wrecker comes to life!!

[zb39]

My 543a2 fired up today!!!!! I have been messing with it for a week and a half. If you don't know, it was under water in Iowa for a few days. It came with 1 gal of water in the pan and 22 gals in the fuel tank and lines. Got it all out, took the starter out and freed it up, put it back in and it almost killed me. that thing weighs a ton. 2 new batts, rolled it down hill to check the engine was free. Reinstalled 3 injecters and hooked up all the lines. shot some either and it poped. Drained all the fuel filiters and lines, finally had fuel and not h2o everywhere. 3 shots of either and it came to life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..Drove it around the yard a little. clutch needs adjusted, spent awhile on that and it's still not perfect. After tracing linkages and ptos for awhile i got the front winch going and i got the hoist going!!!!....All controls work great, it winch, hoist goes up and down as does the boom,...boom extends and retracts and the whole thing swivels left and right, very smoothly also,....i never found evidence of water in the hydrolic fluid..I AM PUMPED!!!! Thanks to those that answered my stupid questions in PMs, and those selling accs.. stupid question, does the boom extension have a stop, i don't want it comming out of the end. Thanks to all and this GREAT site. I also need a new rear drag winch if anybody has 1....

 

[gimpyrobb]

SAweet! Its great to do so much work and have it "come alive"! Welcome to the club.

 

[54reo]

Yes, the boom has a stop at the end of the travel.

Congrats!

 

[zb39]

You KNOW it!!!!! I have been out there every day after work and weekends. Love every minute. I have not taken any pics yet and i don't know if i could download them anyways..

 

[rat4spd]

Did you wash the river out of it? Congrats on getting her running!

 

[zb39]

A LOT of dried mud inside. I need to shop vac it out. kind of like a 1/2 inch all dried up and cracked!!. Tool boxes were all full to, all 5 of them, now if i only knew what it all was..

 

[gimpyrobb]

A LOT of dried mud inside. I need to shop vac it out. kind of like a 1/2 inch all dried up and cracked!!. Tool boxes were all full to, all 5 of them, now if i only knew what it all was..

Bring it to Haspin, or send it all to me and I'll tell you all about it.

 

[DUG]

Congrats man! I was watching that one, but if I would have one it would have ended up parked at Rat's for years.

Glad to hear she has a good home.

 

[papabear]

Outstanding job...and glad she lives!!
The ole wreckers are a real hoot to play with, and they even can do some good work!
Glad ya got one that will live.

 

[PorscheTech911]

Sounds like the mud is your 15 min heavy rain leak proofing! It'll save you about that long till you find shelter haha.

and of course congrats!!! DIY for life!

 

[jrou111]

I really gotta get me a wrecker.

BTW, This thread is worthless without pics!

 

[zb39]

Anybody have a lead on a rear winch? Now its time to fix the small things and get ready for paint. Is the front axle always engaged or only if the back slips? I see no lever or switch to engage the front axle...??

 

[Recovry4x4]

Old wreckers are a trip. I repowered my gasser deuce wrecker with a multifuel. The engine was a freeby and had no compressor, no front oil filter can and no injection lines. I drained 4 or 5 gallons of water out of the crankcase before oil started showing up. I was amazed that the engine even thought about running much less got the last 2 years of use out of it. I can't even imagine life without a wrecker in the yard.

 

[BKubu]

Check with John Tennis on the rear winch. I believe he is selling off some of RAM's old stuff and RAM had some NOS rear winches for a very reasonable amount.

 

[zb39]

Don't I know it. Nice clear water came out of the pan first, about a gal or so, then a milky crapy liquid, another gal, then I finally got real oil. Changed it all, this was before I even knew if the engine was free or not. First time i hooked up air to the system from my compressor I got bubbles and water comming out everywhere. Got it taken care of though. Oddly enough the brakes worked comming right off the trailer. That was the only thing i knew for sure that worked.

 

[zb39]

Bruce, I tried John and he didn't have any.......still looking.

 

[m.walker]

That's awesome ! They are interesting toys !

 

[5_TON_TOMATOE]

 

[cranetruck]

Congrats! Must be satisfying to get it running after what may have seemed like a hopeless case.

 

[zb39]

You know it. My son and daughter both love riding in it and running the hoist!! Replaced the shear pin in the front winch last nite and then untangled the wire rope, its in pretty good shape. I have to work on the exhaust stack and straighten it out.