Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[Strouty]

No place for a tractor at my house, these weren't that heavy, just awkward, plus stairs make it more fun. Back seems ok now, it was just a shock, I am sure the snow shoveling will be fun on Monday and Tuesday.

After unloading the burb, my top priority is to make room in the shop so I can figure out what is going on with the block heaters in both the maroon burb and the OGMC. This morning the maroon burb was really hard to start, plan was to change glow plugs anyways, only issue is that I have no spare vehicle, so I need to get the OGMC going good enough, then I can bring the maroon burb in so I can get the plow setup on and have it capable of plowing sometime this year.

 

[Strouty]

I think I have a temporary layout figured, going to pursue it for now, I don't want to waste too much effort, especially since there is a good possibility the shop will be moving to the Hill in the not so distant future. Nothing like playing parking lot on a cold Saturday.

I also need to figure out how to test the block heaters, I feel like I should just be able to do a resistance test, not sure what ohms it should be, research, research, research. A lot of people say the heaters don't go bad, but the cords do, so that is where I will look first. The glow plugs can be a PITA as well, so not sure how that will go, really want to do a bunch of maintenance to the trucks, but I don't feel like I have the time, once I have two vehicles that will start when it is cold, I can actually start repairing one a bit more, just don't want to be stuck with no vehicle at all.

 

[F451]

...just don't want to be stuck with no vehicle at all.

Is it worth considering selling some of many projects you have and purchasing a reliable vehicle?

I can't imagine being without a reliable vehicle at my disposal at all times.

Same with all of the large truck projects, seems like you have more then enough capital invested in all those rigs to afford one reliable rig for your needs.

Unless its the challenge of the projects that you're enjoying.

And nice work on the organizing over the long weekend, must feel great to get so much done, especially ahead of the coming cold.

 

[Strouty]

I have a soft spot for my burbs, I could easily buy something more reliable, but I prefer driving what I drive. Honestly, there isn't a lot wrong and once I fix it, they will be reliable, or as reliable as any vehicle, I have had new vehicles in the shop for warranty repairs, so I don't think you can completely get away with a trouble free vehicle. Besides upgrading to a newer diesel would hurt my image....



As for the big trucks, I am trying to stay away from the emissions BS and the two trucks that I plan to use are both good in that regard. If I was trying to make a living using the trucks, I wouldn't be picking around with all this, but I am doing this for fun?

 

[Strouty]

I thought I had to buy grease, found several tubes while cleaning up. I am picking away at the small things now, found more things to take out to the conex boxes as well. Also made enough space that I pulled out my ultrasonic tank, need to do a carburetor rebuild for the C-70 crane, that will come in handy for sure. I can safely say that this marathon of days at the shop is taking its toll, I am feeling like it has been a long day, yet it isn't even 2:30 yet. I am going to take a 5 hour energy, need some ambition for sure.

 

[Strouty]

Ordered some new flange bolts for the snow plow brackets, another thing to check off the list. I want to sand blast and paint the brackets, speaking of painting, I forgot I was supposed to get my paint booth that I bought, pretty sure he has gone south for the winter, so I will have to wait until spring, too much on my plate to worry about that now. The shop is really starting to take shape, next is to load up the pallet racking and get a few more things off the floor, then I can bring the Mitsu blade and stubby bench inside. After that, should be clear to bring the maroon burb inside, hopefully the cord is the issue on the block heater. If that is the trouble, I will swap it out, then I can start messing with the OGMC tomorrow, if it is more than the cord, I will have to get parts and wait.

 

[harley jim]

You have really made great progress this week, unlike some who procrastinated and test drove there recliner for most of it. I did get to teach some friends how to weld yesterday but that was about it for me. Keep it going I need less leftovers and more motivation.

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[Strouty]

Thanks Jim, sending what leftover motivation I have your way.

I loaded today’s pile for the conex into the burb, going to brave the cold to unload it now.

