Fixit Log

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

Post by Slevin »

white belt wrote:
Fri Jan 20, 2023 7:08 pm
The upgrade has also slightly reduced the time it takes to render video, although not all that much because I can't upgrade CPU or GPU (not that big of deal anyway because I can just walk away and do other stuff). With 16gb RAM and now 1TB SSD, I hope that I can get the laptop to 10 years of service.
A lot of people these days are of the opinion to keep basically the most minimal laptop you can and outsource all the complicated work to the cloud. I don't know anything about video rendering, but if it comes down to it I bet you could render video in the cloud for a very small amount of money compared to buying a whole new laptop for it.

white belt
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by white belt »

Slevin wrote:
Fri Jan 20, 2023 7:26 pm
A lot of people these days are of the opinion to keep basically the most minimal laptop you can and outsource all the complicated work to the cloud. I don't know anything about video rendering, but if it comes down to it I bet you could render video in the cloud for a very small amount of money compared to buying a whole new laptop for it.
Right but as far as I can tell, audio/video production is not something that is typically outsourced to the cloud. I'm also doing live streaming which can require more horsepower, but I'm fortunate that my game's graphics are straight out of Windows XP, so the demands are lower than if I was playing a more resource intensive game. 16gb RAM is suitable for my needs at this point.

I don't plan on buying a new laptop, especially not after spending ~$80 on a new SSD. At some point another component might fail earlier that I can't upgrade/replace. But I hope I can at least make it until the Windows 10 EOL in 2025 because that will also be the 10 year mark.

kane
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by kane »

Fixed two toilets. In one I had to replace a flushing mechanism, the second was leaking water, but after repairing the first one I knew there's a gasket there that might need replacement. That was indeed it.

Won't win me a handyman competition, but it was a big ego boost in the 'call the plumber' environment ;)

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

My housemate's car wouldn't start a few days ago while he was taking his mom sightseeing around town. I went to go jump/rescue them but found there was no issue with the battery. Full lights, power etc but one click. No turn over. He called AAA and the tow mechanic came to the same conclusion as me. Seemed as if something was wrong with the starter. Well what do you know, my trials and tribulations from last spring would prove useful. My roommate is very mechanically inept, is very reliant on his car (over 1 hr commute one way) and all mechanics in the area are backed up for 3 weeks. Not a great scenario for him so I offered to help out today. I started by checking and cleaning all the ground wires then following @sclass's suggestion and used a voltmeter to check everywhere to see if there were any discrepancies. Both practices turned up nothing. No problems with fuses, starter relay or ignition coil. I learned that Hondas aren't the most fun to work on as everything is crammed as tight as possible inside the engine compartment. That took a couple hours between getting familiar where everything is, talking to neighbors who stopped by and my housemate. I'm left thinking it is the solenoid or the starter. Not really anyway to check without really going into it as the starter is in just a terrible place. I told him I'll look at it in the morning.

This afternoon I set out to replace my phone screen again and switch out the battery. It's been about a year since the last time I replaced the screen, I have a long history of abusing phones. but I feel a little bit better about it now that I can repair them instead of getting a new to me device. Everything was going smoothly until I got to removing the home button. I must have tightened one of the screws too tight last time as I could not get it out. I figured I could maneuver the button out the front with the frame attached. However, in the process I ended up breaking the attachment cable. Oops. I replaced the battery and sealed everything else back up. Thankfully the OS still allows me to do everything without the home button. But I'll probably get a new one and put that in later this week.

Married2aSwabian
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Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2021 7:45 pm

Re: Fixit Log

Post by Married2aSwabian »

@theanimal, we have two Hondas and yes, the can be challenging to work on, but great vehicles.

It does sound like the starter:

https://youtu.be/LXL3M1dJWZg

A forum like this one is very helpful:

https://www.crvownersclub.com

This guy has some of the best YouTube videos for Honda repair:

https://youtube.com/@MrRangerZr1

We’ve also had issues with the ignition switch on our CRV, but that was ignition locking, so couldn’t turn to start position.

I’ve done starter on a ‘93 Jeep that we had and that job was easy, but I was able use a friend’s garage, complete with lift!

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Hondas lose their starters. I don’t know why…maybe it’s because people commute with them and they endure a lot of daily starts.

My neighbor came by and asked me to check his Element with my meter. We measured the voltage at the battery and starter while cranking and the voltages were pretty consistent - 12V all around on standby and 11V when cranking all around. You’re looking for a really low value that drops way down even though metal to metal contacts should have a negligible voltage drop. That’ll help you zero in on the problem.

