I started out the week by putting a used rear tire on my old Allis Chalmers 190 that has been sitting in a field with a flat since spring. It took until now to find a tire, then a couple of friends helped me put it on. It's a 34" diameter rim, with an 18.4" wide tire, so it was a bit of a handful, but went well.
After that, I started working on a slow starter on a 1995 F350 I just got. After cleaning all the battery and cable connections, as well as trying another battery, I ordered a new starter from a local Advance Auto store. I also order new tie rods, and a drag link from Rockauto since the front end is a bit loose.
Thursday, I was running around doing errands in my 02 Ranger, which included picking up the new starter. After that, I stopped at Tractor Supply for some bolts. When I got in the truck to leave, the engine wouldn't crank when I turned the key. Tried it a couple of times, and realized the ignition key wasn't actually turning anything. I eventually found out the lock cylinder had sheared in two inside the steering column!
Called a tow truck, and after a 90 minute wait he showed up to get the truck and I home. Since the steering wheel was locked in a partial turn, he had to winch the front end sideways to get it in the rollback. In the process of doing that, he snagged my left front tire and ripped out the sidewall on one of the tires I had replaced in July. To compensate me, he did the $100 tow for free, plus gave me $70 in cash.
Friday, I ordered a replacement tire at Walmart, which thankfully is only $107, pulled the ignition lock out and drove into a local locksmith. He had a new one, and was able to re-pin it to use my original keys. There is an anti-theft chip in each key, so that saved a lot of headaches. He also gave me some tips on how to remove the broken end of the switch that was still lodged in the steering column. I wasn't having any luck until this morning, when I drilled a hole in the broken piece, threaded in a sheet metal screw and was able to extract it. Popped the new lock in, and she's good as new! The new lock was $67, so other than my time, this whole mess only cost me $4.00!
I was encouraged by that success, so my buddy and I got the starter and tie rods done on the F350 this afternoon! I still need to work on a sticking rear brake, and chase down an intermittent check engine light, but it's usable as it is.
After that, I started working on a slow starter on a 1995 F350 I just got. After cleaning all the battery and cable connections, as well as trying another battery, I ordered a new starter from a local Advance Auto store. I also order new tie rods, and a drag link from Rockauto since the front end is a bit loose.
Thursday, I was running around doing errands in my 02 Ranger, which included picking up the new starter. After that, I stopped at Tractor Supply for some bolts. When I got in the truck to leave, the engine wouldn't crank when I turned the key. Tried it a couple of times, and realized the ignition key wasn't actually turning anything. I eventually found out the lock cylinder had sheared in two inside the steering column!
Called a tow truck, and after a 90 minute wait he showed up to get the truck and I home. Since the steering wheel was locked in a partial turn, he had to winch the front end sideways to get it in the rollback. In the process of doing that, he snagged my left front tire and ripped out the sidewall on one of the tires I had replaced in July. To compensate me, he did the $100 tow for free, plus gave me $70 in cash.
Friday, I ordered a replacement tire at Walmart, which thankfully is only $107, pulled the ignition lock out and drove into a local locksmith. He had a new one, and was able to re-pin it to use my original keys. There is an anti-theft chip in each key, so that saved a lot of headaches. He also gave me some tips on how to remove the broken end of the switch that was still lodged in the steering column. I wasn't having any luck until this morning, when I drilled a hole in the broken piece, threaded in a sheet metal screw and was able to extract it. Popped the new lock in, and she's good as new! The new lock was $67, so other than my time, this whole mess only cost me $4.00!
I was encouraged by that success, so my buddy and I got the starter and tie rods done on the F350 this afternoon! I still need to work on a sticking rear brake, and chase down an intermittent check engine light, but it's usable as it is.
