Bloo’s home.
And no, not done yet: piddlin’ stuff like oil change and coolant flush and, and, and, Stuff that I can take care of here at the house in the eves now that she is under her own power.
Nearly EVERY single peice of hard line is now replaced. One section only was actually any good. Brakes bled, brakes tested in a way that there wasn’t a single sleeper in the Hollar,,,,, Cripes she was LOUD.
Then return to the Da’s and start that exhaust pipe. Got under there and that down turn I mentioned didn’t look so hateful so I started making things up as I went along.
HUGE DIFFERENCE in tone. Still has that 350 rumble, but its that ‘sexy’ rumble, not an IN YOUR FACE ROAR,,,,
And oh my Dawg does this thing have a granny gear. I see now why this thing had factory original brakes on the arse end. After I had the exhaust welded in place, I brought her up the hill to the burn pile to unload all the trash that had been in her bed. She crawled up this hill in 2nd gear no issues. Coming back down, I left her in 1st and she just crept down the hill, no brakes really needed. This is a 4 speed with a granny, not a five speed. I likely won’t even start off in 1st unless on a big hill.
But I’m whooped, still need to make the store run for fresh dedkow for mamakat: should probably pick up a bite for me as well since I have been going all day on nothing but coffee,,,,
And its back to the mines tomorrow,,, MUST as this is a shortened week with the holidays.
more laters,,,
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Soooo close
Everything in place (except that truant brake cable, more on that in a minute.) and I got boned,,,
The three hard lines running from the ABS pump to the rest of the system, CHEESED!. right above the frame. ALL THREE!!! I had replaced the KNOWN bad line, and that wasn’t too hateful (Warning Will Robinson, Warning!!) and went to the rear to bleed the lines (pass rear, ds rear, pass front, Ds front: that order was what I was taught) Vacuum bleeder is suckin atmo,,, some fluid came through, really dark stuff (which was good to see actually, not that milky crap I was getting in the Clutch system.) but I could not build any vacuum,
Ok, fall back and punt, look underneath while I get Da to pump the brake good and slow. That shit was SPRAYING all over the exhaust manifold. I went to disable one line at a time to see which it was, and the whole ‘tree’ broke off in my hand. Better now than later down the road when stopping would be critical and not doable. (THOUGH>>>>>)
Brake cable,,,, Yup, I wanna replace that one that is showing its guts, but surprisingly, it WORKS. I was able to engage the P-brake after I got all the wheels on the ground and BOTH rear tires are in “STAY” mode. (thanks to brudda B for that cute illustration. Right to left peddles. “Go!” “Stop” “Clutch” and “Stay”) New shoes and springs, and everything moves the way it should, and I did the adjustment of the shoes so they ‘just’ dragged as I turned the drum. Good tight P-brake without having to cram it to the firewall.
Since I was grubby and damp (my prediction was TRUE) and had been laying in a puddle of brake fluid at one point (GROSS!!!) I came home, took the clothes I was wearing and dumped them in a 5 gallon bucket of scalding hot water and lye soap. Then ME into the shower. Those clothes get washed tomorrow during domestics, but I couldn’t stomach driving Buffalo around looking and feeling like I did. Soon as I hit publish on this, I’ma headed to go get those solid lines and I’ll do my thing TOMORROW,,, (and gonna get some danged hand cleaner this time,,,,)
I haven’t even looked at the exhaust pipe yet. Thats gonna need some fabrication done (sure do wish I had access to a TIG, but I can make do with MIG.) as there is one that needs a bend in it to make it work. Not much, but enough that a straight shot is not doable.
Assuming things go well tomorrow with the solid lines (Fingers crossed, toes crossed, and Anal retentive mode engaged) I’ll cut the exhaust pipe and make the fit-up/make notes I need to do the welding-fab. I have a pipe expander, but not a pipe shrinker, so if I need to ‘reduce’ its gonna be even more cutting/welding involved. (I seem to recall the factory pipe is NOT exactly 3″ OD. but that can be to my benefit as well. Use the expander on it to make it a slip fit to the new pipe.)
