My truck is old. She is a 2001 Dodge 2500 with a 5.9L 24V Cummins Diesel and a Manual 5 speed. She has been mostly reliable, but her age is starting to show. I bought her in July 2014 and had no issues, until…
In September 2018, She had no oil pressure, this was an easy fix, I just had to remove the driver side front tire, unplug the wire from the sensor, unscrew it and screw in a new one. But I did get her towed home.
Wasn’t sure what the problem was.
Next one in August 2019 was a little more severe, I was driving on the interstate and she started overheating. The belt was shredded and the fan was loose, so I got her towed home again.
Broken Fan Belt
Because the hub was broken(caused by the bolts loosening and shearing off), I was not able to unscrew the fan and then remove the hub. I had to take them out together. The only way to fit this was to remove the radiator, so at that point, to quote my Step Dad, “It went from a job to a project”. On these trucks, that’s pretty easy, drain it, remove the hoses, the overflow tank, the windshield washer tank, and a couple bolts.
Hub and Fan Together
Now I enjoy being my own mechanic, but it does have its drawbacks. Number one, my mechanic is an idiot sometimes. In this case when I put the fan on the new hub I used too much Loctite and the fan wouldn’t turn. So, I bought another fan hub and was much more careful with the Loctite this time. Got it all put together and took a drive to warm up so I could fill the rest of the antifreeze. Came in the garage and the radiator was leaking, one of the bolts must have hit it when it sheared off. That gave me an excuse to buy a new aluminum radiator, and once again remove the radiator..(I am way too good at removing the radiator) After that install she was back on the road.
In December 2019, she started to get a real bad vibration, so I crawled underneath and manipulated the drive shaft (not a euphemism). There was a noticeable clunk.I pulled the driveshaft. This was not easy, it’s a two piece, so it’s awkward and heavy. With my vice and a rented AutoZone press, I changed all the universal joints. One was stuck to the shaft and broke in two. I said “Well there’s your problem.” I grease them every oil change, so I’m not sure what happened.
There’s your problem
Rear shaft
Front shaft
I got them all replaced and no vibration, all was well, until…
Before
The steering, a known weak point on this generation Dodge, was getting really loose. I also had a front axle seal leak so I figured I would take care of both issues at the same time. To remove the front axle seals you have to remove the ring gear, not too hard.
Work in progress
Then press out the old seals and press in new ones. Then I tore the old suspension off and put the new parts on. This was a lot of work, but everything went together nicely.
POR 15
All stock replacements except the sway bar end links
Lot of work to get here
To do an alignment that was good enough to get me to the shop, I aligned the front driver wheel with the rear wheel by sight and turned the tie rod connector to center the steering wheel. Next I turned the other tie rod to align the passenger front with the rear wheel.
Took her to the shop and the report said it couldn’t be brought within specs because the steering gearbox was loose. Went for a test drive and while the steering was much better, but there was still 4-6 inches of play before the wheels turned. Bought a new gearbox and put that in.
Time to go
Redhead Steering Box
The last piece for straight steering
Much better! Got another alignment done and she drives phenomenally well. She still drives like a heavy duty truck, but she does it in a straight line.
I also wanted to do something about my valve cover. It looked a little rough.
Ugly
I sanded it with my wire wheel and polished the letters and metal center with 400, 800, 1000, and 2000 grit sandpaper. Then I taped the letters and center section and painted it. I then painted the spot with the Ram head red and sanded the top so it has a little accent color. I am not great at paining, but as a learning project, I’m pretty happy with it.
I like the red
Looks much better
Last for this project was a new seat cushion and seat covers.
He loves to ride in the truck
Seat covers from Wet Okole
They look so nice.
Holy crap! The old girl is so comfortable and rides so nice. It was a lot of time and money, but definitely worth it. Stay tuned, I am currently in the middle of my next project and it has gone a little sideways.
I have not yet begun to First.
Who’s on first?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ5vspsNS1g
I’m always on First.
So you never advance, never score, just camp out on first?
Baseball is a boring sport played by overpayed pussies who slap each other when they get into bitch fights. Baseball players missed 20 games because they have a hang nail.
Firsting is the activity of a man. I am THE MAN, as The First Of All Firsters. AND THAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE…BECAUSE THE STONE COLD BRO SAID SO.
Money pit! but if you are having fun, party on Wayne!
