Your recent repair? 2013 - 2020

[samclem]

I'm in our third home without access to most of my tools. Otherwise I'd be right there with you.

What!? That's a perfect[-] excuse[/-] reason to buy MORE tools! Plus the ever-popular rationalization "I saved $XX on the plumber visit, this (angle grinder, wrench, Dremel tool knock-off, etc) only cost 1/3 of that, and I'll be able to use it forever!" (if I can find it when I need it)

 

[thatguy]

There's a special wrench for reaching up under the sink to install or uninstall a faucet.
When there wasn't enough room for that to work, I used a crowfoot flare nut wrench with a long extension & ratchet. Harbor Freight #93137

 

[Chuckanut]

Fixed the electric eye's of my garage door which got out of alignment by a smidgeon, thus keeping the door from going all the way down. Save a $100 service call, but did not have to buy new tools. Oh well....

 

[thatguy]

My fuel pump failed in my car. I spread the repair out over several days. The pump is inside the gas tank. I had to get the gas out of the tank to reduce the weight when removing it. I couldn't siphon it out. I finally used a inline 12 volt fuel pump attached to the fuel line at the engine. Borrowed the pump from a friend that's a bigger gear head than I am. The hardest thing was getting the dead car into the garage and on the lift. Once on the lift I found our local wildlife had chewed up the wiring near the gas tank. Didn't need a fuel pump. Didn't need to drop the tank. Spliced 3 wires and all works again. Cost about 50 cents.

Its happened again. Gas gauge not working, low coolant warning. Same repair under the car and 2 wires under the hood for the coolant lever switch. This time the car still ran so I could drive it on the lift. Spliced 4 wires. Sprayed some animal repellent stuff on everything.

Also found a chewed open evap system hose on another car.

I have a live animal trap around here somewhere.

 

[street]

I cut in another roof vent on my home. Now I want to replace my front porch/steps. The brick frame work is in place just need to replace decking and planning on a half moon type landing area.

I also replaced a Hunter head from my underground sprinkler system with a Rain Bird. I had to dig down about 16 inches to do the job. Then I had a root about the size of a baseball bat I needed to cut to get the job done.

There is always something when you own a home. LOL

 

[mexexpat]

Decided to upgrade/replace all bathroom sink faucets in main house...3 total. The old ones were original to house (1970s), access to them is very tight and lots of corrosion that made it a tough job for DH. Had our plumber and his helper do it. Took about 2 hours. Cost was 550 pesos or $27 USD equivalent.

 

[ERD50]

... Once on the lift I found our local wildlife had chewed up the wiring near the gas tank. ...

I didn't see what year this car is, but I read that some cars were using an "environmentally safe" insulation on wires, and I think it was soybean oil based, and rodents were attracted to it. Not sure if they've moved to something else now or not.



We had animals storing corn in the hood of DD's car, parked outside, near DW's fall/Halloween corn-stalk decorations. We slipped some moth balls in places under the hood. Seemed to help. But for a while her car smelled like our Grandma's closet.


The spray repellent you mentioned is probably a better bet.



-ERD50

 

[NgineER]

I've noticed that as the ethanol gas has been killing small engine carburetors like flies, the Chinese have jumped into the carburetor business and one can buy a new carburetor for peanuts. I recently bought a carb for a Mantis rototiller complete with new fuel lines, pick up head / filter and extra primer bulbs for ten bucks. Started right up and runs great.

I spoke to a machine rental outfit, they said that one should only use premium gas in the small engine machines to avoid killing the machines prematurely.

 

[aja8888]

I spoke to a machine rental outfit, they said that one should only use premium gas in the small engine machines to avoid killing the machines prematurely.

There is ethanol in premium fuel also. Probably more on a percentage basis as ethanol is used as an octane enhancer since gasoline no longer contains MTBE to raise octane rating.

 

[Sunset]

I always thought ethanol reduces the miles per gallon, and that this is somehow correlated to octane rating.
Therefore I have for the past number of years been getting premium gas for my small engines. As it's hard to find pure gas these days.

