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    Defective fuses still being made. Shocker...

    As you may know, Harbor Freight recalled automotive fuses that they sold back sometime in 2008. They wouldn't blow when they should have, which could cause a fire. It seems that this is still a problem today (with fuses sold under other names; unknown if Harbor Freight fuses are any good):
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    Mowed the lawn for the first time this year, left the gas in all winter.

    As the title says, I mowed the lawn today. It's a circa 2013 Troy-Bilt riding mower I bought used back in 2017. The engine started right up even though I left the E10 gas in it all winter (probably last ran it in October). Just like it has every spring for the last 6 years, even though I've...
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    Wells Fargo direct deposit issues on Friday 3/10

    Wells Fargo had some sort of issue with direct deposits on Friday. It was widely reported in the media. I was expecting a direct deposit from a brokerage where my XOM (Exxon Mobil) stock is, because XOM's dividend payment date was Friday. It didn't go through--it's sitting in cash in that...
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    High silicate coolant for aluminum protection?

    This is from a GM EMD Locomotive Maintenance Instruction dated 1991: https://heritagerailalliance.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Maintenance%20Instruction%20Book%201748E-LOCO-ENGINE-COOLANT-1991-MAY.PDF Also, I found this from GM TSB 83-I-26 dated 01/17/1983...
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    Blew up a heater core

    I was driving the 1984 Cavalier home from my friend's house and I was accelerating from a stop. I probably shifted at 4K (not really sure, no tach) and I smelled coolant. Then the windshield started steaming up and I tried the defroster and it just made it worse. It's 6 miles from where the...
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    Tunerpro RT and ALDL cable for scanning 1984 Cavalier

    Anyone familiar with Tunerpro RT: Can I use this cable: http://aldlcable.com/products/aldlobd1u.asp Along with Tunerpro RT and this datastream definition file: http://www.tunerpro.net/gmOBDI.htm To retrieve a datastream from my 1984 Cavalier with the LQ5 engine? I really want to plug a...
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    GM HEI 7-pin module differences and catalog errors

    For the 7-pin module used with the external ignition coil, there appears to be two different ones that otherwise look identical. One is SMP LX-316, and the other is SMP LX-325. The LX-316 is listed for a handful of mid 80s Jeeps and nothing else. I am sure that is a catalog error. The LX-325...
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    Ignition module reliability GM HEI vs Ford TFI-IV

    Having owned a Ford vehicle with a distributor mounted TFI-IV ignition module, I know that they are prone to failure. So much so that there was an extended warranty on them. How about GM's equivalent, the HEI? Are these known to fail like the TFI-IV modules?
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    Flushing tees

    My 1984 Chevy Cavalier was leaking coolant. This was the cause: I had no idea it was there. The heater hoses on this car are only visible from the bottom. I was getting the heater hoses replaced when it was found. It had probably been on the car for 35 years. My dad would have been the one...
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    Gearing in 1980s 4-cylinder cars

    I have a 1984 Chevy Cavalier. It has a 4-speed manual transmission, code M19. According to the data I can find (car has no tach to confirm), this has a 4.10 final drive ratio with a .81 4th gear ratio. With 24" tall tires, the calculators say that at 85MPH, the engine will be turning almost...
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    What should the resistance and current consumption of a 2004 Crown Victoria fuel pump be?

    My 2004 Crown Victoria has been sitting for a while and won't start. It's not getting fuel, as verified with a scantool that shows the fuel pressure at 0.2PSI. It has a returnless fuel system. I have voltage and communication with the Fuel Pump Driver Module because if I try to start it with...
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    ECU EPROM bit rot?

    Has anyone encountered problems with the EPROM in the ECU going corrupt with time on vintage vehicles? I know it happens with vintage (1980s) computers. Or were vintage ECUs more likely to be using mask-programmed ROMs which wouldn't have this problem?
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    Engine metal temperature sensor

    I was looking at the wiring diagram for the 1984 Cavalier to see if I could upgrade to a cluster with a tach. The answer is yes, but I'd have to re-pin the cluster connector and add a tach wire. I noticed that there are actually TWO temperature sensors on the engine. One is a regular...
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    Rebuilding AC hoses, 1984 Cavalier

    My 1984 Cavalier has AC hoses with crimp fittings that look like this: I'd like to replace these hoses with newer barrier hoses. No pre-assembled hoses are available for this car. Can I just cut the crimps off and re-crimp barrier hose to the fittings, or will I need to prepare the fittings...
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    New tires or tires and wheels for 1984 Cavalier

    I have a 1984 Chevrolet Cavalier wagon. It was my dad's. It sat parked for 10 years. He passed away, I inherited it, and I got it running again with a new fuel pump (and a fuel tank due to rust). The problem is that it has old tires on it. Really old. Like Montgomery Ward Grappler II tires. I...
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    Engine coolant temp drops quickly while coasting.

    I've never seen this before. 1998 Nissan Frontier. 5 speed manual. If I'm coasting in gear, with the scangauge showing open loop so I know the fuel injectors are off, the coolant temperature will drop 2 degrees in 10 seconds or less--from say 180F to 178F If I coast long enough, say 40...
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    Working on the 2004 Ford Crown Victoria P71

    Because it needed a new windshield (cracked) and the low beams were not working anymore, which I thought was due to the LCM failure for which there is a recall, the Virginia safety inspection lapsed last year so I haven't driven it at all. Today I had a new windshield installed. And after the...
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    Anyone familiar with late 90s Nissan cruise control?

    I have a 1998 Nissan Frontier. The cruise control doesn't work. It has never worked since I've owned this pickup. When I push this button up: I hear a relay click. The light on it does not light up, but I think it's broken/burned out (and the schematic leads me to believe that bulb is not...
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    When did Mobil 1 gear oil become available?

    While cleaning up my dad's garage I found some really old bottles of Trak Auto gear oil. They probably dated back to the late 80s if not the early 90s. My dad worked for Mobil Oil and I am sure he would have bought Mobil 1 gear oil if it were available. He used Mobil 1 oil almost exclusively...
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    Old Dayton electric impact wrench

    Anyone know when this was made? I'm guessing before 1963 given the use of a postal zone (Chicago 12) instead of a zip code in the address. It does have a 3-prong grounding plug on the power cord.
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