Keeping old stuff going

[caveman]

I have come to realize that when I buy a boat, truck, and other stuff it is usually a long-time commitment.  After sawing a few cypress logs this morning JMoore and I decided to work on the 1986 Evinrude outboard on the skiff I've had since I was 16 years old.  This is the third used engine I've had on it but it has had a fuel related issue for quite some time.  Granted, I have not run the boat but a few days a year for the past several years.  There was a time when it was in the water at least 100 days a year.  Anyway, a friend of ours had some old new stock needles and seats for the carbs.  After a little tweaking on the needle valve, and reinstalling, the engine ran well on the muffs.  I doubt it will get run in the lake tomorrow but maybe Thursday.  Tomorrow I'll be fishing in my friend's boat.

A week or so ago I was backing my '68 Bronco out of the shop and one of the original brake lines burst and the pedal went to the floor.  I ordered some new ones and surprisingly they were easy to replace and Wild Horses even sent enough fittings to adapt to the master cylinder.


While hauling logs a week ago I heard my rear brakes on my 2000 F-350 grinding.  The pads were past worn.  I picked some up and replaced them that night.  
My daughter drives our '96 Jeep Cherokee.  It began to run poorly and had a bad exhaust leak.  A couple of evenings the week before Christmas I spent replacing the header.  That is a job for people with smaller hands and longer arms than mine.  The bolts that hold the intake/exhaust on are challenging.  It is running much better after a new exhaust and a throttle position sensor but it is still occasionally missing and backfiring.

 

 

I am not a mechanic but DanG, when you have a bunch of old junk, it will take some effort to keep it going.  Still on the to do list:
Replace the mufflers on the '74 Bronco
Replace the battery, solenoid and probably alternator on the'77.
Replace the fuel tank in Pop's '89 F-150
Carburetor diaphragms in the '68 and '77.

I envy those of you who are mechanically talented. 

[Andries]

I'd say that you're doing well with the mechanical world Kyle - your hands on training is paying off. 👍 
It takes a dedicated soul to keep that "fleet" running smoothly.

[moodnacreek]

Keeping old stuff going has been my life, it's all I know. I had a '49 dodge truck when I was 60, we where the same age. My son delivered fire wood with it and he can shift gears. The flat bed dump on the '71 f350 is off that truck and that's the fourth truck it's been on. My over the road truck is a '91 f350 pu diesel stick. No slush boxes here.  And the new pu is a '92 ranger 4 cyl. 5 speed. I don't know about this one, it has a computer.

[SawyerTed]

The 1962 Farmall 140 and the 1974 Massey Ferguson 135 both pitch periodic tantrums and require focused attention to get them going. The Farmall wants spark plug wires and a battery with some regularity. For some reason it also wants the timing reset about twice a year no matter what.  

The Massey decides to get a kink in the 3 point hitch lift linkage about 3 or 4 times  a year.  

In comparison the 2010 Kubota just needs the regular maintenance items - filters and fluids, grease etc.  What kind of fun is that?  :D

[chet]

Two 1948 tractors,  a 1962 dozer, 1963 backhoe/loader, 1976 dump truck, 2000 sawmill, and lots of old chain saws. The hardest thing ta keep running was built in 1954, ME.  :(

[WV Sawmiller]

Cavey,

  I hear there is a bad winter storm headed for Fla. I think you need to load up your tool chest and come up to WV for a few weeks. I promise I can find plenty of projects to keep you from getting bored.  :D

[caveman]

Howard, I was just thinking a few minutes ago while walking in from the shop (my shower is out there) that I would love to go to WV. Some hills and cool weather would be good for my attitude. Unfortunately, it is tough for me to get too far away from home these days.  I actually like helping folks work on their stuff but I absolutely detest repairing things that I depend on.  If I'm working on a project, I don't mind that at all.   You mentioned a tool chest- I need a bigger one.  

