Lust4GreenSteel
New member
- 154
- 8
- 0
- Location
- KC MO
First a little background on the situation.
After lurking here for several months, I began putting in some "lowball" bids on that popular auction site. At a particularly inopportune time, I won a Deuce. (Why do they call it winning when you agree to pay more than anyone else in the world was willing to pay?) The truck was 600 miles distant from me, so I listed it on uShip and had it delivered to the family farm - 90 miles from where we actually live. It was my intention to start spending more time at the farm, and to learn to maintain the truck myself even though I had never turned a wrench in my life.
That was a year and a half ago. In that time, I have driven the truck on the farm a handful of times, putting probably less than twenty miles on it. Twice, when I wanted to play with it, the brake pedal went to the floor. Filling the master cylinder and pumping the pedal for about a half hour restored brake function enough to drive it a little in the field.
Since I have owned it, I have never checked anything/ topped anything, adjusted anything, etc. other than putting a charger on the old batteries and the aforementioned brake "fix".
Further lurking here, my limited driving experience with the truck, and a bit of common sense tell me that I need to either get rid of the truck or find a mechanic that I trust to do the work that I am not going to do. I am not interested in maiming or killing myself or any innocent bystanders.
My wife has a ton of cousins on her father's side of the family. At every family gathering, they all want to know when they are going to get to see and play with the Big Green Truck. The last time this happened, I said that they probably weren't ever going to get to play with it because I didn't know how to maintain it and I didn't want to even risk driving it the ten miles from our farm to their base of operations. One of my wife's younger (adult) third cousins asked me about the truck. He volunteered that he didn't know much about the deuce because his experience in the local reserve was with the newer 5 tons. He asked if I knew about TMs and I told him I had a complete set. He said he could probably "help me with the truck if I got stuck or in over my head". I explained that what I wanted was someone to do the work FOR me, not help me. He said he could probably still help me if he could use the shop and tools at the family's base of operations.
My problem now is that I don't know what to offer to pay him. I want the truck completely checked out - fluids and filters changed, Brake system repaired/replaced (I already have the parts), wheels serviced, Fuel system checked and maintained, etc. I see this as an ongoing project. I am hoping I can get him to work 8-10 hours a week on the truck. If things work out and he is still interested, I am sure that the BGT would appreciate some company.
So, what is a fair pay rate (cash money, American)? How many hours a week/month does one need to work to keep a truck maintained once it is in good working order. How many hours does it take to replace the components of the brake system (new lines, new MC, new wheel cylinders, remote reservoir, etc). How many hours to completely service the wheels/hubs/etc.
I don't want to give up my truck. I think I have found the right mechanic. I want to keep him interested. What do you think would be fair.
Thanks in advance for your help.
After lurking here for several months, I began putting in some "lowball" bids on that popular auction site. At a particularly inopportune time, I won a Deuce. (Why do they call it winning when you agree to pay more than anyone else in the world was willing to pay?) The truck was 600 miles distant from me, so I listed it on uShip and had it delivered to the family farm - 90 miles from where we actually live. It was my intention to start spending more time at the farm, and to learn to maintain the truck myself even though I had never turned a wrench in my life.
That was a year and a half ago. In that time, I have driven the truck on the farm a handful of times, putting probably less than twenty miles on it. Twice, when I wanted to play with it, the brake pedal went to the floor. Filling the master cylinder and pumping the pedal for about a half hour restored brake function enough to drive it a little in the field.
Since I have owned it, I have never checked anything/ topped anything, adjusted anything, etc. other than putting a charger on the old batteries and the aforementioned brake "fix".
Further lurking here, my limited driving experience with the truck, and a bit of common sense tell me that I need to either get rid of the truck or find a mechanic that I trust to do the work that I am not going to do. I am not interested in maiming or killing myself or any innocent bystanders.
My wife has a ton of cousins on her father's side of the family. At every family gathering, they all want to know when they are going to get to see and play with the Big Green Truck. The last time this happened, I said that they probably weren't ever going to get to play with it because I didn't know how to maintain it and I didn't want to even risk driving it the ten miles from our farm to their base of operations. One of my wife's younger (adult) third cousins asked me about the truck. He volunteered that he didn't know much about the deuce because his experience in the local reserve was with the newer 5 tons. He asked if I knew about TMs and I told him I had a complete set. He said he could probably "help me with the truck if I got stuck or in over my head". I explained that what I wanted was someone to do the work FOR me, not help me. He said he could probably still help me if he could use the shop and tools at the family's base of operations.
My problem now is that I don't know what to offer to pay him. I want the truck completely checked out - fluids and filters changed, Brake system repaired/replaced (I already have the parts), wheels serviced, Fuel system checked and maintained, etc. I see this as an ongoing project. I am hoping I can get him to work 8-10 hours a week on the truck. If things work out and he is still interested, I am sure that the BGT would appreciate some company.
So, what is a fair pay rate (cash money, American)? How many hours a week/month does one need to work to keep a truck maintained once it is in good working order. How many hours does it take to replace the components of the brake system (new lines, new MC, new wheel cylinders, remote reservoir, etc). How many hours to completely service the wheels/hubs/etc.
I don't want to give up my truck. I think I have found the right mechanic. I want to keep him interested. What do you think would be fair.
Thanks in advance for your help.