Day 2303

 I got up about 8, but didn't get up until 9:30.  I had a good game going.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast followed by a short surfing session.  After that I got out all of the tools and started working on the Ryft.

I made good progress.  I finished the cage.  I also connected up all of the suspension linkages and the driveshafts.  That seems like a short list, but it was a lot of work.  The next step will be to combine the two.  I didn't feel like doing any more.  Continuing would have seemed like work so I put everything away.

I surfed for a while and then had a sandwich for lunch.After that I surfed until 5:30.  I probably should have gone out to the garage to work on the bike rack, but I just didn't feel like it.

At 5:30 I went out to bring in the garbage can.  A bumper and a servo for the new build had been delivered.  I'm going to call the new build the "power wagon".  I don't have a body for it right now, but that's what I'm planning on using.

I opened the package.  The workmanship on the bumper is outstanding.  I decided to install the servo and the bumper.  That's when Chinese workmanship started biting me - and it didn't quit.  The bumper mount was too big for the frame mount.  I had to go out to the garage to drill out the frame mount.  The bumper fits, but just barely.  Things are very tight at the front of the frame.  The bumper, servo, and motor all want to occupy about the same space.

My next task was installing the servo.  There are no instructions, so it took me a while to figure out how it went.  I hooked the servo to the old SCX24 electronics and centered it.  I was about to install it when I realized that I'd have to install the motor first.  Dinner occurred first, Ellen fixed stir-fry using the noodles we bought at the Japanese store.  It was good.

With no instructions I had to puzzle out how to install the motor.  The process involves taking apart part of the gear box, installing the pinion, attaching the motor, and putting everything back together.  It was made harder because the holes for the motor mount were drilled incorrectly.  It took me quite awhile to figure that out.  It took another trip to the garage to drill the holes out so that the motor would fit.  Getting the gear box back together wasn't fun either.

The last thing I wanted to do was install the servo.  I was just about to install the last screw when I noticed that the front axles weren't straight because the steering link was too short.  I searched for, and luckily found, a couple of spacers.  I did have to go out to the garage again to drill them out.  I took off the link ends, installed the spacers, and put the link ends back on.  I was really happy when I installed the lengthened link and it corrected the problem.

After that I spent a little time looking at how to install the winch.  It will require some work, but at least I won't be fighting Chinese poor design and poorer implementation.  I'd had enough for the evening, it was after 8.  I put everything away and spent the rest of the evening surfing while Ellen watched chick flicks.