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............................................ Life Gets in the Way
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Some of you probably think all that I do is work on the lakester and I do as much as possible, but other things come up like the 2 1/2 years it took to build the house and more recently other things. I work 1/2 the week at the store and my wife works the other 1/2, so normally I have 3-4 days a week to work on the lakester during the winter. 2 weeks ago one of my best friends came over for a couple days from New Mexico and stayed with us and we did some sightseeing and worked a little on his '40 Chevy. While taking him out with the jeep it started to make a noise. It sounded like a throwout bearing and was coming from that area and the noise went away with the clutch in.
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I bought a throwout bearing and put the Jeep up on the lift (one of the best things I've ever bought). I made a wood stand to put a bottle jack on to hold the back of the motor up. The hardware store wanted $30 a day to rent a floor transmission jack. I made another stand on rollers and put my floor jack on it. This all worked great and I slid the transmission back and installed a new throwout bearing. The old one was somewhat sloppy, but not too bad. I put everything together and took the Jeep out for a ride. Well the noise was still there and worst, especially in 3rd.
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Up on the lift again and back out the second time. Now the only problem I had was the tranny was up on the jack on that movable platform. I had to get someone to stop by and help me get it down to the floor. I guess I need to make a jack that will work with the lift. So now the transmission will go to my transmission guy in Colorado this next week with the Snap-on guy and see if it is fixable or if I will be looking for a used one.
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And then this week my wife got really sick and I ended up working my days at the store and her days :-(. This next week I'll probably be sick with what she has ;-). Hope to be back to work on the lakester this week a little as then something else is coming up that will take up the next 2-3 weeks.
Ah yes, life can get in the way of the fun stuff.
c ya, Sum
UPDATE, May 1, 2005: Well two of "the next 2-3 weeks" above was
a trip to Hawaii to see three of Julie's kids. It was a good trip and yes I got sick there for a couple days,
but it could have been worse. After the trip it was home and then a week or so later I had to go to Missouri to
help my Mom some for two weeks. I was able to spend 1 and 1/2 days on the rear brake (see next page) before I
left. I'm back now, but have to go get the Jeep transmission and re-install it. So hopefully this weekend after
almost 8 weeks I will be back to work.
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