WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY ?

[MossflowerWoods]

Yesterday I reconnected all the hoses and watered the horses and filled the duck wading pool. I also used the FS-90 steel bladed trimmer to cut saplings around the chicken coop.

Then I drained the hoses again, just in case.

Be well,
David

 

[EE_Bota]

I was waiting on the machine shop to call and say they have my Subaru hubs pressed, but they called and said one was pressed and one was ruined. Sure enough, when he tried to press the axle out of the hub*, he bent the axle in the threaded area just like bending a nail. So now the knuckle, axle half shaft and the hub are a permanent unit, and I am hunting a used knuckle on the internet. I THINK I ordered a reman half-shaft, but you never know what you get until it arrives since they play loose with half-shafts and applications.

Oh, well, I did install the left front completely, and rotated the tires. I need left front parts for 2004 Subaru Baja with DOHC and Turbo with manual transmission. I'll have to bird dog that but I must go on to the next phase: Timing belt kit with water pump installation and thermostat (while I wait.) I will also install new camshaft seals (4) and a new crank seal, new hoses, new drive belts, and try to check the valve clearance while I am in there. I hope the clearance is good since they are shim under bucket. Complications are variable valve timing, and I have never dealt with that before, but it doesn't look too bad. The 105,000 mile service is a pain, but I should be good to go for another 100,000 when done. It has been a trouble free and versatile vehicle. I think it is a New York Baja, and even thought I bought it in Boone, only 2 years old, 20,000 miles, salt must have got to it. Normally I can press a Subaru half shaft with my thumb, or worst case one peck with a brass drift.

*Before I took it to the shop, I had the hub flange up to 480, and heat transfer had the knuckle up to 208F. I had it sprayed down with PB blaster. I ruined an OTC axle press by repeated tightening and hammering on the push bolt. I wound up even trying an air hammer and heating...then I gave up and took it to the machine shop to see if they could get it, but they bent it. I don't blame the fellow for it, but normally when I do similar press work, I put the nut on, but loose, so if it starts to bend, it will bottom the nut edge in the direction of bend before yield point is reached. I offered him a nut, but he declined. My press is only 12 ton, and too small physically, so I didn't even try mine. As I told a buddy, even this sort of trouble is still progress.

Yesterday, I FINALLY finished this project. The car runs right, and is quiet. No matter how careful you are, there is always relief when after changing a timing belt, the engine runs right. I had less doubts about that this time than whether the new water pump would leak.

Anyway..one screwup yesterday: When I bought the anti-freeze from the dealer, he asked if I wanted the blue or the green...remembering the label color, I said "blue." I just changed the antifreeze a couple of years ago, so I did just like last time...WRONG! Even though the jugs look identical, the latest bottle was a 50/50 mix whereas the last bottle was pure. Now my car is filled with one bottle of 50/50 mix and one bottle of pure water. And I paid them at least 24 dollars for that bottle, meaning 48 dollars to have done it properly.

I was mad when I discovered that bottles of identical looking Subaru antifreeze varied in concentration from pure to half. But it's my own fault for being stupid. It is my hope that since the overflow bottle is empty, and I didn't knock myself out burping the system, I will discover that there is enough room to add pure Peak Global antifreeze enough to get the right mix. I will to the math, find out all the answers, and resolve to never play the Subaru antifreeze game again.

 

[sfloggie]

Visited with some hunters on our land that are retired Marine and State/Federal Officers in early morning. Really great guys, plus they can really cook a great breakfast.

Met with a hard worker who is cutting a trail along my Eastern Boundary. 32 degrees in early morning. I gave him my 357 in case he saw a bear or something of like size. Guy started work and then we hear the 357 fire once. The Conservation Officer (Game Warden) with the group went to the guy's location and they returned shortly.

Turns out the location he was working in came alive with Cottonmouths everywhere he turned. He fired at one that came up on a tree he had cut. Never would have thought these snakes were out in this cold weather.

Day continued well for the hunters until some offsite hunters let their dogs loose and they chased some very large deer including a 10-point buck across the property. All deer seem to have left shortly after that point, so the hunters on my property left their stands and went home until the deer settle down.

Beautiful day in Southern VA that ended with my grandson playing in the dirt near the barn and me falling asleep watching him. Oh...my daughter's second son was born this afternoon at 3PM..quite a Blessing.

Good Day, Jim

 

[milkman636]

Congratulations! That does sound like you had a good day.

We hit 62 degrees here in Michigan today, so I took advantage of the heat wave and raked a thick layer of leaves over my entire garden and finally tilled it under. It has been a good fall. So far since September I've replaced our roof, tore down three chimneys, installed a new direct vent boiler, and turned a half bath into a full bath by putting large shower where our biggest chimney ran up through the house. I basically took most of October off of work to get it all done before snow flies. I still have alot of drywall patching and interior painting and trim work to do once the cold sets in for the winter.

 

[Tollster]

Cleared some property using my brandy new Husqvarna XP550 digital chainsaw.

 

[weldingisfun]

Accompanied by my bride, I enjoyed attending the "51st Gathering of the Clans" in nearby Salado, Texas. We listened to the pipers and drummers, ate good food and enjoyed one anothers company. Oh yes, my bride is 12.5% Scottish.

 

[sfloggie]

All sounds great...blessings to all another day in Southern Va. Soybeans harvested today, bush hogged , cleared more boundary line!

 

[chad22]

Used my dads old Ford Tow truck to pull the last part of and old house down.

We actually have been working on the tear down of the house for nearly 3 years. lol

I guess you could say we took a section of the house down each year. xd. The last part finally came down today.

A lot of other things took priority. But I figured since it was a nice day, that I would go ahead and have some fun and yank the last part of the old house down today.

I wish I could have gotten some pics or a video of it coming down, but I was the only one working on the tear down today.

I'll try to get a picture of the last section of the house on the ground tomorrow.

I did meet a lady about 2 years ago that was actually born in that house. She showed me pictures of her playing in her room as well.

She did mention and it showed in the pictures that her room had blue wall paper with ducks on it. And what do ya know, the wall paper was still there buried under 3 other layers of wallpaper.

I gave her a piece of the ducky wallpaper as she was gonna put it in her photo Album. She was in her 70's and she was overjoyed to see the house once again. She wasn't expecting it to still be there.

It was a shame the old house needed tearing down. The walls and floors had been eaten by termites so bad. My dad and I pondered fixing the ole house up. But after tearing into the walls and noticing how much termite damage there was, we gave up that idea.

Chad

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Yesterday I spent some time prepping for the opening of rifle deer season this weekend. I raked a clear path through leaves etc almost all the way to a deer stand spot. I also raked and blew some leaves into the garden area off of a couple of my tractor roads. I also got a little seat time grinding stumps (but that is another thread).

Be well,
David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

I forgot to add that yesterday I also ran the FS-90 trimmer with the brush blade and cleared a good number of saplings along the trail that leads to my future 100 meter rifle range.

Be well,
David