350,000
What are you working on today?
- Thread starter Amkeer
- Start date
Finishing tree removal, brought down by straight line winds during a thunderstorm. Tree had some rot in the center.
Needed all of my 32 inch bar.
Needed all of my 32 inch bar.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
Put the bottom transmission belly pan back on the X3 after the total VR&P ATF changeover. It's been 600 miles and the pan's not leaking. The trans is shifting better with no new bad stuff going on. So I'm not going to be draining or fixing anything where the belly pan would be in the way = pan back in place.
This week oddly I had a '99 and 2000 Taco with the same complaint: p/s leak. Both trucks were leaking from the same place, which was the return line.
The OEM return line eventually gets hard as a rock and either leaks at the clamps or just "oozes" fluid through its pores (not sure)
The 2000 was still a little noisy after bleeding lock-to-lock. I was able to just set this rubber block on the reservoir and it held to allow vacuuum. Vacuum bleeding took it from a small but definite whine to a barely perceptible whine -- good enough at 270k miles
The 2000 also got an engine oil change, new air filter, new wipers and new a/c condenser and accumulator. Toyota opted to put the latter two about 1/4" behind the bumper, ensuring that the lightest tap means a/c damage.
Neither AutoZone or O'Reilly lists a condenser for these first gen Tacos -- like at all -- so I had to order from RA. I got a UAC and unfortunately the fit sucked
The OEM return line eventually gets hard as a rock and either leaks at the clamps or just "oozes" fluid through its pores (not sure)
The 2000 was still a little noisy after bleeding lock-to-lock. I was able to just set this rubber block on the reservoir and it held to allow vacuuum. Vacuum bleeding took it from a small but definite whine to a barely perceptible whine -- good enough at 270k miles
The 2000 also got an engine oil change, new air filter, new wipers and new a/c condenser and accumulator. Toyota opted to put the latter two about 1/4" behind the bumper, ensuring that the lightest tap means a/c damage.
Neither AutoZone or O'Reilly lists a condenser for these first gen Tacos -- like at all -- so I had to order from RA. I got a UAC and unfortunately the fit sucked
Job done.
Alternators on the generation J-Series cars I have are pretty much a cake walk. Sure you have to move a few things out of the way, but there are plenty worse jobs.
Hardest part for me is re-installing the belt. Kicks my arse every time.
Alternator fresh off the boat from China WAI GLOBAL 8296N. New, not reman. New Bando belt as well.
And yes, I did go back and plug the cooling fan in.
New positive battery terminal. You have to love Honda back in the day. No extra BS on the terminal, just wires crimped on.
Alternator making good voltage at high idle.
Just about all the load I can put on the thing.
I do have to chuckle at the complete and utter BS spec sheet they send with the alternator:
24 amps of ripple current? I certainly hope not.
Ohh well, we'll see what kind of life I get out of it. The OEM packed it in at 320,000 miles.
Alternators on the generation J-Series cars I have are pretty much a cake walk. Sure you have to move a few things out of the way, but there are plenty worse jobs.
Hardest part for me is re-installing the belt. Kicks my arse every time.
Alternator fresh off the boat from China WAI GLOBAL 8296N. New, not reman. New Bando belt as well.
And yes, I did go back and plug the cooling fan in.
New positive battery terminal. You have to love Honda back in the day. No extra BS on the terminal, just wires crimped on.
Alternator making good voltage at high idle.
Just about all the load I can put on the thing.
I do have to chuckle at the complete and utter BS spec sheet they send with the alternator:
24 amps of ripple current? I certainly hope not.
Ohh well, we'll see what kind of life I get out of it. The OEM packed it in at 320,000 miles.
2009 Ford F350 6.4, somehow still alive at 231,750 mi:
-replaced both fuel filters
-engine oil change. The filler cap is the ratcheting type and had failed so the top just spun by hand while the threads stayed put. Apparently a VERY common problem. The Motorad logo here explains everything you need to know:
I decided rather than ordering a replacement I'd just apply copious SuperGlue (excess visible above), pop the two pieces back together and make it a non-ratcheting cap. Seems to work fine.
-replaced both fuel filters
-engine oil change. The filler cap is the ratcheting type and had failed so the top just spun by hand while the threads stayed put. Apparently a VERY common problem. The Motorad logo here explains everything you need to know:
I decided rather than ordering a replacement I'd just apply copious SuperGlue (excess visible above), pop the two pieces back together and make it a non-ratcheting cap. Seems to work fine.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
Brought down the battery charger to check the new RV battery.. 80%? Took about 3hrs to charge to full. Running a recondition cycle now, runs for 12hrs. The last 3 batteries did this procedure and it seems to wake them up, yes could be placebo. The new tractors battery is next, it’s probably a late 24 maybe early 25z
Worked on the mini-ex in the heat.. 5 pieces later the filter is hooked up. Wired up the fan to a switch, and even has a fuse lol. Scratched my head on the fitting going in the pump. Replaced the o-ring on the hose and put a little black rtv on the fitting to pump, didn’t have the right size rubber washer. Had a off/on leak not sure if its fixed now.
Skid for a 50 gallon transfer tank this afternoon. I am renting an excavator at the end of the month for a week and it will be 40 miles from the farm where I store fuel. I bought this aluminum tank at a farm auction with a bad pump several years ago for next to nothing and put it in storage. I also bought out a bunch of Fill-Rite inventory knowing that I’d use it eventually. Little bit of treated lumber and pieced together a pump, filter and Veeder-Root out of the stock I bought and some pipe fittings I had stashed away. I’m waiting on a hose reel from Vevor to put on it and debating on a power source.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2026
Well JL Audio overwhelmed this sub. It is DIY project so not original subs that go under the seat in BMW. This one under passenger front seat was always like bit weaker than one under driver seat. Well, on Thursday i have music on (for interested, Money for Nothing was playing) and suddenly cloud of black smoke raises under the seat. In a second I was thinking just fire, but then I hear flopping sound of base, and thinking: “there goes voice coil.”
Made urgent order on Amazon, because “no music, no driving,” fixed it yesterday:
Old:
Amazon birdie brought new one just in time to replace it in the afternoon:
Box that holds BMW sub. As you can see, part has to be cut to take 8” Pioneer. Sound insulation is put on at the bottom to retain pressure:
New one with plastic protection:
New one without plastic protection as it wouldn’t be able to fit in the box with it:
Overall, better. I think old one was problematic from factory as it never had performance of one under driver seat.
Made urgent order on Amazon, because “no music, no driving,” fixed it yesterday:
Old:
Amazon birdie brought new one just in time to replace it in the afternoon:
Box that holds BMW sub. As you can see, part has to be cut to take 8” Pioneer. Sound insulation is put on at the bottom to retain pressure:
New one with plastic protection:
New one without plastic protection as it wouldn’t be able to fit in the box with it:
Overall, better. I think old one was problematic from factory as it never had performance of one under driver seat.
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2025
- Messages
- 74
The Subaru is nearing 100,000 miles, so I've been taking care of all the work that is due (or overdue). Last weekend was the PCV valve and oil change, then brakes a few weekends before that. This weekend was spark plugs, which were due at 60,000 miles according to the schedule. Whoops. Also whoops is that apparently the NGK plugs I got from O'Reilly's were Iridium IX and not the recommended Iridium Laser. My 50 mile test drive through town and countryside (and freeway) seemed fine, so hopefully the car isn't that picky.
Overall, not quite as hard a job as it is made out to be, but **** these two battery tray bolts in particular (not my image, taken from: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/battery-bracket-spark-plug-removal.565816/). They did not get reinstalled.
Only pic I took from the job:
Overall, not quite as hard a job as it is made out to be, but **** these two battery tray bolts in particular (not my image, taken from: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/battery-bracket-spark-plug-removal.565816/). They did not get reinstalled.
Only pic I took from the job:
08 Ford F-150 4.6L my best friend/former co-worker truck is in after half a year (usually comes by for oil changes and inspection). Wanted me to look for an oil leak. Unfortunately the entire bottom of the engine was wet with oil so I had trouble pinpointing the exact leak. The severity of the leak probably points to a pressurized system (ie, ATF, P/S, any type of engine oil cooling). No fluid loss from transmission or p/s and oil drippings from frame smelled of used oil. Started with the oil filter housing gasket since oil runs through a plastic gasket to the oil filter housing (akin to BMW M54 oil filter housings.)
If you have the cooling system drained and have never changed the oil filter housing gasket on a Ford 4.6/5.4L then it might be good to preemptively do so. The coolant portion where the lower radiator hose flows through is close to disintegrating. The oil portion did not show any signs of weepage.
Remove oil filter and catch tray to access bolts. Drain cooling system and remove lower radiator hose from housing. Disconnect oil pressure sender wire.
Remove 4 13mm bolts and swing from coolant reservoir hose leaving hose connected since there is ample room to clean mating surfaces.
Degreased engine and brakekleened the heavy oil residue to see if the oil leak has been resolved or to continue on with finding other sources of the leak.
Ran it hot to purge the cooling system (even though I vacuum filled the system) and rechecked the bottom for any oil running down the engine (particularly the front of the engine.)
Oil was still running down the left side which appeared to be behind the -new- tensioner pulley. Removed the pulley to find this.
The old tensioner was grinding into the timing cover. The noise got bad enough where he bought it to the shop mechanics at work to swap out the tensioner and belt. The mechanics did not say anything about the cover being chewed up so I had no lead to begin with. The -new-belt also got trashed too.
Day was almost over and I wasn't prepped to do a timing cover. Just to get the guy home and prevent another Exxon Valdez, I slathered some right stuff RTV over the lathed-out timing cover marks and installed a new belt. New timing cover is on order and owner will park it for the time being.
Permanent -not- permanent fix.
If you have the cooling system drained and have never changed the oil filter housing gasket on a Ford 4.6/5.4L then it might be good to preemptively do so. The coolant portion where the lower radiator hose flows through is close to disintegrating. The oil portion did not show any signs of weepage.
Remove oil filter and catch tray to access bolts. Drain cooling system and remove lower radiator hose from housing. Disconnect oil pressure sender wire.
Remove 4 13mm bolts and swing from coolant reservoir hose leaving hose connected since there is ample room to clean mating surfaces.
Degreased engine and brakekleened the heavy oil residue to see if the oil leak has been resolved or to continue on with finding other sources of the leak.
Ran it hot to purge the cooling system (even though I vacuum filled the system) and rechecked the bottom for any oil running down the engine (particularly the front of the engine.)
Oil was still running down the left side which appeared to be behind the -new- tensioner pulley. Removed the pulley to find this.
The old tensioner was grinding into the timing cover. The noise got bad enough where he bought it to the shop mechanics at work to swap out the tensioner and belt. The mechanics did not say anything about the cover being chewed up so I had no lead to begin with. The -new-belt also got trashed too.
Day was almost over and I wasn't prepped to do a timing cover. Just to get the guy home and prevent another Exxon Valdez, I slathered some right stuff RTV over the lathed-out timing cover marks and installed a new belt. New timing cover is on order and owner will park it for the time being.
Permanent -not- permanent fix.
Don't you dare take that timing cover off without doing the full timing set. Guides are likely disintegrated anyway (yes I understand it's a 2V -- doesn't matter). Personally I'd do metal ratcheting tensioners but to each their own.
Nice job!
Working on getting into a pool a little earlier than usual, it's too hot to do anything today........ 