What did you do in your shop today?

[94touring]

The Tundra brakes started to get an annoying wobble so did a brake job.  Not too long after I bought it used 7 or so years ago the front disc did the same thing.  Must be an old Tundra thing.  Trying vented crossed drilled this time, maybe it will help with heat warpage.  Plenty of pad left on the old ones too. 

[94touring]

Today was run out to the shop and put a new 200amp alternator in the rx7. I've been getting no charge on startup and sometimes an over voltage on my handheld tuner along with the battery warning light on the dash.  It was once in awhile but lately every start having these issues. Didn't take too long to swap it in, and voila everything seems to be working.  I've let it cool down and made a couple starts throughout the day and she's working.  One thing about this 200amp is that there's no voltage drop.  I can have everything on, running both power windows at the same time, and it's steady at 14.3 volts on the handheld.

[MPlayle]

I actually completed the work yesterday, but forgot to post last night.

I did so significant service work on my Jeep Wrangler:
- Replaced the cabin air filter
- Replaced the engine air filter
- Oil & filter change on the engine
- Changed the oil in both differentials
- Changed the manual transmission oil
- Changed the tranfer case fluid

Lots of crawling under the car.

[94touring]

That's a lot of fluids! 

[MPlayle]

The rear differential and the transmission were a bit overdue.  The front differential and the transfer case weren't in bad shape - due only because of age, not usage.

I used Redline products (thanks for the recommendation, Bruce) and so will not likely have to address them again while I own the Jeep.

[94touring]

Did the rear brakes on the wife's BMW and oil change today.  The wear sensor on the one side didn't wear down fast enough and the opposing pad ate right through into the backing plate.  So, got to replace a little extra on that side.

[MPlayle]

Finished making a new filler neck cover for on the inside of the Mini Van and adjusted/tightened one of the hinges on the driver's side (left) door to stop it drooping and hitting the b-post.

[94touring]

Not so much my shop, but buddies garage.  He was getting a door ajar message and needed help figuring it out. Turns out he had some wires that over time broke from the door opening, closing, and flexing the harness till they snapped.  Pretty easy fix.  Drove the vespa there and wowza, after driving it in the mountains with Jen on the back, it felt like a rocket ship driving it here again. 

[94touring]

Cleaned and took car pictures to send in to the new car insurance.

[MiniDave]

Finished yet another Sprite straight cut gearbox, trying to get out of this business once and for all, but I am committed to one more sometime this winter.

The money is nice but sheesh I've done a LOT of these!

Parts and shipping have gone up a bunch too.....

[Willie_B]

Lift is good for mower work too.

[Willie_B]

Next project. 1967 Austin Healey 3000. Been parked for 5+ years. He got it running but clutch and brakes don't work. No surprise there. So fix whatever I find then make it look good. He hopes to sell it in the spring.

[Willie_B]

.

[MiniDave]

Very cool.....how do you like your lift these days? Handy, huh?

[Willie_B]

The lift has come in handy several times to unload large heavy items from the back of my truck. May need to adapt it for a motorcycle so I can work on the neighbors Harley after the Healey.

[94touring]

Shop cleanup day. It was already past due. I usually try once a quarter to go through and organize and toss junk out.  After the past few days of bus steering and suspension work, I have tools all over and things covered in grease.  Also started running out of space on the paint shelves. Went through and have leftover cans of paint I'll never use.  Probably tossed out about 10 quart and pint sized cans. 

[94touring]

This isn't so much what I'm doing in my shop, but what's going on outside my shop.  Was enroute to the shop and was behind a medical examiner van.  Which turned down the exit to my shop, then onto my shop street. Making the turn saw countless vehicles with flashing lights and 3 fire trucks, several other emergency vehicles, and some ambulances.  I don't have a visual on my shop from the road as I drive down it, but have a visual on the shop yard. Which was filled with fire trucks and emergency vehicles.  I thought my shop caught fire and burnt down. So many vehicles blocking the way, I had to park 3 houses down and walk.  It was a tense walk thinking I'd pop around the neighboring house and see the shop decimated, along with the 6 cars here.  But, it was the other neigbors house who sadly burnt down.  3 people died in the fire.  The older lady who wasn't able to walk, her daughter, and a young kid.  Another kid jumped out of the 2nd floor window and made it out while the mother died trying to get her other kid out. The bed ridden older lady downstairs didn't stand a chance.  Not sure how it started, but I will say it's the type of place you occasionally peek at through the shrub line and wonder how it's still standing. I will speculate a space heater since it was down in the teens last night. 

[MiniDave]

So sad, my memory of that place is that it was pretty ramshackle.....I would bet on a space heater

[94touring]

It was a very cobbled together house.  Yard filled with all sorts of random crap.  The 2nd story looked like someone very amature added a 2nd floor to an already dilapidated house. Always reminded me of a tree house for some reason. I usually can't see it unless it's winter and the leaves are gone. Provided all the crews are gone tomorrow I'll try to snap some pics of it.  It was an eery sight seeing it smoldering and smoking but with ice sickles on all the remaining roof overhangs.

[94touring]

Here's an arial from the news.

[BruceK]

That's very sad.  What a terrible way to die.

[jeff10049]

That's terrible I just watched the news about it.
https://www.newson6.com/story/65aefd034cedae065ef64781/i-couldnt-get-to-them:-ramona-woman-remembers-house-fire-that-killed-3-loved-ones

[94touring]

Hadn't seen that one yet.   Apparently it was a space heater.   Makes sense the neice had just moved in with the kids, because I wasn't aware kids were over there until this happened. 

[MPlayle]

Back on topic: I did a couple accessory repairs on my Jeep.
1) Replaced the HVAC control - it was flashing an error indicative of it no longer retaining its memory between drives.
2) Replaced the rear passenger door lock actuator - it had failed quite some time ago.  The power lock no longer worked.  It still locked/unlocked manually.

Everything works as it is supposed to now.  I feel better with having it all functional in case I have to swap to something with an automatic transmission due to my left ankle.

[94touring]

Went to fire the air compressor up and the fuse in the shop kept blowing.  Went outside to investigate the compressor and there was smoke coming out of the one electrical box.  Mind you this is a massive 120 gallon compressor with a few different electrical boxes of things, most of which is foreign to me.  It previously had a 10hp 3 phase motor from an industrial shop attached, but now has a 7.5hp single phase that runs off my 240v supply.  Given the odor I thought maybe a mouse or bird got into the box and was given the electric chair death penalty.  Instead I found 1 of the 2 starter capacitors that had literally blown it's top.  Onto Amazon and Ebay to find the exact one, which I didn't find at all.  Did some research on what would work and learned you can go up 10% on the UF values and the voltage just needs to match what your power supply is feeding into it.  Verified with Justin, previous member here who gifted this compressor from his old workplace, that a 540-648uf and 250v would work.  Should have them in a couple days, plus 20k ohm 2 watt resistors required.