See? How can I worry about the Poly-Tick-ians when I am shoulder deep in a ‘Hicle Rebuild? I’m too bizzy!!!
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Ramblin’ man
thats how I feel like things are right now
At least when it comes to how I am getting through the days,,, No real direction defined, just a general movement towards something a wee-bit more in my control.
Control,,, T’ain’t no such thing, say the monks,,, Illusions all. LOL Yeah,,, whutchoosaid,,, (and I do understand both sides of that,,, this isn’t really control, more an “Options to be had” Trucks and tools are bad investments as they maintain the liability aspect in ownership. BUT, without them, the options narrow tightly.)
Little fill in here since I am up at 5 and nothin’ to be done till daylight comes on. I am still following my ‘new routine’ diet,,, if you want to call it that. Its not a diet in the traditional sense, but real actual method/dietary means. I am holding right at 180#, still shedding from the middle and other ‘reserve’ areas (love handles, manboobs) Lookin’ a little saggy and loose in places, as the skin doesn’t recover like it usedta in the past. I’m pushin’ the 60 mark, so such is expected I guess. I started seeing signs that I am putting some of the leaner muscle back on. Things feeling real tight under the loose sheath of skin. Seeing definition in areas that have always been on the lean side, like my calves and forearms.
SO, yah, I may ‘focus’ intently in my posts about one subject matter, but the older matters are still there. Yes, the kayaks are still here, just sitting this season out currently (I fully intend to do a newyears/solstice float, which I skipped last year for some reason) and they ain’t goin’ anywhere. Da asked if I was gonna put them up for sale when I took Lyssa off Buffalo. LOL, NO! I’m just too wrapped up in the current thing, and she doesn’t need to be exposed to highway winds if she isn’t to be used.
I even have a little winter camping session scheduled with Brudda B and Brudda J in a few weeks. Yuppers, the usual crew grew one this year. Take a couple days to listen to the REAL world and find some ground and center time.
gonna start getting light out here soon. My day is guaranteed grimey, and maybe a little damp. Not raining, but has been and I will be on the ground doing the brakes. Especially that brake line on the frame. At least BlooTwuck has good ground clearance: might be tight, but wont’ be too bad.
more laters
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Silly update: Parts and the illogical being of the USPS logistics system. I just checked on the status of my brake cable, and my jaw dropped. It started out in NewYack, went to Atlanta (major transportation hub) then onward too Knoxville TN,,, Ok,, seems sensible.
This morning, it updated again and is now in MADISON WISCONSIN,,, WTF!!!! It certainly is NOT going to make the promised date of November 20th, nor the updated promise of the November 22nd(today) And here I am getting ready to dive into these parts to get Twuck up and running. I HATE doing shit twice HATEZ IT I SAY,,,, But in this case, I am going to bite the bullet Do the one side half assed as I want this truck rolling and stopping on her own. I can go back in and pull the one side back apart to do the cable later and it wont’ take that long; it just eats at me that ONE PART can totally fubar a well executed plan, and for a serious gap in logistics logic (does the USPS even know that word?)
OK, Rant off,,,, I’m just gonna do what I gotta and ‘grin and bear it’. Rolling/stopping is far better than where she was before Hallowseve.(IE sitting/rusting)
TANSTAAFL
And anyone one with a modicum of REAL world experience knows it.
Almost all of my parts are in place. Still waiting on a couple small peices, one which should be here tomorrow. Kinda critical to getting the brakes done: the P-brake cable for the passenger side. Gotta have it to finish that side up.
Lower hose is enroute, should be monday, but that won’t slow me down for the weekend plans.
BUT, back to that TANSTAAFL point. I was going over the next month or so, looking at how due dates fall, where the holidays fit in, and PRAYING that things pick up just a wee-bit. Those bills are gonna start coming in from all the expenditures I have done the last 2 weeks and There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. I’m gonna be scrapin’ bottom more than a couple of times if hours continue their current trend. I’ll make it, but there may be a ‘minimum payment’ in there somewhere, and I hatez making bare minimum payments: Its akin to not paying at all in my book: the only thing it does is keep the creditors off your ass for a time.
