Monday, November 04, 2019

I am not a mechanic

So with the stall safely done and the mule gals figured out, I moved on to the next project.
Well, actually, today I am not doing much in that department.

I learned how to hook up the 'Trickle Charger' to the skid steer and the 4 wheeler to keep their batteries alive all winter.
My neighbor came down to borrow the fence pounder and he gave me a quick lesson.

He also looked under the Truck. He pointed out to me that the horrors of rust and degradation I was so worried over...were just the dust shields.
WHAT?
I had no idea what that thingy was that I was looking at that looked busted up.
[not my photo...that is a dust shield and it looks funky to me even when it is in good shape. I thought it should have been whole. The ones under our trucks are rusted of course and nasty looking. But pretty much in the shape that this one sort of looks like. But hey, I am NO mechanic.]

I told my neighbor I thought those things would fly off the truck while I was driving it and the whole wheel would fall off. He smiled and said ..."No it won't. They just function to be there and ward off dust...as if that can be done on a gravel road."



He also said that vintage trucks [tongue in cheek with the word vintage] will indeed be rusty underneath. The truck is a 2002. He felt it was worth having it repaired by some experts and perhaps it wasn't as bad as the rust looked. He then showed me some brake things that he had that were nasty rusty looking.

So I'll be talking to a couple of owners of local repair shops hopefully today. I want to do it face to face. And perhaps we can get it arranged to have the truck towed in to their shop.

I've had one person tell me to just put in brake fluid and drive it in. Um. Not an option. I mean what do I do on the highway if the brakes are gone?

I am slowly learning the 'jobs' I always deferred to the husband.

Sigh.
If I can get it fixed, then good. I have a truck to haul feed and bedding for the indoor stall. Also a truck to haul 'stuff' to the dump or to the scrapping place.


4 comments:

  1. See now you are a mechanic! Yes probably good to get a tow...safer, Nice that you have a neighbor to help you out! :)

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    1. I am learning more than I thought I would about mechanical things!

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  2. Does the brake reservoir HAVE brake fluid in it? Just because the brake lines are rusty and dirty doesn't mean they are not functioning. Do you have good brake pressure? If so, the brakes are fine. Usually if a brake line goes, one half of the reservoir is empty (one half is for the front brakes, one for the back). I am no mechanic either, but I am familiar with brake lines. Vintage? My truck is a 1967!!

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    1. The brake reservoir was empty. I filled it and two days later...empty. No brake pressure, that was what led me to check the fluid level. In order to move it to be towed I had to idle it backwards and let it stop.
      The shop guy told me that this model and year truck was notorious for brake issues. I agree as I know my hubby has replaced them a few times and the lines too.
      Well, if I can get a few years out of it I will be happy.

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