If my wife knew how much I actually spent, I think she would be shocked.
She prefers to remain ignorant.
I would think you’re getting up to the mileage for an overhaul on the Cummins, no?
500k is recommended overhaul and so far, she runs perfect.
I snagged this from a comment on Powerline, those black swans are everywhere,
Jan 5, 2022 3 PM EDT:
Kazakhstan: The entire country is under a state of emergency as unrest over rising fuel prices turns deadly. President Tokayev has taken control of the security council while protesters reportedly have seized Almaty airport. […] On January 1, prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is used to power many vehicles as it has been kept cheaper than gasoline, roughly doubled as the government concluded a shift away from price controls.
The move has prompted repeated demonstrations in both Almaty and the capital Nur-Sultan.
Prime Minister Askar Mamin’s government has resigned and Tokayev declared a state of emergency in Almaty, imposing an overnight curfew and limiting access to the city. Kazakhstan also reimposed temporary caps on LPG prices. The emergency measure was extended to the entire country later on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the United States has refuted Russian accusations that Washington had instigated the unrest. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the suggestion was “absolutely false.” […] (DeutscheWelle with AP, dpa, Reuters, AFP) https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/kazakhstan-president-confirms-takeover-of-almaty-airport/ar-AASs4Du
That’s not a refutation. That’s just an assertion.
Not that the Russian assertion is automatically true, of course.
Which means it’s true.
KK mentions there were no flights in or out of Almaty, under giege i guess,
Shit, that’s going to mess up my vacation.
Re the omicron leak link in the last thread — odds that it was an intentional link in order to vaccinate the world?
Also, someone needs to make Blood Music into a movie.
Slim. Occum’s Razor applies – cock-up before conspiracy.
Yeah, so my 2002 Ram with 367,000 miles on it … the dash is caved in, the seats are shredded, and there are a lot of little things wrong with it, but I love it.
We just got something repaired at the dealer (stop it—nobody else would touch it). They quoted $600. After they finished and gave us an $1800 bill, we told them it was $600 or they could keep it. They took what they could get.
Good call, after 19 years you need to cut losses,
Once these old Dodges get rusty, they become a nightmare.
My first Ram was a 2000 from PA that had terminal cancer.
This one’s a Texas truck with no rust.
My brother has/had a 2004 Ram 2500 with the Cummins. The usual quip is that you have a great engine with a pile of rust around it.
Good call. I took an Audi to the dealer once because the radio/phone interface was intermittently bad. They gave me a quote and I authorized the repair. Picked it up and it immediately failed again. I brought it right back and after some back and forth he said I’d have to pay for another diagnostic. I told him I already paid for a diagnostic and that I didn’t get one, but that they just guessed wrong. I then told him I was a mechanic and that if I wanted to throw parts at it, I could have done the same at wholesale. They took it back and properly fixed it without a further bill. Sometimes you just have to push them.
it has gone a little sideways
I am reminded of the days when I worked on my own car.
I didn’t do anything this involved. Your work turned out better than mine.
I know jack shit about fixing cars (although I like them) – my hat’s off to you. I’m guessing there are thousands of hours of experience behind your ability to do these “easy” things.
I have no formal training, it’s mostly the willingness to learn as I go.
I did grow up on a farm so I got mechanical and carpentry experience for free.
It sucked growing up on the farm, but I am grateful for the skills it taught me.
There’s a reason I don’t live on a farm as an adult, but my kids don’t have half of the skills I had at their age.
My step-dad became a plumber so he could keep the farm running. Now that he is retired, he plays the stock market so he can keep the farm running.
I dug graves in the middle of Minnesoda winter with him, we baled hay and stacked it in the barn on the hottest summer days, we dug out the crawlspace under our house and built a basement, we moved a two car garage 15 miles down the highway in the early morning so he didn’t have to pay the oversize load fee, we built a near football field sized pole barn out of salvaged telephone poles.
Bastard got a lot of free labor out of me!
I was a better carpenter/electrician than a mechanic. I was pretty good at cutting fire wood, though. I left the farm as soon as I could, almost.
I left at 17.
Now, I kind of want a small farm of my own. With a road out front named after me ;^)
I know, right?
No cows, Nick.
Nah, cows are easy and dumb,
Pigs are hard, smart but tasty.
Sheep are smart and tasty, but hard.
And chickens give you both eggs and meat.
