From a gas station in Reno

[SparkandFire]

Yesterday I got sent to Reno for a job. I drove the truck because the mercedes doesn't like the cold (or, because it doesn't have any heat in the cold)

After I left the jobsite at around 2:00 pm, I pulled into a gas station for some snacks on the ride home.

Went to pull out and truck wouldn't move, engine was really lugging trying to back out of the parking space- no go. Since my parking brake cable is broke, I figured it wasn't that. Come to find out, front driver's caliper was stuck, rotor was GONE and the pads were too, even the pistons were out and leaking fluid.

So, I called O'Reilly's parts on 5th street, they had everything for a drivers side caliper job, called a cab to take me there, then bring me back.

In the gas station parking lot I R&R'ed -
1) Drivers side caliper
2) Drivers side rotor (pressed the studs out using a bottle jack and the front frame
3) Drivers side wheel bearings and seals (grease was burnt from driving with stuck caliper)
4) Drivers side pads
5) Drivers side hose
6) Bleed the brakes with the help of a nice guy who stopped in for some gas and asked if I needed help

All this in just under two hours, nothing like driving old iron again...

 

[Full Monte]

Wow! You work fast! I don't think there are many guys who could have done that job in under 2 hours.

 

[SparkandFire]

Wow! You work fast! I don't think there are many guys who could have done that job in under 2 hours.

Most guys don't have my wife on the phone having a royal meltdown screaming fit to "fix that piece of sh.. truck and get home now!!!"


And the studs practically fell out of the rotor, which was nice.

And I did a big no-no and didn't change the races for the bearings in the spindle (i'm going to R&R the whole bearing pack again this weekend, just needed to get home)

 

[flareside_thun]

It's always a nice refresher to rough it every once in awhile...takes you back to your mechanical roots of using hand tools and logic to get things done...even a piece of cardboard on a dirt floor is spoiling.

 

[towcat]

Most guys don't have my wife on the phone having a royal meltdown screaming fit to "fix that piece of sh.. truck and get home now!!!"

and that's no lie.....
been there, witnessed it, and got the scars to prove it

 

[KyleQ]

That is pretty good - I sheared a bolt off the shift tower in my Contour SVT in the work parking lot. I cam back the next day and pulled the intake manifold, intake tube, battery and tray, front engine/transmission mount, and then the shift tower. I used a magnet on a stick to get the broken bolt head out of the transmission and then used a cordless drill with an easy out to remove the broken bolt. I was able to do this all on my lunch hour and drove the car home - I sure got some funny looks in the parking lot though, parts everywhere!

 

[burtcheca]

You are a true survivor, ready to fix the problem and keep going. When I hear stories like this one my faith in the American spirit, the ingenuity that made this country great, is renewed.
Thanks for sharing.
Burt.

 

[icanfixall]

When push comes to shove you get er dun no matter what tools you have... Years ago I went to buy a block of ice... Needed 10 quarters for that... Really had to search for them too.... Get to the ice house thats nothing more than a rolloff box with electrical to run the conveir belt to deliever the ice and run the refrig system... In goes the quaters but nothing comes out.. I hear the motors running so I lift up the cooler covers where the block of ice should be dropping down from.... I see the block but the belt isn't moving.... Its broken... Now I'm really 10 quaters kind of pissed off. I look in my truck for anything to reach up in there to grap my paid for block of ice... I find an umbrelle pole with a hook on the end of it but... It wont grab the ice... I find a claw hammer but no string or rope but lots of plastic shopping bags... I tear up the bags and make some rope... Tie the hammer to the umbrella pole with the plastic rope... Reach up and grab my block of ice... Get home and while packing for the trip the wifey and daughter ask whats that thing you made in the bed of the truck... I tell them thats how I claimed my block of ice from a broken ice house.... Soon after that everyone knew me a Mc Giever... Cause I could think on my feet and overcome anything with nothing.... These engines can run on 9 volts... Thats all it takes to keep the fuel shutoff solenoid... If we change out to a manual fuel shutoff we wont need any electrical to start or run these trucks... Just bump start a standard tran and your off... These are truely the doomsday rigs... Just remember to park on a hill and the batteries are not needed to run.....

 

[Diesel_brad]

You are resourcefull. i would of just called AAA and fixed in my garage

 

[Exekiel69]

Wow, way to work must be all down hill, did You notice it a little underpowered lately .

Glad You could get it done and back home with out braking the bank.

 

[SparkandFire]

It's about 100 miles from Reno to Auburn where I live, couldn't stomach the tow bill for that. Plus, I imagine they would've overcharged me anyway for driving over Donner summit.

I've been very fortunate to have been able to roadfix most of my things over the years (except the smoked benz motor, and towcat saved my ass on that one!)


I really think the caliper locked up when I came to a stoplight about 5 miles from the jobsite, some idiot tried to run the yellow light then locked em' up, I gave the pedal a good slam and stopped the truck no problem, but when I took off again it felt like something was a little out of whack.

 

[towcat]

When push comes to shove you get er dun no matter what tools you have... Years ago I went to buy a block of ice... Needed 10 quarters for that... Really had to search for them too.... Get to the ice house thats nothing more than a rolloff box with electrical to run the conveir belt to deliever the ice and run the refrig system... In goes the quaters but nothing comes out.. I hear the motors running so I lift up the cooler covers where the block of ice should be dropping down from.... I see the block but the belt isn't moving.... Its broken... Now I'm really 10 quaters kind of pissed off. I look in my truck for anything to reach up in there to grap my paid for block of ice... I find an umbrelle pole with a hook on the end of it but... It wont grab the ice... I find a claw hammer but no string or rope but lots of plastic shopping bags... I tear up the bags and make some rope... Tie the hammer to the umbrella pole with the plastic rope... Reach up and grab my block of ice... Get home and while packing for the trip the wifey and daughter ask whats that thing you made in the bed of the truck... I tell them thats how I claimed my block of ice from a broken ice house.... Soon after that everyone knew me a Mc Giever... Cause I could think on my feet and overcome anything with nothing.... These engines can run on 9 volts... Thats all it takes to keep the fuel shutoff solenoid... If we change out to a manual fuel shutoff we wont need any electrical to start or run these trucks... Just bump start a standard tran and your off... These are truely the doomsday rigs... Just remember to park on a hill and the batteries are not needed to run.....

betcha you were trully grateful when in-home refrigeration units because commonplace

 

[Chevyboy_0]

/\ That happened to my Chevelle a couple times before, I had to stomp the brakes and stop because some moron decided the Green light meant stop. and the brakes didnt feel right, upon inspection I found that the slider bolts were wore out along with the bushings.

I know exactly what O'Reilys your talking about too, we had to R&R the water pump in our Excursion in the parking lot there a few years ago cause it didn't want to work any more pulling the trailer in August....

 

[BigRigTech]

It's always a pile of junk until it makes money or brings something home that they bought or con'd you into buying.....Mine gave up on fussing over my trucks - they more than pay for themselves.

 

[SparkandFire]

It's always a pile of junk until it makes money or brings something home that they bought or con'd you into buying.....Mine gave up on fussing over my trucks - they more than pay for themselves.

A week ago it hauled home a new couch and dining table...


In two weeks it's moving all our crap up the road to a new house...

Some women CAN NOT be convinced...