Clean Coffee Pot--- 12-18-10

I guess I’ll have microwaved leftover coffee, I hope it ain’t too bitter.

Reading about SMITTY’s misadventures every week must have cursed me. My Chevy pickup has been acting up for a month or more. It would click when you went to start it, maybe once, maybe twice or even three times but then it would spin over and start normally. Friday morning it refused to start and the wife had to run me to work. Yesterday morning I took a look at things. The battery is not very old and it tested good so I had to crawl underneath to check things out at the starter. Since when did they start using beer cans to start 454 Chevy motors? If I didn’t look twice I would have thought someone ran off with the starter. The big hot wire from the battery was snug but not tight and turned side to side when I pushed and pulled. I immediately tried to start it and it started right up so back under and remove the wire, clean the end and the contact surface on the starter and tighten the nut a bit tighter than it was, cross fingers and hope the problem is fixed. Remanufactured starters are not too bad in price and even a new one would not break the bank but I think the problem was in getting the voltage to the starter and not in the starter.

We did some Christmas shopping yesterday evening, now that is done, and another family Christmas dinner to attend today. At least we have a short work week, that’s one good thing about the holidays.

Everyone have a good week. Will Freddy’s be open on Christmas day?

gaw,glad your wigglin got that straightened that out--BUT--I'll bet a dime to a donut that you should have that solanoid replaced & while you're at it--I mean,it's out already--go with the rebuilt--it would suk being in the middle of nowhere & have it finally go on you--granted the quick fix is good--but--for me,I'm to old to be crawling under either of my trucks in the cold & snow---once that stud starts loosening up,it's only a matter of time----seems this stuff never happens in the summer mos--And yea,them newer starters are teeny--my 1990 350 has that but the old 78 plow truck has the real looking one---later my friend--how are the puppies or is that the puppy--I forget

freetown fred wrote:Freddy,that cinnamon did the trick in the coffee & the raison toast is outstanding--my compliments to the chef Other then pulling a few people out of our local ditches on the county rds it was a pretty laid back week--the county feels they need to take the roads back down to black top (2 of them) and they get slick--the Town guys leave an inch or so & you've got something to dig into--Thank God no one got hurt on the bus deal--back when,I probably woulda tried to smoke that coffee pot residue--they said banana peels worked Time for barn chores--it's cold & white here on the hill--have a good week all The Hitzer putts along just fine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bananadine

http://www.sniggle.net/banana.php

I'm just checking up on you Freetown.

gaw wrote:I think the problem was in getting the voltage to the starter and not in the starter.

Not to be obnoxious, I know what you mean. But the problem would have been getting the amperage to the starter, not the voltage. If you put a voltmeter on the stud, not the lug, it would have showed battery voltage. With the loose cable lug, it's the current that couldn't do its job. sorry to split hairs

markviii wrote: The Vermont Castings propane stove in my living room died, now the pilot won't even stay lit.

I am happy to report that the VC propane stove is fixed. A piece of dirt fell in the pilot...apparently it doesn't take much to really screw those things up. While I had the whole thing apart I cleaned it very well, and it works better than ever.

-Rob

Meant to get back sooner,but,ended up down to the barn & smoked one of my Costa Rican bananas--Damn,I musta lost track of the time --have a Merry Christmas,cokehead

freetown fred wrote:Freddy,that cinnamon did the trick in the coffee & the raison toast is outstanding--my compliments to the chef Other then pulling a few people out of our local ditches on the county rds it was a pretty laid back week--the county feels they need to take the roads back down to black top (2 of them) and they get slick--the Town guys leave an inch or so & you've got something to dig into--Thank God no one got hurt on the bus deal--back when,I probably woulda tried to smoke that coffee pot residue--they said banana peels worked Time for barn chores--it's cold & white here on the hill--have a good week all The Hitzer putts along just fine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bananadine

http://www.sniggle.net/banana.php

I'm just checking up on you Freetown. /quote]

samhill wrote:Lisa, did you happen to try the cookies made in the brick ovens there, the snikkerdoodles are my favorite. They would go real well with a cup of Freddys coffee.

No, the bakery was closed when by the time we got there. We had dinner at one of the Tavern's and it was a memorable experience to say the least. We were told the the Welshrarebit, not rabbit, was something you either hated or you loved. Put us on the hated side. Those of you who are beer drinkers would love this dish, a beer and cheese sauce over VA ham and toast. Next time I'll try the BBQ which was getting great reviews from our tablemates. Lisa

So the fire made it through the weekend in what most now be recognized as my son's capable hands. The house was the same temperature it was when I left when I got back and he had coal in the inside coal storage units. Little does he know he has fallen right into my trap. Now that I know he can take care of the stove, I will ask him to do so more often.

While in Williamsburg we stayed in a "cabin" which was heated by a propane furnace. It's been a while since I've had to sleep with a furnace going on and off. I decided I don't like it and to make things worse this one started up with a screech. The cabin also had a gas fireplace with a direct vent. Not a lot heat was coming out into the room and you could see the heat waves simmering over the top exit pipe; lots of wasted heat. It was romantic, though.

