Also, Ukranian flags as seen in Aarhus, Denmark:
Aarhus Customs house, Aarhus docks, and Aarhus City Hall.
Also, Ukranian flags as seen in Aarhus, Denmark:
Aarhus Customs house, Aarhus docks, and Aarhus City Hall.
In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
so sorry to hear about your Dad. tonight i will raise a glass in your general direction.
Sorry to hear about your father Bill. He would be proud of what you and your family are doing for those less fortunate.
The run sounds like quite the adventure, we're all glad you are home safe and sound.
I saw lots and lots of Ukranian Flags in Italy, France, and Germany on the recent trip. Also got plenty of "Slava Ukraine's" for my Wolverines Tshirt.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
so sorry to hear about your Dad. tonight i will raise a glass in your general direction.
Cheers man. Saturday night my brother and I are headed to our old favorite watering hole for a quick coldie before I get back on a plane.
84FSP said:Sorry to hear about your father Bill. He would be proud of what you and your family are doing for those less fortunate.
The run sounds like quite the adventure, we're all glad you are home safe and sound.
I saw lots and lots of Ukranian Flags in Italy, France, and Germany on the recent trip. Also got plenty of "Slava Ukraine's" for my Wolverines Tshirt.
Thanks, man. Where did you get that shirt from??? I need one!
Bill, I’m so sorry to hear about your Dad. He clearly raised you right, you’re doing good works in difficult times with a smile and a cheerful “Good times!” Take care of yourself and know that your Dad must have been very, very proud of you.
11GTCS said:Bill, I’m so sorry to hear about your Dad. He clearly raised you right, you’re doing good works in difficult times with a smile and a cheerful “Good times!” Take care of yourself and know that your Dad must have been very, very proud of you.
Thanks man, much appreciated.
We did get some news today. Vola and Olena are now active duty (not sure who the third person is though)
Good times
Bill, I am sorry to hear about your dad. You are doing genuinely heroic work. There's no question he was proud of you. We sure are.
The following is mostly for Vikki. I spotted this in front of our local library on Saturday. Schedule didn't allow me to go (Saturday is my day to watch the kid while my wife goes out grocery shopping and running errands), but maybe next time we can make it. Hopefully this will serve as a little morale boost. Ukraine is everywhere!
Alrighty, as I missed last week due to a quick run back to the states, here's an early Monday update for mid-July.
First, here's my brother and I raising a beer at our dad's favorite watering hole.
It was good to kick around the old stomping grounds, even if it was just for a Friday evening/Saturday morning. Small town life where the bar tenders all know us by name and there's a brick in the library with our family's name on it (and another on a paver at the local car museum).
Back in the saddle, here's how we're looking:
With about 8 days to go before our monthly transfer, we're about 1/2 funded for the Kisgorbo shelter. The good news is, we were able to work with our local vet again and got another EKG machine at wholesale cost (yass!!!!). This was paid for with the donation I received from my grandparents of 333,000huf, and was supplemented by a local heavy hitter "Susanne", who is about to move back to Sweden (she donated the remaining 30,000huf). We take delivery on Thursday, and I am stoked!
Otherwise, locally I think our small town is starting to feel "tapped out". Things just aren't coming in the way they were in the beginning of the conflict. Mrs. Hungary is heading up a company wide collection through donation boxes in the office and have so far collected 48,000huf. I've updated the charts to reflect that amount evenly split between medical supplies, and school supplies, and have subtracted the amount we spent on the EKG machine.
Meanwhile, in Ramstein: Early last week I made a proposal to head a uniform drive to the command, the beneficiaries were to be the Hospitallers in Lviv. Unfortunately, but understandably, that proposal was declined. A bit of head scratching ensued, and for some reason or another I decided to contact Katie (previous heavy hitter, no longer residing in Papa) on the subject and she just happened to have an individual on station who could help!
We're frantically working out the details, but we've scrapped the uniform idea and are only focusing on collecting school supplies and cash donations for medical supplies. I made a powerpoint the POC could distribute, but also gave her this "quick and dirty":
I'm nervous, but have high hopes. This part of the process always makes me nervous (the wait between announcement and collection).
