So if you didn't do anything airgun related what did you do today?

[Sqrl Klr]

Ahhh... the sweet smell of success...
I woke up at 3:30.. my failure yesterday wouldn't let my mind stop.. I hate when that happens.
I sat down with my coffee and watched vids on the motor extraction just to see if I was doing something wrong... nope, the bushing, 2 pulleys and the clutch was just froze stuck to the shaft. I even put an air hammer in my Harbor Freight cart.. I saw others that used one to vibrate it loose.
But I thought I would give it one more try after the WD soaking over night. So at 5:30 I was on my back under the mower. I beat, banged. pried and prodded. The bushing slowly came out. Then I worked the lower pulley out followed by the guts of the clutch.
Then things got ruff again. More persuasion was need to get the clutch housing off but I prevailed.
One pulley to go... but wait.. that pulley will pass through the hole in the plate and I can work on it off of the mower.
I hooked up the "Killer hoist" and took the mounting bolts out of the motor and began to lift. The motor slid sideways and hung on that pulley. One more crank on the hoist and the pulley slipped off and the motor hung free in the air.
YES !!!

I know the feeling when that sucker finally comes off! Long awaited victory is sweet indeed! I had my friend scheduled to come out with his trailer to load up my mower last year when I couldn't get mine off the shaft but before he got there I tried one last time and got that sucker removed before he even started hooking up the trailer so all was well. PB Blaster works better than WD for those hard to remove bits btw if you haven't tried it yet.

[Rabbit\Squirrel Killer]

Ahhh... the sweet smell of success...
I woke up at 3:30.. my failure yesterday wouldn't let my mind stop.. I hate when that happens.
I sat down with my coffee and watched vids on the motor extraction just to see if I was doing something wrong... nope, the bushing, 2 pulleys and the clutch was just froze stuck to the shaft. I even put an air hammer in my Harbor Freight cart.. I saw others that used one to vibrate it loose.
But I thought I would give it one more try after the WD soaking over night. So at 5:30 I was on my back under the mower. I beat, banged. pried and prodded. The bushing slowly came out. Then I worked the lower pulley out followed by the guts of the clutch.
Then things got ruff again. More persuasion was need to get the clutch housing off but I prevailed.
One pulley to go... but wait.. that pulley will pass through the hole in the plate and I can work on it off of the mower.
I hooked up the "Killer hoist" and took the mounting bolts out of the motor and began to lift. The motor slid sideways and hung on that pulley. One more crank on the hoist and the pulley slipped off and the motor hung free in the air.
YES !!!

I know the feeling when that sucker finally comes off! Long awaited victory is sweet indeed! I had my friend scheduled to come out with his trailer to load up my mower last year when I couldn't get mine off the shaft but before he got there I tried one last time and got that sucker removed before he even started hooking up the trailer so all was well. PB Blaster works better than WD for those hard to remove bits btw if you haven't tried it yet.

I agree PB Blaster is my go to. Things don't rust as bad in our dry climate though so, I am sure Bill's was rustier than what I deal with here.

[buellm2]

PB Blaster is as important as a good cheater pipe.

[avator]

Yes... I agree about PB but WD was all I had on hand without running to the parts store.

Anyhow... I spoke too soon when I said everything should line up. I had to drill 2 new motor mounting holes in the motor plate and splice in one connector. The exhaust won't fit the way it was either.
But the good news it... IT's ALIVE !!
I still have to put the pulleys and PTO on it and replumb the exhaust with some flex tubing but it runs.   
I could probably put the exhaust manifold from the other motor on it and use that exhaust but I know my luck with manifold bolts.  If there are 4 I will snap at least one off. I test fitted the pulleys and PTO when the motor was hanging and they went right on so that will be an easy job in the morning. Then there is the clean up.
I sure don't miss the grease monkey days.

[Madd Hatter]

Just got back from getting the water. I stopped at least 5 times moving rocks off of the road and my shoulder's are killing me!

[Blowpipe Sam]

Finally made the dump run after many false starts.  Turns out our procrastination worked in our favor.  Our landfill is "weigh in-weigh out".  With the dumping charge based on the difference in weight.  The landfill's computer went down while we were dumping so we couldn't weigh out.  The scale attendant gave us a big smile and a wave.

On the way home we stopped with our now empty utility trailer and purchased two yards of mushroom compost from the local garden supply.

Back at the shanty the memsahib assembled "MY" new electric garden tiller.  Had to give it a test run so I quickly tilled 9 raised mounded beds.  Whoa!  No back pain.  That would have taken me two or three days with a hoe and my back would know it.  This thing has already paid for itself IMO!

[Rabbit\Squirrel Killer]

My first Hat Band.

[Blowpipe Sam]

My first Hat Band.

