The dummy and the diesel.........The Grey Whale

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4:45, it's 30F and DARK

Got the front shaft, which is the one off the 97 donor, v10 auto, all 3 new U joints and found the correct ball kit for the CV. All I have to do is put the dust boot back on the slip yoke

Tomorrow I'll see if I can't get the TC shifter cut out and installed, and dump the front shaft in, and...............we............should...........have..........a........4WD!!!

Still need front bumper, remount the middle console and right seat few other details
 
Approaching noon, kinda bummed. Ran into Spok and picked up a parts 50hp twin outboard. Got home "and thought" I'd......

get the newly assembled driveshaft in, "hand" shift it into 4WD underneath, and back it out of the hoist, to make a bit of "door access" room to get the transfer case shifter mounted. That stupid vacuum actuator does not want to engage. I seems to be getting plenty "of vacuum," and I DID test it with a vacuum hand pump when I had it apart. LOVELY

Finally got it locked in and drove down the alley in 4W lo. No way to shift it LOL so I had to back all the way back up the alley in lo range reverse. I didn't want to hit the pavement which is somewhat dry.

LOL feel asleep for TWO HOURS and felt "down" when woke up. I did get the transfer case shifter "roughed in" but not completely bolted up. There is some distortion in the floor from cutting and I'll have to work that a bit tomorrow, and maybe jack on the shifter from below
 
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In for lunch. Got the "new" TC case shifter mounted, and used the link, adjusted "all the way long" out of the 97 donor, and bent the shift lever to the rear about 4" with the torch. Pretty much perfect.
Had my neighbor wiggle the wheel while I looked for play in the steering. Isn't any. NONE.. HAS to be "needs more caster" and maybe toe adjust. I need to find a flat work space.
 
Well the project is on what I hope is a temporary hold......just left emergency room
About 2015 I had a benign growth removed from the rear left side of my lower skull. Not painful, but began to be an annoyance with my head on a pillow somewhat.

About 2 years ago I noticed it "coming back."

I have chronic neck pain that comes and goes, and lately have been having a "pain in the neck," not surprising, given the project at hand. I saw my doctor last Thursday, and had taken a shower a few days before, where I discovered the pain was actually a cyst? lymph node? under the skin on my neck, and that the growth had become somewhat tender along the bottom.

Doc called for an ultrasound, who I have not heard from yet.

In the meantime it has become more and more annoying to try and sleep and to wear a stocking cap for the cold

Then Sat/ Sun this got all ramped up. Sores and swelling on and around, below my left ear. My jaw was tender and somewhat hurt at times. There is a painfully sensitive surface near the lower edge of the growth.

So this morn, off to emergency. They numbed it and tried to drain it. Told me that he was concerned and surprised, very little fluid. Told me to have my doc consider an MRI and biopsy. Prescribed antibiotics
So my head is sore, I am all wrapped up, and "this ain't over."
 
Prayers sent for a speedy recovery Del. Man, I hope things get better for you soon!
 
Ugh. If it ain't one thing, it's another. Sendin prayers your way, Del.
 
Thanks. Just awoke from about a 3 hour nap. Haven't done ANYTHING to day.
 
Well this is turning into quite a "week and a half" or whatever it was.......
1....A bit back, I thought I was having my "normal" neck pain, when I finally found the bump which turned out to be a lymph node, and noticed my head growth was painful along one edge
2....Got in to see my doc last Thurs, she had ordered an ultrasound, which still had not been scheduled, and now cancelled
3...Over the weekend, this last, open sores began to appear in the area, and slowly spread over and around my ear, very painful to touch and very annoying, and hurt on their own for periods of time. Then they spread a "few" to my cheek and jaw
4...Went into emergency Mon, they decided to drain my head growth and "got nothing" but compounded my misery by "packing the wound."
5...Tues took the bandage off, could not see well back there, THOUGHT there was some tissue out of the cut/ head growth stuck to the bandage. Went back to emergency, they did not book me, but removed the bandage/ gauze, and left the packing.
6...Last night= miserable. The sores were on a rampage, HAD to lay on my right side which is annoying because of my ribs "I guess" and got nearly no sleep
7...Called the doc this morn, gave them details, and went out to see her. "YOU have SHINGLES!!"
So evidently the head growth was NOT the cause of anything, just an innocent bystander. Emergency should have recognized the shingles, and should not have "drained" the head growth, now with a healing cut.
Unfortunately I am past the window to take the Shingles meds as ?? you have to get them within 72 hours of symptoms.
Even though it doesnt' drive that well, I took the "new" 4WD diesel out to see the doc. This is about a 20mi round trip.
 
Wow so the deisel has officially been christened. Obviously, you made it home. Awful sorry about the shingles. That blows. I hear it's really painful. Wish you well. Kitty and I send prayers.
 
Prayers for a quick recovery Del.

Dang, I’m so sorry you have to deal with Shingles….. and crazy doctors that can’t get a diagnosis right the first time.

I’m glad the Grey Whale passed the initial road test.

Take care of yourself, I have really enjoyed this thread!
 
