What did YOU do today?

[Rick W]

Who knows if the inside of those are transparent enough to let the light shine through. If they were and one were to build something like that, they could probably drill into the back side of the eye and insert an led then hide the wires as they did the rest of it. I'm not so sure about that being already built. Maybe could, but you'd have to find a way to hide the wires.

And people think my projects are silly….

 

[JoshT]

When I get a Windows license key I'm going to partition the drive and set it up to dual boot Win 11 and Linux.

Those should have come with Windows 10 installed so you don't need a key, the key for 10 gets tied to the hardware. Reinstall Windows 10 on the new drive, then do free upgrade to 11 and the hardware will have an 11 key assigned. Should work unless you want to upgrade the version of Windows, even then it might be cheaper to pay for an upgrade license over full license.

Sorry if I'm telling you something you already know. Took advantage of the free upgrade from 7 to 10 on several machines, but haven't made the jump to 11 yet. I'll probably do that when work decides to move my workstation up. They're slowly phasing it in. There are only around 22,000 (no typo) people working on the installation with atleast one computer for each, so maybe I'll get there before Windows 12 hits.

 

[Bill]

Those should have come with Windows 10 installed so you don't need a key, the key for 10 gets tied to the hardware. Reinstall Windows 10 on the new drive, then do free upgrade to 11 and the hardware will have an 11 key assigned. Should work unless you want to upgrade the version of Windows, even then it might be cheaper to pay for an upgrade license over full license.

I'm aware of that. The place I'm working for ordered the higher end laptops without Windows because some of the people who are issued theses laptops aren't using Windows and the company uses Enterprise licensing for Windows, so they just decided to order them without the Win Pro license and save a few $$. All the Latitude laptops do have a Windows Pro product key. When I ahold of one I'm going to get the product key from that and transfer it to this one.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Today after spending some time in town with the wife getting breakfast then goodwill and harbor freight I got some shop stuff done... I picked up an engine to put in her Camry (burns a bunch of oil, it's a thing with those 2.4L's) but they use goofy bolts for the bellhousing so hard to get on a stand, 3 of them are 12mm fine thread and one is 10mm fine thread, those bolts in that length on amazon were $5 each so I decided to just make them... the one that's 10mm was a through hole so I just put a long 5/16" bolt in there with a nut...

When I was at Harbor Freight they were clearancing out their folding shelfs for toolboxes, red was $10 and yellow or green was $15 so I picked up a red one for my shop cart, had to add a piece of metal to one side since the cart was 1" too wide but simple enough...

 

[Rick W]

Help question, please and thanks:

Oh wise ones,

1987 & 1988 Lincoln town cars (but this could apply to almost any vehicle).

I have been burning out or tearing up the gears in the window motors. What I have realized is that the U-shaped seals in the window frames are hard as a rock. I don’t use these cars often, and I’ve realized that that seal pinches the window, and holds it like a clamp. Repeated applications of silicone (never petroleum) no longer keeps them working.

It’s quite involved to take the door apart, and then take the window out to replace the seals. I was wondering:

1-if anybody had some wisdom on a method of scraping out or grinding out a little tiny bit of the channel in the seal to give the window more freedom. I don’t think I would have to do it up and down every inch of the travel. I think if I could get 60 or 70% of it widened up, the windows would work fine.

2-if anybody had any wisdom on how to scrape out and pull out those seals without taking the door completely apart. On a couple other old hardened seals, this has happened, but when I got the old seal out, I was able to snake a new seal in by simply running the window up and down and pinching the seal at the right places to work it in. When I did that, I put a little bit of silicone seal behind it in a couple spots, so once it’s set, the seal stayed in place.

These are pristine cars, and fairly rare cars due to the dealer engine upgrades, but they’re not worth a ton of money on the collectible market. I can take the whole thing apart, but that crawling on the ground and working on your knees doesn’t work too well for me anymore, and my repair shop said it’s probably $1000 a door. They’re just not worth that.

HELP!!

if I can’t figure it out, I may have to drive a Ranger all the time. Who would ever want to do that?

 

[Blmpkn]

Got some new pants!



Had to.. pooped in the other ones.

 

[Roert42]

Got some new pants!



Had to.. pooped in the other ones.

Happens to the best of us.

 

[Roert42]

Finished putting up the chimney for my new wood stove. Giant PITA because if the offset to get around the eaves.

Finally got the insurance adjuster to come out and look at the dodge that got hit by the drunk driver. Only took them a month.

 

[Curious Hound]

Help question, please and thanks:

Oh wise ones,

1987 & 1988 Lincoln town cars (but this could apply to almost any vehicle).

I have been burning out or tearing up the gears in the window motors. What I have realized is that the U-shaped seals in the window frames are hard as a rock. I don’t use these cars often, and I’ve realized that that seal pinches the window, and hold it like a clamp. Repeated applications of silicone (never petroleum) no longer keeps them working.

It’s quite involved to take the door apart, and then take the window out to replace the seals. I was wondering:

1-if anybody had some wisdom on a method of scraping out or grinding out a little tiny bit of the channel in the seal to give the window more freedom. I don’t think I would have to do it up and down every inch of the travel. I think if I could get 60 or 70% of it widened up, the windows would work fine.

2-if anybody had any wisdom on how to scrape out and pull out those seals without taking the door completely apart. On a couple other old hardened seals, this has happened, but when I got the old seal out, I was able to snake a new seal in by simply running the window up and down and pinching the seal at the right places to work it in. When I did that, I put a little bit of silicone seal behind it in a couple spots, so once it’s set, the seal stayed in place.

