Welding Tips and Tricks

No,

It's my WIFE's Ford... I only drive it when she makes me (like taking her to the airport).

Ain't no weight in the ass, and her Bridgestones don't grip like my tires, so did the friggin' Tokyo Drift merging onto Causeway Boulevard in the rain in New Orleans. Thank God I know how to drive.

Steve S

Well ever since I put that hitch on my truck my power steering has went out, I had to rebuild my rear end, and tonight on my way home I spun the rod bearings out and blew the motor, AND I HAVENT EVEN TOWED ANYTHING WITH IT!!! I told all the critics that the truck would crap itself before that hitch broke didn't realize it would crap itself before the hitch was broke in! This is the second motor to do that, the first one was abused by previous owner and crapped out at 126k miles this motor was a brand new motor and crapped out at 60k!

mcoe wrote:Well ever since I put that hitch on my truck my power steering has went out, I had to rebuild my rear end, and tonight on my way home I spun the rod bearings out and blew the motor, AND I HAVENT EVEN TOWED ANYTHING WITH IT!!! I told all the critics that the truck would crap itself before that hitch broke didn't realize it would crap itself before the hitch was broke in! This is the second motor to do that, the first one was abused by previous owner and crapped out at 126k miles this motor was a brand new motor and crapped out at 60k!

That is funny stuff man.

Your quality work outlasted the truck, that's for sure!

I had the Chevy, the Ford, the Toyota, etc, etc. Nothing beats the Cummins 12 valve straight pipe.

exnailpounder wrote:I like your new signature ...I got my popcorn out to watch this thread but no one is taking the bait I'm an old Ford guy who saw the light and upgraded to Chevy....Ford just plain sux!

mcoe wrote:....AND I HAVENT EVEN TOWED ANYTHING WITH IT!!!

I have to disagree with that statement. I saw the pic of the hitch cover and firmly believe the weight of that alum was enough to overload your motor causing failure. Thankfully that happened mere seconds before the welds were to break on the hitch.
-Jonatan

That little truck just got scared thinking it was gonna have to tow something.

exnailpounder wrote:That little truck just got scared thinking it was gonna have to tow something.

-Jonathan

mcoe wrote:Well ever since I put that hitch on my truck my power steering has went out, I had to rebuild my rear end, and tonight on my way home I spun the rod bearings out and blew the motor, AND I HAVENT EVEN TOWED ANYTHING WITH IT!!! I told all the critics that the truck would crap itself before that hitch broke didn't realize it would crap itself before the hitch was broke in! This is the second motor to do that, the first one was abused by previous owner and crapped out at 126k miles this motor was a brand new motor and crapped out at 60k!

You do know, of course, that all the fails you describe are thing you occasionally have to add oil too, right?



Steve S

Sorry to hear that truck is giving you grief - it does though remind me of a song !


eodvwYrE4Po


Not to rub it in but if your serious about towing surely you want at least a 3/4 ton - if you want a mini truck you can't beat Toyota ! I still got an F350 which tows most stuff & a Toyota for running around - both been super reliable.

HAR!

Thank you, Brian!

That's the perfect song for this. (I have the album that's on, 'cause I'm getting old.)

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:HAR!

Thank you, Brian!

That's the perfect song for this. (I have the album that's on, 'cause I'm getting old.)

Steve S

Steve,
Well, I must just be to young for that one, ain't never heard that great hit.
-Jonathan

Jonathan,

It's from the album, "Wolf Creek Pass."

The title track is great fun.

The song, "Old Sloan" may bring you to the edge of a tear in your eye...

In the early 70's, truck-driving songs were very popular, and tons of people had CB radios.

Steve S

I love every CW McCall song out there!!! This is my only vehicle my wife and I are just starting out and saving everything we can to get a house and get our business up and going so I need it to do what I want. The hitch is there invade I need to pull a utility trailer to make deliveries that are bigger than my bed can hold.

Steve the power steering has 188k on it and I keep it topped off but my sector went bad last year and I lost all my fluid a few times and burnt the pump up. The rear end was a wore out U joint and that wore the seals out vibrating. The rod bearings were from the idiot who put the motor in dropping my brand new crate motor in the dirt without an oil pan.

We went to Pennsylvania and got a motor today and we should have it in tomorrow night and projecting to be done Sunday night

Well I hope the new motor ends your run of bad luck with the truck - maybe you'll get a year or two now with no unexpected expenses - I can see how money will be tight - good luck with the new venture.

Yeah...hang in there bro..Tough times don't last but tough people do...I hope our jokin around didn't offend you.
Now for those Toyota boys. ummm...nevermind

While I spent almost $6K for my wife's truck (rusty POS, but she loves it), the most I've ever spent on my own work vehicle was $1600.

I once bought a minivan, with 83K miles on it, for $200. It hauled my tools and me across 22 states for six years. I cried to put tires on it, because the tires cost more than I paid for the van. I eventually gave it away. Well, I "sold" it to a buddy in need for $100 on credit, because he was too proud to accept it as a gift, and still haven't seen a dime...

I guess my point is, in your position I'd be searching craigslist for a bargain on a simple POS as a backup vehicle. If you can find an ugly junker Toyota with 200K miles for $500, that you'd trust to get you to work or the store for a week, then you're prepared for emergencies.

I had a truck fail in Iowa, with repairs I was not tooled for (or had time for) on the road, and had to rely on work buddies for a week while I paid (for the first time in my life) for someone else to fix my truck. Backup transportation is valuable for the working man just starting out. I always kept the goal of having $500 in the bank in the worst circumstance, so I "could" buy a craigslist beater in an emergency.

BTW, I bought my current truck from craigslist, from New Orleans, while I was in Pennsylvania. I sent my wife and a mechanic friend to check it out, and it was just what I wanted... Mechanically sound, but ugly, with a previous salvage title. $1600 later, I have a truck that can (just) pull my 32' camper if I have to flee a Katrina-type storm, and has never failed me for three years.

Done rambling...
Steve S

Sorry I haven't updated, was in the garage. My neighbor and his wife are both GM mechanics Thursday I blew the motor, Friday bought one from a junk yard, Saturday put the motor in and Sunday test drove! We spent 13 hours start to finish and got the motor swapped. We uncovered a mess that the idiot who put my remands tired motor in left. There was only one bolt in each motor mount, they require 3! He rounded of the manifold bolts so we had to cut the crossover pipe and I had to weld it back together. He didn't put gaskets in hardly any of the places that require them and the list goes on and on. The motor cost me $750 plus extra stuff here and there like my alternator was bad which I didn't know and other things I spent $1200 for the motor and parts and $0 labor! All I have to do is weld body panels on their truck and call it even!
By the way o built this box for their truck a while back.

Update! Exactly 1 week after the engine blew, the tranny locked up. I swapped it out and here we are now and the replacement tranny locked up last week! But I towed a hat take all summer with the hitch, pulled a stuck F150 out of a ditch and never had any trouble out of the hitch! Now I am looking for another tranny this time not from a junk yard!

If the engine blows again, drop the 4.3 in with a 5 speed. Or bolt up a SM465, you'll never break one of those. Lol

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If anything happens again I am trading it in lol