I still hate cows.
We were usually milking 80-100 twice a day every day.
The guy who owns the bar I misspent much of my 20s in lives on a hobby farm in New Hampshire.
He has a small herd of Highland Cattle, which is pretty great.
The most expensive eggs I’ve ever eaten.
But tasty.
Sorry, Beef cows are easy (and dumb).
Goats are also tasty, but I have no experience with them.
I’m surprised you took the time to take pictures.
I send pics to my brothers so I had them in my phone, the article was a by product of having them.
“‘90 Day Fiancé’ star retires from selling farts after heart attack scare
A reality TV star who launched a gassy venture peddling her fancy flatulence to strangers Stephanie Matto, 31, blew away people on social media when she recently announced that she makes more than $50,000 a week selling her farts…
But after making $200,000 in sales, the influencer has announced her retirement when she passed one too many and got the wind knocked out of her, Jam Press reported.
Matto was rushed to a hospital with chest pains she feared were symptoms of a heart attack, according to the outlet.
After undergoing a battery of tests, including blood work and an EKG, Matto was told that her pain was the result of her steady diet of gas-inducing beans and eggs….”
https://nypost.com/2022/01/04/tv-star-stephanie-matto-stops-selling-farts-after-health-scare/
I mean, I’m pretty sure you could just send the creepy fucks buying this product an empty jar full of nothing and they wouldn’t know.
I just listened to that Carolla episode. Time for a copycat! Have pictures of attractive women, offer farts in jars. Who is going to know an overweight 60 year old man is providing all the gas?
What’s it called when a busker puts some cash in the collection pan?
Interesting, Marjorie Taylor Greene, on Tim Pool,live,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hv0CVaI__o
The adapter for the power steering pump to cummins is a pain to swap from the old pump to the new one.
Next up will be the front suspension links. They are notoriously weak on Gen 2s.
That’s why I rebuilt the whole front end. I didn’t mention it here, but I also did the control arm bushings.
Thx. Fun watching somebody else wrench. I found an honest and inexpensive shop close by. He does stuff for not much more than I can do it myself so at this point I’m happy to give him the business.
Sorry for my lack of response on the dead thread. My evening has consisted of finishing work, having my Japanese lesson, finishing the lesson and learning my son’s college requires him boosted with a negative test before he can go back. All with about 10 days notice.
Try to get a scheduled within 72 hours of a certain date COVID test in the metro NYC area right now is an exercise that took my wife and I an hour. Plus the poor kid has to get a booster. His choice.
I’d sooner drop out.
^this
Why do you and your wife need to waste an hour scheduling his test? Can’t he do that himself?
Excellent article, Ron. My ’99 F150 is alive and well in Fairbanks, AK. It had about 150K when I gave it to my grand daughter but my oh my the money I spent, a lot due to the salt from the roads. Engine and tranny are perfect but anything that would rust and fall off had been replaced. I had a couple bills in the 2K range but still cheaper than payments. I can’t do any work myself and it was better that I didn’t try.
My grand daughter lives in the bush so they keep the truck in a vehicle park and when they go to Fairbanks the park owner makes sure it runs when they get there. It ran perfectly from MN to Fairbanks as I expected and hoped.
I recognize the names (for the most part) of the things you replaced or repaired but not idea how to replace them. Good work and now you have a mostly new truck. Beats payments.
The heavier beasts are a special joy and shockingly durable. I don’t have your mileage, but my gas 6.0L C1500HD is stiff and strong and gets the same fuel mileage it always did.
I notice you have the full bed. I’ve got a crew cab. Point is that long wheel bases track great and are easy on tires (E series mud and snow Michelin here). I made 470 miles yesterday calling on three clients and it’s just the most comfy ride.
We use it mostly for long trips, not the softest ride, almost have to stop at railroad crossings.
But you can’t beat it for cruising.
This Rekieta Law stream follows the opening arguments in a trial against a Wisconsin man who murdered and dismembered his parents. This prosecutor is telling an amazing story. It’s such a complete mess of a tragedy.
I rather like the cut of this guys jib,
https://americanmind.org/salvo/blue-americas-messaging-problem/
*swoon*
Good stuff so far. Reading on….
Brutal truth, I love it!
I like that he’s saying what I’ve been saying for years. Progressives are abusers.
Only halfway through but it amazes me that this stuff comes so naturally to the left. Doublethink and the like. My brain doesn’t just work that way.
