rancherman

ahem, it WAS worth a lot more as a saw log!!! LOL< as a firewood, I burned some a few years ago. but it takes FOREVER to season. Walnut has a high oil content, and it really slows down the drying time. Get it split and stacked, when the bark falls off, wait another year! THEN it'll take all the air your furnace can give it to burn... But the end result will give you 'near nuclear meltdown' type heat. So, to answer your question; I'd say if it's ready to burn, it should be as valuable as any of the hardwood fuels

Mystery noise found. Resolved, NO. I had to put that on the back burner until I got more important things done; Calving and planting... Other than fuel economy going in the tank while loaded, truck runs too good for me to think it's a major problem. After getting it buttoned up (intake and all piping) the noise is not heard. Engine doesn't miss, has good power for a stocker, and gets 18-19 mph (overhead console) unloaded @ 60-65 mph. I put a stethoscope in the intake and narrowed down the psssh... it's either #1 or #2 intake. Now that I've got some miles on it, I should take off the intake elbow and crank it again and see if it's still doing it...

As quick as it takes to remove the radiator, I'd sure remove it and really get it clean. You'll also have good access to clean the condenser and exchanger too... I just did my '00 this way, and it went to running the fan clutch all the time (before cleaning) to only hearing the fan clutch come on occasionally. I had plenty of gunk on both sides of the radiator, (grass seeds and bugs on front, blowby/dust/gunk on the backside) I soaked it in a heavy solution of simple green overnight (shallow pan so no soap would get into the core) then power washed the snot out of it. I really felt the difference in amount of air flowing even at idle! Moparman has had decent luck by shooting water through the fins and letting the fan do the rest. He doesn't have the oil gunk problem though... check out his modification on breather tube http://articles.mopar1973man.com/2nd-generation-24v-dodge-cummins/26-engine-systems/46-engine-what-happens-if-you-keep-the-stock-crankcase-vent

Got home last night from Independence Kansas. 1000 miles round trip. Took the '00 and the 24' flat deck to pick up a Vermeer round baler. I gotta say, I REALLY lucked out, dodging wave after wave of storms! Man, what a sticky hot trip..(didn't get the AC going yet) :banghead: Running empty, and bucking a 30 mph head wind down... I got about 13-14 mpg, running 65-70. Didn't fare near as well coming home.. I did have a little help with a tail wind, but that not-too-aerodynamic baler which weighs 7500# plus the trailer ~5500 kept me in the sub 10's for the return run. I ran about 60-65 max in 5th. Saw my FIRST armadillo! even though it was road kill... Fuel prices ranged from $3.76 - 3.89, but it was a constant 10-15 cents less than gasoline. Burned up 5 quarts of wally blue, I was pouring a quart into the tank when a older trucker walked past me and said: 'good idea'. LOL Other than having a trailer dual de laminate (loaded of course) and the realization that I forgot to make dang sure that I had the wrench to remove that tire It was a pretty uneventful trip. Saw some very impressive storm clouds, drove through some heavy downpours, (got most of my Nebraska mud removed) and pretty much decided to GET THAT AIR CONDITIONING FIXED ASAP!

You are correct on Mickey D's. Besides a 40 year old advertising campaign, (which was/still is very effective) They were no dummies on keeping track of their costs... which mean they only buy inputs from the cheapest places... which mean outside countries too. This is why the McRib is only available occasionally. We see that sandwich ONLY when pork prices (to the farmer) are DIRT CHEAP. There are not many USA farmers and ranchers ( me included ) who frequent their establishment... As for the buffalo, It is a unique chunk of meat. very fine textured, very low in fat. Some people really like it!.... I don't know if I'd want a whole freezer full of it! But there is a niche market for it. If we can't get this COOL implemented, there are already many many rancher/farmers "private labeling' their product, which will at least give the end consumer some satisfaction of WHERE their meat and other food came from!

