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

[special-K]

We had a field fire a few years ago, last drought we were in, and a bush hog blade sparking on a rock started it

[4u2nv]

You know what I didn't do on my truck today ????_______I didn't go out and look at it today because it's not there , I sold it .

[special-K]

I sell carpenter bee traps I make on Marketplace. Mad rush through May, then slowed to nothing during this lull period in their activity. They have picked up a bit here last week. I get a message from a woman who had enquired previously who wanted 4. My listing states cash and pick up here.

I tell her I can meet here before 10am or after 7pm. She mentioned where she lives, it's an hour or more up in PA. I had a need to go look at some work better (for her) than halfway. The homeowner where the job is was gone till late afternoon, or would be home all day the next. So next day was my preference.

The bee trap lady said she could meet at 3:30 at a corner store I suggested, so I decided to do it, then meet the homeowner with work. This required changing the day's other plans. I talked to another homeowner in my town (opposite direction) about meeting them to fill the time gap. Ok, so a day of looking at future work and sell a few bee traps for cash in my pocket.

I had an hour drive to meet this woman. Our communication was all messenger, so once I'm driving there's no communication. Traffic was slow. The entire route was straight up MD27 for an hour, but this was a bit slower. I saw I would be a bit past 3:30 getting there. I hate to be late meeting someone. I pull in at 3:37, look at my phone and see "I'm here" when I park. Then, "Oh well, I have to work at 5". I send "I'm here" and nothing. I know I was late, but ho-ly, can't wait seven minutes after driving a good way to get what you need? Better to wait than all for not! I know how to deal on Craigslist and Marketplace but I sure slipped up here. I plan my day around taking 45 minutes off her one way drive for $32, not even an hour's wage. At least I did look at potential income, so didn't waste the whole day.

[special-K]

I sell carpenter bee traps I make on Marketplace. Mad rush through May, then slowed to nothing during this lull period in their activity. They have picked up a bit here last week. I get a message from a woman who had enquired previously who wanted 4. My listing states cash and pick up here.

I tell her I can meet here before 10am or after 7pm. She mentioned where she lives, it's an hour or more up in PA. I had a need to go look at some work better (for her) than halfway. The homeowner where the job is was gone till late afternoon, or would be home all day the next. So next day was my preference.

The bee trap lady said she could meet at 3:30 at a corner store I suggested, so I decided to do it, then meet the homeowner with work. This required changing the day's other plans. I talked to another homeowner in my town (opposite direction) about meeting them to fill the time gap. Ok, so a day of looking at future work and sell a few bee traps for cash in my pocket.

I had an hour drive to meet this woman. Our communication was all messenger, so once I'm driving there's no communication. Traffic was slow. The entire route was straight up MD27 for an hour, but this was a bit slower. I saw I would be a bit past 3:30 getting there. I hate to be late meeting someone. I pull in at 3:37, look at my phone and see "I'm here" when I park. Then, "Oh well, I have to work at 5". I send "I'm here" and nothing. I know I was late, but ho-ly, can't wait seven minutes after driving a good way to get what you need? Better to wait than all for not! I know how to deal on Craigslist and Marketplace but I sure slipped up here. I plan my day around taking 45 minutes off her one way drive for $32, not even an hour's wage. At least I did look at potential income, so didn't waste the whole day.

[72c20customcamper]

Bought a smoke machine for evap diagnostics my Toyota kept throwing a code and as long as there is a code it won’t pass inspection. Works great found the problem in 2 seconds I used argon for pressure don’t like pumping air into the fuel system

[Steeveedee]

My '05 Corolla had the same problem. The NAPA guys used the scan tool and got that evap code. Only real moving part in the system is the gas cap. Didn't do a smoke test, but replacing that cap took care of the problem.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

My '05 Corolla had the same problem. The NAPA guys used the scan tool and got that evap code. Only real moving part in the system is the gas cap. Didn't do a smoke test, but replacing that cap took care of the problem.

There are 10-15 rubber hose connections in the system . It’s not building pressure with the cap to leak at any of the hoses so I’ll buy a new cap and do the test again .
I have the scan tool but it really only tells me there is a leak in the system somewhere

[72c20customcamper]

NY has a rolling 25 year emissions inspection this year it’s 1998 and older get the safety only inspection. Next year my 99 Ranger will be emission’s exempt.

