Hell on Wheels
Thread Starter
|
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Pine Barrens
Hell on Wheels
I got a 1994 F 150 XLT for free from my brother and have found myself in a very sad place shortly after getting it home.
Have been trying my damnedest to make this happen, but a new gremlin seems to pop up at every turn. Here's the story:
Drove it 40 miles from the pick up location without a hitch (litteraly, it fell off the year before) at highway speeds. Get it home and promptly begin using it. About a month later, the front driver side brake line ruptures before I pull out of the driveway.
No big deal, my dad (original owner) comes by and we replace the line. Proceed to bleed the brakes and the valve snaps right off. New assignment: replace front calipers.
Again, not a big deal. Get the calipers off with relative ease and put the new ones on. Bleed the fronts (yeah, breaking protocol, but the system was dry). Go to bleed the backs and... bleeder valves are seized on.
Forget that mess. I decide to see how well it handles with only the fronts. Not bad at all at 25 MPH a mile down the road, which is all it was ever meant to do.
But, I get a bad vibe from the risk so I park it until I can get around to repairing/replacing the rear drums.
That was a year ago...
Present day: I suck it up and have it towed to a mechanic who charges pennies to do repairs, but is reputable and AAA guru or some nonsense. Bottom line is he's charging $200 for something everyone else wants $400 for.
On the way down, truck gets a flat while being towed. This does not surprise me the slightest as my luck thus far suggested such a thing would happen. The tow operator was more than dumbfounded, as he has never towed a broken down car that broke down on him again while being towed.
Mechanic gets the brakes bled, tire mounted and welds the exhaust hangers back on, all under $400. Then I remember: the windshield wipers don't work either. This is critical if only to pass inspection. Dealer wanted $600 and the local guy to me wanted $400. This guy's price for the new motor: $200.
Sold. Go to pick it up and check all the work and it is good. Truck stops. Exhaust doesn't rattle. Wipers wipe. On my way to inspection, right?
Wrong. I forgot that the horn doesn't work, either. Add to that a flashing 'service engine soon' light and I'm dead in the water for inspection.
And this my friends is why I am here. Scouring the forums for hints that can save me another trip to a mechanic and keep the cost of repairs under the private sale price of the truck. It sounds like a lot, but I kind of like the truck being around.
Have been trying my damnedest to make this happen, but a new gremlin seems to pop up at every turn. Here's the story:
Drove it 40 miles from the pick up location without a hitch (litteraly, it fell off the year before) at highway speeds. Get it home and promptly begin using it. About a month later, the front driver side brake line ruptures before I pull out of the driveway.
No big deal, my dad (original owner) comes by and we replace the line. Proceed to bleed the brakes and the valve snaps right off. New assignment: replace front calipers.
Again, not a big deal. Get the calipers off with relative ease and put the new ones on. Bleed the fronts (yeah, breaking protocol, but the system was dry). Go to bleed the backs and... bleeder valves are seized on.
Forget that mess. I decide to see how well it handles with only the fronts. Not bad at all at 25 MPH a mile down the road, which is all it was ever meant to do.
But, I get a bad vibe from the risk so I park it until I can get around to repairing/replacing the rear drums.
That was a year ago...
Present day: I suck it up and have it towed to a mechanic who charges pennies to do repairs, but is reputable and AAA guru or some nonsense. Bottom line is he's charging $200 for something everyone else wants $400 for.
On the way down, truck gets a flat while being towed. This does not surprise me the slightest as my luck thus far suggested such a thing would happen. The tow operator was more than dumbfounded, as he has never towed a broken down car that broke down on him again while being towed.
Mechanic gets the brakes bled, tire mounted and welds the exhaust hangers back on, all under $400. Then I remember: the windshield wipers don't work either. This is critical if only to pass inspection. Dealer wanted $600 and the local guy to me wanted $400. This guy's price for the new motor: $200.
Sold. Go to pick it up and check all the work and it is good. Truck stops. Exhaust doesn't rattle. Wipers wipe. On my way to inspection, right?
Wrong. I forgot that the horn doesn't work, either. Add to that a flashing 'service engine soon' light and I'm dead in the water for inspection.
And this my friends is why I am here. Scouring the forums for hints that can save me another trip to a mechanic and keep the cost of repairs under the private sale price of the truck. It sounds like a lot, but I kind of like the truck being around.
Build Tracking Moderator
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,403
Likes: 0
Welcome!
That's not so bad for a truck that age.They are all relatively inexpensive fixes.
Don't know what you have in tools/repair manuals/desire to learn and do as much as possible yourself to keep costs down.
That's not so bad for a truck that age.They are all relatively inexpensive fixes.
Don't know what you have in tools/repair manuals/desire to learn and do as much as possible yourself to keep costs down.
Thread Starter
|
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Pine Barrens
I am lite on tools, but am pretty good at rigging what I need. I've worked a little on cars beore ('74 Dart, '78 Firebird, '90 Mustang) and am comfortable with most engines prior to 2001. That is the year when data wires outnumbered hoses in the engine compartment I believe.