Have everything inside, not done organizing and stacking, but I will be close to done tonight, I want to make tomorrow a productive day for working on the maroon burb. Then I can bring OGMC inside before it snows. There is a ton of room so far and I am just making it better with every move.

 

[shortykorte]

Looking good. What’s that yellow thing in front of forklift?


Shorty Korte
Always remember quality in QST

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[Strouty]

A pooper scooper.

 

[harley jim]

HaHaHa. That's funny

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[Craptain]

A pooper scooper.

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji106]

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[Strouty]

I made a big mistake when I sold half of the stack racking that I had, wish I had it all, texted the guys that bought it to see if they would sell it back to me. I also texted the guy I bought it from, he has more, but says he won't sell anymore, it is too handy. I found a large amount for a reasonable price, but it is in Jersey about 5 hours away. I may end up going and getting it, will try a local place first thing on Monday, but I don't think they will have any. This is one of those reinforcing moments, reinforcing the thought that I should never sell anything.........

Anyways, the shop is ready for work tomorrow, I can walk around everything and get to anything in the drawers. Pretty amazing considering what it looked like a few days ago. I am now ready for the snow, well minus a plow, but I know people.

 

[harley jim]

That's looking really good

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[F451]

Nice work man, must feel good.

 

[smalltown]

Looks like a different shop !

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Oh yeah, I clean up my tiny shop and feel good about it, then you have to post you cleaned up your big one. I see how you are.



LOL. Looks great. And in other news, I saw the floor in my shop for the first time in 2 years.

 

[Strouty]

Thanks guys, now I have to do something in there.

Have to move the dump trailer tomorrow, want it located so the snow can be easily plowed around it. I want to bring the steel to the scrap yard, but it is way down on the priority list.

 

[Strouty]

Snow storm updates look like it will start tonight, then slowly dump snow on us through Tuesday, the SG is on the line between the 5 to 13” and the 3 to 9” areas, I am figuring a foot or so. I need to find my snow shovels today, along with winter gear and boots. My GF took Monday and Tuesday off from work, so I may have her come and get me tonight, depending on where I am with the burb, in fact, I may rearrange the shop to fit both in at the same time. There are a bunch of unknowns and one may be quicker to fix than the other.

 

[jack stand]

Great progress! As someone said above, "I see floor"

I've been in a similar situation and just last night put my lathe and vertical mill in their place, but that of course required building a 10x28 loft in a corner of the shop. Beside just plain square footage, I've realized that additional wall space is just as important. Anyway now I have 2 of my 3 bay's back and have room to "rig" the tractor into snow plowing mode for Tuesday, and switch around the tire situation on 2 vehicles for winter.
Hey for your suburban situation, I'm REAL close to giving our 2500 suburban away to the blind or other charity. It's a 2000 3/4 4x4 gasser that's mechanically sound, just rusty rockers and the stone chip in the windshield has turned into a big crack. The interior is nice and it pains me to see it sitting around, I ordered it new for momma & the kids and it's only been in Maine for 10 years with limited use. Let me know, but my b.i.l. is a huge 6.5 fan and witnessing his escapades over the years in the winter, I know what you're going through.

 

[Strouty]

PM sent.

On a good note, last night I messed with the plug end on the block heater and I think it was a poor connection, this morning was teens and it started no problem. I need to mess with the OGMC for sure, then start tearing into the maroon burb to get it ready for prime time.

Walking into the shop this morning was very nice, lots of room, almost made me feel good.

 

[Strouty]

I got some new glow plugs, a new block heater, and a couple shovels for the $^*W

I am charging the battery in the dump trailer, all hooked to the maroon burb, so when I am ready I can take the trailer over to the side where it will be easier to plow around. I have a plow that I can use on Tuesday, not sure I will even hit the SG on Monday at all, I have some paperwork I can do at home.

