Quarter after SIx as I open this post,,,,

Been at it since I hit the carport, pulled it all apart, only real break was running for the new crush sleeve.   Voo has been hangin’ with me all day, under the front of the truck

FYI He likes this song!!!, even sings along with the chorus.  Helps that we are both deaf as hell and I turn it up so he can hear it too.(and so do the neighbors  LOL,)

Really really ticked off about that whole pre-load/thrust washer thing.  I know I had it down tight, and yet, there was that whole tenth of an inch play there when I opened things up this morning.

WELLLSSSSS,,,,,,   While in there this time after double checking bearings on both carrier and pinion and why I needed that new crush sleeve. I set one side of the carrier in place with my ‘guess’ of shims.  THEN, using a machinist’s jack I have, I pushed the carrier towards that side, measured the opening between the race and the wall, added my shims (noting what size each was BEFORE I jammed them in (small 6oz ball peen to drift them in); pull the jack out, check Back lash, check pattern, and adjust.   

4 hours,,,,    4 tries.   Narrowed it down and while I ‘think’ its going to be fine, I have that niggling little doubt in the back of me head.    No test drive yet, still need to fill the case with fluid: holding off on that for a bit while the RTV cures a bit more.   I DID (and someone is gonna scream when they read this) fire up the truck and run it after I put the axles in place: open cover, no grease (other than pre-lube stuff) and me with stethoscope probin’ around.    There is a lot of pre-load on things right now and once I got the carrier in, I couldn’t turn the diff by hand at all; needed a large ratchet to do so.   Maybe a bit more than the 29in/lb that is suggested (though I did have that with just the pinion,,)   And the backlash it likely way too tight,,,, .001″   HAD to use the micrometer to even see it.   The pattern has walked a bit, but still close to center on both drive and coast  more heel on the coast, more toe on the drive.     I might hear a slight hum,,, BUT, considering I only heard howling this morning, and only on decel, and that, with 0.1″ slop side to side,,,, 

Yeah,,, learning curve,,,, If things get wonky again, I will replace the pinion bearings, and MAY go with a different maker of ring and pinion.   Saw a Utoober that was fighting a noise in his truck and ended up being a badly cut ring and pinion,,,     RIght now, I just wanna see if using that machinist’s jack made a difference.

Oh, and I totally flashed my nieghbors  ROFLMAO!!!!!   I figured with all the trees in leaf, who gives a damn, and stripped down right there in the driveway and took quicky shower using the garden hose and dawn dish detergent.   Fuggem!   Walked into the house, dripping, looking for my towel, and freaking Voo out (hates that hose thing)  If the neighbors saw, don’t care,,,  I got clean and didn’t trash my shower in the process.

Keep on livin’

(Update @ 7:30:   Test drove, slow curvy road and highway and a couple of mild hills.  QUIET!!!   Nothing but tire noise that I can detect.  Thought I heard a high pitfched whine while on a bridge, but that may have been the tires reflecting off the walls of the bridge.   Still paranoid, just not AS paranoid.)

Deep into the rear end again.   Going to pick up a new crush sleeve here shortly (had to be sent in from anther store)

Noize was getting progressively worse, I jumped into it asap this AM.  And as soon as I went to bust loose the tires, already knew the problem was NOT on the pinion side.   I FELT THE SLOP.

Get the cover off and using a flatblade driver walked the carrier about 1/10th of an inch side to side. No preload to speak of on those carrier bearings.   My guts clenched, thinking I was going to find galled bearings and gears: sheer luck on that note, they all look great, nice and shiney and all polished surfaces, races included.  The pinion and ring show the polished wear pattern as they should, so the few times it howled didn’t tear nuthin up.

But I am more than a touch ticked at meself,,,,

I’m in here now, and it WILL be correct before I close shop today.   Just need that new crush sleeve. And looking at the one I have, I probably could reuse it,  but a $4 part on a $1300 rearend;  just replace it and make sure, right?  Cheap insurance.

Learning curves,  just a real PITA when it requires so much teardown to getting the parts to adjust this shit. 

Keep on livin’

That’s my biggest problem.   I care.   I do not like seeing good people getting fucked over by absolute selfish-ness.   I tend to be quite self-LESS in much of my dealings wtih others, usually going above and beyond, allowing others to slack off or learn or something.   NOT ONE, of my crews will ever tell you that I am a tyrant, or slave driver. (well, maybe that last, but they can’t say that I ain’t out there giving it even more than I ask of them.)

