5 Tons of Fun

[Ajax]

Oh yeah, it's finally on-

After playing the part of the grasshopper in Aesop's fable, it's time to get to work. I've obtained a 2-ton, low-profile, heavy transmission jack and a 2-ton engine hoist. I need to check the size of the transfer case mounting bolts and ensure that I have matching wrench and socket. I have a 20-ton, air over hydraulic jack to nudge the truck up enough to slip the transfer case out and back in again.

Best of all- I have a ringer. A local guy who works on vintage, large fire trucks and some military vehicles saw my truck and left his contact info with my wife. He's excited to help me on Sunday for pizza and beer.

I'll spend the rest of this week and Saturday doing prep work such as cutting wood dunnage for lifting the truck and rolling surfaces out of heavy ply for the transmission jack and engine hoist. Then, I want to get under the truck and disconnect the jack shaft, drive shafts, air supply lines, shift linkage and speedometer cable. All that stuff is normal sized tools, which I have. That should leave nothing to do on Sunday except unbolt the old transfer case, remove it, and swap the new transfer case into its place.

If all goes smoothly, it's possible that I might make the test drive on Sunday afternoon.

[SemiSalt]

https://youtu.be/DN5pjATHCa0

Truck news from Michigan.

[Ajax]

Starting Friday and Saturday, I took the truck apart.

- jackshaft and driveshafts removed
- air shift connections disconnected
- speedo cable disconnected
- parking brake disconnected
- shift linkage disconnected
- seat and transmission tunnel removed
- drained the fluid
- relocating the new transfer case in its steel container from the garage, out to the driveway next to the truck. This took a couple of hours, figuring out safe hoisting chain loads and bolts and attachment points.

Sunday:

A local fellow, who is a heavy truck mechanic offered to help me. He came over and we carefully fit the transmission jack under the transfer case, strapped it down. I had concerns about the center of gravity and whether it would topple forward on the jack once the mounting bolts were removed. After some discussion and examination, we determined it was safe to proceed. The transfer case weighs nearly 800lbs.

We removed the bolts and the transfer case came down smoothly and without drama. I jacked up the passenger side of the truck with my 20 ton jack but the transfer wouldn't fit out the passenger wheel well as the Army tech manual indicated because my jack was 6 inches higher. We ended up removing the toolbox on the passenger side of the truck to slide it out the passenger side. No big deal.

Next, we used the 2-ton engine hoist to lift the new transfer out of the steel shipping can. Using a 2-ton floor jack, we carefully slid the shipping can out from under the new transfer. We lowered the transfer down to the ground on wood blocks.

Then things went wrong. I spent so much time freaking out and planning the safe removal of the 800 lb. transfer case so that no one would get hurt, that I totally underestimated the shipping container. It turns out that the just the empty lower half of the shipping container weighs 350 lbs. As we were dragging it clear of the work area on the floor jack, I felt it land on my toe. I freaked out and tried lift the whole thing from an extended position with only my right arm. I felt and heard a series of pops and tears in my bicep. Saved my toe but tore up my arm. I should have let it break my toe.

After a lot of ice and Ibuprofin, I'm ok but in no position to lift anything with my right arm for awhile. We didn't get the new transfer case mounted in the truck. I'll have to wait a week at least.
In any case, everything is staged and ready to go. It'll take 30-60 minutes to raise the new transfer into position, align all the bolt holes and torque it down. Reconnecting everything after that, is gravy.

In old Loony Toons cartoons, sometimes a sign pops up that asks "Is this trip really necessary?" I've been silently wondering if my diagnosis was incorrect and that maybe I was replacing the transfer for nothing. Not so. Once removed from the truck, I grabbed the outputs and gave them a good shake. The bearings are shot and they have a gross amount of play. The case is supposed to hold 2 GALLONS of gear oil. When I drained it, I got maybe 3/4 of a gallon of weak, water contaminated, muddy fluid. The magnetic drain plug had a baby fist sized wad of metal shavings stuck to it.

Anywho, we're near completion, limited only by my boo-boo. It'll be back on the road soon.

The first mission- Load up 2 tons of pellet fuel for my winter stove.

[kimbottles]

Oh no! Please heal up quickly Rich.

