2021: What are you doing today

phat46 · January 05, 2021, 02:30:47 PM

Finishing up this commission today. The client wanted the car this light green, so it needs a dark background to show up. Decided to try something different, I like it and the client said it was "badazz" ! 😃 A light color on a car is a challenge for me, you need dark to show light (reflections) so you have to be a bit creative. The pic is washed out on the left side from my bright LED light, it's actually much greener.

kb426 · January 05, 2021, 07:38:58 PM

I cleaned up from yesterday's mess. I gave the cab and front clip a bath. Not as much dirt as some of the others.

I removed the windshield and back glass. I exercised a couple of cycles. It got up to 61 degrees this afternoon. Headed back to normal temps after today.

chimp koose · January 05, 2021, 09:13:36 PM

Measured up my buddies cleveland last night to figure out compression ratio options . It will either be 10.4:1 or 10.8:1 . I suggested we go with the lower one to avoid detonation . Near 11:1 for a full size car with 3.50 gears and stock converter on pump gas is cutting it close . He is bumping up from 8.2:1 so should feel the kick well enough. He is hoping for a 13 second time slip , I think we can get him there.

416Ford · January 06, 2021, 01:01:28 PM

I have a leak in my 4 post hoist cylinder at the shaft seal. I haven't done any cylinder work before. I am going to be better off taking it in to replace the seal or is this something I can do?
I can make a spanner wrench for it. Will I be dealing with any thing other then the seal when I take the end off?

Crosley.In.AZ · January 06, 2021, 05:41:49 PM

5am this morning: my wife gets out of the shower and asks me if the water heater (electric) is off or the timer is off.. Quick check out soon turned into a full drain and both elements replaced. A 3.5 yr old Rheem brand unit.

You guys know the story: My last Rheem heater in this house lasted 16 yrs. I do not remember replacing the elements in that heater, but my memory aint what it used to be.

I imagine most water heaters are the same cept for stickers on the outside

kb426 · January 06, 2021, 07:36:37 PM

Dave, if you can make the right tools to hold the cylinder and remove the top plate, It's won't be too bad. If not, take it somewhere that does it everyday and hope they don't cross thread the cap.

phat46 · January 06, 2021, 09:26:59 PM

Quote from: "Crosley"5am this morning: my wife gets out of the shower and asks me if the water heater (electric) is off or the timer is off.. Quick check out soon turned into a full drain and both elements replaced. A 3.5 yr old Rheem brand unit.

You guys know the story: My last Rheem heater in this house lasted 16 yrs. I do not remember replacing the elements in that heater, but my memory aint what it used to be.
I imagine most water heaters are the same cept for stickers on the outside

Spent the last three days replacing a thermocouple on a water heater for an 84 year old friend. Pilot won't stay
lit, probably the thermocouple right. Go get a new one and while removing ng the burner assembly to get at the thermocouple the 1/8" pilot tube snaps, the break away ferrule was stuck in the gas valve. (We needed an EZ Out to get it out) So, we spent the rest of the day chasing a pilot tube, nope, not gonna get one, one supply house says they can order one, OK, sounds good. No call from them the next day, we call them, they haven't heard from their supplier. My brother finds a pilot tube, pilot light, and igniter in a town 25 miles away, supposed to be for this water heater....nope, not even close...so, we call the 800 number on the tank, after 35 minutes someone answers the call. "Oh yeah, those ones have a bad gas valve, we'll send a new one, and a new pilot tube assembly overnight, for free! Put it in today, all is well.....the water heater was installed one year and five days ago...Richmond brand, made by Rheem.

kb426 · January 06, 2021, 09:31:43 PM

^^^^
That's not that of an uncommon story anymore. It's become increasingly difficult to find something you can trust. Rheem has a good history but they do make stuff to someone else's specs. I'm glad you were fortunate enough to find someone to fix the problem.

kb426 · January 08, 2021, 06:48:01 PM

I've spent the better part of the last 2 days watching the Engine Performance Expo online. This used to be an in person trade show like PRI. Because of covid, everyone that registered gets to see it. The video will be archived if you search for it. There was a big focus on modern equipment as well as practical knowledge. I'm fascinated by the modern equipment. There were some shots from Dart's block plant and Blueprint's new engine plane. Blueprint's plant looks like Amazon with robots moving parts to different machining stations. All of this makes me wish I would have spent the 2 decades after I quit racing being involved with engine development for a company that had "adequate" resources to do it right. It would be a toss up for me as to whether I found engine building or chassis fabrication more fulfilling. The newer tech available to chassis builders get's me excited also. If your goal in life is to always be better than yesterday, the possibilities increased at a tremendous rate with the inclusion of computer processing with most machinery.

Rochie · January 09, 2021, 12:42:14 PM

KB I grew up in Windsor Ontario and went to high school with Gary St.Denis (we're still friends 60 years later) the founder of Dart Engineering. He started with a pair of ragged SBC heads and figured out how to make them better than stock in his dad's single car garage. And the rest of the story is somewhat history

58 Yeoman · January 09, 2021, 05:45:00 PM

I put a "Big Dog" air horn on my truck yesterday, after one of the puny horns gave out. That was fun. The trucks keep getting bigger, but have less room to work on them. Today, I had to drop the front bumper cover and grill off the Subaru Forester just to change a leaking windshield washer hose on the washer tank. And people ask why people like the old cars.

The 63 Galaxie washer pump didn't work last year, so I removed it easily with only two bolts holding it. I took it apart and repaired it and now it works fine. The washer bag hangs on the inner fender. Easy peasy.

enjenjo · January 09, 2021, 06:06:48 PM

I have the new air compressor in it's final position. There is a shelf above the location where I wanted it, and it lacked clearing by less than 1/4". So I modified the shelf a little and it fit right in. Then of course the required three trips to the hardware store to get the right fittings to plumb it in. I still have the drain to do, and I can start it up.

kb426 · January 09, 2021, 07:12:08 PM

I just finished up The Engine Expo. Today was great. John Callies told the story of turning the Fiero into an Indy pace car. Pat Musi and John Kasse did segments. It was entertaining as well as informative.

purplepickup · January 11, 2021, 05:32:32 PM

I'm continuing a never ending effort to get rid of years of hoarded stuff. Today I was taking pictures of things to put on craigslist and noticed this logo on my grandfather's machinist's chest. It was made in enjenjo's hometown.

In the box is a 1917 edition of the Machinery's Handbook.

Charlie Chops 1940 · January 11, 2021, 06:11:01 PM

I've been doing the same...on my third "witch hunt"since this time last year. This one is clear out junk and the quest has been underway for about 3 weeks now. Ive reclaimed a lot of floor and shelf space and hope to be back to hot rod work soon. I've thrown out at least 6 drum liner bags of light stuff.