Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[Strouty]

I use it more to keep the floors dry, but it is pretty nice when you are working inside on a hot day.

My buddy had a brake issue, rear brakes were locking up, come to find out it has to do with his emergency roadside fix, last week he had lost a brake line, so he crimped it off and added power steering fluid because he had no brake fluid. Apparently it destroys the seals almost instantaneously and now his master cylinder is acting like a one way valve holding the brakes engaged. I honestly wouldn’t have thought that it would have done that, now I know not to. Hopefully he can get the parts tomorrow and get it fixed, looks like new master cylinder for sure and the rubber seal on the reservoir is toast too.

 

[pat9198]

Yep I learned that years ago, my buddy said oh yeah power steering fluid can be used if you don’t have brake fluid. Wrong! That was an expensive lesson.

 

[Strouty]

Yeah, he is realizing this now, secretly glad it wasn’t me that learned about it. I do feel bad, loaned him a truck to get home tonight.

 

[xtremek]

So, your buddy HAS TO replace every piece of rubber in his braking system. The same thing will happen to his flex lines, his proportioning valve, his calipers and/or wheel cylinders. Flush the lines before he puts on the next piece of rubber. The only safe way to put that vehicle back on the road. Wanna watch something fun? Put a caliper dust seal in a solvent tank and watch it for about 10 seconds, if I remember right.

 

[Modern Garage]

We get about one or two cars a year in that way. Usually a random brake "feel" complaint. When you pull the reservoir cap and find the cap seal swelled up the diagnosis is done. Most times it's just a top-off and a new master cylinder fixes it, but sometimes some wise guy (like your friend) bleeds the brakes and drives the PS fluid throughout the system requiring everything except the steel lines to be replaced like EXTREMEK said. That diagnosis is usually followed by a call to the the salvage yard.
Joe

 

[Strouty]

I will be curious to see what comes of it, he said he flushed the brake system until he had clear fluid coming out the other end, this was before changing the calipers last night. I will say for sure that the fluid looked bad, not even like brake fluid in the reservoir. I am have a power bleeding system, might be the best time to use it.

What about the ABS controls? Are they toast too?

 

[racer-john]

I will be curious to see what comes of it, he said he flushed the brake system until he had clear fluid coming out the other end, this was before changing the calipers last night. I will say for sure that the fluid looked bad, not even like brake fluid in the reservoir. I am have a power bleeding system, might be the best time to use it.

What about the ABS controls? Are they toast too?

A good chance, yes,

 

[Strouty]

Looks like he got lucky, since it all started with a blown rear line, he really on added fluid to the front chamber on the master, then when he replaced the line he flushed it a bunch, so at this point we replaced the master and have been tested driving for 15 minutes now with no brake problems. Fingers crossed.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Anything that has had the power steering fluid os suspect and needs to be replaced. Don't play around with the brakes.

 

[Strouty]

I agree, but he can’t get the parts until Monday, so for now we are feeling things out. The master was definitely what was causing the brakes to stay engaged, there was rubber chunks floating in the fluid when we sucked out the old stuff before swapping the master.

 

[Strouty]

Been neglecting my posting, I have some pictures from the last couple days, it has been so hot and humid, I just haven’t had the ambition, plus I have been helping my buddy.



The front pump runs the hydraulics for what was the forklift, I will be reusing it eventually to power a heavy duty winch.




Had to remove the shaft to get the belt off, the shaft was a slip joint, so in the future it will be relatively painless to remove for any belt changes.



This is the pump



This is the electric clutch that engages the shaft to the pump.




And this is the slip shaft.






Getting that last bracket off was a bear, I had to use a floor jack with a chunk of steel to break the glue free.





Now I can see what I am doing and things are looking up. I ordered a new aluminum grill, it will have to be shortened up, but I think it will look much better that what came from the factory. I still need to order a new hood surround, but I couldn’t stomach it this week, best price was almost $700.

I will have to get it sooner because I am going to be reworking bolts and hardware on the hood and it will be easier to do it all at once rather than piecemeal.

 

[Strouty]

That was yesterday, this morning I messed with the mud flaps, I can’t leave anything stock....

I wanted the ones that had a angled upper edge, it offers clearance on the trailers and it just looks better in my opinion. Only problem is that the way they come from the factory is weird, the mud flap sticks out way past the end of the hanger in order to cover the tires, there was just no way to make it look “right”. I pondered it and decided to heat up and bend my brand new hangers, I think it looks much better this way, plus the mud flaps are nicer than the originals. All I had to do was bend them up until the edge of the hanger was at the edge of the tires.