And then there is my demand for accountability!    I have, and WILL again, take the burden of command, which IN MY EYES, means if one of mine screws up, I will take the heat for it.   They may end up on shit duties for awhile, but they won’t take the brunt of the punishment. (short of legal transgressions.  They do that, I have to step aside and let the course settle itself.)   Very much as I was taught in the Corps: command is the spearhead and the anvil, depending on actions at said time.  Staff is the literal meaning of the word, the people that hold the spearhead in place.

We have a ‘crew-leader’ that won’t take the blame for jack. EVER.   When I was building that flatbed for one of our vehicles, I became very familiar with that truck; especially the backside of it.   Day one out of my shop, it came back with a busted rear bumper,,, Someone had backed it into something that didn’t want to give.   When I asked the Crewlead about it; “That was like that when I got the truck”   Like fuckin’ hell it was!!!  

And today, dood tossed his crew under the wheels (second time I can recall, could be more)   Instead of taking the blame for loading the wrong material, then driving one way for 45 minutes, only to turn around and return,,, He blamed his crew for ‘goofing off’, and they were punished by being told to go home, (there is plenty of work at the the shop they could be doing)   Said crew leader then turned around and went out on the other jobsite to help his brother.    Of course, I have to add here, IF, I were in charge of this situation, the Crew-leader would have recieved the punishment, and his crew would have been permitted to keep working, but with STERN WARNING to pay attention and ask questions.   Seems that the two loading the wrong material were the Crewleader and his nephew, while the rest of the crew grabbed the rest correctly.  I can’t say for certain, wasn’t out there, but this meshes perfectly with some other things I have seen from this character.

Tools come up missing, “They left it at the jobsite’

Truck breaks down, “Never heard a thing till it quit” (after several emps had told me that the truck was in direstraights.)

Look, I ain’t perfect, I fuck up too.  BUT I hold myself accountable and will take the blame as needed.  I may say “this guy did this, but I fucked up and didn’t catch/correct it.”

Just simple honesty.   That, and drive, are all that I ever ask of my crews.   Don’t lie to me, bust your ass.   If you are strugglin’, ask for help.   Need a hand? Ask for help.   Finish your task: see if there is something else that needs doin’.   

Never ever stand there with the tool in hand, water spewing out a pipe, (or similar) and tell me “I didn’t do it!”  Fuckin’ own it, and lets get it corrected.   I respect that way more than chickenshit weasles trying to pass the buck.  I may be mad about it for a short spell, but shit happens,,,   OWN IT.

“But we can’t all be like YOU DIo!”

No, you can’t, but you can be better than you are right now, and better tomorrow than you are today, and there is ZERO EXCUSES for not TRYING TO BE.   It may be only one smidgeon of improvement: you may smile for an extra five minutes today, or thank someone that you wouldn’t normally say boo to.    Be a bettter YOU and stop trying to be like someone else.   AND OWN YOURSELF AND YOUR ACTIONS.

grrrrr,,,,,,   Is this such a foreign concept?   Seems like these were much of the principles I was raised with, yet I see it more and more (and not just in the younger gens.  Said crewleader is older than I am.)

Rant off.   thanks for listenin’

keep on livin’

((Addendum:  after the last time I ‘tried to help’ and had the tables turned on me, I REFUSED to get in the middle of this one.   I told those that were complaining that they need to find someway, on thier own, to call attention to the duplicity and backstabbing, and leave me out of it.  THIS post is as far as I am willing to go to bring this to the attention of those that need it.   And need it they do since allowing that sort of leadershit will drive off decent workers with a quickness, and almost did so today.))

