The Adventures of a Man Driving a Truck with 350,000 Miles Part II

by | Apr 14, 2022 | LifeSkills, Right to Repair | 196 comments

Part I

It was decision time for my truck. The paint started peeling on the doors and hood. Those parts now matched the roof, so I had that going for me, which is nice.

Crappy paint

 

Roof was bad when I got her

 

Knowing this was coming, I had been saving money. Took the truck to get an estimate and the quote was $8,000. Now I had to decide to paint it or trade in for a newer one.

Pros for keeping her:

2nd gen body looks the best for Dodge trucks (other makes were not considered)

Diesel+long bed+manual transmission is really hard to find

I’ve done a lot of work on her and know the history

She runs and rides perfectly

Newer truck would be a bit of a gamble

 

Cons for keeping her:

$8,000 is a lot of money to dump into a 20 year old truck

20 year old truck with 350,000 miles=potential for more problems later

Newer truck would be more reliable

my truck + $8,000 should get a real nice upgrade

$8,000 is a lot of money to dump into a 20 year old truck

 

It might not have been 100% logical, but I decided to get her painted. Dropped her off March 21 2021. I was nervous. Told my wife the last time I remember being nervous about anything was when she had gallstone surgery. She told me she calls my truck “the other wife” for a reason.

 

It took them four and a half weeks, picked her up on April 15 2021. She looked GOOD! I honestly wasn’t sure what color the silver bottom was because when I bought it, that paint was already destroyed and was three different shades of silver in splotches.

Gorgeous!

I had pulled the grill, it was cracked with bubbling chrome.

 

Drove home and put her in the garage. I had a few “minor” projects planned:

Looks like a 20 year old turbo

Rebuild the turbo, it had oil leaking past the seals. I also wanted to replace the exhaust manifold.

Hardest part of this was actually removing the turbo from the engine, I did it in two steps. First the turbo and then remove the exhaust manifold from the engine. I got the rebuild parts from Turbo Labs of America and followed their YouTube instructions. Took my time and everything went back together like it should. I also put a new waste gate on, sometimes the old one felt like it was staying open and not spooling up the turbo properly. The new exhaust came from Power Driven Diesel(PDD), it is a three piece and flows better than stock.

Purty

 

Replace the inter cooler boots, I had a boost leak.

This was pretty straight forward also, except I didn’t take good pictures of the line routing, so I had to do a little trial and error and while I had them off, I wanted to put a better flowing intake elbow on.

Replace the tappet cover, it had a pretty substantial oil leak.

This is pretty involved, you have to remove all the hard fuel lines, they come out in two bundles and then you have to pull the VP44 injection pump. To do this rotate the engine until the keyway is pointing straight up so it doesn’t fall out. Then push it out of the gear with a puller and remove. After that the tappet cover is accessible for remove and replace. I went with a billet one from PDD because the stock one is very thin and I have heard of way too many people redoing it because the stock one won’t seal anymore after removal.

New Tappet cover

Reseal the vacuum pump, it also had a leak. (notice a theme?)

I used a suction pump to empty the power steering reservoir(it’s attached to the vacuum pump), then unhook all the power steering hoses. There is one bolt holding it to a bracket on the frame and two bolts going into the timing cover. While the intake elbow is off, it fits right up past the engine. Then tear down and rebuild is pretty simple. Thoroughbred Diesel has a good tutorial on YouTube.

Vacuum Pump and Power Steering

 

Put in stronger headbolts to support future horse power upgrades.

I bought PDD headbolts that are supposed to be able to support 500hp.

First you have to remove all of the rockers from the valves. They need to be put back into the same place they came from so I laid a garbage bag on the floor and laid them out in order. Then I started replacing the bolts. There are 26 of them and there is a pattern to follow. It starts in the middle and works its way out from front to back. Remove a bolt , clean the hole with brake cleaner and compressed air. Get the new bolt ready with ARP lube on the threads and washer, then thread it in and torque it down to 125 ft-lbs. Everything was going fine until I got to the 10th one.

