What did you do to/with your van today?

reaper · Post by **reaper** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 3:56 am

Went down to Langley & picked up a new Garden Tractor,
Loaded it in the van,Drove home.

LaGrasta · Post by **LaGrasta** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:52 am

How's that awning coming along? Let's post a new thread on it as a homemade awning is going to be popular.

Rileysowner · Post by **Rileysowner** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:17 am

Last Saturday during a torrential rain storm I wired in a 7-pin bargman plug and a brake controller. I decided to run the wires underneath the van, but the difficulty comes when running them back into the compartment. Where is a good place to run the wires in?

crash · Post by **crash** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:58 am

the 93 got a brand spankin new muffler today... only to drive away and now hear a grinding in the left rear drum... maybe i should have left the loud (full-o-holes) muffler on

Cobra · Post by **Cobra** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:19 am

installed new K&N air filter damn that old fram one was pretty dirty.....
picked up oil change goodies

crash · Post by **crash** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:55 pm

crash wrote:the 93 got a brand spankin new muffler today... only to drive away and now hear a grinding in the left rear drum... maybe i should have left the loud (full-o-holes) muffler on

yesterday, pulled the rear drum on the 93. nothing major, rust on the outside of the drum broke loose and was rubbing on the backing plate. hammered it all off. shoes and wheel cylinders are good. no more noise.

LaGrasta · Post by **LaGrasta** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:53 pm

I picked up a 4l60e tailshaft seal and bushing today. I actually bought one from Kragan along with a seal puller, then ran over to Autozone to see if it was cheaper, it was. I'll return the Kragan parts at a later date.

So is it really as easy as pulling the seal and bushing and popping the new one in?

LaGrasta · Post by **LaGrasta** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:41 am

Believe it or not, I'm already stumped on this supposedly simple repair. The tiny little bolts holding the rear u-joint are not coming free.

I soaked them in WD-40 last night and still nothing. I cracked a socket for my effort and the actual wrench that fit this small bolt is not longer than about 3" in length. I started to think maybe the threads are reversed, but got nothing for those efforts either. Suggestions?

My next attempt is to set-up my air compressor and try a quick jolt to break them free.

ihatemybike · Post by **ihatemybike** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:08 am

LaGrasta wrote:I soaked them in WD-40 last night and still nothing. I cracked a socket for my effort and the actual wrench that fit this small bolt is not longer than about 3" in length. I started to think maybe the threads are reversed, but got nothing for those efforts either. Suggestions?

Yes, break out the propane torch and heat things up a bit. They have some sort of thread lighting compound on them and it seems penetrating oils have no effect. I've removed five drive shafts already this year, all had the same problem, and after a little heat they turn fairly easy.

LaGrasta · Post by **LaGrasta** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:18 pm

ihatemybike wrote:
LaGrasta wrote:I soaked them in WD-40 last night and still nothing. I cracked a socket for my effort and the actual wrench that fit this small bolt is not longer than about 3" in length. I started to think maybe the threads are reversed, but got nothing for those efforts either. Suggestions?
Yes, break out the propane torch and heat things up a bit. They have some sort of thread lighting compound on them and it seems penetrating oils have no effect. I've removed five drive shafts already this year, all had the same problem, and after a little heat they turn fairly easy.

I thought of doing this too, however I thought the heat would fry the grease in the u-joint needle bearings.

ihatemybike · Post by **ihatemybike** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:22 pm

Just keep the torch on the part they bolt into. Doesn't take much. I counted to 30 for each bolt and that was enough heat.

trybe13 · Post by **trybe13** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:30 am

Dove into my first brake job. Was surprised at how easy and smooth it went. Installed new slotted/drilled rotors and brake pads. Bled brake system. Flushed and filled rear diff while I had the van jacked up. Spent an hour bedding in new rotors and brakes. Man, what a smoke show!!! Brakes are AMAZING now!! All with the help of my 14 y/o daughter. She loves turning wrenches with Dad! I usually do a write up with photos when I attempt a new mechanical repair (for the guy like me who needs all the help he can get), but was too lazy to do it this time around. Sorry.
I went with these brakes and rotors:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy-90 ... 06.c0.m245

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Astro-Va ... 06.c0.m245

Thank God for the internet. I watched a ton of videos for a couple of weeks to get the whole brake job inside my head, before I attempted. If someone would have told me several years ago that I would be doing all the repairs and upgrades to my own vehicle I would have laughed at them. Thanks fellow AstroSafarians! It's because of you and our awesome website that I ever even began my journey down the road to becoming a shade-tree mechanic!!! You guys rock!
Next up: Moog idler arms. $\:D/$

ihatemybike · Post by **ihatemybike** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:52 am

Way to go Trybe! I've been doing brakes for years, saving a ton of money. Had a Jeeping friend contact me about doing his rear drums last week cause a shop said they needed done and wanted $500. They told him the drums needed replaced cause they were at 30%, they just needed turned. In all my friend spent less than $50 and he learned how to do rear drums, cause I made him do the second one after watching me do the first.

AstroSafarians, that word makes me think of Rastafarians.

astrozam · Post by **astrozam** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:12 am

trybe13 wrote:Dove into my first brake job. Was surprised at how easy and smooth it went. Installed new slotted/drilled rotors and brake pads. Bled brake system. Flushed and filled rear diff while I had the van jacked up. Spent an hour bedding in new rotors and brakes. Man, what a smoke show!!! Brakes are AMAZING now!! All with the help of my 14 y/o daughter. She loves turning wrenches with Dad! I usually do a write up with photos when I attempt a new mechanical repair (for the guy like me who needs all the help he can get), but was too lazy to do it this time around. Sorry.
I went with these brakes and rotors:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy-90 ... 06.c0.m245

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Astro-Va ... 06.c0.m245

Thank God for the internet. I watched a ton of videos for a couple of weeks to get the whole brake job inside my head, before I attempted. If someone would have told me several years ago that I would be doing all the repairs and upgrades to my own vehicle I would have laughed at them. Thanks fellow AstroSafarians! It's because of you and our awesome website that I ever even began my journey down the road to becoming a shade-tree mechanic!!! You guys rock!
Next up: Moog idler arms. $\:D/$

Good to hear James

crash · Post by **crash** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:36 am

excellent James!!!

went and got a front air only AC line off a 99 that was being parted out. going to bypass my leaky rear AC and get the van cold again..

also grabbed a driver power mirror to replace the non-power on the 93 that i had to put on in a pinch last year when someone .. umm.. 'took it out'

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