everything has been wonderful in the Buffalo,,,

till I was coming home from a town run after the J.O.B.

and I heard a very slight whine on decel.

Tellin’ya, I’m getting a might sick of the smell of GL5,,,    Not that there is a leak or anything, but opening this case, repeatedly, you get the stink,,,, You get it in your clothes, up your nose, in your hair, and it doesn’t go away very easily.      Heck, I keep checking for leaks in her usual parking spots because of all the crap she has dumped there over the months prior (even at the J.O.B. there is a lingering ‘Ick’ in her favorite spot.)

Looked again underneath just to make sure, and yup, all seals nice and dry, front, cover, axles,,, dry.   SO no leaky-leakies.   BUT that whine was real enough.  

So I jumped back on my favorite research tool of late (utoob, hatez it but damnit, the amount of GOOD information on it far outwieghs the crap that is put out.  You just have to be patient and dig a bit.)

Found this.

15+/- minutes of sheer mind-numbing BORING if you want to get some cure for your insomnia, but DAMNED GOOD INFO  for a guy like me that is banging his head on cold cast iron casings,,,,   Not detailed information, but enough of the ‘fill in the blanks’ type with answers to things that others completely skip over.(and what I did Satyrday, was right, and completely backwards,,,,)

Yeah, I am going to be digging in again,

(And this is the stuff that faded from ‘common knowledge’ over the years.   Working in the shops, NO ONE wanted to deal with a howling rear-end,,, and only certain transmission shops would touch them and they kept thier secrets close to the chest.  Information is easier NOW to find but you still have to dig deep for it.)

And I am probably going to take a week or more (unless that whine starts to increase in volume ,,,) and make a couple of odd ball tools.   One is a gauge tool that will fit that slot at the lower edge of the case,, I kept looking at that slot and thought, ‘thats a tooling slot,,,not a drain point,,,’ 

The other tool will be a ‘hockey puck’ for properly setting that Pinion shim height.   Basically, the puck will be the same thickness as the main pinion bearing but an easy slip fit so I can pull it out and add/remove shims until that pinion is DEAD NUTZ,,,   (Thank the small gods for cheap chinese machine tools that I didn’t part ways with,,,,)   Once I know the proper shims to add, then I will press fit a NEW bearing on,,, I know I won’t get lucky a second time pulling that one off.

By the time all  of this is said and done, I WILL be an expert on GM 7.5″ rear-ends,,,,

I just want that truck to be RELIABLE again,,, and she is getting there, loose nut behind the tools being the exception at this stage,,, and it IS VERY MUCH A LEARNING CURVE,,, one that I won’t soon forget fersertain (totally a word!)  And so far, not as expensive as it could be,,, yeah, that $1300 for a complete kit, but that isn’t half of what I would pay for a NEW complete unit, and not learn a damned thing,,,,  The education I am getting right now is worth FAR FAR MORE,  Frustrating as it is, I’m still mobile,,,,

————————————————————-

I know some of y’all are about sick of hearing of my undertruck adventures,,, probably about as sick of reading them as I am of the smell of GL5,,,   Sorry, I’d rather be doing this, than chasing the political realms of the asylum right now…  Going to attempt to watch the ‘debate’ come Turdsday,, dunno if I have enough alkyhaul on hand to be honest,,,  More to keep in the loop of what others are seeing, real time, (as real as they permit)  IMO, the whole thing is a damned circus now, and there is only one cure,,, FULL DISMANTLE AND REBUILD,,, Kinda like a busted rear-end I had/am dealing with.

Facts remain though,,, OUR Reputation on the world stage is shattered, and will take many many years to rebuild, and the world will have moved into a different trajectory at that point.   The Petro-Dollar is dying in a blaze as I type this; it just hasn’t hit home yet.  YET,,,

I can only hope certain heads of state remain lucid and rational during the upcoming months and NOT start a global nuclear exchange,,,   NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES OUR CURRENT LEADERS PRETEND HAMMER THE DAMNED LAUNCH BUTTON.   (the recent attack on Russian Civvies and the fact that Vlad did not turn DC into an ashtray,,,,   It ain’t because the man is a pussy, believe me,,,   People may have a bad idea of him, but his actions and LACK OF CERTAIN ACTIONS speaks volumes of his Patience and actual leadership quality.   Keep that in mind as the escalation of shit carries forward into our (S)Election cycle, and the swearing in January,,, NO MATTER WHO WINS THIS CONTEST,,,,

sigh,,, We live in interesting times, no?

Keep on livin’

JOAT-MON*:   That’sa me!   The Jack of All Trades, Master of None,,,,   Ex used to call me the “A Rennaisance Man”  (and I admit taking a certain amount of pride in that moniker,,,) 

That thought crossed my mind as I was spending money at HOBO-Frieght ¹today.  Investing in tools that would have made the last week and a half that much simpler (mostly stuff to make my 20T press more versatile.)   Yeah, I may not need them again anytime soon, or I may need them frequently over the next year;  No way to know for certain, but if you are looking for it VS looking at it,,,,

Yeah,,, that saying comes up at least once a day in my little reality.

