I'm sorry, gang, I've been randomly missing in action from time to time, but with everything going on, it's tough to be at home for long periods, then when I'm home, to get wrapped up with the dirt work all this last summer. Winter weather is coming, I need a 4wd truck! With winter setting in, @Tweety Bird and I will be home more! Cancer-wise wise I'm doing well, 1.5 years clean of cancer.

Beast made the 500k milestone

Now Beast is going to require some work to get fixed up, being I've abused the old truck for a while, being short on funds during my cancer treatment. I've got a list of things I need to do, and I want to get busy with a little bit of funds to fix Beast. The crazy part is that this week is going to be off and on rain showers. I got to work in the rain. Still to this day, I do not have a shop and no dry space yet. This is another project task. Personally, @Tweety Bird and I are attempting to unpack the garage of @Tweety Bird stuff so I can have dry space to work on the vehicles to keep them running.

• Front axle wheel joints

• New tires (245/ 75 R16)

• Fix the hydraulic leak (power steering)

• Fix my transmission temp gauge

• Properly install my dash camera

• Install my upgraded high idle kit from DAP

• Front and rear main seals of the crank

• Replace the dash top and dash bezel

• Repair my driver's seat edge (torn)

• Replace the rear bumper (crushed on the passenger side)

• Repair the body damage on the rear passenger side (dummy me hit a dumpster backing up one night)

• Fisher V-Plow snow blade for Beast (since the landslide destroyed my ATV and plow blade)

Good grief, that’s a heck of a to-do list. I was using a pop up canopy to keep the sun off my back while my truck was down. Could save you from some rain if you can’t get in your shop.

Thanks. I need to do the wheel joint super bad right now, the passenger side shaft is starting to wobble in the axle tube. Yeah, super good on the bearings and seals.

4 minutes ago, Sycostang67 said:

Good grief, that’s a heck of a to-do list.

Yeah, I know, but when you've been living off of 3 figures (small), you can't afford to buy much at times for repairs. Most of this was supposed to be done last year when I was shutting down the shop to the public for the winter, then CANCER for 2023 Christmas, and blew the entire priority list, and all went on hold. Then, toss in the mudslide and no tools for over 4 months, and trying to do even a brake job on the rear axle was super difficult without proper sockets or tools. Most of my funds went ot keeping me alive with food and fuel to make my chemo treatments. Everything stopped for Beast and Thor.

I want to focus strictly on the website from here on out. I want to return to what I enjoy doing, even if it's just website work. I'm fine with that. Just yesterday's attempt at getting Thor's injectors out has me hurting pretty good in my lower back and hips. Yeah, I've lost a lot of strength from being laid up, and my ability to work for long hours is over. I cannot do 8 to 10-hour days any longer. 3-4 hours is pushing it. I cheat at times at get friends like Mark Hall to do some of the grunt work, pulling tires and heavy stuff to keep me safe. If I to lean over the front radiator support is hard on me because of my stoma location, and so easy to puncture my ostomy bag, which I did last week. Yeah to start walking around and wonder why your right pant leg is getting wet. Ugh!

Being I lost the ATV in the landslide, we opted to keep me in a heated cab of a pickup to plow snow from the driveway. This is why I need to do the wheel joints on Beast because after we get the plow blade hardware, Beast will be used to keep the driveway cleared this winter. I wanted to use Thor, but Thor is going to need an engine rebuild in time since it has one bad cylinder for piston rings. (Ugh!) Yeah, this is so much to do with both trucks this fall, it's insane. Just remember, I lost EVERYTHING in that landslide (tools, supplies, parts, special tools, etc.)

Then in the meantime @Tweety Bird and I are still trying to catch a break and get married yet!

Edited November 5Nov 5 by Mopar1973Man

Today I managed to get the passenger side shaft out. I ran down to Steve Crump Service Center in Riggins hoping to use his torch to cut the trunion out of the shaft. That way the cap just need to be driven through (inward) to get the caps out. The other part of this trick is the cap has been heated by the torch and the expansion of heat hopefully broke the caps free. Sadly Steve's torch was not working correctly and the cutting part of the torch not getting enough oxygen to cut I think the nozzle was plugged up partially. 

I got rained out and returned home and inside to stay warm.

Finally got a new radiator for Beast, and it's sitting in the back seat with the radiator cap. Just a matter of getting some good weather and getting the work done. Yeah, without a shop, and the weather is getting cold and wet here.

That is a long list. I know how you feel working out in the elements, it sucks. Before we moved i had a garage but nothing would fit inside, all work was done in the gravel driveway in front of the garage.

Im going to have to show off my setup. Not great but it is what it is.

Ugh. The Beast has a sticking passenger door handle, and the salt and rust have finally eaten that door handle. I was trying to free it up with oil and everything. It turned into a full cleaning, disassembly of the door latch, and power washing the latch re-oiling, and replacing the door handle which I was lucky our donor truck still had a door in the yard.

I fried my Quadzilla about a week ago jump jump-starting the truck. Another thread on that.

Then cleaned up the truck and got it ready to head towards Lewiston, ID, soon for a grocery run, we are getting low on supplies here.

I have a new toy I've not even mentioned yet but I'll start another thread for it.

Always something. I put a 5 amp fuse on my Quadzilla. Hopefully it will pop first.

Yeah... I was in a hurry and needed the truck and jumper cable to come out so I could get my wife to her appointment for her eyes. Didn't think and it blew the circuit for the cooldown timer and poof the Quadzilla had issues.

Call DAP, and Lenny took care of me, and I ordered a new Quadzilla module. ($246 Mistake)