I know some of you are wondering what is happening in my life. Most of you remember that last Christmas I was diagnosed with Bladder cancer. As of today I'm still clean, cancer free. I'm stuck with paying that hospital bill. What is going on is I'm still taking care of @MoparMom and trucking south to Ontario, OR. Laying down at least 1,200 miles a week. I've went out and started a second shop just down the road from home about 5 miles. I gotta admit someone is looking out for me. The jobs have been fairly plentiful and keeping my bills paid without getting super crazy. Then my other addition to the family is @Wet Vette. She has been a huge factor in things going on here at home, her family and even the business. It's been huge change in my life and things are crazy and but getting better with time. 

 

Like this morning we are foretasted for lots of rain and snow above 4,500 feet tonight. I've got vehicles showing up to both shops and trying to get a game plan between running south for @MoparMom and between to shops for jobs. Kind of why I'm here and then gone for periods. 

 

I've gotta say thanks to the staff here keeping things going and helping out. @Me78569 which he's working on stuff in the background and even @IBMobile keeping funds counted for us.

7 minutes ago, kzimmer said:

I used to have a 99 Grand Cherokee Limitee with the 4.7L V8. Never should have sold it, incredible vehicle aside from the occasional death wobble. Anyway, it had a 45RFE. Never skipped a beat. I remember when I found out it could be flashed to a 545RFE. Blew my mind a little that mechanically, they are the same trans, and a simple dealer update to the TCM gave it "5th gear" via a different combination of clutch packs.

And the diesels have a 6th gear on top of that. Same basic configuration (except the components are a LOT beefier). I'm actually building a 68RFE right now.

Well the one I'm dealing with is junk. Long lag to get into gear and only has 1st and 2nd. Won't shift to 3rd or 4th. The owner wrecked his other vehicle and came to get his. I told him it was beyond me and nothing can be adjusted. Should consider a rebuild at a trans shop.

Needs to be rebuilt. They all have their life span. This one is at the end of it. Probably lost the OD clutch if I had to guess. That's why guys like me have a job! LOL

8 hours ago, Dynamic said:

Needs to be rebuilt. They all have their life span. This one is at the end of it. Probably lost the OD clutch if I had to guess. That's why guys like me have a job! LOL

Yup... The only problem is there is no money down here. He's looking for super cheap fix. 

Mopar1973Man, some of those faucets you can take apart (slide the cartridge out) and clean the sediment and O rings and they good again. Ace hardware has some of the major brands and even generic cartridges you can replace. They all plastic inside with rubber O rings. At times I pull the cartridge and run my fingers down in the housing to clean down inside and all the parts of mineral build up. Sometimes just replacing them is best, but I always try servicing them first and then take the cartridge with me for a match up at ACE hardware.

Edited December 22, 20195 yr by JAG1

 

6 hours ago, JAG1 said:

take the cartridge with me for a match up at ACE hardware.

Just did this last week on shower/tub fixture that was dripping.  I thought it was a Delta faucet but when the Home Depot associate saw the part he knew it was a Price Pfister.  Took the old part out, new part in, fixed, saved a bunch of money. 

Edited December 22, 20195 yr by IBMobile

I was visiting my sister in Nevada once, except she was being a big you know what (feel free to imagine anything you like here). So I drove off to the ace hardware store to see If I could fix a leaking kitchen faucet in my RV that would not shut off. Now this thing was some off brand from mars and would not take fixing so I took out the cartridge and unbelievably there was the exact same cartridge hanging on the shelf in the store. It was the last one of its kind all full of dust and Ignored for years yet fit perfectly. I imagined it was so old it was probably better built than original. It worked nice, I was happy and when I got back my sister was human again. Someday they'll have a cartridge for woman too 

1 hour ago, JAG1 said:

Someday they'll have a cartridge for woman too 

 

They do! It's in your local liquor store. Available in Red and White varieties.

8 hours ago, JAG1 said:

Mopar1973Man, some of those faucets you can take apart (slide the cartridge out) and clean the sediment and O rings and they good again. Ace hardware has some of the major brands and even generic cartridges you can replace. They all plastic inside with rubber O rings. At times I pull the cartridge and run my fingers down in the housing to clean down inside and all the parts of mineral build up. Sometimes just replacing them is best, but I always try servicing them first and then take the cartridge with me for a match up at ACE hardware.