In slightly less good news, I got a firm commitment (but not an inventory yet) from the man in the Czech Republic for that euro-pallet of medical supplies. He also wants us to use his van and trailer which will give us more than 3-euro-pallet capacity with which we can haul. The down side is this week I seem to have completely lost communication with him. I can see that the messages I've sent haven't reached his device via facebook messenger, and am crossing my fingers he's just out of town or something. Communication up and to this point has been very open and fluid so I don't yet have any reason to think he's ghosting us.
Other than that, I'm just trying to think of ways to stay productive. Yesterday I had a couple hours so I gave the truck a much needed wash, and cleaned/organized the insides:
I still need to get that front end alignment done as there is VERY noticeable tread wear on the inside of the passenger front tire, while the outside looks as if it's never been touched. I plan a visit to the hobby shop here to re-install the front skid plate now that the oil leak seems to have stopped, while there I'll also massage and adjust a million other little things that need touching, etc.
The no-start issue I experienced at the gas station in Poland got me thinking about the risks I'm taking by not hauling spares and tools with me. In the odd event that the Czech "man with a van" doesn't get back to me then Dnipro, I feel, is too far away to phone a friend for help. I'll have to be self sufficient. With that a full metric combination wrench index was added, as well as a portable tool kit:
I was able to source a legit full engine gasket set from Toyota, and took off some trim pieces in the back of the truck and was able to get them stowed away without taking any cargo space. I'll probably add a voltage regulator for my alternator to that kit, as I've already stashed hoses and belts in that same area and a tire plug kit has been added to the glove box.
I think that should cover all bases, without getting too carried away.
Good times
*post post ninja edit: I saw on facebook that Kisgorbo was looking for a Hungarian language teacher for the 10 remaining residents. This might be an indication that they're considering long-term residence. This aligns with Mayor Kozma's promise that he would not be a fly by night operation, but a stable location where people can stay indefinitely.
Hey everyone, second post of the day as I've been doing some thinking.
I had no plans for the day and spent almost all afternoon in front of the computer re-reading this thread in its entirety. Looking at the amount of work that everyone has done could not possibly be overstated. Mayor Kozma reported a few months ago that donations to his shelter were drying up, and I'm beginning to see a similar situation developing locally (in Papa). In short, I think it's been a damn-busy 5 months for us and the well we draw from is only so deep. With that, I've decided to draft a "GoFundMe". Please give it a look at the link below:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukrainian-refugees-and-dnipro-childrens-hospital?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1
The purpose of this link isn't for GRM or to gather GRM's donations, we can still use my paypal for that. It was suggested by a member of another forum that having a GoFundMe would allow us to share this opportunity outside of our immediate network and reach people who wanted to help but were not immediate friends or family members. That last bit is why I'm bringing all this up.
I'm going to ask that we not share the link yet, as I have questions about the tax implications that have not yet been answered. But the GoFundMe fundraiser description will contain a link to our GRM thread.
A lot of people (myself included) post a bit more freely on GRM than we do in the general public because of the tight knit community we are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundraiser link represents infinite potential, and an infinite audience. One that we're not used to dealing with on our small car forum. I wanted to post now, and give everyone an opportunity to either scrub their posts or to object to the sharing of information (after which, I would delete the direct link from the GoFundMe description, but GRM stickers are still on my vehicle which are visible in photos).
Me personally, I'm ok with the risk I see with what's posted in the thread. My e-mail address and paypal account are limited risk items, and one I can do without should I feel the need or desire to delete either of them.
Once voices are heard, and once I get my answer from the person helping me with the tax portion of this new effort, I will post back on here the official start of our GoFUndMe campaign and hopefully the result will be exposure to a much wider audience and more opportunities for us to get aid to where it needs to go.
This is your chance. If you see something, say something. You will not hurt my feelings.
Cheers guys.
Bill, you guys are and have been doing awesome work!
Unfortunately I have been stupid crazy busy here, so I have had no time to dedicate the last month and a half to getting to it, sadly. I'm hoping things will change, but such it goes. As soon as it does, I'll get back on making and selling clocks. I'm still catching up on older orders, as things got crazy.
Anyhow, can't say it enough but thank you guys for ALL you are doing, and my condolences to you and your family with the passing of your dad.
Happy to help direct the financial efforts wherever you feel is the most useful. I've been fearing situation fatigue as this is pretty normal to have the population lose steam as efforts like Ukraine drag on.
