More on the truck

The truck is doing about the same.  I replaced the tie rods (with the steering wheel upside down!) and had to get them removed, replaced, and the truck aligned at Sears.  They also replaced a ball joint.  My truck still has a wobble factor which may be due to a bad steering gear box, bad joints in the steering column, or some other wild cause. 

I did manage to change the passenger-side plugs to try and alleviate issues with rough running.  To do this costs around 400.00 at a shop.  I had to take the wheel off, remove the splash shield, use a long screwdriver to remove the plugs and blow out the recesses with an air compressor. I installed the plugs.  I put back the splash guard but not without cursing a blue streak.  The truck still doesn't run smooth but does run a hair better.  It's also low on gas.   Another fly in the ointment is that I was told that the camshaft position sensor is out of whack. 

I'm worried about the bump I get when I put the truck in reverse.  There could be a transmission situation that I will have to tend to later, especially if shifting gets worse.

I need to sand the roof and strip the hood and paint both.  I want my truck to do good on a trip to everywhere short of Atlanta. 

My truck

Yes it's my truck. I got it from an individual the last week of January. It is a burgundy 1996 Ford Ranger XLT with a V6 4.0L engine. The first thing I did was to get it insured. I didn't have good luck with the insurer for the Honda I now drive but I did get connected very rapidly with State Farm. Boom! I was insured with a few clicks. It got a trip to a car wash. I got to the tag office just in time the following week and got a new tag. I didn't get the blue and green tag; I just got a white one with a peach.

I was set to drive it other than having a few mechanical issues. The exhaust gasket between the Y and the first catalytic converter was gone and both halves of the three-bolt connector were 1/2in apart. This turned my truck into a gas chamber. Even with the window down I felt I was being gassed. The machine steered and accelerated rather oddly. I replaced the driver's side spark plugs. I plan to align the truck later and take care of

I took the truck to a mechanic and he said I had worn brakes, a canister purge solenoid issue, a leak near the transmission pan, and the exhaust issue. He took care of all but the brakes and did an induction cleaning. It cost me $620 or so dollars. I was expecting worse. I did the front brake pads myself and sanded the glaze off the rotors. The pad on the right side was so worn the metal wear tab was a few millimeters away from the rotor. Judging from the rust on the caliper bolts it seems that the truck's brakes were not done recently.

The brake lines will last another year or so. The  sensor wires lost part of their external sheath. A mechanic will have to deal with both of those issues. The same goes for getting it aligned. My steering wheel should be at the 9:00 positiion and not 8:30 when I go straight.

On the passenger's side I did not replace the plugs. This may explain some of the rough running. Fords require you to take the wheel off, curse, and twist the wrench onto the passenger-side plugs. The most valuable and potentially money-saving tool is a short piece of hose to hold the spark plug. It holds the plug just enough to let you hand-screw it into the engine. Cross-threading forces the hose to twist without moving the plug.

I've been reading John Jerome's "Truck"; a book he penned in 1977. He was a New England resident who once lived in New York and worked in advertising. In the coldest of winters Mr. Jerome took apart and reassembled a 1950 Dodge almost completely by himself. He sent part of the engine to a machinist and did the rest of the overhaul. His effort took two years. I don't think I'll be that brave.

An old friend in Blogger

I am astounded that Blogspot hasn't folded. We now have Facebook, which came after Myspace became a sewer. I have since seen the store go out of business twice and now have a girlfriend. I now work as a computer tech at the Medical Center of Central Georgia with some old hands. Maybe we're the "Over the Hill Gang" at Client Services. To compare Computer Resellers with MCCG's Computer Shop is comparing a Hemi powered Charger with an old Ford Focus. I was scared the first day and all days leading to such but I heard the words, "Be Patient" as I fidgeted and wondered why I could do little but sit in my chair and read documentation accumulated by techs gone by. I cried the night before I went to school back in '72. I was scared as heck about high school (8th grade usually is in middle school) in '79. College shook me up (or teachers who scared the student body with horror stories) in '84. I made it through all of them. Now I was smug at working for Walmart in 1990 and almost blew it. I know fear is good but I could see it can be too much of a good thing.

I am stupid

I am stupid. I may be legitimately stupid. Some people think I am stupid. It's my fault I am stupid. Not stupid in the sense that I can't read or write but the other kind of stupid.