[special-K]

When it comes to this new stuff, the day has come I am no longer a mechanic. I worried that day would come when I started messing with mechanics. I took to the older simpler ones. Watched as they added non-mechanical aggravation more and more, with zero regard for serviceability. Now here we are, can't even make sure a part they designed to be inaccessible is good enough quality to last. Then again, it is only a part involved in steering the car since they decided to go with drive by wire, which never seemed like a good idea to me... EVER!

[mr.mud1]

Originally Posted by special-K

When it comes to this new stuff, the day has come I am no longer a mechanic. I worried that day would come when I started messing with mechanics. I took to the older simpler ones. Watched as they added non-mechanical aggravation more and more, with zero regard for serviceability. Now here we are, can't even make sure a part they designed to be inaccessible is good enough quality to last. Then again, it is only a part involved in steering the car since they decided to go with drive by wire, which never seemed like a good idea to me... EVER!

i hear ya.it's sad when you have to plug the car into the computer to find out what's wrong.back a million years ago,we'd figure out the problem?long gone now.you can tell by the way they build them,there's no regard for fixing them i'm sure.a couple years ago,we were in New England in our Mustang convertible,the rear windows stopped working.i went into my local Ford dealer when we got home,first thing they did was plug it in to scan it for fault codes?the computers run the power windows i guess?nuts.the last new Harley i bought was fly by wire.i didn't like it for lots of reasons so i sold to a guy who loved it,his first bike so he didn't know what he didn't know.i went to Texas,found a 7 year old Electra-glide with 5000 miles on it.after a couple years riding it,i had a Halifax firefighter bugging me to sell it to him,so i did but then went to North Carolina and found another old Electra-glide with 3000 miles on,like new.then we had our friends Bob and Diane from Ohio,that's my buddy fighting cancer,they came here on their new Electra-glide,we took off for the Cabot Trail,a beautiful ride,sure enough the fly-by-wire throttle on Bob's new bike failed.it would only idle.we got to our hotel,Bob called CAA and they came with a deck truck,took them to Ramsey's H-D in Sydney,Nova Scotia where lucky for Bob,they had the parts,new take offs from a customers bike who made a bunch of changes.it all worked out but fixing what we used to fix in our shop or even on the side of the road,may be gone forever?

[kingsolver72]

I ran a 5k foot race this morning in Overbrook Ks. My fifth race of the year. I took 4th place. Two 20 something brothers and a 30 year old fella from Topeka beat me out of a podium spot. I ran a 22:47. I’m hoping to get my time down to 21:xx by fall for the 5k. I took off with them, quickly realizing I couldn’t keep their pace. So I down shifted into old hobby jogger gear. Also know as granny gear.

[Boog]

Hey, there's no shame in taking the lighter pace. You can tell anybody who says anything, you've already been there.

[kingsolver72]

Originally Posted by Boog

Hey, there's no shame in taking the lighter pace. You can tell anybody who says anything, you've already been there.

Yep, I can run with the young guns… for about a 200 yards.

[LS short box]

Kind of a fun day today.
First a local car show in the MN town of Osakis MN. About 125 cars by 10 AM. Then lunch at the body shop I help at a couple days a week. Then after lunch a walk around at local resort the has an antique boat show every year. Maybe 40 totally restored wooden boats.
The work to restore these boats are incredible.

[special-K]

The rant, or one of the rants, I come up with while spending 2 hours to get to a part that takes ten minutes to change or when the fastener that needs removed is out of sight and you can barely get your hand in to touch is:
Then... Back in the day engineers were given a list of objectives and they'd come up with a design. They get all done, then one says, "How will a mechanic be able to access that for service?". They others all tap their head and say, "Damn, back to the drawing board".

Now... The same thing happens, and they all laugh and say "Screw 'em"

Actually, that was at first. By now no one even asks about the mechanic so no laugh, just design in this sad state of affairs we have to deal with.

New vehicles are great (mostly/usually) when new and it ends there. Lower income people have always taken vehicles those with more money are done with. How can someone on lower wages afford to pay crazy high service costs for dumb little things? How can they do the work themselves without scanners and all other special tools needed these days? No consideration for any of these things.

