What are you doing today? [Part II]

[Reprise]

Paid a visit to the shop where my Sierra has been waiting for repair... for TWO (!) months. Long story.

I told the receptionist... "I'm not mad" (was lying my @ss off), "but if you guys don't want to work on my truck, just tell me"

The shop manager had called me a month ago (one month in) and that he could get the needed parts "in a day", so I figured I'd be hearing from them again in a week or so. Nope. So I paid an in-person visit, today.

Mechanic / manager is supposed to call me again, tomorrow. I told them today that I planned to take the vehicle and bring it back in the spring, since I'm not now going to Arizona (half them, half Omicron), as there were other things I wanted to do with it, and now was the time for me to be doing them. Not to mention that I can source the parts I had given them the OK to source / replace for about 50% (I understand markup, but since they hadn't installed yet, and I can get the same parts, I'll just DIY it, rather than wait).

According to them, they really are "that busy". They have a good rep, and I trust their work (but no longer trust them to *do* the work, at least right now)
Since I want to maintain a relationship with them, I swallowed my anger, and was polite. I'm sure my antidepressants helped with this. Or I've really mellowed, in my old age

 

[BrianF]

We got that drop in temp again, -36 this morning and -37 tonight. I had the Trailblazer battery tender on yesterday and the block heater on all night. No dice this morning. Just a faint starter click.

The 3500 has had the battery tender on for days and it just clicked. My wife plugged the block heater in and I came home from work to help. Jumped it and all I could get is a grid heater cycle and slow crank. It was fuelling as I could smell raw fuel in the exhaust. She checked the cords and I got the battery tender and block heater both on. She managed to fire an hour and some later, spewing black smoke. Me thinks the battery tender cord may not have been fully seated.

I got the trailblazer battery inside thawing and a charger on it. Hoping thats the issue.

Will go out later to check the battery status indicator on the 3500 and hope to fck she starts in the morning.

So, I think the trailblazer battery is close to ten years old, which is a hell of a good run. The 3500 is coming up five years. If they are freezing at this temp, its time to replace.

 

[mrrsm]

Jesus Palomino... THAT IS COLD... a 110 Degree Difference to Us...



We Floridians understand that when passing through the US-Canada Border... The Yanks are all issued one of THESE to keep them from Chipping the Enamel off of their Teeth ..while SHIVERING!


Bundle UP Brian & Your Brave, Beautiful Brood!

 

[BrianF]

Well here i am being a panty and a drama queen. I went out for chores this am and thought, wow, its not as cold as I thought. We got some cloud cover overnight and it was only -31!!! Quit your bitching and on with the day.

The 3500 is back to normal and I believe I froze the starter on the Trailblazer. We had bombed it through a lot of powder the night of the storm and there is some decent ice and snow buildup under the hood. Its supposed to warm up in the next few days so I will try it then.

 

[flyboy2610]

Had a night last winter when it got down to -19F. Went out at 6:00AM to go to work, and the TB made two very slow cranks and that was all she wrote! I called in, said I wasn't going to make it in that day. Took the wife to her job in her TB, and bought a new battery for mine. So far so good.

 

[Reprise]

So, in today's episode of 'As the Axle Turns'...

Mechanic calls me this morning. Turns out the hubs were actually installed, but they also (now) thought the pinion bearing was 'starting to go'. And they were sent the 'wrong hubs', and it took a couple of weeks for them to get the right ones in, and they forgot to call me to keep me posted, and holiday... and... and...

When I spoke to them last month, I was told the axle was OK, and the hubs were the cause of the noise -- no rebuild needed on the axle. I had brought along a 'master rebuild kit' from Yukon Gear, when I dropped off the truck, because I figured the noise was coming from the axle (since I'd replaced the hubs already, along with the u-joints, etc.) I'd gotten a steal on that kit from Amazon, so even if it wasn't used, I was going to keep it for later.

So now they want to use the kit / other parts I brought them. But they had questions regarding the part #s of the pinion bearings and the pinion shims. Since I had the complete list from both Spicer's old catalog, as well as a 3rd party site (with exploded view of the axle), I told them I'd call them back with that info by EOD. Found it on my laptop and printed it out for them, then faxed it over.

Since the Yukon rebuild kit contained Timken bearings, etc., I told them to x-ref the parts in that kit, to the listings I provided. The other thing about that axle is that, except for the posi unit (an utter piece of crap called 'Trak-Lok'), all of the parts are the same as a standard Dana 60. I'd researched that out, too.

When I spoke to them again, I told them that since they had to take the carrier out to replace the pinion bearings, they might as well install the rest of the kit, too, as I only wanted to 'cry once'.
They agreed, given the mileage / age of the axle, that that was probably the safe way to proceed.