This will all get totally reworked when I rebuild the rear section of the frame, but for now it looks pretty good in my eyes, still need to add some reflective tape.

 

[smalltown]

strouty why would a truck like that have a fork lift in the front ?

 

[Strouty]

The original owner used it to move docks or something to do with boats, he owned a marina.

 

[casmurbax]

Your fix for the mud flap is spot on.

 

[Strouty]

I thought it looked good, not perfect, but for a first rendition it is great.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Looks good from my house. ;-)

 

[Strouty]

Next thing I need is 1/4 fenders, it will help keep the slop off the boom and the back of the truck. I have started a list of things that need to be done to Perk, it got pretty long, pretty quickly.

I am going to pick at it a bit at a time. I wanted to start on OMO, but a robin has decided that they wanted to have a nest in the water pump area, so now I can't move the truck until the eggs have hatched and the birds have flown away. I had destroyed an earlier nest that was in the boom of Buck, but didn't catch this one in time.

Changing the oil and all the belts made me feel like I got something accomplished, next real project should be the pressure washer, so I can get the underside of Perk cleaned, then I can start figuring out where all the oil leaks are.

 

[jack stand]

My GF just tried to weld.... with the oven.

That one made me laugh out loud!

 

[Strouty]

Except now I have to fix it, new lower element arrived, but wires were also fried at the ends. Looks like plenty of wire to re-splice the terminals, just need to get the right size terminals and should be good to go.

 

[86turbodsl]

Welding in the kitchen aside, I have spent some time on the phone with DOT and FMSCA officials and they agree that I am not required to have a DOT number nor do I need to follow their rules. However, the "rules" are subjective when it comes to an officer and they have to make the call, they do have to "prove" that I am in commerce, worst case is I get a ticket and then fight it in court, of course that wouldn't help me if I am in Arizona when I get stopped, hadn't thought about that. I am pretty good at tap dancing, going to give it a shot and see what happens. I am willing to bet that there will be a test sooner or later.

DOT rules are some of the most convoluted rules i know of. I still have a heck of a time figuring out what you CAN and CANNOT tow as a private citizen. Half the people say you can't tow over 10K, half say you can. Blah Blah blah. Drives me crazy.

 

[86turbodsl]

AC in a shop? I could only wish. Still, I have plenty of fans, so it's usually ok, and nothing I do is related to a business.

Find some second hand stuff and i'll hook it up for you. I've got my 608 cert and the tools.

 

[Strouty]

The Federal license rules (and these are a minimum standard, so some states have more stringent rules) are that if you have a vehicle that has a GVW over 26k you need a class B license, when the trailer is over 10k GVW AND the gross combination of the vehicle and trailer is over 26k you need a class A. This means that with a heavy enough trailer even an F-350 can become a class A combination. When the FMCSA rules come into play, you have to be in commerce, that is where my issue has been, I have a class A license and my trucks are registered for the weight I had been carrying, when I re-register Perk, I will actually up it to 55,000 to cover what I will be hauling.

As for hauling a trailer, as long as things aren’t commercial, you don’t have to follow any rules unless you need the license due to the GVW of the truck and or trailer. So if your F-350 has a GVW of 11k, that means you can haul a trailer with a GVW of 15k and still not need a CDL.

 

[casmurbax]

Strouty, how is the back?

 

[Strouty]

It was better, but my neck, ultimately the cause of the back issue is still being a pain.

I have had very little shop time, GF wants me to go get a new oven with her, I am not too keen on going anywhere that I am forced to wear a mask.

 

[86turbodsl]

The Federal license rules (and these are a minimum standard, so some states have more stringent rules) are that if you have a vehicle that has a GVW over 26k you need a class B license, when the trailer is over 10k GVW AND the gross combination of the vehicle and trailer is over 26k you need a class A. This means that with a heavy enough trailer even an F-350 can become a class A combination. When the FMCSA rules come into play, you have to be in commerce, that is where my issue has been, I have a class A license and my trucks are registered for the weight I had been carrying, when I re-register Perk, I will actually up it to 55,000 to cover what I will be hauling.