Ugh my left nut for an edit button.
Thanks!
Only a few paragraphs in and I have multiple problems with the article.
Rhetoric aimed at “red” America has been growing increasingly hostile since 2003. It went from cries of fascism under Bush to racist fascists under Obama to off the wall hysteria with Trump.
Team blue doesn’t have a messaging problem. They have a policy problem. They have a lack of principles problem. They attacked vaccines when Trump was trying to use them as a political weapon during the run up to the 2020 election. Then they went all in on them after winning. They were the magic cure all to the party of Covid hysteria. They spent the better part of a year attacking Trump for not doing enough to fight Covid, and there solution was a vaccine that has ultimately proved ineffective. They lied. They are in too deep to admit they lied, so they dig in and attack their opponents.
I don’t know where the article goes from there. Maybe it makes mention of the Biden administration’s delusional declaration that this the strongest year the economy has seen in decades.
I’m harping on this because it matters. Team blue, the technocrats and media elite and their useful idiots on Twitter? The 48% of the country that will vote team blue no matter what and never say Biden is doing poorly? They believe in their heart of hearts that there is a messaging problem. They never want to face the reality that, no, their policies just suck horribly.
Maybe this article delves into that some more, but it didn’t start off that way. I’m drinking and I don’t care to read on.
TL:DNR version of the above: It aint messaging, but policy. Skimming the article, the guy is somewhat right. The left is increasingly just about demonizing their opponents. But the reason they have to do that is because they can’t face the reality that their policies suck. That would require admitting they were wrong. They cannot do that, so they dig in deeper.
The article isn’t saying they need “better” messaging, it’s saying that their messaging is a destructive pack of lies. Which necessarily hangs on policy.
Read the whole article. Lots of red meat, lots of good points (that have been made before) with no real solution or way out outside touching on the subject of a national split.
He does attack policies at times, but always under the overarching narrative of messaging. As if there was a nice way to ask whites to give up their shit to minorities in the form of reparations. I go back to what I said above – the left is only going to get increasingly crazy with time because they have no way out of the whole they’ve dug.
Zwak makes the point below, as well. They’ve cut off the feedback loop. Any criticism of them is now labeled as racist or fascist or conspiratorial. They can’t and won’t admit they have been wrong and reverse course. So expect the messaging to only get more extreme and, the article did mention this, the attempts to “fortify” the system against their enemies to grow.
Very well and concisely said, BroWard. I’m sure this will come up increasingly obviously over the years, including a steady build from now until the midterm elections this year.
One of the things I always hatred about Obama was that whenever he introduced a new policy or concept that didn’t go over well in the polls, or in actual implemented reality, he would make a big show of “taking the blame” for not explaining or messaging it well enough to the American People.
In other words, it’s you dumb hicks’ fault for not understanding, not Obama’s fault for being a commie.
Guy is very insightful.
Democrats want slavery and always have.
Slavery based on race.
Slavery to Communism.
Slavery to welfare.
Slavery to the state.
Slavery to crony capitalists.
I am going to copypasta what I wrote over at Taibbis joint, as I think it pretty much covers it:
Good article, but just a comment that may save you some headache down the road. There is no need to loc-tite the fan threads. They tighten counter rotationally, so they actually tighten as you drive. The fans on the Cummins are already very hard to remove, I can only imagine how much more so after loc-tite has been applied.
It wasn’t the fan threads, it was the bolts holding the pulley to the hub.
They are tones that worked loose and caused the problem.
I have since learned it’s recommended to check them every oil change.
Gotcha. That makes more sense.
What’s the theory on loctite? The only things I can think of loctiting ever were the tap on sight mounts circa Reagan. My life: clean threads, drop of oil, torque to spec.
Why loctite anything? Is it ever specified by an OEM?
Airplane manufacturers regularly specify anaerobic thread lockers. It’s not like you can pull over to the side of the road and retighten.
Hey now, my buddy returned his mechanic’s safety wire pliers with a slightly melted handle after his annual service and first flight. He found them pressed up against the cooling fins on his engine and the shroud.
Mechanic turned white….
He should. FOD is no joke, and you deal with it by shadowing your toolbox.
Yup. I’ve heard of multiple daily inventory at some places to catch that sort of thing as well.
