I'd second the mechanical check!!!
The top end on the small block Dodges (in MHs), seem to need a 'head job',,,, at about 70-80k miles.
Trannys tend to need attention 50-100k miles, depending on usage, and preventive maintenance.
Rear axle seals, are old and brittle. If they haven't been replaced yet.
Front end suspension joints loose?
Rubber bushings in spring hangers?
I hope the lot you rent is in the SOUTH.... or northern Mexico..... Not much insulation, and the windows are single pane,,,,, and they tend to leak air (a lot). In these old rigs, it is cold and drafty as soon as the furnace stops. So not comfortable even if you use a ton of propane. Electric heaters on low, are on longer and thus more comfortable,,, perhaps a bit more expensive (or a lot more expensive... depending).
Probably be cheaper to rent a place for the winter?
I don't mean to rain on your parade.... but I'm sitting at 7500 feet and it's already cold and drafty in my TT (mid to high 30s F for lows)......
I'm getting ready to go back to the house in Denver as we speak.
Hoppe
2011 Dodge 1500 C'boy Caddy
2000 Jayco C 28' Ford chassis w V-10 E450
Doghouse 36' or so Trophy Classic TT
But YES I am very concerned about the engine & trans. I haven't read about anyone in this forum having the 360 V8, & that worries me that there's a lack of longevity with this engine. And I have NO idea if I could afford AND adjust, rework, rewire & re-adapt the rig to drop a 440 in it. I'll see what the mechanic says.
If all seems well, I'll rent a car & go see it. I'd NEVER buy something 'sight unseen'. It's just past the border of PA into Michigan. It'll be a hike, but I love road-tripping with Shadow, my bodyguard. I dont sleep in hotels. I park as close as I can to the bathrooms in truck stops, nap & then get back on the road. So, if nothing else comes of it, Shadow & I get to enjoy the ride ;-)
Thank you so much for the info, I am a sponge...heck, I'm an RV virgin! Camping I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt, but RVing is a whole new ball game. I'm just glad I found you guys!
~Meghan
We bought an older rig because it was what we could afford. We quickly found out that we spent a whole lot less in repairs and maintenance - and upgrades - than our friends with brand-new rigs. And we paid a helluva lot less to begin with, too.
'73 Concord 20' Class A w/Dodge 440 - see profile for photo
Soon2BNewbie wrote:
But YES I am very concerned about the engine & trans. I haven't read about anyone in this forum having the 360 V8, & that worries me that there's a lack of longevity with this engine. And I have NO idea if I could afford AND adjust, rework, rewire & re-adapt the rig to drop a 440 in it. I'll see what the mechanic says. ~Meghan
But YES I am very concerned about the engine & trans. I haven't read about anyone in this forum having the 360 V8, & that worries me that there's a lack of longevity with this engine. And I have NO idea if I could afford AND adjust, rework, rewire & re-adapt the rig to drop a 440 in it. I'll see what the mechanic says. ~Meghan
Most of your concerns are baseless. I'll start in the rear and work forward ...
The rear axle in the motorhome you're considering is most likely a Dana/Spicer Model 70, generally called a Dana 70. It's possible, but much less likely, it might have a Dana/Spicer Model 60 (i.e., Dana 60). Both are very robust and durable.
The Dana 70 is really a medium-duty truck axle and, as such, is a bit of an overkill in all but the heaviest motorhomes. Dana 70 rear axles are very hard to damage and just about impossible to destroy. I have three in my yard that all original and in like-new operational condition. They're all dirty and greasy but can be cleaned up to original appearance and condition with little effort, in spite of all three being around 45 years old.
The Dana 60 is also very durable although slightly less robust. It is perfectly suitable for light-duty trucks, including Class C motorhomes. It was also used in high performance automobiles and, especially, "muscle" cars. The quality of the Dana 60 is demonstrated by the fact they were used as OEM equipment by a wide range of manufacturers, including the "Big Three" -- General Motors, Ford, and Mopar (Dodge, Fargo, Chrysler, Imperial, and Plymouth.)