[Don P]

I used to get more joy out of wrenching. I think there was a sense of accomplishment and pride in it. The bloom is kinda off that rose  :D. A pile of logs sitting and we're 2nd full day in on trying to reattach the lift arm knuckles on the skidsteer where I ripped one off and cracked the other. Last thing I did today was walk under one of my freshly ground gussets. I was already getting threadbare up top, I think all the solar screening got scraped off. That's gonna add to my sense of accomplishment  :D

[Andries]

Ouch Don , sounds painful, but there's a thin consolation in that you can hide it under a ball cap. 🧢
Please, no MM accident photos, please. We believe you

[barbender]

Caveman, keeping older stuff running, you are a mechanic. You don't have to like it or be good at it😊

[caveman]

When we were picking up the outboard carburetor parts from an older friend yesterday, who is a very good mechanic, high school dropout and two-time retiree, I mentioned that if I had to rely on my mechanical ability to make a living that I'd likely starve to death.  I do like the old iron though.

[gspren]

@SawyerTed , I had a Farmall 140 for about 12 years and it was reliable, probably changed plugs once. It had a 6' belly mower and got alot of hours in the summer but then sat all winter. Every spring it would start up but sputter a bunch till I dumped in a can of dry gas to get the winters accumulation of condensation out. Wife always called it my "lopsided" tractor.

[Tom King]

I don't claim to be a mechanic either, but when comparing the cost of what a pro will charge for a given job, my time ends up being worth $150 an hour.  And that is not even considering the time spent on a phone, or taking something somewhere else.

It helps a Lot to have a shop that I can leave something sitting in until I'm finished with it.  Some days the best thing to do is walk away.  But when I do that, it always goes smoothly the next day.

[hedgerow]

I have always done all my own work on the farm. My equipment years ranges from a 1928 D JD to a 2021 Kubota MX-6000. I do find that I am getting old enough I just don't take on restoration projects any more. Most of my main farm equipment is 20 years or older. Pickups are around 10 years old. 

[mike_belben]

my scalp is permanently multi-colored from all the potato peeler scrapings. when youre bald it seems like your head is bleeding once a week.

that cherokee is coil on plug right?  my 98 had 4 cats and i wont fool with that year again.  the coil on plug is unfortunate because you cant put on a timing light or replace just one wire.

if youve got an OBD2 scan tool with live data that is the place to invest your time, looking for cylinder misfires and 02 trim outta wack.  google is your friend there.

i have pulled that fuel injector rail and fired mine into the air to be sure all injectors were shooting a correct stream before.  slightly cracked heads are common on cherokee and itll run pretty well until the crack gets bad.  youll see it in the coolant oil goo mix in one particular spot i cant remember.. almost a decade ago.  but again google cherokee cracked head.

[jb616]

a couple ways to find the missing cylinder is one, to spritz a little water on the exhaust manifold at each cylinder to see which one is "colder", or two use an IR thermometer to find the colder culprit.  If there is not a code, it is probably an injector. 

[SawyerTed]

@SawyerTed , I had a Farmall 140 for about 12 years and it was reliable, probably changed plugs once. It had a 6' belly mower and got alot of hours in the summer but then sat all winter. Every spring it would start up but sputter a bunch till I dumped in a can of dry gas to get the winters accumulation of condensation out. Wife always called it my "lopsided" tractor.

Our Farmall 140 was purchased in the 1970s secondhand and was used regularly to raise tobacco.  My FIL used it to make lists to plant the tobacco and to cultivate the tobacco through the season.  Then it pulled "slides"/trailers where we put the tobacco when we were priming/picking the leaves.  It also has cultivated garden for 50 plus years.  
My FIL turned it over when the brake linkage broke and he couldn't stop the tractor while cultivating tobacco.  The tractor went off a steep bank, rolled over, landed on its tires and was still running.  He jumped clear.  My wife was 8 or 9 at the time.  She was riding on the cultivator arm on the back.  She would jump off and uncover plants.  He told her to jump off and she saw the whole episode. Of course it scared her.  She doesn't care for the Farmall 140 because it "almost killed my daddy."  I understand how she feels but it is too good a tractor not to use for what it is good for. 
He had the tractor repaired well enough to use it until I started taking care of it in the mid 1990s.  I've restored it once just before my FIL died and it is due for another complete restoration.  Parts are harder and harder to find.
I still use it to list and cultivate our garden, plant some corn and move trailers around.  But since it is 59 years old, it requires that attention to keep it running.  It has been used heavily but still runs strong.   
The Massey Ferguson 135 usually keeps the rotary cutter on it so I can keep the fringes of the fields around the house mowed.  I did plow the garden this year with it.  The two bottom turning plow just works better on the MF 135 than the Kubota.  The MF 135 is a workhorse for its size and I use it to move trailers as well.  My FIL used it to plow 8 to 10 acres for tobacco and about as much for feed corn.

