Hi, everyone, making that intro post. Our household has just got an older (I think maybe a '98 or '99) gas-powered, liquid-cooled 6x4 that I'll be taking care of and getting some work done with. (This guy I've dubbed 'Buggy,' rather than myself, really.) First one I've ever gotten involved in beyond driving or riding one years ago, but I'm the general mechanic/handyperson type around here. Thus the main driver of this.
I'm looking for a source for basic specs/info/what replacement parts/filters/fluids these guys want, spark plug gaps and the like. So far it seems the previous mechanics have done competent things, but I'm giving the fellow a good going over. Seems I'm mostly dealing with under-use issues and apparently an incident of teenage hot-dogging or two which might have messed up a tie rod and/or tweaked the frame a bit (The owner is getting on in years since then and may be overdramatizing, (cause she was mad at said teenager at the time,) but I'll measure. :))
I'm also wondering if anyone's ever tried adding a couple of springs or two to these tilt-beds, say, like from an old truck hood: I'm getting a bit creaky before my time and it would be nice if there were just enough assistance so I wouldn't have to hold the latch open while I lift the bed to get at things, so I could add a second handle and lift with both arms. (I suppose I might also make an extension to the release or something else just to hold it there for me, but I haven't got an idea for that yet. :)
Anyway, enough of that, nice to meet everyone, I hope. :)
I'm looking for a source for basic specs/info/what replacement parts/filters/fluids these guys want, spark plug gaps and the like. So far it seems the previous mechanics have done competent things, but I'm giving the fellow a good going over. Seems I'm mostly dealing with under-use issues and apparently an incident of teenage hot-dogging or two which might have messed up a tie rod and/or tweaked the frame a bit (The owner is getting on in years since then and may be overdramatizing, (cause she was mad at said teenager at the time,) but I'll measure. :))
I'm also wondering if anyone's ever tried adding a couple of springs or two to these tilt-beds, say, like from an old truck hood: I'm getting a bit creaky before my time and it would be nice if there were just enough assistance so I wouldn't have to hold the latch open while I lift the bed to get at things, so I could add a second handle and lift with both arms. (I suppose I might also make an extension to the release or something else just to hold it there for me, but I haven't got an idea for that yet. :)
Anyway, enough of that, nice to meet everyone, I hope. :)