The Dana 60 was, and still is, extremely popular among hotrodders and racecar builders, which makes it difficult to find used ones. My daughter, for example, is considering a Dana 60 as a possible replacement for the somewhat problematic stock first generation 8-3/4 rear axle in her '59 Plymouth Savoy restomod project, to handle the built-up 383 big block she's planning to put in it.
My '66 Dodge Polara, with a 383 engine, had an OEM Dana 60 and I used that car to tow a 1-1/2 ton step van 180 miles across the bottom end of Minnesota, without any difficulty. Likewise, my '49 International Metro had an OEM Dana 60 and I used it to tow a stranded, fully loaded 18-wheeler 20 miles to a truckstop.
The heavier weight of the Dana 70 tended to rule them out for use in hotrods and racecars. (Although, they are popular among extreme off-roaders and rock-climbers.) This, combined with their widespread use and durability, makes it much easier to find good used ones. Any rarity is due to many being sent off to be melted down by recyclers, due some people viewing them as being out=dated. (Please excuse me for a moment while I mourn, again, the many good, perfectly usable products that have been sent off to be melted down and remanufactured into new, generally crappy, products.)
The transmission in the motorhome you're considering is most assuredly a TorqueFlite/LoadFlite A727. (99.9999% probability) The A727 is my absolute favorite transmission, by a very wide margin, among both automatic and manual transmissions. The Ford C6 is a distant second and only tops the list when used with a Ford engine. (Don't get me started on the Ford E4OD! I've rebuilt an E4OD twice and, while it is a reasonable transmission, it's a royal PITA to rebuild. On the other hand, I'd rebuild a A727 just for the fun of it.)
I've owned quite a few A727s and stressed many of them by:
-- 100+ mph over extended distances
-- Dropping them into second gear at 80+ mph (to avoid a ticket)
-- Towing a variety of often heavy trailers on extended trips
-- Going across rugged, steep mountain passes, sometimes towing trailers
-- Stripping the tread off tires, down to the cords, by spinning and smoking 'em
In spite of my abuse, I've never managed to damage an A727 or even cause any unusual wear and tear. In reality, my "abuse" has not come any where near testing the limits of an A727 transmission. As with the Dana 60, the A727 is popular among racecar builders because they can handle the RPMs, torque, and horsepower of race engines, including the ones used in top fuel dragsters. (The A727 has been connected to engines that put out as much as ten times the horsepower of production engines, with very little internal modifications.)
In my opinion, shared by many, many otherpeople, the A727 is an example of a product that is as near to perfect as humanly possible. First offered in 1962, the A727 continued in wide-spread use well into the 90s with very little changes. It has been used in all but the lightest automobiles as well as light- and medium-duty trucks. (I have not been able to determine the heaviest medium-duty truck application but would not be surprised to find an A727 in a 5-ton truck.)
Throughout its production span, there have been very few external differences. There are, for the most part, a separate version for small block and large block engines, with the difference consisting of the bell housing bolt pattern used to connect the transmission to each family of engines. (i.e., a big block A727 cannot be used with a small block engine and vice versa.) Of less concern to most people there were different versions for push-button and lever-shift controls. (This means you'd have to also replace the transmission if you want to go from a 360 small block to a 440 big block.)
Internally, there is a wide range of variations, based on the transmission intended application. The standard A727 is called a TorqueFlite and the heavier duty version is called a LoadFlite but there actually isn't a lot of differences between these. (I could turn a TorqueFlite version into a LoadFlite by judiciously swapping some parts.) One major variation is standard versus lock-up torque converter.
The front, three-speed part of Chrysler's overdrive transmission, the A518, is essentially an A727 and many internal parts in this section are interchangeable between an A727 and A518. (This is important to those of us with older A727s because we can buy new parts to replace damaged parts, rare as that need might be.)
Fundamentally, Chrysler created the A518 by adding an overdrive gear-set to the output end of the A727. Unfortunately, the engineering of the add-on overdrive is nowhere near the engineering and manufacturing quality of the original A727. Furthermore, there is a known significant problem with the clutch material in early lock-up torque converters.
