Fixit Log

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
Blackjack
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Blackjack »

My first guess would be that the manufacturer used some cheap off brand hook and loop (and not Velcro brand itself). I have 20 year old Velcro that’s totally fine under normal use (but it’s not used daily for half the year). Repair should be under $5, $10 for a huge roll of actual Velcro if you buy it new, and outdoor is a little more heavy duty like you are asking. I’m guessing there’s a ton of people out there with extra Velcro lying around from repairs / innovations etc that they would give away for free, but it’s not a high enough value item for Craigslist/ etc, so I’m not sure how you could find it quickly outside of the Walmart / target / Home Depot sort of thing. Maybe remove some from other cheap jackets at the thrift store / swap meet and put it on there? That might be a bit skill intensive and eventually run into the same problem you are currently in though. There might be more random products with Velcro attached you can recover some from?

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Ego
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Ego »

basuragomi wrote:
Wed Dec 29, 2021 9:51 am
You could try mushroom-type fasteners, about the same strength but less likely to catch/scratch things.
If I cannot find some as blackjack suggests, I think this is the one I will go with. I've did a little research and found that the mushroom type is a 3M product and 3M stuff is generally the best available.
Blackjack wrote:
Wed Dec 29, 2021 12:00 pm
Maybe remove some from other cheap jackets at the thrift store / swap meet and put it on there?
I have been waiting for the trash gods to discard something I can scavenge. I just can't bring myself to ruin a perfectly good garment to repair mine. I know for a fact that the moment I buy a piece of new velcro I will find another under a rock.

Thanks for the opinions.

abdulbasit
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by abdulbasit »

I love to fix things by myself. You keep learning new things and save a lot of money.

mathiverse
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by mathiverse »

My food scale stopped working three days ago. I managed to take it apart (which took almost an hour because of some screws hidden under something that was glued to the plastic case), to clean off the circuit board, and to put it back together today. Now it works well enough to continue using it. Victory!

Blackjack
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Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Front Range, bikescore 99

Re: Fixit Log

Post by Blackjack »

Had a toilet leak earlier this week. I installed an access panel underneath the toilet / shower area (since their pipes are 1ft apart and the only major leakage point in my house) last time I had a leak, and it is finished concrete flooring underneath, so no water damage (luckily). Problem was a simple wax seal failure, so $8 fix for a new wax seal / gasket plus a tube of acrylic caulking (don’t understand why toilets need silicone caulking since you don’t seal all the way around for waterproofing anyways, but here we are). While fixing, I found that in very sketched out by the current wax seal implementation (gasket is attached via wax seal to a PVC pipe, but the flange isn’t attached to the pvc pipe at all, just floating on the floor). I haven’t put the caulking on the toilet yet, as I’m not certain if I feel like I should address the flange issue that I don’t like now, and reset the wax ring (or use one of the waxless solutions there) or wait until the next time the toilet leaks (which could be never) to address it.

jacob
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by jacob »

I'd like to spin up a small online group meeting regularly to repair and fix projects.
jacob wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:31 am
Why: To increase our technical repair and maker skills. Repair knowledge tends to be experiential (1000s of little lessons) and problems are often easy to solve if only one knew where/how to approach it. A mastermind group would provide more than two eyes on a given fix and also provide some motivation to finish some projects.
For more details see:
viewtopic.php?t=12268

AxelHeyst
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by AxelHeyst »

This is a "nintendo" fix (take the cartridge out, blow on it, put it back in).

The furnace on my folks' <2yo travel trailer wasn't making hot air. This was a problem because the trailer wasn't winterized and temps were well below freezing. When the t-stat was rebooted, the furnace would kick on, blow cold air for ~20seconds, then shut off. The propane line at the tanks was leaking, so I suspected air in the lines based on a forum post. I "cleared" the lines by burning propane on the stove for a bit. No change.

After a bit more troubleshooting involving looking up error-code LED flashes, I determined to investigate the "sail switch", which often gets gummed up with dust or hair. It's a long bit of thin metal on the inside of the blower compartment that closes a switch when pressure from the fan pushes it; it tells the safety circuitry that the blower is in fact moving air. (If air isn't moving, it'd be dangerous to light the furnace).