BUTZ,,, I have all four tires on the Gurl now, a 10′ stick of 3″ exhaust pipe to work with, fluids to do oil change and coolant flush, oil filter, air filter, brake fluid for the repairs and bleeding the system as planned for Satyrday,,,All the brake parts save one (on its way as mentioned), Seriously, she should be road ready by next week at the lastest. Not DONE, mind you, but road ready. There are things that I need to do that will take some time and more money, but they are not things that will keep her off the ABLE STATUS for the mission. Little things like weather stripping for the lock boxes, upgrades in lighting for better visibility, front and rear. I need to figure out where her back up light wire runs as she doesn’t have one currently (and I have a pair of cool ass yellow/white strobes for that. Salvage from a company truck: I liked them and kept them. get those things going while backing up and no one can say they didn’t see your backup lights,,,LOL)
And Buffalo so needs a rest,,, Love the poor little 333000+ mile truck, but she is showing signs that she needs some TLC too. Typical Chevy stuff too, like the front end being all loosey goosey, and those #$%^& *&!!!^&*&*&& **&^%@!$#@ #$%Rffffffrickin door hinges that wear out and tear the hell out of the truck. Always the drivers door too, (of course it is, thats the one that gets the most wear and tear.)
And I haven’t had a moments rest to look at the interwebz and check the worlds status,,, I’m probably not missing much though,,,
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Yeah,,, THIS,,,
THIS article in question ‘pert much sums up my reasoning for my recent efforts nicely. Yeah, I’m DEEP in debt right now, and I could have forgone all the trials and tribs of such and continued worrying about my CredScore instead.
I said to hell with that damned score and have been dumping mad purchases onto cards, some even high interest cards (that I usually only touch in emergencies.) because I see the future of HIGHER PRICES across the board. Better to get it now and have a means, than to be looking at a sweet credit score that can’t even get a decent interest rate on anything because the inflation rate is in the ceiling.
Do I approve of the things Prez Trumped has been doing? No,,, I don’t. I haven’t the information he has access to either,,, Maybe there is some ‘game plan’ in place, maybe he has better advisors (yes, and NO) I certainly think his actions around the Epstein BS was sophmoric and childish, but thats so far behind me now, it doesn’t even matter. I am more worried about watching the Petro-dollar collapse like the Roman Denarius. Our ‘coinage’ has become so debased, and easily so since it’s no longer attached to ANY commodity other than a promise and a sly grin. Fuck the debt,,, I will have MATERIAL that WILL become a means towards whatever takes the place of the Dollar, and can survive with me, when simple businesses I use/work under now, fold under because they are totally dependent on that Dollar base. I’m looking past the current state to trends of the past, and making tactical decisions. Namely, Burying my ass in debt NOW,,, that I will start paying off (am making payments towards now) as soon as a certain Bloo-Twuck is out of the stall and roaring again. Any repairs to Buffalo can hold for the time as she is not mission critical.
Damn,,,, I sorta sound like some SNCO I used to admire,,,,
Not gonna bullshit y’all. Including the intitial purchase price, I am nearly 4G in debt for this truck. I am doing everything in my ability to make her RELIABLE, cuz she is gonna need to be. And I am taking a gamble here. this may not pan out as successfully as I envision. Still, if’n things get bad to worse, She is more valuable than what I have put in (not counting my time, thats gone forever, but I would adjust a selling point to account for some of it.) SANS TOOLS,,, those aren’t for sale,,,
Not that I would sell her. I don’t like selling tools off, and Bloo is definitely a tool.
I’m rambling again aren’t I?
Thats why I don’t do well in factory style production,,, Which is what the last two days have been like. About the only ‘thinking’ I needed to do was create the jig for that production line work. Easy peasy stuff to make a jig so the function is repeatable and accurate.
anywhooozzzz,,,, Keep your head on a swivel, watch what the markets are doing, as I don’t expect to see July of 2026 without a major financial issue arising for FUSA,,, Just a gut feeling, mind you, but I DO trust my gut.
