What are you working on? (3 Viewers)

[brian]

Not owning a pick up has proven to be problematic with homeownership...while I can get a company truck any time that I don't really need one, it's the getting one when I really would like one that's difficult.
So I've been tossing around the idea of picking up one of those cheap utility trailers....but didn't want a cheap flimsy trailer.
Well I ended up with one of heavier cheap trailers for a few benjamins. Needs a few things cleaned up...and sorted out. But at at least I won't have to play pickup ring around the rosier anymore.

 

[Pacer]

Not owning a pick up has proven to be problematic with homeownership...while I can get a company truck any time that I don't really need one, it's the getting one when I really would like one that's difficult.
So I've been tossing around the idea of picking up one of those cheap utility trailers....but didn't want a cheap flimsy trailer.
Well I ended up with one of heavier cheap trailers for a few benjamins. Needs a few things cleaned up...and sorted out. But at at least I won't have to play pickup ring around the rosier anymore.

View attachment 2792568

Yup, I have avoided pickup ownership for years by having a few utility trailers around.

I have a Sure Track 5x8 currently and it is very well built.

 

[FuglyYota]

No pics but drove the Fugly40 on the road legally and got gas at a station for the first time since November 2016 Good thing I ran it as a shakedown because this revealed a fairly substantial fuel leak. Fortunately it was just at the fitting to the tank, would have been a real pain to drain 15+ gallons out to deal with something worse.

So ripped passenger seat out and fixed that. Also got the fuel gage hooked up (seems to work, says I have 7/8’s of a tank). And finally put an axle vent on the rear to stop the profuse leak at the seals after the fluid gets hot.

After all that I started driving it around. Seems to be fairly good, 2nd is like first for the street but still a little tall. Big gap from 2-3, but just need to learn to drive it. Ample power, and the EFI still hasn’t made it past 25% learn cycle. So more driving needed. Rear driveshaft (homemade with schedule 40 pipe) gets mad after 35-40 mph. So local only for right now. Rear springs are stiff. Gotta look into that. But overall, just need to drive it more and work the bugs out. It’s ready for the first mild trails.

 

[94krawler]

Pretty excited to get my buggy back out and only work on recovering Jeeps today

 

[caz]

Started tearing into my Tacoma yesterday. Been having starting issues and losing a lot of coolant. Haven't really driven it in the past few months.

I believe cracks in the head are letting coolant onto the plug or plugs. It doesn't idle well until this dries up.

It is a common issue on these engines at higher mileage. I'm currently at 293,000...

 

[brian]

She cracked

 

[caz]

I guess, I was expecting something a little more dramatic...

I will also be sending out the injectors for testing/cleaning, blocking off the EGR and a few other things I wondered about.

None of the other things explain my vanishing coolant though - about a gallon a week when I was driving it to work every day.

 

[94krawler]

My 3rz head on the buggy is cracked like that on every cylinder. It's been in my buggy for almost 2 years and uses no coolant. If it was burning coolant typically the affected cylinder would be steam cleaned inside.

 

[FuglyYota]

After driving the 40 around a little locally, it became apparent that the current homemade rear driveshaft was good for about 40mph, after that the vibes were just no bueno.

So I yanked it, cut out the schedule 40 pipe I used to originally sleeve it which was sloppy and loose but strong. I found some of the original shaft material and some 2.5” exhaust pipe that fit really tight as a sleeve into the old tubing. So using the sleeve, I redid the shaft with the original material. It’s much straighter, and hopefully gives a little more out of the old shaft until I can afford to have something else professionally made.

 

[jamarquardt22]

After driving the 40 around a little locally, it became apparent that the current homemade rear driveshaft was good for about 40mph, after that the vibes were just no bueno.

So I yanked it, cut out the schedule 40 pipe I used to originally sleeve it which was sloppy and loose but strong. I found some of the original shaft material and some 2.5” exhaust pipe that fit really tight as a sleeve into the old tubing. So using the sleeve, I redid the shaft with the original material. It’s much straighter, and hopefully gives a little more out of the old shaft until I can afford to have something else professionally made.

View attachment 2808929

I used 2.5" schedule 40 pipe for mine. I do 65 before the truck starts to shake. I blame the bead locks though.

 

[94krawler]

FWIW when I build shafts I put a few little tack welds on the yoke pilot to take up the slop. Typically I use 2.5 sch40 or 3.0x250 DOM as it's hard to find press fit DOM in the proper size.

 

[Pacer]

FWIW when I build shafts I put a few little tack welds on the yoke pilot to take up the slop. Typically I use 2.5 sch40 or 3.0x250 DOM as it's hard to find press fit DOM in the proper size.

¼" driveshaft

 

[jamarquardt22]

¼" driveshaft

You haven't met him yet. He needs it.

 

[94krawler]

¼" driveshaft

2.5 Sch40 is nearly 1/4

 

[FuglyYota]

My old rig had a 1/4” rear shaft that a bud and I built in CA and then was rebalanced by Hisperia Driveshaft, just a few miles from Johnson Valley during KOH one year. Sucker was good for 75 mph. Rocks feared it.

 

[jamarquardt22]

2.5 Sch40 is nearly 1/4

Closer to 3/16" but heavy.

 

[FuglyYota]

Skid plate. 80% done, will be done by next weekend for Rausch Creek. 1/4” plate, protects bottom of the doubler and split case. It hangs down too low, but so does the t-case itself. Should do the job until I redo the trans tunnel to raise the drivetrain over the winter. Then it will get reworked up further.

 

[FuglyYota]

Skid done. Ready for her test run

 

[brian]

Exhaust on her collector's edition. I "just" did this 7 years ago...the magnaflow front cat/header doesn't age well in the northeast evidently. The bosal muffler section is even newer.
Wont be a terrible job but at least one of those four stainless studs in the manifolds get me every time.

 

[PAToyota]

Had an "Emissions Workshop" warning on my parents' 2005 VW TDI Passat wagon. Tracked it down to the #2 glow plug. I think I must have bumped it while replacing the alternator the other week. Reseated everything and cleared the codes. Hopefully that solves it, but if not I'll be checking the wiring further and possibly replacing the glow plugs.