Just trying to liven things up here, nothing to say other than...


I LOVE YOU MAN!

 

Wow...I don't know whether to feel all warm and fuzzy or to throw up. Thanks for that, Mike...!

 

Wow Mike, I never knew you felt like that. oooooh, you are talking to the whole forum.
I've been kind of quiet, but shouldn't be. My company is getting bought out by a bigger company and in the next few weeks I should find out if:
-I still have a permanent job
-I have no job, effective immediately
-I have a job while they transfer everything over, then no job.

As for the truck, I gave it a blood transfusion yesterday. I have not driven it anywhere near 3K miles, but it has been a while since the last oil change. If I suddenly have lots of spare time on my hands, I have lots of stuff I can do on it that is relatively cheap and will keep me out of trouble.

How was your weekend?

 

I've been tinkering with the old Mercedes the last couple of days. It's had a bad intake leak and won't idle so, some months ago I bought a new intake/exhaust manifold gasket for it. Went to put it on when it came in and discovered that the manifolds are mounted on studs which means they have to slide clear off the studs to get the old gasket off and the new one on. No big deal, right? Well...the manifolds slide out about an inch and then the exhaust pipes hit the frame. That means the exhaust pipes have to come off as well, but the bolts (three per flange, six total) were totally rusted. I just gooped up the old gasket still in place with cooper gasket sealer and bolted it back up...didn't work.

Next, I decided to do it right after all and tackled the rusty bolts. I got two off, had to cut two more with the sawzall which left the two on the bottom that I couldn't reach with the sawzall. That was where I left off, so the other day I fired up the compressor and used a cutoff wheel on my die grinder to cut the two bottom bolts and get the pipes free, pushed them down out of the way and got the manifolds off. Found they were warped and the gaket had been replaced once already to no effect.

I took the manifolds in to work and ground the mating surface flat (took quite a bit of grinding, they were really bad) on a big belt sander we uses for flattening heads that only need a couple of thou taken off. Nice and true now. I then bolted it all back together, just trying to finish it up yesterday aft. when the rain hit.

I'm actually considering working on the Ranger today...

 

I'm just waiting for a few pieces for my tractor so In can finish it up, I did pull the transfer up yesterday to give it another once over and see I have a two bad wheel seals on the rearends, started taking it apart but the rains came, hopefully I'll get it done today.

 

As usual, I did not do anything truck related on the weekend. Waiting to get the money together for the fuel pump and strainer. Start it up every now and then (it will run for about a minute) just to keep the battery charged, and fluids flowing. Neighbor still says he will sell me the Dodge Intrepid but still has not fixed up the Lincoln, so he keeps the Dodge for transportation.

 

Dude, that was so weird... You read my mind... I miss our bbq's .... we need to set one up soon. Maybe end of April?

 

AJ, good to see you.

April might work.

 

I have been looking out for WillyB. No luck. Sent him an email. No luck.

Is Clint OK? I am concerned. Anybody know?

 

His profile says he hasn't been on since 1/11/09.

Not sure what's up, I've left a few messages as well with no response.

 

Hey Bruce,
I asked this question too. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...to-willyb.html
Miss the ol guy. I hope he's OK.

 

I think fishing season starts on the last Saturday in April guys. A high Sierra fish fry might be cool too.

 

Wow, you sure did...

Does anyone live near him, to check him out? Or know anyone close to him?
(I had a phone number for him but it does not work.)

When I saw him, well over a year ago, I was worried about his health then. Hope he's OK too.

 

Speaking of old guys, how the hell are you? This old guy's doing ok.

Let me know if you hear anything from Clint. It aint like him to abstain from posting something controversial.
Didn't he have his own web site too? I thought he did but don't remember what it was titled.

 

I think his site was something along the lines of "oldfordtrucks.com"?