The slow progress of Spot the Pig (2 Viewers)

RockDoc · May 9, 2020

Last time I was out with Spot the SM420 was acting a bit fudgey, so took him out today to see if it was still acting up and to test trail conditions. Successfully determined negative things on both fronts. So that's two "bulletproof" SM420s Spot has trashed. I guess he doesn't like domestic parts.

So I'm thinking over going back to the dependable A440F out of the 62 and regear the diffs to make it work with bigger tires... or put in the H55F I was intending for a street wagon and regear the t-case. Yay!! Just what I didn't need :bang:

arnott1t · May 10, 2020

Ah heck either one of those would be awesome. I’ve always been impressed with the auto in wobble too. The h55 should be a reasonably strightnforwards affair.

RockDoc · May 22, 2020

Closer to seeing if I have a boat anchor or not.

arnott1t · May 22, 2020

This is what troopies H55 toubles felt like... pull it, inspect.... fix... repair and re install.... then rinse and repeat...

RockDoc · May 22, 2020

I'm hoping it'll be obvious with a little disassembly. From playing a bit with the top cover off, I suspect one or more bearings on the main shaft. I have the potential to pull replacement parts off the other last if it repairable (it was more synchros / shift collars that went in it), but the transfer may put up a hell of a fight to remove based on how tight the input gear was on the tranny output when I installed it.

RockDoc · May 22, 2020

I suspected the roller bearings between the input shaft / clutch gear and the main shaft were likely pooched. Pulled the input forward enough for the rollers to drop out and they do look a little unhappy. Luckily the rollers from the last transmission look good after pulling them out. After pulling the the input shaft / clutch gear right out, the journal on the snout of the main shaft looks to need a bit of touching up (hopefully can be done with it in place..)

Opened up the transfer case, and found a surprise there. The bolt, washers and roll pin that are supposed to retain the transfer input gear backed out and we're in the bottom of the case looking a little worse for having played rough with the gears. Luckily the input gear didn't back off the shaft.

arnott1t · May 25, 2020

yikes, some damage for sure.

RockDoc · May 25, 2020

Was able to touch up the journal in place, and it feels good turning by hand after reassembly. Got it back in the truck last night and will take it around the country mile today to make sure it's good and drop the oil after it washes any debris down. Hoping for 10s of thousands of km this time, rather than 10s of km.

Bambino840 · May 25, 2020

Hope it works out this time. Drivetrain removal is pretty low on my list of things I like to do with my truck.

RockDoc · May 25, 2020

Made it through a 4 mile test drive without any bad sounds. Flush oil dropped for fresh and sitting next to the fuel shed waiting for a fill up.

RockDoc · May 26, 2020

Did about an hour of grid road and highway this evening without any trouble. Ran a bit hot, but it looks like I need to clean out the rad fins as there's a fair bit of crap in them from driving through standing crop lots since it's last been out for a good road drive.

Time to forget about the transmission and move on to the next thing.

RockDoc · Jun 19, 2020

Picking away at the winch mount..
Where the winch box sits from below.

Bracket for the driver's side frame rail.

Cross member weight support.

RockDoc · Jun 19, 2020

The start of bracing that will run forward from the winch to the frame rail and tranny cross member to take the winch load. Figured I may as well add rollers where the cable will feed into the box. I've also got a second heavy cross member put together for behind the transfer so I can run a decent bash plate under the transfer, no pics handy yet.

RockDoc · Jun 23, 2020

Winch mount pretty much ready for the winch itself. One brace/strut to a socket on the framerail, one to the transmission cross member. Cable guide on transmission cross member to send cable forward between exhaust and framerail.

Next up will be hole in front cross member and hole+fairlead in bumper.