Parts collection

 

I was getting close to 125 when I heard a loud CRACK! Then the bolt would tighten and spin loose. I tried another bolt and got the same result. This was on a Saturday evening so I had to wait for Monday to call customer service. When I talked to their engine builder, he said “That’s rare, but it happens”. He told me a HeliCoil would fix it, but to do that I would have to pull the head.

I had never pulled the head on a vehicle before, that sounded scary. I read a few write ups on forums and watched a few YouTube videos. I also read the FSM (Factory Service Manual). Nothing looked beyond my abilities, so I decided to go for it.

Part III will cover the head removal and everything it took to get her back on the road.

 

More parts in the bed than under the hood

About The Author

ron73440

ron73440

What I told my wife when she said my steel Baby Eagle .45 was heavy, "Heavy is good, heavy is reliable, if it doesn't work you could always hit him with it."-Boris the Blade MOLON LABE

196 Comments

  1. UnCivilServant

    I was expecting you to paint it yourself.

    I suppose setting that up safely would cost more than $8k.

    • ron73440

      It would have been cheaper, but I am not a painter and really wanted it to look nice.

      • Animal

        Krylon, and plenty of it. It’ll look great. Trust me.

      • R.J.

        I once saw a 1960s jeep for sale that had been painted red with a paint brush. I wish I had bought it.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

        A buddy of mine in Bible college bought a gallon of Rustoleum shiny black paint and re-painted his shitty 70s rice-burner one warm Friday afternoon in late April. It was hilarious, and as the saying goes, “Far from good, but good from afar.”

      • ron73440

        If you remember from part I, I could barely make a valve cover look decent.

  2. MikeS

    $8000? Wow.

    What did you do with the box? From the one pic I think, maybe, I see spray in bedliner?

    • ron73440

      It has a bad spray on bed liner.

      I am going to Raptor line it next year.

      • Tundra

        I put a BedRug in mine.

        I don’t haul dirt or rocks, so it’s been great. Keeps gear from sliding and banging around. Great for furniture, etc.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Great for furniture, etc.

        Suuuure. That’s like the pickup version of shag rug in the van. Hey baby, come check out my truck bed.

      • Tundra

        If the pickup’s a rockin’…

      • ron73440

        Does that trap water at all?

      • Tundra

        Seems not to. Dries fast, too. I have a tonneau, so that helps.

  3. Tundra

    The paint turned out great!

    And $8K is sales tax on a new one. Looking forward to the next installment!

    • ron73440

      It used to look better in pictures than in person.

      Now it looks so much better in person, the camera can’t really show it.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I can’t even get a paint quote on my 96 Suburban. Nobody wants to do it unless it’s an insurance job or a show car.

      • ron73440

        I had to call many places to get 2 willing to give me an estimate.

        The other place quoted $11,000, I don’t think they really wanted to do it.

      • Sean

        Did it include body work, or was that straight up prep & paint?

      • ron73440

        Minor dents and dings, no rust or major damage.

        The paint was in such bad shape, they took it all the way down to bare metal.

      • Bobarian LMD

        I believe you can still get a Maaco job for under $1K, and can make it look really good if you do your own prep work.

        But that is where all the labor costs are.

        It’s single coat enamel, so it won’t last near as long as a proper multi-stage.

      • ron73440

        I got a lifetime warranty on this paint.

        Also, I’ve had friends go to Maaco, they’re good enough for my Saab, if I repaint that thing, but not good enough for the truck.

    • Lackadaisical

      “$8K is sales tax on a new one. ”

      Reading that made me physically ill.

  4. Scruffy Nerfherder

    The best is when you snap a head bolt AFTER you’ve already pulled the heads and reinstalled.

    • ron73440

      I went with studs when I put it back together.

      There was nothing wrong with the headbolts, but I was scared it would happen to me again.

  5. EvilSheldon

    Wow.

    I like to think of myself as moderately mechanical (I’ve replaced clutches, brake disks, rebuilt a power steering pump, etc.,) but this is way beyond my ken. Certainly interesting, though.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      It’s not too bad until you get to the modern diesels with EGR valves and all of the other assorted emissions bullshit. The older ones are all fairly similar in design.