Unemployment figures are out so I might have a chance at mobility- if I don't blow it. I oversleep and have a few too many distractions.

Two culprits

I removed the internal gear and put a picture of it and the worm gear on the tiller. I found a loose washer and bearing unit on the worm gear shaft.

Tiller woes

The tiller won't till. I got it to do the reverse-till feature but before going far the engine conked out under the load. The engine sometimes will stop running after several seconds even after a load. I tried a belt to get the forward-till to work but, possibly because there wasn't enough tension, the machine just scraped the belt. It's time I changed the engine and fixed another idler pulley.

My inherited tiller

In the middle of last month I received a tiller. It was free and my cousin was giving it away as he had sold his parents' house. I went to the house and my first thought was that he was giving up a beautiful pine-covered yard with pretty plants. The tiller sat under a washtub and other covering. Thus it wasn't all that rusty. No doubt my new baby would need work but I love bringing dead things back to life. His neighbor told me that the tiller was his family's and that my cousin's parents only used it once. We trotted it through the pine grove to my vehicle.



The first thing I did was read the model numbers and other data off the machine. Its model number defied a Google search and some of the model tag was missing. The original owner said it was a Wizard tiller. One forum poster said it was a True Value tiller; my uncle concurred. He had acquired a similar unit that was reengined. The small picture has a Wizard tiller of similar vintage.

---

The 5hp Briggs and Stratton 130202-0136-01 engine had a date code of 6610251 which meant it was made in Milwaukee on October 25, 1966. Likely the tiller was made at about the same time. Few plastic parts made up the tiller. It was solid. I took pictures and sprayed cleaner on the machine. The gear box received a flushing of its blackened lubricant and in went some 85W gear oil which slightly oozed from the leaking edges. I drained the crankcase and ran paint thinner through it. I took the spark plug wire off and cycled the engine. I poured in some oil which I later drained and refilled. The oil plug was stubborn and my pliers rounded it off so I now have a carriage bolt damming the oil.

I took off the metal tine cover and handle shield to allow me to paint the deck. I took the handles off. The once-chrome handles were covered in rust and white paint.


It took a week to paint the deck red (I could find no orange/red like the original finish). The gas tank came off and I removed the carburetor before sanding and priming it. The several coats of primer and paint didn't totally obscure all of the bare metal. One set of tines came off but the other tines were rusted on. I did the best I could to paint the deck.

The tiller would not generate a spark to power the machine. I at first used a voltmeter to ohm out the magneto. I didn't put it on 2KOhms but on a lower setting. This caused a false reading of a short so I ordered an electronic armature/ignition assembly. After thinking it was just a modified plain-jane magneto and hooking one of its wires to the condenser I finally found out that I didn't need to fix the points to go with the device. The reason it wouldn't fire after installing the assembly was a wide gap between it and the flywheel as well as not generating enough RPM while spinning the wheel by hand. It takes a high RPM to activate an electronic ignition. I tested the ignition by putting starter fluid in the spark plug hole and inserting the plug. It puffed to life for the first time in several years before the flammable ethers ran out.

The carburetor is a story in and of itself. I replaced the diaphragm and cleaned the device thoroughly but the engine ran only when cleaning fluid was sprayed into the air intake. I had ripped up the stuck valve seat and thought the seat was the problem. Last Friday I broke a plastic secondary intake hose. I finally got the brass seat out and replaced it and the needle assembly this Saturday night. This took several tank seals over the past few days. Rust was in the gas tank and twice I had to shake the tank after I put in rocks and cleaning fluid to scrape the muck away. I did not get the carburetor to work without fully choking it. Only full replacement of the carburetor will remedy this but for now it works.

I have to get a third belt for the tiller. The last two were too small. Finally it dawned on me to sever a washing machine belt and cut it to fit so I could find out exactly what I needed. The beast has a reverse feature but who tills backwards?

February 1973 snow had no warning

This Friday there is a 30% chance of snow and rain predicted. Never does it accumulate or pile up in Macon when you expect it. The people go crazy and buy bread and milk at the first hint of snow (what if the juice goes out and the weather becomes warm? What of your milk, then?)

