Wow, this is pretty fucking amazing: RotopaX.com. I love this idea. The fact that they are lockable is a bonus. I’m gonna measure the side bed in Peer Pressure and see how much room I’ve got for a gas can and maybe a storage container.
Category: Purchasing
Mirror, Mirror
I got sick of all the hassle and ordered a SSII mirror from Super Scout Specialists this morning. It will bolt to the bottom of the windshield frame and will nullify the need to drill yet more holes into the door.
Parts Planning.
Via Mr. Scout, here’s the set of belts I’m going to buy for Peer Pressure, and I’m also going to need this kit for the floor mounts. He used these lights for his license plate, which looks to be a good solution; I need to find a bracket of some kind that I can mount to the swingarm on the right side and then fish the wires through.
Update: Bass Pro Shop has a zinc coated bracket for the low low price of $4.99. There’s also this one, which doesn’t require separate bolts, or this one.
Delivery
I got another package in the mail today: a pair of 2″ seatbelt bungs for Peer Pressure.
They’re actually longer than 2″–they’re meant to go through the rollbar, out the other side, and get welded on both ends. I’m going to ask Mr. Scout to bring his set of steel bits to get it started, and if I need to buy a large-diameter bit, I will. This is a link to the set he bought for Chewbacca, and I like the way they fit his rig. I also like the way the female side is mounted to a flexible pole so that the clip is always right next to the seat (instead of laying on the floor, like my current belts do).
I’m looking forward to the weekend—this time I’m going to be on the road as early as I can so that we can get as much of a full day in as possible.
Hardware.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.