      • ron73440

        This one has no emission controls, and a Cummins is much simpler than a Duramax or a Powerstroke.

      • Gustave Lytton

        modern diesels with EGR valves

        Bypass and tune. Reminds me I need to get that done on the wife’s Jetta.

      • UnCivilServant

        For those of us who are not gearheads – what is an EGR valve, and what effect does it have?

      • TARDis

        It’s an emission reduction thing, I think.

      • TARDis

        Holy crap, I went to see if I could find where it ports back into the engine of my Accord. I couldn’t make heads or tails of all the crap going on under there. I’m sad.

      • ron73440

        Exhaust Gas Return, it sends unburnt fuel back into the chamber to get burnt with fresh fuel.

        These can clog and cause problems when there is nothing wrong with the engine.

      • TARDis

        These can clog and cause problems when there is nothing wrong with the engine.

        Yes sir. My Escort had that issue. Easy fix though.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Roughly speaking, they’re a disaster.

        My diesel trucks have all been “deleted” and retuned.

      • Bobarian LMD

        Exhaust Gas Recirculation.

        It pulls in some burnt up air back thru your engine during partial throttle (lean condition) in order to cause the engine to run closer to ‘stoichiometric’ which means cleaner emissions.

        Important for reducing ozone, more than particulates.

  6. Fourscore

    So $8K is about a year’s worth of payments or maybe even fewer, on a new truck?

    Last time I looked at new F-150 the numbers were getting pretty big, a 2K repair job didn’t sound so scary. My ’99 rusted out but only a 100K miles, ran like a top. It went to Fairbanks, AK to live a year ago with no problems.

    • ron73440

      Dodge quit making a diesel with a manual transmission in 2014, so if I got a new one, it wouldn’t be newer than that.

      It’s almost impossible to find a 4X4 long bed diesel with a manual transmission anymore.

      • Bobarian LMD

        It’s almost impossible to find any pick-up with a manual nowadays.

  7. juris imprudent

    Like Grumman’s wood-working, this is fascinating reading that inspires me to continue to pay someone who knows what the hell they are doing to do these things for me.

    • ron73440

      I don’t think my wife would let me spend the money to have someone else do this.

      The parts themselves are pretty steep.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        *looks at $400 water pump sitting in a box waiting to be installed. Oh, and the $75 vacuum coolant refill kit that is all but mandatory these days*

      • R.J.

        *Stares at heavy duty trailer hitch gathering spider webs in garage

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Here’s the part that pisses me off. The water pump is working fine. It turns on when it needs to and off when it needs to. The engine temperature stays exactly where it should.

        However, the microcontroller on the water pump is only intermittently connecting with the ECU, and so there’s a code that keeps popping. I’d gladly drive around with that code for years since I know it’s not impacting the actual operation of the car, but I can’t pass inspection with it throwing a code like that. A car that is 5 years older won’t even have a chip in the water pump to cause this failure, but this one does, and it must be replaced by June or else.

      • UnCivilServant

        Can you replace it with a chipless pump?

      • Tundra

        Do you have a code reader? Easy enough to clear nuisance codes.

      • ron73440

        I was wondering at the $400 pump.

        Technology is great in a lot of ways, but things like that suck.

      • Bobarian LMD

        The water pump on my FiL’s Chrysler New Yorker? $17. Putting it in? $300; ten years ago.

        You had to drop the engine to get to it and remove every other accessory.

      • Not Adahn

        You must have a massive vacuum cleaner if it needs to be liquid cooled.

  8. Tundra
    • Rebel Scum

      Own. Goal.

    • MikeS

      From the replies. There are a lot of people out there begging for authoritarianism.

      LUCAS
      @LucasdiGrassi
      For the better of the world, I hope they accept it.
      The impact on all other social media platforms will be huge. All the algorithms will have to adjust to real free speech.