I popped the access panel, pulled the switch, literally blew on it and wiped at it with a glove, and put it back in. The furnace fired right up.
Image
Troubleshooting lesson learned: I had enough information to know that the problem wasn't air in the propane line. If that was the problem, the pilot at least would have made an attempt to light - but I could clearly hear that the furnace wasn't even trying to light (a tell-tale rapid ticking noise).

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Slevin
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Location: Sonoma County

Re: Fixit Log

Post by Slevin »

@AxelHeyst is it worth making or adding permanent washable filter (or a disposable filter) on the intake, to try and avoid the dust buildup happening again in the next year or two? This is usually how conventional furnaces work (though I’m guessing yours might already have one that didn’t help in this situation based on that fact)

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Sclass
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Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

That’s cool. You saved a ton of money doing that yourself.

Alternatively you can just put a sticky note inside the access door telling the next person to check the pressure switch. I tape a pipe cleaner to mine because the culprit is usually a spider nest in the manometer tube on my old carrier system.

white belt
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by white belt »

I'm still having issues with my rear bicycle wheel. I replaced the broken spoke and trued the wheel, however it will go out of true after a 10 minute ride. I'm guessing the next step will be to try the rim bending trick @Ego mentioned and/or attempt to even out the spoke tension across the entire wheel. Do I shell out $25 for a knockoff spoke tension meter or just try to do it by hand? It has a Shimano Nexus 8 Internal Gear Hub if that makes any difference.

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Ego
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Ego »

Mrs. Ego was riding to her class on Sunday when the scooter sputtered and stopped running. She tried to restart it and then called me. I was on my way to get her when she called again. She had restarted it and continued to class. On Monday I went down to the scooter shop and bought a spark plug, oil filter, oil and gaskets for a tune-up, which I did yesterday. The plug did not look bad at all and the plug wire looked good. The last tune-up was 1000 miles/2 years ago done by a real mechanic before we purchased it.

Today she was riding to class and it sputtered and stopped again. Most of the ride is stop-and-go city traffic that doesn't exceed 25mph but there is one mile-long section with no stops where the speed limit is 50. This is where it sputtered on her. She eventually got it started again and made it to class.

After class she called and asked if I would come and help her get home as there is a steep, single lane uphill between here and there. I drove the scooter and she followed in the car. On the same section of road where the rpms are high the bike sputtered and slowly cut off. It felt as if the carb was flooded. I waited three or four minutes and it restarted first reluctantly but within five seconds was back to normal idle. I rode very slowly for the rest of the trip without incident.

Got home and pulled the carb to see if the jets were clogged. It seems to be clean as a whistle. I pulled each of the jets and they look brand new. I don't have carb cleaner today so I will pick it up tomorrow to do a thorough cleaning. I will also replace the fuel filter.

If it was running really rich would that cause flooding at high rpms? Any other ideas?

Image

basuragomi
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by basuragomi »

I'm not sure how it's laid out, but maybe the steep slope angle + more tilt from acceleration is causing the carb float to cut out early? You'd be able to check this pretty easily at least by idling with the wheel up on a step.

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Ego
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Ego »

I didn't explain that well. The road where it cut out is flat but fast. It went up the steep hill without incident.

ducknald_don
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Location: Oxford, UK

Re: Fixit Log

Post by ducknald_don »

It could be running lean rather than rich if there isn't enough fuel getting through. My guess is the fuel filter is blocked.

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Sclass
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Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

ducknald_don wrote:
Thu Feb 03, 2022 5:30 am
It could be running lean rather than rich if there isn't enough fuel getting through. My guess is the fuel filter is blocked.
Yeah I agree it sounds more like a fuel starvation issue. In the middle of your photo you have two jets that look like brass screws with little holes in them. Unscrew them and look at them up in the light. You should see light combing through. The smaller one will have a hole smaller than a pin but bit enough to run a bread tie through. It looks pretty clean from here. Pull your inlet (float) valve on the right and make sure it is moving freely and clean. A stuck one will act like the stuck float and starve fuel.

Put it all back together. The first thing you should have done was drop the bowl of the carb like you have, turn on the fuel and see if it flows. Push up the float which you’ve taken out and see if it shuts off. There may be a screen filter in your fuel tap that may be clogged. You want it really flowing out when the float is pushed up. If there is debris in the tank floating around it can get in the pickup.

