2019 POTD Thread Archive

silverhawk said:
No word for thank you, but you'd still wish the cat would paws right meow and tail you a thank you. I mean, you did great work kitten busy fur the feline! (Sorry for the puns, I'll shut up now. I think it's a brilliant use of the tools for the unintended.)
Click to expand...

It's ok, Silverhawk. You reply has groan on me. :)

hman said:
Franko -
Great idea to do it on the lathe! I've wrapped several posts with sisal rope, myself ... unfortunately, the posts were too long for the lathe. But I'll definitely keep your technique in mind. I usually use wood glue to hold the rope to the core. Most recently, I mixed catnip into the glue ... sorta kinda like a "timed release" kitty dope :)
Click to expand...

Good idea on the catnip, Hman.
I stapled the sisal to the post with a narrow crown stapler. I whipped the ends with shrink wrap.
About every six inches I shot another staple in it so I could let go of it and rest my hands.

I was concerned that she (the cat) would hate the new wrapping and not scratch it. Her main job is disapproving of everything.
Sisal rope has a rather nasty smell. After I burned the frays on the stove, it also smelled smoky.
I have some spray-on cat nip so I gave it a good squirting.
She likes catnip so much she forgot to disapprove of it and after a few minutes gave it viscous scratch.
The world is once again spinning on greased gears.
 
I've been working on a new side yard gate. I opted to make the hinges myself because I had all the materials needed on hand with the exception of the thrust washers. I've put some 8-32 threads in the top of the barrels for button head shcs and a rubber washer so that they can easily be oiled. Also quite a bit stouter than the box store offerings.

Gate Hinges.JPG
 
Couple of weeks ago i took apart this Oktavia to fix oil in the spark plugs, and i've been waiting on oil seals to arrive from germany. Today they came, and i got right to work i scraped out all the old silicone and seals and removed and pumped out all the hydraulic lifters all 16 and noticed some of them are blacker than others, that means they are from other engine, from an engine run on gasoline, if you notice this engine is extremely high mileage but is very clean that is because from 0 mileage is run on LPG ( propane) and has had regular oil changes. Then i clean the camshaft carrier ( valve cover) and applied thin coat of good quality silicone sealant. Then i installed it back on the engine and torque the bolts to spec. This is probably the worst valve cover design ever. I'll finish the timing belt job tomorrow all the scraping of sealant took the toll on me.
IMG_20190912_202600.jpgIMG_20190912_202606.jpgIMG_20190912_202621_1.jpgIMG_20190912_205105_1.jpgIMG_20190912_205111_1.jpgIMG_20190912_213805.jpg
 
Like many, I live where humidity levels ensure a perpetual battle with surface rust. After living for so long in Nevada, this is a bit of a novel concept to me. This post is my result with home brewed lanolin-based rust preservative.

The recipe:
Weigh out 100g anhydrous lanolin and 100g Johnson's paste wax into a container. Heat in microwave to soften and liquify, mix well. Add 10 ml of (pick one: naptha, odorless mineral spirits, stoddard solvent) and 10 ml Sea Foam (good source of glycol ethers, can use brake fluid or penetrating oil; penetrant is stinky and brake fluid softens paint, so Sea Foam is my choice). Mix well and let solidify. Apply to surface with a piece of chamois and buff.

The result:
Everything I've tried this on has worked. The photos below show some light surface rust on my mill vise, and again 24 hours after application. The rust spots fade over a few days until they disappear, and the dried waxy film leaves a protective barrier.
2cce5624471f3c8d2ff1b728a21cd291.jpg
8fb3c5dbda7c10d88536e9e094d38c52.jpg
dcab72401e531246f6bd975883a5b980.jpg
 
mattthemuppet2 said:
yeah, that doesn't look like any fun at all. Ford 2l Zetec engines also suffer from crappy valve cover seals, but they typically leak out, all over the exhaust manifold instead. Maybe it's to stop the exhaust manifold bolts from rusting?
Click to expand...

Yeah all Ford Zetec engines Leak oil, they are like dogs like to mark their territory. Years ago there was a saying: look at a man's driveway, if there is oil stain along its entire length he is a Ford driver. No offence to everyone who owns Fords.
 
Why do we pay mechanic shops, to fix or destroy are vehicles. Today i continued finishing the repairs on this Octavia, i fitted new timing belts, reinstalled the engine mounts all the covers, fan belt and last couple of things it had developed a oil leak and an exhaust leak since last shop had worked on it. So i drain the engine oil and found the oil drain is stripped and they use teflon tape to hold it in. When my brother bought this car i did nut and bolt check and the drain plug was tight and the suspension bolt was also tight, last shop did do an oil change and replace suspension bushings and brakes in fact everything they did i'm having to redo and they broke even more things. I call them they denied everything at the end started to deny they ever worked on it at all, typical. Hopefully the oil pan and exhaust is the only things i still have to fix, i'm ready to get it out of the garage.
IMG_20190913_203548.jpgIMG_20190913_221343.jpgIMG_20190913_221403.jpgIMG_20190913_185720.jpg
 
I'm the general manager of a Ford dealer.
There are so many hacks out there!
If we run an add for a Ford trained professional with over 10 years experience, over $100K per year, we will have zero applicants that are qualified.
I think partially due to the, "mechanic" or "grease monkey" image and the lack of auto, metal and wood shops in the high schools has caused a critical shortage of capable technicians.
Todays vehicles are very complex.
We see customers vehicles with work done at a local shop all the time with missing fasteners, stripped threads, broken parts etc.
If you find a shop that can fix your vehicle right the first time and on time, keep going back.
There are some outstanding shops in this country, you just need to find them.
I'm very proud of our crew.
Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top