[caveman]

that cherokee is coil on plug right?  my 98 had 4 cats and i wont fool with that year again.  the coil on plug is unfortunate because you cant put on a timing light or replace just one wire.

if youve got an OBD2 scan tool with live data that is the place to invest your time, looking for cylinder misfires and 02 trim outta wack.  google is your friend there.

i have pulled that fuel injector rail and fired mine into the air to be sure all injectors were shooting a correct stream before.  slightly cracked heads are common on cherokee and itll run pretty well until the crack gets bad.  youll see it in the coolant oil goo mix in one particular spot i cant remember.. almost a decade ago.  but again google cherokee cracked head.

Thanks, Mike.  The 4.0 in the Jeep has a coil, distributor and individual plug wires.  The Google folks say the crack usually occurs between cylinders three and four.  I hope we got lucky and it is not cracked.  I shined a light into through the fill hole in the valve cover and did not see any coolant.  The check engine light did come on yesterday so maybe the OBD2 reader will pick something up, it would not the other day when the check engine light was not on.
The perplexing thing is that it will run great and then it will balk and backfire under 2000 rpm.  Then, when driving it like a rental vehicle (enthusiastic use of the throttle), it runs great, sometimes for 20 miles or more and then it may run poorly again.  I suspect it is still running too rich at times.  Both O2 sensors were replaced, the idle air control and the throttle position sensor.
JMoore keeps his OB2 scanner in his truck so we can take a look at it when he comes over tomorrow.

[Resonator]

The market for old Bronco's is hot now from what I've heard.

[caveman]

I always wanted one.  I had been hounding an old man friend of mine for years about selling me the first one I bought.  He decided to call me right after my first daughter was born in 1995.  There were some unanticipated expenses getting her into this world, so I was really shy on money.  I ended up trading him $900 and three cows for the '68 (170 in six, three on the tree, am radio, vacuum wipers, and 58,000 miles).  It was uncut and I wanted one to drive with bigger tires and a v-8 that I was not afraid of beating on a little. 

The 74 was purchased a few years later.  The floor was so bad that I'd lose things that dropped to the floor on the road.  After it serving as a daily driver for a few years I decided to repair the body and paint it, add disc brakes up front, add power steering, switch out the three speed for a np-435/np 205 (4speed w/ granny), swapped in a '69 351W, added a lift, Warn 8274 winch, roll cage, mini spool, used swampers, homemade bumpers, rocker panel rock skis, etc.  

The '73 (brown) was my uncle's but my dad ended up buying it from him.  It is quite quick with a 302, 4 barrel, headers, no top and 4.10 gears.  It also has an auto and disc brakes.

 The topless '77 is owned by my dad and me and was always intended to be a trail rig (we installed a clutch, changed out the three speed for the one out of my '74, made new floors, built the cage and bumpers, made the ss rocker panel covers 11ga., it still needs gears and lockers), the other '77 is pretty nice and it belongs to my dad (302, ps,pb, disc, ac, auto, carpet, Ranger package).  I have a couple of extra bodies, frame and axles among other parts I've acquired over the years.  My friends sometimes whistle the Sanford and Sons tune when they come over and I remind my girls and their husbands that all of my junk will be their problem one day.

 

[newoodguy78]

That's a dandy collection 👍

[aigheadish]

Those are beautiful @caveman !

[rusticretreater]

My wife asked why I keep my 2000 Dakota PU.  You're always working on it, she said.   Uh, its paid for, insurance is low, property tax is low.  I explained that I could spend thousands a year fixing it and still not match the price of a new truck.

I was an ASE Certified Tech for many years and its a hard life and at the time the pay wasn't all that great so I gave it up.  My back also gave it up.  The skills have become more valuable though.  As a previous poster said "I'm paying myself $150 an hour".  I don't trust any garage(because I know the EDITED BY ADMIN that happens in them) so they get tire work, alignments and inspections and that's all.

The other thing is that when there is something that would cost a bunch of money, I can usually buy the tools needed to do the job plus the parts and it still ends up costing less than if I paid for it to be done.  A great way to expand the tool collection.  The next time the work is needed, its even cheaper.