I think it's caster, the cams are AFU. I paid a LOT of money for bolts and cam, Moog makes them

I may have to "stay home" Thanksgiving, after what I've read online about shingles. You are supposed to stay away from those---especially kids--who have not had chicken pox
 
Very very little new. Got the tail lights fixed, as I thought. I "ripped" licence lamp connector, with bare terminals, had popped a fuse. Got that fixed

Got the bumpers out yesterday, and hope to get the brackets off today

Might attack the caster adjusters, I have new hardware for them.

Quite cold yesterday, and will be today. Rest of week is warming up and will snow/ rain at some point
 
Yesterday, got the bumper brackets off the "wrong" bumper and got bumper and anti-sway bar loosely hung. Also got the new caster adjusters installed, so now I can diddle with that. Biggest problem here on is weather and a "dry" place to play with alignment.


Today (wx permitting) planning on getting the front hitch mounted, which sandwiches in with the sway bar and bumper brackets.


LOL!!! You can see the new white Moog sway bar link bushings shining up under there!!! Not sure I'm impressed!!!! they are hollow, and I'm not too damn sure they are all that "quality!!!"

May not look like it in this poor photo, but most of the steering is new. Track bar, drag link, tie rod, ball joints, shocks, about the only thing I didn't replace are the 4-link trailing arms. And, replaced the sway bar links.

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you making a nice ride despite the shingles, btw how are shingles?
 
They haven't gotten much better. Just yesterday early morning, I awoke painful and burning. Somehow in my slumber, I'd turned over on the "shingles side" of my head and irritated them.

This morning I awoke about 3:30 same thing, blazing pain, except I had NOT laid on that side.

They flare up and hurt. I'm taking Hyrdocodone 2x a day, but even taking it late, right before bed, it seems to peter out before morning. I don't want to risk another before breakfast as my guts are VERY sensitive to pain meds
 
Biggest issue now is getting it to handle. Partly because of the wx, and partly because I just don't have a level shop floor, piddling with alignment is a bit difficult. And, just having someone "handy" to wiggle the steering wheel (while I look below). I did that once, with myneighbor, but need another round, it seems like something HAS to be loose up there. "Sigh................" leaf springs are SO much simpler.....................

It wanders, even at 30-35mph.
 
My thoughts!!! AND my old Ammco wheel adapters (clamp to the wheel) won't work with the Ram 16" wheels but but BUT!!!! I had bought a Hunter computerized alignment machine, which turned out to be nothing like I thought (The "computer" was completely proprietary hardware, although the OS was loosely DOS based) but ANYHOW there are some clamp on wheel adapters---with electronics boxes integrated----that turned out to be easily separable to provide a mount for my old Ammco (or any other) caster/ camber gauge!!!
 
Make sure you use some kind of turning plates. That’s when my home alignments got good.
 
Yeh I made a score years ago, old but accurate Ammco caster/ camber gauge, some Ammco turning plates, and some rather cumbersome toe devices (lights and mirrors LOL) and then I bought a "one man" toe gauge.

The Ammco stuff also had some clamp -to- the wheels caster camber mount, but they won't fit the 16" Dodge wheels. I also had bought an old Hunter alignment machine for parts, and it had some "electronified" caster/ camber wheel devices---remove the electronics and use them for a mount for the Ammco.
 
Got the front bumper/ anti roll bar/ front receiver mounted, but had my head up my ### and the bumper is low on one side. No big, it's just that today is wet and drippy. The tail / park lights quit again, meaning, the short is not where I thought, or when that connector pulled apart, it damaged something in the harness

Just now I got a "present" in the mail. NOS NAPA "foreign" master cyl brake bleeder adapter. I'd made one for both the GMC and Dodge by drilling/ tapping a fitting into a replacement cap. But they leak under pressure as the cap "lugs" are not strong enough. "Maybe" this will be the answer

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Yesterday I spent under 20 bux and ordered a pneumatic solenoid valve off egag. This is to modify the front axle disconnect (vacuum) which is controlled by a switching valve on the transfer case. BECAUSE of the OEM valve, the axle / drive shaft is not turning, and you can NOT engage 4WD while moving. This solenoid and a switch/ wiring will allow me to "lock" the front axle active similar to "locking in hubs" on a slick winter day

Then all I need to engage 4WD is "grab the lever"

airsolenoid.jpg
 
..............Thanksgiving.........Got the bumper adjusted a bit better, understand this is one with all the plastic **** and I do mean **** on top of a paper thin "bumper." The plastic **** has some broken (plastic) retainers, and I'm not gonna fight that until better weather. I may do "something else" for a bumper, anyhow. But for now it doesn't look terrible
AND I FINALLY found the real culprit in the tail lamps. I was right, evidently when I lifted the bed, I tore up a license plate lamp and damaged the wire in the harness. I pulled all the rear bulbs, disconnected the rear harness connector under the cab, and put my ohmeter across one tail lamp socket. I wasn't getting infinity, but rather intermittent 2-5 Megohms. At first I thought it might be dirt-moisture, but wiggling the harness made big changes, and occasionally showing the short. Anyhow I finally found it in this factory mess, I'm callin that FIXED

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Progress is progress no matter how small. How are you feelin?
 
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