This is just ONE reason I am a staunch supporter of COOL. Cool is Country Of Origin Label. Ever since NAFTA, most consumers have no idea where their Mcburger came from. As long as it was produced in 'america'... which could be north, south or central America.. China is supposedly is going ahead with their 'fabricated lamb meat'. You guys really really don't want to know what varmit is ground up and added to corn gluten to make this conglomeration of 'meat'. It amazes me that our own Senators and Congressmen refuse to make it mandatory of WHERE our meat or any food originates!!! Gee Whiz, I sure feel good when I buy a widget with the familiar USA ol Glory on the box, why can't these knuckle heads feel the same about what goes into our stomachs? Food, as it turns out, is almost as 'political' as crude oil...

get an extended valve stem cap remover, and a long stemmed air chuck. in a pinch, a piece of 3/8ths rubber hose might have enough 'bite' to remove the cap... I run treadwrights on the dually, and am running 65-80 (unloaded-loaded).. I had my 5 yo daughter take all my caps off until I got the cap remover. Ahem, make dang sure you line-up the valve stems when you install new tires! It's not very fun when the inner valve stem is directly under the outer's spoke!

I replaced the condenser in the '00 couple of weeks ago, (the one that looked extremely suspect after the deer strike). Finally getting around to pulling it down and recharging, hopefully this weekend. The system wasn't totally discharged, but I replaced it anyway. What is the rule of thumb for when a particular component is replaced for amount of oil to replenish? Thanks

^^^^^ ^^^^^

I've seen those too, precast companies will take a large septic tank type structures, and the lid is 'user' accessible. for the ground water issue, I'd just bury it just far enough to keep it above 'normal' wet level..... then COVER it with a mound of dirt. ( that way, the access hole is more of a walk-in, not a 'fall-in') That mound will give the kids something to sled off of in the winter too Then, God forbid, if there is a total demolition of your property, that 'mound' will be a dead giveaway to the S and R guys as to your possible whereabouts!

Thinking back, the one 'job' I really don't like is "sitting down at the dinner table". To all you bachelors: Find Yourselves a gal who can cook. ( or learn how/ make time/hire it done).... No 'job', no matter how big, disgusting, dirty, dangerous, expensive, compares to my wife's cooking.

my tailgate is the ONLY thing worth a crap (behind the cab) BTW..... WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE BLUE BARS RUNNING DOWN TO THE AXLE??? - - - Updated - - - Or better yet... get the hydro kit, and haul 2 at the same time! (one on the bed, the other hanging on for dear life out the back) makes for squirrely driving! Around here this winter, hay was 'disappearing' from our fields.... and there was ALWAYS a set of dually tracks right up to the hay piles..:banghead: Sheriff said too many people in the county have them to make any attempt to nab the culprit.. pretty easy to 'make' 4-500 bucks in one pass! Crime pays in my neck of the woods..

Bradford built is pretty common around here! Whatcha going to do with the old bed??:whistle: (I have finished up a 100k mile 'experiment' with running a box w/o a tailgate)

Now check to see if you have 12 volts at the clutch even after it clicks off. You might have a dying coil pack that 'opens' soon after energized. Or you might have too much or not enough pressure in the system, and as soon as the compressor turns on, one of your pressure switches is 'doing its' job'

I just send a tweet to the weatherchannel... I am getting pretty pissed off about all the hours they allocate to the 'chasing of tornadoes' (even ones from years ago) during prime time broadcast! Weather is CURRENT activity... not HISTORY. Last night was a prime example: We are all huddled down in our bunker, and all they were broadcasting was those 2 doofusses in Kansas showing a twister form and some pretty lightning.... They have romanticized this storm chasing far too much! People need more visual warning, more radar updates... NOT crap that happened 24 hours ago, and especially something that happened years ago~ I got a heck of a situation here, all my internet, and tv is satellite.. guess what happens when a heavy cloud is over me? poof. All I got for info is the last images of a bad storm that hit some poor guy 3 years ago! I swear, these 'weather chasers' are sure TRYING to get sucked up and whisked away! years ago, most normal people would take shelter... nowadays, everybody is out like a bunch of turkeys staring at the skies! OH, LOL, btw, 'no, I don't know of anyone personally going for a ride!" But I've had cattle end up a mile or two away.. (did they get vacuumed up, or did they run away)

recapped tires need to be higher psi. they can't take the heat a 'flexing' tire produces. So, when I am unloaded, 55-60 works fine for daily driver short haul type stuff, but soon as the stock trailer is attached, I'll run 70-80, ESPECIALLY running longer distances. HEAT is not our friend here! Oh, btw, I've never had a balance issue either, Treadwright guarantees em to within 1 oz.

