Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[86turbodsl]

Happy new year! I have also found that slightly massaging the HF / chineseium stuff is cheaper in the long run than making your own. Now days, i only make new when i want something somebody else doesn't make close to what i want.

I've been buying my cars and trucks in the south for a while now. A little vacation with my brother and i come home with something i dont have to fight to work on.

 

[Strouty]

If I build it, I shouldn’t need to buy anything, I also have some pieces of solid receiver stock, it won’t be light, but it will be strong. I want to add lights to it as well.

 

[harley jim]

If I build it, I shouldn’t need to buy anything, I also have some pieces of solid receiver stock, it won’t be light, but it will be strong. I want to add lights to it as well.

Some of the old folks around here have electric lift types of them. I'm thinking what about a heavy duty version with an elect./hydraulic lift pump.

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[Strouty]

I don’t want to be that fancy, once I get a chance to see what I have for materials, then I can decide. Sounds like no matter what, I will be replacing or upgrading the hitch portion. I could weld the aluminum together on the HF unit, then beef up the hinge mechanism, then add lights, then......

 

[Ralf99]

Probably a stupid question - from someone who has never seen a domestic snow blower let alone used one - but does it fit in the back of the Suburban, or on the tray of one or many of the trucks or trailers?

With all the forklifts and knuckle booms scattered about the task of loading and unloading should be a non-issue?

One less project to add to the list...

 

[jakemac]

It might fit into the back of a suburban, but then you’re dealing with ramps and melting snow inside the truck.

He has forklifts at the SG and TH, but not at the house he’s in now. (I presume that’s where the snowblower is)


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[Strouty]

Ralf99, think about the size of a medium rototiller, one you would walk behind, the snowblower will not fit in the suburban unless you turned it on its side (not a good idea), the handles are too tall to fit. Jake is also right, no forklift at the house, and even with a forklift, it would be harder to unload and load than just driving it up some ramps and being done with it. Dragging a trailer around complicates things even more, especially when it is sloppy driving. The best solution to this would be to buy two more snowblowers, but it is not a good time to buy them, even the used ones are pricey. I will end up with at least one more for next winter, almost bought one this fall, but decided not to, wish I had now for sure. No matter what I do, making the cargo carrier that fits in the receiver will be a useful thing for sure. I have been eyeballing a bill goat brush mower, it started out at $1500 (decent deal), then went to $1200, now it is at $1000 and I am thinking $800 may buy it. I would make the cargo hauler so it would fit that too, one at a time of course.

 

[Ralf99]

Sounds like an ideal opportunity to acquire more machinery or a pickup to me, although understandably timing/pricing would be hard to swallow.

In these parts, load carriers for anything more than a wheelchair or maybe a minibike close coupled to the hitch are frowned upon. Up until recently, even bicycle carriers had to be removed if not actually being used to carry a bike.

No concerns about that much weight swinging around that far behind the rear wheels, particularly in sloppy conditions?

 

[Ralf99]

....and having a forklift for my home garage is on the list of "wants" for me. Can't convince myself I need a knuckle boom, but maybe I could get away with a small excavator.

 

[Strouty]

It would actually not be bad at all, in fact it may help with traction in the snow. I have a thing for the burbs, when I have a truck it will be much larger, like Perk or OMO, Bev is about the smallest truck I will probably own for a while.

 

[jakemac]

Better for rear traction, mixed results on front wheel grip. It depends on suspension and how much weight you have back there.


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[harley jim]

Got a plow on the front dont ya. No worries there.
I'm still thinking about the lift. I have a couple of power units. I'm on a 20 lbs weight restriction so I was thinking about a jib crane for my truck but I'm liking the lift idea. May be better than a jib.

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[mybigwarwagon]

Here in NC this is usually all the snow blower you need.

If the snow lasts more than a day it is reallllly bad.

 

[Strouty]

I have had back issues over the years and now I try to have appropriate equipment to save my back.

 

[jakemac]

That’s the excuse I used to finally buy an ATV and put a plow on it.
First time I plowed with it, I pulled a sprinkler head out of the ground pushing snow off the pavement.

Now there’s a new task on the to-do list for late spring. Good thing I don’t waste well water on my lawn.


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[Strouty]

It seems like that type of stuff always happens.

I am headed out to look at the transmission today, also making a stop at my favorite pawn shop, then meeting up with a buddy and picking up a few things on the way home. Fingers crossed the trans is what I am looking for and maybe the harness isn't too fried, but I am looking at it like it is a bare trans and I will have to buy all the other parts.

 

[smalltown]

Strouty Hope you have good luck at the pawn shop. Seems to me the ones in my area are usually asking outrageous prices.

 

[Strouty]

This place is usually pretty good.

Trans looks decent, they cut the harness, but the computer looks like it might still be usable, probably can fix the harness. I am getting the frame mounts, shifter, harness, TCM (computer), and the driveshaft. PTO has no numbers that we could find, but my fingers are crossed.

 

[jakemac]

No matter how it turns out, it’s still better than dragging back another whole truck to dispose of.
I hope it works out, good luck.


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[xtremek]

Good luck with the trans.

