6.29.2026

 Jim is contemplating work on the 4Runner - it would be a massive engine rebuild, so he's still not 100% ready to pull the trigger.  But he decided to take it up near the outdoor faucet and clean the engine compartment a bit.  He sprayed his magical cleaner on...

It's back in the auto bay and it looks pretty amazing!

He used the rest of the day to do some lawn mowing and trimming.

High 84.3/Low 56.5

6.28.2026

Jim had clean up to do from the big Bobcat job, putting all the tools away and getting everything back in place.

This afternoon, he started another project -  the tachometer for the chipper stopped working.  Jim contacted the company and they were great.  They sent Jim a new one in the mail.  This is the old one, not registering anything...

He had to take things apart a bit to get at it.  For now, we used some of our very heavy duty double sided tape to attach the tach to the machine and then Jim did the connecting...

He got it all put back together and started it up - it's working!

High 82.5/Low 59.7

6.27.2026

 Now that the Bobcat treads are back on, Jim had to adjust them.  That's done by putting in grease and measuring the droop of the tread...

Then he started up the Bobcat and operated the treads back and forward...

Then he adjusted the treads again...

What a huge job, but it's all done now!

Time to get ready for church!

High 76.9/Low 59.2

6.26.2026

Jim was back at work on the Bobcat today.  Trying to get more grease out of this cylinder... 

He took off the other sprocket, hoping that would help...

He finally came up with a way - he clamped everything in place...

Then he used the pry bar through the access hole...

Finally, all that grease started coming out...

Then he was able to start taking the tread off...

Trying to get the back off...

Success!

Draining the oil...

It only takes 2 ounces of special oil to fill up the drive train; however, they give you an 8 ounce bottle.  Jim used an eye dropper to get the right amount in...

Putting the sprocket back on...

He came up with a way to strap up the tread to help him get it on the back first...

Success - tread is on!  Obviously this doesn't show all the hard work in between to wrangle this 450 pound tread back on!

Starting the process all over on the other side - putting oil in...

Jim got the back part of the tread on, but is struggling to get the front on...

Success!  Jim was determined to get this tread on before calling it a day, and he got it done.  This whole right side was much more difficult than the left, for whatever reason.  So amazed that he was able to get all this done to this point!

High 74.2/Low 59.2

6.25.2026

The Bobcat is moved into the auto bay so that Jim can start his big maintenance project - replacing the hydrostatic oil in the drive train.  Unfortunately, on his model that requires taking the giant treads off.

Jim got to try out his new 3.5 ton jack - and it worked great, although it was still a chore lifting it up since the Bobcat weighs 7,500 pounds!

Next, he had to get blocking under the front lift assembly so that he could raise the Bobcat up...

It's officially in the air!

In order to be able to get the treads off, Jim has to get out all the grease from the cylinder...

Once he got the majority out, he put a strap around the tread to squeeze the rest out...

Next crazy step is to get the tread off.  You can see that he has to be able to lift it up over that pulley wheel...

It's off!  It was like wrestling with alligators and took probably 3 hours all together, but he did it!  No small feat - each of these treads weigh 450 pounds!

He opened up this access panel and found it was full of mouse nests and droppings, so he got all that cleaned out...

He then took this giant sprocket off...

Draining the old oil out - it only requires 2 ounces of oil!

With the left side well under way, Jim started on the right side, first removing the grease.  Unfortunately, this grease isn't coming out as easily as the other side did.  But that's tomorrow's job.

Jim stopped, got the trash out, showered and we headed to The Local to celebrate the progress!

High 77.1/Low 57.2 - rain in PM

 

6.24.2026

We may get rain tomorrow and then Jim will start on the Bobcat work, so in preparation, the Bobcat got a good cleaning... 

Lifting the front up all the way and cleaning...

Jim let it drip dry and did some grass cutting before putting everything away for the night.  

High 76.1/Low 55.9

6.23.2026

After our all-day rain yesterday, the trees were just saturated with water, turning the fir branches almost upside down, which made their color look almost silvery in certain lights.  The view out the back of the house - you can see how the branches are weighed down...

Jim is getting ready to work on the Bobcat.  His 2-ton floor jack wasn't going to work, so he ordered a new 3.5 ton one.  It came yesterday...

He got it all put together and ready to go!

After lunch, Jim went to the Bobcat store to pick up the drive oil he needs as well as a couple of new bolts.

Once he got home, he started cutting through the steel he had formed into rings...

Looking good!

Jim made another craigslist sale of a printer we've been trying to sell for months and months - a guy was driving from Boston to Syracuse and Jim met him and made the sale.  Always good to sell something we don't need that someone else can use - especially when it was big and took up a lot of space!

High 70.7/Low 58.2