Very Nice!  When you mentioned that you didn't think you had enough skin I checked my outside freezer.  I have two big (5'+) skins rolled up in the freezer that I need to cure.  The memsahib was threatening to throw them away. 

Dames!  Sheesh.

[Rabbit\Squirrel Killer]

My first Hat Band.

Very Nice!  When you mentioned that you didn't think you had enough skin I checked my outside freezer.  I have two big (5'+) skins rolled up in the freezer that I need to cure.  The memsahib was threatening to throw them away. 

Dames!  Sheesh.

 Thanks

 I have 4 bigger rattlesnake skins but decided to work with that one first.

[bReTt]

My first Hat Band.

Yee Haw! 🤠👌🏼😎

[Hoosier Daddy]

I got a rattle snake hide I made into a head-band back on the '80's...
(Big Ted Nugent fan)
Yours looks much better!

[Rabbit\Squirrel Killer]

Thanks guys, well now I have to drive off into the SO CAL rush hour Traffic. Not looking forward to driving in that mess.

[avator]

Thanks guys, well now I have to drive off into the SO CAL rush hour Traffic. Not looking forward to driving in that mess.

Really? With the new hat I figured you'd be riding off into the sunset.   

[Rabbit\Squirrel Killer]

I survived the 91 freeway to Orange county and back. Most of it wasn't too bad (that is it was flowing nicely) the last 12 miles on the way there was stop and go up to 27mph or so .

On the way back the first 20 miles was backed up and slow. The FasTrak helped a little bit. 

 The drive was no fun but, it is done and I got home at 8:58 PM

[avator]

I survived the 91 freeway to Orange county and back. Most of it wasn't too bad (that is it was flowing nicely) the last 12 miles on the way there was stop and go up to 27mph or so .

On the way back the first 20 miles was backed up and slow. The FasTrak helped a little bit. 

 The drive was no fun but, it is done and I got home at 8:58 PM

I'll never understand why people flock to areas like that. There is NOTHING on this planet that would make me want to deal with that on a daily basis.

[maraudinglizard]

Not much yesterday other than fight with doctors over meds, I am just about done with the health care system. Finding a right angle drill that met my needs and budget turned into an easter egg hunt. I did finally found what I needed. Get a few groceries and pick up the animal feed. Came home and crashed, I was wore out from that venture.

[Blowpipe Sam]

I survived the 91 freeway to Orange county and back. Most of it wasn't too bad (that is it was flowing nicely) the last 12 miles on the way there was stop and go up to 27mph or so .

On the way back the first 20 miles was backed up and slow. The FasTrak helped a little bit. 

 The drive was no fun but, it is done and I got home at 8:58 PM

I'll never understand why people flock to areas like that. There is NOTHING on this planet that would make me want to deal with that on a daily basis.

I got paid a lot of money to drive all over So Cal.  I was a permit coordinator in the movie business and I spent all my time visiting every municipality in four counties negotiating permits.  I was always on the road at rush hour.  I had the Thomas Guide memorized and I knew every back road and short cut from San Diego to Ventura.

Man I hated my life then!  But I made a pile of money and baled!

[avator]

Morning..
Been up about an hour this time.. I was up at midnight for about an hour or so.
The plan this morning is to finish up the Z360 motor install. Just need to install the pulleys and PTO clutch and plug it in. Left the battery on trickle all night. I'll have to go out and find a section of 1 1/4 flex exhaust pipe and a couple clamps so I can relocate the muffler. I should be able to find it at one of our 3 local parts joints.
Then after the clean up in the shop the needed part came in to finish up a Crosman "lego" build I have on the bench came in yesterday.

[airgunaut]

You need a six-shooter to go with that hat. Maybe one on each side of the hips.

Yosemite Dan! 🤠

[avator]

The Z360 is all back together and operating as it should. The Kawasaki 23ph motor is strong and drives the mower noticeably faster and more powerful than the 18hp. I can definitely feel the difference.
I didn't run it much because I don't have the exhaust on it yet. Nobody in town had the 1 1/4" flex pipe in stock. Adrienne is the Chief of Police's wife. She recently opened a NAPA based auto store here in town. She was my last stop. She didn't have it but said she was going to Troy this morning and would call around and see if she could pick up a hunk for me. She finally talked to a guy at the O'Reilly's in Opp Al. They will delivery special parts to her if she needs. He didn't have any but said he could order it in rolls and have it to her tomorrow. She ordered a whole roll so I could have a 1 1/2 foot hunk of it. Once again.. it pays to live in a small town. You don't find folks that help each other like that in larger cities.
Just think.. how often is there a call for 1 1/4" flex exhaust pipe? How long will it take her to sell a whole 25' roll of it?

Oh and BTW... Chief is a very lucky man.