I concluded it was the starter. I got a piece of rebar and a hammer out of the garage. He cranked the car while I pounded on the starter with the hammer and bar. The starter is way down there and the bar helps you get the hammering to it. The car magically started. Likely a bad brush contact. I told him to drive directly to the mechanic and get a new starter. He said it was too expensive till payday and opted to borrow my rebar and hammer til the 15th.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

I've had the "hammer on the starter" method work too.

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

This one is a Honda Accord. I've tried the hammer on the starter but it is below the intake manifold so almost impossible to get a good swing at it. Using a bar is a good idea, I'll try that later on. My roommate is in the same position as your neighbor, @sclass. He was fretting yesterday how he was going to be able to afford the new starter. And a few minutes later complaining that no mechanics had availability to help him out. How he would pay for the labor time if he ended up in one of these shops, I don't know.

Checking with the meter everything was at 12 V on standby and 11.5 V when cranking. Couldn't find any big drops in the connections.

ffj
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by ffj »

Owner of several CRV's over the years.

The starter is a pain in the ass to access. I had to YouTube the procedure to one mechanic because he was genuinely stumped on how to get to it to change it out.

The rebar idea is great.

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

Well, roommate got the new starter ($350!) And I set out to replace it for him this afternoon. I found some rebar in the yard and tried that trick first but no luck. Off with the engine cover and the manifold. I pulled it back to discover an interesting twist. 2006 Honda Accords and later have some type of extended back to the manifold (blocking any access to the starter) meaning I'd have to take the whole thing off, making things last a bit longer than planned. Off with some hoses, bolts and electrical connections then finally able to move the manifold intake out of the way.

Image

The starter looked really old and rusted out, which i found promising. Pretty easy to get off the long bolts and popped in the new one and put everything back together. Connected the battery and tried to start it. Fired right up on the first turn.

I didn't want to mess anything up further while I was working on it but it was nice to work on someone else's car. Minimal downside for me and could quit anytime without the headache. I picked up some new skills/knowledge and some serious social goodwill. And also surprisingly a big dopamine boost when the car started. :lol:

Married2aSwabian
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Married2aSwabian »

theanimal wrote:
Sun Jan 29, 2023 8:09 pm
Fired right up on the first turn.
And also surprisingly a big dopamine boost when the car started. :lol:
Nice work!

It’s true, there is a sense of satisfaction in a job well done, especially with something a bit more complex like car repair, that gives one a rush. Maybe the nervous system is ripe for the dopamine boost after the adrenaline has worn off!

Also kudos for doing this job outside - with car parked on the street?

Now you know that you could earn big bucks as a mechanic if need be… ;)

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Sharpened my nail clippers.

Image

I got a nice pair of nail clippers from Hilda Tool in Berkeley about twenty years ago. Seki Edge brand. Hida imported them in small quantities back then. Now you can get them on Amazon for $12. They got dull so I sharpened them. The blade has kind of a rounded contour on its face and needs a cylindrical shaped hone or wheel with the radius of the curve to properly sharpen it. So here are the tips.

1) Make a custom hone. Search around the house for a can or bottle with the matching radius of the curved face. I found it two feet away - a can of hair spray. Then wrap it with a postage stamp piece of 600 wet dry sandpaper. Presto, 600 grit curved hone.

2) use a sharpie marker to tint the blade surface. This way as you grind off material you can fine tune your swipes to grind the face evenly. You’ll be able to see exactly where you’re removing material.

Took about five minutes. Good as new.

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Nice work on the Honda starter. That looks like the same engine as on my 2008 Civic.

I think that Accord is often targeted for catalyst theft. Just a heads up. The mid 2000s model has a huge one piece cat mounted behind the engine and it is dead simple to remove. It’s a thief’s favorite right behind a Prius.

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

Thanks, it's not my car. The guy who owns it works very remotely and the area we are at has very low crime, so he should be ok. I'll pass that on.

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Fixed gear teeth in vintage Mercedes window regulator. The war against entropy. My passenger side rear window was not going all the way up and it made this grinding noise as I tried to close it. On opening it up I found two broken teeth on the gear that is turned by the motor pinion.

These regulators have become unobtanium. Not sold by Mercedes. Currently none on ebay. When they do show up they're outlandishly priced. No more good ones in the junkyard. So it was time to rebuild and reuse what I had.

The gear. Three broken teeth.

Image

TIG braze on silicon bronze caps on the teeth. I learned this from a bunch of videos on YouTube. Apparently silicon bronze is the go to material for gear tooth restoration on old lathes. This is a fast process like soldering. I decided to add material to some of the other worn gear teeth. They weren't broken like the first two, but I figured since I'm here. Zap zap zap zap!