As for hauling a trailer, as long as things aren’t commercial, you don’t have to follow any rules unless you need the license due to the GVW of the truck and or trailer. So if your F-350 has a GVW of 11k, that means you can haul a trailer with a GVW of 15k and still not need a CDL.

My issue has always been, i have a tandem dual trailer, rated at 20K. I drive an F350 dually. Technically i wouldn't own it unless i was commercial, but all i've ever hauled is my own junk. The feds say if you're non-commercial, you don't need a CDL. But they probably assume nobody would own a 20K trailer without being commercial. Thus the grey areas. It goes round and round on websites where such things are discussed. Never gotten a straight answer.

 

[Strouty]

I think you will find that the state may require a class A regardless of commercial use. The only exemptions I know of are Farm use, in order to be classified probably will need to meet state requirements, fire departments, military, and any RV (this one is crazy).

 

[rannoch]

Put a rooftop tent on the trailer and call it a portable porch.

 

[racer-john]

Hope everything is OK with you, Strouty.

 

[xtremek]

Knowing Strouty, he's probably stuck doing paperwork.

 

[Strouty]

Definitely been doing paperwork, but also having trouble with my Dad, over the last week, he has worked himself just about to death. I have heard some things second hand that are not so great. Apparently he is not drinking any water, not eating any food, and working in the sun all day, at the end of the day he is exhausted, yesterday he slept almost all day, today he went back to the island to do important things, ended up hanging a shelf in the shed. Having a sort of intervention on Sunday, not sure how things will go, but stepmother is on board and is willing to put her foot down if he doesn't follow through. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg and he will soon revert back to toddler status. I didn't want to spend the entire summer on this project, but it may be exactly what has to be done.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Definitely been doing paperwork, but also having trouble with my Dad, over the last week, he has worked himself just about to death. I have heard some things second hand that are not so great. Apparently he is not drinking any water, not eating any food, and working in the sun all day, at the end of the day he is exhausted, yesterday he slept almost all day, today he went back to the island to do important things, ended up hanging a shelf in the shed. Having a sort of intervention on Sunday, not sure how things will go, but stepmother is on board and is willing to put her foot down if he doesn't follow through. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg and he will soon revert back to toddler status. I didn't want to spend the entire summer on this project, but it may be exactly what has to be done.

Sorry to hear that your dad has had a setback (of sorts).

I have heard that electrolyte levels in older folks is a big deal. Both mental and physical. The issue can be, that older people have been told to have a low salt diet, even though our bodies are basically run on a salt pump. Then they don't know to supplement with electrolyte containing liquids or they just don't drink liquids like they should (like we all should). plus his not eating or drinking and working like a dog certainly didn't help.

Hopefully with rest and re-hydration he can get back onto level.

I suggested getting him an assistant aka baby sitter, you said that it had been tried and didn't work well. Is there someone besides you that can do that? Is one of the step daughters available? Would he listen to them? Maybe the step mom needs to go to the island with him for a few days, to ram rod things for him? Force him to slow down and take a break/drink/eat etc?

Who is there with him?

MAKE HIM WATCH THE MOVIE "On Golden Pond". Start calling him Walter.

BTW, my dad, is so impatient about things, that we have started telling him that get togethers start an hour AFTER everyone else is told to be there. That way we get to talk and relax before he gets there demanding to know why dinner isn't served because he already thinks he needs to be going home. He will even start clearing the table of dishes when he is done, regardless of others still eating. Back when I would actually help him with a project (I stopped helping, my BIL does it now), I would never even suggest a different way to do something or correct anything he is doing wrong. Because he has NEVER, EVER listened to me. I just fixed things later if I can or he has to pay to get it fixed "right". The only thing I corrected was safety issues (that old guy should not be on the roof). It won't get any easier as he gets older (he's early 80s).

Good luck.

 

[Strouty]

My Cousin is with him Monday through Friday, he doesn’t want me there, my stepmother refuses to entertain the idea of going to the island and an assistant needs to be a full blown laborer. He doesn’t want to stop, he wants to prove to everybody he is fine, he just doesn’t have the understanding that his body can’t take the punishment his one track mind can dish out. He basically is a dog with a bone (the dock) and if you try and take it away from him (even if he only thinks you are), he attacks. The biggest issue I will have is that I can’t work the way he does, he will spend days doing something that I can do in less time by spending a little money on a tool. Latest example, he wanted to buy a bandsaw from HF, not a handheld one, I told him my cordless Milwaukee would cut what he wanted no problem, at first he said OK, then he said he was buying the HF one. So now instead of dealing with a cordless tool, he is making more work for no reason. I don’t like to work for no reason unless it is something fun, then I will work for the hell of it. This is not fun, he is not fun when it comes to lack of planning involving multiple people.

