Good Morning!!!! 57F @ 4:30AM. Sunny. High 72F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Spent some time googling for a cement mixer yesterday morning, and not turning up much of anything. Yes, there were the typical small mixers with plastic barrels and electric motors, but those won't get the job done, not reliably. Amazon had one no-name offering at around $4K, but I'd need far more info before spending that kind of money. That didn't leave me with many options if revival of the old mixer didn't pan out. So out in the garage, I dumped out the cleaner from the gas tank, and as noted was disappointed at the lack of results. Scrubbed and rinsed through the filler neck as best I could, then stuck the heat gun in there for half an hour to get it bone dry. Put everything back together, but couldn't even get a sputter. A shot of starting fluid did git'er goin' but only briefly, but long enough to show the engine had compression and spark. Off came the carb, which turned out to be gunked up with rusty water and some kind of white powder. Ran a wire through all the jets, finding some clogged, and finished up with shots of Berryman's cleaner all around.
Put it back together, and after another shot of starting fluid, it kept running this time. It was good to see the ol' gal back in action again after so many years of slumber. And you can bet when it's put away this time, there'll be some kind of tarp put over it. I'm thinkin' a trip to the hardware store for a BBQ cover might be just the ticket.
Got a little jolt of excitement as I came out of the garage yesterday and found a huge plume of black smoke billowing up across the canyon, accompanied by small and large explosions. That was quickly followed by sirens, and not much later than that the smoke started to die down. Turns out a car had burned, but it wasn't made clear if it was stolen or someone was just having a bad day. Hope to find out more in today's neighborhood news group on Facebook.
Had to move the van yesterday so I could bring the trailer full of steel up to the garage, and for the first time in quite a while, it sputtered on the first turn of the key, and started on the second. Whatever the problem is, it's temperature sensitive, as the thermometer was showing a comfortable 72F, warmest day of the year so far. That should be some kind of clue, but I've already replaced the temperature sensor, and the code reader reports that the engine control module is reading the correct temperature.:confused2:
Got the pipes unloaded without smashing any toes or fingers; cutting that last band around the bundle made a heck of a noise as the pipes spread out over the steel trailer deck! Gosh those twenty-four footers were heavy! Verified that the guys at the steel yard got the cuts made properly, which after everything else that went wrong, was a pleasant surprise. There are still more cuts to be made, so today I'll get them all measured and marked, and double checked, before I wheel the bandsaw out on the driveway and use the forks on the tractor to put them in place. Trying to have a be-kind-to-your-back day today.
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