It’s usually not wrong.
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Deliveries,,,
most all Twuck’s brake parts came in today,,, Thought I wasn’t getting my hardware kit till Satyrday, but turns out, the P-brake cable is slow walking here,,, either way, Need them all on hand to get the job completed. (NY to GA, and I bet it goes past here to Crittenden KY to come back south,,,, LOL I literally watched a package enroute once, with all its updates; watched it fly overhead three times before it made it to ground travel. Michigan to Atlanta, to Chicago to Knoxville. What ever makes the world go, but I don’t see how they made ANY money on that $6.99 shipping fee I had paid.)
No, I am not working on Twuck tonight. Been a hella long day, doing mind-numbing production line welding at the shop. Pumping out 100+ plated poles for a fence line at a tennis court. No punching holes, just drilling in existing concrete for thunderbolt hold downs. Gonna be a LOT of drilling 1/2″ holes after I weld up all these poles. sigh,,, I have never liked production-like work,,, but I am the welder,,,, Their ONLY welder,,,
I can’t give my J.O.B. away, I try at least once a week and the boys all look at me like, “Yeah, Right, silly old fart!“,,, They see me switch hats on a daily, and they have no desire for that sort of thing
I guess there is a reason I make a bit more rate than they, eh? (Not what I should, but far more than they.)
I don’t believe I mentioned I dinged a finger today,,,, That shit HURTS!!! gonna lose the nail, I can already tell. Hazards of working my trade,,, Much like wrenching has it’s special hazards too. Hurts still, but not enough to slow down my typing here. Just makes me not want to type any words with the letter “D” in them,,, (middle finger left hand, if you didn’t get the memo,,, LOL) I find it funny that I am a righty, but my left hand has most of scar tissue. It tends to be slower about getting the hell out of the way,,,,
Cosmos is in flipping pupper heaven this week. Deer season is in full swing and this week was rifle season. SO far he has brought home two forelegs and one hind(lower, they keep the ham). Stuff that someone (my cousin or his buddy) cut off and tossed his way. The boy absolutely loves that venison, and those deer leg bones are tough enough for a pittie three times his size. My only rule is “LEAVE IT OUTSIDE” Don’t want that shit stinking up the house. He’s been a good boy, SO FAR,,,,
I’m sure he has been getting more than just the legs too. He hasn’t touched his kibble all week. hearts, livers, other parts,,, All dawgie food ’round here. Ya aughta see a Dawg trying to gnaw a lung,,, tough work for even the best teefers.
New bow in. One I signed on for as a tester. Pretty little thing and I do mean LITTLE.
43.5″ tip to tip. 42″ string I can just get it to 28″ draw @ 45#. Wouldn’t want to draw any further as I believe it would hand grenade on someone. Maybe, maybe not, but I don’t wanna find out. Fortunately for the bow, I have a 28″ draw normal,,, And all of my arrows are cut that length.
I need to get to Cousins place and use his Chronograph for a speed test. I can tell its fast, but thats subjective, not a scientific measurement. ( saying it sounds meaner when the arrow thumps is not scientific y’know.) but its so small, I would be happy to use this in the brush, or from a kayak. (not that that last is legal in KY,,, just saying.)
Cosmos doesn’t like it. Like with me grabbing a rifle: he sees me grab this and some arrows and vacates the area. Poor boy is gonna have to get used to things like this.
Anywhoooszits,,, I’m rambling, and not much to talk about, don’t wanna talk about the sanitized Epstien files being released, (and you know they have been ran through the political bleach several times now, since they ARE willing to let them out. Finally,,,) Don’t wanna talk about further decline of an empire around our ears. Just wanna get my working world in order so that when it does falter and fail, I have options. NOTE: things aren’t going to collapse in or implode, they are just gonna keep getting stranger and stranger and things are just gonna get more and more expensive until consumer confidence fails completely. THEN the fun really begins, Look at history for a details of what I am talking about.
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Dio's Workshop 