Hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

[cnc]

Hope you all had a nice Christmas, We did. We cut way back on the cost and amount of the gifts this year with a ceiling on how much we could each spend. Sure there was still a few gifts for everyone, but it seems more thought went into each one. This years holiday seemed more about the gathering of family and friends and less about the commercial aspect, it was a nice change.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

That is really nice to hear. I think next year I will suggest drawing names. With a total of six children and 13 grand children and having to buy for each person it has just become too expensive. My budget just isn't big enough for that kind of buying.

[macmac]

Calm and peaceful around heya. Solved the money problem just sending a small gift to my son in Iraq.

[ringadingh]

Im sure he'll welcome receiving the gift Bill. Havn't seen to much of you around here the last couple weeks, hope everything is going well for you.

[macmac]

Just busy. Busted everything, and cut lots of fire wood. Pretty typical.

Just today I installed the plow on the LL's 1 ton and it had 2 wiring problems both related to the plow. No bloomin bok so it was track and trace.

Then since for the last 3 days the cage starter has been acttin' up I checked that out. I had the idea the batter older than 2002 because it has over spray on it from the paint then, but is older, was givin up the ghost. Wrong. The battery is fine 12.6 standing, holds a load fine, takes a charge fine.

Cleaned the battery terminals and the starter terminals still Click. That start motor is buried too, but I got it out and opened it up, thinking I would un-solder the solenoid later, and grease the bushings. Well that did it. I found one of 4 brush holder set off apx 45 degrees.

That brush was worn funny which shows it was off set a pretty long time. A little arcing mark on the holder showed up too.

So I got help from Gwyn as this is a 3 hands sort of job, and we fixed it. There is no heat in the barn where much of this took place, but it was only + 22 F , so not real bad.

I ran out of light and light in the barn is grim at best, so the stater got checked out and is good to go, and will be installed asap. Might be plowin just a little here in the AM.

Weatherman says 8 inches over night and 4 to 6 more later, so plowing comes first.

I like the snow though so I am good with that. Hope for more.

[ringadingh]

Good to know you got it fixed, working out in the cold can be a pain sometimes. I just got done fixing my snowblower, the screw that holds the choke butterfly on the shaft came off and got sucked through the motor. It took out the piston, rings, and head. I replaced it all and it all working well. I was real lucky that it didn't score the cylinder.

[cnc]

Looks like the snow your getting in the eastern U.S will miss us up here in Montreal. Suits me fine, we've had enough already for a bit. I've run a small snow removal business on the side for a number of years, so working on busted machines in the cold and snow is very familiar to me. I feel for you Mac, it's no fun, especially the older we get.

[caper]

Thanks Norm, We had a great X-mas and decided not to buy any gifts for each other .The 2 girls we did buy for. Darlene and I ,well we use the gift money on other things ,travel etc!! What we both want!! AND to everyone ,,,,, have a blast at New Years :):)

[macmac]

That start motor still seems ify but it works. I wonder if apx 1/2 brush contact is why?

I plowed apx 8 inches of the white stuff, not too bad for here. It just takes a long time.

The dump truck does the 1/2 mile driveway, the Bob cat cleans up in the door yard , goes around the barn, and since the lawn is newer and not yet really frozen I used the snow blower, and in the high winds I ended up looking like Frosty the Snow Man.

A good bit of field gets plowed for just storage. I still have the wood pile where log length is to clear so I can cut that in days ahead.

I spend a lot of time outdoors and coming be used to it. The cold tools bug me though.

Geeze, that barn was built for horses and so has a vented ridge cap. This storm was a little windy and that vent allowed snow to dump on the open hood and into the engine compartment. That was the only place too. A little charger was covered in snow , some melting into it since it was ON. The tools I had left on the rad top with nuts and bolts were buried. I wasn't happy much.

I hope that brush wears in.
I will get my wife to flip the key and see if it is the copper contacts in the solienoid. With a test light there on the start side if it clicks and no current passes into the motor I will yank that starter again, and un-solder that solienoid and fix it.

[sly]

Thanks Norm, all the best to you and your family, and that goes to all of you in Nad land.
Had a quiet Chritmas on my end, worked and it was quiet... Have been off since Monday and won't be going back 'till next week. Nice... Going away for a few days so Happy New Year all the best for 2011, some chrome, early spring and lots of safe mileage... Hope to see you all in June, I miss my bike SNIF