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Awesome truck!!! Hopefully you find employment that fits your needs. I'm 16 years in the USCG and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
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M932A2 and Mk-48 Cab conversion
- Thread starter agazza2
- Start date
Nick02
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- Phoenix Arizona
Its been a bit since an update, but alot has changed.
I resigned from my job in San Fran, it was too much for me and I ended up breaking my lease; all-in-all I came out even. I left that day and took hwy one to come down to LA. I got to see the dragon wagon, its in a storage facility in San Bernardino with the replacement T-case up in Running Springs. Besides the t-case, the truck was running good.
I was unemployed for about 4 hours until I got a call from my good friend that works at Robby Gordon motorsports. They wanted me to fly out instantly so I drove all the way back to Phoenix to drop off my Dakota and hopped on a plane. I now live in Charlotte NC, just crashing out of my friends couch and designing super cool "racecar baja parts". It is awesome to have access to a water-jet and a great machinist for mill/turning ops.
They really like my skills out here so I am going to Baja for race support in a week, for a couple weeks; after that I dont have a plan. A good fab guy at the shop offered me a place to park the dragon wagon behind his shop if I can get it out here. It looks as if I may end up on the east coast, lots of motorsports jobs, good people and cheap land.
I resigned from my job in San Fran, it was too much for me and I ended up breaking my lease; all-in-all I came out even. I left that day and took hwy one to come down to LA. I got to see the dragon wagon, its in a storage facility in San Bernardino with the replacement T-case up in Running Springs. Besides the t-case, the truck was running good.
I was unemployed for about 4 hours until I got a call from my good friend that works at Robby Gordon motorsports. They wanted me to fly out instantly so I drove all the way back to Phoenix to drop off my Dakota and hopped on a plane. I now live in Charlotte NC, just crashing out of my friends couch and designing super cool "racecar baja parts". It is awesome to have access to a water-jet and a great machinist for mill/turning ops.
They really like my skills out here so I am going to Baja for race support in a week, for a couple weeks; after that I dont have a plan. A good fab guy at the shop offered me a place to park the dragon wagon behind his shop if I can get it out here. It looks as if I may end up on the east coast, lots of motorsports jobs, good people and cheap land.
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When God closes one door, He always opens a window!! Best of luck and ENJOY!!
Nick02
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Robby Gordons place was awesome and alot of hard work! 110+ hrs a week, sleeping on a friends couch. The hours were rough but we made three awesome race cars and one almost finished! Literally buttoning up the cars at a resort in Mexico.. haha!
So thankful for the opportunity!
But today is a big day! going out to CA to fix the sucker, I have a lift table, crane, jack, winch and a entire truck load of tools so I can attempt to deatach and reinstall the transfercase from underneath. I will be staying in a friends shop over in Anaheim until it gets fixed, the transfercase is in running springs so I gotta wait until the snow is clear so I can get my 2wd truck up there to pickup the transfercase (this weekend).
Here we go!
So thankful for the opportunity!
But today is a big day! going out to CA to fix the sucker, I have a lift table, crane, jack, winch and a entire truck load of tools so I can attempt to deatach and reinstall the transfercase from underneath. I will be staying in a friends shop over in Anaheim until it gets fixed, the transfercase is in running springs so I gotta wait until the snow is clear so I can get my 2wd truck up there to pickup the transfercase (this weekend).
Here we go!
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agazza2
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Nick, It should come out rather easy since you left good access to the top. Hopefully everything goes well for you on the removal of the transfer case. This weekend I am busy, but if there are any additional things I can help you with next weekend, let me know.
Nick02
Member
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- Phoenix Arizona
Spent a wonderful week in CA!
Working out of an RV storage unit can be tricky with the management so handtools only, no grinders or impacts!
Before I went I modified my Chevy at a friends shop with a truck crane to pickup the transfer-case and swing it into and out of the bed.
I used a 1000lb lift table to remove and install the transfer-case. I had to remove the passenger side fuel tank and air tank to remove the T-Case but the entire operation went according to plan with zero issues. Got creative with the passenger side bracket, you can slide it within the frame rail to allow enough room to move the transfer-case over. Once you slide the sucker over to the passangers side you can let it down enough to clear the drivers-side mount, then back to neutral and out from underneath the truck.
Probably the most insane amount of stealth work I have ever had to do, but it does look good in its new home, fluids topped off and ready to roll!
I am back in Phoenix but hope to drive it "home" this month!