      Tom ??
      @TomOwain
      So how will people distinguish misinformation if it’s given the same platform as genuine news? I know most of us can but this could cause some very harmful consequences

      (((Dissident of the “free state” of Florida )))
      @Uncle_Sugar_
      Exactly, in the middle of a Russian disinformation psyops Elon begins a free speech at all costs takeover of twitter. Now since we are in the middle of a disinformation war, couldn’t the President block the sale using the war powers act?

      • UnCivilServant

        “You’ll know the disinformation because it will sound like the excrement spewing forth from the legacy media outlets”

      • UnCivilServant

        Or:

        “The horror! You’ll have to think critically about what you’re being told!”

      • Rebel Scum

        So how will people distinguish misinformation if it’s given the same platform as genuine news?

        I manage to filter out CNN.

        Now since we are in the middle of a disinformation war, couldn’t the President block the sale using the war powers act?

        Because that act makes the president a dictator.

        Do I really have to share a country with these people?

      • MikeS

        For now.

      • The Other Kevin

        How about this plot twist. The deal goes through, he changes his mind and decides we do need to fight disinformation. And to that end, he hires Donald Trump to be the final arbiter of what is considered disinformation.

    • Sensei

      Dude – there is a Chinese Wall “Firewall” between sell side equity research and investment banking this reason among others.

      (For whatever reason, the historical meaning of Chinese wall and some racist connotation have been implied so now everybody uses firewall. But for decades it was Chinese wall.)

      • UnCivilServant

        It’s racist because it says “Chinese” in there, duh.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Excluding Chinese is the proper policy. Gotcha.

  9. R.J.

    That is a daunting project which you are handling well. Considering your care In disassembly and repair, you will be fine pulling the head. Use care not to grind or scratch the surfaces between head and block, and cover the block to keep debris from falling in. Those are my two pieces of advice. I would imagine any instructions you find would say the same.

    • ron73440

      It’s already back on the road.

      I’ll send in Part III this weekend or early next week.

  10. The Bearded Hobbit

    “What’s the torque spec on this?”

    “Tighten it until it breaks then back a quarter.”

    Looks good, Ron!

    • db

      nice

    • ron73440

      Thanks, I prefer German torque settings:

      Gutentight

      • TARDis

        That works great for virgin sockets.

  11. The Late P Brooks

    To do all that, I would have yanked the motor at the start.

    ps- I hate diesels.

    • ron73440

      Not necessary with a Cummins.

      Inline 6 gives you a lot of room to work.

  12. TARDis

    Nice job, Ron. And you make it sound easy.

    • ron73440

      Thanks, I didn’t go too far in depth, but it was not easy.

  13. Timeloose

    Great work so far Ron. The paint job looks great.

    I’ve dabbled in diesel repair while helping others “upgrade” their stuff. Banks make great turbo performance parts and are made to work well with existing controls and OEM parts.

    I haven’t done this extensive amount of work on my own vehicles as I have no alternative driver. I plan on staring my project this winter once the garage is complete. I hope to have the garage completed, work areas and storage sorted, the tools and accessories purchased, and finally the lift installed by first snow.

    Then I’ll have all winter to start the planning and disassembly of the Father in law’s 40 Chevy.

    His looks a lot like this one. https://www.autozin.com/1940-chevrolet-coupe-14421104-largeimage

    I won’t be doing the traditional hot rodding with stupid chrome wheels and paint job. Just powertrain, suspension, and brakes. Steel wheels and hub caps but with more modern tires. I’ll have to see what will be needed to convert to a 12V system. That sounds more painful.

    • ron73440

      That sounds like a good project.

      PS Chrome wheels are not stupid.

      • ron73440

        I’m not a fan of modern wheels on a classic car.

        Those look out of place.

  14. rhywun

    Ugh I’m not ready for 80s weather yet. ?

    Thank g-d the forecast is calling for a dive to 70 by 5pm.

    • UnCivilServant

      It’s 80 here, but a rainstorm is supposed to roll through later today.

    • MikeS

      Meanwhile, in the land of the permanent winter, our three day blizzard should be wrapping up in a few hours. Currently 23. Down to 16 overnight. Not supposed to get above freezing until Monday.