Perhaps it is the memory of the unexpected snow of 1973. The graphic shows how the Weather Bureau was blindsided. They expected rain but for three or four days Macon was paralyzed. Without the aid of 4WD vehicles, most from the National Guard, we would have been in big trouble. The Middle Georgia CB Club (predecessor to REACT) volunteer group was of immense aid. For the first time the local Civil Defense (later called EMA) got its feet wet (and cold) in a real crisis. They did well.

Not that Friday will give us much of what we saw happen up north this week. Then again....

A little more oomph but...

I've felt a little more motivated since early September. I don't think I'll go to school until I'm comfortable doing so. I would like to get some certifications in networking. Grease monkeys- IT or otherwise- don't go far. I figure that, unless it's higher math, that my failure to achieve academically is linked to laziness.

I got the Genral Tso to go more places. I put in a battery. I wish I didn't have the issue with the radio playing on not all speakers.

A little better but....

The past month, since I had gotten dehydrated the last of June, has been dull. I got in a rut where I didn't do much but sleep and fix a stubborn lawn mower. For two weeks my back has hurt when bending a certain way. It is getting better but slowly.

What's got me down is finding I have worthless college degrees. I am having to confront my weaknesses. I find more and more that I am too impulsive and emotional to function as I should on the job. I'm also seeing that everything is the same old same old. Finally I waste time and then get mad about it. Why do I do these things to myself. Oh and I dropped a Java course partly because I would come home too sleepy to study.


Maybe I'm in an orgy of self-hate and that's why I am beating myself up. I think I am lazy- and I probably am. It's also easy to be cynical of others when you don't go to church very often (that is, once every two years) and don't socialize with but a token few people. Every time I go to the Wal-Mart on the northwest side of Warner Robins I walk away mad at my exposure to humanity.

I have a tooth hurting me when exposed to cold food. I have a feeling it needs a root canal so I don't want to spend too much money too soon. The same goes for some redneck passing by in a big-wheeled pickup and flinging rocks at my windshield- possibly from his big treads or the bed of his vehicle. Safelite will love me.

Now I need to go back to bed. I woke up at 3:45AM and now it's 5:25AM. I have a feeling that my sleep is being violated. All I wanted to do when I got up is brush my teeth and look up Boone's Farm. I thought about drinking a little bit of it one night while on vacation. This may mean a trip to a slummy liquor store and sleeping through breakfast and beach time. It also means working with an unpredictable drug- which alcohol is. I've had a soft spot for Boone's farm since I saw a picture my sister drew and since I listened to a Kenny Chesney song.

Universally Wet

Monday, April 6, 2009

On Saturday I woke up at around 11AM. I had slept late the previous night because I was dumb enough to read Google's newspaper archives. My head was spinning in anticipation of my vacation. I didn't get worked up about it on the days previous but I was excited. Too bad I only had three days off including Sunday. I suspect I wanted to save on a day's motel check.

I got food for the family from Zaxby's and got packing once I finished lunch. It was approximately 2PM when I left. I dropped by a Dollar General and got lucky on drinks. I found a six-pack of Coke for as much as a 20oz bottle. With that and two
candy bars I left. I dropped by a station near the Dooly County line to gas up then went to Cordele to take pictures of the missile. There is a Titan I missile on display. The plaque on it was updated since I last took pictures but it was still referred to as the "Confedereate Air Force" missile pad. I didn't know they could get away with that in these times!

I dropped by Ashburn and Cordele to see a surplus store. I saw a billboard and got the exit numbers confused. I drove through Ashburn and found nothing. I found the store in Cordele but it was closed. There was this drive-in which seemed to be a leftover from the Sixties. On the way to Valdosta I took pictures of some flooding near Brooks County. The boat ramp was inaccessible due to the water. I felt I needed a john break so I went to Wal-Mart in Valdosta. There are bunches of fat,
whiskery country boys in Valdosta. This happens in agrarian communities. I slid by Shoney's and had coffee and a strawberry pie.

It was becoming night and I drove on and on to Ocala. One motel there had plywood on the windows. Another had someone rolling luggage on a provided clothes rack. I figured the motel was a bit too rich for my blood. When I hit the turnpike I drove
back and forth and down side roads since I was reading what passed for a map. A little more planning would not have hurt. I made it to a Best Western in Ocoee. The room was only 70.00 or so. I love being off the beaten path sometimes; it is so
cheap!