That investing in tools thing is something that I can’t get through the young’uns heads at work.   They seem to think that everyplace ‘will provide’, but never make the connection that those that do provide don’t pay as well, nor will you get the top notch tools that actually DO THE JOB,,,,  (that has changed a might at the J.O.B. now that Son of has more pull in decisions,,,  Seeing quality tools in our arsenal: and only so many are allowed to handle them at this stage (mostly due to lack of respect of the tools they are allowed to handle.)

And that brings me to a beef I have had here of late.  Seeing how I live in Appalachistan,,, You know, Hillbilly/redneck country,,, When did it become a thing that no-one carries a damned KNIFE?   Seriously, not even a bloody pen-knife, or Swiss Army basic model.   Been finding that only those over 40 are the ones that have that essential EDC on hand, and sometimes not even then,,, 50+  you can just about gaurantee it,,,, Under 30,,,, Dumb looks if you ask for a knife,,,,

Gonna go out on a limb here and blame the schools for that,,, Seeing how a kid with a peanut butter sandwich ‘in the right shape’ was suspended for ‘triggering his peers’,,,(My Opinion,,, his little ‘gun’ intimidated some snowflake teacher.  The kids would have been having a hoot over it,,,)

Brainium is on fire today,,,, Woke up with a tune in my skull, and it won’t let go,,, not sure what the intent is, but Nudge seems to think there is a memory in there that I need,,,,  (actually LOTS of memories from that time,,, lot of sorting of the chaff to do to figure it out.)

That was a very confusing time for me, and where I started some serious growing up.   Funny how getting raped by life will do that to a person.   Self inflicted wounds in hindsight, but sure was a living hell for a spell of about 2 years.    The only time I looked down the barrel of a .45 and had serious considerations,,,,   Funny how a woman can drive a man to that point, eh?   I certainly learned a lot from that time, and the one thing that carried forward more than any other: “She is ONE in a world of 7+Billion peeps,,, ”  And ” Doesn’t matter how good she looks; someone in this world is sick of her shit!” 

Naw,  I didn’t become the Curmudgeon then,,, that was in the late Aughts of this century,,, but that time period made the transistion in the last round, that much easier (and I didn’t look down the operational end of a .45 this time, though I did look down one from the proper side, many times, for fun and pressure venting.)

100 miles on Buffalo today, doing my runnin’ round,,, No water time, but by choice,,, too much to do around home today and yesterday took longer than expected,,, TO THE GOOD I must add,,, that 100 miles was done with windows down to listen to things, and, honestly,  Ol’Gurl feels like a new truck to me.   Kept waiting for the bad news to drop on me,,,

I guess I am a better wrench then my personal expectations are.   No patting myself on the back this time around, not yet.   The last weekend seemed great up to three days in, and then things went sideways slowly.   Still ‘holdin’ my breath’  this time, just awaitin’ the howls and screams to start.

I can tell you one thing though: I SORELY MISS one tool from my past.  Never one that I personally owned (and when I tell ya, you’ll understand why)   One that I used every day I worked in the shops, on every job’ small or large.

The Lift.

Lord, if I could get one of those for my stead,,,,,,,  This scrabblin’ around on my ass, scrunched up tight under a truck that is sitting on questionable stands with blocks as backup,,,,,  Yeah,,, Sure would make life a lot easier, and certainly less painful,,(my ass feels like I was sitting on gravel all day,,,, Oh, yeah,, I WAS!!!) (even with a pad under me, there ain’t much personal padding on my backside and I am feeling it today.)  I might even be able to make the bloody thing pay for itself in short order (though I truly have no desire to work on other peoples peices of shit anylonger,,, Mine’s bad enough.)   Its a thought, but one that will have to wait until such time as I leave this area, if/when that happens,,,(I haven’t the foundation for such a thing, nor would I have the power, considering my off-grid power situation.)(Did a wee search and prices are really excellent tight now.  About 1/2 what they were in the 90s.)

Anyhwhoos,,, its still early., I has shit to do (mowers that need attended to, weeds grass that needs mowed, and IF, (big if) it rains, trash that needs burned (mine, da’s, unks,,,)

Keep on livin’!!!

* Joat-mon, sounds like a Jamaican saying ‘boat man’, and looking at the word and knowing how the Wet-Navy of Jolly old England managed to completely mangle the language,,, maybe thats where the term ‘Yoeman’ cames from,,,,, Dunno,,,, probably just making shit up again,,, LOL

¹ HOBO-Freight: Yes, I know, chineesium tools,,, But I have found the integrity of their latest lines are matching or exceeding other brands of known quality (not saying names,,,,)   Besides, these are shop tools that will likely only see service once in a great while, and at the prices I paid, will pay for themselves in one go.

and I ain’t gotta thing,,,,

domestics,

and a meme

Yeah,, THAT!!!

y’all keep on livin’ and I’ll be back later after I do something not the same as yesterdays events,,,,,

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,,,,,