the trip begins

[hedz]

flying out to Denver today to pick up my 1991 f250 and 82 subaru brat. i will drive about 920 miles to de queen arkansas and visit family there, then head on to birmingham. I have enough money set aside for catastrophic engine failure. Wish me luck.

[hdunlap]

Good Luck and have fun

[sargentrs]

So did you figure out if the Brat would fit in the bed of the F-250?

[hedz]

So did you figure out if the Brat would fit in the bed of the F-250?

it's just a couple inches too wide. and the 3rd transfer holding tank thing in the bed would make the rear of the brat hang off the bed too far.

soooooo when i get to denver the f250 has 4 completely different tires. I tracked down 4 used tires for $150. Changed the oil with mobile delvac 15w40 and a wix filter filled to the brim with zddp additive. I noticed the fuel filter looked non functional so i put a brand new one in there. Then i realize the turn signal switch is shorting out the blinkers and brake lights - i think. Replaced that and regained all signals and brake lights for a brief time. Then the f250 starts blowing fuses for the turn signals and brake lights. A few owners ago had wired in a pigtail midway into the truck bed and did a horrible wiring job which was causing fuses to blow. maybe they were blowing before i picked up the truck but i just couldnt get them to blow until i replaced the turn signal switch. I fixed the short at the pig tail. The signals and brake lights started working briefly again. All of a sudden fuses started blowing again. I had to track down another short beneath the bed close to the tailgate. After these repairs the truck started working great. I hooked up a dolly, got the brat hooked up, and then started my journey. I made took a wrong turn near hwy 70 and wound up in Cheyenne Wells. I pulled over there to gas up and turned the truck off. I go to the gas pump at the station and slide my card and none of the gas option buttons work. I get back in the truck to move to the next pump and the starter motor goes bad.

I was able to find a roustabout on his offday hanging out at the gas station who had a hammer with him. i got him to hammer on the starter while i cranked and got the last crank out of the starter it would ever give without a rebuild. still being 20 hours away from from DeQueen, and realizing if i turn off the truck it's not turning back on unless i repair the situation, i decide i'm going to drive non stop without turning the truck off. I didn't turn the truck off again during the trip to Arkansas. I kept it on at each station.

The Brat had a blowout on the front driver side tire that was sitting on the dolly. The valve stem actually blew completely out. This caused all the bail wire i used to keep straps and chains in place to snap. I towed the brat all the way back to arkansas despite the fact that i had run out of bail wire and the brat was slightly cockeyed on the dolly.

So i'm here in Arkansas. I tracked down 4 brand new tires for the Brat for $230. Also removed the starter on the f250 and am dropping it off at a shop early tomorrow morning for a rebuild. I've replaced many starters before but have never actually rebuilt one myself. I'll button everything up tomorrow and finish the rest of the trip to Birmingham.

So the 1991 f250 needs a few things. It needs something for the passenger power window. I think the window motor is bad. It also needs a tailgate. i need to test the fuel resevoir that sits in the bed. It has a large siphon pump screwed into the top with a rubber hose hanging off. I'm going to take a rubber wheel to the decals and glue left over on the black trim that goes down the side. Also need 2 more hub caps and a battery hold down strap. The truck also needs to be buffed. The f250 is a cream white with brown interior. It has 2 bucket seats and a center console with a locking lid and a back seat. It's just a 2 door. It has a automatic transmission with overdrive, power windows, a 460, and a/c that blows cold and heat that's hot. The truck also has some kind bracket inside the bed. I think it's for attaching one of those large swivel hitches for a heavy trailer.

The 1982 Subaru Brat is a rust bucket. It needs extensive patching from the floor pan back. I also messed up the tailgate while loading it onto the dolly. So i need to track down a tailgate. The ignition cylinder needs to be replaced with a new key. Once the Brat is cranked and turned on it can't be turned off. I think this is the result from a bad cylinder and a worn key. It also may need a transfer case or some kind of lubrication or adjustment at the drive lever that changes the car from 2wd to awd. I need to lift the engine and pull the oil pan. The drain plug is really messed up and i'm going to need to patch the pan with a new plug. I think this is a slant 4 engine in the car. I've looked over this car extensively and despite it's rusty condition, I'm going to add it to my permanent car arsenal. I like a challenge.

[sargentrs]

Whew! Quite the journey. Glad you made it back with the caravan.

[Mancar1]

You made it without major engine problems and that is good.

[hedz]

i think the engine block on my 72 ford f100 just bought the farm. well atleast i just bought 2 other cars... i'll know more tomorrow. probably start a thread on it. bad dice

[flyboy2610]

i think the engine block on my 72 ford f100 just bought the farm. well atleast i just bought 2 other cars... i'll know more tomorrow. probably start a thread on it. bad dice

As Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say: "Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something—if it ain't one thing, it's another. Either your engine block buys the farm, or you can do the Fred Flintstone routine in your new car."

[hedz]

false alarm. as i was backing in to my parking space last night i heard a loud bang noise and then a sucking sound. i thought i was hearing a massive vacuum leak. there was fluid everywhere and it was brown. well it turns out it was my power steering. i have never changed my power steering fluid so it was nasty and i thought it was the diesel oil i use. everything was soaked under the hood. i found the leak at the compression hose. it looks as if the hose exploded on the rubber? i replaced the hose and added some new fluid. no more terrible sounds. i'm still shopping for a inline 6, but seriously i thought the engine was a gonner from that noise. reminded me of the time my 455 blew up in my catalina. scared the crap out of me.

my pump has a absurd amount of miles on it so it's only a matter of time.

[iwhodat]

Thank God it didn't take a dirt nap! It would be nice to have a straight 6, though.