I couldn't agree more, and that's exactly what i've been doing... I've been selling everything I don't need on ebay, i'm having a HUGE garage sale this weekend, i'm cashing in my giant bucket of change that i've been saving for a vacation for 11 years! Ive been pounding everyone that owes me ANY amount of money. Plus I am going to try to borrow a few bucks. I don't think the Stooges take credit cards! lol Believe me, I totally realize the amazing gesture by these guys, and i'm doing absolutely EVERYTHING i can do to scrounge up as much money as possible. I really want to liquidate some of my original parts, wheels, seats, taillights, grill etc., but it'll be hard to turn that stuff over in a week to 10 days. Hmmm... not sure what I said that indicated I'm NOT taking their advice! as far as i'm concerned, this is "the gospel according to the Stooges"!
My apologies - I did not mean that you were not taking their advice (I see that you are), what I meant was the preventative maintenance that is above and beyond the repair job.
I don't charge. I do it because I like helping others, and because others have helped me. The brotherhood is about treating each other like, well, brothers. If your brother asked you to come over to his house and help him replace the water heater would you charge him? Nope. Though you would hope he feeds your face. So get ready to feed the abyss that fatbillybob calls a mouth. LOL!!!! And Plugzit can tell time with his stomach. Hahaha.
I have this Thursday and Friday off, as well as the same days off next week. So. Would you like to take out the gearbox this week or next week?
Saint Ernie to the rescue... He has more favors he could call in than the Godfather. Half the 348's in this country wouldn't be on the road without him
It is neither. The weld job is over 35k miles old. You have proven a way to save about $4k in parts. I do not think anyone has the mileage you have on this repair. The unfortunate part is the "runout" but that's life welding metals. There are whole sciences just to deal with the effects of welding which is stress relieving and heat treating and annealing just to name three. So don't be bummed out the noise is minor and does not effect function. That shaft will probably go another 100k miles. Only you can decide dollars vs. noise. The brothers can only replace parts. What would have really sucked is if you spent $2-3k for a new clutch pack and still have the noise and we would have never known why without Joe and Concours Auto's help. I think the noise would be less with the OE clutch dampening but is it $2-3k dollars less? If the clutch shaft repair has lasted this long there is no reason to think it won't continue to last and for sure a welded gear is not going to back off like the ringnutted gears have proven to do. I still think you are going to find a blown bearing on one of the shafts under a gear or under the input shaft. If you got lucky and it was under the input shaft you get away really cheap... If it is under a shaft the whole box gets broken down which means every bearing you see in the parts diagrams should be replaced and synchros per the workshop manual. I reuse synchros in spec personally but all the people I have helpped I always told them Ferrari's recommendation...new synchros. but I do not cheap out on bearings. You can look at the ricambi site and the exploded diagrams and see the bearings and their prices to give you an idea of what you are in for. then there are less than a half dozen seals and a tube of Honda bond. What is going to kill you is how many chicken wings and boxes of toaster struddle we can go through.
I do this only if EB are there so I can give them as much heckling and cr@p as possible. That's my payment. We are really quite a team. It is a fun time working with these guys. If any of you guys come to play you too can learn the ways of toaster oven, BFH and RCH. I guarantee a laugh. I understand your point about ransomed box . Basically you got a car that does not run. So worst case you open the box find out a grenade went off in there and close it up at least knowing what the damage is. We can always put the box back together maybe missing a blown out bearing and then you can take the project up again when time and money permit. It is you box and your call. But from what I have seen a known working used box may not be all that great either. On one of those I would open the covers and tighten ringnuts the way I have posted on many times or maybe change the outer bearings. Then I would feel good about a used box.
