[AT] Getting water out of a gearbox

Tue Jun 2 20:29:35 PDT 2015

I have a 2000 supercab f150 4x4 that I bought used with a bad engine.  
It is running fairly well now, but I spent  $1600 on labor and traded a 
lathe that my Dad had spent $1500 on at an auction for a 60K mile 5.4L 
engine.   It now has a valve cover leak that I cannot fix due to my bad 
back.  I took pride in being able to do any work on my vehicles since I 
was 12 years old.  Even learning how to work on Auto transmissions, and 
later electronic fuel systems.  However, I switched to Fords from GM 
products when I had so much trouble with the airconditioners of the GM 
1980 to 1995 models.  Their stupidity caused an additional $250 parts 
and 6 hours work to replace the evaporator when you replaced the 
compressor.
I bought my first Ford, a 1995 F350 7.3 Diesel in 1998, and loved it.  A 
year later we bought another 1995 F350 diesel and put about 20K miles on 
it.   It now has transmission trouble.  I later bought Dad a 2003 F250 
and he drove it for over 110K miles. Problems now is that due to the  
"cab forward" design since 1997, according to the Ford manual, if you 
need to work on the engine, you must pull the cab!!!!!!!!!!!    This is 
the most ridiculous design anyone could come up with.   I found this out 
too late, but not too late to sell the ones that I have.
I talked with an 80 yr old farmer yesterday who was slowing down and 
renting his farms.  He bought a new Chevrolet and traded in 3 trucks.  
He said he loved the seats and features of the Ford, but just could not 
understand why you had to pull the cab to work on the engine.  He was a 
Ford man from way back.

I have a 98 crew cab 4x4 Chevrolet that came from a local town.  I have 
rebuilt the transmission and it had a new engine installed. I have to 
fix some interior problems, and put another Bed on it, but I can repair 
the engine without removing the cab.  The air conditioner problem has 
been redesigned somewhat.  The tag is less than $40 a year,, and the 
insurance is less than $125 per year.  I would love to have a new truck, 
but at the cost of 25 head of cattle to buy and at least one head each 
year to pay for insurance and tags I will drive my old one.

Every time I have had to deal with a dealership, be  it tractor or 
truck, I know why they call them stealerships.   My New Holland tractor 
went to the dealer to have the flywheel plate replaced, thinking it had 
broke.  They split the tractor installed a plate that I furnished, but 
found the engine would not turn over 360 deg.  They removed the valve 
cover and found a valve had dropped into the cylinder.  $2200 for 
splitting the tractor, and another $800 to pull  the valve cover and 
replace it, and $2150 to pick it up and haul 60 miles.   I still have to 
repair the engine, but I will do it myself.  The dealership had one 
mechanic they called a shop foreman and 2 helpers.  One of the helpers 
broke my windshield and I got another one free ( so they told me).  I 
think the windshield is in that bill somewhere....

If I could trade that New Holland tractor for another Belarus, I would 
do it in a minute.  Problem is the Belarus dealer knows what I have...!!

Cecil in OKla

On 6/2/2015 7:35 PM, Thomas O Mehrkam wrote:
> I thought WalMart rejects ended up at McDonalds then Fry's Electrics
> before working for the auto and Tractor dealers. ;-}
>
> I have taken stuff to the dealer exactly three times in my life. Had to
> do  the job over all three times.  The last time I had a in tank fuel
> pump go out on my SuperDuty after only 280,000 miles.  I was on the road
> so I had it towed to the Ford Dealer.  I could fix it for less than
> $60.00 but they charged about $1,200, took two days and cost me two days
> car rental.  Had a big list of additional work they wanted to do none of
> which was necessary.
>
> I waited about a month until I pulled the tank again and fixed the gas
> Gage to make it better than 50% accurate.  About par for the course.
>
> I should have paid the $200 or so to have it towed back to town. Took
> the day off from work,  Fixed it and went to work the next day.  I would
> have been way ahead.
>
> In 1976 I purchased my first new Vehicle.  It had dual tanks.  I ran out
> of gas on the way home before discovering the gas gages were reversed.
> Had one full tank and one almost empty tank.  The Gage was showing the
> wrong tank.  Took me 20 minutes to switch the wires.  That truck never
> saw the dealer again. I rebuilt the Engine, C6 tyranny and New Process
> transfer case at 200,000 miles and drove it about five more years before
> relegating it to the hunting lease.  It still resides on that lease is
> road legal and sees service every year. Keeps me from dirtying up my new
> truck. 2001 Super Duty with 290,000 miles.
>
> I am redoing the brakes this month to get ready for a 5000 mile trip
> over the Rockies, Pulling a $7,000 lb trailer. Except for the fuel pump
> the power train is still original.
>
> Oh darn this off topic.  No mention for my Farmall H or Massy Harris 33
> two of my favorite work tractors.
>
>
> On 6/2/2015 2:03 PM, Dean VP wrote:
>> Cecil,
>>
>> I can really identify with your statement of having less patience with stupidity. I have to restrain
>> myself at times because I fear that I may be the one having a stupid attack.  I usually don't succeed.
>> I busted out laughing in response to your last two sentences.   I had one of those kind of events at a
>> local, newly opened Wal Mart store a few days ago . I made the mistake of asking a Wal Mart employee
>> in the Hardware section why three items I was wanting to buy had empty boxes on the shelf and had been
>> that way for the last two weeks.  In fact the person I asked headed up the hardware department, I
>> found out later. The employee response was so unbelievably stupid I had to retrieve my dentures from
>> off the floor.  I guess the rejection letter hadn't arrived yet.
>>
>> Dean VP
>> Snohomish, WA 98290
>>
>> "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent
>> virtue is the equal sharing of misery."  . Sir Winston Churchill
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
>> Cecil R Bearden
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2015 3:20 AM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> Subject: Re: [AT] Getting water out of a gearbox
>>
>> That conversation is the very reason I try to not have any contact with
>> dealers etc. I get the manuals I need for my equipment and try to do all
>> my own service work.  It keeps my blood pressure down.   As I get older,
>> I have less & less patience with stupidity.
>> Our trouble here in OK is the oil patch has hired all the help that
>> could actually tie their shoelaces and show up for work.  The rest were
>> hired and then rejected by Wal Mart.
>>
>> Cecil in OKla
>>
>>
>>
>> On 6/1/2015 12:07 PM, Mike wrote:
>>> Tried calling the selling dealer and asked for service, and the
>>> conversation went kind of the this.
>>>
>>> Me - Hi I have a Howard HR7 that your dealership sold and I was
>>> wondering if you could answer a question for me. Does the gearbox have a
>>> drain plug?
>>>
>>> Service  - Hmm I don't know some do and some don't.
>>>
>>> Me - OK, I'm trying to flush the gearbox and it would be much easier
>>> with a drain plug
>>>
>>> Service - Yeah, I don't know what to tell you.
>>>
>>> Me - Well do you still sell any parts for them
>>>
>>> Service - Hmm I don't know, you'd have to talk to parts.
>>>
>>> Sounds like this guys job was not to know nuffin.
>>>
>>> Mike M
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> ---
>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>> http://www.avast.com
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com