Getting Ready for Texas 2017

[Jimini II]

Joe, i found mine used (3x only) on Craigslist too for $800. It's a Bendpack with two hydraulic cylinders and weighs close to 900lbs i should have bought it years earlier it is a back saver even useful when working under the bonnet.

[MiniDave]

Bendpak is a great lift, also Rotary if you can find one.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200102674_200102674

[Willie_B]

This one is different.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVaw72F78_8

[MiniDave]

The MaxJax 2 post is a great low rise lift too, the advantage to it is that you can remove the post and roll it away for storage.....and the entire underside of the car is wide open to work on. Of course, if you have the ceiling height a regular two post can be bought for the same money.

I have to say tho, I've been perfectly happy with my no-name lift....it does exactly what I need it to. I looked at used lifts priced anywhere from $800 to $1300 but  this one worked the best for me at my budget and it's been perfect for three years now. No complaints!

[MiniDave]

Today Don and I are taking his Pup up to school to see if we can find what's making a knocking noise when the engine moves under acceleration/braking.

While we're there I'll give the RG an oil change and  balance the tires again, it's been shaking just a tiny bit on the highway and since I've done a good 500 miles on my new tires, I hope I can smooth it out again. Nothing more frustrating to me than out of balance, shaking tires.

[MiniDave]

Well we sorted out Don's issue, turns out MiniTec had attached a clamp to the rear tube of their subframe and attached the engine steady to that....the clamp had worked loose, but there was no way to get at the allen bolts that held it together! Right next to this clamp assembly was a nice bracket welded to the subframe......we flipped the steady bracket over and it lined up perfectly with the welded bracket - so we bolted it up. Perfect!

Why the heck they did the mickey mouse clamp arrangement I have no idea......

Next it was the RG's turn, I changed the oil and filter, adjusted the carb a bit more and checked the tire balance. 2 of the tires were out 1/4 oz, so I balanced them up again and put the ones with the least runout on the front. Seemed pretty smooth on the drive home....

I think Don's good to go now, he might do an oil change before we leave, and he's going to take his super sticky tires off in favor of his A008's for the trip. The RG seems good to go now too, Susan's car is running well and John says his car is ready, so we should be good to go for our trip south. The last thing I want to do is hook the RG up to the Blue Clubby and take it down the road a bit, just to check out how it tows......

[MPlayle]

Got the tow bar installed on the Moke today.

I also have the jerry-can installed and the rear license plate relocated.  I need to order a new rear light for the plate - the old one's mounting has seen much better days and the nuts holding the light to the mount are rusted and covered in a layer of undercoating - not likely to budge.

We made a new mount plate under the jerry-can frame for relocating the light.  Had to modify the spare tire mount - the offset of the new rims did not allow the original bolt-washer-thingy to reach, so sawed the old bolt out of the washer-thingy and got a longer bolt and new nut for reusing the original mounting location.

The Moke is almost ready (or a ready as it will be for the drives).  I just need to order and install a rear light, mount the front license plate and install a power port for the GPS (to act as my speedometer).

[Willie_B]

Been putting up with two pump brakes since doing the 7.5" disc brake conversion. Don't remember how many times I bled the brakes or how many different ways I tried, just could not get back to a good firm pedal. Even though the master was only a few years old I decided to swap it anyway. That did it. Now to retrain my foot away from the automatic double pump action.

Everything on my car to do list is done. Just want to clean it up, maybe even a quick coat of wax. Good to go now.

[94touring]

The double pedal pump sure is annoying!

[MiniDave]

It's weird how the hydraulics on these cars can act up....I had a slave cylinder on Buzz fail, didn't leak a drop but sucked air and wouldn't stay bled. New slave fixed it right up......

A trip like this seems to be good for our cars, all those 'when I get a round tuits" seem to get fixed before we go!   ;D

[MPlayle]

I wish I had the time and opportunity to go through the Moke like you guys are going through your cars.

Too many catastrophes at once: apartment change, mom in hospital then rehab, mom's condo hit by tornado.

[MiniDave]

Well, you'll have plenty of help if something happens on the road..... ;D

[MiniDave]

Mplayle, speaking of cleanup, will the hotel give us a water hose, or at least access to a hose bib?

I think we may want to give her a bath after the drive down......

[MPlayle]

Dave,

I do not know.  I will try to call and find out.

[MiniDave]

One more thing off the list.....my local key shop has been in business at the same location for over 60 years, with the same ownership too! Today I went in to have a couple extra sets of keys made for the RG as I only got the one set when I bought it last June....to my surprise they had the correct blanks!

So I'll have an extra set I can take with me and leave a set at home in case I somehow lose both of mine...... 77.gif

[MiniDave]

I wish I had the time and opportunity to go through the Moke like you guys are going through your cars.

Too many catastrophes at once: apartment change, mom in hospital then rehab, mom's condo hit by tornado.

Worst case scenario - if the Moke lays down and we can't fix it you can always ride with one of us.   77.gif

[MPlayle]

So far, it is running pretty good.  Drove it across town to the new apartment just fine.  Lots of stares and heads snapping around to stare according to my friend that was following with the last load of tools and parts from the garage of the old apartment.

The new rear license plate light arrived today.  Need to mount and wire it up, mount the front license plate, install the power port and adjust the tow bar.  That is my prep list at this point.

Have to sort, organize and put stuff away in the new garage - have portions of my stuff and portions of the stuff cleared from my mom's place piled all over the new garage.