crazietalk.net

I was not allowed to get my license until I could change a tire, change the oil, change a radiator hose, replace a belt, check (and fill if needed) all vital fluids, identify oil/tranny fluid/brake fluid in puddles on the ground, and locate and understand all main engine components.

Yes, my grandfather was in fact a mechanic...why do you ask He was determined that I would never get 'taken' by a repair shop nor would I have to stand helpless by the side of the road. This knowledge has served me well, and saved me more than a few $$.

CathyCA wrote:
Here's my tire-changing safety hint: Roll down the windows in order to lower the car's center of gravity before you put the car on the jack. The wind from passing cars is less likely to knock the car off the jack with a lowered center of gravity.

Sorry, Cathy, but I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. First, the weight of the side windows is miniscule in comparison to the weight of the car, so while you are lowering the COG, it is not in any way significant (I'm guessing 0.001%?). Second, the force of the wind from a passing car is equally miniscule. A hurricane force wind maybe, but not vortex swirl coming from a passing car. And as the swirl enters the car interior, wouldn't it be just as likely to push up on the roof, raising the COG? And what if it's raining?

Only lower your car windows if you want to keep the car cooler, but don't ever let someone sit in the car while you have it up on a jack: dangerous for you, dangerous for them, and more weight to lift (and fall!)

Being able to change a tire is a valuable skill every driver should have, although many of today's new cars don't come with a spare, not even the small, limited speed and range donut spares. Better to have AAA (or similar)! And always carry a can of "Fix-A-Flat" for those small punctures caused by picking up a nail in the tread. It'll seal the hole and re-inflate the tire enough that it can be driven on. It won't work on large holes or blowouts, or punctures to the side wall, but it's well worth the $5 to have it available in your trunk.

I spent $30 on a 2 ton floor jack years ago. It lives in my trunk. I do NOT trust those cheap little scissor things that come with your car. I also own a four way lug wrench. It lives in the car too.

OZZIE4DUKE wrote:

CathyCA wrote:
Here's my tire-changing safety hint: Roll down the windows in order to lower the car's center of gravity before you put the car on the jack. The wind from passing cars is less likely to knock the car off the jack with a lowered center of gravity.

Sorry, Cathy, but I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. First, the weight of the side windows is miniscule in comparison to the weight of the car, so while you are lowering the COG, it is not in any way significant (I'm guessing 0.001%?). Second, the force of the wind from a passing car is equally miniscule. A hurricane force wind maybe, but not vortex swirl coming from a passing car. And as the swirl enters the car interior, wouldn't it be just as likely to push up on the roof, raising the COG? And what if it's raining?

Only lower your car windows if you want to keep the car cooler, but don't ever let someone sit in the car while you have it up on a jack: dangerous for you, dangerous for them, and more weight to lift (and fall!)

Being able to change a tire is a valuable skill every driver should have, although many of today's new cars don't come with a spare, not even the small, limited speed and range donut spares. Better to have AAA (or similar)! And always carry a can of "Fix-A-Flat" for those small punctures caused by picking up a nail in the tread. It'll seal the hole and re-inflate the tire enough that it can be driven on. It won't work on large holes or blowouts, or punctures to the side wall, but it's well worth the $5 to have it available in your trunk.

Of course you don't leave anyone in the car while you're putting it up on a jack. And we can agree to disagree on my hint for changing tires--lower the center of gravity.

Or you could do what I do: buy a car with run-flats. You can drive up to 150 miles on those bad boys after the warning light comes on that you have a flat. The people at the dealership are more than happy to change out the tires which are covered under a warranty, purchased separately. It's well-worth the expense.

Also, cars with run-flats don't get blow-outs and flip over. It's a safety thing.

windsor wrote:I was not allowed to get my license until I could change a tire, change the oil, change a radiator hose, replace a belt, check (and fill if needed) all vital fluids, identify oil/tranny fluid/brake fluid in puddles on the ground, and locate and understand all main engine components.

Yes, my grandfather was in fact a mechanic...why do you ask He was determined that I would never get 'taken' by a repair shop nor would I have to stand helpless by the side of the road. This knowledge has served me well, and saved me more than a few $$.

I believe my dad must related to your grandfather! Bud made us pretty much do the same things.

windsor wrote:I was not allowed to get my license until I could change a tire, change the oil, change a radiator hose, replace a belt, check (and fill if needed) all vital fluids, identify oil/tranny fluid/brake fluid in puddles on the ground, and locate and understand all main engine components.

Yes, my grandfather was in fact a mechanic...why do you ask He was determined that I would never get 'taken' by a repair shop nor would I have to stand helpless by the side of the road. This knowledge has served me well, and saved me more than a few $$.

