Scout » Purchasing

Hardware.

bill — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:55:08 +0000

Doing a little digging through the websites of Fastenal and McMaster Carr, I found that Fastenal is much friendlier to low-number orders, while McMaster Carr won’t break up pieces below 5 or so. I priced out the following grade 8 fasteners:

7/16″ x 6″ bolts (2 pcs. for mounting the Hi-Lift jack)
7/16″ washers (2 pcs.)
7/16″ wingnuts (2 pcs.)

9/16 x 1.5″ bolts (6 pcs. for mounting the bumper to the frame)
9/16 x 2″ bolts (2 pcs. for mounting the outer section of the bumper to the frame)
9/16″ nuts (8 pcs.)
9/16″ lockwashers (8 pcs.)

1/2″ x 3″ fine thread bolts (3 pcs. for mounting the spare)

and got a total cost of $27.07 before tax. The next step will be to visit the Fastenal location in Elkridge and then the Ace Hardware out in Ellicott City to see whose prices are cheaper, and if it would pay to avoid shipping.

Update: Ace hardware doesn’t have grade 8 bolts longer than 4″, and no 9/16″ stock at all. Fastenal it is.

Wiped.

bill — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:49:04 +0000

I’m realizing my wipers are pretty much shot, and the original TRICO arms my Scout came with are crap. Most of the things I’ve found say I need to butcher a set of new blades to fit my old arms. I think that I’m going to order a new wiper arm and see if I can get that to fit; the part number is ANCO 41-03 and it’s currently $10 at Rock Auto.

Exhausting.

bill — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:07:04 +0000

So here’s the culprit.

It’s not the donut in between the pipe and the flange; it’s the gasket in between the heat riser valve and the flange. I pulled the outer bolt off and let it hang loose by itself; the bolt and nut are bent and rusted, and there’s no trace of a gasket left there. So I ordered two copper-jacketed bolts and a new gasket from Super Scout, as well as a set of newly reprinted manuals. Finally. Everything should be here by the end of the week.

Oh, and speaking of the end of the week: I may be heading back to Chestertown to finish assembling the bumper.

Sound Deadening Insulation.

bill — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:50:09 +0000

This product looks very promising, and is much, much cheaper than some of the others I’ve seen out there: EZ Cool Insulation. I’m going to order a free sample on Monday. They’re also a H.A.M.B. Alliance vendor, which goes a little further towards believability.

Manual Transmisson.

bill — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:23:40 +0000

So it looks like Super Scout Specialists have new manuals in stock, which is great news. Previous printings had images that were were dark and muddy, and for someone as visually-oriented as myself, having clear diagrams and reference is mandatory. They’re having a special on them this month, so I may bite the bullet and get mine ordered next week—just in time to help drop my gas tank.

Small Updates.

bill — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:49:11 +0000

Not much new to write about right now; the truck is running really well and I haven’t made any major updates to it since last I wrote. Two small things of interest, though:

I lost my gas cap last weekend while filling up the 1-gallon tank for the lawn mower, so I bought a Stant locking replacement cap.
Super Scout Specialists is now selling updated Scout II service manuals for the low price of $95, which means I can finally buy a set. The old ones were reproduced poorly so that the pictures were useless. If these are anything as nice as the Scout 80/800 manuals, they should be a huge improvement.

Wiring and Tank.

bill — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:46:38 +0000

Last week, I got a small package of J-hooks from SSS, which should complete the list of parts I need to drop the gas tank and install the poly replacement. Well, except for some kind of catchbasin for the gas I’ve already got. I’ll probably either siphon it into the Saturn or just go buy a Rubbermaid container.

I also found a post on the Binder Planet which has some more detailed instructions for running constant power to the head unit; unscrewing the fuse box should reveal two bus bars, one with switched power and one with constant. They each will accept female spade connectors, which means all I should need is a length of wire and the proper spade connector.

Spares.

bill — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:40:37 +0000

I read a recent post on the Jalopy Journal about using a 39 Ford as a daily driver, and it got me thinking. The author talked about return on investment vs. the ever-present fear of breakdown when taking a 70-year-old automobile on the road every day; ultimately he found the satisfaction outweighed the worry and determined to press onward. Among the thoughtful and well-considered responses to the post, I found, among other things, an excellent quote from Kerouac’s On the Road, lots of support and admiration, and some good advice for the inevitable breakdown. And a list of helpful items to have in a toolkit:

Radiator hoses, both upper and lower
Pipe clamps for same
A rotor
A fresh coil
A starter (heh)
Fan belt
Fuel filter
Fuel pump
Fuses

This list is something I intend to work on in the next month as the weather gets warmer.

Plug Update.

bill — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:15:12 +0000

I did a dumb thing the other day. I ordered a box of plastic vacuum plugs from Amazon before going downstairs and doing a little more investigating on my gas tank. I got fixated on covering the preinstalled brass fittings without considering the obvious: remove them (they’re all threaded, of course) and find threaded brass plugs to replace them. $10 at the Home Depot and I’ve got five 1/4″ square-head plugs that will cap off all the unneeded ports with no fear of disintegration.

It appears, though, that I’ll most likely have to buy a new set of J-hooks for the tank straps I’ve got; the advice I’m reading on the Binder Planet says the OEM nuts will most likely snap off the ends of the bolts.

Now, I just need a warm, free weekend day to pull her out of the garage and drop the tank.

Update: Here’s one of the plugs installed.

Sender Sent For.

bill — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:25:35 +0000

I’ve been doing a lot of pick-up consulting work lately, which means there’s been a welcome dribble of extra cash coming in the door. Which is good, because the Scout STANK of raw gasoline last week when I drove it to work. The main source of the fumes were from the rear, and because she was parked on a slight incline, I’m inclined to believe the top seal is bad. So I ordered a new sending unit yesterday from SSS, and when the weather gets warmer I’m going to finally drop the old tank and replace it with the new one.

Update: The sender’s in, and it looks like the proper gasketry is intact on the tank. I’ll have to unscrew the round metal retainer ring in order to get the sender in properly, then screw everything back into place. The next issue is figuring out a good safe way to plug off all of the vent tubes.