Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Like this.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I got the ok from my neck surgeon and my shoulder surgeon to go to the gym. I joined Planet Fitness, its new, and clean, and low key.

I went in and walked on the treadmill for a little while and I noticed a machine like Ive been using at my PT appointments. Its like an exercise bicycle except that is has little handles instead of pedals and its shoulder high. You can "pedal" it forwards and backward using your hands, arms and shoulders. PT guy says its good for shoulders.

So I hopped on and started pressing buttons, nothing. So I was thinking maybe I have to get it in motion before the screen popped up, yep that was it. I took several attempts to get it dialed in and then hitting enter, stupid thing kept shutting off.

Head hung low I went up to the desk and asked the young lady worker to give me a hand.
No problem sir, lets take a look. She came over and told me she had never used this machine before ... Oh great. I told her what I was doing only this time when I peddled I let her push the buttons, same buttons I was pushing. Boom, it worked. Good grief.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

That sounds like a good grab for the money. Never thought I'd be nostalgic for a Bug when they were all over the place. Like to have one now though. I think I could get by with just one ; )



That came out great! I'm going to have to give that a try.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Thanks ! I was intimidated at first and asked a friend that had an upholstery shop for years to help , he got busy and I decided to go ahead and try it. It wasn't hard to do after all.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

The feel of a redone seat is one of the best feelings, after having a messed up one. I bet she's real pleased

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Went to change the oil on the 03 Tacoma . Get under it and it’s wet with oil. Remove the belly shield and lo and behold the oil pan is seeping all over . It rotted away . So now it’s sidelined till I get time to do it . Not an easy job either I have two choices either pull the motor or drop the front differential and suspension . I’ll most likely go with dropping the suspension and put all new bushings in and struts . Truck has 210k miles on it

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

She is, and so am I.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

The Tahoe sprung a leak yesterday. Very strange crack. New radiator today. Sure would have been nice if the General spent a couple of cents for a petcock. What a mess to clean up. Except for the two spacers I had to whip up, all went well.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Isn't that something Mike? I tell you what. A radiator without a drain petcock makes about as much sense as an automatic trans without a dip stick. They are out there. Bean counters, should have to do the maintenance on their vehicles..

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Transmissions without dipsticks have been around for 22 years and are very much common now. Wife bought a 2002 Passat, new, without a trans dipstick.
What I heard a couple days ago, is, some new engines don't have dip sticks either now !! ?? Warning light that the level is low and TAKE IT TO YOUR DEALER to have it checked/topped off/changed. Guy had a Dodge pickup, so this may be a Mopar thing, but crap like this spreads if the manufacturer can save 2 dollars.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

They are all doing everything they can to make sure we dont do anything but drive them. You change one module, and it requires a 400 dollar software update. I wanted a new Jeep. Instead , Im looking for a CJ.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I thought you were full of shiite so I googled it. Shure enough.

DIPSTICK?
Posted on 1/27/2019
By Jack Bulko, AutoAid

Where is the dipstick in my new car?

That’s what my client, Jane, wanted to know. She had purchased an Audi and brought it in for service. She said when her dashboard light alerted her to an issue with low oil level, she stopped and opened her hood to check the engine oil fluid level. She couldn’t find it. After looking for it for 20 minutes she consulted her car’s owner’s manual (yes, it came with a physical booklet), she realized that the manufacturer had intentionally left it out of the car.

Changes in design, amenities and functionality have been standard in the automobile industry at least as long as I’ve been a part of it. Manufacturers look for innovative ways to bring the customer back for service, making it more difficult to perform tasks such as checking one’s oil or for that matter doing any traditional repairs. It also puts a kink in fixing your car in the driveway or teaching your kid to do simple service functions such as oil changes and tune-ups.

Over the years, modifications have included the loss of a full-size spare tire, and often the donut meant to replace it, and the accompanying tools; car manuals (which can now be found online in many cases); and hand brake levers, which have been replaced with switches and buttons in some cars. And now American manufacturers are following the trend set by European carmakers who have all but removed the dipsticks in the engine compartment. Where are the dipsticks for engine and transmission oils? And why are they gone?

What Led to the Demise of the Dipstick?

Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and some Ford, Cadillac, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Chrysler, and Mazda models, plus others, have eliminated the dipsticks from their vehicles and other manufacturers are going in the same direction with the oil dipstick. Instead, electronic sensors in the engine compartment communicate with the driver through the Message Center on the dash.