 

[Strouty]

I will have to come back and get the trans next week, might have to bring a trailer, I think it is too tall to fit in the back of the burb, it also weighs 1000 pounds so too heavy for a hitch mounted HF rack.

I bought a cute little three jaw puller from the pawn shop, waiting to meet another guy now, picking up a forklift fork adapter, it allows both forks to be used to lift 4000 pounds from a hook in the center of the plate, I am doing a terrible job explaining, I will take some pictures tomorrow. I have essentially been driving for 8 hours and I still have a bit more than two hours to get home.

 

[xtremek]

Sounds worse than my days. 4 hours on the road is too much, skip that 10 stuff.

 

[Strouty]

So I just got home, need to go to bed now, then get up early, going to try and either scan or copy the new manuals tomorrow so I don’t get them dirty while working on the FL106. One manual was actual about 30 double sided pages and I am a bit pissed, paid way too much for it for sure, hopefully it has some good information in it, otherwise it was $40 down the drain.

I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with the guy that deals with the Bridgeport retrofits, he said don’t think I would be able to get away with $5k for an upgrade, figure $7500. I decided to replace the mother board and do the hard drive/software upgrades, a bit over $1100, but should get me up and running again with 2 axis CNC and my manual control 3 axis DRO. We also discussed creating a third axis and he explained the issue, basically unless you have all the original parts for the third axis, the software would need to be recalibrated for the new hardware and he says the numbers they use for calibration are not a real number, they are some representation of a measurement, so there would be some serious issues, guess this is going to be a 2 axis machine and if I want a three axis one, I will either sell this one or add to the collection later.

 

[Strouty]

Here are a couple crappy pics of things from today.

 

[harley jim]

I hate burnt wiring harnesses. For some reason I always got those jobs when I was pulling wrenches. I'm glad I got out before diesels became computer controlled. That could send a guy over the edge.

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[Strouty]

Hopefully the TCM is fine, I am willing to bet I can buy new connectors and make a new harness, that is if buying one is too expensive. I am looking into the software to modify the factory calibrations now, if I can get my hands on that, it will be very nice and save me money in the long run.

 

[cbacres]

Happy New Strouty.

Neat puller you picked up.

 

[xtremek]

Any way to tell if the TCM is damaged? Any idea of who makes the harness? That puller is HUGE.

 

[Strouty]

Thanks CB, it may end up being useless, or only used once in a blue moon, but I couldn’t pass it up.

X, I am figuring the only way to find out is to send it off to Allison, I am investigating software programming for these units now, I would love to be able to give the dealer the big middle finger.

 

[Strouty]

Spent the afternoon digging through manuals and reading wiring diagrams, next week I should be able to get the FL106 engine running without the truck harness being wired up.

Also going to pick up the trans Sunday morning, another day of driving

Tomorrow I am working on the OGMC, hopefully get the brake lines installed and bled.

 

[Strouty]

Yesterday had to be adjusted a bit, there is a favorite restaurant that my buddy and I like and it is closing today, so we decided to get lunch, glad we did, there was a sign on the door that said “ Hours 11:00 to 7:00 or until we run out of food.” We had a 35 minute wait at 11:30. Also bought a bit of extra food to go, left the waiter a big tip, he had been there for 9 years and we had seen him a lot. Sad day for sure.

Right now I am halfway to getting the transmission, they measured it on a pallet and it should fit in the back of the burb, at this point it has to, I don’t have a trailer. Should be interesting, hope the guy is good with the bobcat.

 

[quattro_sinko]

Yesterday had to be adjusted a bit, there is a favorite restaurant that my buddy and I like and it is closing today, so we decided to get lunch, glad we did, there was a sign on the door that said “ Hours 11:00 to 7:00 or until we run out of food.” We had a 35 minute wait at 11:30. Also bought a bit of extra food to go, left the waiter a big tip, he had been there for 9 years and we had seen him a lot. Sad day for sure.

Right now I am halfway to getting the transmission, they measured it on a pallet and it should fit in the back of the burb, at this point it has to, I don’t have a trailer. Should be interesting, hope the guy is good with the bobcat.

I pick up a lot of stuff shipped freight that comes palletized. There's always a look of disbelief at the terminal when they ask if I brought a truck or trailer, and I tell them I have my Suburban. They will fit a deceptive amount of stuff, as long as it isn't too tall.

 

[Strouty]

I removed the upper trim, it gets me to a bit over 37” of height.

 

[Strouty]

Took seconds to load transmission, headed home now, will stop for lunch at another one of my favorite places.

 

[racer-john]

Nice fit with the trans, happy motoring.

 

[Strouty]

Made the ride better, the burb likes some weight back there, kind of numbs the heavy springs a bit.

Getting lunch now, then I haven’t figured out what is next, once I figure it out, I will let you guys know.

 

[xtremek]

Looks like a good fit in the back of the Burb.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Good thing you have roll of paper towels back there. Can't have things getting messy.

 

[Strouty]

So far no mess, made it back to the Hill, need to do some paperwork at the office, tomorrow I will unload it at the SG, will be easier to have it there at this point.

 

[PelicanPines]

Bet you loved Legos when you were a kid.