The real fun coming up with the Dakota is the frame needs work.  Dodge made a two piece frame for the rear to allow them to make different length beds and cab configurations.  The frame rusts real bad where it is bolted together.  The last inspection the guy said don't bring it in next year looking like that.  So I have to R&R the bed, remove the gas tank and start cutting and welding.  I will probably find a bunch of other stuff that I need to do when the bed is off.  Another adventure!

My Kubota tractor is getting to the point where things are starting to happen too.  Right now its the shut off solenoid that's not working.  I have to open the hood and manually move the fuel shutoff lever to stop the engine. $100 for the quality solenoid.  And so it goes...

[moodnacreek]

I don't think many of those original bronco's survived except in dry states. When they where current I worked in a body shop and they would come in rolled over. I used to wonder why. One day driving my scout 80 on a snow covered road, on a curve and in 4x4 I found out. When you take the turn too fast in 4x4, drifting with the front wheels cut and regain traction the front axel will flip you. I was lucky but I went up on 2 wheels. The shorter and higher the vehicle the worse this is. It is really just a question of knowing how to drive your 4x4.

[SwingOak]

I have way too much equipment, and almost all of it is fairly old. I'm still driving a Chevy Silverado K2500 HD Duramax I bought new in 2002. It has 325,000 miles on it. Just put a new transmission in it, because $7500 for a trans and radiator/trans cooler replacement was still cheaper than 70 grand on a new one. Plus, there aren't any out there...

All my farm equipment is old, although I did buy a new 2021 model year cab tractor last year. At least it's not the type that needs muffler fluid. It has only gone through the regen cycle once, and that was while I was using it to rake hay.  

[mike_belben]

.Right now its the shut off solenoid that's not working.  I have to open the hood and manually move the fuel shutoff lever to stop the engine. $100 for the quality solenoid.  And so it goes...

Not familiar with your bota shutdown but a dodge/bosch style unit can usually be fixed by taking it apart and buffing up any rust on the iron core.  Its sorta like bendix starter solenoid with the kickout fork. Just a puck in a tube.

[moodnacreek]

.Right now its the shut off solenoid that's not working.  I have to open the hood and manually move the fuel shutoff lever to stop the engine. $100 for the quality solenoid.  And so it goes...

Not familiar with your bota shutdown but a dodge/bosch style unit can usually be fixed by taking it apart and buffing up any rust on the iron core.  Its sorta like bendix starter solenoid with the kickout fork. Just a puck in a tube.

This is why I save old choke cables.

[mike_belben]

Ive made em from aircraft cable, solder and brake line when needed

[Tom King]

I built this splitting stand for my 1979 John Deere.  It bolts to the loader frame, so you don't have to take the loader off, and has a little tab welded to it so a hose clamp can hold the steering drag link without having to block the tires.  It uses scaffolding feet for side to side fine tuning when putting the tractor back together.

John Deere wanted several hundred dollars to make a clutch alignment tool that they don't stock any more.  I turned one on the wood lathe.

It went right back together with just a little jiggling of the PTO in gear.


 

 

[mike_belben]

Nice.  My bota needs split and i really dont wanna do it 

[Tom King]

I use a bunch of white dishpans from the dollar store to put parts in as I take something apart.  Keeping organized to start with saves a lot of time for any teardown job.  All bolts, or parts from each step go in a separate pan.

 

[barbender]

Some great ideas here!

[moodnacreek]

Nice.  My bota needs split and i really dont wanna do it

I got a cub here [1 of 4] that needs a main trans. shaft. You can come do it for practice, it is a small tractor.

[farmfromkansas]

Even if you are willing to pay the mechanic shop, it is hard to get your stuff in.  They are backed up. And I am not able to work on all my stuff.  My 05 F-450 has needed a lot of repair and I took it to reasonable shops for the work.  New timing chains and guides, new bearings and syncronizers in the 6 speed trans, and new clutch.  It has refused to start a couple times, and as you can't get the bed up to replace the fuel pump took it in.  Now it quit again and they replaced the fuel pump relay.  Said it was soldered in the fuse box, they soldered in a holder so it can be replaced easy the next time.  Didn't miss a beat on the way home.  I paid 3750 for the truck a year ago, and it runs great when it runs.  Hope it is fixed now.  Now I have about 11,000 in the truck. Did manage to replace the coolant bottle and O rings on my 7130 JD, great tractor when you can keep the coolant in it.  Only the 2nd time in 13 years. I am trying to coast, and not buy any more new equipment.  Plan to take my baler in for inspection and repair this winter.  Neighbor had a bit of a fire with his baler last summer, I was raking ahead of the baler.  Burned about 10 acres and a few bales, but saved the baler with his fire extinguisher. Not a pleasant experience.

