[ShotgunUppercuts]

General if you can see if you can turn the crank by hand to see if it'll spin.

Rule of thumb for engines in the junkyard

If the car is smashed up then the engine is good

If the car has no dents then domething in the driveline is fucked


When i got my 350 to make a 383 , i took it apart to find a piston with no piston rod in it ....or connecting rod either in the cylindet. It came right out though with a push of my hand

[ShotgunUppercuts]

My parts finally came in for my rotor and caliper job. Gotta get some bearing grease and some time (and weather) to fix it.

[General Stalin]

^good tips. Honestly unless the block is cracked I'll be able to use it. Even if the engine is beat to hell and has tons of blowby and heads need to be machined I can still just do a complete rebuild and machine work for less than the costs of a refurbed engine.

[scotian]

[img][/img]

[img][/img]


I bought the wrong type of light bulbs for the sockets in my apartment, I didn’t even know that these new types of sockets existed, I asked a friend about them and he said that the type of bulbs I need will be very hard to find, does anyone know what that type of socket is called? Hopefully I can find some in my city.

[realologist]

(04-14-2018 05:21 PM)scotian Wrote:  

[img][/img]

[img][/img]


I bought the wrong type of light bulbs for the sockets in my apartment, I didn’t even know that these new types of sockets existed, I asked a friend about them and he said that the type of bulbs I need will be very hard to find, does anyone know what that type of socket is called? Hopefully I can find some in my city.

Looks like this

A Gu10-hallogen bulb

[Monty_Brogan]

AKA Two-prong bulb.

[General Stalin]

Went to the yard and turns out the vehicle that has my motor has been gutted. No drivetrain there. Think I might have to abandon the idea of getting a junkyard motor as pull yards dont keep inventory of the individual parts that are still in the vehicle, and the motors in these trucks go like hot cakes. Yard vultures snatch em up FAST.

Good news though is it is very likely I'm not losing oil due to oil rings but rather a cylinder head issue. Leaking oil through the valves. Can pull the heads off and get them machines for much less work and money and replacing the whole motor.

[polar]

^ is there an option to go talk to the guys running the yard, slip them a $20 and ask for a call as soon as they get the right model? Then take a sick day to get it out.

[ShotgunUppercuts]

Thats a good idea

Try craigslist autoparts section too. Someone might be parting out the one you want general

[DJ-Matt]

The door closer on my condo building sucks, I don't think whoever installed it made any attempts to adjust it. Closes in like 1 second, and the damn spring makes it an effort to open the door. I want to fix it myself but I don't know how to adjust these things and it's not labeled.

Is there a website for door closer instructions?

[Sooth]

(05-04-2018 10:02 PM)DJ-Matt Wrote:  

The door closer on my condo building sucks, I don't think whoever installed it made any attempts to adjust it. Closes in like 1 second, and the damn spring makes it an effort to open the door. I want to fix it myself but I don't know how to adjust these things and it's not labeled.

Is there a website for door closer instructions?

It will probably have a cover of some sort. Pop it off and look for adjustment screws. There may be one or two. Generally they have two, on is for adjusting the speed of the door closing for the majority of the swing and then last is for the final closing few inches.

Twiddle them and see what happens. If you still can't get it working properly it may be installed wrong. Look on the unit for a brand name to check online for an installation and operation manual.

If that checks out it may be old and has lost the hydraulic fluid in the dampener in which case it will need replacing.