Told y’all about how I, ME, Lil’Ol Dio, messed up his pinion seal and the poor diff has been leaking all week.

well, Ordered on on Sunday, it arrived today and

WRONG!!!!

and of course I am wheels in the air, parts pulled apart when I figured this out:  and tomorrow is a work day,,,

quick call around, found one nearby, at TWICE THE PRICE OF THE ONE ORDERED, BUT, its on hand, just need to go get.  Call Da, ask to borrow his truck for a quick run, and take off through the woods, led by the intrepid Voodoo, deaf dawg extraordinaire, and finding every damned spiderweb that could be found WITH MY FACE,,,,

LOL,,,

Anywhoos,,, New seal in place, LOOBED THIS TIME! and all back together.    (yes, the last one was ran dry and it ripped the entire center out of the thing,,, Call it a learning curve, even though I DO KNOW BETTER: sometimes a body slips,,, only hooman after all.)

and test drive done.   Nice n quiet on accel, and even decel, EXCEPT if I am in a turn to the right,,,Doesn’t whine or grumble if I am on the gas, just on decel and turning that right,,,,   (and I did add LSA, so I have doubts its that,,, could be wrong.)

Starting to think that my pre-load on the carrier bearings is a bit loose.    If anyone has a better suggestion,  I AM ALL EARS,,, I don’t wanna be replacing things this soon, and something definitely is NOT right here.   I know a paint patch test is going to show something, but seeing how this only happens when in motion (I checked while wheels in air and heard nothing) under decel load (so its on the coast side)

I dunno.   Was thinking I want to recheck torque settings on the ring bolts and will need to pull that cover off; may as well recheck everything.   Troublesome, but the insurance of catching a problem before it goes critical,,,,,

um,,, hold on,   that didn’t sound right,,,,

LOL

Went and had the head shaved to the gibbits today,,, this heatwave has done me in

and its early,,,  Like half a month early,, We usually get hit with this first half of July.

Ayup!, hair on top is about 1/8″ long now.   Gonna have to use the SPF10000, or wear a hat, for a couple of days on the noggin, or else.  Been there with that ‘Else’ thing while on Parris Island,,, that sucked BGGDD’s: even cotton pillow cases felt like 40 grit sandpaper.

Oh, but the change was instantaneous: walked out of the barbers and it felt 15degrees cooler than when I walked in (can’t change THAT much in 15 minutes eh?)

Quick dive in the netz when I got home and saw THIS over at WRSA.    Gotta tell ya, the more I see shit like this, the lack of any credibility from the “Not Trump” side of this (S)Election cycle, and the only thing I can think is ‘they are gonna blow it all up or implode the economy and whichever comes first is anyones guess.’ I guess you could say they are counting of the power of AND here, hoping against hope that before November 5th, they have all they need to shut down any (S)election talk.  What really got my craw chewin’ was their claim to ‘common sense’,,,,,   Seriously, read it and weep,,,,

sigh

wanna go kayaking now,,,,

not yet Dio, gotz two more dayz of fun in the sunz.  (and have you been out in this stuff?   Sure as shit feels like two of the old girls flying high up there,,, Flat mean is the impression my skin is getting.  Must be some Sunspot activity goin’ on.)

OH,, and one of my Newb’s is a redhead,,,   poor sap was fried to a crisp, day one.   Showed up day two with a BIG hat on, and long sleeves.  Today, day three, hat and sleeves are still in effect, so dummy ‘ain’t dumb’,,,  I offered sunscreen to him, but to each their own; shirt sleeves and hats work just as well, even if they don’t let you cool off as much.

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Keep on livin’

Its been a scorcher of a day,   spent it all out in the sun doing hard labor shit and I am WHOOOPED!!!

But, while I was sitting here, a memory of my touring days popped up, and I thought y’all might like to hear what a cocky sumbitch I could be.

————————————————————-

The tour was a Gospel play.  Black cast, Black audience (mostly, occasional lighter types (especially up north,)) and three silly white boys running sound and lights,,,   And where I first learned what the word “Buckra” meant.

We’re down south, Gulf area, Louisiana, and particulary, Baton Rouge.   Holed up in a Casino for the accomadations, but several blocks from the theater, in downtown.

It’s HOT,   ITs SWAMP HUMID.

And the theater’s backstage airmovers are DOWN!!!   (I was monitor engineer, backstage in the darkness, surrounded by the amplifiers for the PA and stage system that are pumping out all sorts of heat as well.)  And I had been on the road for damn near a year at this point. (maybe six months, but third back to back tour and felt like forever,,,)  My hair is kinda long.   (and my hair is really fine but laid on THICK,,,)

I’m dyin’    Musta drank 5 gallons of water and gatorade that first night.