      Shit is getting real old.

    • l0b0t

      64F, and very breezy, here at the beach. You’re work from home; move out here to (NYC) paradise.

    • DrOtto

      By 80s, I assume you mean the 1980s, and so because of global warming, I assume you mean you are not ready for cooler weather.

    • Ted S.

      You prefer disco weather?

    • Sensei

      Meanwhile I took the opportunity to test my central A/C. Glad I did.

      Air handler fan won’t turn on. Compressor runs.

      It’s 20 years old so I’m hoping it’s a simple fix and readily available part. Otherwise I’m going to get hurt. Also want to get it scheduled before it gets too hot.

  15. Rebel Scum

    *Sensible chuckle*

    Elon Musk is literally attempting to own the libs.

  16. Semi-Spartan Dad

    That’s awesome, Ron. Well beyond my skillet, but great to follow along.

    • Semi-Spartan Dad

      Skillet = skillset

      Looks like basic typing is beyond my skillset too.

    • ron73440

      Glad you like it, but stripping the head bolt took me out of the frying pan and into the fire.

      • The Hyperbole

        I sauté what you did there.

      • db

        It’s going to chafe Swiss’s ass

      • l0b0t

        Swiss is gonna get steamed at what you’ve cooked up.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        He’s going to cast an iron glare and pan this whole thread.

      • UnCivilServant

        Naw, he’ll glaze over and ignore our stale puns

      • Rebel Scum

        It is more of a searing glare.

    • Rebel Scum

      I can’t refurbish a skillet either.

  17. juris imprudent

    Gentlemen, your clever plans have been busted.

    • Plisade

      What about single F2M hosts?

    • kinnath

      I don’t think my wife will object if we put a young, attractive woman in the spare bedroom.

      • slumbrew

        You should definitely try it and report back to us.

        I think you’re allowed to call her a Putin-lover if she objects. Maybe wait to deploy that until absolutely necessary.

      • Ted S.

        There’s a TV sitcom waiting to happen!

      • Drake

        They have those on pornhub?

    • UnCivilServant

      Such Misandry Is simply unacceptable!

    • TARDis

      Don’t horn in on the UN’s action.

      They should start a site called OnlyRape.

      • juris imprudent

        The blue helmet special.

  18. Gustave Lytton

    I had never pulled the head on a vehicle before, that sounded scary. I read a few write ups on forums and watched a few YouTube videos. I also read the FSM (Factory Service Manual). Nothing looked beyond my abilities, so I decided to go for it.

    A man after my own heart. That’s what I do for most things around the house. I’m not in this league for automotive work or repair, but I’m a lot closer than I was. At least my wife is finding me handy.

    • Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

      At least my wife is finding me handy.

      Somewhere, Red Green swells with pride.

  19. mikey

    Nice work. Impressed.
    Modern stuff (post ‘67 or so) frightens me. I look at an oldie and can tell what everything is and what it does. New stuff is just a hopeless mess of tubes and wiring and black boxes to me. Smart move having someone else do the paint. I painted mine – probably three times before I got it all right.

    • ron73440

      Thanks

      I used to have a ’73 Charger, but after moving three times and blowing the tranny while poor, I gave it to my nephew.

      • Sean

        blowing the tranny while poor

        $20 is $20.

      • ron73440

        Same as downtown.

        I realized that right after I hit post.

      • slumbrew

        It was such a hanging curveball that I assumed you did it on purpose.

  20. DEG

    I was getting close to 125 when I heard a loud CRACK! Then the bolt would tighten and spin loose. I tried another bolt and got the same result. This was on a Saturday evening so I had to wait for Monday to call customer service. When I talked to their engine builder, he said “That’s rare, but it happens”. He told me a HeliCoil would fix it, but to do that I would have to pull the head.

    Ouch.

    I look forward to part III.

    • ron73440

      Ouch.

      Ain’t gonna lie, that hurt my feelings.

      • MikeS

        But you immediately accepted it and said “this is good.” Right?

      • ron73440

        That’s right, I made no judgement of good or bad.

