Rosie's Rescue Mission
Last updated
11/22/2008
We have decided to name our '46 Manor after
"Rosie the
Riveter", famous World War II icon.
Several years of brush had grown up around Rosie.
8:30 AM - 27 Degrees
Chain saw in hand my day started with brush removal.
I packed so may of my tools, floor jack and
bottle Jacks, I felt like I was running away from home.
Slowly she came up off the ground.
I wish I had a picture of the surprised look on my face, after a few blows to the hub with a dead blow hammer, the hub rotated freely!
Disassembly of the "road side" found the grease
in fair shape.
Pulled the bearings, inspected the spindle and bearings, No damage, no wear. Cleaned and repacked with new grease.
Disassemble of the "curb side" found about a pound of sand had worked its way in over time. Easily cleaned, no damage. Pulled the bearings, cleaned and repacked with new grease. Washed everything down with an entire can of brake cleaner.
Ken's timing could not have been better. I was at a point where a decision needed to be made about the tires and rims I found, stored under the trailer. Actually I was standing there staring at them wondering where I could get replacements in the area. They were 12 Ply "mobile home" tires. Some age cracking visible but in good shape. We checked to see if they still held air, they did! Off to fill them to a reasonable pressure, 40 PSI, and to pick up the tractor, planks and nylon rigging straps.
The front was too close to a substantial drop
off, so we had to carefully inch back, fifteen feet.
We placed a nylon strap on each side of the axle, near the hubs. Supported the
front my dropping the jack extension close to the ground and making a slide out
of 2" X 8" planking.
Several wiggle adjustments later, 18" at a time, we successfully moved "Rosie"
back enough to hook on with the tractor. Ken did an awesome job, carefully
backing up and adjusting so we could get to the paved area. There was a well
cover we needed to maneuver around as well just to add to the challenge. Once we
were hooked up it took about 45 minutes to complete moving Rosie from "the
hill".
A little must be said about the road you can see.
I have to give kudos' to whom
ever paved this road. It is by far the steepest grade I have ever seen, a
minimum of 20%. Without Ken and his Kubota, the extraction would have very
costly and far more difficult
It was too late in the day to transport the rig back to camp, some 35 miles away. We talked about it, and felt it better to make the run in the morning, one to have a chase vehicle and to ensure the tires actually did hold to pressure. So day two, started with a trip down the road to one of our RV sites at camp. I did not exceed 40 MPH and we pulled over every 5 to 8 miles to do a walk around. Route 118 Dorchester has to be one of the roughest paved roads in the state, due to its location and elevation, in excess of 3000' over the mountain.
The 8 and 12 ply tires that were stored under the rig we a bit shaky. I would never recommend traveling with a tire in this condition. I have seen an used worse "on the farm".
The Rim is a 5 bolt, 5 1/2" bolt pattern with a 3 7/8" center hole. The center
hole diameter makes the rim hard to come by. I was able to get rims, not exactly
what I wanted but the tires an rims are new, so no worry of a rubber fatigue
blow out.
Now for a bath.
Over the years a pretty good layer of mold and grime has formed all over the outside shell. It is a long ride home and we will be getting plenty of attention with the back road route we have chosen, no sense having it look like she just came out of the woods.
The Tow Home
As we eased out of the driveway at camp for the
ride home, Susan pulled up behind to be the chase vehicle. I looked back, she
was weaving and waving her arm out the window, great, this is gonna be a looong
ride home. The rear door had opened up. I secured the door and eased back on the
road. After 5 miles I stopped to do a walk around, and check the torque on the
wheels. No movement to speak of. Nice! Off again, she tracked much better, the
tires we used to get us to camp were mismatched by about an inch and a half.
Stopped again in 25 miles, re-verified the torque, no movement at all this time.
Along the way I spied a SPARTAN! 30' Mansion. The owners were out side staring
at ours as we stared at theirs. They offered a tour, like we would pass that up.
I took a bunch of photos. It was in incredible shape, un-restored, original,
absolutely perfect!
A stop for lunch at about 75 miles. Checked out the inside, a bit of dust had shaken loose but other than that she was riding very well.
Home at last!
Working space