I started a 100 hour on one of our Sundowners. First thing I found was a 12v drill sitting happily between the #2 and #4 jugs. The drill still works, it just has cooling fin grooves in the rubber grip.
Also why you don’t put your name on your tools….
It is what makes it fun when we drive up to the GA ramp in an FAA vehicle. We aren’t there to inspect jack shit cause that isn’t what we do but from 200 yards out you can see a hanger go from full to a ghost town.
“So… what are we working on today?”
The FSM* calls for loctite on these bolts.
*Factory Service Manual
It also says to check them every oil change.
In modern autos in multiple places per OEM specs. Also multiple kinds.
As for the engineering behind it I’ll defer to others.
When you don’t want a nut or bolt to vibrate loose.
Brake caliper brackets spring to mind as factory applied. Ford shift lever bolts are something that should have, but don’t from the factory. Would have solved a whole bunch of false parks and saved a buddy’s neighbor’s mailbox from his F250 in just such an incident.
Comedians suuuuuuuuuck
I don’t know if I’ve had my sense of humor honed by years of listening to the O&A crew make funnies, so I can no longer appreciate tame humor, or if corrosive wokeness has blunted the talent of modern performers, but they suuuuuuuuuuuuck
Metoo – I miss O&A too – and Ron & Fez.
It’s the political left that has killed comedy. Happened under Obama when expressing even mild criticism of the regime meant you were a racist. You couldn’t mock the guy and be accepted in the mainstream, even if you did it lovingly or while agreeing with him.
Opie and Anthony were never my cup of tea. Howard Stern before he sold out, basically the end of the Artie Lange years? That was my own preference. I actually preferred the Jackie years the best as Howard had more energy then instead of relying on a heroin fueled sidekick to say all the offensive shit. Opie and Anthony were kind of hacks.
I don’t remember Jackie much but there were a couple years of Howard, Robin, Artie, and Fred that were just sublime. Man did it go downhill fast.
It was a good time, but Artie was kind of coddled. There was a tension with Jackie there and everyone giving each other shit that couldn’t be replaced.
Let’s not forget the all too brief Billy West era. They were on fire.
That was definitely before my time. I remember being surprised when I heard he had done that show, it seemed so random.
’06 Silverado 2500HD with 395,000 miles. I love this truck. So far I have replaced two glow plugs, the coolant thermostat and a couple of wheel bearings. I also did the rear drive shaft bearings. The one piece aluminum shaft makes it easy.
I also like having a truck without a touchscreen, just knobs and analog gauges.
Sounds like a nice ride. Aren’t Duramax’s a pain in the ass to work on?
That’s one thing I love about the Cummins, it’s simple to work on.(relatively speaking)
I’ll keep my Kia, it just works, ’07, 172k
My wife has an ’09 Corrola. 250k and the only thing I’ve done is change the ignition coils and alternator.
I am changing all the struts once my truck gets out of the garage. I was in the middle of a different project when I had my surgery.
You mean like having to pull the cab to work on it? A lot has to do with what year they are. The one’s before ’06 have injector issues and they are underneath the valve covers, so a pain in the ass. As I said, I’ve had few engine related issues so haven’t had to really find out. I like diesels because of the longevity but truly dread the day there is a major malfunction.
The straight six Cummins takes up a lot less engine compartment room compared to the V8 Duramax.
In my first marriage (Ill fated, as is my specialty) we young newlyweds had a 1995 Jeep Cherokee.
That thing was a learning experience.
One problem it had was purely cosmetic but super annoying for a new car: the lovely red hood pretty much turned gray with crackly spiderwebs all over it. It was under warranty so we got Jeep to repaint it, but the same thing happened l. Just not able to cope with south Oklahoma sun, I guess.
Then the alternator when out. My dad has a car shop he split rent on with three buddies, so we went there to repair. Turned out we had to remove two fans, electric but with different connection r types, etc. Then we had to loosen some other stuff to dig to the bloody alternator. A mix of metric and Imperial fasteners, even on the same part. What a mess.
We struggled through it, thanks to Dad: when it was done, he took us over ti an old Chevy pickup. So much elbow room!! Such logical design and access!!
Wtf happened??
Sometimes I think my truck was put together using whichever random bolt they picked up off the floor.
80’s GM products with metric body fasteners and imperial drive train fasteners.
1990’s LT-1 also suffers from this.
Ease of manufacture and significant emissions equipment requirements versus ease of service.
