flyboy2610
Member
What am I doing today?
As little as possible!
As little as possible!
What are you doing today? [Part II]
- Thread starter HARDTRAILZ
- Start date
I wish I was doing as little as possible.... we are in our third week of a heat wave. Hot and humid and way more than my pasty ass is meant for.
I've been fighting my Polaris Magnum again. Ran fine one day and dead to the world the next. Battery is toast and unable to charge past 10.5 volts. Then voltage regulator not working, then no power to the speedo, pod and connection issues at the switch gear.
I rip the handlebar switch gear down and find massive amounts of corrosion, 24 years worth. I clean it all.up and eventually get the connections all good. Clean up the key switch as well. Now able to trace power from the battery to the key, to the switch. I have continuity from the starter solenoid to the switch but no internal connection. I'll order one up.
New AGM battery, cleaned up various connections again and my winch, lights, pod and so on are all working. I can jump the solenoid and she fire right up. I have to mess with that damn voltage regulator again as I just got it working again....
Anyways, adjusted the tracks on the new skid steer. It's a funny yet simple method. To tighten, you just pump grease into a zerk with the tracks elevated. Then just measure sag. If too tight, release pressure.
Then made ribs. Kids devoured those.
I've been fighting my Polaris Magnum again. Ran fine one day and dead to the world the next. Battery is toast and unable to charge past 10.5 volts. Then voltage regulator not working, then no power to the speedo, pod and connection issues at the switch gear.
I rip the handlebar switch gear down and find massive amounts of corrosion, 24 years worth. I clean it all.up and eventually get the connections all good. Clean up the key switch as well. Now able to trace power from the battery to the key, to the switch. I have continuity from the starter solenoid to the switch but no internal connection. I'll order one up.
New AGM battery, cleaned up various connections again and my winch, lights, pod and so on are all working. I can jump the solenoid and she fire right up. I have to mess with that damn voltage regulator again as I just got it working again....
Anyways, adjusted the tracks on the new skid steer. It's a funny yet simple method. To tighten, you just pump grease into a zerk with the tracks elevated. Then just measure sag. If too tight, release pressure.
Then made ribs. Kids devoured those.
Mooseman
Moderator
Packing up and heading to the next park. I don't know how some people can do this full time.
- Dec 3, 2011
- 378
I'm having a cataract removed form my right eye later today. Nervous as hell
You'll be fine... Wear something Quite WARM today... the Operating Theater will probably be as cold as around 50 Degrees F in order to reduce the presence of Air Borne Pathogens that might settle into the eyes with open cuts, etc.
I had both of my eyes done (one at a time, naturally ...for obvious reasons... like your Doctor has probably advised) and I also had Corneal Roundness surgery to correct my Astigmatism... for Ultra-Clear Vision and No Need for Driving Glasses ever again ...for all time. Ultimately... They will issue you an "Acrylic Lens License Card" for each eye to describe the New UV Light Resistant Acrylic Lenses they will have installed to allow you to see clearly for both distance and fairly close up viewing.
You will still need prescription reader glasses for Reading or better yet...set to your most comfortable Computer Screen Viewing. Avoid EVER walking around in Direct Sunlight without wearing True Glass Polarized Lenses in Sunglasses because ... just like the Head Lamp Lenses made of Acrylic will turn YELLOW over time... so too will your Brand New Lenses. The difference between having Cataracts and having these Brand New Lenses inside your "Ojos" will be ASTONISHING! Always avoid rubbing your eyes TOO HARD... lest the New Lenses dislodge and make for a return to the same Doctor to re-set it into position.
One Last Suggestion...My Doctor observed that with having such Deep Set Eyes shrouded by the surrounding loose skin...that I qualified for "Blepharasty Surgery"...literally "Plastic Surgery for the Upper Orbit of the Eyes" that was authorized for coverage under my Medicare Plan... and around $350.00 OOP (Out Of Pocket) on the day of each surgery per eye. Once completed ... It will knock your socks off to have such an improvement all around in your ability to Both SEE... And... Be SEEN... after all the ultra-fine stitches are removed and the healing is complete. Best of Luck to YOU, Brother...! :>)
PS...
Today is the first day since July 3rd, 2024 that my Wife has finally turned the corner on being so sick and developed enough of an appetite for me to suggest one of my "Dinner-Lunch" Go-Too Specials... Good Ol' Macaroni & Cheese. Here is Bobby's "Simple 12 Step Recipe" for this wonderful "Comfort Meal":
(1) Use a 9" X 13" Clear Pyrex Glass Baking Dish-(Tray?)
(2) Use a 1/4" Stick of REAL Butter to COMPLETELY Grease and cover the inner surfaces.