[Warrens69GMC]

brought home this box, I was hoping it wasn't assembled so i could get it where it needed to go, but they had assembled it. Was a bear to unload by myself and get it to where it needed to go.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by Warrens69GMC

brought home this box, I was hoping it wasn't assembled so i could get it where it needed to go, but they had assembled it. Was a bear to unload by myself and get it to where it needed to go.

That is a Big box.

It has become second nature to me when I am moving a toolbox,

To take the drawers out.
Just the drawers drop quite a bit of weight.

Most of the time when I move a box it is full of Stuff.

Wow That thing has 6 Wheels

[Steeveedee]

Nice! That thing's a monster. I bought something similar and removed some drawers before loading it up, and I had help. It had no tools in it. I'm also working on a display case for my eldest son to display his challenge coins. 10 years so far in the USAF, he's a TSGT (E-6). Beat me by one rank so far (I was Navy, though).

[Warrens69GMC]

I wanted a nice big box, even if I don't fill it up, I don't think I will regret getting one this size. I also am waiting on 2 of these

[tutone]

Today I changed the intake air heater on my 2016 GMC duramax one ton.
55xxx miles, bought it new, never seen snow or ice, and not a lot of rain. Threw a code when I cranked it up to go get the oil changed and they read it at the dealership. So, I ordered the heater and gaskets, changed it, and still the same. I guess I changed the most likely suspect and guessed wrong.
So today i wasted a couple hundred bucks because these new vehicles are too dang smart for me. I guess I will keep the appt I had at the dealership to look at it.

[special-K]

About your property, for me it gets no better than to have natural features present on or near your own property. You have God's landscaping (then there's the part some mortal named Greg keeps up

Mustang front tires, that sucks. I went through rear tires every 8,000 miles with my '92 K3500. Went round and round under warranty, where they did nothing. One symptom was wet brake shoes, so locked up when wet. Dealer: "We can't get the brakes to lock up. come and get it". Me: "Got a hose? Call me when it's fixed". So a new axle seal and brake shoes, two weeks later locking brakes in wet.

I didn't notice the tire problem until the second set of bigger tires. This went on and on and I just kept buying rear tires. Went to a tire shop for a 4 wheel thrust alignment check. "There's no adjustment on the rear". "Do it anyway, I want a reading". About 3/8" off each side toed-in. Finally I bought a junk yard rear. Removing the old rear is when I notice the driver side leaf was tilted and shackle bent some. Get it all loose and the axle tube could be moved around. It was never welded to the carrier and the leaf spring held it in place.

[special-K]

I'll tell you what I did yesterday. I am restored four 4 panel doors at this 1800s farmhouse. There is a little garage away from the house and due to thunderstorms everyday I set my EZ-up just outside a door so I am shaded and can duck in with the door when the rain comes. There is a loft with a bunch of stuff in the garage. I swear it wasn't there until the lady came to talk to me, because I would have noticed! I almost walked into the tail end of a big black snake. Made no sense. What was it doing, backing down? It didn't move, it was dead. There is a chimney cap that has expanded steel grille work that had a sloppy rolled up plastic mess, I guess critter fencing for the garden. I climbed up and saw it's head was coming out of that mess. It got caught and died. I take it down and you know what? It was the fourth victim!! There were the remains of three other black snakes caught in that mess... 4!! Not a thing I expected to be dealing with restoring doors. My camera is on the blink, but I have a picture of the garage

[Boog]

Yikes. That'll get your heart a racing.

[mr.mud1]

racing??might make the old thing stop??

[mr.mud1]

just cause i'm a sucker for punishment,i had an old girl call,a resident in an old folks home where i have a couple Uncle's and an Aunt living.they recommended me to put brake pads on this old girl's 2015 (i think) Honda Civic.i usually feel sorry for the old people,not alot of money and on and on,cry me a river,anyway i said i'd have a look.i said you need more than a set of brake pads?rotors,pads all shot,worst i've seen in a long time.4 bald tires,a Nova Scotia Safety Inspection sticker on the windshield expired a year ago.shouldn't be on the road at all?amazing how we treat these old trucks with lots of TLC and there's people with this junk on the road out among the rest of us that care about our stuff.unbelievable.brakes all fixed,waiting for tires(she wanted 3,i said you need 4 or leave it parked?)