What are you working on today?

[D60]

R&R front half shafts on '08 FJ Cruiser. Boots on both sides were torn. Fortunately I'm 99% sure the axles were not OEM, so I'm not discarding quality parts.

I used the XTT shafts from Trakmotive. They have TPE boots, but beyond that not sure they're better. The vehicle has an OME lift and these shafts are intended to handle lifts better.

One of the existing shafts vs new:

Annoyance #1: no cotter pin included

Annoyance #2: not that well packaged and one slinger was dinged.

Annoyance #3: the provided castle nut provides little flexibility. Seen here torqued and not really close:

I returned to the two piece system that came off the old shafts -- so much better:

The job is typical Toyota IFS-easy: unbolt lower ball joint and sway bar and you're home. As usual, there are some vids having you remove everything (caliper, upper BJ, entire knuckle) but NONE of that is necessary.

 

[14Accent]

Busy week at Deere: replaced the engine on an X738 for an oil burning complaint, it was using a quart every 26 hours and spec is no more than an ounce per hour of run time. It got a brand new crate Kawasaki, I'm hoping the factory doesn't want the old one back for verification because the boss said I could have it if they don't. The new engine came with a new ECM and voltage regulator, so all I would need to run the engine would be a radiator setup of some kind. Liquid cooled EFI go-kart anyone?

Aside from that I knocked out two more hydro's: a new K62a in an older LX266 and a RH ZT unit on a Z545R.

The biggest project of the week was adding a 3rd hydraulic function to a new 1025r. Unfortunately for me the unit had a factory cab, which needs to come off before anything can be added to the hydraulics. Installing the kit isn't the worst job: lots of fiddling with hard lines trying to get everything lined up. The customer requested that the 3rd function exit at the rear so he could use it to adjust his 3 point angle, so our parts guy and I fabbed up some custom hoses that I then ran from the 3rd function valve block under the floor up and out the RH side near the ROPS. I was able to use the included quick connect fittings and bracket, it mounted nicely to the rollover structure. After that was all said and done, it got a single point hydraulic connection kit and a 120R loader out front and a quick hitch out back and she was good to go.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Added some HPL engine cleaner to my 140k mile MA 3.5 ford flex
Honestly it's probably a waste since it looks clean and I stay on top of oil changes. Saw some grease pencil writing on the camshaft.

 

[D60]

Busy week at Deere: replaced the engine on an X738 for an oil burning complaint, it was using a quart every 26 hours and spec is no more than an ounce per hour of run time. It got a brand new crate Kawasaki, I'm hoping the factory doesn't want the old one back for verification because the boss said I could have it if they don't. The new engine came with a new ECM and voltage regulator, so all I would need to run the engine would be a radiator setup of some kind. Liquid cooled EFI go-kart anyone?

Aside from that I knocked out two more hydro's: a new K62a in an older LX266 and a RH ZT unit on a Z545R.

The biggest project of the week was adding a 3rd hydraulic function to a new 1025r. Unfortunately for me the unit had a factory cab, which needs to come off before anything can be added to the hydraulics. Installing the kit isn't the worst job: lots of fiddling with hard lines trying to get everything lined up. The customer requested that the 3rd function exit at the rear so he could use it to adjust his 3 point angle, so our parts guy and I fabbed up some custom hoses that I then ran from the 3rd function valve block under the floor up and out the RH side near the ROPS. I was able to use the included quick connect fittings and bracket, it mounted nicely to the rollover structure. After that was all said and done, it got a single point hydraulic connection kit and a 120R loader out front and a quick hitch out back and she was good to go.

I used to plumb up hydraulic roller boxes for HDPE pipeline liners. Sometimes numerous consecutive days of cutting hydraulic hose with the weird (diamond?) blade circular saw and crimping Parker fittings. Of course clocking of the fittings was always important and you'd do your best to eyeball that.

It was kinda fun in small doses but tedious. And guesstimating length could be frustrating.

 

[meep]

Tacoma got a beard trim.

 

[Pterostylis]

Replaced the rear muffler on a relatives Nissan X-trail that was rattling at idle. I bought an exhaust hanger removal tool after seeing comments on this thread about how easy they make the job. It really did make the job quick and it took less than 45mins including pack up and me moving at a snails pace.