I’m back with an Esky this time

[Tonyrodz]

I honestly don't know how you do it Jim!! You are a motivated madman! Take care of yourself, and get better! Gotta take care of that family. I hope everyone is on the mend, and on their way to a speedy recovery. Like you said--at least your getting paid.

 

[Snowbound]

I didn’t get back on this vehicle until 7pm. I really gotta stop staying up all night. I got the new intermediate steering shaft so I started with that. I had to beat the old one apart and then cleaned up the inside with some sand paper. The replacement is a much heavier duty unit.

Put some antiseize on the end and put the shaft together. Then installed it back on the truck.
Next I removed the top engine cover and air intake then hooked up the engine hoist to the passenger side head bolt.

With all the ac lines and coolant overflow tank in my way I decided it would be easier to go thru the wheel well to get this side out.

I had a better vantage point from here but it was still a pain in the butt because the angle of the bolts on engine and the limited amount of space to get socket, swivel, and short extension in there and then attach the ratchet. You can’t get it all in there at once.

 

[Snowbound]

I decided to take the bolts out of the frame side first and lift the engine to give me a little more room. I think that helped but it still sucked. My engine bolts were not tight on this side. I don’t know why these things loosened up or why 2 fell out on the other side, that has me scratching my head.
So once mount was free I twisted, turned and fought like mad to find a way to get the mount out but it does fit between the manifold, starter and frame rail when it’s turned and tilted the right way. Don’t ask me how, it just worked.

I grabbed the new mount and hurried up and got it in while it was fresh in my mind how I got the old one out.

With the engine still raised I used a liberal amount of Loc-tite on the bolts and fought them back in. Set the engine back down and the frame bolts go in easy.

After that I put the ride height sensor back on, the inside splash guard and then the tire back on.
This engine mount wasn’t bad but this side usually isn’t the one that goes bad. I’m glad I did it though just because the bolts were loose and knowing both are new now.

 

[Snowbound]

By this time it’s 1am and I should have called it a night but I wanted to be done with this thing so I started on the front diff mounts. The 4 bolts holding the diff up were easy to get out after supporting diff with floor jack. The mounts themselves are held up by 2 bolts and nuts. The bolt goes in from the top and are inside these pockets that only serve to catch debris and water which cause them the rust out like my sway bar perch that I had to replace before. Thankfully they weren’t rusted out but you still have to use a 15mm socket and small breaker bar or ratchet on top and then hit the nut underneath with an impact. It actually went surprisingly smooth and the old bracket came out from the back side and the new one went back in without issue.

The drivers side is the same story but this time the rear bolt was seized in the steel collar of the mount. I beat on it a few times and it wouldn’t budge. It’s after 2am so I wasn’t gonna use an air hammer and have my neighbors hate me so I grabbed my 32” long 1/2” extension, an impact swivel and 15mm socket and tried using a breaker bar from the top to bust it free. No luck. So I put my impact on it and it wouldn’t budge. At that point I’m thinking I’m making way too much noise for 2am so I cleaned up, supported the diff with a jack stand incase the jack leaks down and called it for the night. I’ll get it with an air hammer when I get back out there and this thing will be done. For now. This small pile of parts were a chore to replace to say the least. And my new struts should be here this week too.

 

[Fosscore]

Machine!! Impressive diligence and grit man. Good read and technical abilities not withstanding the sickness at the start.

Stay warm and safe out there this winter.

Give us some sled action shots if you get a chance.

 

[Snowbound]

Machine!! Impressive diligence and grit man. Good read and technical abilities not withstanding the sickness at the start.

Stay warm and safe out there this winter.

Give us some sled action shots if you get a chance.

Thanks, I appreciate that. And yes, yes I will get some sled action shots, heading back up on Wednesday morning.

 

[Snowbound]

So I went straight for the air hammer today when I got out to garage. Took a little more than I thought it would to get it to come out but I got it. The bolt was pretty nasty and there’s no way I’m putting this back in.
The front bolt compared to the rear.

So now what? It’s 6:30pm on Sunday and I need a metric m12 bolt that has a 10.9 hardness rating. Wait, I might have something. This sucks because I’ve never organized my garage since I’ve moved in because I plan on adding on to it so why bother and I’ve been too busy with everything else so I’m digging thru boxes and pulling stuff off shelves and bingo! I found the body mount bolts I pulled off my Duramax when I installed the nerf bars. It’s a little longer but it’s the right size besides it having an 18mm head instead of the 15mm that the originals have.

I’m a lucky you know what for saving stupid stuff like this. Little trim with the cut off wheel and a little buzz from the grinder and I have a bolt!

Now getting the drivers side mount out was a different story. The bolt was a walk in the park in comparison. It still came out the backside but I had to slide the diff to the drivers side as far as possible, drop it down as far as it would go getting wedged between steering rack and engine crossmember, then I needed just a little more by tilting the yoke up and getting just enough clearance to get that mount out but still had to use a hammer and pry bar for a little extra persuasion. Same going back in, tap here, pry there and it barely gets thru.
Sorry no pics, I barely had enough room to see what I was doing wedged between tire, floor Jack and Jack stand. This is why I cannot wait until I have my lift this summer!
Here is the complete pile of parts that beat me up the last few days. I sure hope these struts go on and off easy.

