Who else USED TO wrench outside?

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AlaskaJeff

AlaskaJeff

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Back in the 90s in Fairbanks AK I built a 74 WarWagon (Warlock/Powerwagon) mud truck/daily driver. I lived in base housing on Eielson AFB and my truck wouldn't come close to fitting in the garage. So it was work on it outside or let it sit. This first picture was taken during an engine swap December of 97 @ -25F. The clutch went out and I had to drive it home 25 miles speed shifting it. It was a NP435 4 speed with a divorced 205 TCase mated to Dana 60 1 Ton 35 spline full floater locked 4.10 axles powered by a 318 (being pulled) and then a 340 out of a Cuda went in. I could only work 10-15 minutes until my hands went numb. After pulling the 318, without having to remove the hood, we towed it into the base auto hobby shop and installed the 340. Make note in the 3rd picture the onboard trickle charger and 4 way box inside a Tupperware container mounted to the inner fender!!:eek: It was a fun truck. But I sure don't miss those temps.



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Used to? I still work on cars outside everyday M-F. :lol:

I do get your point though. We changed engines and transmissions in a gravel driveway pretty regularly. Had to put down plywood for the cherry picker to move.
 
Ill do things outside weather permitting and yes Ive worked in summer rain and Ill also do things in the cold if I have to. Last winter I had to put a Power steering pump on the wifes car, and I also pulled the intake to replace an injector. But, I usually hope there are no breakdowns over winter ...but thats usually never the case.LOL!
 
I've got a great shop, fully loaded with 12 foot ceilings and 10 foot doors....................Unfortunately, I never thought the RV thing through, and bought one that needed a 12 foot door. That one gets worked on in the driveway:BangHead:
 
I dropped an automatic transmission out of an RV. Other than laying under it on the ground it was easy peasy...everything wide open plenty of room LOL!
 
Car Nut said:
I miss those days, my back doesn’t.
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I agree ! In my younger days I lived in Pennsylvania and worked for a trucking company.
On call 24-7Cold and snow,diesel Mac trucks, frozen brakes etc. Looking back I don't know how I did it.
Maybe I should say I DON'T miss those days !!
 
I've done some outside work....actually a lot. Even did the tree hoist deal before. One time the chain got hung up and when I looked up to see what the problem was, something from the tree got into my eye. Ended up going to an eye doctor to get it out because I couldn't. It was fine and felt great when it was removed but the Dr put something in my eye to make sure of something or another and that's when it because nearly useless for the next few days. Wearing safety glasses became part of my life from then on lol
 
Use to do it all the time. On the other side of the fence was a confiscated playground swing set that was used to pull the engines all the time


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Messages from my 64 year old brother who's address is Fairbanks, but it's a 30 mile drive to the post office. This year was his 40th since he moved there.

Nov 5th.
"Serviced battery and changed headlight bulb at +5°F. Both easy but not with gloves on.
It may warm up to 20° next week, think I'll see for the oil change and front end lube."

He swapped a rebuilt 390 into his '61 F-100 unibody, but that was decades ago and in warm weather. He doesn't do heavy work like that anymore.

I remember shoveling snow on a gravel driveway at Christmas in 1980. We then did a clutch job on his Super Bee. He sold it to me for $150 when he left for Alaska a year and a half later.
 
Lots of stories but I'll just tell one. Had an '88 Chev Corsica. Ice storm encased it, then temps dropped below zero Saturday night. Sunday afternoon in near blizzard conditions I tried every trick in the book to open a door...any door but nothing worked. I had to get to work the next day because I had a new class of apprentices with many of them staying in hotels, etc.. The final solution was to take my cutting torch and I cut a HUGE letter "H" in the door where all the linkages were. I bent the top half up and the bottom half down, reached in and opened the door via the linkages. Everyone at work thought I was nuts. The following Monday it was all welded up, filled, primed and painted to match. The car was pretty new at the time so the story made it around the company a few times.
 
Oh man. I always do. I dont have a shop. I work in the gravel/ dirt under a tree or EZ-up if I have one that hasn’t been turned into a pretzel due to adverse weather conditions. I do have a slab I layed a couple years ago but I ran outa money to do anything with it. It is nice to at least work on concrete once in a while.

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Worked outside for years in Winnipeg, both in my job and my hobby. Motors, transmissions, brakes, you name it. Most memorable would have to be the fuel sending unit on my 88 Ramcharger. Lines had rusted off and it would not start, temperature was in the -30*s, plus a strong north wind and near blizzard conditions. On the driveway in front of my house, rear of the truck on jackstands, pulled the plastic 40 gallon tank out, fortunately it was only about 1/8 full. Wrestled it down, disconnected the wiring and broke 3 of the 6 screws that secured the sending unit into the tank. I managed to get 2 of the broken screws out, and simply drilled a new hole for the last one.
Put the tank back in, realized that I forgot to connect the wires, so had to drop it again, then put it back in. I don't remember how many hours I was outside for, but my feet were in fact frozen when I finished. I could not stand or walk, and had to crawl to the house. Went back out after I had warmed up enough and took the truck off the jackstands. That was by far the worst experience I've had working outside.
 
Now I have a 24x30 garage with 10ft ceilings and a hoist, but it's not insulated, so I don't do much in the winter, unless it's unavoidable, then I get it done as quickly as possible. Today, for example, it's a balmy -26*f, feels like -51 thanks to a slight breeze. Won't be doing anything in the garage except starting my truck to go to work.
 
Have to work on my daily (loose terminology as it is broke so not a daily right now) outside any/every time. Supposed to have blizzard starting tomorrow. 8-14" of snow, high of 5°F with 25mph wind with gusts to 50mph. Wind chill will not get above -25°F. Need to change the block heater element (read I will get soaking wet during this), glow plug relay, and get it started. Not to mention, snowblower will be needed and also has issues, so working on that in a nonheated garage.

I wish it was USED to
 
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Whaddaya mean "used to?"

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i forgot, i did some dabbling myself
(wish i had thought of putting that tent up BEFORE it started to rain)

that was a simple engine swap


mopardude318 said:
Yikes! I don’t know how my breakfast or my cat got into the mix.
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yeah, i could have done without seeing that cat

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toplscuda said:
Use to do it all the time. On the other side of the fence was a confiscated playground swing set that was used to pull the engines all the time


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That was almost my first V8 car, that Olds. But Dad agreed on a 65 340 Barracuda auto...thanks Dad! I live in So. Cal where its always outside work weather but I pay for it every mortgage payment!!! I think its gonna be 80F Christmas day here.
 
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