I Learned (the hard way) an Important Rebuilding Lesson...

[Bravo2Uniform]

I learned, the hard way, an important lesson about rebuilding vehicles.

I was trying to rebuild my steering gear box. I bought a new Pitman arm, worm gear shaft, and a sector shaft rebuild kit. So I pull everything apart and start installing new parts. Everything was just fine until I tried to put the bushings in for the sector shaft. They were way tight. I just thought that something was out of tolerance, and with a little heat and freezing, they slipped into place. Next I inserted the sector shaft...or rather tried to, but it wouldn't fit. Again, thinking something was just out of tolerance, I began tinkering with how to get it to fit. I have used emery cloth before to remedy these situations...so I buffed the sector shaft...and buffed, and buffed, and buffed. Finally, about three hours into this goat roping, I got it to fit and turn as it should...right up until the time I realize the studs at one end of the bottom of the shaft simply didn't fit the worm gear.

At this point, I got the sector shaft from the scrap pile and looked at it:



The new sector shaft is the correct one for the M38A1, it has a 15/16" shaft and the studs are 1.5" on center. The old one on my M38A1 had a 7/8" shaft and the studs were 2" on center. Apparently, sometime in the past 62 years, someone put a different steering ear box on my M38A1. Now I have a useless (except to beat myself over the head with) sector shaft and get to buy a new one, along with the correct Pitman arm.

I should have been more alert, too, when I pulled the old sector shaft and found that the wavy splines on the shaft - that was from the 15/16" Pitman arm being slightly too large and deforming them. I need to pay better attention to anomalies like that.



The main learning lesson is: compare old part to new part before you start!

 

[bchauvette]

The outer ID axle bearing on the M939 series is slightly smaller then the inner. On four out of five seal replacements I checked to make sure I was installing them correctly. On #5 I spent 10 to 15 minutes trying to slide the whee/drum/hub assembly on before I realized I forgot to check and naturally they where installed backwards. Cost me a brand new seal or rather it cost andy3cpo a new seal.

 

[dmetalmiki]

Wev'e all done that at some point. My friend had no compression on his quad, Was told by all un-sundry "it's the rings". I told him to check the valves first. Nope! his "helpers" cut the frame to get the engine out (thought it would not clear the frame at the top), I told him take off the valve covers first and just remove the head. Nope he continued the destruction, ended up with parts stewn all over, decided to scrap it. AFTER purchasing rings (they did not fit!) new gaskets (same) . I felt sorry for him and had all the pieces placed in our shop. We cleaned eveything..used sealent! welded up the frame...put it all back together..and fixed the fault. ADJUSTED THE TAPPETS!!. Runs fine now!.

 

[robson1015]

Live and learn - we've all done it -thanx for sharing

 

[Saberr]

Papa always said keep them parts till your projects done, even if they are almost unrecognizable. That way you can compare new to old before or during installation, or just use that one clip they don't include on the new part .

 

[Bravo2Uniform]

Papa always said keep them parts till your projects done, even if they are almost unrecognizable. That way you can compare new to old before or during installation, or just use that one clip they don't include on the new part .

Dang, my Dad never said that! He did say, "Do something, even if it's wrong", though. Dad wisdom is priceless. I will remember that nugget of wisdom.

 

[Maverick1701]

remember kids, learning is fun

 

[WOLF DOG]

The older I get .... The smarter my parents in were.

 

[Guyfang]

When ever I made decisions concerning my family, I thought about what my parents would have done. Then did the opposite. I am more then happy with the results.

 

[Crazyguyla]

Wev'e all done that at some point. My friend had no compression on his quad, Was told by all un-sundry "it's the rings". I told him to check the valves first. Nope! his "helpers" cut the frame to get the engine out (thought it would not clear the frame at the top), I told him take off the valve covers first and just remove the head. Nope he continued the destruction, ended up with parts stewn all over, decided to scrap it. AFTER purchasing rings (they did not fit!) new gaskets (same) . I felt sorry for him and had all the pieces placed in our shop. We cleaned eveything..used sealent! welded up the frame...put it all back together..and fixed the fault. ADJUSTED THE TAPPETS!!. Runs fine now!.

This sounds like something my nephew and his friends would do. They fought with getting the lug nuts and tire of my sister's car. They live in the land of salt and cold. I suggested a few tricks to get the nuts off without breaking one. Then they couldn't get the rim off, totally rusted to the hub. Told them to put the lug nuts back on loose and rock the car back and forth with the wheel on the ground. He told me that was to dangerous to do..

 

[ToddJK]

This sounds like something my nephew and his friends would do. They fought with getting the lug nuts and tire of my sister's car. They live in the land of salt and cold. I suggested a few tricks to get the nuts off without breaking one. Then they couldn't get the rim off, totally rusted to the hub. Told them to put the lug nuts back on loose and rock the car back and forth with the wheel on the ground. He told me that was to dangerous to do..

I've done that before on my jeep. The rims were on real good apparently. My front brakes were bad so they needed to be done. The time before my rims stuck and I spent a good while using a mallet to break them free. The next time I loosened all the lug nuts up front and left them about half way on, rocked the crap out the jeep and within seconds I could hear both rims break free. I didn't think of this on my own, I was only 22 at the time, my uncle told me that and he's been a mechanic all his life....still is 15 years laters...