[Global Engineer]

(03-07-2018 01:53 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  

Got a question for an automechanic or anyone who has done a lot of their own backyard wrenching and may have experienced this:

I have a high mileage 07 Yukon Denali (195k) and about 3 months ago at the tail end of a long day of driving it bogged down and stalled while on on the highway. I was able to pull it off the road and tried to restart but it would not stay running. Would fire up, idle rough for about 5 seconds, then stall. I thought it might be an oil pressure issue as the piston rings are worn and it burns a lot of oil. Called a buddy to bring me a couple quarts to see if that would get her running. After waiting for about 45 minutes my buddy showed up, I dumped some oil in it, and it fired up and ran fine. Drove it back home and hadn't experienced the problem again until a couple months later. Was driving back from an event and same thing - this time it stalled while in stop and go heavy traffic on the highway. Was able to limp it off the road and into a gas station. I put a bunch of oil in it again right away but that did not fix it this time. Still rough idle when starting then stalls soon after. Had it towed home and replaced the battery as it was old. Next day it started fine and had been running fine since the other day.

Had the same issue just a few days ago sitting in a parking lot letting it idle for a while. Was waiting for someone in a grocery store and wanted to have the AC on because it was hot so I was sitting with it running for a while. Started to bog down just sitting in the parking lot so I shut it off. Had the exact same issue... rough idle/stalling at low RPM didn't want to stay running. Let it sit overnight and next day drove it home fine.

Now here's the nuts and bolts:

It has two relevant codes - Fuel pump relay, and Catalytic Converter. The fuel relay I'm actually pretty sure is NOT the issue as this popped up only because I removed the relay when doing a wet and dry compression test on the motor. I bought a new fuel pump but have NOT installed it yet as I don't think that is the issue - as the problem is not consistent with a bad pump. Wouldn't make sense that the pump would only have issue when running for a long time, and would magically work after it sits for a while.

Here's my big question: could the cats be causing this?

As I mentioned my truck burns a LOT of oil. This has likely ruined the catalytic converters (which is why they are throwing codes) and since this rough idle/stalling issue only happens when the truck has been running for an extended period of time, I'm wondering if the cats are clogging up the exhaust when they get hot. Thoughts?

I've rebuilt a lot of older cars over the years, the first thing I would check is all the grounding bolts on the vehicle for corrosion. The grounding wires coming off the ECU would be the first bolts I'd check. If some of the grounding bolts are corroded, your ground will become compromised and you may get false code positive readings. I don't know if you like fixing your own stuff, but if you do then I'd recommend going on ebay and getting the service manual and wiring diagram. PDF form is preferred ( You might be able to find the PDF version for free online). You want the same manual the dealership would use, should be a lot of pages. You don't want the shitty cheap Haynes one from Autozone.

[Jetset]

I'm trying to revitalize a pitted old concrete garage floor that is not used for cars. Has some old paints that are mostly worn off but adhere very well where they still stick.

Yes, renting a grinder and putting down a professional grade two-part epoxy is the correct answer, but even that is an over-investment in this floor.

So instead, pending a moisture test, I've used Rust-Oleum Concrete Patch to fill most of the spiderweb cracks and pits, as well as one long crack, and am grinding it all smooth with 60-grit paper on an orbital sander. Will put down Lockdown primer to tie down the whole mess and then two coats of Epoxy-Seal, a one-part water-based acrylic/epoxy blend from a box store.

I realize this is a mediocre product and I'm not grinding everything to white concrete. Still, is this enough prep to hold for a few years or am I fooling myself? I could put down flakes and a coat of Clear-Seal to beef it up and smooth out the finish, but if it's a throwaway job that won't last, I shouldn't bother.

[Jetset]

The update nobody was waiting for: I went ahead and rented the floor grinder.

The moisture test (taping plastic in several spots) was all good even after a torrential rain, so I leveled my repairs flush and took off all the old paint I could reach, caused a duststorm in my neighborhood, sanded the leftover paint around the walls again for good measure, put down two coats of masonry primer, and then two coats of the one-part epoxy/acrylic paint. It looks pretty legit, some of the spiderweb cracks were too deep to grind out completely, but most filled nicely.

Did not use flakes or anti-skid and did not clearcoat, so I can hopefully just sand and recoat if I need a repair.

[roberto]

(05-29-2018 06:36 PM)Jetset Wrote:  

The update nobody was waiting for: I went ahead and rented the floor grinder.

The moisture test (taping plastic in several spots) was all good even after a torrential rain, so I leveled my repairs flush and took off all the old paint I could reach, caused a duststorm in my neighborhood, sanded the leftover paint around the walls again for good measure, put down two coats of masonry primer, and then two coats of the one-part epoxy/acrylic paint. It looks pretty legit, some of the spiderweb cracks were too deep to grind out completely, but most filled nicely.

Did not use flakes or anti-skid and did not clearcoat, so I can hopefully just sand and recoat if I need a repair.

Mate, I totally failed you. I'm sorry. Didn't see this

Renting the grinder was a smart thing. You should have rented a industrial dust vacuum to go with it, silicosis is no joke. A cyclone bucket on an industrial vacuum can sometimes keep up. Concrete can only ever be smoothed by abrading, even when you power float it you're still abraiding it, it's just easier cause it's still relatively soft.

Unless it was a decent 'high build' two pack floor paint, you're likely to end up with a very soft floor with four coats of paint. What I would have done is skimmed the low spots and cracks with either a resin product (expensive) or (this is gold) 3:1 mix of kiln dried sand and fast set cement, no water whatsoever (floor must be dry also), and neat SBR to wet it. Bonds perfectly, fills to sub 1mm with a filler knife due to the tiny sand particles and then makes it a pice of cake to grind off the rough top and exposed aggregate. I use this on floors where the stones are maybe 5mm proud as a cheapish rough skim (SBR is still fairly pricey, but no normal sand/cement mix would hold on such a thin layer) Then I grind to a perfectly smooth finish. Resin products are basically kiln dried sand and fibreglass, the princinple is the same and there's no reason they should cost what they do. You can buy fibreglass resin cheap.

With regard to your hairline cracks- you should be able to fill with the above, and then sand down and paint over. The limiting factor will be the bond to the paint, which will likely not be as good as the bond to cement. I have a test patch which I have been meaning to sand down for a while.

If you have small patches then a 'turbo cup' diamond grinding wheel can be had in 180 or 125/115 mm diameters. Couple this with a brush shroud for the grinder which provides dust extraction and you have a cheap mini grinder. You will need an inline cyclone bucket for extraction, otherwise you'll blow a bag and clog the filters in two minutes tops.


Grinding disc


Guard


DIY inline cyclone bucket

[Jetset]

Thanks for the response. Yes, I was definitely wary about the dust. Wore an N95 mask and goggles, used the dust shroud, and swept it all out the front before directing it away from the house with a blower - which is what caused the cloud, much bigger than I anticipated. Had a definite "oh, shit, somebody's going to call the fire department" moment when I looked up and saw it rolling down the street.



Lesson learned, I should have just done wet grinding and waited a day for it to dry instead of trying to hurry. The sand/cement patch is great advice, it would have been much easier to work with (and cheaper) but I wasn't convinced it would stick.

This slab is very old, so getting it in condition and putting down a two-part high-build coating really seemed excessive - the cheapest guy in town quoted me $1,500 US to do it - but I wanted to fix what I could fix easily to get it looking attractive if I sell in the next couple of years. If it picks up a scratch here or there, it's still a lot better than the mottled, cracked mess that was there before. Cash into tools and materials was probably $400, and choosing the next coating will be somebody else's problem.

[Matsufubu]

I have a Bosch PSB 1800 li-2. Is it worth putting 4/5 Ah batteries in it to replace the 1.5 Ah batteries it currently uses? Not really needing extra time from them, but does the extra juice help with drilling/driving? I know I can buy a fancy-pants DeWalt for £250 or an impact driver, but I'm only a casual DIYer looking to maximise the tool.

[roberto]

Won’t give you any more power, just runtime. Probably not worth it for a drill but we use 6 ah batteries all the time with power hungry things like grinders.

[Matsufubu]

Thanks, glad not to waste money.

Whoever it was who was asking about stripped screws, this video might be of help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTFQbaT3Zc

[godfather dust]

Which of these

Electronics Mechanic
Electrician
Microcomputer Support Spec.
Data Communications Tech
Welder-assempler
Plumber

Is the fastest to get started in?

[DJ-Matt]

(06-09-2018 10:48 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  

Which of these

Electronics Mechanic
Electrician
Microcomputer Support Spec.
Data Communications Tech
Welder-assempler
Plumber

Is the fastest to get started in?

Only because I work in that field and supervise a few of these people, generally it's pretty easy. Take some basic computer classes at a junior college, and go get your A+ and Network+ too if you're feeling ambitious. Takes a year maximum to get all that.

Around here, basic computer troubleshooting skills and and A+ will get you at least $15 an hour. Plus I have to train them on the job for a little bit, since in our huge IT ecosystem they have certain special programs and ways of doing things.

[Easy_C]

Question in a similar vein:

What would everyone say is the most cerebral trade? In other words which trade is the one where I can expect a favorable economic situation because a lot of people are too stupid to do the job?

My initial research seems to point to various aviation-related jobs.

[General Stalin]

(06-09-2018 10:48 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  

Which of these

Electronics Mechanic
Electrician
Microcomputer Support Spec.
Data Communications Tech
Welder-assempler
Plumber

Is the fastest to get started in?

Welder. You take a short course at any vocational school or tech college in your area that offers it, probably costs like $400, then you're a certified welder.

All those other ones require a few years of schooling to get a degree or at least a somewhat lengthy apprenticeship program before you're a licensed technician.

(06-11-2018 12:14 PM)Easy_C Wrote:  

Question in a similar vein:

What would everyone say is the most cerebral trade? In other words which trade is the one where I can expect a favorable economic situation because a lot of people are too stupid to do the job?

My initial research seems to point to various aviation-related jobs.

This is a huge bucket. Any job that has very few people who do it would fit your bill.

A career that has the lowest barrier for entry that will keep you employed easily is probably anything in the IT field. Most average people today only know the basics about how to operate a personal computer and thats about it. Having knowledge about how to troubleshoot and repair computers, network, and information security is easy money in my opinion.

[General Stalin]

Back to my car issue, I'm still having the issue after having done these things:

-Replaced battery
-Replaced catalytic convters
-Replaced air filter
-Cleaned throttle body
-Cleaned MAF sensor

The issue has gotten worse recently with this heatwave we've been having here which fortunately may have brought to light a new theory which may be the ticket: I think I'm getting vapor lock in my fuel rails.

This would explain a lot. Explains why it only happens after the engine has been running for a while (heat build up in fuel lines and gas slowly boiling over time). Explains why it happens quicker and more frequently in very hot weather. Explains why engine will run fine after sitting for a while. Explains why engine will crank a lot if I don't prime the fuel pump for a second before cranking it. Explains why it seems to only happen at lower RPMs. Explains the nature of the stalling (backfiring, engine starvation, lack of throttle response)

The fix will be a new fuel pump. Preferably one with a slightly higher pressure. I'll try this and report back.

[General Stalin]

Update: prior to buying any parts or turning any wrenches I rented s fuel pressure tester to see if I could find evidence of poor fuel delivery. Bingo.

Key on and engine off showed pressure jumping to about 50psi for a split second then quickly dropping down to about 20psi over a 30 second period. Engine on my pressure was reading 80psi which is way above normal. The fuel pump should be pushing at 55-60psi in my vehicle. Regulator may have died, either way I needed a new pump.

Ordered it Monday night, it arrived Wednesday night, I had it installed Thursday afternoon. Checked pressure after install: 60psi steady.

Haven't done quite enough driving in the conditions that would replicate the issue I was having, so I can't say yet whether or not this fixed it. Will update after more road time.