I would not, under any circumstances, consider replacing an A727 with a stock A518. The only way I'd consider it is with an aftermarket torque converter and essentially a complete replacement of the internal overdrive components. In my opinion, the advantages of a lock-up torque converter are marginal. Likewise, an easier, and arguably better, approach to overdrive capability is to connect a Gear Vendors Over/Underdrive unit to an A727. (I would recommend replacing an A518 with an older A727, assuming you wouldn't run into problems with the vehicle's computer ... newer vehicles have too many inter-related subsystems and violate a sound systems design principle.)
BTW - Almost everybody is under the false impression that automatic transmissions are extremely complex and difficult to rebuild. This impression is the only reason automatic transmission rebuilders get away with charging outrageous prices for their services. Personally, I view these inflated prices to be a scam approaching the level of a felony.
I successfully rebuilt the A727 in my '66 Dodge Polara around 40 years ago, before I learned how difficult the task was supposed to be. Since then, I rebuilt quite a few automatic transmissions and, based on my experience, I'd say that automatic transmissions are easier to rebuild than engines and manual transmissions, which I've also rebuilt.
I usually pay to have engines rebuilt by professionals, mostly to make use of their much greater experience. I rebuild automatic transmissions myself because I refuse to pay outrageous prices for what I view as a relatively simple, although time consuming, task.
There's two main reasons people believe the myth about automatic transmissions:
(1) How an automatic transmission works is somewhat mysterious. The internal operation of an engine or manual transmission is relatively easy to see and understand. As with vehicle electrical systems, the actual operation of the hydraulic system in automatic transmission cannot be seen. Both of these systems require quite a bit of effort (and a bit of faith) to understand. Unlike electrical systems, malfunction is almost always due to contaminates plugging up the system. (Torque converters tend to be especially baffling in terms of understanding how one part can transfer rotational force to another part without actually touching the other part.)
(2) Automatic transmissions contain lots of similar parts that can cause problems if they're not in the right place. In particular, the hydraulic valve body that controls the transmission operation contains many springs and check balls with barely discernible differences.
Unlike engines, most automatic transmission rebuilds serve mostly to just refresh the transmission, with internal cleaning and replacement of clutches, bands, and seals. I've never encountered the need for any machine work and most internal parts simply never wear out.
Just about every problem with an A727 can be traced to plugged filters, old fluid, insufficient fluid level, and/or overheating. Vehicles with automatic transmissions have a separate fluid cooler built into the radiator. ((Nowadays, most replacement radiators come with the internal tranny fluid cooler, which is simply left capped off when the radiator is used in a vehicle with a manual transmission.) Unless you spend a lot of time idling at a standstill in temperatures over 90 degrees, overheating shouldn't be a problem.
Simply put, it's reasonable to expect an A727 to outlast multiple engines, several vehicles, and a long string of owners. If I live long enough, I wouldn't be surprised to encounter an A727 that's still working just fine after several million miles. Based on what I've seen, an A727 could last a couple of hundred years, assuming regular fluid and filter changes, an occasional "rebuilds" to replace aging seals and worn clutches and bands, and replacement of a few worn-out torque converters.
This is enough for now. In my next post, I'll try to dispel your notions regarding the 360 engine.
Oh, yeah ... for those who have been following my ramblings, I do plan to get back to vehicle electrical systems, resuming where I left off with SLI versus deep cycle batteries.
1970 Explorer Class A on a 1969 Dodge M300 chassis with 318 cu. in. (split year)
1972 Executive Class A on a Dodge M375 chassis with 413 cu. in.
1973 Explorer Class A on a Dodge RM350 (R4) chassis with 318 engine & tranny from 1970 Explorer Class A
This is why I've been looking for an owner's manual...it'll HAVE all the specs & tell me the type of trans, like you just did & that it's reliable & hearty. I'd like to find out about this stuff before I make the long drive out there.