First order of business is to eat lunch, then check resistance of the various block heaters. Once I know what a good one should have, I think it will be obvious if the plug or the heater is bad in the OGMC. I wanted to buy an extra plug, but they were $45 for a plug and $26 for the heater with a plug, same brand, of course they only had one in the state, so I grabbed it. Then from there I have to fix whatever I find to be the issue, hopefully just a plug or connection. Then I will work on glow plugs, on an unknown truck, they may not have been changed for a long time, this is always nerve wracking as they can swell and get stuck in the head, then it turns into a real big job to change the glow plugs. There is a guy that makes an extraction tool and I need to order one for those situations, last time it happened, I ended up taking the head off. If I can get these things sorted out on the OGMC, it should start without any issues. Of course the glow plugs can have wiring issues and controller problems too, so it could be a bit more involved than just changing the glow plugs, this is why I am a bit concerned about things, I may end up with two vehicles waiting for parts.

 

[F451]

I have a soft spot for my burbs, I could easily buy something more reliable, but I prefer driving what I drive. Honestly, there isn't a lot wrong and once I fix it, they will be reliable, or as reliable as any vehicle, I have had new vehicles in the shop for warranty repairs, so I don't think you can completely get away with a trouble free vehicle. Besides upgrading to a newer diesel would hurt my image....



As for the big trucks, I am trying to stay away from the emissions BS and the two trucks that I plan to use are both good in that regard. If I was trying to make a living using the trucks, I wouldn't be picking around with all this, but I am doing this for fun?

Right on.

 

[86turbodsl]

That floor Is looking awesome! Wish mine looked as good, but I've been working out there. So not so good.

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[Strouty]

It will be a mess shortly, especially if I end up pulling both burbs inside. I haven't looked at the logistics of that yet, it will make the lathe and mill inaccessible for sure.

I just ordered two glow plug harnesses so I will have them in stock, the original ones are sad for sure and the harness is pretty easy to change in comparison to the glow plugs.

 

[Strouty]

Well the block heater testing is weird, the new one reads about 36 ohms, the one int he OGMC reads OL, so I figure it is bad, except that the one in the maroon burb is also reading OL. I think first thing I need to do is check another plug and see if the cords are the issue. Still weird that the one that was working this morning wouldn't read anything close to what it should.

 

[Strouty]

OK, so the block heater in the OGMC is good, cord is either bad or had a bad connection. It took me a minute to understand why my resistance ratings were different, but I understand the new heater is a 400 watt (36 ohms) and the one in the truck is more like 750 watts (22 ohms). I am going to try reconnecting the original plug and see if it was just the connection, they are just a rubber gasket type fit, I would prefer something more positive, but this seems to be the way they are all done. Once I figure it out, I will add some dielectric grease and make sure the routing is safe, might add some more protective sleeving too. It is always interesting trying to figure things out without completely understanding what you are doing.

 

[xtremek]

Sounds like you have another 'Burb running right? Congrats

 

[Strouty]

Technically it was always running, just wouldn't start when it got cold, at least not in a friendly way. The block heater is the main issue, the glow plugs are next, hopefully I can get them changed without any major issues, the truck has a lift kit and I think it might make things easier, probably will remove the front tires to get more access.

 

[Strouty]

I found the problem, wires were cut, almost surprised it wasn't arcing when plugged in. The cord with the new block heater is too short by a bit over a foot, so I am going to have to route it stupid until I can get the proper cord, I hate doing stuff like this, but I don't see much for options right now. Oh well, I am going to order in some extra cords for sure.

 

[walrus]

It will be a mess shortly, especially if I end up pulling both burbs inside. I haven't looked at the logistics of that yet, it will make the lathe and mill inaccessible for sure.

I just ordered two glow plug harnesses so I will have them in stock, the original ones are sad for sure and the harness is pretty easy to change in comparison to the glow plugs.

Six glow plugs ain't bad, make sure you use Delco or Bosch

 

[mybigwarwagon]

I found the problem, wires were cut, almost surprised it wasn't arcing when plugged in. The cord with the new block heater is too short by a bit over a foot, so I am going to have to route it stupid until I can get the proper cord, I hate doing stuff like this, but I don't see much for options right now. Oh well, I am going to order in some extra cords for sure.

