Grumpy the Rally Van

[ihatemybike]

I'll let everyone know long it lasts. Since the first one works, I might order another to keep on hand. I definitely want to bring an extra and the needed tools when it's entered in the 2009 BA/BE Rally.

Grumpy's mods with continue, but things won't be done quickly.

[ihatemybike]

Last Tuesday, I pulled Grumpy out of the garage for the first time with the new fuel pump. Would've kept it in there longer so I could do a couple more repairs, but it had moving duty to attend to. So much nicer to be able to just turn the key and have the engine start. What's this? I can mash the pedal and not have it fall on its face.

Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration is smiling on Grumpy, oh yeah!

Still got a lot of work left to do, but I'm loving this crappy van.

[ihatemybike]

Sycamore Speedway (dirt oval) holds One-on-One Drags (Run What Ya Brung) on Friday nights. After a few more repairs and paint, we're so there.

[Southern]

Sycamore Speedway (dirt oval) holds One-on-One Drags (Run What Ya Brung) on Friday nights. After a few more repairs and paint, we're so there.

Also known as "Billy Bob's Speedway" I saw a guy wreck a vette around that clay oval. He didn't realize that you could slide around the turn. With Grumpy having AWD you would have an advantage.

[ihatemybike]

One of my co-worker's husbands does full size demo there. Heard a few stories of new Camaros slamming the wall. There is no way I'd think about taking my good/primary vehicle out there.

I too think the AWD will be an advantage. Plan on doing the EGR and throttle body mods before I make any runs though.

[ihatemybike]

I heart Discount Tire. Friday night a wooden cabinet fell in the garage scuffing Grumpy's paint and making a big mess. After clearing around Grumpy I pulled it out of the garage so I could clean up and remount the cabinet to the wall. While throwing something in the garbage I noticed something shiny on Grumpy's right rear tire. Dang it, Grumpy got screwed. Since the tire was still holding air I drove to Discount Tire knowing that they offer free tire repair regardless of where the tires came from. They ended up plugging and patching the tire, polishing the mounting surface on the rim, and installing a new valve stem. Took less than an hour on a busy Saturday. Service like this and usually having the lowest installed price is why I've bought my last four sets of new tires from them.

After schedule conflicts and periods of being inoperable Grumpy will be attending it's first automotive event Tuesday June 3rd at the Fat Boyz Cruise Night in Dundee, IL.

[Southern]

I use to feel the same way about Discount tire until they started not including mounting & balancing as part of the base price as well as gouge you on disposal fees. The last two sets of tires I purchased were from Costco which the base price included mounting & balancing and they only charged $4 for disposal fee instead of $12. Costco also includes the road hazard warranty. The last set of tires I purchased from Costco (which included a $60 Costco cash card) were $200 cheaper then Discount tire.

[ihatemybike]

Ah, but I don't have the Costco membership, though I do have a Sam's Club. Based on my forum reading neither will mount none stock size tires if you drive your vehicle into their service bay and my last four sets were definitely non-stock.

[Southern]

Costco mounted non-stock tires (P225/70-R15) on my Astro. They like everyone else won't mount lower speed rated tires which isn't a problem with our Astro vans.

[justice]

i get my tires at Pep Boys, cause I like the Cooper tires. And they beat Discounts prices easily for the tires I run.

[kings-x59]

phooey. I buy discount tires, but like I want to spend time hanging round their store waiting for them to plug a tire. I picked up a $6 radial plug kit at walmart and just plug them myself. you can find the screw or nail if its still in there. If it's come out you can find it more times than not just by hosing the tire. If it's a really small hole soapy water.

[ihatemybike]

In an effort to scare old ladies and make little children cry, last Sunday I purchased an air horn kit from Harbor Freight that was on sale for $9.99. I hooked it up to my jump start pack for a test blast, very nice. Can't wait to install it.

12 Volt Super-Loud Air Horn


Might have to park next to the local golf coarse after installation for further testing.

[midnighthunder89]

So i am at michigan tech and i looked out my window and saw it i thought i saw grumpy... It was not grumpy it was a ford areostar. It was painted as the a team van just like grumpy i took a pic on my phone but i cant get it off of there. just thought i would let you know.

[ihatemybike]

Seen one of those before, but it was in the process of getting destroyed.

[ihatemybike]

Saturday
Intention was to Grumpy's yank the Y-Pipe loose and reset it, hopefully eliminating the exhaust leak, then replace the front axle seals, check the compression, and maybe replace the crankshaft position sensor.

Pulled Grumpy on the ramps and started attempting to loosen the Y-Pipe, which of coarse doesn't budge. Heat it applied, still nothing. Gave the bolts a few shots of PB Blaster and started waiting.

This is where distraction set in. Grumpy needs front recovery points if it's really gonna be off roaded and I wanted to see what hard points I had to deal with, so I removed the grill, bumper cover, and bumper. Determined that I couldn't bang out the dent that a PO had put in the bumper, but the frame horns were undamaged. Think I want to build some tow points off where the horns mount to the sub-frame.