 

Nope. This is a old school double knob and the neck is plastic and its leaking from the neck. I've changed the o-ring even still leaking.

49 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Nope. This is a old school double knob and the neck is plastic and its leaking from the neck. I've changed the o-ring even still leaking.

Okay that's even more reliable because you can unscrew the whole stem all the way out and change the stem washers at the bottom there is a small screw holding that shutoff stem washer. O ring on top is just the stem cap or retainer washer that you can tighten up. The cap washers stops the leak only when water running and the bottom stem washer should shut it off completely. You know this stuff...... What am I saying?

 

In an emergency I have been successful at making my own stem washer by slicing correct size rubber hose. However your situation is different leaking at the base of the spout.... you may find a premium washer at the hardware that will work wonders over the factory size.

Edited December 22, 20195 yr by JAG1

Made it through Christmas. 

 

It was quite the family gathering here. Eileen and I made a big ham dinner. We had my Mom come down to the guest house for dinner. Then Eileen's son family came to spend Christmas with us. I started Christmas morning with rebuilding a front driveshaft so I was ready for today's haul back south to Ontario. I will quickly say SKF u-joint have upgraded design with better seals and should hold up better. The very front u-joint was salt contaminated. So the red grease was turning white from salt and then with bit of rust inside as well on the metals. 

 

Everyone made it here about 4pm and the dinner began. Jacob and family stayed the night in my RV. They will be heading out this morning after me just about day break. I'm going to be out in the dark at 7:15am like usual. Eileen will be starting her new job this morning too. 

 

M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S   T O   E V E R Y O N E

Sorry for the lag in everything gang... Christmas dinner came and gone but @Wet Vette ended up getting the stomach flue even though she had the flue shot. This created a bad deal for her and screwed up her blood chemistry. I've gone down to Boise watch over Eileen and taking care of Mom's dialysis the last 3 days in Boise and Ontario. Eileen is back home and doing fine and gain her strength now. Mom is still doing her dialysis. As for me I'm exhausted from all the driving. Then to top it off managed to eat a u-joint on the rear driveshaft with all the salt on the highway. Just last week I had to change a front driveshaft u-joint because of the salt issue. I've got to do my dialysis run today and I'll be able to get the waiting shipments out tomorrow. For all you that order parts I'm truly sorry but its been a crazy holidays. 

Glad to hear Eileen is doing well again and everything getting back to normal. It was nice to meet Eileen on the telephone on New Years Eve. 

Yeah... But weak yet this morning but doing better. I'm way behind. Got the product boxed up and ready for the mail. My truck is down the rear most u-joint failed from salt getting into the bearing. Now got more work than I've got time to do the work. I'm going have to consider shutting down the shop for a span of time till I can catch up.

 

Then like there is several updates needed on the website here. List goes on...

You just gotta stop tryin to make all the money and you'll be alright  You know I heard about Riggins and New Meadows going into recession till you make a bank deposit and money supply good again. 

 

 

Just a little humor Mike, couldn't resist 

Edited January 3, 20205 yr by JAG1

@JAG1 Sad to say I'm out of money, I've got paying jobs to do but not enough time to do them yet.

 

Still got the 6.7L Ford for an alternator still not done, Still got the 6.7L Ram to fix a flash tune on, Still got my truck with a bad u-joint (2002). Then last night my aux light on the (1996) still screwing up and turning off. Still got firewood to split and stack. Still got to finish moving us around from guest house to main house. Still got to run to McCall for parts and meds. I'm only one guy...

 

So now add in the fact @Wet Vette went to the hospital again with chest pains. I called the neighbors and already had that covered so they took her up to the hospital again. Even called ahead and gave the hospital heads up with her coming in. Then last night at about 7pm brought her home too. I've got wonderful neighbors as well. She is back home and doing better again. she is sleeping soundly.