[rusticretreater]

The Kubota shutoff solenoid is a sealed unit.  I was able to pull the rubber boot back and spray some solvent in the bore, moved it back and forth a bit. Still didn't work.  

The solenoid is at the rear of the engine and the radiator/fan is in between it and the firewall.  Great idea on using a choke cable. Have to give that a look.

[mike_belben]

If the solenoid is readily obtainable and you can spare the cash id probably just order one. Theyll only get more expensive with time.

If no dough, coat hanger.  12.5g high tensile fence wire inside brake line could do push and pull if it needs to be longer than a coat hanger.

[jimbarry]

You are all dedicated to the art of fixology. For me, its three meals and 6 cups of coffee a day keeps this old thing going.    I still dabble, and if I had a shop space to work in I'd dabble some more. Here's the one occasion where I had more time than money and even less knowledge of twisting wrenches. Ah, the courage of youth. Bought this 79 Berlinetta in the late 80's, replaced the rear frame with shop made frame. Replaced a lot of the rubber bushing and rusted bolts. Painted the underside and engine bay and detailed the interior back to original. Kept it for about 15 years or so and sold it for what I bought it for. 

. 

 

[kelLOGg]

Maintaining my 1987 weedeater was becoming a problem due to the gas squeeze bulbs that cracked before the season was over. I even had some crack in an unopened package. I have never had to replace rubber gas lines in vehicles so why are squeeze bulbs such a problem? Gas lines! that's the answer. I bought thin-walled line and cut a piece 2" long and replaced the bulb and it has lasted well over a year now with no signs of cracking.  and it cost about 1% of what a bulb costs.



 

 

[WV Sawmiller]

Tom,

   Good tip. Another thing that woks well is buying and using a bunch of HF magnets to keep the small parts and fasteners together. A pair of 1"X2" X 3/8" magnets cost about $1. I keep a bunch of them stuck on the inside of my  mill panel to hold paperwork and such in place and grab a couple when I'm removing nuts and screws from guards and such.

[moodnacreek]

If the solenoid is readily obtainable and you can spare the cash id probably just order one. Theyll only get more expensive with time.

If no dough, coat hanger.  12.5g high tensile fence wire inside brake line could do push and pull if it needs to be longer than a coat hanger.

Too much trouble, idle down, put in high gear, hold foot on brake and let clutch out :D.

[mike_belben]

thats how i shut off my detroit forklift.. just tip the mast all the way out and let the hydraulic pump stall it.  


i believe some fuel solenoids have 2 coils and 2 stages.. a hold and a run or something like that.  not entirely sure, i havent had a shutoff solenoid in years. everything i got down here is just a lever. 

[Ed_K]

 Mike, you don't have a shut off rod coming from the gov?

[Don P]

thats how i shut off my detroit forklift.. just tip the mast all the way out and let the hydraulic pump stall it. 

Since nothing has parking brakes I just assumed it was all part of the master plan. I usually have the implement buried and wheels up about the time it stalls.

[mike_belben]

It is also how i park it.  Machine uses a62 axles with hydraulic actuated internal wet band brakes using a lever type linelock that leaks down.  So i just ground out the forks to park. One extra second to shut off.  Its not a safe machine in hills, no brakes and minimal steering if it stalls. ive gone for a few rides. 

Has some kinda rod to what i think is the governor which does nothing. It runs great and until it dont i have many other more critical things to fiddle with.  Its been so reliable that ive managed to learn nothing about it, which i love. The sound is not my favorite but for the dependability its earned a home. 

[Don P]

I've knocked that little loader out of gear on a hill and rolled backwards longer than desired. Reminiscent of Ford's first attempt at turning a model T into a snowmobile  :D

[TroyC]

 


This is my oldie for the day, my 35 yr old lawnmower. Tire change. Ever notice that the smaller the tire, harder they are to change?

[farmfromkansas]

I'd probably just jack up that mower and pry the old tire off and the new one on right on the machine.  Too hard to hold onto the wheel and pry the tire off at the same time.  I have put a long bolt through the axle hole and clamped the bolt in the vise to work on the tire.