(3) Pour in a Bone Dry, One Pound Box of Elbow Macaroni into the Glass Tray.
(4) Grate a One Pound Block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese... ALWAYS use Sharp for this APP!
(5) Distribute the Cheese evenly and Pour in 16 Ounces of Whole Milk.
(6) Work from the Outer Edges inward, Spoon Lift and Fold the Elbows with the Cheese.
(7) Level the Elbows and Cheese to submerge & Top Off with either Chicken Broth or Water.
(8) Place in a Pre-Heated Oven Set on BAKE & using 375 Degrees F Heat for 50 Minutes.
(9) When you can smell it cooking away (The Oven Alarm will sound!) Add 5 More Minutes.
(10) Look at THESE Images for the expected results... Marvelously "Al Dente" Pasta!
(11) Lightly Dust with some "Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning" Superior Flavor!
(12) ...and Bon Appétit...Ladies and Gents!
I had both of my eyes done (one at a time, naturally ...for obvious reasons... like your Doctor has probably advised) and I also had Corneal Roundness surgery to correct my Astigmatism... for Ultra-Clear Vision and No Need for Driving Glasses ever again ...for all time. Ultimately... They will issue you an "Acrylic Lens License Card" for each eye to describe the New UV Light Resistant Acrylic Lenses they will have installed to allow you to see clearly for both distance and fairly close up viewing.
You will still need prescription reader glasses for Reading or better yet...set to your most comfortable Computer Screen Viewing. Avoid EVER walking around in Direct Sunlight without wearing True Glass Polarized Lenses in Sunglasses because ... just like the Head Lamp Lenses made of Acrylic will turn YELLOW over time... so too will your Brand New Lenses. The difference between having Cataracts and having these Brand New Lenses inside your "Ojos" will be ASTONISHING! Always avoid rubbing your eyes TOO HARD... lest the New Lenses dislodge and make for a return to the same Doctor to re-set it into position.
One Last Suggestion...My Doctor observed that with having such Deep Set Eyes shrouded by the surrounding loose skin...that I qualified for "Blepharasty Surgery"...literally "Plastic Surgery for the Upper Orbit of the Eyes" that was authorized for coverage under my Medicare Plan... and around $350.00 OOP (Out Of Pocket) on the day of each surgery per eye. Once completed ... It will knock your socks off to have such an improvement all around in your ability to Both SEE... And... Be SEEN... after all the ultra-fine stitches are removed and the healing is complete. Best of Luck to YOU, Brother...! :>)
PS...
Today is the first day since July 3rd, 2024 that my Wife has finally turned the corner on being so sick and developed enough of an appetite for me to suggest one of my "Dinner-Lunch" Go-Too Specials... Good Ol' Macaroni & Cheese. Here is Bobby's "Simple 12 Step Recipe" for this wonderful "Comfort Meal":
(1) Use a 9" X 13" Clear Pyrex Glass Baking Dish-(Tray?)
(2) Use a 1/4" Stick of REAL Butter to COMPLETELY Grease and cover the inner surfaces.
(3) Pour in a Bone Dry, One Pound Box of Elbow Macaroni into the Glass Tray.
(4) Grate a One Pound Block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese... ALWAYS use Sharp for this APP!
(5) Distribute the Cheese evenly and Pour in 16 Ounces of Whole Milk.
(6) Work from the Outer Edges inward, Spoon Lift and Fold the Elbows with the Cheese.
(7) Level the Elbows and Cheese to submerge & Top Off with either Chicken Broth or Water.
(8) Place in a Pre-Heated Oven Set on BAKE & using 375 Degrees F Heat for 50 Minutes.
(9) When you can smell it cooking away (The Oven Alarm will sound!) Add 5 More Minutes.
(10) Look at THESE Images for the expected results... Marvelously "Al Dente" Pasta!
(11) Lightly Dust with some "Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning" Superior Flavor!
(12) ...and Bon Appétit...Ladies and Gents!
Last edited:
@mrrsm thank you for that recipe, it looks fantastic yet simple! I usually make my mother in law's recipe. It's great but I am always looking to learn something new.
- Dec 3, 2011
- 378
Thankyou everyone for the well wishes and advise. I did not need to dress extra warm as I am part radiator as per my wife. Prep and recovery took longer than the actual procedure. Already had one follow up the next day, with another next week, then later in Aug. But all seems to healing well. Drops 4x a day for now. As for glasses, I have always wore them so no big deal, will get new perscription once cleared as well a perscription sun glasses. Thanks again everyone.
Matt
Member
- Dec 2, 2011
- 4,035
What am I doing today? Having my last day at my current job. 13.5 years and I can't say I've been happier leaving a job before.
My next gig is still with the county but in building maintenance where I'll deal with stubborn inanimate objects rather than assholes and dickheads.
My next gig is still with the county but in building maintenance where I'll deal with stubborn inanimate objects rather than assholes and dickheads.
xavierny25
Member
Currently waiting on a tow to get the Voy back home. I was having a slow leak on the drivers side front tire and decided to have it looked at when they lifted the front end the upper ball joint was in two pieces. The shank was still in the upper arm and the socket on the spindle.
In hindsight at least it happend when not in motion cause I've heard some horror stories.
These ball joints have got less then a year iirc on the truck and I don't ever see me purchasing Mevotech TTX again.
In hindsight at least it happend when not in motion cause I've heard some horror stories.
These ball joints have got less then a year iirc on the truck and I don't ever see me purchasing Mevotech TTX again.
Last edited:
Mooseman
Moderator
Mevojunk strikes again! I've had similar experiences with the TTX. Why can't we find any good suspension and steering parts? I've got a Dorman outer tie-rod currently on the TB that replaced a TTX. Don't remember what I used to replace a lower ball-joint. I know regular Mevotech inner tie-rods are junk as I have had to replace them with ACDelcos.
Just signed off the final paperwork for the new job. My start date is Aug. 1st. My security clearance went surprisingly fast but my past service probably helped with that. Not like I went rogue after retirement
. Despite my pension, the bank account is getting kinda lean after two months of no extra revenue even though it was just minimum wage. Don't miss it though except for the employee discounts but triple the salary will make up for that 
.
flyboy2610
Member
4 years, 3 months, 5 days and I'm going to clock out and never go back!
xavierny25
Member
Currently waiting on a tow to get the Voy back home. I was having a slow leak on the drivers side front tire and decided to have it looked at when they lifted the front end the upper ball joint was in two pieces. The shank was still in the upper arm and the socket on the spindle.
In hindsight at least it happend when not in motion cause I've heard some horror stories.
These ball joints have got less then a year iirc on the truck and I don't ever see me purchasing Mevotech TTX again.
View attachment 113992
My ride home on Friday morning and the broken ball joint before I replaced both upper ball joints late in the afternoon.
northcreek
Member
Mooseman
Moderator
Picked up a good deal on a Furrion 1000w/2000w surge inverter. $180 for a $600 piece, brand new. Checked later and Amazon US has it for $99USD. Probably where here got them.
Anyway, I wanted a way to run the fridges while we're on the move with the RV. The outside fridge gets totally warm and the inside one stays a little cooler but takes forever to cool down again since it's an absorption type. I have two 6v golf cart batteries so I have plenty of reserve capacity and I have the power from the truck that can provide 30A while driving. Between the two, it can provide enough power to run both fridges. On top of that, it has a built-in transfer switch so as soon as the shore power cuts out, the inverter automatically provides power so the fridges don't stop. I just have to remember to turn off the main and converter breakers.
Initial tests went well. Powered both fridges and the fans didn't even kick on so power draw is reasonable. Real test will be when we actually go on the road.
Anyway, I wanted a way to run the fridges while we're on the move with the RV. The outside fridge gets totally warm and the inside one stays a little cooler but takes forever to cool down again since it's an absorption type. I have two 6v golf cart batteries so I have plenty of reserve capacity and I have the power from the truck that can provide 30A while driving. Between the two, it can provide enough power to run both fridges. On top of that, it has a built-in transfer switch so as soon as the shore power cuts out, the inverter automatically provides power so the fridges don't stop. I just have to remember to turn off the main and converter breakers.
Initial tests went well. Powered both fridges and the fans didn't even kick on so power draw is reasonable. Real test will be when we actually go on the road.
Mooseman
Moderator
Well, now I know where he got them 
That's Princess Auto. Went there today to return booster cables and I spotted them. They're not even on their website under the Furrion name.
That's Princess Auto. Went there today to return booster cables and I spotted them. They're not even on their website under the Furrion name.
Ryobi Riding Mower Mods Chat Thread
EDIT: Thursday, May 16th, 2024 THIS is The BEST Ryobi Model# RM480E Riding Electric Mower LiFePO4 Batteries, Harnesses and Gauge Installation Diagram to Download and Keep in your Mechanic's RELM (Riding Electric Lawn Mower) Library for present and future reference needs: "Ohhh...
gmtnation.com
Mooseman
Moderator
Nope, they're good 'ol fashion lead acid golf cart batteries. LiFePO4 Batteries are just too expensive as well as the equipment for them. I'd consider them if I were to start doing some serious boondocking with a solar array on the roof. I have a pair of Firman 1600W/2000W surge inverter generators for the odd time we do boondock.
flyboy2610
Member
Had this roll through at about 5:00 this evening:
80 mph winds, pretty heavy rain for about 15 minutes. It was 96F here, 20 miles west it was 81F.
80 mph winds, pretty heavy rain for about 15 minutes. It was 96F here, 20 miles west it was 81F.
flyboy2610
Member
Enjoying an unscheduled day off, because due to the storm referenced in my previous post, the plant had no power. Of course, no one knew that until they showed up for work. The manager took the names of everyone that showed up, and we'll get 2 hours of pay.
I wouldn't be surprised if we have to work Saturday to make up for it, though.
I wouldn't be surprised if we have to work Saturday to make up for it, though.
Mooseman
Moderator
First day of work at the new job. So far looks like an easy gig, managing 38 underused vehicles. Today had to deal with two that had dead batteries. The guy training me is good at managing the vehicles but not too mechanically inclined. The first one was a Malibu that started with a booster pack but I could tell the battery wasn't taking the charge (flickering lights and no restart after it shut down). The second was some Ferd hybrid. Boosted it and it took a charge. Convinced the other guy that we should just put a charger on it overnight and re-evaluate it tomorrow. These vehicles are so underused that the oil is being changed just on time rather than mileage. In fact, they've been doing it every 6 months at the same time as winter/summer tire changes with few KM on them. I'm gonna recommend that they should do it every 12 months as per owners manuals.
xavierny25
Member
Not today but a few hours after work last week and yesterday. I've been prepping and finally got to Por15 the 14 bolt tb SS rear diff I had laying around.
The kit did not come with enough por15 to do 2 coats. Luckly its avaliable at autozone so i'll get another can and rough up the surface on the diff and reapply since its well after the 6 hours recomended between coats.
And yes I know the brake dust covers are beat to hell but I have a new set on hand along with diff cover, seals, bearings, u joint all ready to get put in.
The kit did not come with enough por15 to do 2 coats. Luckly its avaliable at autozone so i'll get another can and rough up the surface on the diff and reapply since its well after the 6 hours recomended between coats.
And yes I know the brake dust covers are beat to hell but I have a new set on hand along with diff cover, seals, bearings, u joint all ready to get put in.
Thats one of my big regrets with my Envoy... I have the 4.10 front dif, never found a rear, and I never got to enjoy it.. Now the Envoy is the spare vehicle, and no point.
Need to put that front dif up for sale...
Need to put that front dif up for sale...
Blckshdw
Moderator
In the process of drying out. Tropical storm Debby passed with minimal incident. Mostly off and on rain, and some gusty winds yesterday. Ended up losing power this morning for about 2 hours, so chalked that up to a little extra nap time from work 
Buddy of mine who lives in a slightly lower elevation happens to be on vacation, so he asked me to check things out to make sure there was no damage or flooding. Made a trip yesterday, and today, so I'll be getting treated to dinner for my troubles.
The office was closed today, but there was a power outage in the middle of the night, which caused servers and the phone system to go offline for a bit. Our IT consulting company sent a few tickets requesting permission to work on stuff after hours (higher fees
) but knowing everything would be fine once power was restored, that was a big "NO"
Had some cleanup in the yard, few branches and dead palm fronds here and there. The 1 acre retention pond out back had risen probably 2 feet, and a lot of the trash that washed through the storm water system was caught in the brush by my property. Took advantage of the higher water levels to use my pool net and scoop out as much garbage as I could reach. That's my good deed for the day
Buddy of mine who lives in a slightly lower elevation happens to be on vacation, so he asked me to check things out to make sure there was no damage or flooding. Made a trip yesterday, and today, so I'll be getting treated to dinner for my troubles.
The office was closed today, but there was a power outage in the middle of the night, which caused servers and the phone system to go offline for a bit. Our IT consulting company sent a few tickets requesting permission to work on stuff after hours (higher fees
) but knowing everything would be fine once power was restored, that was a big "NO"Had some cleanup in the yard, few branches and dead palm fronds here and there. The 1 acre retention pond out back had risen probably 2 feet, and a lot of the trash that washed through the storm water system was caught in the brush by my property. Took advantage of the higher water levels to use my pool net and scoop out as much garbage as I could reach. That's my good deed for the day
Glad you didn't get hit bad by that storm. That's why I like living up here. I'll take -40 any day over hurricanes.
Today we are off to the Canadian Nationals Arab horse show in Red Deer, Alberta. We are making it a family trip since it's ten days. We are taking two vehicles, which is nice. Don't have to unhook the trailer and zipping around in a one ton gets old.
Today we are off to the Canadian Nationals Arab horse show in Red Deer, Alberta. We are making it a family trip since it's ten days. We are taking two vehicles, which is nice. Don't have to unhook the trailer and zipping around in a one ton gets old.
Attachments
Just relaxing at the horse show. Been long and busy few days. No big deal but my 15 year old daughter absolutely crushed her dressage tests today and riding disciplines yesterday. Like mopped the floor. I think she is sitting at 4 or 5 national championships. She beat out riders with more years in the saddle than she has been alive. Talking about some big name horses and trainers from Canada and the US. We are extremely proud and so are many others. She has been invited to catch ride for some big name trainers to train out of some big name barns.
We are mulling over sending her to Scottsdale next year for US nationals with one trainer to work for and get further exposure but, she's just a kid still so who knows.
We are mulling over sending her to Scottsdale next year for US nationals with one trainer to work for and get further exposure but, she's just a kid still so who knows.
While Browsing over on the Internet Archive... I spotted an option to Download a ZIP File containing ALL 52 Training Videos offered from CALTECH on their famous College Physics Course called "The Mechanical Universe" (The FULL Two Year Segments).
It DID take a few days of patience for the entire thing to completely download...but OMG... What a FIND!. I also looked over on Amazon hoping to find the Course Syllabus and Formal Text Book associated with this course...and it would cost around $350.00 for the Two College Books.
So I thought, "WTH?" ... I dropped in on eBay and found them BOTH on hand for around $30.00 per Volume that completes all course material. For anyone interested in the underlying "Mechanics" behind how EVERYTHING mechanical actually operates in the Universe...THIS series is well worth downloading and enjoying:
It DID take a few days of patience for the entire thing to completely download...but OMG... What a FIND!. I also looked over on Amazon hoping to find the Course Syllabus and Formal Text Book associated with this course...and it would cost around $350.00 for the Two College Books.
So I thought, "WTH?" ... I dropped in on eBay and found them BOTH on hand for around $30.00 per Volume that completes all course material. For anyone interested in the underlying "Mechanics" behind how EVERYTHING mechanical actually operates in the Universe...THIS series is well worth downloading and enjoying:
Entire Mechanical Universe Series â "Lost" Annenberg Telecourse : CalTech : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
The ENTIRE, Downloadable, Mechanical Universe Series page â the Lost Annenberg Telecourse. ••• This is a video instructional series on physics...
archive.org
xavierny25
Member
Update on the rear end. 
Fresh bearings, seals, cover, pads and fluid. I'm about a week out from swapping it in.
Fresh bearings, seals, cover, pads and fluid. I'm about a week out from swapping it in.
I thought we had a "what did you buy today" thread.. But cant find it..
So on Saturday....
$800 on a TCL 75" Mini-QLED tv
$1000 on a JBL 9.1.4 Surround Sound
Was hoping for a Samsung, but my budget... Well.
Had a 65", but the motherboard is dieing. It still works, until it turns itself off for no reason. Its a old LG Plasma TV, 17 years old. So.. I had switched to my backup TV, a 44" Insignia Plasma. But when you have been watching TV on a 65" for so long.. Going down to a 44"...
My 42" Panasonic Plasma in my Bedroom still is rocking along, 24 years in!
Upgrading from a 3.1 for a 9.1.4.. Well thats a experience I have not had in the house before! Still need to get the rear speakers mounted. Its Wireless too! Just power wires, which is a lot easier than running speaker wire.
So on Saturday....
$800 on a TCL 75" Mini-QLED tv
$1000 on a JBL 9.1.4 Surround Sound
Was hoping for a Samsung, but my budget... Well.
Had a 65", but the motherboard is dieing. It still works, until it turns itself off for no reason. Its a old LG Plasma TV, 17 years old. So.. I had switched to my backup TV, a 44" Insignia Plasma. But when you have been watching TV on a 65" for so long.. Going down to a 44"...
My 42" Panasonic Plasma in my Bedroom still is rocking along, 24 years in!
Upgrading from a 3.1 for a 9.1.4.. Well thats a experience I have not had in the house before! Still need to get the rear speakers mounted. Its Wireless too! Just power wires, which is a lot easier than running speaker wire.
While Browsing and Watching some Old SCIFI Movies today... I stumbled upon THIS Link to ALL of the SCIFI Classic Special Effects Movies created by the brilliance of Ray Harryhausen that include some of the BEST SCIFI Movies ...EVER Made.
So ... HERE is the opportunity of a lifetime to Download ALL of them. Just select the Download Options at the Mid-Right Screen Area and grab them all (22 Items)for all 16 of his Movies in One GO:
....Or...Pick and Choose from the extensive list here and watch them as live streams at The Internet Archive...
