rancherman

When the cameraman focused on his bike 3 times... I wondered if he was calculating a 'quick escape'..The ultimate recycling project? I hope my ranch truck doesn't turn out this way!:lmao:Good find ISX! thanks

wind, apparently, isn't a big deal in your neck of the woods! That is the most perfect bed of leaves I've ever seen! 2 weeks ago our nice little 'blow'... made a lot of things disappear! Still missing a couple of dogs and cats..:lol:mike, how close does the river get to your porch when the snow melts?

Your last 3 words in that post ^^^ 'summed up' exactly what I stumbled through trying to say in my OP! Nice recap! Opening day here, and the hunters are driving around by the hundreds.... and It's foggy as hell. I wonder If I need to put away my Antler Hat for a couple weeks?

That post was a 'outburst' (like turettes' syndrome) I get "online"!! no, no reference to your post, but more of a common problem in many many diesel forums... ford and chev included. You sure caught the 'gas mileage' thing quickly too! My whole post was a sarcastic blurb about a common thing called: "not knowing that it takes fuel to have fun" or, "if you gonna play, you gotta pay!" I think it's totally cool to take a 7000 pound vehicle and blast down the quarter mile... or yank a 20000# trailer up a mountain pass at 70 mph... I also realize it's gonna take fuel to do it too! .....perhaps a little 'self control' would help a lot of the guys suffering from 'poor fuel efficiency'..... I am suffering right now from TMI, TLT! The past month or so I've been scouring all the info I'll need to progress on this winter's project. For me, a simple cowboy... It's been a whirlwind!! So, no, my original 'spew' wasn't aimed towards anyone, just an observation of "lack of general physics laws" which are easy to spot 'online'!

hmmm.. An engine with potential for 600+ horse, swinging 33+ inch rubber, sitting 4-5 inches taller in the wind than stock.... and whining because of the "junk" transmission's (clutch won't hold) *U sure your park brake isn't dragging?*I had to laugh out loud.

is that the 'silencer ring' thing I've read about? one has a smooth transition, the other has that notch.Quite an observation.... targeting which trucks will have better 'spoils'!! ahem... was that sarcasm, or truth?(rice burners are quite rare around here!)

What is your pcm going to do when it can't 'talk' to the vp44? Or is it 'ecm' only?Im going the other direction with my swap... putting a 98 engine, 2002 nv5600, in my '94. All wiring, computer, and dash will stay with the engine.LOL, when I am done, about the only thing that is 1994 will be the ViN!

I've been saying for years, "If polititians actually 'fixed' something, they would not be needed very long!! The great DC 'perpetual motion' machine just keeps gaining momentum.

everything under the sun can be fixed here! Should start a new "Sticky" "Where to buy bulk K-Y"

I am reminded of a saying, Albert Einstein?" Idiocy is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. "methinks GOP (which i've been supporting my whole life) needs to look at their management. And find/promote the right candidates. Never have I been so conflicted at the poll as to NOT vote for either!I swear, those 'in charge' these days just seem to 'pass the buck' on accountability.. listening to the Republican stratigists last night recount what happened, and all I heard was "we need to do this next time""we should of done this or that""WE will learn from this"Cripes, didn't "WE" learn anything last time???? ummm hey guys, who exactly are you "we" guys?? seems like you have a pretty cushy job.. maybe you should look at YOUR performance first! :banghead::banghead: Frickin politics as usual :banghead::banghead:

score! just down the road I found a 2003 nv5600, it was pulled because of a front input shaft leak. It's not locked up, and supposedly has less than 150k miles. Missing the shift tower and clutch fork/pushrod/slave...gave 600 for it, and will get it pulled apart to see whats what. it's least worth 1000 as a core for a possible future trade.It does have the large input shaft, and is the 4x4 version.If the case is ok, I'll go ahead and rebuild this unit. I'm thinking at least a bearing set, and syncros will use the cherry picker to snag it out of the back of the 3500!