ok, I hope this makes sense, because i'm really confused now! Until now, I thought Ernie and Bruce landed on April 7th & 8th, which is a Wednesday & Thursday. I was to have the box out before then and you would repair the box here. Now, Ernie says he is off on the 8th & 9th, which is Thursday and Friday, no idea if this works for Bruce. Ernie had very generously offered to come out next week and help pull the box, but then wants to take it to CA and fix it in FBB's garage... which kindof seems to push Bruce out of the Vegas picture all together... and my understanding was that Bruce was packing up a ton of parts and tools, and coming to Vegas on April 7th & 8th, with the idea of fixing the box here. Any way you slice it, I am totally onboard with the pay-it-forward Brotherhood thing, and I know you guys wont take money, but I refuse to allow ANY of you guys to come to Vegas at your own expense!! Labor is one thing, but hard costs that you incur by doing these wonderful and generous favors is another thing completely!! You WILL at the very least accept some gas money!! So, hypothetically, my box is in CA, its all fixed... how am I gonna get it back?? And if i'm not around while you're working on it, how can I keep you guys in wings and toaster strudel?? I'm totally confused, I have no idea what the plan is now, I can work with ANY dates you guys want after March 28th (this Sunday) But somebody PLEASE give me something in stone that works for all YOU guys! Bruce, your input would be greatly appreciated!! FBB, thanks for all the time you spend writing detailed posts and all the tech info, I REALLY appreciate it, and always enjoy reading them. If you think I should leave the clutch shaft and flywheel as-is... so be it, i've lived with the noise for 2.5 years and 6000 miles now, I can continue to do so. And you're right about one thing, I drive this car like I stole it everyday... If that clutch shaft has taken all the abuse ive given it so far, it'll probably last forever. Time to focus only on the problem at hand.
EB will chime in on dates because I'm out of town that week. I think the chances are slim to none that you would have all the parts or access to all parts to turn the box in 2 days. I think it is more likely you tear the box down develop a parts list wait weeks for parts then reassembly on another trip. These things always take longer than you think and E likes to do things over a few times anyway. Maybe EB can go tear the box down and do a party in vegas. Then B can have one day to recover before the BIG day. Who knows B may even meet some TALENT in Vegas. What's better than a party in Vegas with talent? And...what's more fun than a second "assembly" party in Vegas?
Hmm... That's the 2nd time you mentioned about "waiting WEEKS" for parts... I dont like the sound of that at all!! I checked on the few parts that you mentioned before, and they are all readily available from multiple sources. I sure hope you're wrong about that... if I cant get my car back on the road before Memorial Day weekend at the LATEST, i'm gonna be REALLY devastated!! There's a annual 2-day car show that weekend (for a juvenile cancer charity), that me and my Dad do as a tradition every year... my Dad has a gorgeous '55 Chevy BelAir.
i know a GR8 massage therapist that i might be able to set you guys up with...no really a massage therapist... umm since this thread is getting long fast can someone make sure to post dates...or PM some of us with interest in assissting?
Okay so let's shoot for April 7-9. That way people have two weeks to make plans. What do you guys think?
Yes, those dates work for me... and Bruce already committed to the 7th & 8th, but he hasn't chimed in on this thread since Monday... I hope he's not pissed at me or anything! I know FBB cant do those dates because he will be out of town. The other important detail is, do I need to have the box out BEFORE then, and we'll fix it here? Or is the plan to take the box out while you're here, and you're taking it back to CA? I really need Bruce's feedback on the plan!
Apr 7-9 fine with me, but I gotta be back by 3 Sunday afternoon-I'm expected at my wedding. Maybe I gotta leave on the 8th, leaving you alone with Ernie-and FBB's appetite. Total confusion? We are, after all, stooges, so whaddayaexpect?
You guys are amazing!! You are getting married on Sunday, yet you find the time to squeeze in a gearbox job for a fellow FChatter....an exemplary set of stooges, if I may say so!!!
Bruce, you rule man! the 9th is a Friday, you'll get home in time! But if you decide that the timing of this trip is impractical due to your wedding, I will TOTALLY understand!!! Can someone please tell me if I have to have the box out of the car before you come? Bruce, are you planning to fix it here?
Yes, that's my plan. Go ahead and get it out before. If you pull off the pump cover on the driver's side, you'll see the condition of the bearing and know whether to order. You'll be able to look in the front of the box and see the bearing for the input shaft behind the ring gear. You can also look for chipped teeth on most all the gears but the drop gears. Any feedback about those things beforehand will be quite helpful.
AMEN, I used one of his threads today as a matter of fact. Note to Ernie: How about pictures and descriptions on the forum...I know it would slow you guys down, but I am sure it would benefit many of us down the road. There would be no shortage of interest............
I couldn't agree more! Especially for you guys! Consider it done, you will have plenty of pics and a full detailed report well before you come. BTW, my fund raising efforts are going quite well, money for parts, wings, and toaster strudel shouldn't be an issue! BTW, if I get a rear main seal, will you guys help me replace that while we're in there? If you think we already have our plate full, or its a PITA job, we don't have too. And to everyone else, it seems that we are locked onto April 7th - 9th, so come to Vegas if you can, ALL are welcome!
No worries, order it, and get the seal for the cover plate while you're at it. Make sure you have a tube of Hondabond HT ($18 +/-).