Working out of an RV storage unit can be tricky with the management so handtools only, no grinders or impacts!
Before I went I modified my Chevy at a friends shop with a truck crane to pickup the transfer-case and swing it into and out of the bed.
I used a 1000lb lift table to remove and install the transfer-case. I had to remove the passenger side fuel tank and air tank to remove the T-Case but the entire operation went according to plan with zero issues. Got creative with the passenger side bracket, you can slide it within the frame rail to allow enough room to move the transfer-case over. Once you slide the sucker over to the passangers side you can let it down enough to clear the drivers-side mount, then back to neutral and out from underneath the truck.
Probably the most insane amount of stealth work I have ever had to do, but it does look good in its new home, fluids topped off and ready to roll!
I am back in Phoenix but hope to drive it "home" this month!
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agazza2
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Great job Nick. Did you bring it back to Phoenix with you? Also what type of steps are those, and where did you buy them from?
Ford Mechanic
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Ford Mechanic
Active member
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- Edenton, NC
Check out Moorsvill NC. Thru have lots of nascar shops there!
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Ha... Im thinking he used it as a jack stand, so he had more room to work under the truck
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Maybe using it as a "sight block" so he can't be viewed doing mech work on vehicle...appears tires and another vehicle might have been used also......
Nick02
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Exactly! they had cameras at the front of the units too. I used the Chevy to conceal my actions and put the tires behind so nobody would see me under there. The lady at the front is super strict but I ended up making friends with the groundskeeper and he let me have some cool free harness/car parts from abandoned storage units "storage wars" style. I also jumped a couple other RV's when I was in there so the everyday people were cool with me. I told people that I was "replacing U-Joints" as "major mechanical work" on a vehicle inside self storage is "strictly prohibited" haha! The car is a first gen civic, I am just subleasing a buddys storage spot lol!
Nick02
Member
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- Phoenix Arizona
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C5TIJJ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and I paid $220 for them
Returning later this month to get it, I think I may take it to some cool CA destinations before I head back!
Nick02
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- Phoenix Arizona
I started to dissemble the old t-case and wanted to share some pics and figure out into why it failed so badly.
This little collar sits on the back of the case and has a seal that spins inside the case and has a setscrew to keep the collar in place.
Setscrew was not super tight, but I do not think that this little collar keeps the entire input shaft in place, but I think it may set the preload on the shaft and sit against a bearing on the other side. The input shaft has a lot of free-play after the ordeal so I am not sure if the input shaft was in a position far enough to engage the oil pump.
The engagement mechanism on the oil pump looks marred in a couple spots, it may have been installed in the wrong clocking position and tightened down or started to strip from not enough engagement.
The gerotor pump and hose seems just fine, cool design.
The inside shows no evidence of damage, oil is fine and smells aright everything else seems just fine and shifts properly. The front axle engagement cylinder was filled with gear oil on the pneumatic side (not good) but it was in the disengaged position so it was not turning the front drive-line.
It looks like I have to split the case to get the input shaft off and take a look at the input bearing unless you guys have any removal ideas.
This little collar sits on the back of the case and has a seal that spins inside the case and has a setscrew to keep the collar in place.
Setscrew was not super tight, but I do not think that this little collar keeps the entire input shaft in place, but I think it may set the preload on the shaft and sit against a bearing on the other side. The input shaft has a lot of free-play after the ordeal so I am not sure if the input shaft was in a position far enough to engage the oil pump.
The engagement mechanism on the oil pump looks marred in a couple spots, it may have been installed in the wrong clocking position and tightened down or started to strip from not enough engagement.
The gerotor pump and hose seems just fine, cool design.
The inside shows no evidence of damage, oil is fine and smells aright everything else seems just fine and shifts properly. The front axle engagement cylinder was filled with gear oil on the pneumatic side (not good) but it was in the disengaged position so it was not turning the front drive-line.
It looks like I have to split the case to get the input shaft off and take a look at the input bearing unless you guys have any removal ideas.
Nick02
Member
- 43
- 3
- 8
- Location
- Phoenix Arizona
Oh and I forgot that before I drove out there I helped my buddy out (an aspiring saxaphone rapper) in a music video featuring the truck, it came out pretty awesome!
(there is a lot of language so watch out)
https://youtu.be/19_ea7AoVbU
LOL! Not my deal but some good cinematography.
(there is a lot of language so watch out)
https://youtu.be/19_ea7AoVbU
LOL! Not my deal but some good cinematography.
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