You gotta be kidding me!

Happy Valentines Day!...and Happy Birthday to my little(snicker,snicker) brother Shawn.
Now that all the niceties are out of the way....

I have to say, I am no longer surprised by any of this. "One step forward two steps back" , "Two steps forward one step back"....I seem to see a recurrent theme, I'm really going to have to stop bringing up the fact that nothing runs smooth with Fillmore...it's a bit boring. On the positive side of the fodder for the Fillmore chronicles this weekend I got to the final stages of the installation of the rear diff on Sunday, that was after volunteering to help as a time keeper at the first annual West Bragg Creek Trail Association XC ski races where Jeff placed second in his age category, right behind his best bud Pete.

Ahhh, lookie lookie....doesn't that look nice? Everything lined up and bolted in place. A good glop of anti-seize goop on the bolts....ahhh does the heart good to see it!

 But not all is well...
"When trouble comes they come not in single spies but in battalions." -William Shakespeare
 Something does not look quite right here does it? No, No it does not!
What happened?...well allow to to fill you in. As I was tightening the passenger side U-bolt with nothing more than the 1 1/4" open ended wrench(thanks Dad)  I heard an ominous "pop" sound. I blew it off thinking that it was just one of the threads popping past the lower plate as I tightened the nut. So I repositioned the wrench and gave it one more turn...."POP"
Yup it broke!...How the H-E-double hockey sticks does a 7/8" brand new U-bolt just break?

I'm not the smallest guy on the block, but I 'aint no Arnie Swarchenegger either.
Well it seems that problems multiply...exponentially. I'm just glad that this happened in my driveway and not out on the road. Those of you who are experienced HD mechanics, forgive me for I have sinned. You see when I had the bolts made I measured a wee bit on the conservative side. I took a measurement of the thickness of the diff and it was maybe 1/8" to tight. As a result the U-bolts would only slide down(over) the diff arm about 1/2 way then get hung up. So I decided to 'relieve' the internal aspect of the U-bolt. I know I know....'How could you??????'...it worked, but it only pushed the problem forward and multiplied it by 10 fold. 
Apparently altering the surface of the bolt weakens it tremendously....now I know.
Like I said I'm just glad it happened here and not 100Kms away from anywhere when I hit a big bump on the road.
So.......I have to take the diff out again.....new U-bolts....re-weld the shock absorber attachment on.... 


Live and learn Blake...Live and Learn

Let's try this again!

Yesterday was a busy day...you know the usual routine feed kids, drink coffee, surf net, drink coffee...usual Saturday dump run, Anna to dance, etc etc. So I did manage to get a little bus time, albeit a small amount as I was flying solo cause Michelle was in the city on course. I did however manage to get the new(old) brake supports repositioned and welded into place. U-bolts are in position and the process of raising the axle up and bolting the leaf springs back into position has begun!
Stay tuned!!

Hot Rod Welding Cart

Variety is the spice of life. Sometimes we have to change things up a bit and work on other 'projects' to keep the passion burning for the main event. Being that Jack frost is here in spades, working out in the shelter is sometimes a bit of a challenge. Take for example welding. The act of welding at low temperatures is no particular bother. But carting the welder, and tank out to the bus can be a bit of a pain. My 'retired' shopping cart is a fantastic mobile cart for the garage....smooth as silk. Moving across the gravel driveway in the summer is a bit of a pain. Attempting to move the cart across the snow pack is another story! So time to modify the welder so we can modify the bus!

First off the new wheels I got from Princess Auto needed a 5/8" shaft, which oddly enough I just happened to have..? I knew I would need a 5/8" drill bit.....what I didn't realize when I bought said bit was that the shaft was 1/2" and my trusty hand held drill was too small to accept that shank size.
Luckily my bench top drill press will.......so we made a temporary bench top...yes it is a bucket.

A little bit of patience and a little bit of persuasion and....

We are off to the races......Jeff may have taken that a little to literal.

Two steps forward...one step back

 Hmmm sound familiar? Yup, a repeat! Not that the blog entry is a repeat but the title is. But that is because it is a recurrent theme with Fillmore.
We actually had a great ski day today, we went up to Sunshine and had a great old time following the kids through the tree trails...just like we did to our parents when we were their age-(sorry about that Mom&Dad). My quads are killin' me!
 Anyway, we had a bite to eat in Canmore and then got home and just about everyone decided to hit the sack early. I had a tough decision...watch the Super Bowl(which I had on the PVR) or...

 

 So to the bus tent I went:)
Yesterday I told you how the U-bolt that attaches to the shock was interfering with the mounting bracket for the brake shaft. I thought I would just grind a bit and all would be well...(this is the step back part). Well all was not well. My eye ball calculations  grossly underestimated the space I needed. I was tired of playing Harry Houdini and squeezing my body in and around the axle, so I took off the tires and dropped it down onto the wheel dollies again. Last night I had a done a little grinding to allow for the U bolt to pass but...it just didn't work. So today I gave it some thought,I had plenty of time on the chair lift to ponder what my options were. Once the axle was dropped down again it was plain to see the easiest option. Remove and reposition the bracket.