 

[steaks&anvils]

My Cousin is with him Monday through Friday, he doesn’t want me there, my stepmother refuses to entertain the idea of going to the island and an assistant needs to be a full blown laborer. He doesn’t want to stop, he wants to prove to everybody he is fine, he just doesn’t have the understanding that his body can’t take the punishment his one track mind can dish out. He basically is a dog with a bone (the dock) and if you try and take it away from him (even if he only thinks you are), he attacks. The biggest issue I will have is that I can’t work the way he does, he will spend days doing something that I can do in less time by spending a little money on a tool. Latest example, he wanted to buy a bandsaw from HF, not a handheld one, I told him my cordless Milwaukee would cut what he wanted no problem, at first he said OK, then he said he was buying the HF one. So now instead of dealing with a cordless tool, he is making more work for no reason. I don’t like to work for no reason unless it is something fun, then I will work for the hell of it. This is not fun, he is not fun when it comes to lack of planning involving multiple people.

I get it. My dad won't even entertain the idea that I might have a good idea or actually know something. But my BIL walks on water, he does know a lot, he builds power plants (I don't fault him, nice guy). And god knows he seems to be able to deal with dad.

I suppose the best you can do is pack up a nice cooler with drinks and sandwiches. And hope for the best.

Remember, you are not alone, lot's of us have aging parents or crazy family dynamics. We're here to listen and hang on for the ride. From what I've read on this thread, you are a great guy. We can see that you only want the best for everyone, it's hard when others just don't get it.

 

[Strouty]

My GF says I am to nice and need to learn how to say no. I can and do say no, but generally with Dad it costs me an arm an a leg if I do, meaning, cleaning up the aftermath is far worse than saying yes or bending to his will.

I appreciate all the comments, even the ones from me cranky pants.

I learn from others and sharing is a way to vent that doesn’t drag my GF into it, that is always a good thing.

 

[xtremek]

The big take away from dealing with my dad is trying to make a mental note not to be the same way. Good Luck

 

[scooterbum46]

Lost my dad in '92.... There are days.. with a 9th grade education, he was the smartest man I ever knew, up to the few weeks before he passed away he was active and could hold a good conversation about any of my subjects from electronics, computers,
'51 Mercury overdrive troubleshooting, wildlife, photography ..... miss him deeply.

I know it's tough dealing with both of your dad's (my GF's dad was fairly far down the slope when he died), but hopefully among all the rocks are a few "nuggets" of time you can treasure.

 

[Strouty]

I think my biggest fear is losing him while he is still alive, either from him despising me or from his decline mentally. Either one would be terrible. I spent the better part of today trying to figure out what needs to be done so I can bust the log jam I call life. Almost everything going on right now has factors that are out of my control and it is becoming extremely stressful in the worst way. It is very clear to me at this point that I can't count on anyone but my GF, but she isn't cut out for the help I need, she will actually attempt to do it, but then it turns into a mess when she can't handle lift something or we get part way done and have made a worse mess that I still can't finish. I have learned to use her pithing her limits. Trying to get the bumper on Perk so I can go pick up Clark to use around the Hill. I also need to get the excavator blade bak on and get the Mitsu up here too.

Mother nature is ******* me off as well, I want to start messing with OMO and the damn robin is still there, the eggs have hatched and there are tiny baby birds now, must be another couple weeks before those will be gone.

Seems like things are just going to be that way for a while, I think I had expressed that June was going to be a good month, not, June *****, maybe July won't be as bad.

 

[Trapps]

....
so I never did that again

You mean you never pulled into the inspection again while hauling non-commercial...

 

[Strouty]

Been messing with the bumper all afternoon, it is a pain to put it on with one person, there is no good way to pick it from any decent center of gravity, basically you fight with it the entire time. I hate cutting everything with a torch, but it is clear this is temporary and if I tried for perfection, it would never get done. I think now I have a decent idea of how it will be, until I get the actual winch, it is a bit of a guess, but I have my ideas. For now I have the rails out of the way and I should have it bolted back on tonight.