Mule repair

[John Lincoln]

I think we should look into repairing the fuel leak on the mule ourselves before we decide to send it to a shop for repair. To that end we will need a few volunteers and a relatively warm day. December 4th and 5th are going to be the warmest that I see in the short run. December 8th thru the 10th are also “relatively” warm. Don Grillo will lead this effort, I will help and we could use a couple more. Any helpers out there?

[John Phelan]

I can be at the field on Saturday, Dec. 5^th about 10:30am.  Do we know which end the leak may be at?  And if it leaks while it is just sitting there or does the engine have to be running and/or the Accessories turned on?

 

Best Regards,

 

John F. Phelan

 

From: Sky Soaring <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 1, 2020 14:03
To: phelanjf@gmail.com
Subject: [Sky Soaring] New topic: Mule repair

 

[Steven Snyder]

Tim said it was when the engine was running. 

Steven Snyder224-628-2871

[Greg Tomczyk]

I am available to help. Will look for further info as to what day is best.

greg

[Rich Walenda]

Hello:

I can be out at the field Saturday.  I can help work on the fuel line but it appears there may be 4 other sets of eyes looking at it.  If it is the line we should replace the whole line and not try to do a patch job.  Will replacing the fuel line require the dropping of the fuel tank or can we see everything if we remove the back seat?  Does anyone have experience in replacing the fuel line on that make/model?  A little knowledge will go a long way in making the job quicker and safer.  I do some of my own vehicle work but never had to replace a fuel line.

Regards,

Rich

[Don Grillo]

I was under the car yesterday and
see that a new fuel line was installed sometime in the recent
past.  I did not troubleshoot to see where the leak is coming
from. I’ll do that in the next few days. This is not a 4 man
job. Two at the most is all that is needed and the second guy is
the tool getter guy.  

Don

[Larry Moy]

What make and model is the mule?  Is it nylon line?  I have a tool to splice and replace connectors.  Can be out Saturday.

[John Lincoln]

It’s a Honda Accord. I don’t know the year, Art might know. John Lincoln

[Dennis Burke]

Art donated the Mule, so he knows a lot about the Accord parts list for that model. He ordered the exhaust pipe repair parts done in early 2019.

[Art Silverman]

I don’t remember, but it should use a 3/16 fuel/brake line. 

—–Original Message—–
From: Sky Soaring <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
To: Arthurttu@aol.com
Sent: Wed, Dec 2, 2020 11:01 am
Subject: [Sky Soaring] Reply To: Mule repair

[Larry Moy]

We’ll need to figure out where the leak is to figure out the repair I’ll plan to go out Saturday.

[Don Grillo]

I was under the car yesterday. There are 3 fuel lines that run under the car from the tank to the engine. All three lines are rusted really bad and one (I believe the pressure line) is the one that is leaking. All 3 will need to be replaced. You need a special tool to disconnect the lines and a lift would be preferable to work under the car.  Online searches for having an autoshop repair it run into the $1000 range.  I have a lift in my shop if we can somehow tow it to my house. Driving it is out of the question as fuel pours out when running.

Don

[Don Grillo]

The mule doesn’t have a street license or auto insurance either, so driving it somewhere wouldn’t be wise regardless. 

[John Phelan]

Don,

 

U-haul rents tow dollies where the front wheels are on the trailer and the rear wheels are just following on the road (front-wheel drive only).  $45/day rental.  Anyone with a tow hitch should be able to hook up the trailer.

 

https://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/RatesTowing/

 

 

Best Regards,

 

John F. Phelan

 

From: Sky Soaring <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
Sent: Friday, December 4, 2020 9:52
To: phelanjf@gmail.com
Subject: [Sky Soaring] Reply To: Mule repair

 

[Don Grillo]

Thank you John for the idea of
renting a tow dolly.

Some internet research indicates we
can get aftermarket parts in the $450 range + shipping. A call
to the Honda dealer parts department told me that Honda has
discontinued the Fuel Feed line and only the return and vent
lines are available, Cost $582 for OEM. That kind of price
indicates we are probably looking at a $1500-$1800 repair from a
shop.

Maybe Art would have a source for
the fuel line parts.

One other thought was since that is
a 20 year old car and it will most likely need more repair in
the future, would be to fabricate a mount for the roof rope
attachment apparatus that would fit into a 2″ hitch receiver. 
It could then be mounted on any vehicle with a hitch.  Only
problem is you would be relying on members to show up that had a
hitch on their car/truck to pay out the ropes. Just a thought.

Don

On 12/4/2020 10:31 AM, Sky Soaring wrote:

[Don Grillo]

Do we need something as powerful as an automobile to pull the winch tow ropes all the way down the field? Would a well tuned golf cart work? Maybe it would make sense to buy a good golf cart rather than putting money into maintaining an old automobile. 