I intended to lay there in bed and wake up. I woke up- at 9AM. I slept in my clothes. I brushed my teeth, showered and shaved, and made it down to Perkins' restaurant. They were busy. But not to worry; I had a 10% discount. These days mean
that I will take anything cheap besides a kick in the pants. I had a 10.00 breakfast. Just think; I could have gone to Hardee's if I had gotten up earlier. Why do I do these things to myself?

I picked up a few things and drove to Universal Orlando Resort. Being the absent-minded person I am I had picked up brochures only to forget them at the breakfast table. At least I remembered what I read. As I made my way to Interstate 4 I
took some pictures of an Ocoee hotel that was being demolished. There were three police cars nearby so I went to the side of the building on the sidewalk to take pictures. I guess the cops were there to see who wrote gang graffiti on the structure.

I had sidetracked myself onto Apopka-Vineland and Conroy-Windermere Roads. I had to turn around twice near the Catholic Church around the corner from the Mall of the Millenium.I looked at the map again in the parking lot of the mall. I had no time
to go into the mall- even if it had a Bloomingdale's and was fancier than most malls in Atlanta. I wasn't thrilled enough to go into the Ikea either.

I made it onto the exit to Universal. I only had to pay 12.00 to park. I was pleasantly surprised. I had to take a few moving walkways and get my bags searched but it was much more trouble-free than Disney World. I was in the park and thought
was going to visit for only 12.00. I didn't see much in the el cheapo section. I sat and had a non-alcoholic pina colada. Then I found that the rest of the attractions cost 94.00. I waited in line at the Islands of Adventure as some clueless people tried to buy tickets. My efforts were simple; just give the man a credit card and say what you want. I was determined to make my money count.

My favorite was the Comics section of the park. There was a Gasoline Alley store where I bought Mom a shirt. There was xylophone and raucous swing music playing to set the mood. The station played old OTR episodes of "Gasoline Alley". I went to the Popeye store to look at goodies for my sister's grandchildren. I loved the fog-fans used to cool visitors.

The next stop was Jurassic Park. I had ribs and chicken with a corn ear and seasoned potatoes. I should learn to cook this good. I bought my great-nephew a shirt. I saw a cute "dinosaur" hatch from its egg. I wondered if Big Boy would have attacked it mercilessly or just run. I rode the roller-coaster style ride. I sat on my hat and put away my sunglasses. The ride was innocent enough other than being splashed a little bit. Then my craft was raised for approximately four or five stories. I saw a wall in front of my head and wondered if I were headed right for it. I felt the ride stop for a little then I closed my eyes. I wish that I had not closed my eyes but it seemed to be the thing to do. I had to keep myself from leaning forward (we were instructed not to do this). I saw the Dr. Seuss section and returned to the Cartoon section. I rode a Popeye raft after circumnavigating a maze that seemed to lead in circles. I was drenched as much or more than at Jurassic Park. I bought my great-niece an Olive Oyl doll.

It was close to 6:30 when I left. I saw the actual Studios section and saw where the ticket was for two parks. This was a park made to appear like a movie set. I went in line and asked if the ticket would get me in. I put my thumbprint on a reader, had my ticket scanned, and went in. There was a Schwab's Drug Store restaurant, a Mel's Drive In, and some old-style Hollywood
stores in the first section. After passing through a garden I went to the Woody Woodpecker and Barney sections. It's sad when signs are posted telling you to respect "the little people" in the Woody Woodpecker area.

I walked through the Jaws area, the San Francisco area, and went to the Disaster section. It was an interactive exhibit which had a select few of the audience participate in a tape-and-splice disaster movie including "The Rock" himself. I and the other secondary "players" were subway riders who were videotaped. I had pizza and cherry Coke at Louie's, a restaurant in the New York section. Before I left i got a big cookie. It was 8:30PM.

I drove from I-4 going the opposite way, thinking I was headed to Daytona. I was headed to Tampa. I wanted to head to St. Augustine and get some rest. I went to the Super Target to make a pit stop. I took the turnpike to US 17. I felt weird listening to airchecks instead of the radio. Most of the time I listen to talk radio as I drive. In Orlando I saw a white lady either selling crack or tricks to a black man in the decrepit section. I saw a Cowboy-whatever club. Then I saw some old bedraggled man making gestures to the traffic. And I was scared of the ride at Jurassic Park?

