The week didn't start out bad, just a challenge at times. Glen from Houston FINALLY came after the sleeper off the KW. He sent me the money back in March! We loaded it on his trailer and he went on down the road.
As we were finishing that up a bin painter pulls in. Not Eddie, the other one. The one who left the empty buckets in the corn crib. Whosse paint cracked. Who Dad didn't want on the place again. His price was good ... but we still declined his offer.
OK, next project. Started on the red truck, getting it ready to load. First Aman and I removed the exhaust system (that's not nearly as complicated as it sounds. With the engine removed there were only 2 bolts left holding it in place) Then he chained up the transmission (with the engine removed it only has one mounting point and the rear of it was setting on a jack stand under the truck) While he was doing that I jumped on the little forklift and moved the parts bin setting behind the truck. More on that later. I jumped in Mom's truck to pull the seed tender from behind it.
Yes, you guessed correctly. The radio was still on from the trip home from reunion. I knew it was on because the switch was in the on position. Nothing lighted up, buzzed, anything. SO I got out the battery charger and let it charge a while.
While that charging we fired up the loader and pulled the seed tender out, then picked up a few parts and pieces. Enough time had passed we tried Mom's truck and it started. Didn't run too well because the computer had totally reset, but it ran. Se we aired up the brakes on red and pulled it outside. We were trying to decided if our forklift had enough height to reach over the side, so Aman brought the Allis Chalmers forklift out. Nope, not enough. So I start removing the tailgate. We have never had that tailgate out. I'm not sure the previous owner had either. Finally got it out, Aman jumps on the old Allis, starts it up ... and nothing happens. No hydraulics.
We look at it dumb for a while. The only thing we see wrong is the hydraulic tank is low. We pour 5 gallons of hydraulic oil in it and try again. Nothing. There is a sticker on the side of a lift truck company in Indy, so I call. They'd be GLAD to work on it. $74 per hour from the time he leaves the shop until he gets back. Service guy says we might remove the grill and small counterbalance weight and check the coupler on the hydraulic pump. My description sounds like it is that coupler.
We take that all off and feel and poke. Can't detect a problem. I decide we need to pull the pump so we can check the coupler. Remember that 5 gallons of hydraulic oil I mentioned? So do I. So we get some cardboard and jugs to try and catch it. I break the fitting loose going into the pump and ... nothing comes out. We ponder on it, we call ROC and talk to Ralph and Curt, finally figure out this pumps sets high enough it pulls the oil to it instead of gravity feeding.
Decide to see if it has any suction. I fire the engine up while Aman checks and ... did I mention I blew all the dirt and dust off the pump and lines before I started? And the radiator since I was there? And that this blows air out the back of the forklift instead of forward?
Aman figured all that out quickly. He wasn't too happy with me when he did.
We also figured out we had suction.
Hmmm... ponder, think, and struggle. Maybe it just needs more oil. We put the line back on, fill the oil tank until it overflows, start the engine and everything works! Back to getting stuff around.
I decide we should put the engine on a small pallet we have. So I take a piece of an old planter and drill a couple holes and use the torch to cut it in two.
It was a small fire. I put it out before it spread or did any damage.
About this time Sue calls. "You know that diesel powered lawnmower you have me using? Does the fuel gauge work?" And it isn't even noon yet.
By the end of the day the battery is charged, the red truck is ready to be loaded,
the sleeper is on its way to Texas, Sue's lawn mower has fuel, 2 irrigators are running, the shop is cleaner and emptier ... and when I get home Sue goes "You're taking me out for supper! That Cub Cadet ... I had to put an ice pack in my knee from how you have to push down on that pedal to run it"
Yep, why do you think Mom likes her zero turn so much? But I got SF coconut creme pie for desert anyway.
And Tuesday I go to the eye doctor for my annual checkup and eye dilation.
Oh Joy!
And there is the edit note at the top of the page. Now if I could just stand to be out in the sun so I could get something done. I hate getting my eyes dilated.
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