CNCToolCat's Cat-House

[cnctoolcat]

So the new QT28 proves to be run-ready, except for a bum tailstock body clamp mechanism.

I noticed in the pics before buying a hydro line feeding the tailstock manifold was plugged off, so I new something was up.

Only way to find out: I re-connected the hydro line to the tailbody manifold, and powered up the QT.

Whoa! Hydro oil spewing out the bottom of tailbody.

So off comes the cover plate:

Low and behold, the problem was easy to figure out. The hydraulic clamping bolt was broken clean off!

In the above pic, I have already removed the pancake piston, and that’s the broken bolt you see in the center. It connects to a large clamping plate (in the rear) that locks the tailbody when the piston is activated.

Here you can see where the 40 mm bolt broke right at the corner of one of the o-ring grooves:

Mazak had the bolt in stock in Kentucky, but @ $700 that wasn’t happening. [emoji44]

Even worse, the lock nut was $900!

(Although for a 1995 machine, for the builder to have obscure parts in stock, that’s pretty amazing really).

So, I set out to machine a new bolt, nothing difficult really.

One design improvement was a minimum .05” corner radius in the 2 o-ring grooves!

Here’s the Mazak o-ring groove:
(Notice the ID corners)

And here’s the Cathouse version:

Next post will show how I use a 1988 Mazak QT15 using Mazatrol to make a new bolt, stay tuned.

ToolCat Greg

 

[Overland]

Where'd he go ?

 

[Antarctica]

So I took the family down to southwest Virginia (Damascus) in early August for a short vacation. Intent was to do some hiking, fly-fishing, bike riding, etc. There was a lot of rain but we got all the planned activities done by missing rain and being flexible.

I've always had the location on Greg's shop in the back of my mind (we both went to Virginia Tech), so I decided to call him up to see if I could stop by and meet an actual PM member face-to-face. I didn't want to take too much of his time, but I did just that! Spent a couple hours talking about machining, his Mazak's, the economic climate etc. The Barber Coleman gear hobbling machines were super cool. I had a blast!!

Anyway, thanks Greg for taking the time to let me stop by! I really enjoy meeting you (there are actual humans behind PM identities!) and the shop tour.

 

[cnctoolcat]

Been busy at the Cathouse, thus no posts as of late. (I still read PM about every day though!)

So, I picked up this 2012 Toyota Tundra regular-cab, long-bed, 2WD w/4.0 V6 back in August for hauling parts for the shop. Truck had 225k TX and SC highway miles, not a spec of rust, paid only $7K. Plus it had the nice fold-up tonneau cover.

I replaced the brakes at all four corners with Powerstop “towing” pads, rotors, and calipers, added a set of SumoSprings to the rear, and added LT tires.

I also changed all the fluids, and FluidFilm treated the frame and underbody.

She routinely hauls up to 2,000 pounds of parts around the hills and mountains of southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky...not bad for a "1/2-ton" truck, eh?

The standard engine in the smaller Tacoma truck and 4Runner (and others), people talk about the all-aluminum 4.0 twin OHC V6 being a “dog”, but I think Toyota’s engine tuning and transmission programming (Aisin 5 speed---bulletproof), combined with lighter empty weight, make this truck fairly peppy.

Even with a load she gets up to speed and holds it plenty well enough for our use.

Plus, she gets a very respectable 20mpg when running without a load.

During the build years of the Gen2 truck (07-21), Toyota produced about two million Tundras, yet only 6,000 of those were regular-cab, long-bed models!

ToolCat

 

[Garwood]

It is interesting that it's actually difficult to find a used single cab pickup newer than about 2005.

My DD is a CCLB Superduty. I get tired of how big it is. I find I'm almost never using it for truck stuff when also carrying the family. A single cab longed f350 4x4 with a flatbed would do Everything I need. And be much nicer to park and back up trailers.

 

[DrHook]

Around here, a single cab long box two wheel drive with a V-6 is like hen's teeth. And about as useful on the farms and ranches or in the snow.

