Winter project week 3 - wrenching

Got a lot done wrenching on the N this week. Even painted a few pieces. Everything that comes off gets prepped and painted before I put it back on, so hopefully I get good coverage on all the hidden spots.
Got PTO shaft in and the steering box replaced. And the right brake fixed.

Made new pin for radius arm on front axle. That took about 90% of the slop out of it. Not only was the hole tapered it was oval as well, a bit of careful belt sanding on the sides of the pin gave it a good fit. Lot more scraping and cleaning before much else goes back together.

Weather here in Iowa has been rainy and cold so good time to spend in the shop. I've went thru one basket of wood in 2 weeks which is about what I planned on for this time of year. I have 12 more full baskets, and two trees down and ready to cut up once the ground freezes up so I can get to them. Lots of small parts coming in, I think I'm up to about $1350. Refilled the rear end and wow the price of gear oil has sure went up! I used MAG-1 brand which I'd never heard of but it was about the cheapest at $80/5gal.

It does not take long to pile a load of money on one today... I just got a jub that had been sitting for years up and going the bill is $3041.00. No internal engine, transmission, rear end/brake are hydraulic repairs other than fluids.

$1852.00 labor and around $1200 in parts he did supply a few parts. That sounds like a big money maker but its not if you consider I could make 2/3 more money if I spent the same time working on a car under 10 years old.

Shops are starting to turn down work on cars/trucks 2000 and older I am starting to understand that now they tie you up to long to be profitable...

I still enjoy it as long as the owner blesses it with his pocket book : )

BTW I just put a Jasper reman engine in a 1994 Toyota pick up with 300k on the clock the bill was $7500.00 even at that price it beat me to death fudgen with all the issues of it sitting up for 5/6 years... PLUS a defective set of rebuilt injectors... Parts for them are getting hard to come by and expensive..

Why I mentioned both the billable time spend other than trying to figure out the injector issue was close to the same on the jub and Toyota...

Enjoy you addiction and keep up updated...

Looking good! It'll put a smile on your face when you're done.

Colin

Doug, TSC sells their UTF for about $40/5gal. $30 when on sale.
That's what I use in mine. I know, too late now, but maybe next change.

My son's a mechanic and seems the biggest deal with working on the new stuff is having the right software to talk to it. My DT466e had an issue and he never opened the hood until he ran the diagnostics on the laptop. Then went right to the computer and found a broken pin in the wiring harness. Only time I had to talk to the 8N was when I got my finger caught under the steering arm.

The problem with the old stuff is you are dealing with parts that have meet their useful life the pay is not as good when you have to rub on it and make it shinny and then it may come back to haunt ya... A doctor can get away with it but not a mechanic...

Your son is in deep do-do when the computer does not point him in the direction he needs to go...

You may have to rewire with two wires, all the lights, getting that ground to work on the lights is difficult.

Looking good doug...

But you need to slow down.. some of us haven't even got a stall in the shop clean for a winter project..

Looking Great. Keep going!

Looks good. Nothing like digging right in. Take plenty of pictures for ease of reassembly. Sometimes when you work on older vehicles you figure out new ways to say old words.