[Audrey]

Rich, sorry to hear about the arm. I'm not jealous of the heavy metal, I dropped a T56 on my shoulder once b/c I'm an idiot. I can't imagine working with industrial size equipment in a driveway.

[Ajax]

Rich, sorry to hear about the arm. I'm not jealous of the heavy metal, I dropped a T56 on my shoulder once b/c I'm an idiot. I can't imagine working with industrial size equipment in a driveway.

LOL...no doubt you're looking at the drag marks on the driveway concrete near the engine hoist. Yeah, shit is heavy. Fun fact: The walkway from the garage to the driveway is 2 inches too narrow for the engine hoist legs. The casters kept dropping off into the grass. I had to use plywood to widen the walkway a bit.

I dropped the DeLorean's transmission on my chest when I removed it, many years ago. Luckily it was only a few inches.

[Benno von Humpback]

Hey, Rich. Make as sure as you can that biceps (or brachioradialis) tendon is good to go before straining it again. You really don’t want it to tear completely and have to live in a sling for weeks after surgery.

Sadly, I think you’re right about the toe.

Heal fast!

[BeauV]

Sorry to hear about your arm! Bummer. I pinned myself to the floor with the auto transmission from a mustang once, couldn’t get my arms under it with enough angle to lift it. 30 minutes later my Dad came looking for me and dragged it away.

Why do we do these things?? Because we’re guys. Women never get stuck under a transmission. They’re too bright for that.

[Ajax]

Hey, Rich. Make as sure as you can that biceps (or brachioradialis) tendon is good to go before straining it again. You really don’t want it to tear completely and have to live in a sling for weeks after surgery.

Sadly, I think you’re right about the toe.

Heal fast!

Right, I'm taking it easy. Went to the doctor for evaluation yesterday. She said we did right by applying ice and Ibuprofin right away. It doesn't really hurt at all now while at rest, which is deceptive. I grab a door handle to pull open a heavy SCIF door at work and I'm sucking air through my teeth. I'll be careful.

Yesterday, I swapped over the speedometer drive from the old transfer case and removed the air hoses for the sprague (clutch overrun that engages the front axle). The air hoses are dried and cracked so I'm having them replicated.

[Benno von Humpback]

Hey, Rich. Make as sure as you can that biceps (or brachioradialis) tendon is good to go before straining it again. You really don’t want it to tear completely and have to live in a sling for weeks after surgery.

Sadly, I think you’re right about the toe.

Heal fast!

Right, I'm taking it easy. Went to the doctor for evaluation yesterday. She said we did right by applying ice and Ibuprofin right away. It doesn't really hurt at all now while at rest, which is deceptive. I grab a door handle to pull open a heavy SCIF door at work and I'm sucking air through my teeth. I'll be careful.

Yesterday, I swapped over the speedometer drive from the old transfer case and removed the air hoses for the sprague (clutch overrun that engages the front axle). The air hoses are dried and cracked so I'm having them replicated.

Just to scare you a little, a friend of mine tore his biceps tendon right off grinding a stupid winch.

[Ajax]

Hey, Rich. Make as sure as you can that biceps (or brachioradialis) tendon is good to go before straining it again. You really don’t want it to tear completely and have to live in a sling for weeks after surgery.

Sadly, I think you’re right about the toe.

Heal fast!

Right, I'm taking it easy. Went to the doctor for evaluation yesterday. She said we did right by applying ice and Ibuprofin right away. It doesn't really hurt at all now while at rest, which is deceptive. I grab a door handle to pull open a heavy SCIF door at work and I'm sucking air through my teeth. I'll be careful.

Yesterday, I swapped over the speedometer drive from the old transfer case and removed the air hoses for the sprague (clutch overrun that engages the front axle). The air hoses are dried and cracked so I'm having them replicated.

Just to scare you a little, a friend of mine tore his biceps tendon right off grinding a stupid winch.

Eww. I am definitely hitting the gym this fall/winter so that I'm in better shape to sail to New England next year.

[Benno von Humpback]

Hey, Rich. Make as sure as you can that biceps (or brachioradialis) tendon is good to go before straining it again. You really don’t want it to tear completely and have to live in a sling for weeks after surgery.

Sadly, I think you’re right about the toe.

Heal fast!