Plugs now go 100k because of a technology which is a good thing because on many motors it can be a 3 hour or more job that includes pulling an intake and new gaskets.
I hate new cars.
I had a Dakota with that mix. All the engine parts were metric or Torx while the suspension was mostly SAE. Once I started thinking about it, it occurred to me that the metric was due to newer engineering and “international” parts supplying. But the suspension was an older design and so it was all speced to SAE.
And, then I remembered my ’68 Datsun Roadster. Which was a mix of SAE and metric. The engine was metric and suspension and brakes were SAE. See, Japan didn’t officially switch to metric until ’65, so it wasn’t uncommon to find older Japanese vehicles still in SAE for every part.
Glibs After Dark follows THE SCIENCE!
https://archive.md/ivPn9
NSFW.
Doesn’t having three pictures of the same girl violate the rules of this sort of thing?
Also, upon closer inspection, these all seem to be taken at one beach. I just figured all these galleries were some rando intern stealing images from Instagram.
Exhibit A of a batshit insane racist
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/Jama/Documents/FACTSHEET_%20State%20Sen%20Kayse%20Jama%20Announces%202022%20Legislative%20Agenda.pdf
LGBTQ2SIA+
The longest form of the acronym I’ve ever seen in the wild.
The battles of all them trying to slaughter each other must have been epic.
But they were peaceful, Gaia loving peoples, C’mon man!
You are correct rhywun. They fought and fought w/o a hint of the white man. I grew near a rez and had classmates who from the tribe. They absolutely hated the Apaches, Yumas, and Yavapai with the heat of a thousand stars. One example. My HS football team had three indian players. When we played an indian school from central AZ they were all removed from the game by the second quarter by agreement of the two head coaches. During and between plays the Papago players from BOTH teams were absolutely abusing the Apache players from the other team. The coaches sat the Papagos and shortly before the end of the game an assistant coach along with a cop got ours onto the bus and guarded it until we all got there. During the ride home our three were excited and proud by the ass whupping they put on the Apaches and couldn’t wait to tell their families. The next week they were heroes to all the other Papagos in my school. Less than a month later one of the three was a father to be.
Take that California!
Billy West stuck in an LA hotel room during the Rodney King riots shouting the n word was comedy gold. I think he did it in his Marge Schott voice. I have that one recorded and saved on my old computer. Haven’t listened in a while.
Any time they pulled out the Jackie Puppet was pure gold.
Of course, Googling that brings up nothing besides a story on Howard Stern apologizing for condemning the riots…
Nothing about Stern surprises me anymore. He has become what he had mocked.
Fun to see the work people do on their own cars. Looks good.
Either work or cars, I’m not sure which, is a euphemism for cock.
Now I enjoy being my own mechanic – have you not any orphans?
I have no mechanic skills an no wish… My car is a 2008 and I fear getting old and will start costing money – until now nothing except consumables. Then again I have like 60k kilometers on it so basically an average of some 3000 US miles a year…
2001 Dodge 2500 with a 5.9L 24V Cummins Diesel – I am not sure this would pass the mandatory inspection in Romania… what are the emissions on this thing?
All of it. All the emissions.
Also good morning glibbies
Morning, Pie.
morning
Morning, Pie.
Afternoon Pie.
This was a Ron Swanson level manly article. But it doesn’t explain exploding balls.
Thank you for a great article. Was an awesome read.
Morning, Glibs.
Mornin Smitty. ?
:/
I still have a factory warranty until August 2024.
Rare, non-toxic tweet:
https://mobile.twitter.com/Super70sSports/status/1478941274648584197
Someone won the powerball.
Wasn’t me.
🙁
And why not?
Good Morning.
Reading the article linked above:
https://americanmind.org/salvo/blue-americas-messaging-problem/
fascinating stuff
Nice. My reman engine and tranny showed up in December for my 96 Suburban K1500.
I can’t wait to get the beast back on the road.
Why did I do something so stupid as to check my work email?
You’re a government employee, and thus a glutton for punishment?
I wanted to see if the governor announced any policy changed that would negatively impact me.
All I got is a reminder of the assholes I’m going to have to mollify next week.
That would be a good bullet point for skills on a next resume:
* Microsoft Project
* LTSpice Circuit Simulation
* Asshole Mollification
“* Cross-departmental coordination and conflict resolution.”
It is a business document after all.