Because it happens to be one of the first that I came across, & the price was right, though there were no pics, i emailed them anyway & got a response the next day. The woman said her husband could call me with all the details. And before I knew it, he was telling me what work he had done to it & how it "wasn't real nice to look at". His tech savvy mother-in-law helped his wife send pics. The exterior's the original maroon & gray stripes on a white cabin. The interior is white, black hot pink. LOTS of hot pink, LOL! But hey, I'm a survivor, I can make anything work, haha!
I still have feelers out, but my mom thinks I'm too psyched about this '76 Lindy & that I'm putting all my eggs in 1 basket. I can't help it if the 1st person I made contact with has the exact body style RV I was looking for. All I told them was that I'd like to see pics because from their ad, I couldn't look up a pic, so I had absolutely NO idea what their rig looked like & there it was....They sent all the interior pics first, then voilá: I think you guys call it the cab over or over-cab design. He said bumper to bumper it's 24', but I can only find blurbs of info on 22' & 23 footers on '76 Lindys, so, I can only assume he either measured incorrectly, or the sizes of RVs do not include the bumpers, maybe?
I just wish I could get a darn manual. Shoot, maybe I'll try Amazon. They truly have everything else. (shrug) ;-/
Thanks Griff, it's nice to know someone who knows his $#/÷. You're like a walking encyclopedia. Are you a mechanic, or do you "just play one on the internet", LOL?
~Meghan
To continue from my previous post ...
The fact the motorhome you're considering has a 360 engine is not a mark against it. There's no reason to be wary of the 360 and having that engine may very well be a reason to prefer that motorhome over other possibilities.
The fact there's little mention of the 360 engine in this thread may be due to few people having any problems with their 360 engines. People tend to sound off when they're having problems or are dissatisfied. Alternatively, the lack of mention may be due to more people having big block engines. So, it's a guessing game as whether the lack of mention is due to the engine's reliability or relatively few numbers among this crowd.
I think it was Leeann who said people tend to be satisfied with their engines, regardless of whether they have small blocks or big blocks, as long as they do the job.
I've said it before and will repeat my opinion: Most motorhomes are unnecessarily overpowered with big block engines. Leeann is the only person I know who has a reasonable justification for having a big block engine. In her case, the motorhome is routinely used to tow a large, heavy trailer to carry all the stuff needed to support her husband's boat racing endeavors.
While there's been a long history of people trying to create motorhomes, the commercial production of motorhomes began in the late '50s. (The exact date depends on which book you read and people's definition of commercial production.)
These early production motorhomes were built on Dodge chassis equipped with the 225 cu. in. slant-six engines. Because of its design, the slant-six had ample torque and power and the motorhomes with them had good acceleration and were capable of tackling most passes in mountainous areas. Unfortunately, the slant-six had limited top-end, which generally prevented the motorhomes from getting much over 50 mph.
This is probably the start of the general impression that motorhomes are slow, lumbering, traffic-impeding obstacles, an impression that's perpetuated by rubber-necking tourists.
Interestingly, motorhome manufacturers abandoned the slant-six in favor of V8 engines with more top-end around the same time as the oil embargo and the nationwide 55 mph speed limit. (Around the same time, I traded my '49 International Metro, which couldn't go over 65 mph without blowing up the engine, for my go-fast '66 Dodge Polara, which was capable of 120+ mph speeds.)
The 1976-era 360 was the largest of the LA small block family, that consisted of the 273, 318, 340, and 360 engines. You may have noted my signature block lists a 1969/1970 (split year) M300 Class A Explorer with a 318 engine. You may also have noted I am swapping that engine (and A727 transmission) into my 1973 RM350 chassis, which originally had a 440 engine. (The engine and transmission were missing when that chassis was given to me.)
Elsewhere in this thread, I've mentioned the M300's performance, with particular reference to Turnagain Pass. The following picture gives you some idea as what that pass is like, although it's evident to me that they've made improvements to reduce some of the steeper grades in the two decades since I last travelled it.
