blazer

Arbtalk really works - he's got a trail day Since finding Arbtalk I have leant so much and got some good deals, plus it's helped the lad to decide to get into 'arbwork' in a structured approach, he phoned up 20+ local tree guys but it was a PM from an Arbtalk member that did the trick and he's off today on a trail will let you know have it went.

Thanks for the tips Cosworth I did the whole job on my own (bit sad) one day out and one day back, with a few jobs to finish on the bankhol monday. I took it out in one and back in two parts, using a Draper trans/jack with a trolley jack behind - The Draper jack was ok for lowering but I doubted if I could lift both back again. I changed the spigot bearing using a 'Rawlbolt' as an extractor. Glad I checked the spigot bearing on the ex-gearbox as the shaft had been hammered off at some stage so the end was larger, soon reduced it to fit or the gearbox would have never fitted. I used a socket as a clutch alignment tool to fit the new clutch. I supported the Gearbox using the Draper jack, good control so I could lower the gearbox after fitting to fit the top bell housing bolts and in true farmer style then tied a thick piece of bale twine around a piece of wood over the gearlever hole to hold the gearbox so I could use the draper jack to fit the trans/gearbox. Overall the job went well, thanks again for the advise:thumbup:

plenty of guys take shotties/firearms on public transport in their slips. I would say; does it look like a treat to others?

Why not combine your present skills with tree work - like photographing trees for say a conservation group:thumbup1: For myself I fancied doing tree work but it was too late to change, so I do tree work/gamekeepering on a large estate on weekend hols etc. I got my chainsaw ticket a while ago and when I retire hope to do a bit more tree work. Like many modern jobs that can do your head in, many fancy a change when my son did his saw course another guy on the course was desparate to change. My own job as a medical engineer should be good but the way it's managed has made me ill in the past, so it's off to the woods when it gets me. Good luck

although it has 'tree services' on the side I have seen locally trucks with tree services and only a mobile number on the door but being bright red they should have him soon - or it's been torched.

Just sent him off to you by 'night express' hope I put enough air-holes in the box.

Just changing the gearbox as it's noisy in 2wd 1st gear and no sync in 1st and a bit clunky going into 2-3 rd. I can live with no sync in 1st but if the gearbox has been run low of oil in the past I get worried about a bearing cage breaking up - long way from home:001_huh: I will buy a spigot bearing and try out your 'grease method' may try a rawlbolt as well on a slide, all good bankhol fun coming up:thumbup1: From your tips I feel alot more confident taking on the job - many thanks for your time writing them down for me:thumbup: The head went a couple of weeks ago only locally, which to me is good luck as I could slowly drive home. Again didn't fancy the job but sort of enjoyed doing it, I took the injectors apart as I only had a short socket but cleaned them up in solvent a few times then carefully re-assy them ok, all started up ok slight leak on 2 injectors as I was a bit reluctant to tighten any harder but with an bit extra they sealed up ok. I have only done say 15k since I brought it 2 yrs ago but changed the cam belts again, engine running well so decided to keep it and sort the gearbox. overall the truck is a bit rough but with using it off road every week and with the 'gear' in the back my 2 working cockers ride in the cab, so there is no point in buying a smarted truck as after a week it will look like the old one.

Just got the lads A-level results, A grades for Forensic science and Sports science and D for History - better than expected, making him think about going to Uni next year. Still he's keen on getting a tree job and doing L3 P/T. All the comments are very interesting to read:thumbup1:

just looked on the Met office site, and it looks unsettled for weeks ahead, also the 'Met office' are celibrating 150 years:sneaky2: It seams to do it every year, no rain when crops are growing then rain for harvesting - do you think 'old Nick' is on the anti's side. Locally we can have really heavy showers and the next village is dry. We have had little rain since the end of Febuary most of the springs and streams have dried up. One local big farm was watering wheat field when green to try and get it growing. On the shoot we have over 70 acres of cover crop and some is little more than knee high against 7' on good years. Not sure what tonnage the wheat is this year. They have X2 large wheat storage on the estate they hold say 13,000 tonnes each - alot of bread.

Heard of a pre-war truck driver who would roll his sleeve up and lay his arm across all 6 plug tops to cut the petrol truck engine - that's gaining 'man-points' I don't know this saw but the capacitor (condenser in old money) across the points, is worth a check as already said. I have had alot of these fail in the past (Cortinas I ended up with x2 external capacitors ) along with worn points cam (ramp profile) along with gap can affect timing, also clean the points after using any abrasive. For me the plug spark should be a strong blue or orange, if it's a bit 'thready' it may not fire up.

Just looked up the 'spigot shaft bearing' on clutch end, will order one up. It's too much work to miss a small item. I have ordered up a Drager tranmission jack + borrow a HD 2 tonne jack, to make the job a bit safer and hopefully get better control on reassy.

Thanks Cosworth, is the spigot shaft bearing in the transfer box? I recently changed the head with a blank from Milners, so decided to do the gearbox as well as Milners now have no return. Plan to do it over the bank hols.

