Finally some DM progress

[mechohaulic]

On 8/15/2025 at 6:50 PM, mowerman said:

not sure about the carpenter hammer being in the picture ; guess it's safe to say , when it comes to the steering box project :: you nailed it .LOL

[mowerman]

I was tapping that side cover a bit if you really need to know Dave but thanks for your interest and yes, it is brand new by the way not so much the steering box but there is a little bit of history behind the brand new hammer ha ha keep you guessing

[other dog]

On 8/16/2025 at 10:52 AM, mechohaulic said:

the effects old age is spread to all of us. heard interesting statement last trip to DR; " the heart surgeon that did your procedure doesn't do surgeries any more " well that's good to know. heck of a note to be on the table all sewed up and he doesn't remember if all the parts are in there!!!😁

I just got back from the eye doctor. Last time I went the pressure was 24 in my left eye. Not sure what that means, but the pressure should be in the teens. It got up to 21 in both eyes when I first started using eye drops years ago. So she said last visit she wanted to re-check it in a month, and if it was still too high I might be a candidate for laser surgery. 

And today it was 21 in my left eye, 16 in the right eye, so she's going to refer me to the laser surgery guy. I put drops to reduce the pressure in my left eye 3 times a day, then another in both eyes before I go to bed. I told Zina before I left that I was as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I talked to Jeff Moore about it though, he had it done and he said it wasn't that bad.

[Geoff Weeks]

glaucoma, I believe is measured in pressure in the eyeball. Something best dealt with sooner than later.

[other dog]

1 hour ago, Geoff Weeks said:

glaucoma, I believe is measured in pressure in the eyeball. Something best dealt with sooner than later.

Yes, I've been dealing with it for years. 

[mowerman]

Coincidence I’m at the doctors right now with Mrs mower she is getting a second injection for burst eyeball vein do to elevated blood pressure got the pressure under control but apparently these injections are a routine thing now 

[mrsmackpaul]

Wow, never heard of that happening 

Hoping it all goes okay, I  decided maybe 10 years ago to start actually trying to take care of myself, dunno how well it's working for me but I'm still ticking along with no medication 

But injuries do happen easier and come from no we're these days 

 

Paul

[mowerman]

Well this eye bullshit thier telling her she only  25 percent average of getting better 

[mowerman]

Same here Paul it’s only been a few years where I started any serious precautions first 60 or so years I did absolutely nothing to take care of myself.. but after retirement, my blood pressure dropped almost 30 points and I cut way back on Booze a few months ago

[mechohaulic]

30 minutes ago, mowerman said:

Same here Paul it’s only been a few years where I started any serious precautions first 60 or so years I did absolutely nothing to take care of myself.. but after retirement, my blood pressure dropped almost 30 points and I cut way back on Booze a few months ago

the highway definite cause for high BP; having to deal with highway driving now due to new residence; the booze intake has increased.

[mowerman]

Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me at all. We’ve got so many cars here now and everybody is in a big old hurry. This place is absolutely horrible speeding tailgating illegal passing running lights. It’s ridiculous here. I really don’t even like to drive anywhere I’ve mentioned before I only take my car out three times a week to the gym 5 miles each way and I hate even doing that. Fortunately, most of my business is on the way to the gym Home Depot FedEx shipping dentist. It’s all in the same area. As well as many restaurants we would like to trade with I feel your pain Dave. I ran down into LA many years and believe it or not with all the traffic they have down there. I had more incidents up here very glad to be done with roadwork.

[mowerman]

Oh, forgot to mention our supermarket is also right in there. It’s a huge area with all kinds of retail, pet shop supplies, clothes shoes.

[mowerman]

Well, the plan is to finish the box  and put it back in today and then Friday go down and get two new lines made have it up and running Friday then start on rear end ha ha well, let’s see what happens

[mowerman]

OK, I finished the box brought it over with the engine hoist couldn’t get any  bolts started clearly this is a two man operation and there’s only me. I’ll go out there and give it another shot in the afternoon. Got a couple of errands this morning.