![[image]](http://www.susanstevenson.com/Journal/2013/June_Seward/8323SewardHwyP.jpg)
Likewise, I've made mention of my '77 B200 van, which also had a 318 engine. The van had 2.8 miles on the odometer when I bought and was still on the "rolling parking lot" (i.e., automobile transportation semi-trailer) when I first saw it. I had to wait several hours, with a firm grip on the keys to the '75 AMC Gremlin I was trading in, while the dealer prep'd it.
That van was still running when I traded it off after 8-1/2 years and 170,000+ miles of hard use. (It lead me to be pulled over for going the speed limit. The trooper explained, "This is the slowest I've ever seen this van go and wanted to make sure it wasn't stolen.")
BTW - The Dodge 3.9 liter V6 is based on the LA small block engines. It is essentially a 318 minus two cylinders and some of the parts (such as pistons, connecting rods, and water pumps) are interchangeable between the 3.9L V6 and the 318 V8.
Based on my experience, I have significant appreciation for the 318 LA small block engine. It is a strong, durable engine, which is why I chose it for my "impossible" project of building a custom motorhome, with one of the project goals being 20+ mpg out of a Class A motorhome. (My M300 got 15-16 mpg after I tweaked the engine ... and behaved myself.) My experience with the 318 is also the primary reason I sought out and obtained a 3.9L V6 for a future as-yet-to-be-determined project.
During the time I owned it, the 318 engine in my '77 B200 gave me very few problems. I replaced timing chain and gears (once), had a valve job done on the heads (once), and rebuilt the Carter BBD carburetor (multiple times).
The timing chain and gears reached their expected life span in terms of mileage, so that replacement was reasonable.
I've since learned the valve job on the heads was probably unnecessary and was likely counterproductive. I've learned there is a known problem with the stock valve stems seals in mid- to late-70s LA small blocks disintegrating prematurely. Disintegrated valve stem seals allow oil to be drawn past the valve stems into the cylinders, resulting excess oil consumption and blue tailpipe smoke. The seals can be replaced without removing the heads, provided the person doing the job knows what they're doing. Valve jobs, by themselves, tend to increase piston ring blow-by due to improved sealing between the valve heads and seats. On this basis, I cannot recommend a valve job unless you also, at a minimum, re-ring the pistons.
The multiple carburetor rebuilds were my own unwitting fault, due to excessive routine use of gas line antifreeze. The alcohol in the antifreeze was eating up the carburetor seals and gaskets, leading to lean fuel mixture due to air leaks. This is a problem you may encounter, due to the alcohol in some modern gasoline blends. Newer carburetor rebuild kits contain seals and gaskets that are much more resistant to alcohol, which should eliminate the problem following the first rebuild. (The problem may not apply to you, if the carburetor has already been rebuilt within the past decade or so.) In any case, I'd try to avoid gasoline blends that contain alcohol. (These are usually, but not always, called ethanol blend.) Also, I'd avoid, like the plague, inexpensive gas line antifreeze sold in the yellow bottles and its equivalent products. (This one case where more expensive tends to be better.)
All four of the LA small block engines are reasonably equivalent in terms of strength, durability, and reliability. I prefer the 318 but have no reason to turn my nose up at the other three. Assuming you don't expect sports car performance out of your motorhome, and don't plan to haul heavy trailers, you should be reasonably satisfied with a 360 engine.
Okay, I'm done ... let the arguments and "yeah, but ..." replies commence.
Soon2BNewbie wrote:
Thanks Griff, it's nice to know someone who knows his $#/÷. You're like a walking encyclopedia. Are you a mechanic, or do you "just play one on the internet", LOL?
Thanks Griff, it's nice to know someone who knows his $#/÷. You're like a walking encyclopedia. Are you a mechanic, or do you "just play one on the internet", LOL?
You're welcome, that's what we're here for.
The best way to describe me is a "shade-tree" mechanic who doesn't even have a shade tree. My mechanic'ing started in grade school, when I successfully put together several lawn mower engines my dad had tried to fix. In each case, he gave up and threw all the parts in a box with his previous attempts at repair. (He was a very successful administrator, with natural leadership abilities, but couldn't put together a nut and bolt without cross-threading them ... his plumbing "fixes" were a wonder to behold.) For me, the box of parts were like a bunch of 3D jigsaw puzzles.
