So here's the story...

I driving home from work, just another ordinary Monday afternoon; got the windows down enjoying the nice cool 65ish degree weather we're having right now, and I notice a little trash fly out of the back of my truck. First one little piece, and although I didn't like the fact that there's crap flying out of the back of my truck, I didn't think much of it. Then I see another piece fly out, and 5 seconds later another little piece, so I thought "Ok, I gotta pull over and stop this". I normally keep the back of my truck completely clean; no kinda trash at all back there, but yesterday I stopped by McDonalds and swung by a friend’s house, ate my food outside, and just casually tossed my bag of trash in the back of my truck, and didn't think much of it. Well that bag flopped around in the wind till the napkins fell out and started flying out. I wasn't worried about the 1 or 2 napkins for the environments sake (their just thin paper, it's biodegradable ), but I was worried about being in a bad spot for the police and I really didn't want to get a $500 fine for littering...

Anywho, I pull over, grab the trash, bundle it up and toss it in the toolbox, and get back in my truck to go on my merry way. Well I was in a good mood and feeling a little peppy, so pulled out of the dirt and grass to get back onto the road, I stomp on it and pop the clutch, throw dirt 20 ft back, catch the pavement and leave some nice marks on the road

Well not 5 seconds later, I look in my rear view, and see smoke and steam billowing out and leaving a trail behind me...

I think "oh great, did I just push this 291k miles motor too far for the last time..."

Then I look down and notice my temp gauge is almost pegged to hot!

So I pull right over and shut the truck off, and steam is just pouring out from under the hood... I pull the latch and pop the hood, steams starts rolling out from under the front... I walk around and pop the hood up, and smoke just rolls out from under the hood...

I let her cool for a bit, then start to look around; there's freak'n antifreeze EVERYWHERE!

What happened you ask?

Well, you know that little hose running up off the intake manifold and into the port on the IICV on the throttle body? Yeah well it exploded right at the intake manifold... split clean in 2 pieces...

Lucky me and my need to carry some tools and extra parts, I just so happen to have a flat-head to get my intake tube outta the way, some needle nose pliers to get those spring clamps off, and I just so happened to have a 2 ft section of tranny fluid cooler line in the tool-box, as well as about 2 full gallons of full strength antifreeze, and 2 full gallons of pure water

About 15 minutes, just over a gallon of antifreeze, and a few curse words later, I was on my happy way back home again



This is the first time I've ever been able to use all the spare random crap I keep in my tool box, and damnit, it makes me glad I had it on me. Now I have to restock on my hose though, lol.



Anywho, I just thought I'd share my "near-miss" experience I had today with you guys. And I'm curious; what kinda of situations have any of you guys gotten into like that, where the random stuff you keep with you on your rig, has gotten you back home?




And oh what a lucky day; experienced this today, AND topped 1500 posts telling about the situation!

 

Nice...you definitely got lucky! I'm the type of guy who doesn't carry a single tool in my truck...never had to. Maybe one day I'll regret it. These pictures are from when I went wheeling...doing 4k rpm and all of a sudden battery light comes on, brake light comes on, and I'm over heating! I'm 40 miles away from my house and worried! The belt had slipped off...and I couldn't get it back on...so I put it on like this. It worked and the next day I got a new belt. lol



Belt squealed like hell all the way home but i got home! lol

 

do what cha gotta do man, lol, that's awesome!

 

The first time I took my truck out away from home, I got about 8 miles away when the engine just shut off. Wouldn't start. I'm thinking "what the?". Check the fuses, the EFI went. So, silly me, I replaced the fuse, and it blew again. So obviously something was causing it. I looked under the hood again. The wiring harness that runs down to the starter and back under the truck got a little too close to the EGR. I pulled the wires away, separated the melted wires and made it to the parts store for replacement fuses and electrical tape. Now I carry both in the glove box, along with a few other things.

 

once when we were out muddin i broke the belt for the alternator and the girl friend just HAPPENED to have a pair of stockings , and i told her to strip them off and tied them up for a makeshift belt. got to tell ya it worked but its like the second i got home they wore out and broke but they did last the 40 miles i needed to go to get home.

 

Sure, thats why you made her take them off. HAHA

 

I probably have every part I would need to strip my truck down to the frame...

 

But thats a lot of spare parts to carry with you on the trail, Scuba......lol

 

Over the years I've assembled a collection of tools that I need to do just about any repair to my trucks on the road. Pretty basic tools, keep 'em in a bag that fits behind the seat in my 90 pickup. When I drive my 4Runner, I throw the bag in. I carry a spare alternator belt, quart of oil, duct tape(hose repairs) and a 2 ton floor jack in each truck.
I spent many years bouncing around Baja in an FJ40; I learned that the best way to get out of a mechanical jam was to be able to fix it yourself.