 

Yesterday was one of those tough days that you separated from a love one and then the emergency rings out and you end up on the other end of the phone and not able to do anything but talk and calm nerves and quell the panic in someones voice. Then rapid thinking no one knows what is going to happen next I'm jumping off the interstate and start making phone calls. I was calling my buddy Brian just in case I had to drop every thing and run toward Boise. Eileen's Mom was a great help she did the phone calls to and keep me up to date on what was happening. I was able to continue my task list get things done. The only thing I didn't do is make the trip to Caldwell for the "high Idle Cables" that are ready. By the time I sat down to eat with @MoparMom Eileen was ready to be discharged. My neighbors handled the transport home for me. (Thank You Jim and Sharon Gould). I just had to go next door and get Eileen.

 

As I start today in the dark I'm trying to figure out plans of action and getting a ton load of work down as quickly as possible today so I have a vehicle for tomorrow to haul Mom to dialysis, and get rid of at least one other vehicle if possible. Bad part is I'm calculating in the 2 hour round trip to McCall for meds and parts. 

 

Then in the meantime I need to get back and work on the website up date software, fix some server errors and other issues. I'm just to the point of dropping out of wrench turning and coming back to just web work for now because of lack of time to work for customers. I'm even struggling just to stuff 3 box and getting into the mail while I'm packing a truck and getting ready to leave for Ontario. I've got to get control on this other than that it will wipe me out. 

 

This is why I would rather drop the wrench work. I can work the web while I travel and at home. Wrench work I can only do when I'm at home and don't have other task with high priority. Actually I've got a small paycheck from the website for the sales of high idle kits. Better than nothing... Turning wrenches might take me a entire week to do some jobs being it tough to work without parts. Then have to order parts and wait for parts and install them on the next day home. Way too much time lost right now on waiting and chasing parts. Like I had a gent call and ask if I could recharge his A/C and told him it would be at least 2 weeks till I could touch it. I had to drop the job and told him to just unplug the compressor so it don't start.

 

Going to make for a very short day of work and lots of driving. Like looking at my desk here I've got a pile of bills, property taxes, Idaho sales taxes. I've gotta get this taken care of quick time running out. 

 

184k on the 1996 Dodge 1500

406k on the 2002 Dodge 2500

Over 1 million on my body... And the check engine light is ON! 

 

Very fitting song for yesterday and today...

 

Edited January 3, 20205 yr by Mopar1973Man

I'm bringing this back because of too much outside people constantly calling and asking what is going on... Thankfully the website is holds threads for 30 days before deleting. Too hard to deal with text message, facebook message, etc. Just tell people to read this thread. Then, I'm posting only ONCE!.

 

Give me a bit I'll catch up here and update whats going on. I've been pushed to the wall with nothing but hospitals and ER room visits.

 

Got home last night at 5:45pm and was dead to the world by 7:00pm. I slept till 11:30am this morning. I'm not going to work today I'm too exhausted from 3 days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) driving. Not even a full month yet and at 2,837 miles...

 

Sorry I'm going to be a bit tough to catch but I'm still alive...

Edited January 24, 20205 yr by Mopar1973Man

Things just went from bad to worse... Geez... On my way to dialysis for mom and the alternator crapped out in the 1996 Dodge 1500. The AC noise got so bad the transmission was jumping from 4th to 3rd and even 2nd gear. Totally randomly. Both trucks are broke and I need to get busy installing the transmission in the 2002 Cummins. Mom is going to have to skip the appointment and I've got to work on my Cummins even feeling sick. I've been fighting a low grade fever for the last few days. 

Mike I'm sorry I don't live close enough to help out. Its been awhile since you posted about it so did you jump right in and get your trans installed?

 

It's wonderful you have Eileen there....... a real nurse there taking care of your ailing mom. Wow that's great

Edited January 26, 20205 yr by JAG1

6 hours ago, JAG1 said:

Its been awhile since you posted about it so did you jump right in and get your trans installed?

No. That is the project of today. I must get the Cummins up and running. I've got the transmission hanging off the engine hoist and the bucket of Mobil 50 sitting there. Just need about 3 hours to stuff it together. 

 

The 1996 Dodge I can't find alternator in any of the part stores near me. I thought about dipping into the diodes but 186k miles the bearing have to be tired. 

6 hours ago, JAG1 said:

It's wonderful you have Eileen there....... a real nurse there taking care of your ailing mom. Wow that's great

She has been a huge help. Between Eileen's health issues and Mom's health issues it been nearly constant running back and forth to doctors appointments. I have not been able to work a paying job in weeks now.