What did you do to/with your van today?

[ihatemybike]

Grumpy: Saturday, still trying to clear the P0302. Removed the front passenger side wheel, checked the spark plug for problems, none, put van back together. Removed engine cover, looked for wear areas on the wiring harness, none, put van back together.

Once the weather clears up again, I'm gonna grab Green crankshaft position sensor and swap it in. Maybe that will do something.

[astrozam]

left for work at 545am this morning, had to drop the kids off at their place 1st got about a mile from my place and SNAP! upper ball joint drivers side decides to separate. Thankfully i was not yet on the highway and only doing about 25mph and that was hard enough to control. So we said a little and walked back home to borrow my dads van. After work i pulled the tire to see all the damage... pics to follow but right now i have to go into Hamilton to pick up and borrow the ex's car.

[Rileysowner]

left for work at 545am this morning, had to drop the kids off at their place 1st got about a mile from my place and SNAP! upper ball joint drivers side decides to separate. Thankfully i was not yet on the highway and only doing about 25mph and that was hard enough to control. So we said a little and walked back home to borrow my dads van. After work i pulled the tire to see all the damage... pics to follow but right now i have to go into Hamilton to pick up and borrow the ex's car.

Glad you are alright. It seems we have a rash of ball joints deciding to give up the ghost lately. Not too bad a job to do.

[crash]

whoa! glad you guys are okay keith .. that could have been far worse

[Cobra]

good to see your alright zam

I just spent my lunch break changing my belt tensioner took less then 30 minutes

[LaGrasta]

Detailed two cars today out of the astro. First customers i have had since putting everything in the astro.Here the van is detailing a 2006 Cadillac cts

Hey, that's cool!

[rlsllc]

Close one Zam, Glad you're OK.

I decided to replace the rear brake line on my 94 AWD tonight. I blew it out being a retard in my yard, but that means it was weak and was going to go anyway, or at least I'm going to say that so I don't feel as bad, lol.

Anyhow, once up, I pumped the pedal to find the leak, which is pointless since I usually change the whole thing, but it serves curiosity. This clears the wheel cylinders of guilt, and makes sure it isn't something weird, like Gary's mystery brake problem some time back.

It was right by the fuel filter, which was further forward that I'd have guessed.

I started removal, and then unrolled some line and started fitting. I run my line up through where the fuel lines are when the tank is in place, or if it is on a beater, etc. I did it the right way on my 99, since the tank was out. That was a preventitive replacement, it hadn't blown out yet, it just looked crusty and the tank was out for the pump.

Anyhow, I noticed the return line was wet, (can you guess where this is going yet) and as soon as I bumped it, it just kind of fell in two. I kind of laughed, and kept on with the brake line. I ended up splicing it with a union and two double flares (no compression junk) right by the transfer case, cause a nice oil leak has rust proofed the forward part of the line. Ha ha.

Now the return line. I cut the rubber hose, cut the steel line, and hey, the big 3/8 line looks wet now, huh, bumped it, nice stream of gas to the middle of the chest. I grinned, but didn't laugh.

It was getting dark at this point, and my 10 year old fetched my LED headlamp. I look like a cyloptic alien or a coal miner with it on. It goes well with my horn rimmed glasses.

I was gravity bleeding the rear line while this was going on, and lost a wheel off of my creeper. I had to send my 13 year old to my Dad's store to get some #10 machine screws and nuts, and he got himself a snickers and gum. This is bad, cauee he goes berzerko on sugar, and sticks gum everywhere. The worst thing is my wife warned him not to get anything other than what I asked for. Flipping kids, lol.

I had a sending unit from another van in the garage, and there was some newish fuel line on it, so I put a flare on each end of a short piece of 3/8 and 5/16 steel line (having junk and spare parts is good), grabbed some clamps, crawled back under, cut the 3/8 line, and cobbled them all back together in a shameful sausage link looking run of rubber, steel, and clamps. Doh!


At least it doesn't leak. If this van makes it another year it will be a miracle anyway, and I'll keep an eye on it. It's got cancer on underside, so it's days are numbered.

I finished bleeding the brakes, but the light in the dash is still on. Pedal feels good, maybe it will go out when I start the engine or drive it.

I then was feeling good in the dark, had a 2nd chew of my favorite Stoker's Peach tobacco, and no gas leak, so I thought I'd patch the big hole in the exhaust. I cut a piece of left over roof cap, bent it into a roundish shape, kind of, and wrapped it around the pipe. Happy with it, I put a thick bead of orange Hi temp RTV oround the hole, wrapped the metal around, put two big ty-wraps around it, and then 3 big hose-clamp like splice case clamps. That drawed it up nice. I liked it so well, that I grabbed another clamp and reatched the hanger that caused the hole. I then took off the plactic tyes.

I didn't start it so the RTV could seal (maybe).

I'll drive it to work tomorrow, and post pics of the damage underneath if anyone is interested. It is really modern art, and will be worth a fortune after I'm dead, unless it kills me.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

It is really modern art, and will be worth a fortune after I'm dead, unless it kills me.

That made me laugh! Sounds like some of the repairs I have made in the past on rusty clunkers.

[ihatemybike]

Yesterday I thought I heard a new noise coming from Grumpy on the way to work. Having previously destroyed two front diffs due to bad axle seals and knowing that the diff I just put in Grumpy is yes, leaking at the axle seal. I thought the fluid had gotten low, even after checking it a couple days earlier.

On my lunch break, I laid one of the blankets I keep in the van on the ground and checked the fluid again. Level was still good, but I was tired of worrying about it. When I returned to work I ordered new axle seals from http://www.RockAuto.com. Less than $18 for the pair shipped vs. $13 each plus tax locally. They shipped ground the same day and according to the tracking will be here at work today.

[tinytherhino]

Well since I installed the lift I have been in the mood to keep going and do some needed fixes. I replaced the serpentine belt, greased the grease points and replaced rear diff. fluid and leaky gasket. Drove around today and no more leaky rear diff., but now I have a leaky transmission pan. Oh well, didn't have any better plans tomorrow anyway. New spark plugs, wires and brakes are now on the todo list as well.

[astrozam]

You've got some great stories Roy

[Smiliesafari]

I put the rearend back in the "Smilie Van". Yes, the nice full custom rearend needed to be done over. I installed new Richman gears and they made so much noise I could hardly stand to be in it. I was told they would be a "little" noisy. Well, that was an understatement. I found a nice used set of GM gears on Ebay (3:07) and installed them. So far they're nice and quiet.

[astrozam]

Thats a bummer about the new gears, but good to hear you found another set of gears that did the job

[tinytherhino]

changed oil on Tiny". Also had some "neighbors" come over and check out the new lift as I was reading up on the plug and wire changing.

[crash]

now THAT is friggin' cool!!!!

i just moved the 93 and 99 onto the lawn to reseal the driveway on my day off.. yay