Getting ready to throw it on the stands and do the brakes!

 

Had the cooling system machine flushed today. I could of done it myself with a hose, but it has always had Dex in it and I wanted it thoroughly cleaned even though the previous said it was religiously flushed and filled. Took the opportunity to put in new URO brand hoses. Replaced the hard lines, too. That was sort of a last minute decision. I was going to put in a straight bypass for the throttle body heater anyway and the radiator hard line snapped in my hand as I removed the clamp (just like the throttle body hard line did!). Hey, I'm not rough on these things...they are brittle! Used high quality fuel line with internal cord for the bypass and long line to the radiator. Replaced the (probably original) Tstat with a new LR 180 degree model from LR North. Thanks LRN.
Net effect:
Dropped the temps 10 degrees F across the board. I'll be watching it for a while as we are heating up for the summer and checking for any leaks. System pressure check was good.
I'll let everyone know how the URO hoses perform. The look really good and are nice and thick and the cord reinforcement is evident.

Hunting my "tick" and what do I see? Two exhaust studs are gone on passenger side and a stud nut gone on the driver side. I just read some posts saying folks couldn't get them to budge and they were snapping them off. What's up with that? No M8 studs in town so hardened bolts and lock washers are in for now. No more (exhaust) tick now, but I still can hear something when I'm inside the cab. Maybe I'm just paranoid from reading about weak lifters and slipping sleeves. Comments welcome on that

 

DIY trailer wiring.

Changed my oil.

Finally changed gear oil in my diff's!

Installed a cheesy Harbor Freight mechanical oil pressure gauge in the engine compartment... for now. Can't find the new MaxTow gauge in the disaster area I call a garage!

 

headers and all the way back.............Complete.

 

Pulled the motor out of my parts car and am starting the tear down and hopefully a proper build. Crossing my fingers that the block is good.

 

Oil change to Mobile-1 10W40 synthetic and Mobile-1 filter
Installer trailer wiring kit
Added Coleman Caboose trailer
Cleaned out air conditioning blower fan

Lots more fun to come this summer

 

Finally did a fine tune adjustment on my recent replacement XYZ switch on the transmission. I noticed when shifting from P to R to back out of the driveway that the red light next to the R on the shift console was not lit and no R in the dashboard display and while it was going into reverse I found if I pushed the shifter forward just a tad the light lit and the R appeared; everything else was fine so I figured it was a minor adjustment.

I loosened the 2 10M bolts and tweaked the switch just a bit in the direction needed and tightened the bolts. Works fine now. It is really a hit or miss kind of thing, you just have to play with it.

 

 

Nice! And with the tint, they don't know if it's a Poodle, or a Wolf.

 

It's really not the dog they have to worry about anyways. It's the actual Wolf that soon comes out of the store with a firearm moments later.