So the new expected date on all of this will be toward end of next week (it'll take about 6hrs of labor to rebuild the Dana). Expected bill is going to be about $2000, with $1300 of that being the hubs, & labor for that.
If they had told me at the outset that both the axle and hubs needed work, I'd have told them to rebuild the axle, and I'd source the hubs (at $500 for both, vs. $500/ea, plus saved the labor by putting them on myself (I'd already replaced them, so I knew how to do it).

The other thing they told me on the hubs were that they were 'loose' (as in 'not tightened')
Now, gentle reader, knowing what you know of me and how I go about repairing things, with 6 (!) different torque wrenches in my tool chest... do you think I'd put those hubs on, 'loose' ?
I'll admit that one of the six bolts is obstructed, so it's almost impossible to get a torque wrench + socket on it. But the other five per side have no clearance issues at all. And the sixth bolt wasn't far off, I'm sure, since I knew what the proper torque felt like on the other five.

Starting to smell something here... either fish or sh!t. Maybe both.

I swear, if I knew how to set up gearsets (and hadn't trashed the ring / pinion in axle #1, which is another long story), I'd have told them I'd rebuild the axle. But properly setting up a Dana 60 is a little bit above my skill level, and my workspace is limited. I actually debated rebuilding the axle w/ the bearings, seals, etc. -- then flatbedding the truck to them to set up the ring / pinion. For about a minute, I thought about doing that; then I came to my senses.

In the end, I still don't think I've found a garage I can implicitly trust. And that pisses me off the most, given my level of knowledge about auto repair (I'm not a pro, or a mechanical engineer, but I do have some skill, probably more than 90% of the rest of their customers.) Maybe I'm just overly suspicious. Of everything and everyone. 'Trust issues', they call it...

 

[NJTB]

So, in today's episode of 'As the Axle Turns'...

Mechanic calls me this morning. Turns out the hubs were actually installed, but they also (now) thought the pinion bearing was 'starting to go'. And they were sent the 'wrong hubs', and it took a couple of weeks for them to get the right ones in, and they forgot to call me to keep me posted, and holiday... and... and...

When I spoke to them last month, I was told the axle was OK, and the hubs were the cause of the noise -- no rebuild needed on the axle. I had brought along a 'master rebuild kit' from Yukon Gear, when I dropped off the truck, because I figured the noise was coming from the axle (since I'd replaced the hubs already, along with the u-joints, etc.) I'd gotten a steal on that kit from Amazon, so even if it wasn't used, I was going to keep it for later.

So now they want to use the kit / other parts I brought them. But they had questions regarding the part #s of the pinion bearings and the pinion shims. Since I had the complete list from both Spicer's old catalog, as well as a 3rd party site (with exploded view of the axle), I told them I'd call them back with that info by EOD. Found it on my laptop and printed it out for them, then faxed it over.

Since the Yukon rebuild kit contained Timken bearings, etc., I told them to x-ref the parts in that kit, to the listings I provided. The other thing about that axle is that, except for the posi unit (an utter piece of crap called 'Trak-Lok'), all of the parts are the same as a standard Dana 60. I'd researched that out, too.

When I spoke to them again, I told them that since they had to take the carrier out to replace the pinion bearings, they might as well install the rest of the kit, too, as I only wanted to 'cry once'.
They agreed, given the mileage / age of the axle, that that was probably the safe way to proceed.

So the new expected date on all of this will be toward end of next week (it'll take about 6hrs of labor to rebuild the Dana). Expected bill is going to be about $2000, with $1300 of that being the hubs, & labor for that.
If they had told me at the outset that both the axle and hubs needed work, I'd have told them to rebuild the axle, and I'd source the hubs (at $500 for both, vs. $500/ea, plus saved the labor by putting them on myself (I'd already replaced them, so I knew how to do it).

The other thing they told me on the hubs were that they were 'loose' (as in 'not tightened')
Now, gentle reader, knowing what you know of me and how I go about repairing things, with 6 (!) different torque wrenches in my tool chest... do you think I'd put those hubs on, 'loose' ?
I'll admit that one of the six bolts is obstructed, so it's almost impossible to get a torque wrench + socket on it. But the other five per side have no clearance issues at all. And the sixth bolt wasn't far off, I'm sure, since I knew what the proper torque felt like on the other five.

Starting to smell something here... either fish or sh!t. Maybe both.

I swear, if I knew how to set up gearsets (and hadn't trashed the ring / pinion in axle #1, which is another long story), I'd have told them I'd rebuild the axle. But properly setting up a Dana 60 is a little bit above my skill level, and my workspace is limited. I actually debated rebuilding the axle w/ the bearings, seals, etc. -- then flatbedding the truck to them to set up the ring / pinion. For about a minute, I thought about doing that; then I came to my senses.

