What are you working on today?
- Thread starter Amkeer
- Start date
1993 Dodge B150. Rear u-joints and front idler arm. The u-joint at transmission was a baby version of the stupid Dodge joints with inner clips. We used a 315G but lots of part numbers. 1.078" cups. The joint at rear pinion was same design but with 1.125" cups -- we used a 2-1175BF that I keep in stock.
On the right, the worst u-joint cup is shown. It's chipped and had exactly ZERO needles in it. Also note some of the trunnion discoloration from heat.
On the left, the ball joint would just move in/out easily by hand. I drew a line (finger indicates) when it was in then pulled it out to demonstrate the amount of travel.
On the right, the worst u-joint cup is shown. It's chipped and had exactly ZERO needles in it. Also note some of the trunnion discoloration from heat.
On the left, the ball joint would just move in/out easily by hand. I drew a line (finger indicates) when it was in then pulled it out to demonstrate the amount of travel.
Something that's been pestering me for a long time: HVAC bulb on a '98 CRV.
Info online for what EXACTLY these are is sketchy. I had initially ordered some T3 and T4 and #74, all of which were too small or incorrect. I finally found 'em as a T5 (fourth time's the charm)
The problem, right side not illuminated:
As viewed from top of module:
Fixed:
As viewed from top with new RH bulb, the white plastic base of the replacement bulb allows more light through (also visible on the sheet above, shining up):
Transfer the amber condom to the new bulb:
Box from Amazon:
Info online for what EXACTLY these are is sketchy. I had initially ordered some T3 and T4 and #74, all of which were too small or incorrect. I finally found 'em as a T5 (fourth time's the charm)
The problem, right side not illuminated:
As viewed from top of module:
Fixed:
As viewed from top with new RH bulb, the white plastic base of the replacement bulb allows more light through (also visible on the sheet above, shining up):
Transfer the amber condom to the new bulb:
Box from Amazon:
Quoting myself, I replaced this shaft today. From a new shaft installed April '23, it was just thinking about letting the grease out (dirty gloved finger indicates). Also note how all the fine dust seems attracted to that area
Also the nut that came on the new axle was threaded at an angle internally. It would wobble around while unthreading by hand. More on that later. I've ordered an M22 bolt so I can more accurately document how Trakmotive can't build a basic nut (it's new technology, I know!!)
Finished the roof on half of the pole barn, enough to move all implements, fuel barrels, generator underneath and safe from the elements. Doing some cleanup work next weekend. The second 24x24 should be finished by the end of the year.
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2022
- Messages
- 534
Washed the fleet, waxed the Jeep. Nice day in Delaware!
Non auto chores. Namely firing up my big 75,000 BTU propane burner, and seasoning a lot of large cast iron Dutch ovens, Afrikaans cast iron Potjie pots.
Can’t do it in the apt , too much smoke,,burning crisco smell , it’s bad to breath in, esp for the house cats. Stove fan does nothing to vent the smoke . Plus 75% of my iron pots don’t even fit into the oven
So outside it is. Welding gloves to move the huge pots around , big tub of Crisco . Lots of paper towels , the big burner.
I’ve got a “few” cast iron cooking gear….
Can’t do it in the apt , too much smoke,,burning crisco smell , it’s bad to breath in, esp for the house cats. Stove fan does nothing to vent the smoke . Plus 75% of my iron pots don’t even fit into the oven
So outside it is. Welding gloves to move the huge pots around , big tub of Crisco . Lots of paper towels , the big burner.
I’ve got a “few” cast iron cooking gear….
I also finally replaced the valve cover gasket on my 1990 Mazda B2200.
I thought y’all would appreciate the valve train pics. That’s 34 years (and 2 sets of valves, 4 sets of the tiny little hydraulic lifters, seals etc over the years. )
Run all its life on Redline 5W40 full synthetic or LiquiMoly 5W40 full synthetic , Mazda, Wix, Mann, Mobil oil filters.
Clean clean clean clean clean! I’ve seen local B2200s and they are black , tarred up , sludged up in the valve train area. Most used Dino oil, had nothing but short trips, and poor maintenance . M
I thought y’all would appreciate the valve train pics. That’s 34 years (and 2 sets of valves, 4 sets of the tiny little hydraulic lifters, seals etc over the years. )
Run all its life on Redline 5W40 full synthetic or LiquiMoly 5W40 full synthetic , Mazda, Wix, Mann, Mobil oil filters.