I go with “dispute termination”. “Resolution” implies compromise and everybody getting something. I prefer to simply end disputes, without overt threats of violence. Usually.
Oh, I almost forgot—my compliments and thanks to the author for this article.
It’s funny how the real meat of it was the tough mechanical work, but that some of the most satisfying was the beautification with the paint and new seats covers.
May you have many more enjoyable and safe rides in your vehicle!
Good morning, U, Scruffy, ‘bodru, Sean, & hs!
I need to try to get to work early. Payroll is getting down to the wire for getting posted on time, all because one newly-eligible 401(k) enrollee “didn’t know [she] had to” get her account open before the first pay of the year. ***SIGH!!!***
Hope you all have pleasant, low-stress days.
Good morning, GT!! Seems like if new employee screwed up, she should just miss out on the employer match and her own contribution this pay cycle. Why is it your problem to fix??
Our plan isn’t a “match” plan – we make employer contributions at a flat percentage rate even if you’re not putting any of your own pay in. (“Safe Harbor” plan.) If we don’t get her contribution started now, we have to get her caught up NEXT pay, and I already have too much to worry about for the next pay – in particular, (almost) everyone’s new pay rate for the year. And I’ll lose a day to work on all of it because of MLK Day.
I hate January. The new pay rate will be nice, of course… if I live to enjoy it.
Hotel breakfast. Yum 🙁
But is it part of what makes you smarter for staying there? ?
No, this is a regular Holiday Inn, not an Express.
I love hotel breakfast. It’s one of the few things I can tolerate in hotels these days.
Who can so no to all-you-can-eat eggs and sausage and orange juice?!
All I can stand to eat is about one plate.
No doubt, plus it’s “free.”
If they are actual eggs, sure. Powdered eggs, not so much.
Anyway, later, people. I have to hit the road.
See you all later.
suh’ fam
whats goody
“Quebec Under Curfew, Unvaxx’d Banned From Buying Booze, Marijuana”
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/quebec-under-curfew-unvaxxd-banned-buying-booze-marijuana
It’s still your choice though…these fucking people, I swear.
What possible public health reason could they have for that particular action other than FYTW?
Pressure pressure pressure
Mass hypnosis or whatever that shit was called the other day
GT- the cold has arrived. Break out your fur-lined whatever.
I shoulda brought the brass monkey in last night. Poor guy.
As long as it was cloudy so that there’s no frost all over my car windows, I can handle it.
No frost on my truck, but I cant speak to “you people” over there.
Good article Ron. I too share your appreciation for the Cummins Diesel .
For some reason, mine would eat water pumps every 30K or so. Like you with a radiator, I got really good at replacing them. $30 part at NAPA and took about 15 minutes of my time. I just figured it was cost of ownership.
Mornin’, fellow reprobates.
Good news of the day: my brother received a stay of execution from NYC, his request for a medical exemption to the jab was approved. According to him this is good for a month. His request for religious exemption was denied of course (has anyone actually received such a thing)?
Im going to guess that employers are beginning to realize what these mandates are costing their labor force, and being more lenient.
Of course, its a problem than even Ray Charles could have seen months ago.
Except hospitals are still merrily firing wrongthinkers. And then crying for help from the government. Interesting, that.
This was a great story! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for reminding me why I hire mechanics for repair work. That is some pretty amazing work there. My DIY efforts are limited to desktop computers; automotive things are out of my league.
I dont mind turning wrenches on something as long as its on my terms. Ive had too many POS cars/trucks that I had to franticly spend a weekend working on just to insure I made it to work on Monday morning. That stress takes the fun out of it.
One of the psychological hurdles I had to overcome in becoming an electric car owner was the fact that there’s no real maintenance I can do on my own aside from topping off the windshield wiper fluid and airing up the tires.
I could see that being a major hurdle for many folks. I kinda like having the husband’s ICE car as a backup, but now his car is a PT Cruiser, not a truck, so I kind of want another backup.
Like a Stryker or Bradley for example…
“his car is a PT Cruiser”
Does he shop the sales at Victoria’s Secret for his unmentionables, too?
Ha! No. But his ancient Ford Escape was pretty much rusted through when we moved from California so we gave it to a friend there, and then this very pampered Cruiser was here in Pahrump for just a couple grand so we got it. It’s got room enough to be a grocery getter, and it’s comfortable for him to get in and out of, so why not?