Thanks Nick - I see you don't live that far away:thumbup1:

My 03 L200 has a noisy gearbox + no sync in 1st, so time to change it before winter. I have had Cortina gearboxes out but not one as big as this, I have also ordered a transmission jack and borrowing a HD trolley jack, so any tips please. Can I take the transfer box off first or is it best to drop the lot in one go? many thanks in advance:thumbup1:

He is now - another rural crime:sneaky2:

Long story but I helped a group of 'Druids' build a large stone circle yrs ago, they used an large old sling but it broke the broken end smacked one girl on the bum, all the guys gave 'Miss Whiplash' a good rub:sneaky2: Since then I avoided using any shackles inline if possible and fitted my winch to the back of my truck, I get to keep the windscreen if the cable goes. Also I give pulley points a x4 load rating.

Whiplash can be part prevented by using swivels, well they did when I was on deepsea tankers not sure about tree work. The base safety factor is 50% breaking is full load, with slings being being 1/7th so a 1 tonne sling breaks at 7 tonne giving a large safety factor for wear/stress etc. So if used correctly you should not have a whiplash problem:sneaky2: Been thinking on the safety bit and all I can think of is a horizontal winch will not have a brake or one rated for lifting. Of interest most truck electric winches are not rated for lifting. But the idea is brill - just needs present winches upgrading:thumbup1:

I hear what you say and it sounds a good idea but for me 'NO WAY' will I use any 'horizontal winch for vertical lifting' to me horizantal winches are not rated for lifting only pulling. I used to work on heavy engineering in the 70's and to me any piece of lifting gear has a rating load and a test date on a talley or it's not used. To put it simply if a pulling load fails - the pulling wire rope can whiplash but the load stops. With a lifting failure the whole load drops with no warning. Check with makers directly for the limits of their product use limitations.

A good example would be last Friday working with my son 19 yr, on the estate felling in a wood to make a shooting skylight. We talked over a plan to fell as much Sycamore as possible to encourage the spring flowers, with my son doing the felling on large trees, with me as the 'grunt' hauling out with a chain on the quad. It's that long term working relationship in action that's so pleasing. Besides being an enjoyable day in the woods, it's that Dad satisfaction of watching your son working safely, especially in a chilled 'pro' slow walk away well before the tree would fall. I took a lot of pic's and vid's I could put a few up if of interest, I don't want to overdo the proud dad bit. What did I get out of it? Well I borrowed his motorbike before he got up the next day and went out with my old bike gang (ok they are all grey haired now) for 50 miles ride around the Cotswolds:thumbup:

blame it on 'global warming' - not another 'El Nino' year:confused1: Up here in the uk over the last say 15 yrs summers were hotter and winters almost frost free, let alone snow - my winter sports were get my old skis out of the loft and bunk off work, but then we never had any snow. Global warming was defined for me was finding a 'used once' pair of skis by a skip. Then the weather changed to colder winter with added snow and wetter summers defined by finding a 'used once' rusty BBQ by a skip. So enjoy you first snow since 1975:thumbup1:

They also make 'interesting' ice-cubes for the bosses party:sneaky2:

Ok it's at the other end of the scale but my little MS170 lost power, did the normal stuff; plug, air filter, fuel filter, strip & clean carb, compression OK Noticed the muffler outlet part blocked, stripped- wire brushed innner/outer parts - runs a treat plenty of power again:thumbup1: I only missed it because I had never had this problem before:blushing: Bit like my ignition prob on a MS 280 - I believed 'it can't be the coil assy thay don't ever go wrong'?

The big thing that put him off was alot of people get good degrees but no good job to follow, well that's how he feels at the moment, at last he has x3 good A-levels so he could go a bit later. Although he's built up woodlands skills he never fancied doing it as a job, just took the skills as a lifestyle. He's also has good people skills he built up as a lifeguard and working in a pub, so he wanted to joint the Police, Fire or be a Paramedic but none are signing on - so what to go for:confused1: All the Police could offer was to become a 'special' no pay but get he same public abuse, so that's a end. He's a good team worker so should fit in to a pro tree gang but like alot of good lads they need a break to get started. Problem is at 19 he now has to pay his fees, so he paid for his CS30/31 and going for 'chipper' etc to try and get some paid work to build up experience and enroled part-time for Level 3 RFC going onto L6 the year after. On the 8yr bit, he kept modist only saying he had used a chainsaw before to his CS30/31 but the assessor queried it, so he answered 8 yrs, to which the assessor replied," I though so" - gave him quit a boost.

In truth since he was 5 yrs old with a small axe, by 11 yrs old first MS170 + PPE & offroading like most farm boys, MS260 when 14 yrs old, just completed his CS30/31, now has a MS 460 for large felling, he just grew up with woodland work, mostly working with the tree gang on a large estate, really good safe worker. He's finished A-levels but with the rise in Uni-fees going that's out so going for Arb work instead.

That's interesting. Our 'school rules' were 2 guys standing say 1 m apart with feet together, one throws the knife to stick in the ground less than a foot from the other guys foot - he then moves his foot to the knife and has his go. This keeps going in turn ( it must stick in to count) untill you reach your limit then throw the knife to stick in the ground between the other guys feet - so you can stand with feet together again. You have 3 - lives for a game, the tactic is to throw the knife between the other guys feet so you can stand up knowing he can't do the same as your feet are now together, sort of bluff tactic (unless you want a knife in your foot). Yep played it at secondary school, no problem with teachers:thumbup: