What did you do today?

[8ntruck 7,016]

Got my propane heater running today in the garage, then did some organizing and a little bit of wood butchery on the table and miter saws.

 

When I went back into the house, I saw an interesting sunset.  Grabbed the phone and snapped a couple of picture.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,912]

2 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Got my propane heater running today in the garage, then did some organizing and a little bit of wood butchery on the table and miter saws.

 

When I went back into the house, I saw an interesting sunset.  Grabbed the phone and snapped a couple of picture.

 

 

 

No ice huts in our sunset, but I saw those colors tonight too!  Great photo!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,912]

We’re about 1/2 mile from the nearest pond.  Saw a muskrat cruising across the yard today.  My concealed carry piece let off a round to stop it’s travels.

[Pullstart 62,912]

Well, last night I swept the shop floor under my truck.  Then did brakes.  Today, fluids changed... started.  Then my oil basin was full and I didn’t realize that! Big mess.  Cardboard, rust and dirt to the rescue!

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,628]

33 minutes ago, pullstart said:

Cardboard, rust and dirt to the rescue!

Cardboard, Rust And Dirt. 

 

The quicker picker upper!!

 

 

[Stormin 9,981]

Whoops!

[Tractorhead 9,064]

1 hour ago, pullstart said:

Well, last night I swept the shop floor under my truck.  Then did brakes.  Today, fluids changed... started.  Then my oil basin was full and I didn’t realize that! Big mess.  Cardboard, rust and dirt to the rescue!

 

 

 

Never do things in a hurry short behind 😂 - don‘t  ask why i know that.. 😎

 

The Iseki had just 3 Litres of Engineoil, but 12 Litres of Hydraulicoil.

not Funny if you Dump can just 12 litres handle.. 🤪

 

I know there is also special Sand for oil troubles available and i also know allway’s put a cardboard under,

but i use Wood Sawdust and dusty dirt for quickest result.

Another try with good success was Cat Stray, 

works on brakefluid or on hydraulics oil little better i find.

 

[lynnmor 7,308]

The tan clay type cat litter is the same as oil dry, it is just dried and ground clay with perfumes.  The clay is harvested by strip mining and of course environmentalists are fighting that.  The clumping type that is gray in color doesn't work as well.  My SIL worked at a processing plant so I have a lifetime supply.  I made parts for the plant while SIL was there, we even visited the mining operation in Wyoming.

Edited January 23, 2021 by lynnmor

[WHNJ701 4,165]

5 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

The tan clay type cat litter is the same as oil dry, it is just dried and ground clay with perfumes.  The clay is harvested by strip mining and of environmentalists are fighting that.  The clumping type that is gray in color doesn't work as well.  My SIL worked at a processing plant so I have a lifetime supply.  I made parts for the plant while SIL was there, we even visited the mining operation in Wyoming.

Bentonite clay

[Pullstart 62,912]

Dirt, rust, cardboard and rags do in a crunch though 

 

Today, we woke up, had homemade waffles and bacon, Rylee and I split a few day’s worth of wood and I took a nap!  3 pm, maybe I should do something productive in the shop!  

[ebinmaine 67,628]

Spent some time out back in the forest. Trina was picking trees to fell. I knocked em down with the chain saw. 

We'd move a branch or 5 to clear safety space and move to the next one. 

Took out about 12 or 15 smaller trees and half a dozen medium to large. 

Also sectioned up most of one and part of a few others. 

Later I'll sharpen up the saws for tommorow. 

We'll head back out and lay over a few more. 

 

Should be a good supply of wood to cut and split for next year. 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by ebinmaine
Correct autocorrect

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Just reworked a little my new Toolbox..

 

I love to work on, but mostly a little more Space is needed. so i simply added a Flip table on the side.

 

 

in working state

 

 

 

but can also be flipped down to need less storage space.

