TWT -- The Wrenching Thread

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Go get one! They are cheap and on sale at Northern tool right now for $17.99 I got an even better deal yesterday though.

Can you use needle scalers on aluminum components or just on steel/cast components?

I need to get a better (read quieter) air compressor before I start investing in air tools in a big way. Good to know they're cheap though!
 
I don't know on the aluminium, it may not hold up as well. I would not think it would be a good deal on sheet metal either. I may try it later today just to see. It essentially beats the rust scale off the base metal. It took a little over two hours to do both sides and the back of the motor.
 
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Time to break down and buy a pilot bearing puller. Fought the pilot bearing on the split case output shaft for about 2 hours yesterday and the SOB would not come out using my method of splitting the inner race. Talk about driving a guy nuts.

This should do the trick!
Powerbuilt Tools Pilot Bearing Puller 648619: Advance Auto Parts
 
Marshal uses some bread and a dowel or punch. Just keeps compressing it into the open hole and it pushes the bearing out from behind. Others have tried it and it seems to work well. I plan to try it at next chance.
 
That trick doesn't work on the pilot bearing for the transfer case output shaft. The bearing is too thin.
 
As far as using a needle scaler on aluminum I wouldn't recommend it. We were told by our supplier not to even think about using it on the thick Alcoa wheels at my return facility, just on the steel wheels. It was however a very powerful commercial one and cost near 1k, so I couldn't say how a northern tool one would do although we had a few of those for hard to reach places but they wouldn't work well for our application. Most likely they would dimple aluminum. Wear gloves Stan it gets old after a while, the small ones are tolerable for a bit but I'd still say use gloves. I used the big one for 5 minutes once when the gloves had been misplaced and my hands vibrated for a week after.:cheers:
 
I've only ever tried the hydraulic method (grease, bread, putty) a couple times with limited success. Slide hammer attached to a homemade fitting appropriate to the bore works best for me. Usually a 1/4 - 20 bolt, sometimes a carriage bolt, trimmed to fit.
 
Hooray, blinky blink! Installed a "new to me" used drivers side taillight assembly on the forty....

Now I don't need to plan out my routes to avoid left turns.... Now I can signal my left turning via a blinking light instead of a cold arm out the window.

Small victories
 
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I installed some front recovery brackets that I scored. They are were made by a former reputable Mud vendor turned sketchy vendor. These are only temporary and they will be replaced with some BlackPeak Supply brackets that hang down a little less.
I had to trim the Slee AC Dryer skid plate for it to fit too.
 
Bought a pilot bearing puller only to find that I destroyed the bearing enough so it wouldn't catch. Used a grinding stone to grind the bearing paper-thin then could get behind it. What a waste of time. Have the pilot bearing puller for next time.

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Nice job. And at least there's one less trip to the store "next time"

Thought I'd lighten the wrenching mood and give rice and Weejub a run for their weak wrenching money :)

Installed these upon return Saturday so I can dig through my drawers hands free now. Best part is was all stuff laying around the garage

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^^ Oh yea . . .


 
Home sweet home, motor mounts are in and cross member is under way.

That is awesome looking Stan. I think you need to install one of those interwebs time lapse cameras on your shop, would be great to see all the magic come together. I can't even fathom how you do all that.
 
Okay, so I'm reaching out for help here. I needed to replace the relay rods on the 80 and I started that on Saturday. It's a job I thought was going to be easier than it has turned out to be. The 19 year old relay rods and stabilizer bar won't budge from the pitman arm or the passenger's side knuckle arm. They are in there real tight.

I just ordered a tie rod puller kit from OTC, so that may help. In the mean time...any advice on removing these stubborn things?

Thanks in advance.
 
Heat, PBBlaster and a BFH. Still use the heat and PBBlaster with the tie rod end puller.
 
Okay, so I'm reaching out for help here. I needed to replace the relay rods on the 80 and I started that on Saturday. It's a job I thought was going to be easier than it has turned out to be. The 19 year old relay rods and stabilizer bar won't budge from the pitman arm or the passenger's side knuckle arm. They are in there real tight.

I just ordered a tie rod puller kit from OTC, so that may help. In the mean time...any advice on removing these stubborn things?

Thanks in advance.

BFH .... but don't hit the rods .... simultaneously use a crow bar to apply separating pressure and whack heck out of the radius of the pitman and the knuckle arm.

Careful, when it pops loose it is all coming at once and however hard you were pulling on the crow bar suddenly contributes to bodily acceleration.
 
If you're replacing the tie rods, feel free to beat the piss out of the threads. Won't matter anyway. I usually thread the castle nut on until it's flush with the tip of the tie rod end so that I have more surface area to beat on.
 

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