428 replies to this topic

[Cat385B]

. Unfortunately, I have more pressing maintenance matters today.

 

Main bearing go bad? You got your convertible all sorts of torn apart.

[Hondarider]

Oh no. The snow blower runs flawlessly. Not so much as a hiccup since new. However, I've run it for 20 years with only routine oil changes so its time for some long overdue preventive maintenance.

- new belts
- new friction disc
- spark plug
- oil change
- new pull starter handle

It snowed a little bit last night so it seems like the right time to get things done.

Edited by Hondarider, November 14, 2015 - 09:01 AM.

[Cat385B]

Check the plug wire were it disappears under the shroud, they have a tendency to wear at that spot.

[Hondarider]

Back to the project...

I ordered a new reverse disk from Bill Janitor today ($50) and I spent some time poking at the motor for a while. I'm pretty sure that I can clean and polish this thing to better than new appearance, but its just a bit tired. I was really hopeful that I could rebuild it to original spec, but I'm told that the required parts are unobtanium and I shouldn't even think about opening it up. I'm hoping to see my kids and grandkids run this thing for the next 30 years so it looks like I'll be shopping for new motor.

Meanwhile, my new CH sandblaster gun came in this week so I'm hoping to get moving on that effort. My old Harbor Freight model hasn't been all that dependable. My painter is ready to start spraying things as soon as I start dropping them off. I think I might just shoot the frame and rear axle out in the yard on a tarp. It won't fit in my cabinet.

I've got to get moving again...

[Hondarider]

Started sandblasting yesterday. It went a bit slower than I anticipated. I spent an hour on the seat alone. I might have to farm out some of the bigger pieces. The good news is that the Campbell Hausfeld gun that I bought clogged a lot less frequently than the Harbor Freight model I've been using in the past. I also added a 60W incandescent light inside the cabinet to help visibility. It's way better than the crappy florescent lamp that came with it.

[Hondarider]

SO I decided to take a couple days off from work this week to get a few errands done before the inevitable snow makes its way to New England. We've been most fortunate so far...incomprehensibly so...making it all the way through October and November without any measurable white stuff. Thank you Al Gore!

I woke up bright and early Thursday morning to load up the 4Runner and make a run up to the sandblaster's shop in Brattleboro, VT. With some help from my wife, I was able to load the frame and rear axle assembly into the car. It's like my buddy and mentor, Bob Reynolds, always says "Get yourself a big woman and save your back when you get old"

[Hondarider]

The shop opens at 8:30 and Brattleboro is 1:30 from my house so I hit the road early. I was less than enthusiastic when I encountered this half an hour from my house...



I pressed on and was making exceptional time, so I treated myself to breakfast at Dot's diner in Wilmington, VT. A cute little restaurant run by resilient folks who have rebuilt the place better than ever after Hurricane Irene wiped the riverside establishment out completely a few years back. There's nothing I enjoy more than bellying up to the counter at a small town diner with all the old men...basking in the local color and feeling like I've just entered a Norman Rockwell painting. I listened intently as folks shared their views about current events, local real estate transactions, and amateur meteorology. Throw in a plaid shirt, a sassy waitress, and a platter of corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and you've got my dream of retirement. I was so happy that I left $15 on a $9.35 bill.

Off to the bustling metropolis of Brattleboro!

[Hondarider]

I rolled into Khameleon Koatings at 8:45; just as the guys were opening up for the day. I had emailed the proprietor, Matt, the night before and he was expecting me. I suspect that there are shops closer to my home, but I like this place. The prices I've been charged in the past were fair and its a business that seems to be working hard to make it. There are no flashy neon signs or pimped out offices...no 50's themed waiting room...just a couple guys, some equipment, and an eclectic collection of works in progress...from wheels to furniture to motorcycle frames, there is "stuff" everywhere...inside and outside. I like it. It's a little dark...a little dirty...and a bit cold...it's the kind of place where you might expect to see Bill Hines or Randy Grubbs (look them up) plying their craft...not a place for TV showboats like Richard Rawlings or Danny "Count" Koker. It's the kind of business that I look for since I know all that flashy overhead comes right out of the customers' pockets.

SO I dropped of about a dozen of my parts and Matt said they'll be done by next Friday. I plan to work the smaller pieces in my own sandblast cabinet.

Edited by Hondarider, December 04, 2015 - 01:54 PM.

[Hondarider]

Friday morning and I'm off to the tire shop to get the 53 year old tires removed from the rims.  I bet the tires they make today won't last 50 years.  My main man, Larry, at Mister Tire didn't even charge me to take them off and dispose of them.  What a great guy!  After a little degreasing and banging out some dents on the anvil, they look ready for blast and paint.

 

 

I put one of them in the blast cabinet and took a crack at it.  After about 10 minutes, I hadn't made much progress.  That paint is really on there!

[Hondarider]

I thought I'd take a crack at repairing my seat today. It's got quite a bit of rust and a couple holes that I'm sure didn't come from the factory. I'd like to fill the holes and get rid of the rust that the sandblaster isn't touching.

[Hondarider]

My plan is to use an aluminum block as a backer and then fill the holes with the MIG welder set really low. The seat only measures as 22ga so I'm hoping I won't blow bigger holes in it with my amateur welding skills.

[Hondarider]

Shockingly, I was successful. I filled the holes and then hit them with the angle grinder to smooth things out. I'm a much better grinder than I am a welder.

[Hondarider]

Now for the rust.  I had sandblasted the seat extensively, but the rust was still hanging on.  I decided to take a crack at it with a wire brush on the angle grinder.  Voila!  John Delorean has got nothing on me.

 

 

All I need now is a flux capacitor and my Panzer will be ready for time travel.

 

 

[Cat385B]

Might need a seat belt, that looks ....... slippery.

[Chris11]

You didn't take axles of carrier out?