I made it out and when I got to Sanford I decided to just take Interstate 4 to Interstate 95. My speed was taking a hit at the stop lights and small towns. I needed to go to bed sooner or later. The Ipod had some 1964 WKBW airchecks replete with easy listening intertwined with Beatles cuts. I made it to St. Augustine near FL 16. I stayed in an Econo Lodge. My room had an inoperative TV so I had to try to get the weather on the radio. I should have brought the larger AM/FM/TV/Weatheradio instead of the hand-crank gizmo. My feet stunk and it was a wonder I didn't have athlete's foot.

The next morning I woke up in time to catch the last ten minutes of the continental breakfast in the lobby (rolls and coffee). I went to the old village and was rained on. It turned sunny so I returned to the SUV to stow my umbrella as it was getting sunny. The Florida weather gave me a sucker punch. Thankfully I had a hat
on as I finished my hot dog. I took FL16 to Lake City and took Interstate 75 back home. I got gas in Valdosta and made a toilet stop at a rest stop near Adel on the way home.

Outta Town?

I don't want to be greedy in these times when GM is on the ropes and a stimulus bill might kill off what little's left of the economy, but....

I am tired of stagnating in my career and my life. I put 110% of me into my job. So much is self-induced stress. I come home tired. This may earn me a trip to the doctor if more exercise doesn't build me up. My biggest goal is to live in a place of my own and to move upwards. Ten years as a tech has been wonderful and fun but there's more work- and more fun- to be had. I see the world, and the town, around me collapsing.

One thing is for sure; I need to smooth over some people skills and quell some impulsive aspects of my nature. But who was it that decided he was too tired for church? I'm in a cocoon and I want out immediately!

Teaser: on being a snob

This is what is known as a teaser post. It means to get ready for a larger post.

I met some people I knew from college; some who I never heard from in almost TWENTY years. Then I thought; do they or did they ever know that my family didn't have the money that they or their families had. In fact, we are maybe a step behind compared to the people attending our church or living nearby.

The kids attending my college, a private school, were technically from upper-to-middle class families. Many of the out-of-towners joined Greek organizations. I was a GDI (the last letter is Independent; the first two come from Reverend Wright). I would have been closer to my element at, say, UGA or GCSU. Would I have enjoyed it as much? Maybe or maybe not.

Take me twenty years ago. I was not only a shy person with very awkward social skills; I was a snob. A snob is one with an inferiority complex who worries about the other person having more and who dislikes whoever has less. That was me. A poor snob.

I want to elaborate so those who knew me from school will realize that I was who I was and fairly judge me. They may have not known I had little. I got along fine with them and enjoyed talking to them. In fact some still remember me. I didn't reveal too much about myself. I was scared they would hurt me for who I was- or what I was.

I also want to get into the discussion further to apologize to these people. I was a Democrat, for example. I felt they were too tight with "evil" evangelical Christians. I was attracted to taxing the rich because I thought it would make my world better. Today I feel terrible I could be such a fool and not treat them more fairly. I wasn't doing that badly after all; I did get into the school, make decent grades, and had no intentions of letting it go to waste.

I'll talk about this later.

New Year, Old Promises

1/1/09

I realized that the reason I dread the new year is because I am scared I will get lazy and break my promises. I want to lose weight and go further in my career. I want to live in another city. I have made too many excuses and become too lazy. Nobody is trying to make me break my promises. Yes the economy may be bad but that isn't a sign to roll over and give up.


It is likely the General Tso will ride again. In October I idled it due to lack of funds to fix the wheel bearing on the front driver's side. It also has a transmission issue. When all of that is dealt with I plan on fixing the valve cover gasket.

To bring the newbies to speed here are some notes on the General Tso:

Sunday, August 06, 2006
General Tso actually gets brakes fixed
08/06/06

The General Tso got its brakes fixed. Yes, it does need its rotors ground but for 280.00 that can wait. The danger aspect of the brakes is gone thanks to the Mad Machinist. I had replaced the front pads but the rear shoes needed replacement. Try this; take a glass jar and rotate it as you would when taking off the lid. Put your thumb on the inside of the jar and force the twirling to stop. This is how brake shoes work on a drum on the rear of a car. Of course it isn't that simple due to the springs and brake adjustment screw so I took it to the Mad Machinist. Yes there is lots of travel space on the pedal but much of that is normal. I do have to finish with the smell issue and the fuel feed being stubborn but these aren't that critical. Nor is having to feed the thing a quart of oil once every few weeks. A
head job is more costly than feeding it oil until it smokes all the time.