In the end, I still don't think I've found a garage I can implicitly trust. And that pisses me off the most, given my level of knowledge about auto repair (I'm not a pro, or a mechanical engineer, but I do have some skill, probably more than 90% of the rest of their customers.) Maybe I'm just overly suspicious. Of everything and everyone. 'Trust issues', they call it...

Comes with age.

 

[Reprise]

Comes with age.

No, it comes with experience. People can be taken advantage of at any age.
Awareness is (mostly) experiential.

 

[Blckshdw]

Had been putting it off for a while, finally went and got my booster shot. More and more people I know are catching Omicron, and since this is FL, I'm guessing it's just a matter of time... :ugh

Still dealing with this insurance battle. The bank keeps sending me letters about needing flood insurance, and I kept faxing my documents in. Even went to a local branch before the holidays and they faxed it in for me. Got another letter yesterday, and they said they'll buy their own, if I don't have coverage by next Friday. Called them and asked "WTF?!?" The young lady said that they did receive what I sent them back in October, but due to the FEMA changes to the zones, because the zone on the old policy doesn't match what it is now, it doesn't matter that my coverage is considerably more than the value of the house. Why their repeated letters don't say THAT, instead of just "send us your info" she couldn't explain.

This morning, reach out to the broker that handles my current flood policy looking for options. It's too late to cancel my original policy, so it's likely that I'll have to run 2 at the same time. Pricey, but there's really no choice here, so I asked them to re-run the quote at a lower value, closer to what the house is worth to try and save some $$$ off the premium. I'm also still hunting for regular home insurance, cuz that is nonexistent.

I would think, having a brand new roof would make me a prime candidate, but for whatever reason, I've been getting blown off. Current broker sent me to the "new business" department since my old policy lapsed, and the woman who was supposed to help me has been radio silent for over 2 months. Screw them. Reached out to some other local offices, have only gotten 1 quote and it was higher than what I was paying before I got canceled. How does that work? No thank you. Did find one good quote online this morning, so if I don't hear from this last agent by the end of the day, I'll just get that one. I called them to see if they also did flood coverage, and for whatever reason they say my house isn't eligible. Well FEMA and my bank disagree, but whatever.

Not the start to 2022 that I was hoping for. I think some pizza and cocktails will be in order to kick off the weekend.

 

[Mooseman]

Got a haircut before Fat Bastard closes barber shops in Ontario.

 

[BrianF]

Just another day in paradise. Its warming up so we need blowing snow and drifts all over the road all for it to cool off for the weekend again. That's it, just a cold and desolate wasteland, even penguins were smart enough to have avoided this place for a warmer climate.

 

[Eric04]

Had been putting it off for a while, finally went and got my booster shot. More and more people I know are catching Omicron, and since this is FL, I'm guessing it's just a matter of time... :ugh

Still dealing with this insurance battle. The bank keeps sending me letters about needing flood insurance, and I kept faxing my documents in. Even went to a local branch before the holidays and they faxed it in for me. Got another letter yesterday, and they said they'll buy their own, if I don't have coverage by next Friday. Called them and asked "WTF?!?" The young lady said that they did receive what I sent them back in October, but due to the FEMA changes to the zones, because the zone on the old policy doesn't match what it is now, it doesn't matter that my coverage is considerably more than the value of the house. Why their repeated letters don't say THAT, instead of just "send us your info" she couldn't explain.

This morning, reach out to the broker that handles my current flood policy looking for options. It's too late to cancel my original policy, so it's likely that I'll have to run 2 at the same time. Pricey, but there's really no choice here, so I asked them to re-run the quote at a lower value, closer to what the house is worth to try and save some $$$ off the premium. I'm also still hunting for regular home insurance, cuz that is nonexistent.

I would think, having a brand new roof would make me a prime candidate, but for whatever reason, I've been getting blown off. Current broker sent me to the "new business" department since my old policy lapsed, and the woman who was supposed to help me has been radio silent for over 2 months. Screw them. Reached out to some other local offices, have only gotten 1 quote and it was higher than what I was paying before I got canceled. How does that work? No thank you. Did find one good quote online this morning, so if I don't hear from this last agent by the end of the day, I'll just get that one. I called them to see if they also did flood coverage, and for whatever reason they say my house isn't eligible. Well FEMA and my bank disagree, but whatever.

Not the start to 2022 that I was hoping for. I think some pizza and cocktails will be in order to kick off the weekend.

The flood insurance problems only make sense to me in that it's underwritten by the government and the insurer just ties the red tape bow for them. It's costly, overly complicated and darn near a catch-22.