Thought about putting stuff back together, but with the grill off already I decided to go ahead and paint it black, since I've been meaning to for quite a while. Removed the cracked bow tie, having a few pieces break off and took the time to super glue it back together. Painting of the grill went well and I think it looks pretty darn good. Letting the bow tie sit over night. Tomorrow the glue globs will be sanded off and it will be painted red.

With the bumper off I had access to the non-functioning horns. Tested the circuit, dead. Checked the fuse, blown. Replaced it and tested again. Horn circuit has power. Pulled the horns off, both show signs is rust, one rattles badly. I've never known a horn to rattle. Well, I do have set of cheap Harbor Freight air horns laying around, might as well install those.
Played around a little with loose wires to get the air horns to fire using the steering wheel's buttons. Once I was happy with that I started looking for someplace to mount them. Figured out that facing down the horns would fit
roughly where the stock horns were, but would be mounted to the bar over the AC condenser in the center. It even had a hole in the correct spot on one side of it already. I removed the bar to drill a hole on the other side.

Then thought, since the grill is black things behind the grill should be black as to not draw the eye. Red horns, now painted black and a fresh coat of black on the center bar.

While this was going on, I was occasionally being pulled away to help my wife with upgrading the lift on the back of her Jeep. Going from a cheap Rocky Road Outfitters spacer lift to and Old Man Emu spring lift with new Rancho RSX shocks.

Dinner time rolled around, so we put stuff away. Quickly test fit the newly paint grill, looks pretty sweet, but the unpainted back edge is visible from the sides. Grill will be removed again on Sunday for more paint. Never got
back to the Y-Pipe or anything else that I really should be tending to.

After dinner, it was starting to get dark out. Since I had some painting momentum going I grabbed the stocker wagon wheels that Mr. Roboto gave to me a while back and began prepping them for paint. First a good scrub down, then sanding. The stock chrome trim rings do a nice job of scratching up the outer surface of the rims, but sanding cleaned that up pretty good, well good enough for going on Grumpy anyway.

After I was done cleaning up the rims, it was time to call it a day. Made a mental note to put the leaky axle seal as top prioity for Sunday.


Sunday
Priorities, what priorities? Back to my distractions.

I need some nuts and bolts to mount the horns, red and black spray paint, a new air filter for the lawn mower, some spade connectors, a longer section of air hose, and my wife needs some CV clamps. Walmart, Home Depot, Napa #1, Ace Hardware, NAPA #2, home.

Sanded and painted the bow tie. Hey the compressor for the horn is silver, painted it black. Added more paint to the grill.

Mounted most of the hardware to the horns, more silver, painted black.

Drilled the another hole in the center bar for the second horn.

Distraction from distractions. Taught me wife how to make counter sinks into the mounting bracket for her Jeep's CB antenna.

Drill hole in Grumpy to mount the air horn's compressor and bolt it in place. Pull stock horn wires back into the engine compartment, attach leads for air horn, and attach them to the compressor. Test the compressor, it lives. Mount the horns to the center bar and the center bar to the van. Run the air lines. Test the horns. Success, Grumpy can express my disapprove of others' driving abilities. Wife and daughter, who are now both in the house, come to the window. More triumphant horn blowing, they shake there heads and go back to what they were doing.

Put the rest of Grumpy's face back together, thinking the black grill looks so much tougher. OK, time for the axle seals. Well maybe I could get the first coat of paint on the rims and let them dry while I do the axle seals.

Hmmm, I need something to lean the rims on while painting them. I have the old rusty spare from a friends Ranger, tire still looks pretty good. Use my tire changer to pull the tire off the rim. OK, now to paint. Wait, I can put this tire on another rim from that Ranger that had a blow out. Plus, seating the bead with fire is fun. Redneck flame thrower anyone?

Finally onto painting the rims. Painted the first two and my daughter asks if she can paint. Showed her a little and let her get started. She did most of one wheel, but my oversight instructions to prevent runs made her lose interest. Finished that wheel and painted the forth.

Finally onto the axle seals. Pull the passenger side apart, fairly easy and straight forward. Short break for dinner. How the heck are you supposed to pull the seals? I can't get any tools in there with the axle shaft in the way. Damage seal further by trying to get tools in there. This can't be the right way. Crap, it's getting late and I need this fixed so I can get to work tomorrow. What's the factory service manual say? Spend too much time trying to find book #2 of the factory service manual. Somehow misplace my portable work light, spend some time trying to find it. Give up and use Grumpy's emergency flashlight. Grab Grumpy's original front diff and work out how to
get the seal out, then do the same with the current diff. Push the new seal in and put the rest back together. Clean up all the tools and discover the FSM book #2 in the pocket behind Grumpy's passenger seat. Read the proper way to remove the seal by removing the axle. Sounds easy, doh!

Pics of Grumpy's grill to follow after the bow tie is glue back in place.