[TroyC]

That's what I did. I've taken the wheel off before but today left it on and removed the tire. Inside of tire went back on reasonably easy, outside always tight on those little 6" rims. Good for another 10 years!

[gspren]

Does lacing up my ankle brace and popping some ibuprofen count as "keeping old stuff going"?

[TroyC]

Does lacing up my ankle brace and popping some ibuprofen count as "keeping old stuff going"?

As long as you post pictures 8)

[Tom King]

For folks our age, that's known as Vitamin I.

[Resonator]

I wrap a ratchet strap around the tread of those small tires to seat the bead. And if you ever have to put a tube in, be sure to sand the inside of the rim smooth so there are no nicks or burrs. (Don't ask how I know this). :D

[TroyC]

I use the strap on bigger tires that get flattened during shipping. Usually don't have trouble with the short fat ones. Agree on the tire tubes. I clean and repaint rims for tubeless replacements. Had a Ford Jubilee front rim that was really rusty. Think I wrapped an old inner tube around  middle of the rim before putting new tube in. Worked!

[moodnacreek]

Starting fluid and a match, spray a trail, light trail. be careful.

[TroyC]

My friend has used the starting fluid trick. I'm just not that brave. Scares me enough when the bead pops during inflation.

[moodnacreek]

It would be nice to have a wall to get behind and a remote igniter. The stuff evaporates fast so you have to be fast. Another problem is the starting fluids are not all the same, some of it is not much better than gasoline I have found out. A tire inflater is what is really needed but sometimes you just have to get it done.

[caveman]

I've done the starter fluid method on particularly stubborn tires, but I tie a rag to the end of a bamboo pole and ignite the ether in the tire from a distance (10' pole).  A ratchet strap along with removing the valve stem and an air blow gun will often get the job done too.

[Don P]

I've debated the ratchet strap but hadn't thought of ether, it might help. Good suggestions but think I'll just lace up the ankle brace today.

[TroyC]

but I tie a rag to the end of a bamboo pole and ignite the ether in the tire from a distance (10' pole)

Guess that is where the saying "wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole" comes from..........

[Tom King]

For small tires, I make a tourniquet out of a piece of small rope, and the standard big beater screwdriver.  Once the bead catches, release the handle, and it will unwind itself.

To get the beads over the rim, pull the other side of the tire opening up in the small diameter of the wheel towards the center.  Small tire tools are easier, but the levering can be done with a couple of small screwdrivers.

Everyone I've ever seen do the lighter fluid trick folded down one match in a matchbook to the outside, and threw it while striking that match in the same motion.

Any time I buy a new wheelbarrow, I put a tube in the tire -don't like the non-pneumatic ones.  Tubes are cheaper than the time it takes to get a flat wheelbarrow tire back seated on the rim, plus they stay inflated Way longer.

 Even the clean, painted new wheels have weld spatter all over the inside that needs to be smoothed down.

[doc henderson]

I know of people using gasoline, starting fluid.  the trick is the dose, and most use a 4 foot stick with a rag dipped in diesel lit and put in proximity of the fumes to set off the explosion.  it is dangerous, but so is compressed air dealing with big tires.

[mike_belben]

I still ether when needed.. Probably done it 40 times in my life but its usually my last step.  Guy i worked for had 7 trucks running for 20 years and was often the mechanic.  He could do a tire so fast it wasnt funny.  Bazooka sat in the corner and he would light it with a grill ignitor or even torch sparker with a bare hand right there.  Just turn his head away and close his eyes. 

I wasnt present but my buddy mechanic there had a chunk of sidewall blast out and hit him. Ive personally not had any issue.  When i was a kid a garage up the road ethered a semi tire a few times, found a rim crack, bent over to weld it and was decapitated. Friend of mine lived in the house next door. 

It works for sure, and theres a risk, for sure. I have gotten really good at seating tires without a bazooka or ether but i dont hesitate to do it still.  

Ideally you get the beads touching, shoot it in valve stem hole then a squirt on the sidewall.  Light the sidewall patch and then standing back with head turned, wump the sidewall with a rake phoooom hissss.  

I have a ratchet strap with a chain loop for cinching the circumference first.  This ensures the boom flares the sidewall and doesnt just stand the tread up.   When you mount a tire, dribble it hard on the ground while rotating first.  This will center things up and help get a bead to spread.