Is it really running rich? Smell the exhaust. Look for lamp black deposits around the exhaust pipe. Did your plug look very dark or was it light tan colored?

Finally and least likely I’d look into the fuel pump if you have one. Some designs will have a vacuum actuated lift pump that pulls fuel to the engine. If you have such a system the vacuum line often gets disconnected or a breather hose to the tank gets pinched and restricts pump rate.

Fuel flow to the bowl is my best guess. If it were clogged jets it wouldn’t starve on a long straight stretch. It would probably starve instantly while opening it up. What is probably going on is you are not filling the float bowl fast enough and after moving along a bit you’re basically running out of fuel. Then it has a chance to refill when stopped or slowed down and you are good again.

Good luck.

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Yeah come to think of it you may have a fuel pump on that thing. Diaphragm Maye be torn, hose pinched. Filter clogged.

I haven’t owned a bike with one of these in a bit. But I recall I’d often pinch the hoses when I’d put things under the seat for storage and I’d get fuel starvation.

https://www.monsterscooterparts.com/cat ... gJ0jfD_BwE

mathiverse
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by mathiverse »

jacob wrote:
Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:53 am
I'd like to spin up a small online group meeting regularly to repair and fix projects.

For more details see:
viewtopic.php?t=12268
I was at the first meeting for the repair MM group and it was great! I will post soon with the fix for a lamp I had lying around. I am only waiting on a part which I believe I'll get for free from freecycle in the coming days.

@jacob: You mentioned a tool that might be useful when I'm planning to plug a broken sewing machine into the wall. I forgot to follow up on that before the end of the meeting. Would you mind telling me what that tool is and what it does?

SavingWithBabies
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by SavingWithBabies »

Just a thought but could be a bit of water in the carb bowl too. I'd dump the bowl into something you can take a look at later to see if there is any separation. Sometimes there is a handy drain screw on the bottom of the bowl.

Other random thought is at higher RPMs, there is more demand on the electrical system so the coil(s) might be at fault. If it uses typical modern coils, they are embedded in plastic/epoxy and that casing can crack sometimes with age and lead to failure. I don't know what scooters use so this might not apply to your one.

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

DF and my sonicare electric toothbrush broke a couple months ago (don't worry we use different heads ;) ). It made this annoying rattling noise that also seemed to diminish the brushing capability. We tried different brush heads but the rattling remained. One video seemed to suggest that the problem could be due to this ring within the brush head.
Image
But I removed it and the brush still rattled. I opened it up, tightened some screws but the rattling remained. Another video suggested that there may be a problem with the magnetic coils. That sounded too complicated, so I put it back and we started using regular toothbrushes again.

Image

This morning I decided to try again, I noticed some play in the head. I popped the brush assembly out of the case and tightened the screw below the head even tighter. Voila. Functioning perfectly once more!

jacob
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by jacob »

mathiverse wrote:
Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:38 pm
@jacob: You mentioned a tool that might be useful when I'm planning to plug a broken sewing machine into the wall. I forgot to follow up on that before the end of the meeting. Would you mind telling me what that tool is and what it does?
In all the excitement/limited time frame, I forgot too. [Link below] is the gadget I use (there are ways to DIY this gadget). It detects AC currents which are potentially lethal if "touched the wrong way". Thus I prefer to use [this gadget] first to probe before I touch/trust anything with any body part of mine. If it beeps/flashes red, I know there's a risk, so I switch it off in order to understand why and where the current will flow before I proceed. Whenever dealing with anything wired to mains electricity the priority is to understand "what could possibly go wrong" if this or that changes and how other people might have naively rewired something the wrong way even "if it still works" despite smelling like "burned electronics". The key to electrical wiring is being absolutely sure about CYA whenever an exception is thrown, e.g. broken wire, failure, ... anything breaks or gets misconfigured anywhere, the now misdirected current should then go straight to ground (and immediately trip a circuit breaker!) rather than go through some "human heart" first. https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/elec ... 1000-volts

Add: Sorry for being overly dramatic. I read up on the many ways such things could go wrong including what if one's neighbors might have misconnected stuff. "Knowledge brings fear". For a sewing machine, there'll be a hot (AC) end, a transformer, some kind of motor control (manual or digital) that regulates the speed, and the rest of the machine. Problem could be along either point along the way, possibly mechanical. Just don't touch the insides or outsides while the power is on.

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