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                                 ~ Apparatus 12 ~

                                     Replace Main, Rod and Cam Bearings                             

         

                                           Standing in the engine compartment

 

          

                                           Crankcase ready to go back in frame

 

         

                                                   Cylinders and pistons ready

 

     

                                Small parts cleaned, painted and ready to re-install

 

     

                   Oil pan, flywheel, clutch, connecting rods, manifolds and accessories

 

     

                                                 Crankcase re-installed in frame

 

     

                                   Cylinders, lifters, valves and springs re-installed

 

            

                                                          Adjusting valves 

 

 

                                Almost finished - install 18 spark plugs and it's done!

 

 

                                             Job completed - showing intake side

 

 

                                           Job completed - showing exhaust side

 

         

                                                        ~Apparatus 12 ~

                                         Regular "Preventive Maintenance"

                            including radiator repair & brake reline       


          ,

 
         

 

          

                                                      ~ Apparatus 119 ~

                                         Rod & backflush radiator

          




 




    

                                       ~ Apparatus 126 ~

                                        Grind valves & seats

                                          and paint engine

                               Cleaning parts in preparation for re-assembly 

 

                                  Valve lifters cleaned and ready for painting





                                               Valves cleaned and ground





                                                    Valve seats ground



                                    Engine painted and ready for re-assembly 

 

                                          Valves, lifters and springs installed 

 

                                                          Job completed

 

                 

                                                 ~ Apparatus 128 ~

                                 Complete ground-up restoration - 1976-77

     

                                                           Prior to restoration - 1971




   We say good-bye to the old deteriorating paint with its nicks & scratches, and various shades of red





                               Rig disassembled and chassis up on blocks in our "spray booth"



                         

                                             Getting ready to apply the first coat of primer





                                                       First coat of gray primer applied  

 

                                              Next will be the new high-gloss finish coats      




                Red and white finish coats are completed on frame, fuel tank, firewall and wheels





                                    Rig is towed out of spray booth and repositioned in Shop



                                                    Hosebed being prepared for painting

 

                                                   Hosebed being re-installed on chassis

 

                     After a lot of hard work, it's beginning to look a little like a fire engine again

 

                              Hoods, fenders, seat, battery box, tool box and hose reel primed

 

                                              White finish coat applied to fenders and seat

 

                                       Running boards and tailboard are completely rebuilt

 

                       

                                          Putting the finishing touches on the new tailboard

 

                              

                        Adhesive being applied to tailboard - next will be the new rubber matting



                        After all the striping is completed, new lettering is applied to the hoods

 

                                 As our "signature" rig, the hood is re-lettered with our name

 

            With the job nearing completion, we take a final look at 128's "before" appearance . . .

 

                     After months of painstaking work, App 128's restoration is finally complete!

 


          

                                           ~ Apparatus 131 ~

                        Straighten crankshaft & replace main bearings

                 

Babbitt flakes in the oil filters during routine maintenance alerts us of a problem.  We discover bolt holding #4 main bearing is broken causing crankshaft to flex.  Engine has to be removed and torn down.  Crankshaft needs to be straightened and new main bearings poured and line-bored.

                 

                                              Engine is shown here removed from rig 

 

                 

                  The culprit . . . broken bolt holding #4 main bearing cap and damaged bearing 

 

                 

                                      New bolts are machined and ready for installation 

 

                 

                   Engine is placed in engine-stand and ready to be transported to bearing shop

 

                 

                                                 New babbitt bearings being poured

 

                 

                                                        Bearings being line-bored 

 

                                     

                                       Straightened crankshaft is re-installed in engine                      

 

                 
   
              While engine is at bearing shop, we are busy at our facility preparing for re-assembly

 

                 

All components and accessories are cleaned and re-painted, gaskets are made and all brightwork polished

 

                   

       Once the engine is back in our shop, it's primed and repainted while still in the engine-stand  

 

                 

                     Flywheel, clutch, clutch-brake and transmission are re-attached to engine

 

                                      

                  Engine with transmission attached, is positioned over 131's engine compartment 

 

            


            

                       The engine is photographed from several angles before being re-installed 

              

          
            

 

                                     

                                    The engine is carefully lowered onto the frame-rails 

 

                 

Once the engine is in frame, the driveline, shift tower, parking brake, and clutch and service-brake linkages are reconnected, as well as the power-take-off for the aerial.  Intake manifolds are the first components to be reinstalled on the engine. 

 

                 

                                                    Next are the exhaust manifolds 

 

                 

       With all accessories in place, only the spark plugs, radiator and water pipes are left to install  

 

                 

                                                 View of the underside of the engine

 

                 

                                                              Job completed . . . 

                  

                 

                                                                  . . . finally! 

Note:   App. 131 was "out of service" for 293 days, requiring hundreds of volunteer man-hours.  Over 360 photos were taken showing each phase of the project, as well as complete written documentation from start to finish.

 

         

                                          ~ Apparatus 198 ~

                                        Replace pistons & rings

                                             and brake reline                           


         

 

 
         

 

         

       


         

                                           ~ Apparatus 272 ~

                                            Swap aerial ladder   

                 
                   Ex-San Diego rear-mount aerial is headed into shop for ladder removal

 

                     
                              Aerial is rotated until it lines up under overhead hoists



                
                                       Aerial is removed and suspended above rig



              
                                           Rear-mount rig is backed out of shop



               
                                      Aerial is shown here suspended from hoists



               
                                                View from the "turntable" end



               
                Apparatus 272 is backed in and turntable aligned with suspended aerial
 


               
                      Preparations are underway to begin lowering aerial into position



               
                                            Ladder is secured to Apparatus 272



               
                                         Aerial is ready to be rotated over trailer


                       
               
                                                      Ready to start lowering



               
                                          Aerial is slowly lowered onto the trailer



               
                      All eyes are watching as the ladder is gently lowered into position



               
                                  A few more inches and the job will be completed

 

               
                   After 15 years, Apparatus 272 is once again an "aerial ladder truck"



               
                      September 19, 2006 . . . the ten-hour project is finally complete



                

                                                ~ Apparatus 316 ~

                                                  Paint aerial ladder                           

    The tractor is jack-knifed 90 degrees, then the ladder is supported and extended all the way out

 

                                   The cleaning, scraping, sanding and wire-wheeling begins

 

                           The sanded areas are primed, then the entire aerial is painted silver

 

                The next day, some touch-up is done and the tip of the fly section is painted white

 

                            

                                                  Painting of turntable area is complete

 

                            

                                                   Close-up view of hydraulic mechanism

 

                                      

            The following weekend, 316 is on display with the sun shining on its newly painted aerial

 

   

                                         More photos coming soon . . .



  
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