Keep the faith, we'll support you however we can.
In reply to GaryC83 :
Hey man, your efforts are hugely appreciated. Don't sweat things on this end, we'll still be here when you get balance restored.
In reply to 84FSP:
For GRM and for the remaining local heavy hitters in Papa, we can keep Paypal open. I'm pretty sure GFM is going to come with fees, etc. Plus, we the GRM family have more flexibility with spending and I would like to retain that as much as possible. In reading through there was more than one occasion where we were able to quickly respond because we had a "slush fund" going, and I like that. Going public with the GFM (not yet ready to do that, but still standing by) might give us access to a much wider audience but it will also come with strict adherence to where the money is spent (only the childrens hospital, and only school supplies).
Speaking of GFM, I haven't yet heard back about my questions regarding tax liability, but the person who is helping me mentioned her co-worker's husband has joined the Ukrainian army!
His name is Max, and he was able to get his wife and kids out of Ukraine and into Canada. Afterwards, he went back to join the fight. We're in the initial stages of conversation now but I've offered to help in any way that we're able. I'm told that he has combat experience, but it was 20-years ago and they're only taking people with more recent experience at the moment. I'll keep you posted on any updates as they come.
Cheers guys!
Ladies and gentlemen, we are live. Please feel free to share the below GFM link with anyone you think wants to help, ask them to share, and ask them to ask others to share:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukrainian-refugees-and-dnipro-childrens-hospital?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1
Again, this is not a new channel for GRM to donate to (we can still use my paypal for that) but an easily shareable option for those outside our immediate organization, in an effort to allow them to contribute to what we're doing.
Full disclosure: We have not yet received word back about our tax implications for this effort and may have to cautiously retain the appropriate amount to cover such things, but otherwise stand by our promise to never use donated funds for anything other than humanitarian aid for Ukraine. In the unlikely event we retain money that is not needed for taxes, we will either A) wire the money directly to Dnipro's children's hospital, or B) Buy stuff and do another run.
Cheers guys.
Слава україні, героям слава!
In reply to 84FSP :
Much appreciated sir, thank you.
I'm going to post next week's update later this week. There have been a lot of developments since Sunday, and I want to get them captured before I make the 12-hour drive back to Pápa from Ramstein (all this running about in the clapped out truck has Mrs. Hungary calling me the Road Warrior )
Good times
Bill, one concern I have for the GoFundMe is OPSEC. You're telling people where you're going, what you're driving, and what you're going to be hauling.
I realize that with this type of endeavor you have to be open to an extent, but I felt it needed to be said.
Godspeed.
In reply to Mr_Asa :
No worries man, and your concern is much appreciated. I kept it vague where I could, but there's just no getting around some things. Reading back through, there aren't many single points of failure (so they'll have to be pretty durn good guessers, or cover a lot of bases).
Still trying to stay productive while away from home station, I brought some stuff with me so I could tinker on the truck a bit. The first was to get the front skid plate installed (I swear, one of these days I'm going to get around to painting this darn thing). The engine oil leak looks to be 100% fixed, so there's no need to keep it off.
While under there, I couldn't help but notice some drippage from my transmission cross-member:
Well, that was yesterday. I made a mental note of it, and figured I'd investigate further if I could catch a spare minute to swing by the base hobby shop. Well, that was today:
First up on the order of business was a tire rotation. That passenger front is still WAY out of alignment, and now there's noticeable wear on the tire:
(Inside vs outside tire wear shown below)
Easy enough for now. I just moved the passenger front to the driver's rear, and vice versa for the other side. I did attempt a DIY alignment on this a while ago and even made my own tool using a magnetic camber gauge and a length of angle steel, but the adjuster nuts wouldn't budge and I didn't want to break anything before Lviv's last run. As it is now, I plan to schedule an appt with a garage in town once I get back, and have them do it (fingers crossed THEY don't break anything)
Anyhoo, next up was a brake inspection. The fronts are brand new from the teardown I did... shoot, I don't know how long ago I had this thing apart... my perception of time is so warped right now. But it was recent. I can say that much.
The rears though have been giving me hints ever since my last vehicle inspection. When I was there for the bi-annual look around, the shop said my "e-brake needed adjustment". Complete BS as I was just in there and it was tight and perfectly balanced side-to-side, but figuring the place was just looking for some easy cash I gave them the go ahead to do whatever they needed to do.