As for the rest, I feel you. I recently had to switch from a company I was with for over 15 years because I got zero communication since Covid began. My agent apparently retired, though I received no notification. My new agent wouldn't return calls and emails would take a week, if at all. I finally walked into the branch office and cancelled all policies with them after securing replacements and they were taken aback. It's like, I don't need anyone to hold my hand but I do expect basic competency and level of service. I've lost all patience with, "well, he/she is working remotely...". More like not working at all.

 

[Mooseman]

Its warming up

You call this warming up?



We did get to -21c last night and now at -16c so that would be a warmup. It's downright balmy compared to what the west has been enduring as of late and it's only for the one day. Warming up again tomorrow. Just wish we would get more snow. Can't ride anywhere in the province right now. Totally sucks as I want to test out my new clutching.

Not much going on today. Don't have anything else to fix or mod on my sled since that's all I've been able to do with it. Wife will be sitting a neighbour's kids while the mom goes grocery shopping as the dad is in Africa visiting family. Hope he can get back

 

[NJTB]

I don't think I'd leave the house if it was that cold.

 

[BrianF]

It is warming up. Just another day and another dollar on the road. At least there was no wind.

 

[Blckshdw]

While game planning where I want to put my rain barrels and how to draw the water out of them, I was pretty sold on the idea of using a sprinkler pump, as I eventually will want to water new grass seed. But before that, and more often, I plan to use my tank sprayer to get/keep the weeds in check. Would be a bit of a pain to run an extension cord for the pump every time, and the closest outlet is on the shed, so minor inconvenience. Then idea struck me, to elevate the barrel, and gravity feed from it.

After measuring the height of the sprayer opening while mounted to the mower, having the barrel standing vertically, while elevated almost 4' off the ground didn't seem like the best idea. Then I thought about laying the barrel on its side. It came with a 2 piece lid, with rubber sealing gasket, so water leaking from the lid shouldn't be an issue.

Building a stand wouldn't be too difficult, but it would likely use up most of the spare 2x4s I had left. Then I thought of stacking some cinder blocks, and putting a pair of runners through the holes in the top 2. Rough layout seems like it will work. Just have to properly prep the ground and make sure it's level. I think I saw some mostly buried pavers by the fence, so those could get repurposed for a level base.



Haven't bought the downspout connecting kits yet, the one I have my eye on uses plastic spigots, which I think I'll substitute for something better. I'll also probably use a short hose, think I have some old washing machine hoses in the garage, to give me some wiggle room when backing the sprayer up to it, as well as eliminate spills.

Despite being able to back the EXT up between the houses to my fence, carrying the blocks that short distance and stacking them, STILL resulted in a full sweat. Damn FL's humidity!

 

[BrianF]

It actually is warming up. Should be -20 by the morning. Anyways, I cleared a bit of snow, put some tools away and topped up some batteries. And just like that the Trailblazer came to life and ran fine.

Tomorrow is supposed to be mid teens so its perfect to clear more snow, hook the truck up to the trailer and go ba k to life as usual.

 

[Matt]

While game planning where I want to put my rain barrels and how to draw the water out of them, I was pretty sold on the idea of using a sprinkler pump, as I eventually will want to water new grass seed. But before that, and more often, I plan to use my tank sprayer to get/keep the weeds in check. Would be a bit of a pain to run an extension cord for the pump every time, and the closest outlet is on the shed, so minor inconvenience. Then idea struck me, to elevate the barrel, and gravity feed from it.

After measuring the height of the sprayer opening while mounted to the mower, having the barrel standing vertically, while elevated almost 4' off the ground didn't seem like the best idea. Then I thought about laying the barrel on its side. It came with a 2 piece lid, with rubber sealing gasket, so water leaking from the lid shouldn't be an issue.

Building a stand wouldn't be too difficult, but it would likely use up most of the spare 2x4s I had left. Then I thought of stacking some cinder blocks, and putting a pair of runners through the holes in the top 2. Rough layout seems like it will work. Just have to properly prep the ground and make sure it's level. I think I saw some mostly buried pavers by the fence, so those could get repurposed for a level base.

View attachment 102697

Haven't bought the downspout connecting kits yet, the one I have my eye on uses plastic spigots, which I think I'll substitute for something better. I'll also probably use a short hose, think I have some old washing machine hoses in the garage, to give me some wiggle room when backing the sprayer up to it, as well as eliminate spills.

Despite being able to back the EXT up between the houses to my fence, carrying the blocks that short distance and stacking them, STILL resulted in a full sweat. Damn FL's humidity!

Be super careful. Water weighs 8.34lbs per gallon, so those barrels will be HEAVY once they're full. I'd use 2 rows of blocks per "column".

 

[Blckshdw]

Be super careful. Water weighs 8.34lbs per gallon, so those barrels will be HEAVY once they're full. I'd use 2 rows of blocks per "column".