Clean clean clean clean clean! I’ve seen local B2200s and they are black , tarred up , sludged up in the valve train area. Most used Dino oil, had nothing but short trips, and poor maintenance . M
2009 Chevy Suburban, 5.3L/6L80E with 360,xxx miles, New referral.....Customer states transmission was rebuilt a year ago & has failed 7 times since.....Now it's out of warranty & the shop wanted to put a GM reman in at full retail.
As you can imagine he's tired of getting ripped off & depends on this truck for work, Delicate situation for sure. Estimated using one of my cores with a NEW GM Valve Body & TEHCM, Blueprinted stack & pump, Sonnax billet 1234 piston, Sonnax Zip Kit, Billet front twin disc converter.
Programmed & Tuned.
Replaced the Radiator & Auxiliary cooler as they were both restricted.
Test drove over 50 miles for a good relearn.
Took me all week including today.....Took few pictures as I didn't have time.
As you can imagine he's tired of getting ripped off & depends on this truck for work, Delicate situation for sure. Estimated using one of my cores with a NEW GM Valve Body & TEHCM, Blueprinted stack & pump, Sonnax billet 1234 piston, Sonnax Zip Kit, Billet front twin disc converter.
Programmed & Tuned.
Replaced the Radiator & Auxiliary cooler as they were both restricted.
Test drove over 50 miles for a good relearn.
Took me all week including today.....Took few pictures as I didn't have time.
02 Focus.. inner, outers tie rods and ball joints on both sides. Might be the last big wrench project, my hands and arms are now locking up only after a couple hours. Very painful. Now to see if the alignment shop will touch it. Tire on the side thar broke has a bad spot, rotated that to the rear but really should be replaced. She did complain about a vibration for a while, not sure in Walmart would warranty it. Cars not really worth much more but if it last a few more months this job will pay for itself.
Finally got the L83 back from the machine shop. Went through and checked clearances. Crank cut .010” on the mains and rod journals. Block bored .020” over. Mains check in ok from .0018-.0023. Rods came in too big for my liking at .003-.0032”. Max service limit is .003” with a nominal range of .0009-.0025”. I don’t want a max limit clearance on a fresh engine. Bearings provided were mahle. I’ll see about getting new connecting rods or some new GM bearings.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Watering plants - still summer here 
Storaging a 2021 Toyota Tundra 3UR-FE w/ 16,507mi for a month so doing some fluid checks and setting up a battery maintainer.
I forgot I had these test strips buried in the shelf with miscellaneous hardware. At least I can gauge whether it's time to change the factory coolant/brake fluid.
Glycol level of factory fill Toyota Pink.
pH level 7 bordering on possible replacement, you know that thread going on right meow.
Brake fluid visual check.
But the test strip will tell the story.
General fluid checks.
Temp install a pair of noco battery charger clamps for the charger/maintainer. Gonna buy noco eyelets for a permanent install.
Run with wire through the grille so I can shut the hood.
Battery had a high SoC so it went to maintenance mode immediately.
Change you 3UR-FE timming belts service okay?
I forgot I had these test strips buried in the shelf with miscellaneous hardware. At least I can gauge whether it's time to change the factory coolant/brake fluid.
Glycol level of factory fill Toyota Pink.
pH level 7 bordering on possible replacement, you know that thread going on right meow.
Brake fluid visual check.
But the test strip will tell the story.
General fluid checks.
Temp install a pair of noco battery charger clamps for the charger/maintainer. Gonna buy noco eyelets for a permanent install.
Run with wire through the grille so I can shut the hood.
Battery had a high SoC so it went to maintenance mode immediately.
Change you 3UR-FE timming belts service okay?
We need pics of this next time!Non auto chores. Namely firing up my big 75,000 BTU propane burner, and seasoning a lot of large cast iron Dutch ovens, Afrikaans cast iron Potjie pots.
Can’t do it in the apt , too much smoke,,burning crisco smell , it’s bad to breath in, esp for the house cats. Stove fan does nothing to vent the smoke . Plus 75% of my iron pots don’t even fit into the oven
So outside it is. Welding gloves to move the huge pots around , big tub of Crisco . Lots of paper towels , the big burner.
I’ve got a “few” cast iron cooking gear….
It’s been a while since I’ve posted.
The f150 received new coolant and new brake fluid. It took about 3 days to work the coolant level into place from remnant air pockets. Brakes feel great.
Worked in with the roofer (storm repair) to add in a vent exhaust which was ready to connect to a 300 CFM inline exhaust fan. I love this thing. It pulls the steam and cleaning chemical fumes out nicely, and being inline it doesn’t make much noise.