 So I cut both sides off, the nut and bolt are toast....long since seized, but the metal bracket itself is perfectly fine. I'll just reposition it and weld her all back together!

 I don't know if you noticed the beautiful shocks?...so lovely.

It's only a week away from St. Valentines day....I don't know a little romantic meeting over the cozy sandblaster!...what do you think?

Oh woe is me...

OK I'm really not feeling sorry for myself, actually I was really quite surprised with my reaction today.

I decided to get up early, well early for the weekend...6:30...which didn't quite happen. Well it did happen, then I went to the bathroom, then I looked at the warm bed...then I woke again at 8:30... but come on it was a Saturday!
 None the less, I eventually got out of bed and made my way to the coffee maker... I wonder if the kids realize how much closer they would be to a car at 16 if they just had coffee made for Dad in the morning...yet I digress once again...

 Along the same vein as the pantry(yes it is finished:and a beaut if I may say so myself). Michelle expressed a desire to have drawers in the island of the kitchen, not a surprise really, we've been talking about it for 10 years now, since we built the house.

So I thought I would get up and snap some drawers off before Michelle got out of bed... it would have worked if I had gotten up at 6:30...but by 10:30 I was done, and by 11:30 the drawers were mounted.
 With a little help from my friends....or is that: help from my little friends! Although I am confident I could have measured and mounted the brackets without the drawers in place, it seemed so much easier to do if they were all together and I was just a little smaller  to crawl in and drill the holes! Thanks Jeff!
 

 After a regular trip to the dump, etc etc... it was 3pm and it was looking dark outside...sure enough the forecast is for 6-8" of snow over the next 24 hrs! Thanks be to Fillmore's shelter we were high and dry... and relatively warm!
 

 So the plan was to mount the diff to the leaf springs...easy right?...I mean I measured everything already...(sicker, snicker!!)
Things at first glace looked OK, you can see the reconditioned shock absorber mounted  in place. The U-bolts look great, everything lines up!...but then...

 When I tried to tap the inside U-bolt into place....she stopped...dead...like an ankylosed tooth(sorry dental reference ). The connector arm to the shock was hitting on the mounting plate for the shaft to the brake. CRAP!!! how did this happen????? I measured again and again!

 Looking at a previously unpublished photo...everything works...but Uh Oh... click on the photo above and look where I have the U bolt with the connector arm.

 Now look at the pre-removal photo, the connector arm is on the inside anterior surface in the diff...I had it in the posterior lateral position. Crap, I take numerous photos not only to blog, but to record where we were, and were we are going... but they don't do a dam bit of good if I don't reference them!

I  had about 10 inches of space to take a look at how far out I was, all I could do is take a blind photo and then look at what I had. I panicked when I saw this! But cooler heads prevail...the U-bolt is supposed to be snug against the mounting bracket. Thankfully the head of the connector arm is below the bracket, so I am only about 1/4-3/8" out. I have enough lateral flange on the bracket that I can grind some away, I'll be tight against the head of the bolt but I should be OK.


Nothing is easy, if it was were would be the fun...

Finally!!

Finally...the title says it all. I finished the pantry and thus I took some time this afternoon to work on the bus. First order of business was the rear diff. After some more measurements I figured that some of the extra 'flange' that I decided not to remove...needed to be removed. So for the first few hours I was using big daddy again. After last time with that big brute in my hands it took me close to three days to recover. My hands were sore at work the entire next week. So just like in golf...I had to trust in the weapon in my hand and let it do the work. I am happy to say that my hands are just fine this evening.

After all the flange removal, I had to test fit the new "U-Bolts" I had made up. With a little ingenuity I made a jig to help center the mounting blocks on the diff equidistant from the tires. Worked like a charm.  After everything was fitted and ready....it was time to enlist child labour!

Anna first came out to help...wearing white... I sent her back in.
Then she came out in her ski jacket... I sent her back in.
Thankfully Randy left his work jacket here...she was amenable to that fashion choice...OMG!

How do we get this big hunk of metal out to the bus?....easy peasy!

When Randy and I removed the old diff last fall we didn't worry about this step. I Knew that I wasn't going to be using the old diff and in particular the piggy back brakes so we just simply pulled the old diff out using a come-a-long. But to get the new diff into place....I wanted to be a wee bit more gentle.

 So thanks be to Dr. Rob, after the kids removed the tires we lowered the diff onto Rob' car dollies and rolled it back into place!

 I could have worked for a few more hours on this but this is how we left Fillmore. With the diff in place(relative place mind you) and the tires back on, the next step is put the tires back on the dollies so I can move the diff to it's final resting place.........hmmm that doesn't sound to good.

