The Roach Motel

[Das Mel]

Originally Posted by roach711

Before



After

Are you for REAL? That looks like nothing's ever happened to it!

Roach. I think I have a crush on you. Actually, sod it, I know I have a crush on you!

[roach711]

Originally Posted by Das Mel

Are you for REAL? That looks like nothing's ever happened to it!

Roach. I think I have a crush on you. Actually, sod it, I know I have a crush on you!

Hey Mel - As much as I enjoy basking in your misplaced adoration, I must repeat that I got a NEW fender and did a somewhat passable paint job on it. I'm a wood worker, not a body man. (I hope we can still be friends)


Shadoll - That battery box is for my starting batteries. My house batteries live in a sealed and vented plywood box in the bottom of one of my tall inside closets.

[Das Mel]

Originally Posted by roach711

Hey Mel - As much as I enjoy basking in your misplaced adoration, I must repeat that I got a NEW fender and did a somewhat passable paint job on it. I'm a wood worker, not a body man. (I hope we can still be friends)

I take it back, you suck. :P Paintjob is still nice, though.

[Shadoll]

I have to agree that it is a wonderful overall look.

[roach711]

It was back up north for the 4th of July weekend. After having Roachie weighed last trip I had deflated the tires from 80 lbs down to 60 lbs and the ride was quite nice this time. We still got 13.5 MPG with no drafting on our mostly flat Michigan freeways this trip. I'm very happy with the fuel mileage. The beastie is starting to feel like home now.

Had no issues except for one self-inflicted wound. A couple of weeks ago I had repaired my crunched fiberglass battery box and it was looking pretty good (Mel will be crushin' on me for sure now ), but while driving the two-track back to our camp I managed to tangle with a tree root and put it back pretty much to it's previously crunched state. Damn. At least it's fiberglass and easily repaired.

Here's the repaired box



And here it is after visiting the roots



We drove with all our side windows open and the wind unwound the paper towels. Here's our hi-tek fix



We also discovered that the heater fan doesn't work and the AC needs to be rebuilt since I removed the rear mounted AC to make way for our interior renovations. Working in a van engine compartment isn't one of my favorite things but going through the HVAC system shouldn't be too horrible.

[roach711]

This summer I've been adding a quart of Walmart Super Tech 2 cycle oil to the tank at each fill up to replace the lost lubricity of the new ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (one ounce per gallon). I was just over at the Ford Powerstroke Forum and saw that many there were claiming a nice fuel mileage boost from it. My mileage on our last two trips has been 1-2 mpg better than last year so maybe it's true.

I also noticed a bit less engine clatter.

[browncrown]

Originally Posted by roach711

I also noticed a bit less engine clatter.

That's always a good thing...keep on keeping on!

[roach711]

Our sauna weather finally blew out of here and I got the chassis air conditioning buttoned up. I had gotten two quotes for recharging the system and found it would cost more to have it done than to buy the tools and do it myself. So off to Harbor Freight I went and picked up an AC vacuum pump, AC charging gauges and some R134a refrigerant. The process went pretty smoothly except the gauge instructions were heavy on disclaimers and really short on how to actually use the equipment. In the end we have nice cold AC, the blower works and I've checked off the last item on my bus "to do" list.

Now what will I do for fun?????

[bansil]

Originally Posted by roach711

Now what will I do for fun?????

You can fix the battery door again

[roach711]

Originally Posted by bansil

You can fix the battery door again

Bloody Hell! I forgot about that. We're going camping again this weekend so I'm going to leave it busted until we get back. No sense fixing it a THIRD time.

I'm considering making a new box out of 1/4" steel plate - or maybe rubber.

[ol trunt]

Hey Roach, I thought I'd drag this conversation to your site rather than my continuing to H-jak someone elses any further. I gather from Tango that it is possible to post a reply on Nomadicista as a nonmember but that it takes a while to clear. Tango became a member and we yak back and forth a good bit. Although it certaintly isn't Skoolie.net Nomadicista is an interesting forum covering a somewhat wider range of topics. How about joining--I'd like to here your thoughts as I continue my build. Jack

[bansil]

Hyjack

I tried to sign up a year ago and since I registered never could actually sign in....so I'm the creepy guy and just lurk

[ol trunt]

Hey Bansil. I had the same problem when I first started with Nomadicista. I let "Stuartcnz" know and he did some magic and within minutes everything was working----soooo, lurk no more! Jack

[Redbear]

I just signed up there, was approved and made my first post within 20 minutes.

[roach711]

Jack - I signed up over there back when I first found out that you'd migrated away from Skoolie. I can read the threads just fine as long as I'm not signed in. When I log in I can't read the messages or post. Very weird.

I found another oil leak under Roachie last week which turned out to be a leaky power steering pump. Let the repairs continue!

When I bought this bus the cruise control didn't work. A few months later I got a letter from Ford telling me to bring the bus in for a recall repair. I took my good old time taking it in but it turns out the failed part was the problem with the cruise. I love free repairs.

Here's battery box repair v2.0. I reinforced the box a bit with some glass cloth on the inside. It will probably just make the goofy thing fail catastrophically next time I brush up against a tree root.



Since I'm such an attention whore I got some stickers to give my lilly-white rig a touch of color.

[bansil]

Repair looks even better next time.... the fix will have to be dramatic....lift kit and a D60 frontend should work nicely with some 35's

[roach711]

Originally Posted by bansil

Repair looks even better next time.... the fix will have to be dramatic....lift kit and a D60 frontend should work nicely with some 35's

But what engine? That's the burning question. I'm thinking something with a supercharger and nitrous. It'll be the baddest shortie EVER!!

I finally got posting access on Nomadicista. Stewartcnz came through a few minutes after I PM'd him. Great service.

[roach711]

I got the power steering pump replaced this weekend. For such a small pump it was quite a hassle getting it buttoned up. I learned that the pump pulleys on many cars aren't bolted to the pumps these days, at least not on the big three cars. You need a special puller tool to get them off. It's an easy job with the puller (which I was able to borrow from O'Reilly's auto parts) and nearly impossible without it.

I think I'm finally done with the original build - now to start on the refinements.

[ol trunt]

Hey Roach. I'm sure you know but be sure you have the PS pully pressed all the way flush with the end of the pump shaft. If it is not it will soon work free and find its way through the radiator---don't even ask! Jack

[roach711]

Removing that pulley was quite the adventure! Once I got the pump off the engine I saw what looked like a large allen head screw holding the pulley on the shaft. Two hours later I had lubed, heated and hammered the bloody bugger without the thing budging. Of course, you know WHY it didn't loosen - the allen socket was not a bolt but actually machined into the shaft. Giving up, I trucked off to the parts place to pick up a pump and it was there that I saw the error of my ways.

They had a pulley tool to loan and using it I had that damned thing off the old pump and reinstalled on the new pump in a minute or two. After installing the new pump I checked that the pulley lined up well with the other pulleys. Just another learning experience. I'm just glad I didn't go postal and ruin it.

As they say: "Experience gained is directly proportional to equipment ruined."