My experience has been gained over roughly five decades consisting of lots of mistakes, lessons learned the hard way, advice and help from older people, damaged tools, and blown up engines.
It helps that I grew up without TV, which caused me to develop an addiction to reading. That, combined with an almost limitless curiosity, lead to me being largely self-taught in a wide range of areas.
(Yes, I do have a fairly high IQ, although I was never allowed to see the result of the IQ tests I took. Eventually, I figured out that IQ scores are relatively meaningless and that people of average intelligence are often more productive than the "smart" ones.)
The avatar in my signature block is a fairly good reflection on my approach to life. It's even funnier when you find out that every time I pick up a welding torch everybody around me grabs a fire extinguisher. (I would say, "**** happens," but in the military one of my mottoes was, "I make **** happen," complete with a coffee cup.)
In real life, I'm a retired USAF Master Sergeant and a disabled veteran, married 38 years (give or take a few months) to a female Vietnam-Era USAF veteran.
Professionally, I'm a semi-retired systems analyst and software engineer, with roughly 48 years training and experience spread across the computer industry.
The best way sum up my life so far is to say, "****!! I had fun getting here."
(I also have fun screwing with this forum's nanny routines ... which is why you sometimes see censorship asterisks in my posts.
As for manuals, start with a Chiltons or Haynes that includes information on the 1976 Dodge B300 1-ton van. The motorhome you're considering is a Class C, based on the cut-away van chassis, which is sometimes called an incomplete chassis. The actual model is probably MB300, with an engine, drivetrain, suspension, cab, and so forth that is, for the most part, identical to the B300. (The CB300 is the commercial version of the MB300, used to by secondary manufacturers to build box vans.)
BTW - Leeann and I both have Class A motorhomes, built on bare bones chassis with everything, including the cab, built by the secondary manufacturer. (The older "eye-brow" Winnebagoes are the most familiar Class A motorhomes.) Class A motorhomes add a "whole 'nother" bit of "entertainment" when it comes to figuring out and working on them. (The fact that most of them were built on medium duty truck chassis makes it a lot harder to find parts and information.)
Chiltons and Haynes manuals are now owned and printed by the same company. As someone recently pointed out in this thread, recent versions of both manuals are almost worthless but are a reasonable starting point for you. What you really want is a decades-old used copy of either or both.
The best thing to have is a Motor manual but those tend to be expensive and hard to come by. (I snatch up any inexpensive used Motor manuals I run across just because I like collecting reference material, even when it doesn't apply to anything I own.) Most better municipal libraries have Motor manuals in their reference section so you can go there to look up more detailed information.
OEM manuals are very hard to find and carefully guarded by those who have them. (The parts manager at the local Dodge dealer is jealous of the condition of the OEM parts manual I have, compared to the copy he has.)
I'm kinda PO'ed at my daughter because what will eventually be her third ex-husband left a large stack of my reference material out in the rain, including a large collection of CarQuest catalogs I rescued from the dumpster, most of which applied to our motorhomes. (She just married him but my money's on her eventually getting rid of him too.)
In addition to manuals on the chassis, drivetrain, and cab, you'll need manuals on the refrigerator, furnace, range, hot water heater, and whatever other appliances and equipment you have. These are all separate manuals and Leeann is very good at helping you find this kind of information.
It's very unlikely, as you've already found out, that you will find much information on the Lindy coach itself. For the most part, you'll have ferret out information on your own or, more likely, rely on this group to help you stumble your way through things.
No, to the best of my knowledge, there is no single manual that covers everything on one particular motorhome. Finding all the bits and pieces of information is part of the frustration/adventure in owning an older motorhome. (Whether it's frustration or adventure depends on your attitude, approach, and emotions at any given moment.)