Honestly I was more concerned with the wood boards, and whether or not I should reinforce those in the center. It'll definitely be something I keep an eye on once I get everything setup.

 

[BrianF]

After work I spent just shy of five hours plowing snow. I felt bad as I abused my quad and tossed around the snow blower but I got the worst of it done.

My oldest was riding horses and then went on a solo sled ride.

Tomorrow will be more snow clearing in anticipation of the next amount we are supposed to get on Thursday.

I had my booster on Saturday and other than some aches, a minor headache and being tired, wasn't so bad.

 

[Reprise]

So, finally... after 2 1/2 months... the Sierra is back in my driveway.
Good news:
- Rear axle noise is finally (!) gone
- Shop discounted the bill by 10%, without me even asking, because of the inconvenience

Bad news:
- Even with the discount, the bill was over $2000 USD
- I still have the driveshaft vibration (that started when the first u-joint I put in worked itself out); there's nothing further they can do, so a visit to a driveshaft shop is in my near future - I expected this.
- The truck felt 'strange', driving it it back home... front suspension felt looser / rattling, front brakes felt grabby, and to top it off... the radio wouldn't turn on. They didn't touch the front at all, so I'm kinda lost as to why the front end feels the way it does.

And so... the work continues...

 

[mrrsm]

I've just finished peeling the Brown-N-Bronze individual plastic wrapper off of a "CHOCO_ZERO" 85% Pure Dark Chocolate Cocoa Square and after popping it into my Kisser, I bit through that flavorful wafer... then I took a Sip of Coffee and nearly passed out from this Gastronomical Delight.

UUUUUmmmmmmm. :>O :>M :>G

But don't bother trying to share this experience; at least not for a while... since just after I had my wife purchase (6) Bags of this confection with (10) individually wrapped Wafers per Bag (that works out to around 44 Cents per unit)... I just now asked her to check on their availability at www.choczero.com and none are presently available:

ChocZero: Sugar Free Chocolate. No Sugar Alcohols. Keto Friendly.

ChocZero is sugar free chocolate, jams, and syrup. We make keto chocolate and treats sweetened with monk fruit. Soy free, gluten free, vegan. All natural. GMO free. Great for keto and other sugar free lifestyles.

www.choczero.com

***The 50% Cocoa Sugar-Free Variety May Still Be Available



I had originally planned to regale you with these important reasons as to WHY this is 85% Dark Chocolate will be The BEST Chocolate You will EVER Eat... but it seemed moot at this point.

***Oh Well... I'll tell you anyway:

(1) I'm an Old Diabetic Dude who is a Very Compliant Patient and I completely avoids ingesting Sugar at all costs... because I'm trying to live as long as I possibly can.

(2) CHOC-ZERO Chocolate has ZERO Sugar(s). "0" ... NONE!!!

(3) Pure Cocoa is one of the Best Sources for Anti-Oxidants you can possibly consume. In fact... the More ...The Merrier... to eliminate Free Radicals from within your Cells and Keep-Em-All-Running properly.

(4) CHOCZERO Chocolate is Simply Delicious WITHOUT SUGAR.

(5) Please Don't Hate Me for Buying them ALL...

 

[BrianF]

First day off so my wife and I rip to crimetown for some shopping while the kids are in school. Leaving the city with half a tank of fuel. We get halfway home, the fuel light comes on and engine dead. We coast to a stop on an approach and no restart but a heavy fuel smell outside.

I surmise one of the fuel line quick connects finally popped. I had dropped the tank two years ago for a new pump and knew some of the clips were brittle. I think this recent heavy cold, warm, thaw we just had busted one. Hopefully that's her.

Thankfully she's -6c, a buddy came and got my wife and my buddy Towman is on his way. We called the insurance broker and our Grand Mormon van has fresh insurance so we are good to go.

 

[TollKeeper]

Not back yet.. Just stopping by for a gander..

Still gotta get the final tax prep in line. It appears I will be paying 194,000 in taxes.. Donations?

 

[BrianF]

After my Trailblazer diagnosis, I took the kids out for a little ride.

 

[BrianF]

We are going into a cold spell leading in with snow and high winds. In anticipation I did some maintenance, snowblower got fresh 0w30 and the quad got some CK4 5w30 semi synthetic. I got a few days off so I figure I will be moving a bit of snow.

But I feel this pails in comparison with the snow storms the guys in Southern Ontario are enduring. Hope all is well because winter sucks ass.