General Tso's Rug Gets Shampooed
07/24/06

I took out the passenger's seat on the General Tso as I figured this would most effectively let me clean the carpet. I shampooed and brushed the carpet and front and rear mats. I vacuumed the rug after it dried. The seat was shampooed, brushed,and vacuumed too. Of course the hardest part was aligning the screw holes with the holes on the seat. The left front screw hole had been stripped by the time I got through. Saturday night I tried to screw the seat in and got really angry. I tried to pry, curse, and sweat through the ordeal.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006
General Tso gets new brakes for real I slept then changed the brake pads on the General Tso. I put a new retainer clip on the left side and compressed the piston with a C-clamp and a chisel laid flat. Even with this I had to do some tapping to slide the caliper on. I am sure a pro would not have to resort to tapping to force a caliper onto the rotor. I hate travel space and feeling a thunk when I brake slowly and hard. Possibly this is normal operation but I did see less of this happen thanks to the new pads.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Thursday I tried to put brake pads on the General Tso. I had pages printed from the Honda manual I downloaded which told me how to do the pads. Of course on part of another page I didn't have it advised me to move the piston. Thus when I had the 3/4 in pad and backings on each side of the rotors I was unable to get the piston (looks like a pipe) to fit around the pads. Another web site told me to remove the cap from the brake fluid.


I got a C-Clamp yesterday from Big Lots. It may not be big enough. I also need Honda-type brake fluid. The DOT3 probably isn't to specifications. I would have done the brakes last night but didn't feel like it.
General Tso gets new tire and brakes fixed

6/26/06
I took the General Tso to get the passenger's front tire replaced with a used tire at Economy Tire on Third Street. It cost around 28.00. I also purchased from Pep Boys 30.00 worth of brake pads and the adhesive and cleaner I would need to effect the repair. The car drives better. Of course this weekend it rained, even heavily sometimes. This put a damper on all but indoor work.



Speaking of the General Tso I got "The Damn Show" DVD off Ebay. It has too much of the male reproductive system and too little in the way of creativity but there were some moments- such as Willie the bum and "The Gooks of Hazzard" -that were so funny.

Saturday, June 10, 2006
General Tso gets new fan

Hello
I got the condenser fan for the Honda (General Tso). It was a used Acura fan which I had to remove from its mount and put onto the old shroud for the Honda. I installed it and works fine.

I am concerned about the brakes on the General. When I put on brakes I find they shake when doing all but sudden braking. I looked at the pads; they have 1/8 in left on them. Honda's service manual says .05 of an inch is serviceable (huh?). I priced some basic metallic pads at 20.00. Hopefully the debacle with the Corsica won't repeat itself (in which I could not get the wheel nuts off as they disintegrated when I used a non-metric wrench). I may just take it to my machinist and let him turn the rotors; they are ribbed for my displeasure. He can then do the pads. Then again 20.00 is so attractive for a car that will last a year or two.

Driving an Explorer makes for a heavy foot on the General. I wasn't doing that great with being attentive to the road so I had to hit the brakes hard at least twice. Needless to say I must be careful. I will say this; the General Tso is in for an oil change. I have the filter to do it with too.

The Air Compressor PT 3 and General Tso
5/31/06

I took my dad's Honda which is now a secondary car. I want to use it to save gas and to keep the car in running condition. I call it the General Tso. The reason for this name is that some Athens comedians did a "The Damn Show" DVD. Therein is a sketch in which "The Gooks of Hazzard" drive a Celica with a Japanese flag and 01 written in a Chinese font. They call it the "General Tso" and can run away from the sheriff as they have better gas mileage.

New Radio Feud

A new radio feud has appeared. Not between two radio stars but involving one county commissioner and a talk show host. Click on the link. Remember another feud with an Allen? Fred Allen and Jack Benny? This one is more hysterical.