        Actually this was about a year ago and I was just beginning to actually follow the philosophy.

        I know it would not bother me now as much as it did then.

  21. Sean

    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-arrests-blackout-kidnap-plot/?intcid=CNI-00-10aaa3b

    Authorities said the group’s declared aim was to destroy electricity supply facilities and cause a long blackout across the country, with the goal of producing “conditions similar to civil war” and ultimately overthrowing the country’s democratic system.

    Police seized 22 firearms, including a Kalashnikov rifle, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, thousands of euros in cash, and numerous gold bars and silver coins. They also found forged COVID-19 vaccination and test certificates.

    • kinnath

      along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition,

      Yup, that’s good enough for civil war.

      • Not Adahn

        Eh, more than the Bundeswehr has.

        *shouts bang! bang!*

      • ron73440

        That’s like 5 or 6 whole boxes!!!

    • The Other Kevin

      “cause a long blackout across the country”

      They could have just waited a month or two for that to happen.

      • The Other Kevin

        Biden has a once in a generation chance to bring the US a fuck ton of money and kneecap some hostile countries in the process. But of course the dipshit won’t take advantage of it.

      • Gustave Lytton

        1) one of my teachers drummed it into my head that you always always label your numbers with units, otherwise someone else is just guessing what you’re saying. It’s stuck with me.

        2) is demand for NG static or does it fluctuate hourly/seasonally?

      • Tundra

        I think it depends on the energy mix. Nuke plants only really work as a steady, baseline production level. It takes a long time for them to adjust, so NG is used for increased demand, seasonal or otherwise (same with coal – instant on).

        Europe going away from nukes was really, really dumb.

      • Gustave Lytton

        7 on that list scheduled to be shut down, with four that were supposed to be shut down last fall.

    • Rebel Scum

      The FBI is operating in Germany? I did nazi that coming.

    • Ted S.

      They learned it from Gretchen Whitmer!

    • Rebel Scum

      Perhaps bittersweet.

    • robc

      I remember them being expensive 30 years ago. I havent been in the single serve ice tea market in decades, so hadn’t noticed the shift.

      • Not Adahn

        You have very specialized markets in Ohio.

    • Ownbestenemy

      I find that article well timed

    • Gender Traitor

      20-oz bottles or 23-oz cans currently available for 3/$2 at my neighborhood Walgreens! ?

    • Timeloose

      Still $0.99 in the North East. The cans only are $0.99, the bottles have increased in price.

      They have also continuously improved the packaging (less Al per can by better design) and the sugar is the only other significant cost adder besides marketing and distribution. The $99 price point has taken care of the marketing aside from a few plackards around gas stations and delis.

  22. UnCivilServant

    [rant]

    You fucking stupid agency fucks.

    We already did all of this analysis four years ago, and that course of action was Rejected because it cost two to three times as much with less flexibility and less transparency.

    Stop wasting our time by reinvestigating the nonstarter options after we’ve got the hardware for the workable solution already in the datacenter!

    [/rant]

    • juris imprudent

      It’s like you’ve never had a change in agency leadership before. Your analysis was under the OLD leadership, it is no longer the same thing with the NEW leadership.

    • Rebel Scum

      But did you file your TPS reports?

      • UnCivilServant

        I don’t do QA work. So I don’t do TPS Reports.

    • UnCivilServant

      We already bought EVERYTHING! A shitton of it will not convert to the previously rejected option. So more expensive becomes a fuckton more expensive. Stop wasting our time on this trash.

      • UnCivilServant

        Oh, and of course they want it yesterday.

        No, I don’t have your information already. We rejected it four years ago. The data is buried under four years of additional work.

    • Ted S.

      They’re cronies of some high-up politician.

      • UnCivilServant

        Actually, no.

        I know all the people I’m insulting in thie tirade.

        JI’s right, it’s a need to make their mark on the turf rather than do what is best for either the agency or the taxpayer.

        And yes, JI, I have been through multiple changes of agency leads, this scent marking still pisses me off every time.

