30 minutes and that was with shooting the poop and taking my fatboy breathers from having to lean up under the hood in ways that my body was not designed for. It was rather critical of a job for me so I left out the Beer Alignment Tool this time, but I am meeting with him now that it is over and getting his blessing on it and apologizing profusely for leaving him out of it. All in all I am pleased with the savings and I am VERY pleased with Swamp's. It was not as easy as I thought it was going to be, got some scrapes and scratches on the arms and there were 6 screws instead of 4. The plugs on the underneath side were probably the hardest part of the whole swap to get them un-plugged was really difficult, they do not leave a whole lot of room to get your hand under there to squeeze the connectors and pull them off. That is when I took most of my fatboy breathers.

Anyways, it is done, EX is running and I will see you on Tuesday! Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

 

We are wide open as far as a time goes. The boys, Daisy and I are staying with friends near Valdosta and will mosey on down to Lake City by noon - but we could easily come earlier to hang out if anyone else wanted to come early. One thing I've learned is there is never enough time to BS at these GTG's... (or maybe I'm just full of BS?? )

Soooo, noon for lunch at Roadhouse??

Anybody wanna come earlier??

I'll clean out my PM box so I can pass my phone # out!!

 

I can do it earlier if need be, I guess it depends on when everyone would want to leave. I, myself am wide open!

 

Noon works for me. That gives me a chance to drop by the office and surveying the damage after being out for almost 6 days.

 

Have a great time and post some pics for the rest of us.

 

Will do!!

 

We are on the way!

 

Ok, I will plan to be there by noon!

Safe travels to all - and to all a good night!

 

Leaving Valdosta now! We got to meet Barney (bfife) and his lovely wife Cheryl (and hounds Mojo and Calley!!) last nite for dinner. Barney is a regular on the 7.3 forum and lives in an RV while working all over the USA - kinda like me, but I still have a 'real' house! Anyway, great folks and we are really glad we got to meet them in person!!!!

Looking forward to lunch today!!!! Hope its not raining too hard to check out some trucks!!!

 

It's only an hour's run down to Lake City. You'll be there long before most of us. Not sure what there is to do in Lake City to keep you entertained for a couple of hours, but you'll find something.

Cya in a couple of hours!

 

Leaving in about 15 minutes, it only take about an hour and 20, but leaving liquid sunshine delays. Drive careful and see you in a few...

Yeah, and I am real happy about paying to have Hera cleaned yesterday to show off today....

 

Well, we did it. Looks like we wrapped up the last GTG for the year 2011. It was certanly a pleasure to meet with SkiSkiJason, Misky6.0 and once again, BassFantasizer. SkiSkiJason did not have his EX but the rest of us did and although that I had met with Bass before I did not get to see his EX, but he did bring it today. All the EX's are hot, it was so neat, (being my first time doing this), to park them side by side and just gauking over them and snapping pictures. I saw a couple people kind of making a point to look around to see why we were taking pictures, that was cool.

Here are the pics that I took...

On my way...


Some of the rain...


Texas Road House, the meeting point...



Misky6.0 was the first to arrive after the very anxious me...


Inside the Texas Road House...



The oooing and awwwing part after lunch and jabber jawing inside...








The F250 is what SkySkiJason drove with his son's playtoy on the back...




The way that you do not want to see a piston in your diesel...


Can't wait to see what Bass and Misky have for pictures!

I can't wait until an even bigger GTG in 2012!

 

Nice pics! It was great meeting you guys, I'm glad we pulled it off.

We didnt get to bring our X, but boys have counted (42) X's so far this trip!!