phoenix / goodwill rebuild

SawyerBrown · June 25, 2014, 09:47:22 AM

What Andy said! 1/4" off of square shows that you take time to do things right!

I'm kind of the same way ... slower than molasses in January, but when it's done, it's done right. You can take pride in a job well done!

Thanks for keeping us posted, been fun to watch your progress

dablack · June 25, 2014, 11:12:54 AM

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the kind words. When Bill came down a while back we "worked" the corners of the building before Andy and Nancy got there to set the trusses. That helped a ton.

Andy,

With all the rain I have no idea when I will have the walls framed up. It just keeps raining!

Austin

dablack · July 14, 2014, 10:52:33 AM

I'm still here! Sorry it has been so long between posts. It is HOT and momma has been without an AC car for some time now. About a year ago her 02 explorer dropped a valve at 185k miles. Since then she has been in my old 1990 F250. So, she asked that I put the build on hold a little and drop a used 4.0L in her explorer. Luckily, the 05-10 mustang V6 is the same engine as the 02 explorer so a low milage engine is pretty easy to come by.

So, I got the old busted V6 out this past weekend. I've ordered some gaskets and will go pick up the newer V6 this coming weekend. The explorer will be back on the road!

The kids are crazy excited. They have grown to HATE the truck but are glad to have it. HA!

Austin

Andy White · July 14, 2014, 11:16:55 AM

Austin,
I guess that is why you are the Engineer in the bunch, you are multi-talented! Carpenter one day, and mechanic the next! That is a good thing. Get mom,s car going, and she will remember that at hunting season! Looks like the rain has settled into the every day pattern for the summer. Keep posted when raising time, and we will be there. Andy

Magicman · July 14, 2014, 03:54:54 PM

Thanks for the update Austin, and I wish you the best with the engine swap.

ScottAR · July 14, 2014, 09:43:46 PM

Be mindful of the Thermostat housing on the 4.0 SOHC. There's 2-3 different types and they like to leak along the seams of the box. Something to watch for during reassembly. Hate to pop the new motor cause it ran outta water.

dablack · July 15, 2014, 08:46:06 AM

Andy,

Thanks for the compliment. I was a motorcycle mechanic in college and have always enjoyed machines. I've still got tons to learn about carpentry but I think I have machines just about figured out.

MM,
Thanks. I'm taking lots of pics and keeping up with what I did for another forum (explorer forum). Lots of guys are getting way up in miles and the mustang engine swap is a great way to get a low milage motor for cheap.

Scott,
thanks for the reminder. I changed out the water pump and thermostat housing about two years ago. I will inspect it and make sure it is good to go. I remember you never just ordered a housing from ford because there were so many. You had to take the old one up there to match it up! I had a focus split the thermostat housing in two!
The explorer intake, thermostat housing, exhaust manifolds, oil filter adapter and dip stick will be swapped over to the mustang engine. That is it! I'm just waiting on some exhaust and intake manifold gaskets....oh and the rain to stop.

Austin

Bill Gaiche · July 15, 2014, 03:59:06 PM

Good luck on the swap. Hope it turns to a 200 thousand mile motor. Keeping mom cool keeps you cool in the long run. Hows the garage working out? bg

dablack · July 15, 2014, 04:17:16 PM

Yes, I'm glad I have somewhere to work that is sort of out of the weather. You can see that we just have the subfloor upstairs. I keep all my tools in the explorer to keep them dry. No upstairs walls yet or roof. That is next after the motor swap. The gaskets are coming in Thursday or Friday so I will be dropping it in soon. In not so great news, the wife was driving my car yesterday and the check engine light came on. I ran the code and it is a bad coil, spark plug or blown compression ring. I'm going to drop some plugs in and see if that does it. It is a 2001 mercury grand marquis w/ 115k miles. If it isn't one thing..... So that is what I'm doing tonight. I'm just about worn out!

Magicman · July 16, 2014, 09:57:30 AM

Keep on keeping on my Friend. I admire your endurance.

dablack · July 16, 2014, 02:45:42 PM

I swapped the coil over from the #7 to the #6 and cleared the code. Took it for a drive and the sure enough the code changed from a 307 (misfire on #7) to a 306 (misfire on #6). I picked up a new coil today at lunch. I will let the car cool down and swap it before I go home after work. I brought the tools with me. That poor car is jumping around like it is only running on 4 of the 8 cylinders.

I also got a tarp today so maybe I will be able to work on the engine swap in the down pour this weekend. I'm ready to get back to framing!

Magicman · July 16, 2014, 10:46:49 PM

It's tough when "life" gets in the way of what we want to do. I appreciate the way that you tackle head on. 8)

dablack · August 26, 2014, 08:55:29 AM

It has been a while since an update but that is the way it goes sometimes.

If you look at the older posts, you saw that I was working on an engine swap on my wife's explorer. Well, what would have taken me a weekend with a carburated car took about double that with the electronics and tight spaces. Finally got the new motor in and then had zero fuel pressure. Worked my way back and traced it to a bad fuel pump. I cut a hole in the floor and got the pump swapped out. It ran great until it would get hot. Then the computer was turning the engine off. Finally tracked that down to a pinched wire behind the power steering pump (that one took me a while). Now the explorer is running like a top and Stacey has been driving it for the past two or three weeks.

Then the flu hit! It is this weird summer flu. It got the kids and Stacey first. I thought I had dodged it with my super masculine immune system. Nope! So for the past three weeks we have been at various stages of sick. I'm finally feeling better but the wife still has a cough that is keeping her up.