This was weekend was our Christmas present to us and it turned out just about perfect (see the posting on the Welshrarebit).

I hope everyone has a great run up week to Christmas, take care and be safe. Lisa

Dann757 wrote:

gaw wrote:I think the problem was in getting the voltage to the starter and not in the starter.

Not to be obnoxious, I know what you mean. But the problem would have been getting the amperage to the starter, not the voltage. If you put a voltmeter on the stud, not the lug, it would have showed battery voltage. With the loose cable lug, it's the current that couldn't do its job. sorry to split hairs

It ain't the volts that kill you, it's the amps! Isn't that right Dan? Good job Glen fixing the real problem! Sometimes the cable itself is too small in diameterawg to carry the current. I've increased this cable on my previous diesel.

Been a quiet w/e here. I have to travel to DC for two days leaving Mon morn, hopefully I am home on Tues evening. Looking forward to the next two weeks and long weekends. I cashed in hotel points for an Amazon card & I received my xmas present early in the mail on Sat, a new Apple mini mac. The boys have it hooked up to a flat screen TV at the moment. I need an special adapter to match my standard monitor which is due to arrive Mon or Tues. It super fast and super small. An amazing piece of technology.

Freetown fred; the plan is to go with the quick fix for now and should it start acting up get another starter. I mostly drive to work 5 miles from home and only make the trip a couple times a week. The wife is a phone call away. I am willing to gamble and hope I don’t get bit in the ass and if I do that’s the price to pay for being cheap (or too lazy to replace the starter on a cold winter’s day). The dogs are doing well and the puppy has grown considerably. She is a very active dog and enjoys barking at things and chewing anything she can get in her mouth.

Dann757 wrote:Not to be obnoxious, I know what you mean. But the problem would have been getting the amperage to the starter, not the voltage. If you put a voltmeter on the stud, not the lug, it would have showed battery voltage. With the loose cable lug, it's the current that couldn't do its job. sorry to split hairs

Touché

I think you'll be alright -- these newer starters, although smaller, don't seem as prone to failure as often as the old 40-pounders were. When you hear a click, and your lights are still bright, that's the first thing to check - all your connections.

I was just thinking the same thing when I yanked the tranny out of the Jimmy. The starter about fit in the palm of my hand - and I'm not a big guy by any stretch. I had to remove the starter in order to remove the torque converter bolts.

GM in it's infinite wisdom decided that the flywheel cover was too easy for us backyard mechanics ... and replaced it with a tiny 2" hole ( so you can turn engine over with a big screwdriver or prybar), and requires you to go through the starter hole to remove the bolts! What a pain in the ass! All I had to do was remove the tranny -- everything was removed days before .. and it still took me 5 hours!!

4 of those hours were spent on 2 bellhousing bolts. What a wretched vehicle!

SMITTY wrote: 4 of those hours were spent on 2 bellhousing bolts. What a wretched vehicle!

I'm surprised you didn't sawzall some access ports from the other side of the firewall.

You know, that thought seriously crossed my mind!

Wow, memories. I had a hankering to cut a hole in my GMC Sierra passenger floor when I wanted to put in a shift kit. Shift points in the 700r4 are partially determined by weights in a housing on the side of the trans. I forget what it's called, governor I think, it has a cap on it with a bail retainer like a jelly jar. That cap requires an o-ring that has to be trashed to take it off. You have to hook a pick under the o-ring and cut it and lace it out. Shift kits don't include that o-ring. There's clearance to pop off the cap, but not to withdraw the governor assy, that moves a valve in the valve body.

My 95 Jimmy had brace bars from the trans to the bell housing, that sucked. I got them with really long extensions with a 14mm u-joint socket. I still remember the oil soaked dirt falling into my eyeballs.....

My buddy was pulling a trans once, he was under a Camaro on a creeper, and was going to put the trans on his chest. The trans came out, the converter pulled past the seal, and he said he was pinned, yelling, and trans fluid was pouring INTO his mouth, and back out again!!!! This guy was a bull, funniest thing I ever heard.
I knew another guy that would drop VW motors onto his chest and have a buddy pull him out from under the bug on the creeper he was lying on. That guy got fired from NYS for drunk driving a State plow truck.

SMITTY wrote:...................GM in it's infinite wisdom decided that the flywheel cover was too easy for us backyard mechanics ... and replaced it with a tiny 2" hole ( so you can turn engine over with a big screwdriver or prybar), and requires you to go through the starter hole to remove the bolts! What a pain in the ass! All I had to do was remove the tranny -- everything was removed days before .. and it still took me 5 hours!!

4 of those hours were spent on 2 bellhousing bolts. What a wretched vehicle!

Smitty,

That damn Jimmy just will not cut you any slack at all !!!!

I still think you need to fire a few .45 rounds into it.

Or maybe get someone with a monster truck and let you crush it.....

At least just for your satisfaction.

Rick