Compulsive, irrational desire to tinker

[Shaman]

So, kinda as an offshoot of the irrational desire to change the oil, I wanted to broaden the spectrum to tinkering, changing fluids, checking fluids, modifying things, tweaking, mixing things that aren't supposed to mix, putting strange things in your oil of fuel, cross referencing a filter 10 times to get an extra 10 C.I. out of a filter, etc.

Here is my latest story.


I am about to spend $100 on FP and LC, in hopes of keeping the engine running fine in a car that will probably meet the crusher as soon as I am done with it.

I have spent probably 5 hours researching oil filters for it. I went to the Home store, cross referenced the engine in the car (MS-8 with a 2L V-6) to the closest I could find for America. The car came with a 2L and a 2.5L, and the 2.5L is available in the states as a Millennia, then went home, hopped on Wix.com, and found out that the 10 filters that I bought for the bike I no longer have, and the car I never got, would work fine. Then I decided to buy a MG to put on the car, then decided against it. So $100 in parts are sitting in my room at my parents house, as well as the two AA3600’s I bought to use with the sandwich adapter I was going to use to feed the MG. Now I am looking at picking up a different, smaller car, so again I go back to the home store, and find that the s13 silvia uses the same filter, but that that engine didn’t come to America, but was a popular swap in the states. Off to some 240sx forums for research, where I get mixed reviews on what works, then after about an hour of reading, find out that the Nissan uses a ¾ X 16 thread, but the AA3600’s I bought had a gasket diameter that was 2.4-2.7, where as the Nissan filter used a 2.1-2.4 gasket. I am almost willing to try to convert the vehicle(if I buy it), to the 20 X 1.5 because of all the filters that would be available.

All that is just for the filter.

I got a kerosene heater for my apartment from a co-worker because my electricity bill went from 3000 yen to 8000 yen. Get it home, and in goes FP at 2 oz for 5 gallons. Run it for a night, then decide that maybe some acetone might clean some more out. In a little bit goes to the big container, and I pour in more kerosene to the heater. I think I got it just to tinker with it. I am not hurting for money at all.

Oil has 4600 miles, and all of the fluids got changed before I bought it in August. PS fluid and coolant got an ounce of LC, ATF has about 3, Oil has probably 4-8.

I need a girlfriend, and to forget I ever found this site.

 

[Tosh]

At least you're outside getting some fresh air instead of sitting behind the computer, right? Otherwise, you might have a real problem (unlike the rest of us).

 

[Curious Kid]

It's good to play...but be aware what you're playing with. It's not worth getting seriously injured or worse, you or anyone else for that matter.

Gf? - I hear yeah.

 

[wavinwayne]

"Otherwise, you might have a real problem (unlike the rest of us)."

Ummm, I'm going to have to go ahead & sort of disagree with you there.

 

[Shaman]

Yeah, I get fresh air. I will check the thread when I get home to see your pic wavinwayne. Can't access it right now.

 

[tom slick]

I tinker as my job. I'm constantly finding multiple vendors or OEMs for parts for various machines, checking out oil specs and where to get the oil from, etc... it's a never ending battle, but I enjoy it, and I get paid for it.

 

[Shaman]

I get paid to teach English, but I would love a job like yours if I get back to the states, or wherever it is I end up.

 

[GoldenRod]

What kind of auto parts stores do thay have in Japan ?

 

[Al]

shaman

Be careful about putting stuff in the Kerosene heater. Things have a habit of screwing up the Wick. I had a batch of bad kerosene and unfortunately it crapped up my wick.

But you do have me interested in the acetone. Did it work to improve things?

 

[SaturnIonVue]

I use to have the "tinker's affliction" pretty badly myself. Most times, good enough wasn't really good enough. So I fixed things. Then I was introduced to one of Murphy's Laws: "If you fix something long enough, you will break it." After proving that to be true a few more times, I finally cured myself! For the most part.

 

[CharBaby]

On some of my older cars/trucks, I use to tinker so much trying to improve things, that I would sometimes tweek something that was running kinda OK and only make it worst(especially old carbs). Although most of the time things worked out well. I still love to tinker though, now by just doing preventative maintenance, washing/waxing etc.

 

[ikeepmychevytoo]

Fish doesn't think, but knows everything.

 

[eljefino]

I love the idea that tinkering with a kerosene heater is a source of fresh air.

 

[Shaman]

I was saying that I crack the back door when it starts up, to get the initial nasty smell out of the apartment.

 

[Matt89]

My rule of thumb with tinkering is that as long as you are willing to BREAK what you are working on, you can do almost anything yourself and you will learn a ton in the process.

I have an extremely difficult time paying others to do things that I can probably do myself.

Of course some things, like changing oil or packing parachutes, are mandatory 'do it myself'

 

[robbobster]

These day, my tinkering is limited to my cars.

I have this crazy notion that I can "improve" my vehicles by modifying them for inclrased performance.

Truth is, the amount of time spent chasing problems is in direct proportion to the number of modifications I perform on said vehicle.

 

[Master ACiD]

i think tinkering has different definitions to different people. ill give an example.

i bleed the brakes and hydraulic clutches in every automobile i service every year or 2. now to some this would be considered tinkering. however i feel justified in this because some owners manuals specify a service interval for brake and clutch bleeding, indicating that it is something you should occasionally do. i will admit that some owners manual do not specify any brake bleeding interval. my honda crv manual says to bleed the brakes every 45,000 miles. i usually do it every 15K to 30K which is 2-3 times as often as honda recomends.

now would this be considered tinkering? i dont know. i also change the other fuilds in the car more often than nessassary.

some people would consider bleeding the brakes or clutch at ANY srvice interval tinkering. some people would consider bleeding them 3 times more often than the factory interval tinkering.

i consider it preventitve maintence, and not only that but i actually enjoy it. it also gives me a chance to look under the car and inspect it for any damage.

so what exactly is tinkering? i think it varies from person to person. i dont think there is 1 single absolute definition.

 

[jmacmaster]

I tinker for a living. I'm a staff attorney for the Montana Legislature. A big part of my job is drafting bills to be introduced in the Legislature and amending bills that I drafted or that come before the House Judiciary Committee, which I staff. So I'm constantly tinkering with, and fixing, both the law that's already on the books and bills in a session of the Legislature. One of the most used phrases during a legislative session is "how do we fix this bill" or "can you fix this bill". Reputations have been made (and broken) based on whether you're known as a top notch fixer.

 

[SaturnIonVue]

jmacmaster:

Now I think I better understand what Mark Twain had in mind when he said: "No ones life, liberty, or property is without jeopardy when the legislature is in session."

 

[Racerjk]

There are some fidgety jokers on here for sure.