It’s approaching holiday season. Every year I make end tables from butcher block for the top and brake rotors for the base, with steel pipe as the stem. They make neat little tables which I donate to our company’s Christmas party, as well as for gifts to others. I bought enough butcher block to make 5, and have a good collection of rotors. Been cutting, sanding, staining and painting. These rotors came off a 1-ton, I’m pretty sure. 8 lug, beefy. Good heavy stuff!
It’s been dry here, not much use of the OPE. I kinda miss mowing the lawn.
We also decided not to trade the F150 at the moment. Gonna hang on to it and hopefully pick up a DD next year, hopefully.
The f150 received new coolant and new brake fluid. It took about 3 days to work the coolant level into place from remnant air pockets. Brakes feel great.
Worked in with the roofer (storm repair) to add in a vent exhaust which was ready to connect to a 300 CFM inline exhaust fan. I love this thing. It pulls the steam and cleaning chemical fumes out nicely, and being inline it doesn’t make much noise.
It’s approaching holiday season. Every year I make end tables from butcher block for the top and brake rotors for the base, with steel pipe as the stem. They make neat little tables which I donate to our company’s Christmas party, as well as for gifts to others. I bought enough butcher block to make 5, and have a good collection of rotors. Been cutting, sanding, staining and painting. These rotors came off a 1-ton, I’m pretty sure. 8 lug, beefy. Good heavy stuff!
It’s been dry here, not much use of the OPE. I kinda miss mowing the lawn.
We also decided not to trade the F150 at the moment. Gonna hang on to it and hopefully pick up a DD next year, hopefully.
Went around the LS430 correcting all the crap I found earlier. Who ever was working on this thing before I got it, needs a swift kick. For such a low mileage car there's a lot of places that show just crap workmanship.
Replacing missing/incorrect clips in the trunk. Found one, origin unknown.
Random missing/incorrect clips from the trim panels. I got an intermittent tail lamp failure last week.
Surprise, surprise.
The tool kit was missing its wrenches. I found the 12mm/14mm wrench under the hood wedged between the wheel well and the air filter box.
Did a lot of the same kind of niggling work under the hood too. I know I'm boring most of you, but I'll post what going on in the engine compartment a bit later.
Replacing missing/incorrect clips in the trunk. Found one, origin unknown.
Random missing/incorrect clips from the trim panels. I got an intermittent tail lamp failure last week.
Surprise, surprise.The tool kit was missing its wrenches. I found the 12mm/14mm wrench under the hood wedged between the wheel well and the air filter box.
Did a lot of the same kind of niggling work under the hood too. I know I'm boring most of you, but I'll post what going on in the engine compartment a bit later.
Doing some diag and repair on this 2011 Avalon
All the doors will lock, but only the drivers door unlocks
I've concluded an internal relay in the Body ECU (aka interior fusebox) has failed
A guy on eBay makes a wiring mod/bypass as a fix, or I could consider a used part of eBay
I'll keep it on the watch list
I'm officially done with Raybestos Element3 brake pads
This is the third time in a row I've had fitment issues
This time, the rotors and hardware were ok
But there's an extra bump on the pad, which makes it impossible to fit the pad into the bracket with the audible pad wear indicator (squeaker) on the end
I wound up leaving them out of both inner pads, just to have the faintest movement and avoid binding
They cleared on the outer pads, no idea why
Ironically the old pads had none of the squeakers, which is why there was no audible indication that they were paper thin
Nevermind the seized slide pins, and suspiciously overfull brake fluid
3 hours of my life I'll never get back, but it stops reasonably well and doesn't make noise, I'll take it
Oh, and I got a new drill brush
No corroded battery terminals around here, no sir
Mirror finish, for maximum conductivity
All the doors will lock, but only the drivers door unlocks
I've concluded an internal relay in the Body ECU (aka interior fusebox) has failed
A guy on eBay makes a wiring mod/bypass as a fix, or I could consider a used part of eBay
I'll keep it on the watch list
I'm officially done with Raybestos Element3 brake pads
This is the third time in a row I've had fitment issues
This time, the rotors and hardware were ok
But there's an extra bump on the pad, which makes it impossible to fit the pad into the bracket with the audible pad wear indicator (squeaker) on the end
I wound up leaving them out of both inner pads, just to have the faintest movement and avoid binding
They cleared on the outer pads, no idea why
Ironically the old pads had none of the squeakers, which is why there was no audible indication that they were paper thin
Nevermind the seized slide pins, and suspiciously overfull brake fluid
3 hours of my life I'll never get back, but it stops reasonably well and doesn't make noise, I'll take it
Oh, and I got a new drill brush
No corroded battery terminals around here, no sir
Mirror finish, for maximum conductivity