Right, I'm taking it easy. Went to the doctor for evaluation yesterday. She said we did right by applying ice and Ibuprofin right away. It doesn't really hurt at all now while at rest, which is deceptive. I grab a door handle to pull open a heavy SCIF door at work and I'm sucking air through my teeth. I'll be careful.

Yesterday, I swapped over the speedometer drive from the old transfer case and removed the air hoses for the sprague (clutch overrun that engages the front axle). The air hoses are dried and cracked so I'm having them replicated.

Just to scare you a little, a friend of mine tore his biceps tendon right off grinding a stupid winch.

Eww. I am definitely hitting the gym this fall/winter so that I'm in better shape to sail to New England next year.

Not sure it’s a matter of shape. This guy is very fit. Maybe it’s having a nervous system that can overdrive the skeletal elements.

[Audrey]

Why do we do these things?? Because we’re guys. Women never get stuck under a transmission. They’re too bright for that.

Very true, my mom, not an hour earlier said "wait for your father to get home to help you". But I was 20 years old, 10' tall, and bullet proof. Gravity didn't seem to care about any of that...

[LarryHoward]

Hey, Rich. Make as sure as you can that biceps (or brachioradialis) tendon is good to go before straining it again. You really don’t want it to tear completely and have to live in a sling for weeks after surgery.

Sadly, I think you’re right about the toe.

Heal fast!

Right, I'm taking it easy. Went to the doctor for evaluation yesterday. She said we did right by applying ice and Ibuprofin right away. It doesn't really hurt at all now while at rest, which is deceptive. I grab a door handle to pull open a heavy SCIF door at work and I'm sucking air through my teeth. I'll be careful.

Yesterday, I swapped over the speedometer drive from the old transfer case and removed the air hoses for the sprague (clutch overrun that engages the front axle). The air hoses are dried and cracked so I'm having them replicated.

Just to scare you a little, a friend of mine tore his biceps tendon right off grinding a stupid winch.

Eww. I am definitely hitting the gym this fall/winter so that I'm in better shape to sail to New England next year.

Not sure it’s a matter of shape. This guy is very fit. Maybe it’s having a nervous system that can overdrive the skeletal elements.

Agree. Had an associate who was a competitive lifter. Damn near muscle bound. He was gassing up his HD and it started to fall over. He reflexively tried to grab it with a free hand and tore his tendon off. Gravity....its the law.

[Ajax]

Larry, this really sounds like what happened to me. Stupid reflexes.

[Ajax]

Ok, I have cautiously transferred the old transfer off of the jack and the new unit is securely mounted to the jack.
I installed new air hoses for the air-shift sprag.

Last week's assistant is not available this weekend. My daughters are bringing their husband/boyfriend over to assist. I'm hoping that two, skinny-jean wearing hipster-millennial boys equal at least 3/4 of a standar issue, human male. All I need them to do is help me (smoothly) wheel the transmission under the truck so that I don't strain my arm. After that, they just need to standby on 911 while I jack it into position and insert the bolts. The rear driveshaft is heavy as hell. I might have them help me position that as well, but it's not strictly necessary.

I'm hoping to perform tests and a test drive Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

[kdh]

Ok, I have cautiously transferred the old transfer off of the jack and the new unit is securely mounted to the jack.
I installed new air hoses for the air-shift sprag.

Last week's assistant is not available this weekend. My daughters are bringing their husband/boyfriend over to assist. I'm hoping that two, skinny-jean wearing hipster-millennial boys equal at least 3/4 of a standar issue, human male. All I need them to do is help me (smoothly) wheel the transmission under the truck so that I don't strain my arm. After that, they just need to standby on 911 while I jack it into position and insert the bolts. The rear driveshaft is heavy as hell. I might have them help me position that as well, but it's not strictly necessary.

I'm hoping to perform tests and a test drive Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

As long as the millenials aren't sporting man buns I think there is a small hope of this working out.

[Rob McAlpine]

I just literally blew my 2nd cup of coffee through my nose. That's some funny shit, right there.

[Ajax]

No man-buns but a lot of hair product and skinny jeans. One of them works on itty-bitty Japanese cars like MR-2's and such, so he should recognize a wrench but he will be boggled by the sizes and likely confused by the Imperial measurements. The other one is an IT nerd that holds a Certified Ethical Hacker certification. He knows which cap to remove to add gasoline to his car.