when I see a puff-puff-puff.... I get suspicious of one or two bad cylinders. Something probably broke/collapsed.... it wont take long before you are not moving.A steady stream seems to be more of an even type of wear. All engines have blow by, and it's hard to get a handle on how much is too much without a meter. Lots of people will get too excited when they see a little vapor... Because most engines today route the blow by back to the intake manifold. (thanks to EPA) Ours does not, and it's there for all to see! When I see the amount of blowby that increases with engine rpm (under load) I get a little worried. Especially when the oil pan is ballooned out!! If it stays about the same no matter what the load/speed, I am good with that. (which is hard to see while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle) good to hear you give it time to warm up a little. Keep on running it the way you want... I only 'pushed' that engine of mine on it's original break in period.If you have rings that just need to adjust to your style of driving or type of oil, time and miles should take care of that.Don't sweat the extra quart or two over a year's time.... I have a couple of tractors/combines that take a gallon a day to keep em topped off!

have compiled a couple days searches on manual gearbox "pros and cons"(searching for the best transmission scenario for my Ranch Project).Of course, most things on the 'net will state 'badness' first. No one hardly starts a thread on the good stuff!pretty much decided to go with a 6 speed... just for the more evenly spaced shifts.1. Nv5600.... prone to heat/lack of oiling/burning up.... and lack of parts. There are some things to improve oiling. 2. G56.... prone to breakage. But from what I've read, not prone to 'eating itself' alive.Is it safe to assume, when reading most of the posts on the g56, that these trans are breaking from the tons of burnouts, drag races....etc etc?? (especially with all the 500-1000 hp rigs out there???) 3. Fuller FSO6406a 6 speed syncronized... sigh, yes, it's possible.... but no slick way to marry a TC to the back. Divorced is a possibility. (wife agrees too!) Guy in New Mexico is working that problem.. (Chansey @ CF) but probably not in time for my winter project.I guess if a fresh rebuilt 5600 falls in my lap for less than 2K (highly unlikely) I'd rather buy a core and build it myself, and KNOW what's inside!2K or less for a low mileage G56 is pretty easy to come by around here. ( and parts are still available for now)I have a couple leads on 'cheap' (needing work) 5600's, but need to explore what is needed first! New parts add up fast! It's hard for me to mentally wrap my head around an aluminum case...

New owner means POSSIBLE different brand/type of oil????I seen this a lot. rings are all nice and sealed up.... poof. NEW owner! Change of oil. synthetic to crude oil base... or vice versa. or different type of detergent in oil. Rings are suddenly 'unpacked'. Or a possible change in driving habits. New owner is pushing the engine to higher rpm from the way the previous guy drove it. Rings suddenly are now going into a 'new area' not seen before.The good news, is.... either will settle down with miles. Your situation is a little more severe.Or, I've said this before.... I seen too many automotive diesels just fired up, and raced away! YA gotta give em a little time to warm up!Or, previous owner cooked the rings.... and promptly sold it to you. are there any 'new' radiator hoses recently installed? signs of coolant leaks?If you are blowing crank seals, pushing dipstick out the tube... umm... You already know it's too much.You getting a puff-puff-puff... from breather tube? or is it a steady flow?I had a diesel years ago that took a lot to get the rings seated after rebuild. Had to work it's nuts off, but It came around! Been perfect ever since. When I see a grocery getter Cummins... I wonder if those engines EVER got broke in?

you have a combination of 2 things... a bar that is wallowed out.. and one side either dulled a little on one side *kissed the ground, imbedded hardware, or other foreign bodies. Or it was sharpened unevenly: makes one side shorter and the taller side does all the work.If your bar was really in good or new condition, it would cut about an inch, then act like it was stuck (chain would still be turning.... but with a little jiggling, it would drop another inch or so. With a worn bar, it allows the chain to "follow it's own kerf" and that is the first sign that your chain is not right. Mike is right on the dust... if you are cutting in no wind, your chips will actually fall in 2 distinct piles. The dull side will be noticably fine, and the sharp side will be nice long curly chips.I don't worry too much about worn bars, But when it's really bad.. I take it to town and have it remachined.They basically squeeze the groove down a little, and re machine it to spec. costs about 40 bucks. I'll rebuild a bar 1 time. I only use Stihl bars... It's a PITA, but I flip the bar every other tank of fuel. I try to cut 25-30 loads of oak and elm during the season. (I only cut during the winter.... summer heat kills saws!)