Looks like I may go back to regular gas for my small engines....

https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=27&t=10

"The energy content of ethanol is about 33% less than pure gasoline. The impact of fuel ethanol on vehicle fuel economy varies depending on the amount of denaturant that is added to the ethanol. The energy content of denaturant is about equal to the energy content of pure gasoline. In general, vehicle fuel economy may decrease by about 3% when using E10 relative to gasoline that does not contain fuel ethanol. "

 

[samclem]

I always thought ethanol reduces the miles per gallon, and that this is somehow correlated to octane rating.
Therefore I have for the past number of years been getting premium gas for my small engines. As it's hard to find pure gas these days.

Looks like I may go back to regular gas for my small engines....

If you can still get real gasoline (i..e. without ethanol), I'd strongly recommend that you keep using it for your small engines. Ethanol is hydrophilic (i.e. it will take and trap moisture from the air) and that is one reason it degrades much more quickly than pure gasoline (important if the fuel is going to sit for awhile in a leaf blower, can, etc). Also, that water will help rust out small gas tanks and carb parts. Lastly, many older engines of all types have rubbers and plastics (fuel hoses, gaskets, etc) that will break down when exposed to ethanol.

Ethanol is especially problematic for boats (because they tend to be near water, because they tend to keep fuel aboard for a long time, and because they have long normal service lives, so a disproportionate number are older and don't have ethanol-safe hoses and gaskets). Marinas can be a good place to find real gasoline (unadulterated with ethanol).

Rejoice that you can still get real gasoline, and thank the merchants that carry it.

 

[travelover]

I finished my generator natural gas conversion. One can buy a kit, but being both cheap and stubborn, I decided to wing it. There are two main parts, a regulator that prevents gas vapor from flowing if the engine is not running and also varies the gas vapor flow according to load. The second part is a venturi that bolts between the carburetor and the air cleaner. The natural gas (or propane) is fed at low pressure into the venturi. I bought the regulator and just drilled and tapped my carburetor at the venturi point to feed the natural gas. A 12 foot hose with a quick disconnect at the meter feeds the natural gas.



The beauty of it is that I don't need to store gasoline that goes bad and I have an unlimited supply for a multi-day outage. Plus, 125,000 btu of natural gas is about $1 vs $3.50 for 125,000 btu of gasoline. The generator can still run on gasoline if necessary.


Here is a link to a commercial kit if anyone is curious. https://www.propanecarbs.com/natural-gas-kits.html

 

[Jerry1]

If you can still get real gasoline (i..e. without ethanol), I'd strongly recommend that you keep using it for your small engines. Ethanol is hydrophilic (i.e. it will take and trap moisture from the air) and that is one reason it degrades much more quickly than pure gasoline (important if the fuel is going to sit for awhile in a leaf blower, can, etc). Also, that water will help rust out small gas tanks and carb parts. Lastly, many older engines of all types have rubbers and plastics (fuel hoses, gaskets, etc) that will break down when exposed to ethanol.

Ethanol is especially problematic for boats (because they tend to be near water, because they tend to keep fuel aboard for a long time, and because they have long normal service lives, so a disproportionate number are older and don't have ethanol-safe hoses and gaskets). Marinas can be a good place to find real gasoline (unadulterated with ethanol).

Rejoice that you can still get real gasoline, and thank the merchants that carry it.

I am lucky enough to be able to get pure gasoline. When I couldn’t, I religiously used Sta-Bil gas additive. I also ran my small engines dry at the end of the season. Storing a small engine with ethanol gas for an off season will almost certainly cause a problem with the carburetor. If you’re inclined, you can typically open up the carb and use a very small wire to open the jet back up, but the older the carburetor is, the more likely you’ll be also replacing gaskets and valves (rebuilding the carb).

 

[John Galt III]

Its happened again. Gas gauge not working, low coolant warning. Same repair under the car and 2 wires under the hood for the coolant lever switch. This time the car still ran so I could drive it on the lift. Spliced 4 wires. Sprayed some animal repellent stuff on everything.

Also found a chewed open evap system hose on another car.

I have a live animal trap around here somewhere.