 

[Mooseman]

We got 47cm, which is great for sledding, not so great for cleanup. Got the Honda lawn tractor with snowblower going. Started clearing the white stuff when it stopped blowing. Clutch is engaging fine, just the blower ain't turning. Opening the cover and saw that the main drive gear's set screws got loose and the keyway fell out, nowhere to be found. Quick trip to Princess Auto and pick up a piece of key stock. Cut a nice long piece and tightened those set screws. Continued clearing the snow when close to finishing, it stopped blowing again after a kabang. Sheer bolt broke for the impeller when it found a long lost wrench and jammed the impeller solid. At least the bolt did its job but I didn't have a spare. Went to the hardware store and picked up a couple. A quick fix and finished up.

Oh, and I won a $10 bet. My DIL bet me I couldn't get either of the trucks out of the driveway through the pile left by the plow. The Sierra got out barely off idle and the TB got through with a little gas, neither needing to ram through it. And yes, she knew they are 4x4 and had winter tires. I'll ask her to make dinner instead

 

[flyboy2610]

We are going into a cold spell leading in with snow and high winds. In anticipation I did some maintenance, snowblower got fresh 0w30 and the quad got some CK4 5w30 semi synthetic. I got a few days off so I figure I will be moving a bit of snow.

But I feel this pails in comparison with the snow storms the guys in Southern Ontario are enduring. Hope all is well because winter sucks ass.

It hit 60 (F) today. Cold front coming through tonight, down to the low teens. Might hit 20 (F) tomorrow. The stamping press I operate at work is next to the east overhead door. Might be a good day to wear my blue sweatshirt under my work shirt. Thursday is supposed to be about the same.

 

[BrianF]

47cm??? Nice!!! We were pretty windy and cold yesterday but i managed to clear the yard. It wasnt that bad, we have had way worse. I was driving home from work early in the morning and it was zero visibility in most places. Thankfully the snow wasnt sticking to the road so I could crawl along and take the odd reference from the shoulder. One thing I love about this stupid province is the straight roads....

This morning the ambient was about -32C but no wind, strong sun so it was nice out. The bus wasnt running so the kids stayed home. The Ghost fired up first pull but was cold blooded for a few minutes. We crushed chores and in for coffee.

 

[Mooseman]

We got another 5cm or today so out came the blower again. Scraped it down to asphalt as much as I could with the push scraper. My back is feeling it now. Just popped some muscle relaxants, anti inflammatories and Tylenol.

Trails aren't open yet for sledding. My back had better be loosened up by the time they do open.

 

[TJBaker57]

My timesink lately has been an introduction to Arduino. No appreciable snow to shovel here at 8200 feet in south central Colorado for the most part.

Yesterday for the first time I was able to successfully hook up my hideous tangle of jumpers, breadboard, and tried two different brands of the Uno board to my Trailblazer for testing on a full vehicle instead of just a PCM in a cardboard box. Previous efforts without data bus isolation yeilded a whole host of DATA ERROR messages when hooked up to a full vehicle but this iteration using a pair of optocouplers at least appears to be working.

And just now back at the table I hooked up a P10 PCM, a TCCM, a "Redboard", the Sparkfun version of the Uno board, and an ambient air temp sensor from a TrailBlazer. The temperature sensor is wired to the Arduino. Used a second phone to run OBD Fusion and made a custom PID to request the temperature from the ambient air sensor over the GM serial data bus and the Arduino. My primary phone is where I am running ArduinoDroid to do the programming and monitor the Arduino output. (I don't own a desktop PC) The Arduino is also tossing some messages back at the PCM standing in for the cluster.

I have doubts my crude message arbitration scheme is working but I also wonder how necessary it truly is. Only rarely have I witnessed collisions and those mostly happened when both the Arduino and a cluster were answering the same messages from a PCM.

Guess my next test will be utilizing the ambient air temperature sensor/Arduino setup while connected to the TrailBlazer to see how stable things may be in full scale operation. If successful I'll then put together a more compact and durable setup for more field testing.

 

[xavierny25]

A few windows and Siding got done on the house last week. Had it out with a few of the workers trying to cut corners.
We went with the insulated vinyl $$$.
I'll get better pic's of the finish work tomorrow.

 

[Blckshdw]

Took advantage of the nice weather after work, and tinkered more with the filling station out back. Repositioned the blocks a bit, used the round pavers as bases after digging up the grass and compacting the dirt below. The added height of the extra 2 blocks looks like it will work out nicely. The plan is to use an old washing machine hose attached to the spigot for filling the tank sprayer.





Started losing light, so didn't get around to installing the rain diverter kit goodies. While taking out the tank sprayer, I knocked it over and snapped off one of the nozzle bodies So I priced out some replacements, in the process had the idea of converting the boom from a 2 nozzle deal, to 3. That would give me better coverage without having to travel at a creep. Hmm I'll also probably move that right side in closer, and then trim those 2x4s once I'm happy with where things sit. That sorry looking lime tree next to it, has some serious thorns that are plenty healthy. Found that out the hard way.