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Grind down the sides of the gear with a disk grinder fitted with a flap disk. This only took a few minutes. Power tools. I started at it with a mill file but I figured lets use power and save some time. The bronze is surprisingly hard to cut with a file.

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Shape the profile of the teeth with a Dremel tool fitted with an abrasive mini cutoff wheel. Again, use power tools. Don't use a file. Took ten minutes to do all these teeth. They aren't perfect but they are close enough. I should have done all of them. All of the teeth are worn a bit. The ones I left alone made a growling noise when I tested it out later...but by then I'd cleaned up my tools.

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Final shot. The teeth are restored. I powered up the regulator and it is much quieter now. It doesn't freewheel on the missing teeth either. This was like doing dental work. The rotary moto tool and the disk grinder made fast work of the gear hobbing process. Should have restored all the teeth. Maybe when I pull the torch out again. The good news is it works again.

When you're cutting or filing on things there is this notion that you cannot put material back and make something bigger. Everything is subtractive. The torch helps you put material back where you want it. Good skill for reusing worn out stuff.

Image

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

I have a peculiar problem with my 2001 Subaru Forester. About a month and a half ago, I was driving from Chicago to the west coast and all was going fine. At some point in Iowa, I started to notice that if I went over 70 mph for long periods (more than a few minutes or so) the car started to bounce, up and down. This has never happened before with this vehicle. No play in the steering wheel, no vibrations and the car did not pull in either direction. There is a mild thumping sound that often accompanies it, if I am remembering correctly. The bouncing could get kind of intense and would go away after a minute or so after I slowed down to around 60 mph. This was on smooth, new highway asphalt, no bumps involved. Hitting bumps at lower speeds did/does not produce any bouncing, nor did/does any bouncing occur if I kept/keep the car below 70 mph. I do think it is something in the area of the front driver side tire. The bouncing seems to occur primarily there.

Internet research hasn't brought me any clues, suggesting that it may be the wheels, suspension, cv joint, or something in the steering column.

-I had the wheels balanced prior to the trip and then again a few weeks ago on the off chance it was the wheels, no luck. The wheels are otherwise near new, 1.5 years old with little wear. I do wonder if the one tire has uneven wear or something else wrong with it, but it doesn't appear so from my look. When I had the tires balanced a few weeks ago, I mentioned the issues to the mechanics and they didn't notice anything off either.

- I don't think it's the shocks as the car doesn't bounce when hitting bumps, on rough roads or anytime I go under 70. I tested the shocks/struts by applying downward pressure at each wheel. I noticed no abnormal movement.

-I have a hard time thinking it's anything in the steering column as there is no vibrations, pulling or noise. When making turns, sharp or otherwise, the car does not make any noise.

-I thought perhaps the CV joint, but I checked the joints and the boots are all intact with no leaking grease to be seen anywhere.

I'm at a loss for what it could be and unsure of what to check out or try next. Any thoughts or suggestions?

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Ego
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Ego »

High winds. Could the hood be pulling up and down against the latch, causing a bounce each time it shifts from upward to downward extremes against the wind? Maybe check the spacers on the hood to make sure there is no play? Or maybe a loose hinge?

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Yeah that sounds like an odd one from a mechanical point of view.

Wild guesses: carrying a heavy load? Does it occur with or without traction control activated?

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

Ego wrote:
Sun Feb 12, 2023 8:14 am
High winds. Could the hood be pulling up and down against the latch, causing a bounce each time it shifts from upward to downward extremes against the wind? Maybe check the spacers on the hood to make sure there is no play? Or maybe a loose hinge?
A couple weeks ago I was replacing some fluids and had a hard time shutting the hood, it wouldn't latch. That hadn't happened before. Once I got it shut it remained shut with no play, but the bouncing still happened after that. I'll have to look into that more. I hadn't considered that angle.
Sclass wrote:
Sun Feb 12, 2023 10:13 am
Wild guesses: carrying a heavy load? Does it occur with or without traction control activated?
It's happened with both heavy and light loads. It's occurred with traction control activated, I haven't thought to turn it off.

theanimal
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by theanimal »

Well, what do you know. I checked the hood and there is play when it is closed and after I opened it up I noticed the driver's side hood bumper is loose. I'm going to play around with the hood bumpers and adjust them so I can ideally shut it tight without any play. I won't be using it at highway speeds for a few weeks or so, so will have to wait to test it out. But seems very promising. Thank you very much for the suggestions @Ego and @Sclass!

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