These are pristine cars, and fairly rare cars due to the dealer engine upgrades, but they’re not worth a ton of money on the collectible market. I can take the whole thing apart, but that crawling on the ground and working on your knees doesn’t work too well for me anymore, and my repair shop said it’s probably gobe $1000 a door. They’re just not worth that.

HELP!!

if I can’t figure it out, I may have to drive Ranger all the time. Who would ever want to do that?

Remove the door from the vehicle. Lay it on a soft blanket on a table or work bench. Disassemble. Repair. Re-assemble. Re-install. Little less time on the knees.

We old guys have to start working smarter to preserve what’s left of our knees, hips, backs, etc.

 

[Rick W]

I jinxed myself. But maybe good news. I thought the 88 town car burned up the AC clutch again a while back, that’s why I’m checking everything right now. Turns out it was the smog pump. Napa/genuine parts wanted $340 while I was there. I bought one online for $165+ a core charge.

I hate it when you buy a car, you drive around a little for 35 years, you only run up 70 - 75,000 miles, and then the damn thing starts to fall apart.

 

[JoshT]

Got some new pants!

...but did you wear them?

Nevermind, I really don't want to know.

I hate it when you buy a car, you drive around a little for 35 years, you only run up 70 - 75,000 miles, and then the damn thing starts to fall apart.

Should have driven it more. It's getting upset about the low use and acting up.

 

[Rick W]

...but did you wear them?

Nevermind, I really don't want to know.



Should have driven it more. It's getting upset about the low use and acting up.

I’ve heard that about older women….

 

[pjtoledo]

Help question, please and thanks:

Oh wise ones,

1987 & 1988 Lincoln town cars (but this could apply to almost any vehicle).

I have been burning out or tearing up the gears in the window motors. What I have realized is that the U-shaped seals in the window frames are hard as a rock. I don’t use these cars often, and I’ve realized that that seal pinches the window, and holds it like a clamp. Repeated applications of silicone (never petroleum) no longer keeps them working.

It’s quite involved to take the door apart, and then take the window out to replace the seals. I was wondering:

1-if anybody had some wisdom on a method of scraping out or grinding out a little tiny bit of the channel in the seal to give the window more freedom. I don’t think I would have to do it up and down every inch of the travel. I think if I could get 60 or 70% of it widened up, the windows would work fine.

2-if anybody had any wisdom on how to scrape out and pull out those seals without taking the door completely apart. On a couple other old hardened seals, this has happened, but when I got the old seal out, I was able to snake a new seal in by simply running the window up and down and pinching the seal at the right places to work it in. When I did that, I put a little bit of silicone seal behind it in a couple spots, so once it’s set, the seal stayed in place.

These are pristine cars, and fairly rare cars due to the dealer engine upgrades, but they’re not worth a ton of money on the collectible market. I can take the whole thing apart, but that crawling on the ground and working on your knees doesn’t work too well for me anymore, and my repair shop said it’s probably $1000 a door. They’re just not worth that.

HELP!!

if I can’t figure it out, I may have to drive a Ranger all the time. Who would ever want to do that?

check for corrosion in the channel frame. that pushes the rubber out.
on Taurus's of the same vintage the frames corrode, turn into white powder and pour out when the rubber is opened up.

if it's just pinching I would try putting a couple long flats in the channel then wedging something between them to spread the channel.

while you're in there,,,,, there is a small pressure pad near the top of the window when it's down. those corrode and scratch the glass.

 

[Rick W]

check for corrosion in the channel frame. that pushes the rubber out.
on Taurus's of the same vintage the frames corrode, turn into white powder and pour out when the rubber is opened up.

if it's just pinching I would try putting a couple long flats in the channel then wedging something between them to spread the channel.

while you're in there,,,,, there is a small pressure pad near the top of the window when it's down. those corrode and scratch the glass.

Thanks, sincerely, but no corrosion. These cars are totally rust free, garage kept, etc. literally pristine. The one from Hawaii was actually in a temperature and humidity controlled garage. And weather here is mild, rare road salt (once twice every 6-7 years).

Which reminds me, I’m very happy having the 87 4WD back on the road. They’re predicting 15-20 snowflakes this winter.

I know my choices are correctly disassemble the door (everything) and put new seals in, or my shade tree option 2, find a way to sand/shave/scrape 1/16 out of the rubber channel. When I put a motor in, it’ll work about 6 months & then the gear buffers or nylon gears crush out. Too much friction, & all the metal parts and nylon bushings are like new, greased.

If it helps, these were the last Towncars with the power vent bindows for the old smokers. One button, vent window goes down, then the main, and vice versa when they go up.

Best option I heard was to maybe cut one or two 3” diameter holes in the inside of the door to access the channels. Do it so it doesn’t affect the door strength. I hate to do that, but it won’t hurt the value on these. And won’t affect the strength, but provides access. Plenty of room to work in these big fat doors, just little access, especially with my elephant paws.

 

[Rick W]

Ok, ha ha ha, you guys made me nervous, I thought they might not be 1/2x13, so when I went out to walk Lincoln, I tried one of the old nuts and one of the new nuts.

View attachment 102534

Soooo, the 1/2” stainless washers came in today. Same cool factor.

First time I got something like that just slipped in the shipping packet, no inner packaging. It only took 20 minutes to pick them up off the floor.