Took the vehicle for a ride and I gotta say, what a world of difference. That clunk is gone and the entire front end just feels so much tighter. Worth every cuss word!

 

[Snowbound]

Little bit of extra info, I stopped at my brothers house to see if he was gonna have his sled ready to head up this week since he brought his down last time so he could do his control arms and change his jackshaft. This S O B couldn’t stand it that I put a turbo on my sled. He went out and bought himself a Hurricane turbo kit, 190hp non intercooled and laughed when I walked in and said, “W T F !!!!” This rivalry is gonna get expensive!

 

[adventurenali92]

I don’t know how you can keep up with all this stuff! I work way less than you but I’m still on the go constantly and barely have time to get anything done outside of work… get yourself healthy!!

 

[Snowbound]

I don’t know how you can keeP up with all this stuff! I work way less than you Dow be I’m still on the go constantly and Barry have time to get anything done outside of work… get yourself healthy!!

I know, I’m lucky if I eat once a day. You’d think I’d be a skinny S O B but I think my metabolism is way out of wack because of it. I’ve been taking balance of nature fruits and vegetables, super beets, vitamin C and D4 on a daily basis thinking I’m actually doing something healthy. These past few weeks has been a nice break besides being sick for 8 days, running up north, working on this vehicle and the sons sled. I guess it wasn’t really a break. Maybe one of these days I’ll slow down.

 

[adventurenali92]

I know, I’m lucky if I eat once a day. You’d think I’d be a skinny S O B but I think my metabolism is way out of wack because of it. I’ve been taking balance of nature fruits and vegetables, super beets, vitamin C and D4 on a daily basis thinking I’m actually doing something healthy. These past few weeks has been a nice break besides being sick for 8 days, running up north, working on this vehicle and the sons sled. I guess it wasn’t really a break. Maybe one of these days I’ll slow down.

I sometimes get into that routine too when I’m constantly working, and then at like 10pm when I’m thinking about bedtime my body is just like “feed me dammit I’m STARVING!!” Lol

 

[Snowbound]

So I’m heading back up north at 6am 2mrw. My exhaust donuts didn’t come today like they were suppose to so I guess I’m leaving Jacks sled here and just dragging my brothers up. I didn’t want to load down the 02 Esky and make the trip with it again. My brother’s eco diesel lost oil pressure and spun a bearing so we can’t use his. My Duramax is hurt with a head gasket that has been seeping so I parked that until I can pull it apart and replace the gaskets and stud it. Brother has been searching high and low for another truck or an engine for his but these prices are crazy right now. I told him I would see if I could find another truck too otherwise we can’t pull our enclosed sled trailer this year and there’s no way I’m gonna let that happen. So I started looking and everything that was decent was gone before I could even make the phone call.
Long story already long, I found an 08 Silverado 2500hd Duramax fully loaded with 89k miles on it. I came across the ad last night and called first thing this morning. He said it was still on the lot so I drove an hour to go look at it. 2 hrs later I’m back home and told Jess let’s go, you gotta give me a ride to pick up my new to me truck. She wasn’t happy but she knows who she married. I buy vehicles and parts on a whim all the time.

 

[Snowbound]

Made the trip up without issue. Truck runs great. Got here about 2pm on Wednesday. I worked on my sled getting it back together until about 1am and was almost done.
Turbo had to come back off to get the chaincase and oil tank back on.

Had a few minor issue that slowed progress but nothing major. Thursday I wired in my new fuel module and had the primary and secondary clutches apart a few times playing with weights and spring tensions. Had to adjust preload on my rebuilt shocks, hood finally went back on for what I hope is the last time for a while.

It got to be about 7pm on Thursday before my brother and I were done and ready to ride. I had to relocate my AFR gauge because now I have a 2 pod setup with the boost gauge.

It was about -8° at that time so we decided it would be better if we just waited until morning before loading up and heading out for a shake down run.

 

[Snowbound]

This morning I hooked up to the 4 place and after checking tires and loading up we finally headed out and stopped at our old home base watering hole, Alpine Resort on Oneida Lake.

After getting permission from the new owners to drop there while we went riding we unloaded and started the shake down run just staying on the lake and making a few rips back and forth.

After 2 blasts back and forth across the lake I had smoke rolling out from my side cover on the turbo side. Pulled the panel and found a coolant leak at the banjo fitting on the turbo. It was on the outside of the turbo so it was an easy fix.

My AFR’s are about 13.8 at cruising speed, goes to roughly 12.3 as boost creeps up past 3PSI and hits 11.1 when I squeeze down hard. It’s a blast to ride now. It’ll pull the skis 10-12” off the ground at a 30mph roll.