Deep Freeze

From feast to famine. December was a very prolific month for work and therefor posts on the blog. January is a very different story. DFA commitments, family commitments etc etc. All of a sudden it is Feb and I have got nothing done.

  

The thermometer decided to drop for the last week or so, I know I have nothing to complain about to you Manitoba boys but it does put a wee little hesitation in you when it's -33 with the windchill.Anyway really nothing too exciting has happened on the bus recently.The fridge and  toilet have arrived, researching LED lights, gotten the suspension bolts(grade 8)....so I am slowly working away...kinda.
 

While the weather outside is frightful ( I know you're singing it in your head now-don't deny it) I came true to my promise to Michelle and I am 95% done the new pantry. I look at it as brushing up on my cabinetry making skills for Fillmore.

Back to the grind

Yes, yes...pun fully intended. So the pile keeps getting deeper....and I am not referring to the quality of my stories about the bus. I mean the scrap metal pile at the edge of the driveway. I had better get all this stuff cleaned up before Jed and Luella come by for a drink of moonshine and some banjo pickin' on the porch.

Friday and Saturday were chock-a-block full of 'to-do's'. A presentation in the morning on Saturday then a fundraiser in Edmonton by the dental school with the proceeds going towards DFA had us all hoppin'. An early return to Bragg on Sunday allowed the kids to meet their commitments(dance and birthday party), and allowed me some time with 'Big Daddy'.

I have to say that I am glad I got the heavy duty grinder, it really takes care of the job at hand...but holey Cr#* that thing is heavy. After wielding it around for a few hours I was TIRED! (ya, ya..." suck it up buttercup"...I can hear you Shawn)

As you can see in this pic, this is the bottom of the diff.  I am test fitting the mounting bracket which cradles the diff and sits on the leaf spring.

This again is the bottom, the flange could be removed but I am going to leave it on to see if I can get a practical us out of it...ie: a lateral guide/stabilizer for the springs

I brought out the whole kit and kaboodle.....I'm not sure that is really a word. Anyway, as per usual 95% done. Then I used the last of my cutting disks, I have two more small flanges on the very top of the diff which I want to remove, then I'll wheel it over and place it under the back end!!

Big Daddy

I am sad to say that not much, if anything, has happened with Fillmore or his related and scattered parts here in Bragg.I would love to use the excuse that it has been too cold, it could be argued that -25C with a windchill to -30C makes work more difficult or impossible, but from growing up in the north we all know you can dress for the weather and create a warm(ish) work space with tarps and heat. No the real reason is simply life. Busy at work, busy with kids, tying to have a balance between real and bus life.

After the last fiasco with the Mikita angle grinder, I decided to go back to my mantra..."you get what you pay for". So I decided, after returning the obviously defective blue one, to buck up and pay the extra monies and get the DeWalt heavy duty grinder, this thing feels like a machine gun, it's the Big Daddy!

If nothing else...it was predictable

As luck would have it, not so much for my brother Mike but for me, Mike came to town to be my experimental candidate for some new technology that I have in office at work. We had a good laugh as I put him through the dental ringer...just like old times...16 year ago as I went through dental school we did the same thing, but back then he had to put on a brave face in front of the profs so as I would get a good grade. This time I gave him free reign to say what he wanted. Thanks Mike you were a good sport!
We worked hard and got all the clinical stuff done, soooooooooo.....lets work on FILLMORE!!

Of course the biggest thing on the agenda is getting the rear diff in place. I have machined the mounting brackets, had new U bolts made, had the shock absorbers reconditioned....now to get the rest of the lower frame from the air suspension off the diff.

 So I let Mike loose with the new makita angle grinder, and we did some damage!(wait was that foreshadowing?)

 The temp was close to -20C with a wind so we bundled up well. But Mike tends to run a little hot at the best of times, so when he's swinging a sledge and on a mission there is a wee bit of steam....which unfortunately didn't show up all that well in the photo but it was funny!

 So the good news is we got most of the frame off...

 The bad news is, the brand new angle grinder calved on us(predictable)...shortly after the photo of mike and the steam, the steam around him turned to a thick charcoal color of smoke emanating from the blue housing. Yes we burnt out the motor...considering it was only the third 'cutting' disk, there must have been something not quite right with the tool.

Speaking of tools...

One step at a time

 Well Christmas was great. It was fantastic to have a lot of the family here and from Fillmore's perspective we got a fair bit of work done. But alas all good things must come to an end....New Years came and went, Monday morning brought a new week at the office, and thus work on the bus came to a screeching halt.

So when I got the opportunity I got at the frame on the diff outside, And away we go-start cutting!

I got about this far, and then my trusty angle grinder-a wee little 41/2" DeWalt....

Kicked the bucket. The picture doesn't do things justice but the gears on the bigger wheel are almost flat. I had been noticing the running of the grinder was rougher and rougher over the years but finally it kicked the bucket.

The good news is that Apple Hydraulics finished rebuilding the shocks for Fillmore!!

Here they are before....

Here they are after.....so shiny!