Revving up for Saturday!

We've been having the WORST June weather-wise that I can remember!! All it's done is rain, rain, rain every day off I've had for the last two weeks, making it all but impossible to work on the truck! I still have a few items I need to take care of before Friday night:

-Install the new bolts on the front cowling!
-Still need to change BOTH fuel filters!
-Still needs a tank of gas!
-Still needs a full wash, wax, and vacuum!
-Still needs to have the front-mount pump and the generator reinstalled!
-Electronic Federal Siren needs to be remounted in the cab!
-Driver's side red flasher needs to be tightened a little bit, it turns while you drive!

I've still got a lot of crap to do and so little time. Thankfully it's supposed to be nice on Thursday and Friday this week so I should be able to bang out most of this stuff in a few hours. We're going for the wash and wax on Friday, and then we'll put the portable stuff back on.

On a good note, I've had the time to redo the history binder that goes to the parades with the truck for people who are interested to know about Engine 1. So at least that's done. I still have to charge up the video camera and figure out how I'm going to mount that thing on the back deck for the parade.... shouldn't be to hard if I can do it correctly.

On Saturday morning, we should be at Dunkin' Donuts in Freetown road around 8am, then at the parade for 8:30 or so for flag mounting, a quick once over with some towels and cleaner, and judging (not that I expect Engine 1 in it's current state to win anything. Keith Rollins from Deerfield and his 1940's[?] Ford Firetruck usually takes the awards!)

Hope to see everyone at the Raymond 4th of July Parade!

Parade Season is Officially a Go!

So Engine One passed it's NH state inspection with flying colors! The 2009 Parade Season is now officially a go! Phew...I was worried that something would come up during the inspection that would fail it and put the truck out of service for yet another year :(!

Now for what you can expect from this blog since the engine replacement is done:

Pictures and Video from each parade or event we attend!
Video from the top of the truck (video camera will be mounted behind the cab and will record the whole parade route)
Pictures of people, places, and other trucks
Preparations for the full restoration that I will be doing in the future
Parts collection
Tool collection
Restoration plans

It’s going to be a fun year with Engine One up and running! Hopefully we’ll be able to get a few drives around the state thrown in as well….we’ll see though!

Where You Can See Engine 1 This Summer

Here is our planned event list for this year (of course depending on weather, time, and such):

July 4th, 2009: Raymond, NH 4th of July Parade, 9AM, Raymond Town Common

July 10th, 2009: Raymond, NH Town Fair Fireman's Parade, 7PM, Raymond Town Common

August 15th, 2009: Deerfield, NH Old Home Day Parade, Deerfield Center

August 29th, 2009: Candia, NH Old Home Day Parade, Moore Park

September: Manchester, NH Fire Prevention Parade
Litchfield, NH Fire Prevention Parade

December: Hampstead, NH Christmas Parade

Crossing items off my list!

Things to Still Do Before Parade!

Oil pan will be dropped this weekend for cleaning, and an oil change will be done (hopefully all the crap in the block has fallen down into the pan!) --DONE

AC generator is still down, but will be remounted for parade (requires a new carburetor.)

Flasher units for front, rear, and side lights need to be replaced as they don't flash right. They are both turn signal flasher units, so the should be easy and cheap to replace. --DONE

Throttle linkage needs slight adjustment. --Checked and found to be ok DONE

A few bolts are needed to secure bottom of grill cowling as it vibrates like crazy!

New fuel filters (2) need to be installed. (One pre-pump and one pre-carburetor.)

Another wash and wax, along with an interior vacuuming.

Pacific Pump needs to be remounted on the bumper.

On another note, I took apart the remainder of the old engine that's been sitting on my dad's trailer since April. I harvested spare parts out of it (heads, valve train/lifters, timing gears, pulleys, etc.) and took out the crank and camshafts. I'm going to be scrapping the block in a few days as there is no hope for repair, and at least I'll get a little money out of it, unless someone wants it for some reason. If anyone does, let me know it's all yours!

Pictures!

Some night shots all lit up! (Clickable Thumbnails to Photobucket!)

Parade Preparations

Almost a month has passed since the last update, and honestly, not much has changed. The truck is now registered and insured, but not inspected as of yet. I haven't had the time or energy to take the truck in for inspection since I've been wicked busy at work again (summertime, so the overtime opportunities have increased!) Some things have happened though:

Completed Items!

• New License Plates! We're now registered as an antique with the plate "62IHC"!
• Truck is now located in Raymond, NH where I live, but will still be called the East Candia Volunteer Fire Department.
• We've entered our first parade: The Raymond 4th of July Parade. Come down and see us during the parade! We will then be in the Raymond Town Fair Parade the following Friday!
• Fuel gauge was repaired (faulty ground.) Fuel tank was also resealed.
• Pump was run from the tank....still flows water, but not well. I think it needs to be greased.
• All hose was removed, the hose bed was cleaned out, and the hose was repacked (all 1500' or so!)
• Booster reels were rewound.
• Pacific Pump (bumper mount portable) was finally repaired and now runs. Tested and it pulls a good draft, flows water very nicely!

Things to Still Do Before Parade!

• Oil pan will be dropped this weekend for cleaning, and an oil change will be done (hopefully all the crap in the block has fallen down into the pan!)
• AC generator is still down, but will be remounted for parade (requires a new carburetor.)
• Flasher units for front, rear, and side lights need to be replaced as they don't flash right. They are both turn signal flasher units, so the should be easy and cheap to replace.
• Throttle linkage needs slight adjustment.
• A few bolts are needed to secure bottom of grill cowling as it vibrates like crazy!
• New fuel filters (2) need to be installed. (One pre-pump and one pre-carburetor.)
• Another wash and wax, along with an interior vacuuming.
• Pacific Pump needs to be remounted on the bumper.
  

There is quite a laundry list of things, but it will get done over the next few weeks no problem. I've also been climbing around the truck to see how it's constructed for my future restoration I want to do in a few years. I'm planning (or at least when I get my house and garage that I want) to strip the truck to the frame and completely restore it myself (yes, just me, no professional help!) I think if I take a welding class, get a welding unit, and study my project I should be able to do it no problem. What I would like to do is take the truck body off of it, replace all the diamond plate and bad metal, remove the cab and replace the cab floor, sandblast the frame and paint it black, rework the pump and all the plumbing, then put it back together and get a new paint/lettering job. It will be a long project when I'm working on it, and I figured it will take me at least three to five years to complete. But with a full restoration like that, the truck will last a very long time with some TLC. Someday.