What did YOU do today?

[SenorNoob]

You cut away the threads on the plug to read the soot stain on the porcelain insulator. Location and color of stain informs carburetor tuning.

I've never heard of that. I've always heard just pull the plug and look at it.

I worked on the truck some more. Got the heavy duty 2.5" lift blocks in. Had to get new u-bolts. The old ones were 1/2 too short. The next size up I could get this weekend was 4.25in longer BTW, not a fan of Dorman u-bolts. They're 5/8-18. First time I've seen coarse thread u-bolts.

Got the mower out to mow for the first time in 3 weeks. Made 3 laps before I pressed the brake/clutch and the drive belt came off. It's back on now but I gotta put the deck back tomorrow to try it. I doubt it stays. That's why a new belt is already ordered. It's supposed to be here Monday. Looks like fun, gotta pull the steering column AND take the shifter assembly off the rear axle to put it on.

 

[sgtsandman]

Today was a very busy day despite the heat. The lawn was more like a field when I started mowing it. Now it looks like a lawn again, but it took a lot of work to get there. I also burned the small bruch pile in the fire ring since it was getring to the point that it was about to fall over.

The 2011 bed repairs are done and it is ready to have the cap put back on it.

The garage was cleaned up enough to facilitate getring the cap back on the 2011.

I have a week before our week long camping trip to get the house battery system installed. So, wish me luck since a lot of those days are forcasted to have rain and storms. I think I might break out the Slumberjack awning to help facilitate that project. The 270 on the 2019 is nice and all but not providing the right type of weather protection I'll need for work in the back of the truck.

 

[Rick W]

The shed of miracles has a $2000 (1998 dollars) insulated steel 16 x 8 door on torsion springs. I didn’t pay that for it, some Rich guy bought it and didn’t like it, and I picked it up from the scratch and dent pile for about $800. It’s probably worth more than the whole rest of the building.

Well, it also weighs a ton. Since I saved the money on it, I replaced the opener with a half horsepower quality unit, and I have had to replace broken torsion springs twice. Well, about a year ago the left spring broke again, I bought one right away, but old crippled Rick with the bad arm just relief on pulling up on the door handle because I didn’t have the leg power to climb a ladder and change the spray.

That all changed today! Not really good news. Yesterday I noticed that the garage door opener was about to pull out the center of the top panel of that door. How often do you look up at the top of your garage door when it opens and closes?

Obviously, my priorities changed! So crippled Rick went up on down on the ladder about 100 times. I started by making an aluminum plate for the outside, and running some 5/16 bolts to the door opener bracket. I made the plate long enough so I could screw it through the meat of the panel on the top and on the bottom, and held that in place with quarter inch carriage bolts. I also had to put a couple carriage bolts through the center hinge to the next panel, since those hex screws were completely ripped out.

Then I spent the next few hours trying to get the old spring off. The outside hub with the square head holding bolts was so finely matched to that torsion tube, I couldn’t slide it off, even after sanding the tube down and grinding on it a little bit. I finally used the cutoff wheel to cut the last four or five links of the old spring, and then cut through the hub enough to crack it, and opened it up by driving a screwdriver in as a wedge. What a pain in the ass! I checked the inside diameter of the replacement spray, and it was a little larger, but I still honed it out a little bit.

All that only took about six hours in the 93+ heat. After a break, I went out and slid the new spring on, and put it all back together. I started at 10:30 this morning, and I finished up at 10:30 this night, with a couple hour long breaks to watch the red white and blue all over the TV.

But, SUCCESS, at 10:30 this evening, I checked it, and it does go up and down! Little yay!

But it only goes up and down about 4 inches. Boo.

I was so exhausted, I left everything at my feet wherever I was working on it. Tomorrow, I’m going to try to figure out why it only goes up and down about 4 inches, but that will probably end up being Monday or Tuesday. If it goes all the way up and down, that will lead to a big yay.

I don’t have a lot of time tomorrow because the cute little brunette and I are going to go around to a few of the 250 festivals and of course we’re going to see some fireworks. And then caffeine and octane on Sunday.

But just think about it, with everything that’s happened to me, and all the pain, exhausted from the heat and all the work, in a couple days, I’ll be back to where I was about 365 days ago!

Don’t get old, it sucks, but God bless America!

 

[Rick W]

12 minutes ago, I watched an unusual passionate experiment, - carried out with patriotic sweat, blood, FAITH IN GOD, and lives lost - establishment of a land of the people that in unity and freedom and faith, transitioned into its 250th anniversary. And during those 250 years, so many worked so hard, and some paid the ultimate price, to maintain the dream.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

In 1976, while I was in college in upstate New York, my parent’s home overlooking the Hudson River and New York City was still my home base. I watched the World Trade Center buildings erected from my bedroom, and in 1976 I was able to stand on top of the Palisades and watch the Tall Ships, ships from our history and around the world, cruise up and down Hudson River. Of course there were also 1000 celebrations. Who would have thought I would be here for the 250th?

Freedom isn’t free, it never has been. I want to celebrate with all of you, this incredible nation. And I call upon each, and every one of you, carry the torch, bring light to the darkness, vote your hearts, be sure to VOTE your hearts, and preserve this nation for our descendants 250 years from now.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Since last post I jumped on the tractor and mowed the lower section of the property and the pond berm for the first time of the year...