Oh- my 600 ft.lb. Snap-On torque wrench arrived yesterday.

[Audrey]

Oh- my 600 ft.lb. Snap-On torque wrench arrived yesterday.

good gawd, did you have to sell a kidney to get that? Or just take out a 2nd mortgage?

[TheOffice]

Oh- my 600 ft.lb. Snap-On torque wrench arrived yesterday.

well, if I ever need to torque my keel bolts I know who to call! 3/4 drive?

[Ajax]

Oh- my 600 ft.lb. Snap-On torque wrench arrived yesterday.

good gawd, did you have to sell a kidney to get that? Or just take out a 2nd mortgage?

eBay! $75.00. I'll take it to a Snap-On truck to have the calibration checked. If it's close, I'll use it as-is. If it's way off, I'll send it off for calibration. Either way, it's cheaper than buying it brand-new.

[Audrey]

wow, that's a steal.

[Benno von Humpback]

Oh- my 600 ft.lb. Snap-On torque wrench arrived yesterday.

good gawd, did you have to sell a kidney to get that? Or just take out a 2nd mortgage?

eBay! $75.00. I'll take it to a Snap-On truck to have the calibration checked. If it's close, I'll use it as-is. If it's way off, I'll send it off for calibration. Either way, it's cheaper than buying it brand-new.

So, it’s a clicker? Please post a pic! Also want to borrow for keel bolts (while it’s still calibrated ).

[Audrey]

Do you have a tq spec on the boats Benno?

[Benno von Humpback]

Do you have a tq spec on the boats Benno?

No, but can find.

[Ajax]

It's a dial, not a clicker.

Repairs complete. Truck moved fine in the driveway. Real test drive is tomorrow.

[Ajax]

Ok, test drive successful.

Drove around the end of the peninsula, ran through all gears in high and low range. No groans or howls from any bearings. If anything, the driveline noise is a bit quieter because the old transfer made noises like gravel in a cement mixer. I noted that the old unit had not tags on it whatsoever. This means it was probably original, so 46 years old.

The new transfer was rebuilt at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania in 1994. It's sat on a shelf ever since. Even properly sealed and preserved, the workings were stiff and the sprag cylinder was sticky. I put a little air tool oil in the air shift lines. This freed the cylinder up nicely. The transfer was very grumpy about shifting out of neutral the very first time. The more I drive it, the smoother the shifting action gets...not that I'll use 6-low very often.

I pray that this damned thing was rebuilt by an experienced sergeant or corporal on a Wednesday and not a high school drop-out private on a Monday or a Friday or worse, a student.

After all this, I can finally return to deferred routine maintenance. Stuff like- replace all belts, hoses and coolant flush. Pull the front wheels and re-pack the wheel bearings and replace the rubber boots that keep the 4 lbs.(!) of grease in and dirt out. Inspect brakes, etc.

Plenty to keep me busy this winter since the boat needs very little.

[Benno von Humpback]

Ok, test drive successful.

Drove around the end of the peninsula, ran through all gears in high and low range. No groans or howls from any bearings. If anything, the driveline noise is a bit quieter because the old transfer made noises like gravel in a cement mixer. I noted that the old unit had not tags on it whatsoever. This means it was probably original, so 46 years old.

The new transfer was rebuilt at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania in 1994. It's sat on a shelf ever since. Even properly sealed and preserved, the workings were stiff and the sprag cylinder was sticky. I put a little air tool oil in the air shift lines. This freed the cylinder up nicely. The transfer was very grumpy about shifting out of neutral the very first time. The more I drive it, the smoother the shifting action gets...not that I'll use 6-low very often.

I pray that this damned thing was rebuilt by an experienced sergeant or corporal on a Wednesday and not a high school drop-out private on a Monday or a Friday or worse, a student.

After all this, I can finally return to deferred routine maintenance. Stuff like- replace all belts, hoses and coolant flush. Pull the front wheels and re-pack the wheel bearings and replace the rubber boots that keep the 4 lbs.(!) of grease in and dirt out. Inspect brakes, etc.

Plenty to keep me busy this winter since the boat needs very little.

and glad your assumption of hopeless incompetence extends to some enlisted ranks, not just COs.

[Ajax]

No single group of people holds a monopoly on stupidity.