Now! Enough excuses! I had a whole 16' trailer load of 3/4" 4'x21' dow foam board insulation delivered. 200 pieces. They were used from a chicken house! I'm going to use them on top of the roof deck and on the outside of the OSB. Should really keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Last night after work, I felt well enough and did some clean up around the build and squared up some 13 and 16' 2x6s for top and bottom plates for the 52' walls upstairs. I've got the windows marked and some of the studs. That is about all I got done. I'm HOPING that by the end of this weekend (if it doesn't rain) that I will have both long walls built and ready to lift. I work in a manufacturing environment so I've got tons of guys around me. I've cajoled enough of them into coming to help lift when the time comes! HA! I figure 6 guys and me should make for an easy lift. I will try and get some pictures tonight.

Austin

Magicman · August 26, 2014, 09:06:55 AM

It is good to see you back alive and kicking and making progress. (sorry about the illness :-\ )

The 15th is three weeks away. We plan to see you and your family then.

sandhills · August 26, 2014, 10:08:40 AM

I've missed this thread for awhile apparently, and had to chuckle when I got caught up. Sorry about the troubles you've been having, but I swear we must be related! We have all been sick the at one time or another for the last three weeks or so and I'll give you a run down on our vehicle situation: for the first time I finally broke down and got a loan for a pickup

, the tranny went on my old chevy again and I needed something dependable, drove it for a month and the brand new long block the dealership put in it had the wrong oil pan so it wore through on the cross member, so it's back in the shop. Sunday went floating on the river for daughter's birthday and the fan belt broke in my daughters car hauling kids around, got the wrong belt yesterday and it's still by the river (45 minutes away of coarse). So now we're down to my wife's Trailblazer, tranny went on it last night while I was taking her to work :-\. Hopefully get the new pickup back from the shop today, fix the car by the river and don't break the borrowed pickup I'm using in the process :D. I hate having a yard full of 200k+ mileage vehicles! Hope we can both get back on track soon ;).

dablack · August 26, 2014, 10:38:32 AM

Yep! I hear ya.

The flu wasn't terrible, but it puts you down for multiple weeks. No energy at all.

The mercury has 130k miles on it now and get another 80 every day. The explorer has 185 on the body and 55 on the engine. My old 90 F250 has 80k miles but has no AC and gets 10 MPG. HA! Love that truck but it might have to go to finish the house.

dablack · August 29, 2014, 08:54:28 AM

Finally moving forward again! I'm working on the 52' front wall with four windows. I had a pretty good helper yesterday after work.

After I took the below picture, I finished putting on the top plate and then spent 2 hours trying to find my 100' roll up tape. I need it to make sure the wall is square before putting on the OSB. NOTE: The top of the wall is about half way over the stair opening. I have hit my head going up the stairs three times now! I think I'm going to write "DUCK" on one of the stair treads!

Speaking of OSB, I had some delivered. I was not looking forward to getting it upstairs. Then I remembered Bill's forks! I bolted them on the bucket and gave it a shot.

So far, so good. Two sheets in the bucket!

Yep! That works pretty nice. I can put three sheets in the bucket and then go upstairs and pull them out all at once. I tried four sheets but I wasn't strong enough to lift them out of the bucket and drag them over to the stack. Three at a time is plenty.

Looks like rain all weekend, so I will cover the OSB and play with the kids.

Austin

dablack · August 29, 2014, 09:01:27 AM

I don't know if I ever posted what it is supposed to look like when done. We will probably build the porch after we are in it.

goose63 · August 29, 2014, 09:16:38 AM

Looking good
Take the helper to the D G 8)

dablack · August 29, 2014, 09:23:08 AM

thanks!

That was the first time that helper has been upstairs. She is bringing me a 36" 2x6 for the window opening. Later she brought me a 80.5" cripple stud. She grunted while putting it down. Then dusted off her hands! ha! She cracks me up.

Austin

Bill Gaiche · August 29, 2014, 09:39:03 AM

Your kids are getting some good lessons on carpentry. They will appreciate that later. Good help of any magnitude is priceless. Glad to see you are back at getting more done on the house. Hopefully cooler weather is on the way so you can work in a more comfortable environment. bg

dablack · September 02, 2014, 08:24:01 AM

Well, it did rain a little but not as much as it was supposed to. I got the wall sheathed, cut the windows open and put the house wrap on. That wall is ready to stand up.

The second 52' long wall is all set up and ready to be nailed. If the rain holds off, I should have it nailed up tonight.

dablack · September 02, 2014, 08:27:52 AM

Forgot the pic. Didn't get a shot of it after the paper went on.

Magicman · September 02, 2014, 08:30:27 AM

Thanks for the update. I'll get to put my eyes on it on the 15th.

dablack · September 02, 2014, 08:37:13 AM

Thats right! I'm going to be gone for work from the 7th to the 11th. Knowing that, Momma has already been up to the build a couple of times to let me know what needs to be cleaned up before you get here. The build site was looking a little rough and the area was getting to be a little dangerous so, yesterday was spent cleaning and working on the stairs. The stairs will be between two walls but there is only one wall right now. Plus, the treads were built from old 7/16 plywood. HA! The stairs had a little bounce to them that was unnerving to the boss and kids. That is all fixed now.

I'm hoping to get both walls up before you get here but with the rain this week and my trip for work, I don't see it happening. Oh well.

Austin