Ahh the temporary permanent repair.

Years back I was driving my 90 GMC pickup up a goat path to the top of a mountain in Asheville NC to get a load of scrap metal. The road was bad enough that it shook the dipstick out of the transmission tube, sprayed trans fluid on the exhaust, and went up in flames. I had a case of bottled water in teh truck and put it out. But then I was out of cell phone range, no houses nearby, no one was at the house I was going to ( yes the home owner knew I was coming), and the wiring harness on the passenger's side of the engine was toasted. I had picked up an old extension cord earlier that day, and used it and a roll of electrical tape to get me going again. Things got really busy, and I forgot about it. 2 years later I replaced the starter and found the cord and it took me a minute to figure out where it came from.

 

[Strouty]

I found new GM cords, bought 4 of them, going to splice my old one and roll with it. I am returning the one I bought today rather than messing with it, would much rather spend the money on the OEM one than one that doesn't truly fit. Wasting time with this **** *****.

 

[Strouty]

Six glow plugs ain't bad, make sure you use Delco or Bosch

I always run AC Delcos, never had issues with them.

 

[Strouty]

Running down a rabbit hole again, been here all day and haven't done anything but plan what I am doing.

 

[quattro_sinko]

It is always interesting trying to figure things out without completely understanding what you are doing.

Story of my life

 

[harley jim]

Running down a rabbit hole again, been here all day and haven't done anything but plan what I am doing.

That's productive as long as you follow the plan, If not then it's time wasted. Keep going you got this!

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[Strouty]

You know when a quick fix becomes a project, then it turns into a restoration, well that is what is happening now. The OGMC has multiple issues that are not easily fixed, so I am back burnering it for now, I cobbled together a makeshift cord to at least be able to plug it in and start it when it is cold. The issues that cropped up while investigating this are front brake line is leaking, not sure how it leaks and still has a pedal, but there is a small puddle under the truck now. Second the transmission cooler lines are leaking really badly and need to be replaced. After looking at that stuff, the oil cooler and lines are on their way out, the brake lines are growing rust on 75% of them bad enough I was nervous touching them, the fuel lines are already half gone and the rest are not long for this world. The lift kit has seen better days, one bracket is actually bent pretty hard and the upper control arms have no bushings left. The front fenders and inter fenders are toast (I knew that going in), rear passenger side quarter is pretty well rotted too. Door hinges need repair all around, interior needs work, stereo has been disconnected and there are some weird wiring issues. All in all, it is a project, I hadn't planned on making it perfect and I still don't, but it is salvageable and I would like to use it as my test burb before getting into the "perfect" one. If all goes according to plan, I will end up at the Hill before the winter is over and there is a two post lift there, I think having the lift will make me more willing to do a lot of the things that need to be done. Decisions need to be made, do I remove the lift kit and return the truck to stock? Do I just say screw it and replace all brake lines and fuel lines rather than band aid fix things? I am thinking yes to both these things. The body work will be a good experience for me, I have only done floor repairs, so nothing that gets seen. Should be an interesting endeavor, only issue is it leaves me with no second truck. I may have to go back after the other black burb and resurrect it, if I do that, it is already setup as a plow truck, so I would not have to use the maroon one yet. Damn, this is tuff love for me and my burbs...........

 

[Strouty]

Snap decision happened, the black burb is in the shop, dug out the exhaust crossover pipe I had in stock and will tear into the truck sooner rather than later. It is by no means a perfect truck, it has many stupid issues, but I can use it as a plow and that is really all that matters to me right now.

 

[xtremek]

I don't know if this helps, but my current strategy is to go after one big project (getting the '03 S'crew back on the road, knock out one old small one, maintain what's running, and not take on anything new, until the '03 is running. I've got to stop the massive bleeding of my time.