[Don Grillo]

A good used four wheel drive all-terrain vehicle (golf cart sized sport vehicle) might also be cheaper to own moving forward than an old street car.

[John Phelan]

Don,

 

I’ve bought car parts over the years from Rock Auto.  They do a great job and have a pretty deep supply of parts.  I also buy from our local Advance Auto Parts store for our old Honda Odyssey van.  They can get stuff in a couple of days if they don’t happen to have it in stock.

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/honda,2005,accord,2.4l+l4,1430764

 

Interesting idea on adapting the roof rope assembly for a 2” trailer hitch receiver.  I believe Karl Landl had a hand in designing that whole rig.  You might want to check with him on what may need to be customized for trailer hitch operation.  I would envision an assembly similar to a trailer hitch bike rack, that comes up at least to window level and will fit on most SUVs and vans.  Kind of depends on the moment and how much load the ropes put on the assembly to determine how high it can go.  Great winter project.

 

Best Regards,

 

John F. Phelan

 

From: Sky Soaring <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
Sent: Friday, December 4, 2020 11:34
To: phelanjf@gmail.com
Subject: [Sky Soaring] General Discussion, Reply To: Mule repair

 

[John Lincoln]

This is only some help. We have a member who has a car trailer which I would assume he would lend or use himself to transport the Mule. Unfortunately old age seems be preventing me from remembering his name, Steve Snyder might know. Assuming he could transport the Mule to Don’s place then Don could use his lift to make the repair. We will have to rely on the trailer again to get the Mule back to the field. Any help here is greatly appreciated. John L

[Larry Moy]

Is there part of the fuel line that is good?  They make kits to splice in and replace just the bad sections instead of pre-bent OEM lines.  Probably under $100.  Then again, I wonder if a used lawn tractor would be fast and capable enough to tow.  Would take up less space in the hanger too.

[Steven Snyder]

The 4 wheel drive idea (Gater] is good. Where I trained that is what was used.

Steven Snyder224-628-2871

[Don Grillo]

Good Idea… $800 in Elgin…

[John Lincoln]

A modified trailer hitch receiver is a good idea as long as a member with a hitch is willing to do it. It would fit many vehicles. The four wheeler would work but would be best if it was the Gator type. From a cost perspective my guess would be that modified trailer hitch receiver would be the least expensive.

[Anonymous]

Has anybody considered the safety of the driver?If the rope breaks while being pulled out, what protects the driver if part of it comes back at him or her with all the energy in it?Do you want to build a protective cage and make this set up top heavy?Maybe better to buy a tractor with a protective cage.

Salutem,Barry

[John Lincoln]

We have a tractor. Let’s make a rope tow for it. Or make a rope tow for one of the lawn mowers.

[Art Silverman]

Under the car there are generally four lines.  Two fuel lines and two gas lines.  These lines are never available from a dealer, or parts store.  I have installed dozens of them, and we make them from bulk tubing.  This is a simple job when the are is on a lift, but much more difficult if you have to work from a creeper. 

The brake lines and fuel lines use the same material. The parts are cheap, and they don’t take long to replace.  I’ve suggested that we bring the car to a mechanic and have them do the repairs.  I estimate the repair at $200 to $250.

Otherwise this car is working well. 

I hope that this car is brought to a local mechanic for an estimate BEFORE we decide to discard it and buy anther vehicle whose condition is unknown.

Art

PS: I would do it for the club at my shop, but the cost of towing the car to Chicago and back would exceed the price of having the car repaired locally.

—–Original Message—–
From: Sky Soaring <webmaster@skysoaring.com>
To: Arthurttu@aol.com
Sent: Fri, Dec 4, 2020 12:11 pm
Subject: [Sky Soaring] General Discussion, Reply To: Mule repair

[Larry Moy]

I like John’s idea.  If we can make a tow setup for the tractor or lawnmower it’d be a great to add some redundancy.  A tow dolly to get the Accord to where it needs to be fixed is $45/day.  I can tow it with my wagon.  But not knowing where exactly is the leak I can’t say how involved or expensive the repair.  I also have a lift so I could tackle it but I’m not the fastest mechanic.  Or if Art’s willing to work on it if we get it to his shop, I can tow it there.

[Rich Walenda]

Hello:I am glad to hear that we are not driving a car leaking fuel that is uninsured and not registered.  That would be a State Trooper’s dream stop since it would generate at least 3 tickets and a possible driver’s license suspension for the driver.  The car would be impounded and immediately towed off the road.  If the car hit someone the litigation would probably cause us to shut down.  Thanks for all that provided reasonable solutions to the situation.Regards,Rich

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