SOS!!! park failed, rolled back into road, jacked knifed trailer, damage!!!!

[Cubey]

The good news is that it looks like it is supposed to clear up pretty quickly, and even get into the 80's by sunday. So you guys shouldn't have to work in wet dreary conditions!

I got the busted tank off. I forgot one thing, a proper sized hole saw for the new tank. Oops. Well, I ordered one on Amazon just in case (free returns) slated for delivery tomorrow, but I'm gonna walk down to Ace after I have lunch to see if I can get one there.

Errr.. I just realized, as I was typing this post, that forgot 2 things. Well, I guess I'll hop on a bus and go a few miles down the road to Camping World after I go to Ace, since the bus stop is right near Ace to get to Camping World. They should have the RV specific fitting I need since it's nothing special.

One of these: https://www.campingworld.com/flange-slip-hub-3quot;-2328.html
It claims they don't have any but *** it's a common repair part. I'll take a chance and go there anyway, assuming Ace doesn't have them.


The new tank vs the old tank:

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[franklin2]

Camping World is the worst I have seen for keeping inventory. If they don't have it, see if ACE or Lowes, etc. has a toilet flange for a house. You should be able to turn it upside down and screw it to the tank with some silicone.

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[Cubey]

Camping World is the worst I have seen for keeping inventory. If they don't have it, see if ACE or Lowes, etc. has a toilet flange for a house. You should be able to turn it upside down and screw it to the tank with some silicone.

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I ended up going to an indie RV shop that was right on the route and got parts. Probably the wrong ones for fitting this tank on, but I guess I'll go back and exchange it for the right thing.

Since. I gotta wait for the hole saw, I decided to do the pan today.

About to install it. Might wait for Nero to help to drain the torque converter.

The shop did put a magnet in the pan.

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[Cubey]

Ugh. B&M is like every other company, quality is slipping BAD in the name of saving costs and keeping prices down.

I had to rush out and get cap head screws because the hex head bolts they included were useless. You can't get a socket or wrench around several. And then the screws I got were 1/8" too long, so I had to shim them with an extra 2 washers per bolt. Thankfully Nero had a bunch on hand. I had to add 2 more washers to the washer it came with per screw. The bolts it came with were 7/8" long and I didn't quite realize, and the cap heads are 1". They saved all of $5 basically by putting bolts that don't even work with the pan and cost me time and money to get the proper thing and shim it out to make it fit.

Pic is before I realized I had to add more washers:

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And then I came to the realization than I didn't get a 5 gallon bucket pump for the 5 gallon bucket of ATF I bought. Nor does Nero have one. So, I have to wait until tomorrow for that now (pickup at Napa). I made it harder on myself and ended up not saving anything. I can use a still clean 1 gallon ATF jug for measuring out how much I'm putting in at least, so at least there's that. Pump in some into the 1 gal jug, dump that in through the funnel, refill the jug, and so on. I guess on the plus side, I'll have that pump in case I ever want/need it.

And I guess I'll be walking my dog to the vet and back tomorrow, unless the pump comes in very early and gives me time to fill up the transmission in plenty of time before the vet appointment at 3pm. Not gonna pay $50 round trip for Uber Pet. It's only 1.2 mi to the vet, so I can't really get it up to full operating temperature in that distance. But if I can get it full enough to be safe for that short trip, I can top off later after I get it out on the highway, or at least take it to the shop on Wednesday for the trans shop to eyeball it.


Oh, can anyone give a good suggestion on how to pull out the bumper? The fiberglass behind it is cracked and shoved down as a V, and I can't do anything with it unless I can pull the bumper back somewhat straight. Unless I cut the fiberglass just to get it out of the way? I may have to just head out from here later this week before I finish installing my new grey tank (plumbing wise) because I have to address that first. I'll probably just have to cut the fiberglass though, that's gonna be fastest and easiest.

 

[Selahdoor]

I have straightened a bumper out again, before, by wrapping a chain around it. Anchoring the chain to a tree, then driving away from the tree, to jerk on the bumper.

 

[Cubey]

I have straightened a bumper out again, before, by wrapping a chain around it. Anchoring the chain to a tree, then driving away from the tree, to jerk on the bumper.