I truly believe the 'more expensive' the tire, the 'lighter footed' a person will be, at least the first year! Your mileage may vary... Here's another 'trick'.. Put 4 new tires on.. (the steering, and INSIDE duals). Then, when needed, buy 2 new fronts, and rotate those to the rear. I did this a month ago, and the truck really handles quite well! I don't have the pure steam roller effect while unloaded, it's not quite the white knuckle ride in wet weather.. (hydroplaning)... although it takes rain to make that possible My guess the worn outer tires are a tad shorter than the inside new ones, and full road contact is minimal unloaded. So, doing the math, I'll put new fronts on each fall, and rotate the old fronts back to the rear axle..... approx. 40-50 k per tire I need new ball joints so I didn't get my usual front/rear swap. Now, my question running 2 odd tires, (same tire, same size, just worn) is how well they will rotate with each other when one has a circumference of maybe 3 inches difference and the truck is fully loaded???

I've run about 40-50k on mine, but you have to remember, I'm STUCK 50% of the time, or trying to get out. I've used up about 4 sets by now. My situation is 'a sharp stick, or piece of buried iron' will KILL these tires just as fast as a $275 tire! I am a cheapskate. When you get yours, you will see a big warning label that says KEEP THESE TIRES AIRED UP! They mean it too. I run 80 lbs in the dually. and 65 in the 2500. Most of my carcasses have been bf Goodrich all terrain, but the recent ones I put on the 3500 are Michelins. I had one start to delaminate, about 1000 miles in, and they replaced it. All they wanted was a couple of pics. (bubble on the tread). They claim they use the same rubber compound as what big rigs use. They get most of their carcasses from big fleet ( delivery truck fleets ) that don't necessarly buzz them down to the nub before they sell them to Treadwright. This year, they changed their policy on what carcasses a person can specify. They will make sure that your order has all the same.

Rule # 1: NEVER WASH A HOT ENGINE. Warm is ok. Try to avoid the rubber hoses, fan belt, and electrical connectors with the pressure gun. I have a 4000 psi pressure washer that has done damage!

Shane, I just did a vp44 change out about 3 weeks ago... and my engine was a real greaseball too. My radiator was all but plugged on the backside with dust and oil. An oil leak towards the front of the engine is a bugger to locate.. dang fan really does weird things to leaking fluids. I got a vacuum pump seal kit, a tube of 'the right stuff: by Permatex' and a front crank seal. At the time, I didn't know what was leaking, and wanted all possible 'fixes' on hand when I tore into it. My truck had a really bad front crank seal. I got a fel-pro front crank seal and used 'the right stuff' on the front cover. There is NO gasket on that cover, and I put a nice even layer on both surfaces, and just ran up the bolts not quite snug.. an hour later I went ahead and cinched them down. I didn't need the vacuum seal kit, so I have that on hand WHEN NEEDED. Been dry as a bone for 3 weeks now.

where did you snag those?

I found out the hard way 30 years ago... That CamII racing fuel, 110 octane(leftover from the racing season) doesn't belong in lawn and garden equip! My ol Briggs had a blue flame a foot long out the pipe, and the exhaust valve pretty much vaporized... - - - Updated - - - Beware of 'recent' takeout engine listed on ebay... Although, my dumbass son in law pumped a bunch of gasoline (ethanol) in his '06. After he realized it, he siphoned all he could and refilled with the right stuff. He saw the green handle on the pump and had a brain fart.

LOL< that explains why my new pump came from Illinois, NOT Utah! Which worked out for me great, saved a day on shipping! Why does it take twice as long to ship to Nebraska from the west coast, as it does from the east? :shrug: - - - Updated - - - LOL< that explains why my new pump came from Illinois, NOT Utah! Which worked out for me great, saved a day on shipping! Why does it take twice as long to ship to Nebraska from the west coast, as it does from the east? :shrug:

I wonder if that 40 is ALL advance.. or if maybe part of it is actually retarded, say 10 degrees retard and 30 advance. 40 total. Still, 30 would even be quite a bit! Thanks ISX - - - Updated - - - I've never heard of pump timing based off of 'cam degrees'. Crank only.