While I was outside, my insurance agent called me. She had been on the phone with my bank for days about the flood insurance nonsense. It took several calls, and she was able to convince them to do some type of review. In the end, they accepted whatever she told them, aren't going to force me to get bank issued flood insurance, won't force me to get another policy, and will accept the coverage I've had for the last 5 years, with a note in my file that the zone listed is mismatched with what it has been changed to. Why that was so hard for the last 5 months is beyond me, but at least that's out of the way for a few more months. When this policy expires, the new one will have the new zone (and cost me 3x as much)

 

[Matt]

Had it out with a few of the workers trying to cut corners.

Splain please...what were they doing?

 

[mrrsm]

@Blckshdw ... THIS Idea is Worth Sharing with YOU...

Sometimes, Sheer Laziness and Lethargy can result in Generating the Most Inspiring Of Ideas...

Earlier today, I realized that right after running over a jutting-out section of Concrete Sidewalk and Bending one of the two Special Blades spinning wildly away under my Ever-Reliable Ryobi Electric Riding Lawn Mower into a Steel Pretzel... that first...I would have to lay out some Cardboard and then Crawl around on my Belly like a Reptile just to be able to unbolt the 38" Wide Motor Carriage at Four Points and THEN try to replace the Blade ASAP followed on by all of that same Damned Inconvenient Labor...in Reverse Order.

Uggghhhhh!

The problem here is that the Ryobi Weighs in at around 700 Pounds without me even sitting on it and so having the means to expedite this Blade Swap process in some other way would not be an easy thing to do without some sort of HANDY LIFT to Jack It Up high enough to gain EZ access to the underside area...

But ...'Stop-N-THINK-A-Bit-Bobby'...

Earlier... As I hobbled out through the Garage Side Door, I happened to Eye-Ball my Faded, Sky-Blue Harbor Freight Two Wheel Cart standing by like a Guy Waiting for a Bus ...just long enough not to avoid tripping over it.

...and then I Remembered what that "Eureka!" Guy... Archimedes... Once Said:

"If you Give Me a Place To Stand ...and a Long Enough LEVER... I Could Shift The Earth!"

So I quickly rolled that HF 2W Truck-Cart right up to the front Bumper Tube of the Ryobi and after propping the Leading Edge of the Cart Lift Plate under the Front Chassis Tube (with a 1"X6" Board Wedged in between them to keep it from slipping off at the "Fulcrum" ) I then managed to Lever Lift the front end of the Mower UP high enough into the air to get plenty of room to do the Blade Swap R&R with EASE & SPEED:



The only thing was... FIRST, I had to Grab Several Heavy Cinder Blocks to lay across the 2 Wheel Truck Frame up close to the Handle to have enough stable weight to keep the Ryobi Mower elevated with SAFETY while Pinning the 2 Wheel Cart Handle Flat on The Ground.

I'm NOT Kidding... I've already had to DO this job several times in the past year and on average... what usually has taken me a Full HOUR to complete for this task ...was Done Today in ONLY FIVE MINUTES...!!!

So... Archimedes... FTW!

PS... I'd Bet a Buck or Two that this Technique will work on OTHER flavors of Riding Lawn Mowers for Blade Changes AND for FLAT TIRE Repairs, Too... :>)

 

[northcreek]

Temperature is hovering around 0 F today, which is perfect for watching the NFL playoffs and drinking ales by the fire...

 

[Blckshdw]

@Blckshdw ... THIS Idea is Worth Sharing with YOU...

I've had to change my blades a few times as well, but usually it's when switching between bagging and mulching blades. I did run across a small section of steel pipe in some overgrown grass that stopped the blade on one side, but didn't damage it. My problem with changing them is my back gets upset with me rather quickly when being down on the ground doing much of anything, so I always opt to remove the cutting deck, slide it out sideways and work on it flipped over.

Did have a case of not keeping an eye on tire pressures, and once they got too low, ran one of the drive tires right off the rim. Hadn't thought of the lever/fulcrum method for lifting it. Ended up rolling my air compressor and air jack to the back yard and getting it's back end off the ground that way in order to seat the tire. I've got enough random lumber and pavers near the shed, your method might work better in a pinch, and keep me from having to go back and forth to the garage, so I'll definitely keep that in mind...

As for me today, taking it easy for the next few hours. Back spasmed up on me again, 2 mornings in a row now. Weather forecast changed a bit and said it would rain around lunch time, so I pulled the mower out, and the broadcast spreader. Filled the spreader's flat tires, and laid down 1 bag of lime on the front yard. All it did was sprinkle...