 

[david n]

I ran two wheelers most of my life.........The first 4x4 I ever owned was a Burb about 12 yrs ago.............and I never drove it...............It was the Lil Woman's rig. And the Burb before that was 2wd.............my current pickup is a 4x.............has maybe 57k on it. And prolly <100 miles of that were in 4wd........................I guess if I went ice fishing or hunted way out in the middle of now where I'd use all 4 grippers more...................

 

[bryan_machine]

Lots of places where 4x4 doesn't seem to make much sense, until you've lived through a "burst winter" in a place that doesn't really have what the midwest calls winter. Seattle metro for example. Not that much total snow, but quite a pile of it all at once, and we do get rightous ice storms - combined with lots of very steep driveways (mine), steep roads, and far fewer of the subtle adaptations that places with real winters have. The net result is total mayhem for a few weeks at a time. Do I use 4x4 very often? No. Do I use it every year? Yes. Every. Single. Year. For such exotic heavy duty tasks as fetching groceries...

 

[Garwood]

Lots of places where 4x4 doesn't seem to make much sense, until you've lived through a "burst winter" in a place that doesn't really have what the midwest calls winter. Seattle metro for example. Not that much total snow, but quite a pile of it all at once, and we do get rightous ice storms - combined with lots of very steep driveways (mine), steep roads, and far fewer of the subtle adaptations that places with real winters have. The net result is total mayhem for a few weeks at a time. Do I use 4x4 very often? No. Do I use it every year? Yes. Every. Single. Year. For such exotic heavy duty tasks as fetching groceries...

I visit my inlaws every week, sometimes everyday. It is not possible to get up their driveway without 4wd.

I've been without a 4wd pickup and it sucks for what I do. I once got my 2wd pickup completely stuck backing a trailer up my own driveway. The rear slid to the side just a foot towards the fence and I couldn't do a damn thing. In my own driveway. The truck was a beater and I was pissed and in a hurry so I made a Dodge commercial and got it out, but 4wd would have been one click and drove right out.

 

[Ox]

More like "one lever pull and I wouldn't'a been there to begin with."

Other than 1 straight truck, I haven't owned anything that wasn't 4wd in >30 yrs.
Yeah, we use'm!

But a 'Burban has got to be one of the most capable machines out there! Even in 2wd (with real tires) those will go through a LOT!
A limited slip would help a 2wd tho.


-----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[david n]

More like "one lever pull and I wouldn't'a been there to begin with."

Other than 1 straight truck, I haven't owned anything that wasn't 4wd in >30 yrs.
Yeah, we use'm!

But a 'Burban has got to be one of the most capable machines out there! Even in 2wd (with real tires) those will go through a LOT!
A limited slip would help a 2wd tho.


-----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Most of my 2 wheelers had posi.........little bit of weight in the box and I never had an issue. With 2wd you just got comfortable with where you could and could not drive...............but the one wheel wonders really sucked in snow and mud.. .................

 

[bryan_machine]

I will note that some of the best winter performance advice (from the era when I drove Porsches) is that before you go for a costly 4x4, make sure you have 1st rate winter tires. Poor tires will cripple a 4x4, really great tires help most any 2wd.

But my driveway is my driveway....

 

[DrHook]

More like "one lever pull and I wouldn't'a been there to begin with."

Other than 1 straight truck, I haven't owned anything that wasn't 4wd in >30 yrs.
Yeah, we use'm!

But a 'Burban has got to be one of the most capable machines out there! Even in 2wd (with real tires) those will go through a LOT!
A limited slip would help a 2wd tho.


-----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Yes.. the ol' "go anywhere lever". No buttons for me, either.
One must have the correct tires, or yer better off stayin' at home. It isn't just about goin places you don't REALLY have to when the snow/ice season goes from October to June, it's more about getting around the struggling ones who can't (or shouldn't) drive, and are out to get ya.