Arrrggghhh!! Lucky it was still drivable. I found a huge mouse nest under the air intake (plenum?) on my 88 Trans Am while checking out a bucking/hesitation problem a few months ago (still diagnosing it). Something had chewed 2 of the injector wires, but not through, just exposed the copper. Haven't found any other chewing yet, but who knows. I now leave a light on 24 hours a day, and keep the hood propped open (inside a garage) since rodents like something over them to hide them, apparently. Also plopped a whole pack of Bounce drier sheets on top of plenum, since they hate Bounce odor, supposedly. No more nests since. On the subject of recent repair, I found out my fuel pressure was only 26 psi, and spec is 39 psi. Talked to a few real mechanics and they disagree with one another about whether 26 psi is low enough to be a factor in the bucking/hesitation. I was just about ready to throw in the towel and take it to a mechanic to diagnose. But now am back on the trail, will have the awkward task of jacking up passenger side, getting under car and somehow remove wires and spark plugs to check for fouled plug caused by possible intermittently sticking fuel injector. Good luck with the rodent repellent!

 

[jazz4cash]

After years, no decades, of frustration with string trimmers hanging up on the the trimmer string, I found the solution to this problem!

Dry lube. I started using "Blaster" dry lube on my string spool and various cam feed parts. Just spray the stuff on liberally when winding the spool. Spray the spool and all the various parts that allow the feeding. Done.

It is a miracle! Why didn't I think of this before? I don't recall the instructions on the various brands (yes I've tried at least 4 brands of trimmer) suggesting this. But, I tell you, it works.

That's a great tip. Never would've thought of that solution but I'm wondering what problems you've had. I decided to splurge on pre wound string cartridges and that solved most of my issues, but I only occasionally ever had a jammed spool. Think I'll spray that stuff all over the head and shield!

 

[JoeWras]

That's a great tip. Never would've thought of that solution but I'm wondering what problems you've had. I decided to splurge on pre wound string cartridges and that solved most of my issues, but I only occasionally ever had a jammed spool. Think I'll spray that stuff all over the head and shield!

The pre-wound always work well. I think it is because they are wound by machine and the line is placed precisely without any binding.

That's impossible to do when you hand wind a spool. I think my major problem was always binding inside the spool. The line would gain tension as it spins, and pull down into the center of spindle, perhaps by some looser line along side of it. When it tries to relax and come out, it is bound between other lines. All a product of hand-winding.

Regardless, a spray of dry lube on any cam, gear or hitch in your setup can't hurt the process.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Arrrggghhh!! Lucky it was still drivable. I found a huge mouse nest under the air intake (plenum?) on my 88 Trans Am while checking out a bucking/hesitation problem a few months ago (still diagnosing it). Something had chewed 2 of the injector wires, but not through, just exposed the copper. Haven't found any other chewing yet, but who knows. I now leave a light on 24 hours a day, and keep the hood propped open (inside a garage) since rodents like something over them to hide them, apparently. Also plopped a whole pack of Bounce drier sheets on top of plenum, since they hate Bounce odor, supposedly. No more nests since.

A friend who lives out in the country had a 10-year-old Prius that mice got into and chewed up the wiring behind the instrument panel. I believe they wrote off the car.

I'm a little skeptical about the dryer sheets (although I've tucked them into little-used cars myself). I've still found little mouse jellybeans lying about, although chewed-up wiring hasn't been a problem.

Another diy mouse repellent I've heard about is Irish Spring soap. I gave that one up after I found gnaw marks on the soap bar.

On the subject of recent repair, I found out my fuel pressure was only 26 psi, and spec is 39 psi. Talked to a few real mechanics and they disagree with one another about whether 26 psi is low enough to be a factor in the bucking/hesitation. I was just about ready to throw in the towel and take it to a mechanic to diagnose. But now am back on the trail, will have the awkward task of jacking up passenger side, getting under car and somehow remove wires and spark plugs to check for fouled plug caused by possible intermittently sticking fuel injector.

Good old Detroit iron. I changed the spark plugs on my V6 Ranger recently and had to remove the RF wheel and a piece of fender liner to get at the right bank of plugs. Even then it was an exercise in acrobatics.

Have you looked at your fuel pressure regulator? Pull the vacuum hose off and sniff it for a gasoline leak. Leak=bad regulator. I'd also suspect the regulator if pressure didn't change as I revved the car to 2.5k rpm.

 

[travelover]

..............
I'm a little skeptical about the dryer sheets (although I've tucked them into little-used cars myself). I've still found little mouse jellybeans lying about, although chewed-up wiring hasn't been a problem.

Another diy mouse repellent I've heard about is Irish Spring soap. I gave that one up after I found gnaw marks on the soap bar............