Starting to see a problem with the mower that I'll have to dig into. At random times, the drive motor will disengage. Like the drive switch was knocked into neutral. I'll have to reset it, or toggle the key off and on, and sometimes it will come back. Something similar was happening with the cutting deck motors, and I'd have to toggle their switch too a few times. Dug into the console thinking a connector had gotten loose or something, but couldn't find any problems. And of course the issue never happened when I had my meter in hand either to check voltages.

After that, ran to the store for a few things. Hanging with the guys tonight for some pizza, wings and to watch football and the fights. My cookies and cream pudding was requested, so whipped up a batch of that to bring with me. Dosed up on pain meds, so my back is cooperating for the most part. We'll see how the evening goes.

 

[Mooseman]

Finally took the sled out for a ride. Just a quick 1 hour jaunt to get my blood flowing again and hopefully loosen up the back a bit. Beautiful day, lots of sleds out. Local PD was doing a check for trail passes and papers. Trails were pretty beat up since it is the first weekend we can get out to ride.

Here's a video. The camera was pointed down too much and the battery was low. All my videos were this short. Unfortunately it was mounted to my visor that I removed due to wind noise in my helmet.

 

[mrrsm]

Re: Severe Cramps...

@Blckshdw... Get your hands a few Bottle of THIS Stuff from Walgreens, etc...

Theraworx... (Magnesium Sulfate in a benign Aqueous Solution)

https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/theraworx-muscle-cramp-and-spasm-relief-foam/ID=prod6376629-product

...It comes out via Compression Push Button as a Thick Foam and you just apply it LIBERALLY to any areas on your Lower Back, Hips and Hamstrings where you are suffering from any Spasms from Severe Cramping.

It''s MIRACULOUS that it works so FAST ...It's Like MAGIC! This Stuff stays active for up to 6-8 Hours. I use it all the time on my 'Ancient' Hamstrings, Calves, Feet & Neck-Shoulders to make often crippling cramping just disappear.

Apply it BEFORE any strenuous activity and Prep yourself with a few Wet & Dry napkins or wash your hands right away, as the stuff gets rather sticky to deal with and it only takes a few minutes to soak into the skin.

 

[Matt]

@Blckshdw ... THIS Idea is Worth Sharing with YOU...

Sometimes, Sheer Laziness and Lethargy can result in Generating the Most Inspiring Of Ideas...

Earlier today, I realized that right after running over a jutting-out section of Concrete Sidewalk and Bending one of the two Special Blades spinning wildly away under my Ever-Reliable Ryobi Electric Riding Lawn Mower into a Steel Pretzel... that first...I would have to lay out some Cardboard and then Crawl around on my Belly like a Reptile just to be able to unbolt the 38" Wide Motor Carriage at Four Points and THEN try to replace the Blade ASAP followed on by all of that same Damned Inconvenient Labor...in Reverse Order.

Uggghhhhh!

The problem here is that the Ryobi Weighs in at around 700 Pounds without me even sitting on it and so having the means to expedite this Blade Swap process in some other way would not be an easy thing to do without some sort of HANDY LIFT to Jack It Up high enough to gain EZ access to the underside area...

But ...'Stop-N-THINK-A-Bit-Bobby'...

Earlier... As I hobbled out through the Garage Side Door, I happened to Eye-Ball my Faded, Sky-Blue Harbor Freight Two Wheel Cart standing by like a Guy Waiting for a Bus ...just long enough not to avoid tripping over it.

...and then I Remembered what that "Eureka!" Guy... Archimedes... Once Said:

"If you Give Me a Place To Stand ...and a Long Enough LEVER... I Could Shift The Earth!"

So I quickly rolled that HF 2W Truck-Cart right up to the front Bumper Tube of the Ryobi and after propping the Leading Edge of the Cart Lift Plate under the Front Chassis Tube (with a 1"X6" Board Wedged in between them to keep it from slipping off at the "Fulcrum" ) I then managed to Lever Lift the front end of the Mower UP high enough into the air to get plenty of room to do the Blade Swap R&R with EASE & SPEED:

View attachment 102812

The only thing was... FIRST, I had to Grab Several Heavy Cinder Blocks to lay across the 2 Wheel Truck Frame up close to the Handle to have enough stable weight to keep the Ryobi Mower elevated with SAFETY while Pinning the 2 Wheel Cart Handle Flat on The Ground.

I'm NOT Kidding... I've already had to DO this job several times in the past year and on average... what usually has taken me a Full HOUR to complete for this task ...was Done Today in ONLY FIVE MINUTES...!!!

So... Archimedes... FTW!

PS... I'd Bet a Buck or Two that this Technique will work on OTHER flavors of Riding Lawn Mowers for Blade Changes AND for FLAT TIRE Repairs, Too... :>)

You know Harbor Freight and a few other places sell tractor lifts.

https://www.harborfreight.com/300-lb-atvlawn-mower-lift-61523.html