Sterling, New York, 2019!

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Vacation is officially over, and we are back to work!

Saturday and yesterday was the opening weekend at the Sterling Renaissance Festival, in upstate New York.

Saturday was slow because it rained a bit, and then it was hot and humid...but Sunday was pretty good!

Today we are taking the pups to go swimming at Lake Ontario in Fairhaven, NY (about 2 miles from here), and that is pretty much it.

Then tomorrow I have to drive up to Oswego to get materials and start cutting out parts for a huge run of catapults.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The first two weekends are done here at the Sterling Renaissance Festival, and we are doing great!  Today I have to mail out an oak trebuchet, and then we are taking the pups to Lake Ontario for a swim.  They sure do love the water!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The third weekend was okay...but DANG was it hot on Saturday!  Good lord!


Then today, the hot water stopped working.  No water pressure at any faucet when turned to hot (not even the shower fixture), but normal pressure on cold.  After doing some research and troubleshooting, it turns out that it is the "check valve" on the back of the water heater.  Thankfully, I can reach it from inside to replace it.  I'm going to replace the Flair-It bypass valve while I'm at it, since it has a very slow leak from the shutoff handle.  So tomorrow morning I'll drive down to the RV parts place and get another check valve.  Fun fun fun!


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Ah the joys of owning a 25 year old rig.  Yesterday morning, I noticed the shower hose leaking where it goes into the fixture, and went to tighten it...and SNAP!  The threaded bung that comes out of the faucet broke off.    So after I get my catapult parts cut out today, and get some oak machine pieces clamped up to dry...it will be off to the RV dealer again to get the shower fixture.  The check valve for my hot water heater should be in today as well.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The shower faucet/fixture is replaced, and the new water heater check valve and a new bypass valve is installed, and everything works!  That hot shower felt great!  I had to replace the bypass valve while I was at it because it started dripping when I turned it to troubleshoot the no-hot-water problem.


Now back to building catapults!


Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Fourth weekend is under our belt, and the "Pirate Invasion" themed weekend was a lot of fun!  This coming week, in addition to building a lot of catapults and finishing up two large oak ballistae, I'll also be changing the diesel fuel filter on the RV.  I'll be buying a small cheap gas can and will fill it with clean diesel to fill the fuel filter and drain bowl before installing the new one.


Next week is the "Celtic" themed weekend...woohoo!


Kev

[c farmer]

Damn.  LOL   I understand the issues.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So Sterling Renaissance Festival is over, we did pretty well, and today begins the week of packdown before we are officially back on vacation.

Before we leave, I have to replace the fuel filter on the RV, and fix the brakes on the Jeep (new pads in front, new shoes and new wheel cylinders in back that fit a 94 Ford Ranger pickup truck...and then bleed them).

After that I have to pack down the workshop and booth and prep everything for storage for the off season...and then bring back all our stock and whatnot from the booth to our campground, and start playing the Tetris game to make everything fit.

All I'm doing today is going to Harbor Freight to pick up a large heavy duty tarp to cover our equipment storage box with for the off season...and then stopping by a shipping store to buy a 24x24x24 box, packing tape, and bubble wrap, so I can get a large ballista shipped out...which has to be shipped out today. 

If I get everything down by early afternoon, we'll be taking the pups for a swim in Lake Ontario.  They sure do love the water!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So the brakes on the Jeep Cherokee kicked my ARSE today!  And it took ALL day, even though I had all the parts and fluids ready for the project (I thought!).

Lots of problems, which I finally defeated before it got dark.

First, Rock Auto sent me the wrong calipers...I ordered them for a 98...and whatever they sent me were NOT the same.  So off to Napa to get the right ones I drove (20 miles away).  They had them in stock...and they are left/right specific.  They were only 30 bucks each...with a 50.00 core charge each.  Yikes!  At least I get the core charge back!

I came back to camp and finished the front...rotors and all...and then started on the back.

So my Jeep is a Frankenstein.  The rear axle is an 8.8 factory LSD from a Ford Bronco II, but the PO changed out the backing plates for bigger drums from a 92 Ford Ranger.  So the drums were the larger ones from a Ford Ranger.  The wheel cylinders, however?  Although they look the same (between a Bronco II and a Ranger), the brake line inlet is smaller on the Bronco II.  So when I tried to install the wheel cylinders, the brake line wouldn't screw in!  Arrrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!

So back to Napa, 20 miles away.  Got the right wheel cylinders now and installed them...and then went to install the brake shoes.  Arrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!!!  Although they looked exactly the same, the hole placement for the springs and automatic brake adjusters were in different locations! 

This time, because I just replaced the shoes this past winter, I decided to just reuse the "old" shoes.  I simply cleaned them with brake parts cleaner and hope they will last for a while.

So yeah...it took all day for a simple project.

I did rent a hand pump vacuum bleeder as well...and went through the two quarts of brake fluid I had on hand.  The brakes are WAY better than they were...but I still have to bleed them some more.  Pedal has a little squish, and the brake light is still on.