His next car will be the Tesla cybertruck, if he lives long enough and his vision is adequate. Otherwise, the cybertruck will be mine. I’m one of the first paid reservations for it, but it won’t deliver until 2023.
Criminy! Hows about a little trigger warning next time Ron? You just described my life from the 80’s to the present. Not Cool! Drive shafts aren’t that hard. A big enough gap on the vice and you can press them out with sockets. That front end work sounds like a nightmare and fucking with the serpentine belt is never fun. 110k on the trusty Tacoma and I pray to Cthulu that she keeps running fine for at least the next five years. I did a differential on a Chrysler once. Dropped a key in the dirt. Gave up, went in the house and drank the pain away. Went sifting the next day, found it and had the thing together within an hour. Daylight is your friend!
One friday night, on my way home in my 1977 Cutlass, she shook like a dog shitting a bone, and then silence. Seems the rear u-joint grenade-ed and luckily, the drive shaft just slipped out on to interstate 75.
The next day, after calling numerous junkyards with no luck, me & a buddy hopped in his truck and went back to the scene. Walking up and down the emergency lane, there was my driveshaft. Took it home, pounded out what was left of the old pieces, new u-joints, put ‘er back in. Drove that car for years after.
My first car was a 1979 Culasd Supreme.
Nothing supreme about that car. But it’s what I learned to drive in and got my license with, so it has a place in my heart.
Cutlass Supreme .
Geez.
Ill have to post some pics of it.
260 V8 and the notoriously shitty BW T-55 5 speed
It’s fortunate that the rear u-joint failed. If the front one goes at speed you’ll be a Dutchman doing some canal leaping. Happened to an older acquaintance of mine. Flipped his Mustang right on its roof.
This one’s for you, Rhywun.
https://nypost.com/2022/01/05/kathy-hochul-pitches-new-brooklyn-queens-commuter-rail-service/
Good way to use the money saved by not incarcerating criminals, I guess
Yeah, I’ve seen that plan before. This one seems more useful than some of the other recent projects that are targeted at a much smaller number of Long Islanders (East Side Access) or at tourists (the ferries).
Public service announcement: Ghirardelli brand hot cocoa packets are the best instant hot chocolate I have ever had. Leaves Swiss Miss and others way back at the starting gate.
I do love a bargain and always try generic and cheaper brands on various products, but sometimes, ya gotta pay for the best.
If you enjoy a nice warm winter beverage, this is it. I reckon you could spike it with bourbon or brandy etc but it’s all the way delicious as-is.
https://www.amazon.com/Ghirardelli-Indulgence-1-5-Ounce-Envelopes-15-Count
Will order, should pair well with a roaring fire in the place. Thanks!
Indeed! I think I still have a big jar of that stuff in the back of the caffeine cabinet.
And if you’re gonna spike it with something, try it with a shot of Gran Marnier.
Ooh! Grand Marnier and chocolate.
Mom used to put Grand Marnier truffles and chocolate bars into the Christmas stockings. Good times.
Oh my. I have a big bottle of that stuff looking for a use.
Their brownie mix is also da bomb. Mrs. Dean makes it with Jack Daniels and a little hot sauce. I think she made a deal with the Devil for the recipe, but I don’t know what her price was for letting him know.
Her price for letting his infernal majesty know—nice twist!
That might bear some experimentation. I didn’t know they make a brownie mix.
Better link
We f I didn’t screw up the html…
Oh and Mornin’ Friends! The worst part about wrenching is getting old. A few trips under the chassis will make my back and legs howl for days. I don’t know how we used to get unstuck from so many places with nothing but a jack-all and some ingenuity. My old corpus would turn to dust trying that shit now. We got stuck so badly in the back forty that it took four of us to walk to the home place and then trudge back, dragging tire chains behind our tails. Being 17 would explain that but really?
While I’m on a tirade about this, I think the stupidest thing that truck manufacturers did was to make jack-alls basically useless. Good luck getting some gription on that rounded piece of plastic that they call a bumper. I keep mine around mostly for old times sake.
Oh yeah. Now that the Taco is paid off, I’m shopping for steel front and rear bumpers…
First pot of cofefe went down alarmingly easy. Gift stuff from Christmas. May need to look into buying some for myself.
New PSA: Morning Lynx are up.
(This is why I miss the sidebar arrows)