And they don't try to change your blinker fluid a second time... ;) Very cool, Windsor. But we wouldn't have expected anything less from you! Well done.

Max has his permit. He drives every opportunity he has. Ann, his other grandmother, said he doing very good. It's hard for me to believe Max is 15.

Yeah - we have had rain all day long. I have gotten about 3 inches today. I wish Isaac hadn't caused so many problems in LA and MS and Al but I'm grateful for the steady rain it has brought my part of KS today.

Hey! What is the capacity for blinker fluids in the average passenger car? I think my mech is over-filling mine.

From Blue Devil Alley today:
http://mail.aol.com/36912-111/aol-6/en- ... l&partId=0

captmojo wrote:Hey! What is the capacity for blinker fluids in the average passenger car? I think my mech is over-filling mine.

The left blinker or right blinker?

windsor wrote:

captmojo wrote:Hey! What is the capacity for blinker fluids in the average passenger car? I think my mech is over-filling mine.

The left blinker or right blinker?

Front, rear, or dash blinkers?

It's mainly my 4-ways. They don't blink, so much as 'gurgle'. ;)

And don''t forget, you should always change the air in your tires every 5,000 miles.

Turk wrote:And don''t forget, you should always change the fluid in your tires every 5,000 miles.

Corrected/edited it for you. You're welcome ;) .

Gonna spend Labor Day with the boss. He's called a staff meeting for 40,000 in the music department down at the Phillies ballpark tonight.

"I always loved the feel of sweat on my shirt
Stand back son, and let a man work,
Let a man work, is that so wrong?
I woke up this morning shackled and drawn..."

Have given Wrecking Ball a few spins; I do like the Irish feel on some of the tunes; notes of Black 47 or Ceili Rain on the audio palate. Apparently the old man came close to the four hour mark last night. Check out this set list. 32 songs, including Jersey Girl (always surprises the newbies that one's a Tom Waits cover) and other rarities...

Review with extra hyperbole on top:
http://brucespringsteen.net/news/2012/w ... pa-night-1

Set list with some youtube links:
http://brucetapes.com/2012/09/02/bruce- ... elphia-pa/

Just returned home after a weekend at my parents' house. Their internet was out, and no one up there had the wherewithal to call the internet service provider. Yes, the person from the farthest away had to be the one to take care of the problem. A repairman came out on Saturday and has to come back on Tuesday. As it turns out, the problem is much larger than my parents' internet. They've been having phone problems, too - as has half of the community. No one had called it in. Crazy, right?

It appears that my mom's symptoms are worsening. Her writing is deteriorating very rapidly, and she seems to have more trouble talking. We've noticed that she says "no" when she means "yes" a lot, which makes communication a bit challenging. It's all very frustrating for her.

She asked me to play piano at church on Sunday, which was a complete surprise - I haven't practiced in ages. Made it okay, though; only played with one hand. My sister said that my mom did a great job singing along with all the songs, so we might need to make sure there's someone there to play piano more often. Mom has a terrible time playing, and singing would be great for her.

Turk wrote:Gonna spend Labor Day with the boss. He's called a staff meeting for 40,000 in the music department down at the Phillies ballpark tonight.

"I always loved the feel of sweat on my shirt
Stand back son, and let a man work,
Let a man work, is that so wrong?
I woke up this morning shackled and drawn..."

Have given Wrecking Ball a few spins; I do like the Irish feel on some of the tunes; notes of Black 47 or Ceili Rain on the audio palate. Apparently the old man came close to the four hour mark last night. Check out this set list. 32 songs, including Jersey Girl (always surprises the newbies that one's a Tom Waits cover) and other rarities...

Review with extra hyperbole on top:
http://brucespringsteen.net/news/2012/w ... pa-night-1

Set list with some youtube links:
http://brucetapes.com/2012/09/02/bruce- ... elphia-pa/

Awesome, Turk. Just another peaceful night at the old (new) ballpark. Just goes to show you how "We Take Care of Our Own." ;)

I may have to put another Springsteen show on my bucket list...

I'm visiting St. Louis next weekend to re-list my condo and also to visit with a foreign collaborator who will be in town. I thought I'd be in a single meeting to talk about revisions on a manuscript. However, I received an email over the weekend from PHB, saying that he'll be out of town and that other lab personnel will be assisting me and our collaborator. This annoys me on multiple levels. First off, our collaborator has been planning this visit for, literally, months. Why does PHB suddenly decide to go out of town? (Note that the announcement of his absence came after I said I was coming. Coincidence?) Talk about rude. Secondly, I don't work for PHB any more, and it's presumptuous of him to think that I'm going to stay there the whole time and work on these experiments. I have other things to do, and last time I checked, he's not paying me anything to come there and do his job. Methinks it's time to send him a polite little note and remind him of point number two. Thoughts?