JATonka. Broke down in Pa.

[jcappeljr]

John just called me he off of I-81 in Pine Grove,Pa. He is too far away for me to help.He has a freeze plug problem.His cell # is 518-424-8455

 

[Warthog]

Freeze plug issues usually don't show up during PMs. Wish I was closer to help.

Looks like he is about 40 Miles from Harrisburg, PA. and 35 miles from Coleman's Surplus. in Millersburg, PA

http://mapq.st/USP4p6

For those tha haven't been following JaTonka's trip, he is driving the his guntruck from New York to Georgia for the Guntruck Gathering. He is flying solo.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...York-to-Columbus-Georgia-hard-ride&highlight=

 

[antennaclimber]

On phone with him now.

He has some help coming.

I will be on standby ready to roll if they need anything. I'm about 2 hours away from him.

He lost a freeze plug near the exhaust manifold. Has one coming and will see if he can get her back to operating condition.

Will update as news comes in.

UPDATE

Plan is to JB Weld over the old plug and let it harden overnight before continuing on. He is in a parking lot off of the interstate.

Additional Thanks need to go to Papa Bear for helping with repair suggestions and recommendations!!

Karl

 

[Blake]

I had the one above the alternator blow out on a trip and used a rubber expanding one since I had limited tools with me. It held for the trip until a permanent repair could be made. The local napa store had it in stock and it seemed like it was 2"

 

[antennaclimber]

I had the one above the alternator blow out on a trip and used a rubber expanding one since I had limited tools with me. It held for the trip until a permanent repair could be made. The local napa store had it in stock and it seemed like it was 2"

Info passed on to John.

Thank you.

 

[Robo McDuff]

Amazing how people come through here for each other.

Following the trip and learned several new things here. Did not know that a freeze plug existed, let alone that you could have problems with them blowing out. Did not know what JB-Weld means, though it had something to do real welding (very difficult on cast-iron engine blocks).

Steel Reinforced Epoxy should - could do the trick if the area is cleaned thoroughly. My garage made an emergency repair of a plastic air bleeding outlet for the pressure cooling system with something like that. Left it to dry for one hour. After three weeks, I replaced the part but kept the repaired part as backup, fully functionally despite high temps and pressure. The repaired part was OK, I just got nervous from having it.

John, have a good night, hope the rest of the trip goes ok, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[patracy]

On phone with him now.

He has some help coming.

I will be on standby ready to roll if they need anything. I'm about 2 hours away from him.

He lost a freeze plug near the exhaust manifold. Has one coming and will see if he can get her back to operating condition.

Will update as news comes in.

UPDATE

Plan is to JB Weld over the old plug and let it harden overnight before continuing on. He is in a parking lot off of the interstate.

Additional Thanks need to go to Papa Bear for helping with repair suggestions and recommendations!!

Karl

Might I make one more recommendation to the JB weld thing? Use a piece of saran wrap/plastic over any vertical seams. JB weld will try to level/run as it sits. The plastic over it will keep it in place. Also spray it down with parts cleaner before adding it.

 

[antennaclimber]

Johns plans are to lower the coolant level, sand and irrigate the area needing repair with brake clean and then install the JB Weld.

Thanks for the suggestion I will pass it along in the next phone call.

 

[shenkmen]

There is a SS off road and camping gathering in Pine Grove this weekend. PA Farmer has said he'll see what he can do to help. PM John's number to me and I will forward it to PaFarmer. At a minimum he could have some overnight company.

Standing by...edit: Just saw John's number in the first post. Will forward.

 

[shenkmen]

PaFarmer left a VM for him.

 

[hndrsonj]

There is also a fast drying JB weld. That may be better.

 

[doghead]

I've seen rubber expansion plugs used for years, with success.

 

[papabear]

The problem in this case is the location of the freeze plug according to JT when I talked to him. To replace the plug, he would have to remove the turbo and practically everything else on that side of the engine.
JT thinks he can do the JB weld repair and I agreed but just to be sure I let JT talk to Tony who agreed with JT's plan.

JT should be coming on to give a status report.opcorn:

 

[jatonka]

Hello from Pine Grove, PA just north of Harrisburg on I-81. Wife and I were having a great day traveling south, making a mile and knowing the truck was right and strong and we would be in Columbus by Monday night. Then I smelled anti-freeze and it wasn't the guy ahead of us. Stopped at the Pilot in Pine Grove and started searching for the leak. Not the brand new radiator, new lower hose, new upper hose, not the waterpump or any other hose, nope. One of the freeze plugs in the front head behind the exhaust manifold. Pretty much the only parts I didn't have with me, but if I did I still couldn't replace it unless I pulled the intake-exhaust manifolds off first. The more I looked the more I realized I have a bunch of freeze plugs in the heads that don't look good.

Zero, aka Jim Davidson of Star Electric fame found out from Bill Peaslee that I was down, called me and headed right over. We cleaned the area and JB welded the existing freeze plug in. It takes a lot of hours to set to a full bond so wife and I got a room and will fill with coolant early tomorrow morning and head back to Ephratah, NY to get the POV and scurry to the Gathering without Aces & Eights, Like Papabear tried to tell me to do in the first place!!

Zero went way out of his way for me today, and many other Steel Soldier friend sure got in touch and offered help one after another. I really appreciate this group of people with the green disease.

And I need to say, I had this truck right, really right. Everything was checked, lubed, adjusted, and road tested. So what got me? The d$#med 3/4" cylinder head freeze plug. I am not so smart, but I can learn. I will pull the heads, get them planed and all freeze plugs replaced, THEN the truck will be right.
Guys, please consider how long those freeze plugs have been in there, and the amount of rust that gets in the block over the years, there are hidden plugs when the engine is assembled at the ends of the heads too. JT out and somewhat deflated.

 

[shenkmen]

Glad to hear you have a plan and that things are looking better for you.

Good luck!

 

[M1075]

Be safe getting home tomorrow!

 

[CARNAC]

Sorry to hear about it JT. I was going to call but figured that based on the fact I am in TX, you didn't need another 2000 mile screwdriver calling you.

 

[phil2968]

Consider running with a lose radiator cap to relieve pressure against that repair. Safe journey!

 

[papabear]

Consider running with a lose radiator cap to relieve pressure against that repair. Safe journey!

JT mentioned he would do that when we talked today. He said there were No cooling issues prior to the leak being discovered.

 

[LiveFreeOrDieTryn2B]

Wow Murphy's paying a lot of folks a visit at least it wasn't a valve good luck keep us posted.