BTW - With the possible exception of very expensive models, even newer recreational vehicles do not have enough insulation for anything more than three season use. Just about the only way to get a recreation vehicle (including motorhomes, travel trailers, and pickup campers) with enough insulation for true four season use is to build it yourself, especially when it comes to northern climates. My current project will have walls with at least R15 insulation, which should allow me to use it down to -30 degrees without too much discomfort and heating fuel. (I have a few other wrinkles that will help it serve as comfortable subzero shelter.)
I keep going back over this discussion and thinking of things I should have added.
Have your mother read the stuff I've posted recently. Then, tell her that, 40 some years ago, my mother felt the same way about my motor vehicle adventures as your mother feels about what you're considering.
On the other hand, your mother has some very valid concerns and you should take them into consideration. (Same as my situation, way back when ... sometimes I listened, sometimes I didn't, and was 50/50 on learning the hard way or being successful.)
When they were in their teens, I made my son and daughter learn motor vehicle maintenance and repair. It wasn't just the simple stuff like oil changes and engine tune-ups. I made them do more complex things, like brake jobs, changing alternators, and helping me swap engines.
I really didn't care if they ever did any of these things again. I just wanted them to know enough to avoid getting screwed by less-than-reputable repair shops.
When my daughter went into the Army, she became the go-to person for motor vehicle advice and guidance. Simply put, she knew more about motor vehicles than most of her fellow soldiers. (She has stories to tell about some of the stupid things she saw.)
I've already mentioned her '59 Plymouth Savoy resto-mod project. I don't necessarily agree with her plans to use a 383 cu. in. big block in it but it's her project so I try to keep my mouth shut. The Savoy has a lightweight body and chassis and the 383 has enough power to turn it into one helluva rocket.
(Keeping my mouth shut is made a lot easier by the fact we're currently mad at each other and not talking.)
Her efforts on that project are much more difficult because she's 100% disabled and raising two kids. (Three if you count her recently acquired third husband.)
My son didn't pay much attention to those lessons and he kind of regrets it now that he's older. He now has to go to his sister, or me when he build up the nerve. He knows I know exactly why the engine in his wife's Subaru blew up and realizes he's partially responsible. They both managed to "step in it" big time, which is why I withdrew my offer to help them find a replacement engine and install it. (He's still married to his first wife so he has, in many respects, been reasonably successful.)
two 2-ton hydraulic jacks. We dropped the little trans onto our chests & had to shimmy out from the truck, trying not to drink too much residual trans fluid, LOL! That was my father for ya'.
I'm 34. When I was in my early 20s, I moved to FL, my Mom called me every day. I waitressed, tended bar & went to Massage Therapy school. Got engaged. Got a job at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples...the Ritz that aaallll the other Ritz employees around the world are jealous of. My fiancé joined the Army: Airborne Infantry...because he couldn't hold a regular job. I xrove back & forth from Southwest FL to Ft Benning & then from FL to Ft Bragg near Fayetteville, NC every weekend (bout 12 hr drive 1 way) until he all but threatened to cheat on me if I didn't move up there (which he probably already had). See, he was living in the barracks. If I moved there, they would put him in off-post housing, because on-post housing was full...and he'd get to ride my bike again. I had a brand new 04 GSXR750. So, in my naivety, I left the job of a lifetime, the people who had become my family, the 20 minute-away beach (from home) my job was ON the beach, a dog beach that my dog Shadow had made friends at, a climate to die for, Publix subs, I could go on forever. I lasted a year in North Cackalacki. We lived out in the sticks in Raeford. I worked 5 jobs because nothing was full-time. I didn't know how I'd handle the divorce, so I went back up north to Mom's. That was 05. I've moved out a few times, but you can't make money here. Bike got repoed, SUV too. Bought a car, had a freak seizure from some medicine Drs should've known not to combine, totalled that SUV. Buoght an old Buick car, got run off the road into this poor guy's pristine quad cab 4x4 chevy pick-up. So, here I am...34 years old trying to leave home again, LOL! It's a good thing Mom & I get along. But I've always been more of the nomad type & she likes the safety of putting down roots & we just can't seem to get on the same page with that. She worries. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. :-)