 

[pjtoledo]

too many axles laying around?
good excuse to build an axle stand.

they are spaced and staggered so any or all can be rotated as is or pinion down for full access.

still have an 8.8 in the basement being "worked on"

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

You could wrap the headers. That is supposed to help with engine bay heat. Not exactly the easiest thing to do with the headers on the engine, but considering the alternatives, will it be all that much extra work to try that first?

I’ve been told that wrapping headers moves the heat farther down the exhaust and in states like PA, non-stainless headers will rot quickly with a wrap. So I refuse to wrap them.

I’m not exactly sure I understand why headers seem to radiate more heat than manifolds. You would think with a smoother exhaust flow that they would be cooler than basically a heat sink attached to the motor.

Side note, my F-150 has stock EFI manifolds still. The F-150 forums insist the EFI manifolds on the 300 flow as good or better than headers. My Choptop and green Ranger have headers and it feels like the floor really warms up on those.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yesterday I worked on finishing the drywall on the sunporch for my parents. Few finishing passes to do yet to deal with all the bastard joints. I’m a little particular when I do drywall, I like a good job and I hate sanding, lol.

Friend stopped over to change the oil in his car and rotate tires, plus he brought a case of a pineapple/lemon shandy beer that we tried out.

After he left, and with lightning and thunder off to the north/northeast, I decided to hop on the ol farm tractor and mow what I could of my property. Got the bulk of it done, parked, shut down, walked over to the house and got inside just as the rain started. And boy did it rain and storm last night.

 

[sgtsandman]

I’ve been told that wrapping headers moves the heat farther down the exhaust and in states like PA, non-stainless headers will rot quickly with a wrap. So I refuse to wrap them.

I’m not exactly sure I understand why headers seem to radiate more heat than manifolds. You would think with a smoother exhaust flow that they would be cooler than basically a heat sink attached to the motor.

Side note, my F-150 has stock EFI manifolds still. The F-150 forums insist the EFI manifolds on the 300 flow as good or better than headers. My Choptop and green Ranger have headers and it feels like the floor really warms up on those.

Then, the only other solution that I see is to ceramic coat the headers. Sure, you can add more ventilation to the engine bay, but the souce needs to be addressed rather than just treating the symptoms like modern medicine likes to do.

At least with the heat being moved further down the exhaust, it gets move out into a more open area with better air flow.

I don't pretend to know the physics on why headers run hotter, I only know that they do. Plus, ceramic coating will take out two birds with one stone. Move the heat and protect the metal from rust. Something we all are very, very familiar with.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Then, the only other solution that I see is to ceramic coat the headers. Sure, you can add more ventilation to the engine bay, but the souce needs to be addressed rather than just treating the symptoms like modern medicine likes to do.

At least with the heat being moved further down the exhaust, it gets move out into a more open area with better air flow.

I don't pretend to know the physics on why headers run hotter, I only know that they do. Plus, ceramic coating will take out two birds with one stone. Move the heat and protect the metal from rust. Something we all are very, very familiar with.

I’m not sure what it would take to ceramic coat the headers, haven’t had time or money to look into something like that.

I do know that Jeep Cherokees are famous for too much heat in the engine bay and it got me thinking about perhaps I’m dealing with a similar problem. It may not be a problem for a stock truck in stock configuration, but once you start modifying then the equation changes. I’m struggling to see a downside to giving my engine bays a little more ventilation other than I don’t think that taking the method that Trailmater used and drill a bunch of like 2” holes in the hood is going to work in our climate. I need to do something that will keep some rain and snow out.

 

[Roert42]

Ceramic coating doesn’t do much for rust. I bought coated headers for my mustang, and after a few years of daily driving they are pretty rusty.

I wouldn’t bother to do it again unless it was a show car that barely got driven, or maybe a dedicated racer

 

[scotts90ranger]

For being parked and low speed the 1" spacers on the back of the hood is a reasonable thing, should let the heat out that can't go anywhere when parked... my friend did it to his mud truck and it seemed to help...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ceramic coating doesn’t do much for rust. I bought coated headers for my mustang, and after a few years of daily driving they are pretty rusty.

I wouldn’t bother to do it again unless it was a show car that barely got driven, or maybe a dedicated racer

Well, I guess that answers the ceramic coating question

 

[scotts90ranger]

Here's some pictures from the last while since I pulled the pictures from my phone...

Here's the '97 Ranger with a couple branches headed to the burn pile while it was still burn season:

Here's the last load of oak that was in the F350, the pallets are about 4' or so wide and there's about 8' of them, the pallet stack next to it is about 5' tall:

Here's my new to me chainsaw:

The caster modification I made to the welding table pictured above:

Then my new TIG welder and cart:

I forgot about the last two pictures, here's the tiny tree I've been getting the oak from, that F350 is 6' tall for reference...

Here's the last load of wood with the F350 and trailer:

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

For being parked and low speed the 1" spacers on the back of the hood is a reasonable thing, should let the heat out that can't go anywhere when parked... my friend did it to his mud truck and it seemed to help...

I have one of the 01 powerdome style Ranger hoods that was intended for my green Ranger that I intended on putting holes in to make it a sort of cowl induction. Haven’t quite figured out what I want to try for the Choptop or F-series trucks yet, I think a spacer looks a little tacky for daily use