(I mean, I figured they were just going to adjust the cable and....)
well...
Ever since then, I get a bit of rear end hop at low speeds. I butt troubleshot it down to the drums being out of round and contacting the shoes. Then on this drive I started to get a low-speed light squeal while in traffic. I figured the shoes were getting worn down.
Turns out the shop cranked the adjusters in the drums and had things tighter than a tight thing. I bent the HECK out of my backing plates prying the drum off and the rubber mallet I was smacking things with didn't help one bit...
Eventually I get the driver's side off, and then the passengers comes off but takes half the effort.
Counting notches, I back the driver's adjuster back 13 notches and then adjust the passenger side back 10. I put the drums back on and spin the wheels to make sure both sides are adjusted evenly, and it's pretty dang spot on! (hey, even broken clocks get it right twice a day)
Back in the cab, I give the brake handle a pull and it's right where I like it again (full engagement in the final 2/3rds, as opposed to maybe 3-clicks I'd get after the shop touched it). I can also tell that the drum is just BARELY making contact in the out of round bits. I'll have to get to that later.
With that sorted, I went after that cross-member dripping I saw earlier:
It's definitely coming from the transfer case, that's for sure. But unsure of how long it's been dripping, and not knowing the current fluid level, I have to pop the fill port plug and stick my finger in to have a look.
Nothin.
I got skinny fingers, but still can't bend them down so anything below full wouldn't register with such a check. Looking around I spot an allen key, so I give that a try and stick the bent portion in first.
Almost almost almost completely topped up. The key is wet, and I can tell it's JUST below the fill port. That is 100% within my comfort zone so I cap it back up and look around. The best I can tell, the leak is coming from where the trans meets the transfer case:
I check the bolts connecting the two, but they're all tight. I decided I was just going to have to put this in the "letter leak" bin (because I'm just going to let her leak). But thinking back, I probably should have checked the transmission's fluid quantity while I was in there, just in case...
ah well. It was a fun way to spend $15. And having a lift to work from was absolutely DEVINE. Holy smokes.
Driving home things felt much better. No more low speed bouncing from the rear, no more low speed light squeals, the park brake handle was right where I wanted it, and brake pedal feel was nice and firm with a good amount of travel.
I love it when I plan comes together.
You mentioned checking camber. That's always good to know, but camber that's off more than a degree or so is usually pretty easy to spot. In other words, if your camber was off far enough to cause uneven tread wear, you'd see it.
Toe is easy to check with a two-piece toe gauge kit consisting of a tape measure and a Hungarling or metric equivalent. And maybe a straightedge or two (an idle shelf board, chunk of square steel tubing, scrap of plywood, etc) if you want to get fancy. You can get within 1/16" accuracy without too much effort since you have all that ground clearance holding the vehicle out of your way.
How worn out are the ball joints and steering components?
DarkMonohue said:You mentioned checking camber. That's always good to know, but camber that's off more than a degree or so is usually pretty easy to spot. In other words, if your camber was off far enough to cause uneven tread wear, you'd see it.
Toe is easy to check with a two-piece toe gauge kit consisting of a tape measure and a Hungarling or metric equivalent. And maybe a straightedge or two (an idle shelf board, chunk of square steel tubing, scrap of plywood, etc) if you want to get fancy. You can get within 1/16" accuracy without too much effort since you have all that ground clearance holding the vehicle out of your way.
How worn out are the ball joints and steering components?
Steering is within spec (less than 1" of play in the steering wheel). I did just go through and grease everything up front, but admittedly dont know what I'd look for in terms of "wear" from a ball joint.
There is visible camber though. It was dang near off the charts when I put my magnetic gauge on it.
Guys, the results are in. $550 in less than 24 hours from the GoFundMe.
IT'S WORKING!!!!!!
$550 is more than Mrs. Hungary and I have been able to collect locally in over 2-weeks!!!
I've seen it shared by more than one GRM member on the book of faces, and any attention we can get this thing is much appreciated (and it doesn't cost a thing): https://gofund.me/d8aae3be
(I know it goes without saying, but the goal for that drive is completely arbitrary. We're goin in with whatever we get)
I'll update our excel doc to include the GFM account so we can track progress here as well.
Cheers everyone!
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