The most creative road-side repairs I've ever done...

[gruveb]

I took my ugly 69 C10 out for some drifting on dirt roads yesterday. I've got the new 383 dialed in pretty good and it was time for some fun after months of wrenching.

Anyhow, I broke down and was able to find and use "stuff" to get the truck running again and make it back home. Here's how it went.

This is a good sign or such desires...basically 50 miles of dirt road:


I made it up the mountain, no problems, engine never got over 195*.

Coming down the mountain was no problem, brakes and steering worked great. Once down, suddenly, I had no throttle. The pin that connects the lever to the cable rattled out. Also missing, was the air cleaner nut and the throttle return spring!

I had some emergency tools and a leatherman.

I had no zip ties, no bailing wire. Luckily, sticking out of the road was a solid 8 gauge copper ground wire.



I used that for repair number one.


I was trying to figure out how to attach the air cleaner, thinking of wrapping some more wire around the bolt. The old nut was a fancy bow tie, and the bolt was a little short for the K&N filter. I walked around, looking for it, drinking my mountain dew, when it struck me that I could cut a hole in the lid with my knife and use that to get the air filter back on.





As for the throttle return spring, I had no cure. So when I picked up a stranded camper and drove him up to his SUV (a mountainous narrow road) with a dead battery, it was a bit touchy.

Beating on the old truck was a lot of fun.



I love my hood ornament!

Last pic, of my ugly old truck, which is definitely not meant to be fussed over.


I stopped at Autozone on the way back and picked up a new wing nut and spring, but I left the copper wire in place of the pin. It's a good memory.