Shop Time w/T.W. Friends

Just don't hit a steel dog tie out cable - or a "Welcome" mat...

 

Comfort is sitting on a thick wallet.

 

Some NAPA stores stock mower belts as well.
If they can't cross the number they might be able to match it by size.

If it is a hydrostat drive it doesn't need to be the woven style used in a clutching application like the deck.

If you have an industrial supply like Grainger near by they might be able to match it as well.

 

I know a guy who hit a trailer safety chain with the mower deck. It wasn't pretty.

 

very cool indeed.. uh i like to charge a new battery before i install, got a new $265.00 deep cycle battery for the tin bote, damn thing sat on my little NOCO for 6 hours before solid green....

 

Charging before initial install with a smart style charger is an excellent practice.

When shipped batteries typically aren't fully charged and then they sometimes sit in inventory.

Topping up before use is the best way to get the longest life from your new battery.

 

Having never fallen out of a plane before I don't have first hand experience -- nevertheless it is an accurate description of how I feel this morning.

 

NAPA saved the day for me. TSC, and 2 small engine shops were out of the belt. The last shop said manufacturer backlog for some reason. I called my NAPA store and they had 2 in stock. I debated on buying both but decided to leave one for the next unlucky guy.

Time to get it on and finish up.

 

I should probably go mow before the football game starts in an hour...

 

Walked in with intentions of buying a hammer drill, but then seen the 2 piece combo was on sale for the same price.

 

Sweet!

If you haven't had a dedicated 1/4" impact driver before you will be amazed how much nicer it is to use than a drill/driver.

 

again...

...on impractical things...

...like ancient cars...


Here we have an entire (and very rusty) front frame section from a 1968 Country Squire.
(Complete with FE series big block engine mounts. )



The important part isn't the frame but the disc brakes - steering knuckles, spindles, calipers, rotors, etc.



Naturally they all need to be reconditioned.
These are a bolt on swap for the 66 LTD and retain all the proper steering angles.

Ford had a bit of paranoia going in 68 apparently -- when was the last time you saw safety wire on a stock vehicle?



Historical stuff

Disc brakes were first available on the big Fords in 1966, a fairly rare option.

The 66/67 system uses 4 piston calipers and requires an equally uncommon wheel to clear them.

The less uncommon 68 system uses a single piston caliper and fits the regular drum brake wheels.

However...

This is a 1968 only system, the 69 & up models used different parts.
The 68 parts are still available.

.
.
.

...and expensive...

 

Good luck on your parts hunting, lawnmower wrenching duty Sir!

 

weddings are absolutely insane for anything anymore..

my mom has a side business doing alterations, so she's done her fair share of wedding stuff, both for bridesmaids, and brides. adding 'wedding' to anything literally triples the price. there's been weeks where the grandkids she loves having over are explicitly not allowed in certain rooms because the wedding dress she's storing in there to alter cost more than a new vehicle...

a family friends daughter just got married. i don't know the final costs, but they were somewhere around $40/plate, and that was partly because the daughters mom has been in the catering/restaurant business for the past 25 years. there were multiple venue's they looked at that were $150-250/plate

for most, $15k for a wedding is cheap anymore, but most are in the $40-80k range...

 

@StayinStock warehouse will be filling up again

BTW, Happy Anniversary Sir.

 

Thank you!!

 

Not sure what came over me today but I decided to finally tackle edging the front sidewalk. I only had it in me to do one side because I'm using one of those manual edgers.

Before:



After:



Obviously from the dirt line, it was overgrown about 3". Should make shoveling and snow blowing this winter easier, too.

 

I do, but the difference in old vs new makes you realize how old your tools are! I just hope the new ones last as long as the old ones. The new ones are brushless, so that’s a new one for me. I’ve seen they’re better, we’ll see.