Big Ugly goes to rehab

[hesutton]

I remember back in 2012 rolling in to the MI rally. it was around 330am and there was three or four guys who insisted on staying up until I got there to welcome me and have a beer with me.

I remember that very well Calvin. Me, Chris Barber, Jared (Subway), and maybe Corey????.... OK...... maybe I don't remember it very well...... it was really really early in the am and we had all been enjoying beer the entire time waiting to enjoy a beer with you.

Heath

 

[nostrokes]

Nothin better than kickin a few back waiting on good friends.... Even if you don't remember all the details..

 

[Dirtleg]

So it's time to add to this here thread. I've not done anything to the truck lately until this morning. It's been in my shop while I've been driving my track car a bit to keep it healthy.

I went ahead and installed new door strikers since my old ones were missing the plastic sleeve and the rattling was annoying. Truth be told I'm not happy with that yet.

Sure the doors close well and don't rattle but damn are they difficult to open. Probably need to keep playing with the alignment until they work like they should.

Checked my door pins and they're good. No play in them. Rocks the whole truck when seeing if they have play and they are solid feeling.

Next up was actually looking on the drivers side frame rail near the steering for a T in the brake line. Another member here (damn I'm going to have to look them up) posted a picture of their cruise control cancel switch mounted there when I inquired about where the wiring for the switch was at. Mine has the T in the right place but a plug instead of the switch. The wires are there so it looks like my next attempted repair will be the cruise control.
Location of T.

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[Dirtleg]

Things have been going well over here for the past few weeks as far as the truck is concerned.

I finally got my new accessory drive belt installed. I broke down and bought another one, not a motorcraft, from the parts store hoping it would fit but it did not. Same issue as the motorcraft belt. Just the slightest bit too short.

So while pondering what to do it hit me. By loosening the A/C compressor bolts, if tension were applied to the belt it would lift the back of the compressor and allow the pulley to tip down a bit. That worked. I tightened the compressor bolts back up before releasing the tensioner. All good and have a new belt finally.

Today I changed the oil again. 3000 miles and never had to add any since the last change. Oil level was still right near the top of the dipstick hash marks.

And in the morning I'm taking Big Ugly to Florida on a work trip. First trip of any distance in this truck since 2008.

Wish me luck.

 

[saburai]

Good luck!
Post up from Florida!

 

[Dirtleg]

Well trip went fine. 879 miles no issues to speak of. Except shocks. Damn do I need new shocks.
Loaded up and ready to roll.

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Truck was content rolling along on the highway.

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And finally on the other end.

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All in all was a good trip. Trans temps stayed about 180 with an ambient of 90-95 at around 80 mph. I know my torque converter is getting weak but having the cooler on there is a big help.

 

[Dirtleg]

Time for another update. Truck did fine the rest of my trip and all the way back to Virginia. Seems the AC was feeling a bit weak towards the end of the trip but with it being 95 outside I figured I probably just needed to clean out the evaporator box as I'm sure it's got junk in there.

2 days after getting home fro Florida I flew to Seattle and then went on a cruise to Alaska and didn't even start the truck again until last Saturday. So 18 days later therexs no AC. Check system pressure and it's at 25 lbs total. Yep got a leak, again.

Since I had replaced the compressor and dryer and seriously cleaned the lines, evaporator and condenser I decided to get some dye and see where the leak is.

So I recharged the system with the dye and have been running the AC on max the last couple days but nothings visible yet. It's a slow leak apparently.

In other news I installed these earlier today.

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Not road tested yet but I'll be driving another 75 miles before getting home tonight so they'll be checked out today. Hoping for a miracle but not expecting one.

The old shocks when compressed off the truck just stayed that way. They were done.

And lastly my tach sensor has started acting up. Standard intermittent ooerating problem so that's next apparently. Looked at the wires and they're pretty bad so no surprise there.

 

[saburai]

So how are the shocks? I already know that I'm probably jealous...

 

[nostrokes]

So how are the shocks? I already know that I'm probably jealous...

So am I!!! Mine needs them bad too.. drop out of the driveway and head bang for 1/4 mile

 

[Dirtleg]

So how are the shocks? I already know that I'm probably jealous...

Well as all good stories go there is some drama. My fronts came in and got installed but Fedex has lost the rears. Were supposed to be delivered tuesday but tracking still has them in Chicago where they've been since last Saturday and no projected delivery date. So essentially they lost them.

With that said the front feels more controlled over impacts but it's hard to tell how much better as the rear is still pretty uncontrolled once it hits the bump.

So improvement yes but I won't know how much exactly until the rears are on there too.

 

[Tristan]

Wait... a business trip and you brought your dirt bike? I want to be in this business!
What bike is that?


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[IDIBRONCO]

Wait... a business trip and you brought your dirt bike? I want to be in this business!
What bike is that?


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It looks to me like it says "Pitster" on the tank. I thought they only made small bikes? At first glance I thought it was a Beta.

 

[Tristan]

Looks like you are correct Sir!

https://pitsterpro.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=15


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[IDIBRONCO]

That's amazing. I guess they're really serious about becoming a "real" motorcycle company. I had no idea that the line up was so big.

 

[Dirtleg]

Yeah the carting of the bike was due to a planned day off and riding with a friend of mine at Croom in Florida. That was a good time.

The bike is a Pitster LXR250. They were the Pitster big bikes at the time. It's hard to believe perhaps but that is a great bike for the money. The suspension as delivered is very good. Fuel injected too.

Pitster (Gary) has since separated the big bikes from the small ones. The new brand is called GPX. They've got a fantastic 2 stroke, a couple of 250cc 4 strokes and are soon releasing a 450cc 4 stroke and limited production 550cc 2 stroke. The newer bikes have even better handling and suspension.