What did YOU do today?

[Rick W]

have you tried online searching, HP forums?

yes, for days….

 

[Brain75]

HP used to do their own tech support in house, one of their support sites was the Ft Collins CO facility. I'm pretty intimately familiar with HP printers and I will say their last decent printer was when Techtronix was still in business. They were trying to compete with the Techtronix Phaser printer (photo quality) - we are talking 1995 ish... everything they have ever made since is crap, no better than anyone else's cheap made in china fast and "low cost".

 

[Bill]

I spent $89 on and oven air fryer thing at Costco.

 

[Blmpkn]

Unboxed my TwEECer yesterday

Not a lot of stuff for quite a bit of money lol.

The control unit itself, a couple cables, and a 5 position knob to switch between tunes.

I won't be messing with the tuning myself.. I'll be paying the folks who put the kit together for remote tuning once I pick up a laptop. I bought the fancier RT version that allows for a wideband and data logging since some sort of forced induction seems like a potential down the line aways...

The kit isn't model specific for anyone curious.. it'll work on any Ford EEC setup from 84-04.

Excited. Gotta get a laptop now.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Started working on the base of my new to me lift. It was bolted to 2 concrete anchors outside for who knows how many years. All but 2 bolts broke when removing. Lots of rust to be dealt with. And.... The temp is dropping to -18C for the weekend. Ahh well, its been sitting waiting for a year already, what's another few weeks?

On the right of the deck is the base I'm talking about. I can rebuild.... But I don't like grinding and welding when its that cold out...

 

[JoshT]

View attachment 122419View attachment 122420

Unboxed my TwEECer yesterday

Not a lot of stuff for quite a bit of money lol.

The control unit itself, a couple cables, and a 5 position knob to switch between tunes.

I won't be messing with the tuning myself.. I'll be paying the folks who put the kit together for remote tuning once I pick up a laptop. I bought the fancier RT version that allows for a wideband and data logging since some sort of forced induction seems like a potential down the line aways...

The kit isn't model specific for anyone curious.. it'll work on any Ford EEC setup from 84-04.

Excited. Gotta get a laptop now.

What you using that on? Keep us updated on how it goes. I've got a SCT X4 to use for the 99. Original plan was to go Moates, but when they closed up shop I went with the SCT that I've used successfully in the past. If I get into changing things much or trying to tune myself I may switch over to TwEECer.

Started working on the base of my new to me lift. It was bolted to 2 concrete anchors outside for who knows how many years. All but 2 bolts broke when removing. Lots of rust to be dealt with. And.... The temp is dropping to -18C for the weekend. Ahh well, its been sitting waiting for a year already, what's another few weeks?

View attachment 122458View attachment 122459

On the right of the deck is the base I'm talking about. I can rebuild.... But I don't like grinding and welding when its that cold out...

I probably aught to consider going that route. I want a shop and a lift. I could get a used lift, a pad poured, and a carport put up over it for a lot less and a lot quicker. We don't get freezing and snow like that around here, so a few tarps could work for closing it in during bad weather.

 

[Blmpkn]

What you using that on? Keep us updated on how it goes. I've got a SCT X4 to use for the 99. Original plan was to go Moates, but when they closed up shop I went with the SCT that I've used successfully in the past. If I get into changing things much or trying to tune myself I may switch over to TwEECer.



I probably aught to consider going that route. I want a shop and a lift. I could get a used lift, a pad poured, and a carport put up over it for a lot less and a lot quicker. We don't get freezing and snow like that around here, so a few tarps could work for closing it in during bad weather.

I'm putting it in my '96.. which was SUPPOSED to be a winter beater.. but relatively quickly started to identify as some sort of restomod "race truck" lol.

Big things for that little truck this year I hope, fingers crossed.

 

[superj]

Put up some of that prefab metal fence from lowes to let the dog be able to get on the porch to the shed.

 

[Rick W]

For you younger guys who are just getting started. Every time I see one of you guys get a lift, whether it’s new or ancient, ready to go or a rebuild, I drool.

When I originally built the garage/shed of miracles in the backyard, it was basically a relatively normal two car garage, except it was about 4 feet wider and about 6 feet deeper, with a tiny bathroom (5’ x 30”?) in the corner (commode, and a laundry tub).

It was 90% done when I got hit with the Dunwoody tornado. Giant pine tree came down the corner. When we fixed it, I added 20-25 feet off the back. I used that to store what was left of my furniture and stuff until we could rebuild the house which took over a year. I built it 9‘8“ clear on the inside. If I went over 10 feet I would’ve had to use two by sixes for the wall.

I have very few regrets, but excellent hindsight like most folks. If I had it to do over, when I did that extension, I would’ve raised the roof to about a story and a half or a story and 3/4. On one side I would’ve built a little heated storeroom/office. I would’ve probably stubbed the bathroom up there as well.

But on the other side, I would’ve done it with a clear path upwards. Not having the head room is the only reason I didn’t get a lift 20 years ago. I can’t imagine how much I have spent on shops for stuff I could do myself, and/or how many busted fingers and elbows working on my back. I bought the right hand muffler and exhaust pipe for the town car for less than $80, and I’ve got to take it somewhere and probably spend 150 or 200 to have them put it in.

The bathroom downstairs has a 220 V wall heater. It could take the bathroom from freezing to 90° and under five minutes. That was the minimum allowed by code. I’ve used five dollar portable space heaters from Goodwill almost since I’ve had it. I have two in there, set it slightly different temperatures, so if one dies the pipes still won’t freeze. And I check it regularly in the winter time.

Another tip for the do it yourselfers. I cruised through the local Hvac supply regularly after the thing was built, and I looked at their junk pile. Twice I found whole house HVAC units that were in pretty good shape, but not exactly what I was looking for. The third time I found a horizontal 115,000 BTU Furnace with the squirrel cage. It was missing two relays and the main gas valve, but they let me take it. Of course I bought the relays in the valve. When I checked it out electronically on the table, the squirrel cage was rubbing the side of the sheet metal box. So I think somebody bought a new furnace because there friendly HVAC guy told him it was shot because of a $2.50 bearing. But I was wrong. There was nothing wrong with the bearing, it was just a little bit out of alignment.

When my house was one story, it had a 95,000 BTU furnace. I put in dual units when I added the upstairs. That 115 in the shed of miracles will heat it up to a comfortable 60 or 65° on a 20° day in about 30 minutes. The garage is not insulated, and I only run it when I know I have to be out there on a very cold day. It’s the best free furnace I ever got.

Rick’s story time, hope it helps somebody

 

[Rick W]

heaven and hell…

Oh, and I jinxed myself. One of the torsion springs on my 16’ x 8 steel insulated million pound garage door broke right in the middle. I know that door sounds crazy after the way I just described slapping my garage, but some rich guy bought that $2,200 door (1998), didn’t like it, and I bought it from the door company scrap pile for $600. Everything was still in the boxes.

I got a replacement spring at the local “real” hardware store, the 80 year-old place that has everything in two sizes in three colors.

I spent a few hours cleaning the front of the garage out today, so I have a place to put the ladder for replacing the spring, and I had an epiphany!

For me, heaven is going to be having a garage with everything I need, with everything where it belongs, with plenty of space and nothing in the way, etc., to do a project that I WANT to do.

Hell is pretty much what I’ve got now. I have a garage with plenty of space, with everything I need, but it’s so messy, there’s no place to work and I can’t find anything, and the only projects I have is crap I HAVE/HATE to do!

 

[97RangerXLT]

Laundry...

 

[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.