What did you do to your non-G Body project today [2024 edition]

[Built6spdMCSS]

Easy to get to in the trucks. Cars, not so much.

Took good Friday off. Went to Dad's and replaced the valve cover gaskets on his 06 Sierra this morning. It's had a pretty significant oil leak for the past few years. A few months ago I replaced the oil cooler block off plate on the oil pan. Dad says it's much better but I'm not so sure. I'm certain the passenger valve cover was leaking. I'm pretty sure the driver wasn't. I did them both, just the same, because. I'll let him drive it the next few months and see if/how it dries up and how it does on oil consumption. My gut says it needs an oil pan gasket, but we'll see....View attachment 237167

In my truck I was able to do the oil pan gasket by just dropping the front axle out of the way and everything was accessible, dropped the oil pan straight down. Didn't even have to put the truck in the air then again 2500HD is taller.

When you do it, replace the O Ring on the pickup tube to the new red one.

 

[Wraith]

I have some buddies that mod them things, definitely not cheap.

That is no kidding.

These are 30x10x14 new take off tires from Fakebook ($580) that should have been around $670 new The 14x7 ITP Hurricane wheels are from Amazon($550). Shopped pretty hard for deals, found one wheel at $50 off. The amount of aftermarket support available for SXS's is insane but then again they are a toy so it makes sense. Looting my spare parts stash to put a subwoofer in it, already has four factory 6.5" speakers in enclosures with a Bluetooth head unit and 50watt amplifier. I was the only guy out of three of us that had tunes last year. One buddy just bought a sound bar for his Ranger(also 32" tires and wheels, 4" lift, 4 LED light bars around roof) then another buddy just bought complete factory system for his CanAm with a sub. Little bit of a rivalry going on for mods. 😊 I just picked up some green LED projector lights for night time hunting too and some rock crawling lights that I need to install too. By winter I'll grab some upper doors to go enclosed for cooler weather.

 

[Wraith]

My arms and back are sore today and I only got 3/4 of the car done. Trying to get this done and out, lack only finishing the buff and wax, detail interior, and fix the wheel situation. Unfortunately someone, in between care of this from my original time, decided to install a new rear axle along with the front lowering/tubular kit. Wheels in back now need to have ET35, high offset wheels. Buddy has a set of True's and Vogue's in 20x8 that would have worked but no way short of narrowing the axle they will fit in rear.

Also my dad was painting the cowl hood I bought him a year ago. He and my brother rattle canned his wagon flat white so easy to get this to match. lol

 

[MrSony]

Painted the tow hook and plow pins on the k1500 bright red so my stupid *ss won't lose them in the snow as easy.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I scored a left handed Abu Garcia Black Max with Flipping switch on Fleabay. It needed a good cleaning/greasing/oiling. As I was finishing up, I stupidly dropped it. It landed on the flipping switch lever and it busted off a tiny tit inside that it rotated on. Of course it is discontinued and unavailable. It is a simple little thumb lever, that activates a spring-loaded tab, that locks out the thumb bar. Thus, the 'flipping switch' that allows the reel spool to unwind as long as the thumb bar is held down. When you let go of the thumb bar, it goes back into gear, without having to turn the handle of the reel. I call it the 'Fluking switch' as you drop a lead head or sinker down a ledge or hole by just pressing the thumb bar. Abu Garcia invented it, others copied it, it was all the rage for a while, now it is a hard feature to find. Especially in a left-handed model.

At first I figured I would get a rod, drill a hole, and solder it to the tab. It measured at .100" thick, about .125" long. There is also a tiny square tit that slides in a slot to limit the travel. That is fine. No rod that I had fit exactly. But I did find a tiny machine screw that screwed into the hole in the plastic body like a self tapping screw. I drilled a hole in the tab where the tit busted off so the screw would act as the tit. I made it so the screw was a firm fit, but could swing. So while holding the tab with the spring attached, I was able to screw the screw into the hole and tighten it down, holding the tab in place. But it interfered with the side plate. I used a drill to hog out an indent that the screw head fit into. Now the side plate fits, and everything works.

Why bother you ask? Because I wanted a left handed reel with flipping to use with a one handed pistol grip graphite bait casting rod. This is strictly a very shallow water, light line, lead head twitching set-up. You would not believe the amount of Fluke that feed in water between 1 and 3 feet deep. Sometimes you can see them fight over the lure. This way I have a short, light, rig that I can work without banging it into myself. Close quarters. See pics. First shows the busted tit, and the screw that replaced it. Second is the rod all rigged up.

 

[86LK]

This is strictly a very shallow water, light line, lead head twitching set-up. You would not believe the amount of Fluke that feed in water between 1 and 3 feet deep. Sometimes you can see them fight over the lure.

ok wait Wait WAIT! ... you're telling me that fishing can actually be EXCITING? 😵 WOW!

 

[Supercharged111]

ok wait Wait WAIT! ... you're telling me that fishing can actually be EXCITING? 😵 WOW!

Yeah, in the brief moment you're reeling one in.

 

[Bonnewagon]

What? You guys don't fish? Yikes, you have my sympathy. If I didn't go fishing I would have buried the wife in the back yard years ago. Instead I bury fish guts. I probably have more fishing/boat stuff than car stuff. And that is saying something. Best of all, my kids and Grandkids want to go fishing with Grandpa all the time. This is why:

 

[Supercharged111]

What? You guys don't fish? Yikes, you have my sympathy. If I didn't go fishing I would have buried the wife in the back yard years ago. Instead I bury fish guts. I probably have more fishing/boat stuff than car stuff. And that is saying something. Best of all, my kids and Grandkids want to go fishing with Grandpa all the time. This is why: View attachment 237533

Fishing in Colorado is an expedition. I look forward to it being a quick easy thing when we move back to MI where water exists.

 

[86LK]

What? You guys don't fish? Yikes, you have my sympathy. If I didn't go fishing I would have buried the wife in the back yard years ago. Instead I bury fish guts. I probably have more fishing/boat stuff than car stuff. And that is saying something. Best of all, my kids and Grandkids want to go fishing with Grandpa all the time. This is why: View attachment 237533

so instead of sitting around comparing the relative merits of 383 vs Hemi, RV cams vs high-lift, and quarter-mile times, you discuss the relative merits of left-handed Abu Garcia reels vs Zebco Ollie Gator rods and the tensile strength of fishing line....🤔... I dunno, sounds pretty tempting....