Next day, show call is at 7pm,,, I go wandering around looking for a barber.   (Downtown Baton Rouge,,,,)   Find one about 7 blocks from the casino,,, and walk in.

the silence was sudden, profound and DEAFENING.   I could hear the worn bearings in the only ceiling fan in the place it was so quiet, even though it was packed to standing room only for everyone to get a cut.

I stood out like a beacon bonfire on a mountain-top.

And I grabbed a number from the machine for ‘next served’ and stood my Lily -white ass right there against the nearest wall space I could find and smiled at everyone.

30 minutes,,, no AC, just that ceiling fan and finally my number was called (notably, out of order, but I wasn’t complaining,,, I think they wanted my ass out of there ASAP,,,)  I took my seat in the chair, and when the guy asked what I wanted; “set the shears to 1/4″ and take it off please.   Last night at the theater about killed me.” and that opened the conversation up.   See, the gospel play had 3 national acts involved.   Kaycee and Jo-Jo were the ‘headliners’, and this was like the biggest thing to hit Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina. 

Suddenly a COOL factor replaced the shock of seeing a ‘white Dood’ in the house.    And the funniest part, one of the littles in the house came over and tried to ‘rub the paint off’ my hand, thinking I was wearing a ton of make-up or something.  ROFLMAO.   Child might have been three-ish, and probably had never seen a ‘white dood’ IRL.  Everyone in that joint wanted to know if KC was as cool as he acted (sometimes) and the older crowd wanted to know if Shirley Murdock was too (YES!  Auntie Shirley was always cool as hell to me.)

I paid for the haircut, but gave the barber two free tickets as a tip.  He did a fine job, even if what I asked for was as simple as simple could be,

And it made one hell of a difference the rest of that run in Baton Rouge.   5 nights in a sweltering heat, and I had it lucky,,, I was in the dark of backstage,,, the Actors were under 100000 watts of stage lighting!!!  That stage felt like the heat lamps at BurgerKing!

GREAT DAY out with my sis today.  We did about 7 miles, leisurely pace, in the kayaks.   She is not a sit in kayaker and still did freakin’ excellent, even with baot wakes.   Didn’t put her in a boat with a skirt on, that take a bit more training and a different mindset.  but she took BlueJean who is the most user friendly boat I have.   She didn’t need a skirt (but did get a little wet from paddle drips,LOL)

Lots of sun, warm water, just enough boat traffic to keep things interesting, lotss of views and sightings of wild things,  

GOOD DAY

the not so good part of the day.

r544444444444444444-

Stopped for fuels, both mechanical and hooman types, and I dropped a kne e to look under the Buff to see a drip drop from my rear diff.  Aw-shit! what now?

Damned pinion seal is buggered.   And for the life of me, I can’t recall lubing that damned thing.  I recall clearly lubing the axle seals and bearing before installing the axles, but I can’t recall lubing the pinion, which purt much means I DIDN’T!   Got home, wiggled underneath and topped off the diff (not bad, less than a pint) and that seal started dripping fresh.   Its buggered good,,,,

Ordered a new one, will make a hub puller so I don’t need to pull the whole shebang back apart and will make the repair and LUBE THE HECK OUT OF IT THIS TIME.   The only tricky side to this is setting that pre-load back correctly.

Other than that, Buff did awesomely.  I did hear one point where the clutch pack chattered in a turn, but that may be due to the fluid getting low at that point, not that I didn’t have enough LSA in the mix.  (note, I made sure that the vent tube was not plugged up while doing the install: I have had that happen in the past, daggum mason-bees plugged the tube up good and it blew every damned seal )

So, new part on way, scheduled to arrive thursday, and tlll then, keep the case as full as I can and hose the grease off frequently.   Keep the shenanigans to essential only.  I’ll be damned if I destroy a $1300 rear end one week in.

It’s hot.  Its HUMID.   and I am running round (sittin’ round) the house damned near nekkid.  The kids are all puddled out, as flat as they can get and trying to keep the heat off.

and the weather isn’t going to turn for at least another week.   days in the 90’s humidity at SCUBA levels,,, and not enough dip in temps to drive the rains.    Guess all that rain that the FLoridians were asking to send their way, arrived, and sucked it out of the midwest.   Be careful what ya ask for guys,,,,

Back to the J.O.B. tomorrow.  Sis is in town for a couple days and I will be spending time with her and Da in the eves.  Posting may be limited.

Keep on livin.