I been keeping warm for 15 years now with a Stihl 039 Has the 23 inch bar.It's a little big for general clean up type work and de limbing... But it's well balanced and I like a larger saw.I sure would like to see the pile of wood that thing has produced over the years!This saw is old enough, parts were made in Germany, and final assembly was in USA. I wonder these days if Stihl jumped on the asian rickshaw route?

have a neighbor who built a new house, and he paid a LOT of money for a very complex ground-heat-exchanger. ~60k~ Lots of electric circulation pumps, several hundred feet of underground pipe... And not even 10 years has gone by and the first pumps have failed. Control circuits have gone bad. Oh sure, not burning much fuel... (unless one of our famous ice storms knocks out the juice for a week) then has a diesel tractor running a PTO generator @ 5 gallons/hour... Our electric rates have about doubled since his installation of that contraption too.. His "break even" date might not ever be seen! "If you build it".... And the Govt says it's a good Idea....(green).... you will probably: 1. starve 2. freeze to death 3. file for bankrupcy I'll bet the contractor and supplier who shared the 60k probably burn COAL as fast as they can shovel it in!

"whipped" is right!! sheesh, There was a couple times I thought about using wife as a 'under wheel traction device'.. - - - Updated - - - I havent searched, but I'd think a auto-shutter for the front of our trucks would be a cool add-on. instead of the honeycomb, there would be a REAL METAL front, similar to a venetian blind. hook it up to electic motor and Viola' stainless, polished aluminum... body color.. hmmmm.. Or am I too late on this idea? Seen em on semi tractors years ago...

oh man, 10 sections of alfalfa... That would be pure gold these days! around here decent grass hay can command up to 300/ton... can you imagine what top notch alfalfa is bringing? Between the drought, and YELLOW GREED (corn).... forage production is in the tank here for 2012. I've heard a lot of dairies in Texas are now done; last year's lack of feed, and this year's low milk prices put the kibash on a lot of them.... I've had the notion to try a gps on one of my tractors... I haul a lot of hay home from the field with tractor/hay mover, and been wondering about 'mapping' my route home, and turning the AUTO STEER on! They claim 6 inch accuracy over 1/2 mile. I could 'sleep' on my hour long runs! (wake up when the tractor shifts to neutral and stops) hmmmmm... running 20 mph with a 30 ton load... no hands on the wheel..

ok, gotcha! :thumbup2:now I can wrap my head around that today!

been riding around in the combine today.... and thinking about these 'gps'.. (lots of ag tractors now are 'wired' for them, and guided through the field accordingly)I was wondering, lets say you travel point A... to point B. It's exactly 10 miles, point to point. (the way the crow flies) No curves. Straight.BUT, what if it's a pure roller coaster for hills up and down?? This is just a guess, but what if you have to travel 100 feet more per mile to 'cover' the actual 5280?Looking down from above, roads are easy to measure distance.. but I'd think it would be hard to measure the vertical rise and fall needed to the overall distance.Just another question that's been bugging me today!

Mike.Not to beat this horse with a stick... could you please explain to me (or show me the math) how a larger or smaller tire (which changes calibration) ISN'T a linear differential?I must be 'missing' something!Teach us OB-1

our 2000 Ram 3500 dually 4X4 USED to get 18-20 mpg (according to the display) on pure flat roads, no wind, and 55-60. (empty) I don't know if that is close to actual or not, but it's sure less than it used to be.Last week when I pulled that '98 home on the flatbed, 8-9 was all I could manage... and had a 45mph tailwind to boot. Even without a trailer, it's difficult to find 16+mpg lately.3.55 gear, stock tires, running 5th gear @ 55mph, I'll get 8-9mpg.. and 6th gear @60-65mph will knock off 10-11 mpg No white smoke @startup....just a light puff of black. Heading out the door right now to implement a IAT cleansing! I have wondered though, if it's puking that much fuel.... why is the exaust so clean?? I would think at 8 mpg.... there would be quite the smoke trail! even when 'totally in' the throttle.I'll have a report on the IAT here later tonight.. stay tuned

In the info gathering stage right now, and with last week's wind storm/snow.. will finish up harvest asap. Then I'll get serious on finding a furnace. Thanks for the link!