[Geoff Weeks]

You could get a couple of really long bolts, cut the heads off and make "alignment" studs to get you started. 

Yeah, those 392's are HEAVY! I have installed on my 9670 by myself, but they bolt on the outside of the frame and don't have those spacer blocks to contend with while trying to get the bolts started. Still a bear of a job.

[mowerman]

lol thanks for that I did find a chunk of steel right before I pulled the plug yesterday it looks like an old tire chain wrench that looks like it’s a perfect size to push through everything.. yeah I’m usually alone .. even if I had help someone would have to be laying underneath and wouldn’t be easy to see what I needed him to do

[mowerman]

And yes those 2 heavy shims are not helping at all

[mowerman]

I was also thinking of pushing a smaller bolt through everything and tightening it with a nut that way it would be somewhat lined up and at least Straight

[mechohaulic]

12 minutes ago, mowerman said:

I was also thinking of pushing a smaller bolt through everything and tightening it with a nut that way it would be somewhat lined up and at least Straight

how you connect the chain to the box and hook on hoist makes all the difference also. hooked up so box is close to proper angle when installed . lower into frame ; long bolts/ line up bars . can slide the spacers in when box in position. to hold the spacers, lower box and catch bolts alone P I A .

[mowerman]

Thanks I think I’ve talked myself into running a smaller bolt through one of the holes first I think I have a big chunk of 3/8 threaded rod. I have to go out take care of a couple of things. I’ll take a look and see if I have it handy, if not, I’ll stop and pick something up. Thanks for that Dave.

[mowerman]

And yes, I’ve adjusted the chain three different times trying to get the right angle. Getting really frustrated since my long awaited. Summer is going away. I’m struggling to think all I’m gonna get done this summer as the staring box and a rare axle seal and it’s gonna be too cold to do anything With a fiber glass

[mowerman]

OK, I found the perfect specimen out of my workshop. Looks like a old carburetor linkage maybe a kick down lever 3/8 course thread about 8 inches long that should do it more progress in a while.

[mrsmackpaul]

We are expecting progress and a steering box at least mounted on the frame, even if only held in postion with a long bolt that's to small 

If it is any consolation, I find everything on truck takes a lot longer, simply because it's bigger and heavier and takes so much more effort to shift it a poofteenth of a inch 

And truck parts can pinch fingers or squash me so much more efficiently than car parts 

Keep at it Bob 

 

Paul

[mechohaulic]

2 hours ago, mowerman said:

And yes, I’ve adjusted the chain three different times trying to get the right angle. Getting really frustrated since my long awaited. Summer is going away. I’m struggling to think all I’m gonna get done this summer as the staring box and a rare axle seal and it’s gonna be too cold to do anything With a fiber glass

so a steering box (major advancement) and rear axle seal; extensive fiberglass work done is  still considered accomplishments. if they weren't done the statement would read "didn't get anything done on DM this year"! the Mrs. to do list; yard Maintenace ; a break now and then all takes time.

[mechohaulic]

2 hours ago, mowerman said:

And yes, I’ve adjusted the chain three different times trying to get the right angle. Getting really frustrated since my long awaited. Summer is going away. I’m struggling to think all I’m gonna get done this summer as the staring box and a rare axle seal and it’s gonna be too cold to do anything With a fiber glass

doing that steering box without a helper at the crane controls adds to challenge. if you haven't already removed left side radiator to cab support bar , it might make job easier. engine hoist with a small chain come-along instead of direct engine hoist chain to steering box has advantages too. allows you to stay in the wheel well not have to go back forth to hoist lowering. Swing the box in position then use the come along to lower between frame /radiator shroud. I've been told ; it's important to pay attention to how the chains are hooked to box ; after all the labor to insta[l in proper position you realize :: WTF I can't get to the lower chain to remove it now. so I've been told LOL