Dumpy Takes a Dump. Part Three

I was moving slowly yesterday.  All my bones and muscles ached.  I'm not used to manual labor, I guess.  I got to our property about 10:30 and Earl was already there.

"I thought you said 6 AM?" hollered Earl.

I did, but only in jest.  Besides, I know Earl wasn't really there at 6 AM.

"How are you going to get any shit done if you start so late?"

So we started on Dumpy again.   Earl had charged the battery overnight and I installed it.  I climbed in the cab and turned the key.   Click click click.  Earl felt the solenoid.

"The solenoid is bad.  It ain't working worth a shit." said Earl.

So we climbed in the Kia and hied ourselves down the mountain to NAPA to buy a new solenoid, which we did.  We also asked the price of five gallons of hydraulic fluid, which was $50.

"I can buy it at Tractor Supply for $35," said I.

"I can't even buy it for that," said NAPA man.

So next we went to Tractor Supply to buy more hydraulic fluid.  You can't have too much of this stuff if you're working with old, decrepit equipment. $32.99 at Tractor Supply.

Back up the mountain, we installed the new solenoid.   Click whir whir whir click.

Earl puffed on his pipe.

"Let's bypass the solenoid," he said.   So we did.  Click whir whir whir click.

"Might be the starter," said Earl.

"Let's try the easy stuff first," said I.  "Let's try jumping it with the Kia."

We did, and after letting the Kia charge up Dumpy's battery a bit, Dumpy cranked and started!   YES!  I hit the "raise" lever and the dump body rose up to about 30 degrees before stopping.  We braced it and I shut down the truck.  We then topped off the lift cylinder with hydraulic fluid.  Why someone designed this dump body so that you have to have the body raised to add fluid is beyond me, and beyond stupidity.  The guy is an idiot.

I then tried to start the truck.  Click whir whir whir click.  

I drove the Kia over and hooked up the jumper cables again.  I let the Kia run for awhile, and then tried to start the truck.  Click whir whir whir click.  I let it charge some more.  I turned the key.  Rrrr  Rrrrr.  I let it sit.  I turned the key again.  Nothing.  No Click whir whir whir click.  No Rrrr Rrrr.  Just silence.   I looked at Earl and he looked at me.  I climbed out of the truck and Earl walked around to the battery side of the truck.  Smoke was pouring from both Dumpy and the Kia.   TURN IT OFF QUICK!!

I shut the Kia down and Earl pulled off the battery cables, burning his hand in the process.  The plastic on the jumper cable was melted.   There is a dead short somewhere.  Hopefully it's in the battery itself.

So my plan for today is to buy another battery at Tractor Supply, install it, and hope for the best.

Wish me luck.