Manufacturers prefer that consumers’ factory recommended maintenance including all fluid levels, be checked by a service professional. They claim it is a safety issue as individual owners may add the wrong fluid, add too much or too little, insert the dipstick incorrectly, etc. However, manufacturers are also aware that there is a good chance that car owners will trade in or sell their car sooner if they cannot do simple fixes such as adding oil or transmission fluid. Fewer home repairs then translate into more car service sales and fewer older models on the road.

What Happens to the Car Repair Do-It-Yourselfer?

How does the do-it-yourself home mechanic check transmission or oil levels without a dipstick? Well, the thing is they don’t, or at least not very easily on certain cars. Many manufacturers expect the original transmission fluid to last the life of the vehicle. If there is ever an issue, car makers have included an extra plug leading to a channel to which the proper liquids can be checked and added. Although this can be very hard to access even for mechanics.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

A lot of new small engines don't even have drain plugs. They don't intend for you to ever change the oil. Just buy a new mower when the engine seizes. If you want to actually change the oil you have to turn the engine upside down & let it run out the filll port.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

That's exactly how my mower is. I bought it new several years ago, Honda engine, and couldn't believe it when I discovered no drain plug. The manual tells you to lay it over on its side.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

It's just nuts. Adding a drain to even a small engine mower type engine could not cost but pennies. It's a one time cost. The steel drain plug cost is minimal as well. Pffft!

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Started milling up some Tulip . Should get some decent board ft out of these three

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

When you said Tulip I thought of the flowers, not being a wood or tree expert I had no idea such a thing existed so I looked it up.

Liriodendron tulipifera—known as the tulip tree,[a] American tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, lynn-tree, hickory-poplar, and yellow-poplar—is the North American representative of the two-species genus Liriodendron (the other member is Liriodendron chinense), and the tallest eastern hardwood. It is native to eastern North America from Southern Ontario and possibly southern Quebec to Illinois eastward to southwestern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and south to central Florida and Louisiana. It can grow to more than 50 m (160 ft) in virgin cove forests of the Appalachian Mountains, often with no limbs until it reaches 25–30 m (80–100 ft) in height, making it a very valuable timber tree. The tallest individual at the present time (2021) is one called the Fork Ridge Tulip Tree at a secret location in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Repeated measurements by laser and tape-drop have shown it to be 191 feet 10 inches (58.47 m) in height.[4] This is the tallest known individual tree in eastern North America.

It is fast-growing, without the common problems of weak wood strength and short lifespan often seen in fast-growing species. April marks the start of the flowering period in the Southern United States (except as noted below); trees at the northern limit of cultivation begin to flower in June. The flowers are pale green or yellow (rarely white), with an orange band on the tepals; they yield large quantities of nectar. The tulip tree is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

bath time for my idjits....again
took the dawgs out, Rumbledawg got himself into a cr**py situation...ugh
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and Roxie managed to get into a fight with....another skunk. jebus, 3 times this yr now and 5 times since last oct...you would think they'ed have learned their lesson by now. ran out of skunk juice, wife got the last 2 jars at the store...
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Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I feel your pain......Bandit our Heeler we had many years ago got into it with a Porcupine. He had quills in his head, tongue, chest, legs, you name it. The vet had to put him out and keep him over night.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

"How does the do-it-yourself home mechanic check transmission or oil levels without a dipstick? Well, the thing is they don’t, or at least not very easily on certain cars. Many manufacturers expect the original transmission fluid to last the life of the vehicle. If there is ever an issue, car makers have included an extra plug leading to a channel to which the proper liquids can be checked and added. Although this can be very hard to access even for mechanics."
The 2002 Passat we had started exhibiting strange shifting at 80k and that is when I tried, in vain, to find the dipstick. Called the dealer and told them about the strange shifting and no way to check the fluid. "nope fluid is good for the life of the trans and it doesn't need changing". OK, so what are you going to do about the problem we are experiencing ? "Nothing we can do, when the trans fails, we rebuild or replace." Great this has 100k warranty, what if it limps past that ? "You pay for the repair". I found info online on where the plugs were to drain about 3 quarts and refill exactly what came out. Did that 4 times and the trans behaved better and I sold that piece of crap asap. Problem was, this car was rated at the top of the heap for safety and reliability when we bought it and after 5 years, it was known to be a problematic piece of crap and we took a bath selling it cheap to get rid of it. We bought an 2007 Acura TSX that we still have at 150k and not one issue with this car. I still have to drain the trans from plugs in the case, but there IS a dip stick to refill and check level. I have drained and refilled the 3 quarts every 25k since new and the engine/trans still perform like new. There have been no more German cars in our stable and never will be.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I drove in to town this morning and on the road close to my house a crow was pecking at an ex-squirrel (Monty Python fans will get the reference). Crow flew away as I drove past.

