Glucosamine treatment for an old warrior

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Not much visible progress this weekend but......

Okay the heater core re solder didn't go so well. :frown: I managed to cook the existing solder and the new didn't want to flow at all. Surely I need better heat control and probably something other than the basic home depot copper plumbing solder. So rather than waste time and money taking a chance with the dwindling talent at the local rad shop, a new core is on order.

Also I'm still trying to find the right replacement for my heater shell.
see alternate thread https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/740217-help-id-heater.html

On the wiring front, I found another source all together for wire. On the recommendation of a work colleague, McMaster Carr had all colors of the rainbow for about $6 for a 25 ft roll. Ordered some stuff to build ground straps too.

Did get one more task finished. Replaced the sketchy wiring connecting my reverse light to the SM465. New weather pack connector and eliminated 2 splices to the OEM harness. :D

On a side note, I got the bright idea from some other thread that spiral wrap would be better than split loom. Not remembering what a pain it is to wrap and wrap and wrap and wrap.:rolleyes: Took a while to source this stuff so I'm going use it up, but split loom is the better way
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Re solder... Sounds like it needs more cleaning and flux.
 
In the unlikely event any purists are following this thread. Time to look away........

Okay I'm done fooling around with this array of heater boxes and handles. I took matters into my own hands and solved the problem....
:idea::idea::idea::hillbilly::hillbilly::hillbilly::grinpimp:

Drilled the spot welds out of my handle pivot on the trashed box....

Carved the pivot off of the new to me box and added the old pivot point with a couple of rivets and a 6-32 screw.

Done!

No more shenanigans:cool:
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Finished the heater battle today. Fedex man delivered my new core while I was in the garage :D

Had to drill a hole for the lower door spring in my now hybrid housing.

New core wrapped in new foam and in place.

Complete and functional refurbed (not restored) heater ready to go in :bounce:
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Whoo Hoo! June 1 in the valley of the oven! 104 in the shade!
Another sweaty summer of wrenching begins. So long to the salad days of winter.............:crybaby::crybaby::crybaby:
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Next up is tackling the hole-ly mess that is my trans tunnel. It's suffered quite a bit of on the fly cosmetic surgery in its life. Now adding the twin sticks to the mix with yet another trans location it's time to try something a little better.

I thought about welding new metal on and starting over. Until I realized the gaping holes were the easiest way to get it on and off. So off to fab some better covers for the new situation.

1. As is starting point

2. After removing the black rubber crap. Found an air chisel did well. A little to well sometimes, made a couple of new holes accidentally.:doh:

3. Sizing up the twin stick boot retainer on a soon to be cover plate.
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Next after some custom stick bending.

1. Locating the cover for shifter clearance.

2. Getting things bent into shape.

3. Adding a bit in front of the trans for a new boot.
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This little bit of the project is tedious..........

1. Some custom pounding to clear the xfer vent

2. 1st fit with all the parts.

3. Some notching and welding to add some more shape.
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I would like to publicly thank Shane over at Metric TLC. I bought their resto kit for my heater before all the confusion with the different heater boxes. I ended up not having a needed new spring for the lower door with the kit I got. I inquired about getting the part and Shane sent one to me no extra charge. :beer: :clap:
 
Cdaniel said:
I would like to publicly thank Shane over at Metric TLC. I bought their resto kit for my heater before all the confusion with the different heater boxes. I ended up not having a needed new spring for the lower door with the kit I got. I inquired about getting the part and Shane sent one to me no extra charge. :beer: :clap:
Click to expand...

Looking on their site, I don't see the kit, just fully restored heaters. Do you have a link? I'd like to check that out.
 
Cdaniel said:
Whoo Hoo! June 1 in the valley of the oven! 104 in the shade!
Another sweaty summer of wrenching begins. So long to the salad days of winter.............:crybaby::crybaby::crybaby:
Click to expand...

tell me about it - my 40 is going into the "spa and emporium" at the end of the month :eek:
 
and yeah, I am not going to mess much with my hacked up tranny cover when I put the H55 in - there's going to be carpet over it anyway :flamingo:
 
Finally a little bit more progress. Had an issue with some dripping PTO covers on both the trans and xfer case. So I got some gasket material and made some better gaskets for the old bumpy steel trans covers and installed them with a slathering of FIPG. On the xfer I tossed the paper gasket and just used FIPG since the machined surfaces are nice and flat.

Also finished up the trans hump and shifter boots and installed the heater. Had to split the twin stick boot retainer and stretch the boot a little as the hole got wider to bend around the radius of the hump. A little custom mix leftovers rattle can paint from the local paint shop looked a whole lot better match on the cap than how it turned out. No matter, it fits with the multi earth tones found all over this rig.:hillbilly:
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Nice rehab on the shifters! That fun tar crap is amazing to remove and deal with...it chipped off pretty nicely in the cold of winter for me, but that's a long ways away for you now! Hope you get to go out and play this summer or at the least in the fall when the temps mediate a bit!

Cheers!
 
So it's time that the fenders are returned to their proper place. As much I love the access I have without them, I need to get serious about wiring and they need to be there for that. However, the inner fenders are a nasty hodgepodge of original paint under peeling P.O. rattle can work, sprinkled with surface rusted bare splotches :frown:

Nothing short of a complete strip and repaint would fix this properly. Not gonna happen here cuz it's just headed back to trail abuse, not the show circuit;p

So, with inspiration from only the best "Pimp My Ride" techniques I set off to make a more continuous homely look rather than butt ugly :grinpimp:

Started with a good pressure wash. Then went at the rust with a wire wheel. Treated the rusty spots with SEM RustMort. Another pressure wash. Then finished with my own rattle can artistry.
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