Tuesday get up at 5am, I want this DONE!!!
Wanna go sledding!
Nick has been patiently waiting for me to be there & go riding since Monday...
Check emails, send replies etc.
Head out to fastener place for washers.
Wait in parking lot 20 min until they open...
They have nothing... Grrrrrrrrrrrr
Head to another fastener place, this one is open already.
Ya know how usually one guy is helpful & one is a PIA?
Well... I got the PIA...
Old guy, knows alot, & doesn't wanna do it...
Dammit...
Our conversation goes something like this:
Me: I need some washers that will fit this shaft.
Him: We don't carry shafts.
Me: I don't need the shaft, just flat washers that will fit over it.
Him: What's it for?
Me: A Snowmobile.
Him: We don't carry snowmobile parts.
Me: It doesn't matter what it's on, I just need flat-washers.
Him: We don't have 'em.
Me: You don't have flat washers???
(This is a BIG fastener place!!! They have LOTS of stock!!!)
Him: Well, yes, We have flat washers, but not for snowmobiles.
Me: Forget the snowmobile thing, I just need flat-washers!
(About now, I wanna go postal, but I wanna go sledding more, so I allow him to live...)
Me: Do you have any flat-washers with about a 1" ID?
Him: Maybe. (And he just stands there, looking at me.)
Me: May I see them?
Him: Walks into back room in a huff...
Me: (Trying not to want to kill him too badly, at least I got him to move.)
He comes back.
Shows me a few washers, ID is way too big.
Me: You have any with a smaller ID.
Him: I doubt it.
Me: Can I see them? ( I am REALLY trying to be nicey nice, I just need washers, then he can torment someone else.)
Him: Heads to back room in a huff again...
He comes back with SAEs that are too small ID now.
Him: Told ya.
Me: You have any Metrics? (While seething inside, smiling outside)
Him: Nope.
Me: Are you serious? (Still smiling outside) The whole world is going Metrics!
Him: Well, we have some... But not that size.
Me: What DO you have? (I'm still smiling, this is starting to hurt... Badly...)
Him: Not that.
Me: (I try a different tact.) Ok, this is about 25mm, do you have 25mm ID?
Him: Nope.
Me: What DO you have that is close?
Him: Not 25mm.
(I am REALLY, REALLY trying not to yell at this point, I still need washers & I DID manage to get him to look twice, maybe the 3rd time will be a charm...)
Me: Could you please look & see what you have?
He huffs and opens a book...
Him: We have 24mm. And he just stares at me again...
Me: Could I see them?
Him: They won't fit.
Me: Can always file a bit off the inside to make them fit.
Him: No way! That will take forever!
(I'm thinking; You are exactly correct, as slow as you move, everything probably takes you forever... I don't say it...)
Me: Can I just see them please?
Him: Heads to back room in a huff again...
Me: Looks around for something to whack him over the head with... there are lots of possibilities in this place...
Thinking; I can't be the only one that looked at that pipe bender with those thoughts...
He comes back and throws the washers down on the counter.
He isn't pissed at me or even out of the norm for him, I'm sure.
Just not a happy soul & It's my lucky day to deal with him...
I try them on the shaft, they almost fit! YEAH!
Him: Told ya.
(Thinking he REALLY needs to be intimate with that pipe bender...)
Me: I can file that to size in no time.
Him: (Sarcastically) Good luck.
Me: Will make it work.
Me: Will take 4 of them.
Him: We only have 4. And stares at me.
Me: Great! I will take them.
(As I envision the pipe bender...)
He proceeds to slowly check me out...
I pay & finally get on my way.
By this time it is like 9am, been up for 4 hours & not much accomplished.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr
Drive-thru Micky Ds for breakfast, I'm hungry.
Get back to shop, spend 30 seconds using a rat tail file and the washers fit perfect!
(I try to block out the thought of the pipe bender right now...)
Happy I finally pried washers out of him & getting my skid back together.
WOOHOOO!!!!
Finish bolting skid back together.
Everything looks great!
Wrestle skid into place.
Adjust sled up, down, down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, down, forward, up, down, forward, back, up, up, down, back, STOP!
All the while climbing up and down on the concrete.
Climb up off concrete again...
Install front bolts.
Now back bolts:
Adjust sled up, down, down, down, up, down, up, up, down, down, down, forward, up, down, forward, back, up, up, down, back, STOP!
All the while climbing up and down on the concrete more...
Install back bolts.
Torque all bolts.
Lay on concrete again to grease skid.
Start pumping...
3 pumps...
Then nothing... Dammit...
Out of grease...
Climb up off concrete floor again.
Open grease gun, throw away old cartridge.
Install new cartridge (Always fun).
Lay back down on concrete floor.
Finish greasing skid.
Climb back up. (This is getting old. lol)
Grease rest of sled while I am at it.
Climb back down on floor, pull drain plug for oil.
(I have full access to drains, filter, etc now, good time to do it.)
Let drain, don't even bother to climb up again, I just lay there, I'm sore...
While laying there, I see the sway bar lying under the sled.
Grrrrrrrr More todo...
Re-install drain plug.
Re-install access plate.
Climb back up & find skid plate.
Put a jack under skid plate to hold it in place for me.
Climb back down on the floor to install skid plate fasteners.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
Forgot wrench...
Climb back up again.
(Thinking I need the washer dude & the pipe bender, make HIM climb up and down on the concrete floor hundreds of times, give him something to be really grumpy about... lol)
Find wrench.
Climb back down & install skid plate fasteners on bottom.
Climb back up.
Damnn, I'm sore...
Install skid plate fasteners on front.
Look at stupid sway bar... lol
Only way I can see getting the end on by myself is laying on the floor again.
Consider finding the washer guy...
Nope, would involve the cops & I wanna go riding...
Climb back down on the concrete floor.
(I'm starting to hate concrete...)
So I lay on my back with my hands above my head, one hand on each end of the sway bar and tap the link onto the sway bar with a dead blow mallet.
It goes well.
However, I have to climb back up again...
Adjust track alignment & tension.
Torque axle bolts.
Torque stop nuts on adjusters.
Hmmmmmmm...
Getting pretty close!
Look around, install a few odd things.
Double-check all bolts on front end & steering.
Install side panels.
Climb back down to install lower fasteners...
Climb back up...
Climb back down & install lower fasteners on other side.
(Did I mention that I hate concrete?)
Climb back up.
Install clutch cover.
Install air cleaner.
Look sled over, looks pretty good!
Think I am ready!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks around sled at tools all over... Rats...
Start cleaning up tools.
One of my guys shows up & offers to help.
Cool! If you can do this, I will install my new HIDs!
Works out great, 40 minutes later have HIDs!
Load up sleds in trailer.
Almost on the ROAD!
I think... lol
To be continued...
It gets better... again...
LMAO