Coming home I looked over to my left, at a neighbors house there were three people standing there looking up at the sky. Hmm, wonder what they are looking at? I slowed just a tad and tried to see what was going on, and a flash out of the corner of my eye something was falling, came from the left side of my vision to right at the front of my truck.

It was a bald eagle that swooped down and grabbed the squirrel off the road and flew off. I came so close to hitting the darn thing, luckily his timing was perfect.

Wish I had a dash cam. We have a ton of bald eagles in our area so not uncommon to see, but you dont get to see em in action that close too often.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

They are danged big up close too. Last year a rabbit got hit in front of our house. A crow was trying to pick it up and fly away, but it was too heavy and an Eagle came and claimed it. He/she was tearing it apart on the road but was not happy with the cars, so brought it into our yard, 30 ft from the house to devour most of it. Crows got to claim the scraps.. LOL

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...s/DSC00101.JPG

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...s/DSC00106.JPG

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Cool pic!
As for me, I gimped into the doctor and got a cortisone shot in my right knee. Boy howdy, did that hurt! I hope that it's worth it. I have a ton of things to do that don't involve leaning on a cane.

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you're cutting these by hand? man that's some great work

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I do most by hand on the bigger wood that I want to live edge as most band saw mills are limited as to width it’s not to bad with the right tools . Husky 395xp 94cc saw with a 36 inch bar , ordered a new 48 inch bar and ripping chain

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

i feel your pain. tore my rotator cuff in 3 places just over a yr ago, doc gave me 3 cortisone shots in my shoulder all at once...talk about being a pin cushion.
it's been acting up again where i can't do much with my lefty, he says to come in tues and he'll blast me with 3 more shots....some fun...

last ride after 15 yrs with....sold the camper
delivering it to a new owner tomorrow. will be missed
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Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Did you sell the truck and camper, or just the camper?

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Sorry to hear about the knee being bad ..so far I have been lucky I guess ,,only had a elbow needing a shot of that stuff.. and I remember how it felt when that needle hit a home run in me .To Bad you had to break up a set like that ..but as we all know ,,we must move on.. are you thinking of a shorter topper or a tonneau cover ,,or? Nice rig by the way,,

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Sold my Blue Blazer. I have owned it for at least 22 years. But now I've got some coin to spend on the new one.

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Made some cookies today . I just wanted to see the grain with a fresh cut . These will take about 3 years to air dry before I can make a few tables counted 94 rings

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

I drove to Wisconsin and returned to Indiana with a new to me Chevrolet. A 2004 Corvette Z06 Commemorative Edition. 405HP, 6 speed manual, 4780 miles. I know there are faster corvettes, but this feels like a rocket to me!

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

"I was Groot!" :lol:

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

Very Nice! Very low miles C5/Z06 good score! Welcome to the club! And you are correct these are "Rocket Ships" especially 3rd gear. Ours is a 2002.....and you got the correct color Electron Blue! ;)

Other than a "Skip Shift" and chrome wheels 100% stock.

Re: What did you do today not on your truck...
 

just the camper
delivered, guy lives 150 miles from us in a real ritzy area. apparentley he and his son race corvettes. camper is for trips to races in orgeon and cal.
keep an eye out west coasters, may see my old camper down there...lol
Attachment 2358608

this was weird as all hell, getting home and no camper. first time in yrs my driveway is open
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really digging that blue. we will be painting my son's firebird this yr, it's stock color is maui metallic blue, he wants a blue exactly like your 'vette. is that color called electron blue?

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Picked up some firewood had to work fast 3 or 4 day dead doe and fawn right next it . At least the two stroke kept the flies and some of the smell away

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It's very similiar to Electron blue but just a touch darker. It's called LeMans Blue, named after the LeMans race track. C5 Corvettes had great success racing in Europe and as the 5th generation of corvette ended in 2004, Chevrolet commemorated this achievement with a special edition of the Z06.

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Super nice Z06. I almost bid on a 2002 Electron blue Z06 that was on BaT a short while ago. It only had 1200 miles on it. I determined what my highest bid would be and it blew past that so I never bid. I really like Electron Blue!

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Nice Vette Tim!

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After cleaning it, I emptied two cans of mink oil onto this tool belt that I picked up in a lot at auction this Saturday. Good to go for a long while yet.