Another death in my fleet-----

[diesel4me]

Well--another truck is dead--my 74 plow rig decided it wasnt going to back up anymore,no reverse.I knew when I got it hung up plowing last winter and it made a squeal like a pig,that something was going south,it also started delaying going into reverse shortly after that--all it does in reverse now is make a noise like a distant bee's nest,so this tranny must be toast,I guess the splines on the reverse clucthes are stripped.This is the end for this poor old beast,I've had it for 14 years,and I have made a new cab and floors out of old refrigerators and filing cabinets for the last time,after looking at how rotted its gotten,needs exhaust,brake rotors,and a hundred other things,I think its time for the grim reaper to swing his sickle,and move on --its a sad day for me,this truck got me through some really bad winters and had been very faithful,despite my duct tape and wire tie approach to some of its repairs.I was hoping it would have lasted another month or so,because I need the crane on the flatbed on it to pull the motor out of my 79 C10 and junk all the leftovers cluttering up the yard,now its going to be two months of hard labor--.I might rebuild the 400 SB for my C10,but a friend called yesterday and said he is junking a 1986 chevy van with a 305 that runs sweet,he will drop it in my yard and help me pull it for 200 bucks,sounds like a good deal to me,since after scouring boneyards in the sweltering heat all day yesterday I only found 2 other 305's that will work in my C10,one from an 84 camaro with a big holley carb on it,sitting in the mud on the ground(you KNOW that motor got a beating!)or an 81 305 out of a pickup at another yard with a 2 barrel and 130,000 miles at the price of 350 bucks each--at least the motor in the truck could be heard,and the guy said I could rob the other needed parts for the swap,but I think I'm going to take my friends offer--I know the van,I rode in it to NH a few times and it ran good,and my 400SB needs a complete rebuild and would be a pig on gas,dont need that right now as cash is as scarce as a good pre-86 chevy motor around here.
Looks like my 81 van is going back in service after a 9 month nap--now I can have the joy of fixing rotted brake lines and leaky gas tanks and all the other crap that comes after a long storage outdoors in new england.I thought it was ironic that I had to use the van to push the 74 K20 out of the way(it was blocked in by it where I parked it)after all the snow and cars and trucks I moved with the K20. Looks like I'll have to call some of those people in the want ads about another 4x4--I want to keep the crane and flatbed for another truck,I'll keep the 400SB and the 205 transfer case,and maybe the 14 bolf SF and 8 lug front end for a K5 buildup someday,or maybe sell it all off so I can recoup some of the money I'm borrowing to pay for all this insanity!. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif
Its time to go to home depot for more sawsall blades,and to get new hoses and oxogen for the torches--God I hate cutting up an old friend--but nothing lasts forever,and Neil Young was right--RUST NEVER SLEEPS!! /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif

 

[pvfjr]

Every time my reverse didn't work, I just added some fluid and it was fine. What eventually went out was the forward gears, then reverse was all I had left! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

 

[Z3PR]

Why not just replace the tranny ??? For a plow truck, I'd serously think sm465. Plow trucks make ya money. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

 

[diesel4me]

I thought about fixing it--but its just too far gone,the frame is very scaly and thin,last winter I thought I'd break it in two loading it up with sand,the cab has rotted above every weld I made,and has big holes--every bolt on the truck looks like a rivet,no wrenches except the blue one will remove them--rear springs are trash,hangers are rotted through,the exhaust is junk,oil pan is rotted,ready to leak at any moment--I've had enough. Reading the new want ads last night,I counted over 40 plow trucks in the 1982-1987 range with plows,running motors etc,for 400--750 bucks,and they probably arent as rusted as mine, there is a SWEET 71 K5 that just appeared in this issue,the ad says 1500 bucks,and very restoreable,looks solid in the photo--I was drooling,4 bolt main 350,TH350(boo-hiss),NP205,and 12 bolt axles,man ,if I were working I'd already own it.
My tranny does leak,and I did try filling it up with 3 quarts of fluid,a waste of five bucks--I thing something broke in there,its beyond a "tranny in a can" fix. I think I'm going to check into another K20 diesel 4x4 with plow for 600 bucks in the ads,it needs brakes and radiator leaks,but it has a plow,and wil be a good companion to my 82 diesel,says it runs good,and I kinda like my diesel truck better than the rotbox or the C10 anyway.( 20 mpg in a 3 ton 4x4 is pretty nice,and diesel costs less than gas,and the tourque is superior for plowing) Time to upgrade the fleet--my van might be the next victim,I just hope I can get a few months out of it without spending more time under it than driving it,the 9 month nap it had did it no justice at all. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif All I wanna know is,why does everthing have to crap out at the same time,at the time of year I needed the trucks most for recreation??.Motor swaps and cannibalizing my truck wasnt exactly my idea of a great way to spend what should be vacation time! /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif

 

[Silver84k5]

use it until it completly falls apart, then take pics. I love seeing rust buckets from the east. Makes me feel like i have a lot less work to do to my rig than i think, /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif