What did YOU do today?

[sgtsandman]

Laundry...

Same and researching components for the overlanding build on the 2019. I managed to find an awning that has good reviews and is about 33 pounds lighter than what I was originally looking at for about the same price as what I was originally looking at.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Last night I finally figured out the stupid issue with the weedeater for the contractor that helped me get the materials for my loft... I'd pulled the carb apart like 4 times and it was annoyingly enough just a stuck check valve on the main jet that was keeping it from priming... I put a drop of WD40 in that area and it magically started working... after it started I adjusted both needles to the point it sounded right and such and it works like a dream... dang Zama carburetors, Walbro wouldn't have had that issue...

Today I screwed around a bit then went to harbor freight for a couple things then after a wife related detour (toddler birthday party) I went back to tinkering and put together the press brake and made a post for the arbor press to go on a post for the floor mounted receivers in my shop and did some cleaning... pulled staples and working on drying some free 2x4 scraps to work on my shelves in the loft but I gotta work on wiring before I get too far with that...

 

[superj]

Ordered carhart seat savers for the 24 ranger and a carhart dash cocer for the wife's wrangler.


I had seat savers on my titan the whole time owned it and they are great. Well made and sturdy

 

[racsan]

Been browsing marketplace for a backup tractor until I get the 2000 fixed, found a good side distributor 8N for 500 up north but there was a line for it and I knew those ahead of me wouldn’t pass on it, there’s another south of me for 800, not as nice but might be good enough, ad said hydraulic lift doesn’t work, Im betting the pto wasn’t engaged & he isn’t aware that is needed on the N - series. Found another 2000 with the sherman auxiliary transmission (gives a high & low range in addition to the regular 4 speed) but its 3000 & thats a bit much at this time. Gassed up the escapes for the work week, did some research on the 2000 engine repair, turns out I need to split the tractor because of its hydraulic pump. Gotta fix it even if I don’t keep it, its a 500 parts tractor in this current condition, might get 2000/3000 with it fixed, and If I put that much work into it im likely to keep it. But I still dont know if Ive damaged pistons/valves in addition to a broken cam.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

Well. I had a sore throat so I went to the little clinic in Kroger. From there to the ER in Hendersonville. Now they are fixing to transport me to downtown Nashville to do surgery. Evidently I've got some infection around my tonsils that they have to cut open and drain. Whoopy always something.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Well. I had a sore throat so I went to the little clinic in Kroger. From there to the ER in Hendersonville. Now they are fixing to transport me to downtown Nashville to do surgery. Evidently I've got some infection around my tonsils that they have to cut open and drain. Whoopy always something.

Whoa! Take care man, hope they get it handled quickly!

 

[Curious Hound]

Well. I had a sore throat so I went to the little clinic in Kroger. From there to the ER in Hendersonville. Now they are fixing to transport me to downtown Nashville to do surgery. Evidently I've got some infection around my tonsils that they have to cut open and drain. Whoopy always something.

Yuck! Obey orders and get better quickly.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

One of my greatly anticipated video drops is now up…

 

[sgtsandman]

Well. I had a sore throat so I went to the little clinic in Kroger. From there to the ER in Hendersonville. Now they are fixing to transport me to downtown Nashville to do surgery. Evidently I've got some infection around my tonsils that they have to cut open and drain. Whoopy always something.

Heal up quick. I had my tonsils removed a few years back because of sleep apnea problems. Apparently, I would snore so loudly, people in other rooms had problems sleeping. The doctor said the things were huge. Over all, the experience wasn't horrible for me. Hopefully, it will be the same for you.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

Thanks guys. Hopefully I will be back home tomorrow. I'm just blown away a sore throat can lead to all this.

 

[Sharky]

I just came in from shoveling snow & running the snow thrower.
only took a bit over an hour.
climate change/ global warming my azz

 

[Bill]

I saved a 2004 Ford Escape from being sold to the scrapyard after talking some sense into someone I've know for a long time. The story is he bought this Escape for $1000 with 200K miles on it. The body and interior is in great shape for a vehicle that old. His daughter has been driving it. The brake pads wore out and scored the rotor. Shop estimates for a real brake job are $1200 and up. Plus, it needs other minor things that bring further repairs up into the $4000 range. He was thinking it's a $1000 car and it isn't worth spending $4000 on and it's time to sell it to the scrapyard. He is fully capable of doing the work, but he is lazy and he is that longtime friend a lot of us have who we sometimes think is a brick short of a load at times. So, I don't know if it is worth spending $4000 on, but doing the brakes from Rockauto parts and $11 rotors from the Carquest closeout sale came to less than $250. His daughter actually did most of the work. The transmission fluid flushed and filter changed out. It needs new radiator hoses, spark plugs and a serpentine belt. I forget what else. But, it was all minor stuff and at least it is roadworthy now.

Since I'm talking about this, what is going on with the cost of car repairs? I know shops have a lot of expenses, but it is getting to the point that getting a car repaired costs more than going to the dentist or taking your dog to the vet. $1200 for brakes on an Edge. These aren't difficult to work on at all.

This is why I do my own work.

 

[Rick W]

Well. I had a sore throat so I went to the little clinic in Kroger. From there to the ER in Hendersonville. Now they are fixing to transport me to downtown Nashville to do surgery. Evidently I've got some infection around my tonsils that they have to cut open and drain. Whoopy always something.

yeah, rust oleum won’t fix that. Don’t try.

Get well, be well, prayers…

 

[sgtsandman]

I saved a 2004 Ford Escape from being sold to the scrapyard after talking some sense into someone I've know for a long time. The story is he bought this Escape for $1000 with 200K miles on it. The body and interior is in great shape for a vehicle that old. His daughter has been driving it. The brake pads wore out and scored the rotor. Shop estimates for a real brake job are $1200 and up. Plus, it needs other minor things that bring further repairs up into the $4000 range. He was thinking it's a $1000 car and it isn't worth spending $4000 on and it's time to sell it to the scrapyard. He is fully capable of doing the work, but he is lazy and he is that longtime friend a lot of us have who we sometimes think is a brick short of a load at times. So, I don't know if it is worth spending $4000 on, but doing the brakes from Rockauto parts and $11 rotors from the Carquest closeout sale came to less than $250. His daughter actually did most of the work. The transmission fluid flushed and filter changed out. It needs new radiator hoses, spark plugs and a serpentine belt. I forget what else. But, it was all minor stuff and at least it is roadworthy now.

Since I'm talking about this, what is going on with the cost of car repairs? I know shops have a lot of expenses, but it is getting to the point that getting a car repaired costs more than going to the dentist or taking your dog to the vet. $1200 for brakes on an Edge. These aren't difficult to work on at all.

This is why I do my own work.

As a WAG, the overall costs of doing business, including taxes and insurance is the reason but that is just a guess. Another guess is that the shop didn't want to do the work, and thus threw out a quote to discourage the customer and if they did agree to the price, the business would do very well off the deal.

I imagine part of it is regional. What it cost to get something done there, where pretty much everything is way more expensive than in say Southwestern Pennsylvania, has a lot to do with it. Where I live, I figure a garage doing the job is going to be about equal in labor to what the parts cost. So, at least double. Doing the work myself, where I can, is very much worth it because of it. Even if I have to buy a tool or two in order to get the work done.

 

[Bill]

As a WAG, the overall costs of doing business, including taxes and insurance is the reason but that is just a guess. Another guess is that the shop didn't want to do the work, and thus threw out a quote to discourage the customer and if they did agree to the price, the business would do very well off the deal.

Sure, there are a lot of variables and shop rates are higher here. But, I read posts from all over the country stating similar things, and some odd things from shops. One thing that I've read is shops are flat out refusing to do anything on cars over a certain age or mileage. I had one here that told me they wouldn't do an alignment on high mileage vehicles due to wear on the suspension. When I told them I replaced everything, they said they don't do alignment on vehicles customers worked on themselves. Anyway, this is an Escape. It's not like parts are hard to find. The work that needs to be done on it is easy work. I would really prefer working on an Escape than some of the cars that are designed to take 10 hours to remove 34 things to replace a $35 part.

Another thing I've noticed is pricing for maintenance things are hourly now. No more $200 per axle brake jobs (for most vehicles). The shops are also charging insane prices for parts. The rotors that are $50 on Rockauto that are $110 at Autozone are costing the customer $200.