  23. MikeS

    Dianne Feinstein’s memory fading and she may no longer be fit to serve, senators say

    “She was an intellectual and political force not that long ago, and that’s why my encounter with her was so jarring. Because there was just no trace of that,” the lawmaker allegedly continued.

    “It’s bad, and it’s getting worse,” a Democratic senator reportedly told the Chronicle.

    Sources speaking to the Chronicle about the issue remained anonymous.

    In particular, Feinstein has defended any perceived distractions as a consequence of her husband’s tragic death due to cancer earlier this year.

    “The last year has been extremely painful and distracting for me, flying back and forth to visit my dying husband who passed just a few weeks ago,” Feinstein’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement. “But there’s no question I’m still serving and delivering for the people of California, and I’ll put my record up against anyone’s.”

    What a cunt.

    • Rebel Scum

      and I’ll put my record up against anyone’s

      “Mr. and Mrs. America turn ’em all in!”

    • ron73440

      If my wife was dying of cancer and I had to fly from DC to Cali to see her, there is no doubt I would quit my job.

      And that is without the benefit of millions in the bank.

      Those people are inhuman.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Sociopaths

      • Lackadaisical

        That was my first thought.

    • Gustave Lytton

      last year has been extremely painful and distracting for me

      Then you should have resigned.

    • R C Dean

      She was an intellectual and political force not that long ago

      Diane Feinstein has never in her life been an intellectual force.

    • Not Adahn

      I’m sure her husband appreciates her making time in her busy schedule for a visit.

  24. DrOtto

    “Newer truck would be more reliable” I think you’re making an assumption that isn’t necessarily true. I think you made the right call keeping her going.

    • ron73440

      I probably should have said “would probably be more reliable”.

      This truck has been plenty reliable considering age and mileage, so I agree.

    • Sensei

      I do too! Avoiding modern diesel emissions systems seems like a no brainer to me.

      Thanks for the article Ron!

  25. R C Dean

    Question:

    Why did you do the paint first, and all the mechanical work second? Seems like if you do the mechanical work first, you don’t have to worry about beating up your new paint job.

    • The Other Kevin

      Making it look good distracts him from all the anguish he gets from doing all that work.

      • ron73440

        Making it look good distracts him from all the anguish he gets from doing all that work.

        There is that.

    • ron73440

      I guess I didn’t plan it all that well.

      I was waiting on parts when the I got the estimate, and when paint shop called with an open slot for my truck, I didn’t want to put off the painting in case something took longer than planned.

      Which it did.

      • R C Dean

        Makes sense.

  26. Tundra

    I have to admit, the freakout over Elon’s latest troll is even more hysterical than I would have anticipated.

    And I think Sean is spot on here.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      I’ll give him this, he provoked an enormous number of people into standing up, dropping trou, and showing everybody their shit-smeared assholes.

      He deserves an award just for that alone.

      • ron73440

        Just a coincidence, I’m sure.

      • Rebel Scum

        Funny how quickly that happened. I’m sure Pelosi’s stock trading is on the list somewhere.

      • Lackadaisical

        Jesus. That’s disgusting., Same comment to SN above…

        Really are about to go down fascism lane, huh?

  27. pistoffnick

    Check out this guy with his no salt/no rust privilege!

    /grumbles about Minnesoda winters. It is snowing again today.

    • Tundra

      I’m astonished at all the clean older vehicles I see here. My neighbor’s F-150 is 15 years old and there isn’t a speck of rust on the thing.

      • kinnath

        It was a shock moving to Arizona and seeing 15 year old cars without a speck of rust. Of course, they didn’t have much paint on them either.

      • R.J.

        I was in Panama City Beach, FL and I saw a Chrysler K-car convertible where the clear coat had actually melted off like butter, and was slowly going down the side of the car like yellowed grease. To get like that probably took 30 years. I should have taken a picture. Combo with f sea salt and sun? God only knows.

    • ron73440

      I miss some things about living up north, but salt is not one of them.

      My first truck was a 2000 from PA.

      I spent way too much time and money trying to save it before I traded it in on this one.