I have thought about something like that, but more along the lines of a winch or something so it can be better controlled. Something like this. But there's no trees around that I can do that with, with or without the winch.

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[Selahdoor]

Winch or come-along, won't work. It requires the strong jolt/jerk.

Have Nero hook the chain to his tow hitch and drive away from you.

 

[Cubey]

Winch or come-along, won't work. It requires the strong jolt/jerk.

Have Nero hook the chain to his tow hitch and drive away from you.

The other problem is the fiberglass is close to the bumper, probably can't get a big enough chain behind it. Even before it got pushed in, it sat close to it. I guess I just need to cut up the fiberglass down low where it doesn't show, so I can do the plumbing for now, and worry about the bumper later.

 

[Selahdoor]

Steel cable is a lot smaller and can do the same job. Just use a cable that is the same thickness as the thickness of the links of the chain you would have used.

Each link is made of steel rod of a certain thickness, bent and welded together. That thickness is the size of cable you want to use.

You should be able to snake that around the bumper and clamp it together.

 

[Cubey]

Steel cable is a lot smaller and can do the same job. Just use a cable that is the same thickness as the thickness of the links of the chain you would have used.

Each link is made of steel rod of a certain thickness, bent and welded together. That thickness is the size of cable you want to use.

You should be able to snake that around the bumper and clamp it together.

Or a tow strap, maybe. I'd probably put some wood behind it to help support it too, so the top and bottom edges don't buckle in as badly. I hate to keep asking Nero for help with stuff, especially since this beyond what he offered to do. He's been so helpful thus far and I'm sure he's sick of seeing my face around here. I only came back here at all since the trans shop he suggested and that I used wants the follow-up inspection. It's just unfortunate that I had to return with new problems I have to try to fix before I leave.

The bumper might have to wait until I get clear back to Arkansas and my own truck (who knows when), so then if I tear things up worse, I only have myself to blame. I don't wanna try a random tree in the forest. With my luck, I'd pull it down on the RV. Or pay a shop to pull it out for me.

 

[Selahdoor]

Strap is a great idea!

 

[Nero]

I used to have trees out front, and I've actually used them before with a come along to pull out wrecked car core supports before, but that bumper is pretty beefy I'd be careful pulling on it.

 

[Black dawg]

I have thought about something like that, but more along the lines of a winch or something so it can be better controlled. Something like this. But there's no trees around that I can do that with, with or without the winch.

If you have access to a full size pickup with a winch, it should pull hard enough and slow and controlled is the way to go for sure.

 

[Cubey]

If you have access to a full size pickup with a winch, it should pull hard enough and slow and controlled is the way to go for sure.

Yeah, that's my thought too. Maybe I can find someone at the LTVA this fall/winter who will offer up their service for that.

As for now, I'll just have to cut the fiberglass I guess. Maybe I can just cut out a tiny section around where it's cracked and buckled down. I have a dremel and some heavy duty cutting discs, so I can minimize what I cut out, just enough so I can move it out of the way so the 3" pipe can run through. That area faces the ground, so it won't matter if I have to patch it up super ugly later. This thing is never going to be 100% right again, and I need all of the plumbing to work ASAP, so..

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[Cubey]

Guess I'll post here since the topic of the trans got merged here sorta because I was so busy, I didn't pay attention to which thread I was posting the pan pics to.

The 5 gallon bucket pump came early enough this morning, so I was able to get it and refill the trans. Looks to be pretty darn close to perfect (accounting for being cold and on a slight crooked slope) but I'll have to get it warmed up first and on more level ground before I know for sure.


The magnetic drain bolt and metal/rubber gasket it came with aren't seeping like the cheap pan did, so that's excellent news. The engine oil pan and exhaust still hang lower than the deep trans pan, so clearance shouldn't be a problem.

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The gauge didn't come with any wire, so I'll have to see if I have a piece long enough. If not, I'll have to buy some later to install the pan gauge. Not too big of a deal, I can do that later on, after I head out from Nero's place. The probe isn't leaking, so that's what's important.


The in-line filter got installed and I redid the cooler hoses so it's all 5/16" like it should be, except close to the cooler where it needs 3/8". Nothing appears to be leaking there either.

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