But I was out of brake fluid and out of daylight...so that will have to wait until tomorrow...or more likely Thursday, because it is supposed to rain cats and dogs starting tonight and most of the day tomorrow.

The Jeep has all new brakes now (except the master cylinder, booster, and brake lines)...and once I bleed out the rest of the air?  We'll be golden!  Just waiting now for good weather. 

And P.S.:  I dropped one of my tiny round files in the grass and didn't notice it.  The plastic handle was down, with the sharp point sticking up...and I sat right down on it!  It sank in about 3 inches into my upper butt muscle on the right hand side.  OUCH!!!  I had to yank it out!  Good thing it was relatively clean and not rusty!  I done stabbed myself in the buttocks! 

Kev

[Rickf1985]

Why don't you just convert that 8.8 to disc brakes from a Mustang? Or a Lincoln. Or find a whole rear from a Lincoln except the ratio would be WAY off.

[Froggy1936]

Yep, That is the usual way things go, And that turned out to be a real pain in the bum !  W% Frank   

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Yep, That is the usual way things go, And that turned out to be a real pain in the bum !  W% Frank   

LOL!!!  Quite literally!  I have a charleyhorse in my butt today, like I just got a very huge vaccine right in the buttcheek!  Ouch!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Why don't you just convert that 8.8 to disc brakes from a Mustang? Or a Lincoln. Or find a whole rear from a Lincoln except the ratio would be WAY off.

Disk brakes would be great...but I'm not sure the axle ends are the same on a Mustang vs a Bronco II or a Ranger.  If they are the same, the caliper holder would have to bolt on where the backing plate bolts on, since there aren't any other mounting holes on my axle.  I'm also not sure if the 5 lug pattern would be the same on Mustang rotors...although if it was I could use the spacers I already have from my wheels on the rotors.  I also don't know if I would have to use a proportioning valve, or if just putting them on would be fine in time with the front calipers.  I'll have to look into it some more.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Why don't you just convert that 8.8 to disc brakes from a Mustang? Or a Lincoln. Or find a whole rear from a Lincoln except the ratio would be WAY off.

Huh.  You can find anything on the internet.  I found this article in less than 2 minutes...seems like a VERY easy conversion, as long as the rear brakes don't end up being much more powerful than the stock front brakes.

https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/ford_ranger_rear_disc_brake_conversion.shtml

Kev

[Rickf1985]

If they are, which I doubt if you are using rear discs, then you just get an adjustable proportioning valve and adjust to fit.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The booth is all broken down and staged for the winter off season...and everything we are taking with us is staged on the porch.  Tomorrow we load it all up, Tetris style...and then hit the road first thing Saturday morning!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Everything is loaded up...either in the RV compartments or the Jeep...the awning is retracted and secured...and we are almost ready to go!

I changed the fuel filter on the RV this morning, and even though I filled it with diesel first before installing it, it was still a bear to start!  Must have been an air bubble in the line...but it starts now and runs great!

So this chapter in our adventures is almost over.  Stay tuned for our next chapter, Summer Vacation 2019!  We are leaving here tomorrow morning, and will touch down tomorrow, early afternoon, at Wilderness Trails RV Park, in Sussex, NJ.  If you remember a lot of our past journey posts, this RV park used to be called Toye Recreation.  It is right across the street from my wife's son's house, so it is convenient and a really nice place.  Sadly, my wife's childhood friends, the Toyes, mostly passed away, so it is under new ownership...so we'll see what its like!  RIP Danny Toye...you were a very good man!  http://www.campgroundreviews.com/regions/new-jersey/sussex/woodland-trails-252049

After around a week or so visiting Patti's son and grandkids, we'll be off to Virginia Beach, to visit MY three grandsons and my awesome daughter Mariah.  She married a Submariner just like her daddy, and he is out to sea.  I am so excited to see her and my grandkids, especially the youngest that was just born, who I haven't even met yet! 

After those two visits, it will be just about time to roll into our camp at our last Renaissance Faire before Winter Vacation, in Huntersville, NC.

Life is good!

p.s. Rick:  Now you've done it, sir!  After doing the research, I will INDEED be converting the rear brakes on the Jeep (with its Bronco II 28 spline rear end) to Mustang GT disk brakes!  311.00 bucks for the whole kit from Summit Racing, and pretty much a bolt on affair once I remove some material from the backing plates/caliper mounts included with the kit with my cutoff tool!  https://therangerstation.com/tech_library/ford_ranger_rear_disc_brake_conversion.shtml

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We made it safely and uneventfully to the campground across the street from my wife's son's house, and had a great visit this evening.

Tomorrow I'll set up the rest of our camp (like the awning) since we will be here until next Monday.

Thus endeth this chapter!  Look for the new chapter coming soon...Summer Vacation, 2019!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Thus endeth this chapter!

Kev