I had mouse problem in my camper. I put in mothballs, dryer sheets and Irish Spring soap. The made a nest of the dryer sheets on top of the moth balls and ate the soap.

 

[ERD50]

I am lucky enough to be able to get pure gasoline. When I couldn’t, I religiously used Sta-Bil gas additive. I also ran my small engines dry at the end of the season. Storing a small engine with ethanol gas for an off season will almost certainly cause a problem with the carburetor. If you’re inclined, you can typically open up the carb and use a very small wire to open the jet back up, but the older the carburetor is, the more likely you’ll be also replacing gaskets and valves (rebuilding the carb).

I keep hearing this, but I've never used Stabil, and I never (there, I said "never") had a fuel problem ever, in any mower I've owned. We've probably had ethanol gas longer than anyone, living n 'corn country'.

I'd usually start it up a few times over the winter, but not always.

I can understand old engines that didn't have gaskets that could hold up to it, but I just don't see any problems in the stuff I've owned (going back to the early 80's).

The mower I bought a couple years ago has an EPA sticker on the gas tank, I think it is more sealed up than old designs, but I don't think it's anything fancy like cars have.

-ERD50

 

[John Galt III]

I keep hearing this, but I've never used Stabil, and I never (there, I said "never") had a fuel problem ever, in any mower I've owned. We've probably had ethanol gas longer than anyone, living n 'corn country'.

I'd usually start it up a few times over the winter, but not always.

I can understand old engines that didn't have gaskets that could hold up to it, but I just don't see any problems in the stuff I've owned (going back to the early 80's).

The mower I bought a couple years ago has an EPA sticker on the gas tank, I think it is more sealed up than old designs, but I don't think it's anything fancy like cars have.

-ERD50

I get about 8 years of mowing out of one carburetor gasket, in my Briggs and Stratton Weed Eater engine, using ethanol gas. Takes about an hour or two for me to replace the old gasket. I think it 'corrodes' somehow in a certain spot, then the rpms start cycling up and down as it lets too much air in.

 

[John Galt III]

...snippet....Have you looked at your fuel pressure regulator? Pull the vacuum hose off and sniff it for a gasoline leak. Leak=bad regulator. I'd also suspect the regulator if pressure didn't change as I revved the car to 2.5k rpm. ...end snippet.... I have pulled off the vac hose. No gas leak, no gas smell. No change to rpm or pressure. Have not pinched off return line yet to see if pressure rises. Afraid to do internal damage to return line (at the rubber hose portion). The pressure stays the same (26 psi) at any rpm. I don't think the regulator is stuck partially open, since the pressure does not drop right away when the engine is shut off, but I may be missing something, so I might pinch it off and see what happens.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I have zero experience with GM cars, but I would expect fuel pressure to rise when the engine is revved. Unless the fuel pump can manage only 26 psi ... pinching off the return fuel line should determine that. I generally use a small pair of snipe-nose Vise Grips for that job -- I wrap the jaws with several layers of duct tape to pad the jaws and prevent damage to the hose.

A rapid drop in fuel pressure would be caused by a bad fuel pump check valve. The fuel pressure regulator would play no part in that, barring something obvious like an external fuel leak.

 

[Sunset]

I get about 8 years of mowing out of one carburetor gasket, in my Briggs and Stratton Weed Eater engine, using ethanol gas. Takes about an hour or two for me to replace the old gasket. I think it 'corrodes' somehow in a certain spot, then the rpms start cycling up and down as it lets too much air in.

I have an old chainsaw, it's about 40 yrs old.
I'd always drain the gas and run it dry and put oil in at the end of season. Never had an issue.
Then about 2 years ago , it would barely run, turned out that the fuel line, a plastic tube that goes into the gas tank had rotted away.
I blame ethanol gas for that, as it was fine the first many decades, until I started using ethanol.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

..... on my 88 Trans Am while checking out a bucking/hesitation problem a few months ago (still diagnosing it)......

Faulty plug wire(s) can cause these symptoms and is easy to overlook in the hunt.

 

[Ronstar]

The switch on my wood lathe quit switching on-off. Sawdust gets into the switch. Bought a new switch and installed. It went bad in a week. The good thing is that the lathe is always on- it won’t turn off. So I bought a power cord, light switch, and receptacle. Created a switched outlet and plugged the lathe into it. Now I just flip the light switch to turn the lathe on and off.