[ebinmaine 67,628]

While I was sharpening two chainsaws The Paint Department was prepping another wall for recoat. 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by ebinmaine
Added photos

[WHNJ701 4,165]

Sitting here all annoyed 😠.  I missed out on another z28 camaro today that came up for sale on facebook.  I was #3 to respond with cash in hand.  Oh well, my kid made a picture for me if it!

Edited January 24, 2021 by jabelman

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

 

Finally finished.  Took me a week of intermittent work in between actual day job work.  

 

Here are my observations...

 

The loose manifold bolt was just the start of it.  The one directly across from it did not tighten when I went to torque it to 18 lb-ft.  This in spite of the fact that I chased the threads with a new tap before re-assembly that bolt hole was hopelessly stripped.  I got an 'unusual' amount of chips out of that hole when I did so.  Here's what I think happened:

 

The lower intake manifolds on these V6 engines have four vertical bolts in the center, and four diagonal bolts at each corner.  The PROPER sequence that MUST be followed it to first torque the center bolts, first to 62 in-lb, and then to 115 in-lb BEFORE even ATTEMPTING to insert the diagonal bolts into their respective threads.  If you don't follow this procedure you WILL cross thread the diagonal bolts because they won't line up properly.  AND you will have coolant leaks at the corners of the manifold if you do manage to get the bolts in and torque them before the center vertical ones.  You end up 'twisting' the manifold if you do this.

 

How I fixed that problem:  I debated pulling the LIM again and drilling and Heli-Coil the hole.  I woke up the next morning with a dreamt up solution.  I knew from chasing the hole exactly how deep it was threaded into the head.  I knew exactly how long the bolts were.  I could easily measure the thickness of the manifold flange and gasket.  A little ciphering told me that there was almost a full half inch of threads at the bottom of that hole which never touched bolt threads and likely good to go.  My math told me that a 40mm long bolt would reach those threads and not bottom out in the hole.  So I tried it and THANK YOU JESUS! for allowing me to dream up a solution!  I put the new bolt in and was able to torque to spec, thank GOD!  I would have been really pizzed if I had to remove that manifold again to Heli-Coil that hole!

 

Other things I did:

The intake runners in the manifold were choked down to approximately 2/3 the original size with carbon deposits so I cleaned all that stuff out.  I call it the 'poor mans port and polish'.  In fact, I did take the Dremel to a few casting protrusions in the ports to get a wee tad better flow and polished them up just a little from the rough cast original finish.

 

Similar process to the upper manifold / air plenum.  Not nearly as choked with carbon though but did need a good cleaning and wire brushing inside.

 

The throttle body was a MESS!  At least an eighth inch of carbon crud on the back side of the butterfly.  The Idle Air Control mech was completely gunked up too.  Cleaned that all up spiffy shiny new.

 

[Just remembered something else.  I cleaned the injectors with a can of carb cleaner, a piece of 1/2" clear tubing, a rubber stopper in one end of the tubing with a small hole drilled in the stopper for the cleaner straw to go through, a couple small hose claps, two clip leads and a 9V battery, and an empty mustard bottle from the recycle bin.

 

Basically you slip the open end of the tubing over the injector, clamp it, activate the injector solenoid with the clip leads and battery, with the spray end of the injector in the mustard bottle to observe the pattern you blip the cleaner nozzle to force the cleaner through the injector.  All of the patterns improved after a few squirts.  Not my idea, it's all over youtube.  It works!  Be careful!  WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES!  If you don't open the solenoid first, the hose will pop off the injector and the cleaner goes all over the place!   Do not get that stuff in your eyes!]

 

Numerous vacuum leaks were discovered and repaired.

 

Flushed the cooling system 5 times before the crap started to clear.  Looks good now.

[would have been easier if I could have reached the block drains from underneath but I didn't want a shower in anti-freeze!]

 

Anyway, after all this, it's running better than it has in 15 years.  I believe that my improvements have added back at least 1 HP for each of those years.  I could set a wine glass on the manifold it idles so nice.  I bet the fuel mileage improves by a couple MPG too!