So ... HERE is the opportunity of a lifetime to Download ALL of them. Just select the Download Options at the Mid-Right Screen Area and grab them all (22 Items)for all 16 of his Movies in One GO:
Ray Harryhausen Collection (1949 - 1981) : Ray Harryhausen : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Ray Harryhausen was an American filmmaker and special effects artist, specialising in Stop-Motion animation. He helped produce 16 feature films throughout his...
archive.org
....Or...Pick and Choose from the extensive list here and watch them as live streams at The Internet Archive...
I’m getting addicted to listening to the Old BBC Radio Dramas… Mostly for their interesting story lines, superb voice acting and proven BBC Production Values… But also for the almost Hypnotic ASMR Value these shows have when one wants to be ‘Distracted enough to Fall Asleep’.
What’s More… The Internet Archive has gathered together and ZIP Packaged the most bewildering array of Sherlock Holmes Series you would ever imagine. But I WARN You… Once your start listening to these High Quality Shows… You will NOT want to STOP… :>)
What’s More… The Internet Archive has gathered together and ZIP Packaged the most bewildering array of Sherlock Holmes Series you would ever imagine. But I WARN You… Once your start listening to these High Quality Shows… You will NOT want to STOP… :>)
Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, The : Arthur Conan doyle : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Clive Merrison and Michael Williams feature in these 12 dramatisations of Sherlock Holmes stories, courtesy of you know where.......For fan use only. No...
archive.org
Took the day off so my wife and I could run to the city. My oldest needed x rays to verify how her wrist was healing. She came off a horse two weeks ago and broke it in three places. Thankfully only sprained the other one. So we found it is healing well, moved into a fiberglass cast today that is scheduled to come off in another two weeks.
Blckshdw
Moderator
Got home from work yesterday, did a couple of things around the house before dinner. Went to close the garage door, heard a loud POP, followed by the hum of the motor, and zero door movement. Uh oh... 
This morning, opened up the casing to find this...
Took the casing completely off and could see where the shattered sprocket was supposed to be sitting. Looks like everything else on the spindle is still there, and the worm gear is still whole.
The whole spindle is under $20, so will just drop in a whole new one. But I'll need to address the original problem that caused this mess. My door is grossly out of balance. Back in 2021, I wanted to replace the old rusty springs, before they broke on me. A buddy was replacing his door with a storm rated one, and offered me his brand new spring, since he wanted to reuse his existing ones. I thought it odd to be just a single spring, for such a heavy door, but went with it and swapped it in.
Mistake... I could open the door by hand, but it was heavier than it should have been. Door opener didn't seem to strain at all, so I left it. Summer of 2022, the cable on my chain frayed and snapped. Plastic pulley above the door opening also broke. Replaced both of those, chalked it up to age. But now, can't ignore this anymore, time to get things right. Still had the old springs in the shed, so compared their measurements to what came out of an online spring size calculator, and they weren't even close. No matter which weight I input, these were way too long, and the cones weren't painted, so I don't know exactly what they were before all the rust.
Will get the door weighed this weekend, and order the correct springs to hopefully get here later in the week. In the meantime, will be parking on the driveway, and hoping mother nature doesn't decide to roll thunderstorms through here when it's time for me to arrive home from somewhere
This morning, opened up the casing to find this...
Took the casing completely off and could see where the shattered sprocket was supposed to be sitting. Looks like everything else on the spindle is still there, and the worm gear is still whole.
The whole spindle is under $20, so will just drop in a whole new one. But I'll need to address the original problem that caused this mess. My door is grossly out of balance. Back in 2021, I wanted to replace the old rusty springs, before they broke on me. A buddy was replacing his door with a storm rated one, and offered me his brand new spring, since he wanted to reuse his existing ones. I thought it odd to be just a single spring, for such a heavy door, but went with it and swapped it in.
Mistake... I could open the door by hand, but it was heavier than it should have been. Door opener didn't seem to strain at all, so I left it. Summer of 2022, the cable on my chain frayed and snapped. Plastic pulley above the door opening also broke. Replaced both of those, chalked it up to age. But now, can't ignore this anymore, time to get things right. Still had the old springs in the shed, so compared their measurements to what came out of an online spring size calculator, and they weren't even close. No matter which weight I input, these were way too long, and the cones weren't painted, so I don't know exactly what they were before all the rust.
Will get the door weighed this weekend, and order the correct springs to hopefully get here later in the week. In the meantime, will be parking on the driveway, and hoping mother nature doesn't decide to roll thunderstorms through here when it's time for me to arrive home from somewhere
Blckshdw
Moderator
At it again... So over the weekend, took some weight measurements of the garage door. At rest, it put 80 pounds on the scale, way over like I already knew. Tightened up the torsion spring, and watched the scale swing up to 300 lbs before it stopped. So yeah, if my buddy had 2 springs, everything would have been fine, or if this door was a 200 lb model like some of the videos I watched, also would have been fine. But it is what it is...
Today, decided to go ahead and get that spindle swapped out. Didn't go nearly as well as I planned it to. From YT videos, I knew the mounting holes were not threaded. So I took my impact, and drove the original screws through the holes to thread them for me.
Went to drop the spindle in place, and it wouldn't set into the lower bushing. OEM one slid out without much effort. First thought was it had a slightly different manufacturing spec, so use the one that came with it. Quick bench test, and the new one slid into the new bushing with a little bit of force. OK, let's take the old one out... It wouldn't budge. Tapped the underside with a hammer, no dice.
Grabbed my big C clamp, and an impact socket, and used that to press the bushing out, a la ball joint replacement.
The joke was on me though, because then the new bushing didn't want to go in easily either. Hit it with some silicone spray, used some different sockets and had to press the new bushing in. Pain in the ass. And then on top of that, the new spindle didn't want to slide in. Ended up having to rig up some pieces of angle aluminum to brace on the underside of the plate next to the motor, since you couldn't fit anything on all sides of where the bushing came down, and then press the new spindle into place.
One thing that I noticed, but didn't address, was the OEM spindle has a slight bend on the edge of the ring where it meets the back edge of the opener body, as there's a lip of metal that bends upwards. The aftermarket one doesn't have this, so when you drop it in place, all of the holes are offset ever so slightly.
Honestly that worried me, cuz if something wasn't right (like this), getting this thing back out was gonna be really nasty. Ended up taking my cutoff wheel and cutting a sliver of metal off the ring that gave me enough wiggle room to get the holes lined up. I then sprayed all the gears with silicone spray, plugged it in, and ran it without any load just to make sure everything played nice together, which it did. Let it run both ways about 3 full cycles, before putting the chain back on, glopping grease all over all the gears, and running it again with just the chain. Smooth travel, a soft hum, no signs of any misalignment.
At this point, 2 hours had gone by, and I was much more sweaty than I planned since I had to keep going back and forth to my tool chest for things to work around the issues. Word of advise for anyone else doing this for the first time, don't try to replace the parts while still mounted to the ceiling. It's annoying and awkward. Just take the thing down and put it on your bench, or on top of your garbage bin (like I did) so you can maneuver stuff around. I probably would have saved a lot of time if I took it down in the first place.
Since I was mildly irritated and a sweaty mess, decided to go ahead and disassemble the torsion assembly on the door. The drums wanted to fight a little bit to slip loose, and the bar acted like it didn't want to slide out of the brackets, but eventually let go. So the old spring is out, and all the tools I'll need to get the new set in are ready to go. Hopefully get to pick up the new torsion springs tomorrow or the next day.
Today, decided to go ahead and get that spindle swapped out. Didn't go nearly as well as I planned it to. From YT videos, I knew the mounting holes were not threaded. So I took my impact, and drove the original screws through the holes to thread them for me.
Went to drop the spindle in place, and it wouldn't set into the lower bushing. OEM one slid out without much effort. First thought was it had a slightly different manufacturing spec, so use the one that came with it. Quick bench test, and the new one slid into the new bushing with a little bit of force. OK, let's take the old one out... It wouldn't budge. Tapped the underside with a hammer, no dice.
Grabbed my big C clamp, and an impact socket, and used that to press the bushing out, a la ball joint replacement.The joke was on me though, because then the new bushing didn't want to go in easily either. Hit it with some silicone spray, used some different sockets and had to press the new bushing in. Pain in the ass. And then on top of that, the new spindle didn't want to slide in. Ended up having to rig up some pieces of angle aluminum to brace on the underside of the plate next to the motor, since you couldn't fit anything on all sides of where the bushing came down, and then press the new spindle into place.
One thing that I noticed, but didn't address, was the OEM spindle has a slight bend on the edge of the ring where it meets the back edge of the opener body, as there's a lip of metal that bends upwards. The aftermarket one doesn't have this, so when you drop it in place, all of the holes are offset ever so slightly.
Honestly that worried me, cuz if something wasn't right (like this), getting this thing back out was gonna be really nasty. Ended up taking my cutoff wheel and cutting a sliver of metal off the ring that gave me enough wiggle room to get the holes lined up. I then sprayed all the gears with silicone spray, plugged it in, and ran it without any load just to make sure everything played nice together, which it did. Let it run both ways about 3 full cycles, before putting the chain back on, glopping grease all over all the gears, and running it again with just the chain. Smooth travel, a soft hum, no signs of any misalignment.
At this point, 2 hours had gone by, and I was much more sweaty than I planned since I had to keep going back and forth to my tool chest for things to work around the issues. Word of advise for anyone else doing this for the first time, don't try to replace the parts while still mounted to the ceiling. It's annoying and awkward. Just take the thing down and put it on your bench, or on top of your garbage bin (like I did) so you can maneuver stuff around. I probably would have saved a lot of time if I took it down in the first place.
Since I was mildly irritated and a sweaty mess, decided to go ahead and disassemble the torsion assembly on the door. The drums wanted to fight a little bit to slip loose, and the bar acted like it didn't want to slide out of the brackets, but eventually let go. So the old spring is out, and all the tools I'll need to get the new set in are ready to go. Hopefully get to pick up the new torsion springs tomorrow or the next day.
When I read this...
I thought, "He's probably using THIS Stuff..."
But after a closer look at your images, it occurred to me that with all of those *Exploding* Shattered Plastic Gear Particles Pin-Balling all around inside of that Metal Container... it might be worth taking a very close look at those Small Hypoid (Worm Pairs) of Gears governing the Micro-Switches for the Start and Stop Controls.
Because...if the Silicone Spray and other Lube being used did NOT manage to Flush them all OUT... Some of those Little Plastic "Wedgies" might actually cling better --in between the Gear Threads-- as shown in the Blow-Ups of your original Images Below and risk a different kind of FUBAR if the damned Bicycle Chain does not know when to STOP pulling the Garage Door Closed... Just my
I thought, "He's probably using THIS Stuff..."
But after a closer look at your images, it occurred to me that with all of those *Exploding* Shattered Plastic Gear Particles Pin-Balling all around inside of that Metal Container... it might be worth taking a very close look at those Small Hypoid (Worm Pairs) of Gears governing the Micro-Switches for the Start and Stop Controls.
Because...if the Silicone Spray and other Lube being used did NOT manage to Flush them all OUT... Some of those Little Plastic "Wedgies" might actually cling better --in between the Gear Threads-- as shown in the Blow-Ups of your original Images Below and risk a different kind of FUBAR if the damned Bicycle Chain does not know when to STOP pulling the Garage Door Closed... Just my
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Blckshdw
Moderator
it might be worth taking a very close look at those Small Hypoid (Worm Pairs) of Gears governing the Micro-Switches for the Start and Stop Controls.
Because...if the Silicone Spray and other Lube being used did NOT manage to Flush them all OUT... Some of those Little Plastic "Wedgies" might actually cling better --in between the Gear Threads-- as shown in the Blow-Ups of your original Images Below and risk a different kind of FUBAR if the damned Bicycle Chain does not know when to STOP pulling the Garage Door Closed... Just my
I appreciate the concern, and this is definitely maintenance I wouldn't want to do any more times than necessary. That's why I ran it multiple times w/o the chain just to make sure everything ran smoothly without any bumps, wiggles or unexpected noises, and then again multiple times just with the chain.
From my research, the spring loaded door should only weigh under 5 pounds when closed, so I have a mark to aim for and a way to measure it beyond "feel" Considering what I've been putting that garage door opener though for the past few years, I'm surprised it didn't grenade itself sooner.
Blckshdw
Moderator
Finished the job after work today. Got everything up without much fuss, wound the springs, and weighed the door. Came in at around 10 pounds, not bad. Gave each spring another full turn, and got it down to about 7 pounds. Didn't want to go any further than that, would prefer to have the springs with zero tension when the door is open. Was able to lift the door with little effort, and it held it's position at several increments up to the halfway mark. Any higher than that, and the springs would take the door all the way up.
Latched the trolley to the door and gave it a trial run. Upper limit stayed the same, but with the considerable weight reduction, here's where the door stopped on the way down
At this point I was quite thankful to have the keychain remote, so I tinkered with the downward travel adjustment bit by bit until the door closed completely. Good timing too, as a thunderstorm was starting to roll in. Put the light bulbs in, cover back on the unit, and put the EXT back where it belonged. Mod bug should be content for a while.
Latched the trolley to the door and gave it a trial run. Upper limit stayed the same, but with the considerable weight reduction, here's where the door stopped on the way down
At this point I was quite thankful to have the keychain remote, so I tinkered with the downward travel adjustment bit by bit until the door closed completely. Good timing too, as a thunderstorm was starting to roll in. Put the light bulbs in, cover back on the unit, and put the EXT back where it belonged. Mod bug should be content for a while.
I do so enjoy taking stuff apart, just because....