 

[iamdub]

This morning I hooked up to the 4 place and after checking tires and loading up we finally headed out and stopped at our old home base watering hole, Alpine Resort on Oneida Lake.
View attachment 361254

After getting permission from the new owners to drop there while we went riding we unloaded and started the shake down run just staying on the lake and making a few rips back and forth.
View attachment 361255

After 2 blasts back and forth across the lake I had smoke rolling out from my side cover on the turbo side. Pulled the panel and found a coolant leak at the banjo fitting on the turbo. It was on the outside of the turbo so it was an easy fix.
View attachment 361256

My AFR’s are about 13.8 at cruising speed, goes to roughly 12.3 as boost creeps up past 3PSI and hits 11.1 when I squeeze down hard. It’s a blast to ride now. It’ll pull the skis 10-12” off the ground at a 30mph roll.

How does it compare to your brother's? Surely y'all lined up at least once.

 

[Snowbound]

I passed out last night before I could finish.
I’m seeing right around 7psi max boost which is on the high end of where I want to be but I’ll keep it there and won’t hold it at that point.
Everything seems great so we head out down the trail. We get some miles on and end up at Swamp Lake at a little resort that used to be owned by Fuzzy and Nancy called Moran’s Landing. But I guess they sold it in April of last year and the new owners did some work to it and changed it around a lot. It was nice and now called Karch’s Up North Resort. They still had my swamp water though!

Fuzzy was our snowmobile club president, but now that he’s gone some Amy chick stepped into his shoes. We gotta find Amy for our paperwork. Amy owns Boombas Bar and Grill but she’s way down near Tomahawk. We’re here to ride so let’s go. Back on the sleds and head over to Boombas for a beer and see Amy. She wasn’t there, I guess she broke her leg. But the bartender gives us the paperwork to fill out and we give her the $25 for the year.
Now we are gonna need gas so let’s head into Tomahawk to BP. I notice the last 3 miles my brother is only doing 30-35 mph. Not like him. We get to the fuel pump and he said I’m seeing my oil light flicker if I go over 35. Then looks down and sees oil on his right boot and suit leg. Looks at sled and there’s oil all over the running board and down in the belly pan. I had to pee so bad my back teeth were floating so I went in and hit the bathroom. While in the gas station I looked for some oil and no way, they had Amsoil 0w40 that we use. I grabbed a couple quarts and headed back outside. It’s about -1° at this time and he’s looking over his sled and says the oil tank is leaking. I told him to put some oil in and let’s head back, which is like an hour and half ride by sled. He said no way, he’s not risking it and having his sled spin a bearing like his truck. So I made the run back solo, I made it back to the truck, loaded mine up and drove back to Tomahawk in 1 hr 18 minutes. I hauled balls.

We get back to the house and this is what we find.

 

[Snowbound]

I feel bad because I’m the one who talked him into using the gasket. But it was installed 3 weeks ago, the gasket wasn’t squeezed out prior to this so I doubt he overtightened it and it sat with oil in it for that time too and not a drop. I’m thinking it has to have something to do with the heat from turbo and down pipe right next to oil tank.

So now the oil tank is siliconed back on and he swears off that gasket like it’s the devil. I told him I don’t know what happened or why but if you look at the gasket I put on mine it’s still right where it should be. But he seems to think it will fail on me because his did. Now I just have to prove him wrong.

 

[Snowbound]

How does it compare to your brother's? Surely y'all lined up at least once.

Did we line up? You bet your a__ we did. Out of the hole, it like we are tied together. About 30’ out I’m pulling out on him and put about 3 sled lengths on him. Once I’m at about 87mph he starts closing the gap fast. But only because I’m a 153” long track and he has a 141”. My track drivers are smaller than his for more low end torque so he has more top end even though I changed my gearing this year from a 49 tooth bottom gear to a 41 which is the same gearing he has on his sled.
But I’m running a 210 hp Push turbo kit and he went with the 190 hp Hurricane kit. If I use 110 octane I will be 240 where he will be at 210. I’ll put a sneaky Pete nitrous system on my sled if that’s what it would take to stay out front, but the sad thing is, so would he so I gotta watch him!

 

[George B]

Wish I was up north. I just got my old sled out of storage and started. May get up for one family weekend next month. Staying out by Squaw Lake and Buckskin Lake.

 

[iamdub]

Did we line up? You bet your a__ we did. Out of the hole, it like we are tied together. About 30’ out I’m pulling out on him and put about 3 sled lengths on him. Once I’m at about 87mph he starts closing the gap fast. But only because I’m a 153” long track and he has a 141”. My track drivers are smaller than his for more low end torque so he has more top end even though I changed my gearing this year from a 49 tooth bottom gear to a 41 which is the same gearing he has on his sled.
But I’m running a 210 hp Push turbo kit and he went with the 190 hp Hurricane kit. If I use 110 octane I will be 240 where he will be at 210. I’ll put a sneaky Pete nitrous system on my sled if that’s what it would take to stay out front, but the sad thing is, so would he so I gotta watch him!

The close competition and comparing the two systems make for exciting contests!

I've never ridden a sled. Hell, I've never been in more than about 2" of snow. I'm absolutely jealous of your fun and can't imagine rippin' the powder at ~90 MPH