 

[oh, I mentioned that I was going to replace the front crank seal... DONE!  and not too difficult.  Easy to access with the tire off and splash shield removed.]

 

Now on to the front suspension, control arms, ball joints, tie rod ends, stabilizer bushings.  On and on it goes...

Edited January 27, 2021 by Jeff-C175
added some info in [ ]

[SylvanLakeWH 25,600]

Joined my 93 year old Dad for his daily walk yesterday...

 

Growing up In a family of skiers, early morning “first tracks” were prized on those rare deep snow powder days... these days, Dad carves his tracks with his walker...!

 

 

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Had a lot of Fun.....

 

 

here it snow‘s since few Day‘s with nearly no interrupt.

 

 

 

 

So i the Horse get‘s it‘s Hardcore Test of the Snowplow.

inbetween i need the Beast with the FEL, to drag the mass of snow the horse collects into my Field.

 

 

 

Until Night we be in Winterservice.

 

Funny - i love it...

Neighbours apprecciate my Winterservice, and theWheel Horse gert‘s only best reputations.

 

 

 

[953 nut 55,321]

Today we had the most fantastic January weather I have ever seen in western North Carolina, sunny and temperatures in the seventies.   Unfortunately I was stuck in a windowless court room all day with the exception of lunch.   I am serving on a Grand Jury and there have been no trials since March 2020 due to coved-19 so there is a huge backlog. We heard evidence on thirty cases and managed to wrap up our deliberations in time to watch the sun go down.  Tomorrow it will be cold and rainy.    

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by 953 nut

[Pullstart 62,912]

I just took a winter night’s walk with the love of my life.  We did about 3/4 mile.  It was brisk and full moon snowy awesome!

 

 

[Mickwhitt 4,642]

Mixed bag today. Yesterday I planted 110 saplings to start a hedge row on land owned by our local council. Part of a Trees for cities initiative. The Council head of parks was working with me.

Today I was verbally abused and threatened by a jackass who lives close to this planting. He was shouting at me about not getting his permission and that he had lived here longer than me so he had seniority!  Threatend to pull them all up and would not stop screaming at me despite me walking off to remove myself from the situation. Nice.

But then I got an email granting me £750 for our community group to carry on our work. Swings and roundabouts I suppose.

Mick 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,628]

....... And people think me and The Paint Department are weird because we want to live in the middle of nowhere.....

[Mickwhitt 4,642]

Eric I wish I could move my house away from people. But our county is very small, 600 Square miles, which is about the size of Guam. Its old industrial with very little unbuilt space. Every part of the view from my house is ex coal mining scenery, now grown over with trees. 

Yorkshiremen could not live anywhere else. Not that we can't move, other folk could not cope with our constant asking "How much"

[Stormin 9,981]

   I've nothing against tree planting and don't know what the chaps objection was. Apart from the, "I've lived here longer than you " remark. Been on the receiving end of that mesel' in days gone by. I just hope some thought has been given to their location.

 

   Some people will plant trees without any thought of the effect they may have on other people. When I bought this place 20 odd years ago, we had a clear view right over to the Scottish hills. Neighbour opposite planted a small copse at the end of the lane. He also planted a row of trees across the middle of the field opposite and another row beyond that.

  

   The copse is not a problem, it does make a good wind break from the strong WNW winds we get. But the two rows of trees, all planted close together and should really be thinned out, now obscure the view we had of some lovely sunsets. It's not as if they form a wind break. He also planted half a dozen on the lane verge. Those in time as they grow, the roots will damage the lane surface, which isn't in the best of condition to start with.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

[Mickwhitt 4,642]

 

[Stormin 9,981]

1 minute ago, Mickwhitt said:

Not that we can't move, other folk could not cope with our constant asking "How much"

 

How true. As all true Lancastrians know, Tyks have short arms and deep pockets.