      This one came from TX and I accidentally drove through salt once(I was told VA doesn’t use it), but that has been painted over with POR 15and it’s all good now.

    • cyto

      Soooo…….

      Birthing people and impregnation people?

      • R.J.

        THE PENIS IS EVIL AND SHOOTS SEEDS WHICH CONTAMINATE THE EARTH WITH THE RACE OF BIRTHING PEOPLES…

    • UnCivilServant

      I always wonder (assuming they’re not murdered in the womb) what becomes of the children of such circumstances?

      • hayeksplosives

        In most cases the baby goes to relatives or foster care after just a few days. There are a few prisons with “prison nurseries” that allow the kids to be near mom for a few more years.

        https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna894171

      • Ted S.

        I assume the authorities try to foster the child within the family.

        Caged has the main character being pregnant as a plot point and is definitely a film worth seeing.

    • Gustave Lytton

      Compassionate early release for being pregnant, right? It’s inhuman to give birth while incarcerated. That’s just like slavery.

    • hayeksplosives

      Ordinarily I’d say “who cares what/who/how you ‘love’ and how you dress and what you call yourself? You do you.”

      But with laws, definitions of protected classes, and court decisions penetrating further into our personal lives, including those of children, it’s becoming more important to be precise in our language.

      “Trans” is too vague of a catch-all term.

      1) For some, it’s merely how they dress, an affectation, or how they identify. It can flip back and forth at will.

      2) For some, it’s hormones they take or block. Swimmer Lea Thomas is an example here, although she also dresses the part and identifies as female.

      3) For some, it’s top surgery. Or bottom surgery. Or both.

      Another issue is that a transman is not the same as a transwoman, so again “Trans” is too vague for legal use.

      If a man declares he’s trans between verdict and sentencing, does he get to choose which gender prison he gets? Or MUST it be a womens prison? What about a transman who gets sentenced but doesn’t want to go to a men’s prison? Does s/he get a choice?

      It would help if the prisons weren’t run by the inmates…

  28. Tundra

    This is lovely.

    How’s about we deliver a bunch of weapons to the people of Shanghai, too?

    • hayeksplosives

      The video/audio recordings of the screams from the skyscrapers at night is jarring. These are human beings!!

      https://youtu.be/fxMTYU71O5M

      • cyto

        Wow. I don’t even know what to make of that.

      • cyto

        But don’t let Justin Trudeau see it…. that guy doesn’t need any more ideas…

    • cyto

      Saw this elsewhere.

      Was told the police were clearing out 500 homes for use as quarantine quarters.

      Advantage of communism??

    • Tundra

      No, that’s terrific.

    • MikeS

      I ran across this one the other night. So perfect.

      • TARDis

        And Hong Kong too.

      • TARDis

        Sorry. Wrong place.

    • Tundra

      Lol. Excellent trolls.

    • slumbrew

      Heh, that’s great.

      I was at a thing a few years back and chatting with some younger guy:

      Me: “so, you going to school around here?”
      Him: “yeah…”
      Me: “cool, which one?”
      Him, somewhat snottily: “you know, the good one”
      Me: “ah, MIT, cool”.

      Totally worth it for the look on his face.

      (I wasn’t even lying – MIT is the good one)

      • hayeksplosives

        “Yeah. I wouldn’t worry about it though, it’s not a big college town.”

      • Creosote Achilles

        the wife is MIT grad. It is hilarious running into people from Harvard when she is around. Because when you run into someone who went to Harvard, just like vegans and troons, they are going to tell you within 5 minutes. Her reply is usually,

        “Oh, I went to MIT. Harvard was my safety school.” in this completely serious, deadpan where she’s not even ribbing them, just stating the reality. I’m surprised I haven’t seen one of ’em stroke out.

      • slumbrew

        Living in Boston for many years now, the gulf between Harvard’s reputation and the students I have met is vast.

      • R C Dean

        Because when you run into someone who went to Harvard, just like vegans and troons, they are going to tell you within 5 minutes.

        Well, you know you ran into someone from Harvard after they tell you. The ones who don’t tell you, you don’t know, so . . . .