Continuing Thread: What Are You Fix-It'ing Today?

[rsrguy]

Simple.... effective, I like it

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

All you guys are working on cool stuff, big projects like landscapes, airplanes and race cars. I was doing something trivial bordering on stupid yesterday. This is the base for my bike repair stand, it's really heavy, and I have to break the stand down and stash the parts when I'm not using it because it takes up a lot of space.

I needed something that I could grip this base with. Unused combination wrenches, and some old wheel studs and lug nuts, set back with some spacers cut from one of those old Harbor Freight flashlights did the trick. For the icing on the cake I used some actual Porsche aluminum wheel nuts that I had laying around for just a hint of flash.

Handled, and no money spent or trips to the hardware store.

Nothing trivial or stupid about that at all!!!! Ingenuity helps us all out.

Looks like a perfect solution to me.


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[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by rsrguy

My guess.. . The schmutz is likely fuel lube. Is it super viscous and difficult to clean, even with solvent? If so it's fuel lube, the valve was assembled with it.
In your shoes I'd likely machine the lever that came with the valve down to the interior diameter of the appropriate length and diameter of 4130... it'll likely handle the torque required to change the lever position with less torsional flex between you and the valve.
Why was I under the impression that the valve was originally located between your legs in the canoe?
As far as diving goes several spear fish flaming gorge, and blue lake .... blue lake has tilapia. We have sea base as well as homestead crater, not exactly monterrey but it'll keep a diver current. No mater how you slice it here or in Placerville your still going to need to travel in an aluminum and composite disease tube for the good dives..

Thanks RS,
So does that mean (it is recommended) I not clean it out before install, or should (is it recommended)I try to delicately wipe the excess out. The new valve does have the Teflon internals. I am just wondering your thoughts….. I know it is a slippery slope when someone asks such questions. Aviation folks understand the disclaimer.
In the beginning, as you mentioned, per the plans I am suppose to turn down the brass shaft by using emery cloth and taking it down .001” to remove just enough to allow the brass rod to slide into the alum tube. Everyone seems to talk-up the Allen fuel valve for a food upgrade which is great. However, all I hear is crickets when I ask about a viable solution to the shorter Allen control rod as shown in my earlier pic. The only proper way to extend it, in my mind would be to have a small stainless plug/rod TIG welded to the end, and then it turned down to the proper diameter to allow it to slide inside the alum tube. I would need to disassemble the Allen valve and remove the stainless control rod in order to have the shaft extended. That seems like a whole lot of extra work….. jury is still out.
The simplest would be to just use the original replacement, I guess.
You are not too far off on the valve location. The LongEZ is the model that has the fuel valve between the legs on the floor of the fuselage. It was this fuel valve that was relocated and placed in a different location (deviation from the original plans) that contributed to the fatal accident with John Denver. The VariEZ(our model) has the fuel valve in a location aft of the passenger seat in a “Hellhole”. The torque tube controls the tank selection via a small lever I have under my forearm. Full right, valve is closed, full left, fuel is on and is supplied to the engine via a gravity fed system like a C-150. Lever straight up, you are running on a 2.5 gallon header tank. With the lever straight up, your arm is resting against the lever, therefore there is no way in the known universe the pilot could not no they were running on the header tank. The tank is only designed to be used in certain situations.

Thanks for the tips on diving. And time you get to blow bubbles is a good day. Traveling on the fart-tube is always a PITA when transporting our dive gear.
Back on point of the thread topic. NERD ALERT!
This project falls under the strange and unusual. If you have a fear of bugs, stop reading now and switch over the the cat thread.
A few years ago while working the property, I came a cross two brown looking worms. They were actually baby alligator lizards. I built a terrarium with an all you can eat big bar. After they both passed on, I had a bunch of Dubia roaches(food) left over plus a load still in the tank when I cleaned it out. Dubia roaches area high protein food staple for reptiles, birds, amphibians, other animals and big spiders. Here locally, you can only buy 8 for $1.00 and only $5.00 worth. So I figured I could try to build a colony with my left over stock. My colony is slowly growing but since we do not have constant warm temps, it has slowed down.
It’s pretty much a hands off project, but does require some work.





Here is a female, small wings

Male, large wings. Ratio is one male to eight-ten females. That are flightless as well.


Cheers


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[rsrguy]

Yes, just wipe the excess away with whatever you have.... did the valve come with a lever like the one in my screen shot? If so it has the correct female key to engage the main valve shaft. Machine it or whatever handle down to a healthy diameter, the correct ID of the appropriate 4130 tube, then reduce as necessary to the correct back to front torque rod size. I've been well aware of the jd accident particulars since the ntsb report came out as I've always been a very avid Rutan design fan... the guys a narcissistic hedonist but his designs are sound, even if the go juice flows between the thighs.... Anyway I'd always thought a slightly overpowered vari single seater would be ideal for me. But too many projects for this go around.

[rsrguy]

My screenshot.

[HobieMarty]

Replaced the O rings on that bypass pipe along with the short rubber hose yesterday and got everything else installed today and torqued everything to spec.
Filled up the system and bled the air from the system. I will recheck everything in the morning and drive the car before turning it back over to the wife. So far so good!!!


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[Baz]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Handled

I see what you did there, Oberst!

[HobieMarty]

Took the RX on a drive and all is good. The temp gauge stayed right dead in the middle. Now I still need to address that TPMS light, I think it may be that the spare tire might be low. Anyhoo, so far so good, all put back together now.

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[HobieMarty]

I replaced the cabin air filter in the RX350 this morning and man what a yucky mess that was. Should've taken 3 minutes but as you can see, I had some stuff to clean up. Yep, there was an old nest of some sort in there where the filter goes. The inside fan had always been loud when it was on higher speeds, I now know why. I removed a panel below the glove box and removed the fan and vacuumed the fan and filter housing area, put it all back together and, wow, no more noise!!! I also put the vehicle on my ramps and blew out the AC drain hose because we had noticed water in the driver's floor. I attached a hose to the drain hose and as I blew I heard water bubbling inside, I then put the hose to the side and a whole bunch of water came pouring out of the hose.
One thing at a time and this vehicle is getting sorted out.

Next up oil cooler lines upgrade, (just arrived today), and oil and filter change.

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[A930Rocket]

Adjusted the front sway bar to be softer and installed the rear sway bar. Installed padding on the roll bar and started painting the stripped interior gray.

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by rsrguy

Yes, just wipe the excess away with whatever you have.... did the valve come with a lever like the one in my screen shot? If so it has the correct female key to engage the main valve shaft. Machine it or whatever handle down to a healthy diameter, the correct ID of the appropriate 4130 tube, then reduce as necessary to the correct back to front torque rod size. I've been well aware of the jd accident particulars since the ntsb report came out as I've always been a very avid Rutan design fan... the guys a narcissistic hedonist but his designs are sound, even if the go juice flows between the thighs.... Anyway I'd always thought a slightly overpowered vari single seater would be ideal for me. But too many projects for this go around.

Too many project?!?!? How can anyone have to many project..

I seriously need to uncomplicate my life and loose a bunch of pending projects, lol.

Thanks for the pointers on the valve. That is exactly the one I have to replace the original per plans valve. Guess the Allen fuel valve will be shelved.

Thanks again

Will be installing this in the near future. Just need to re-work the fuel lines to closer match the plans.

[oldE]

Started putting the new steel on the house roof today. Slowly. I had the flu last week.

Best
Les

[rsrguy]

Originally Posted by bugstrider

Too many project?!?!? How can anyone have to many project..

I seriously need to uncomplicate my life and loose a bunch of pending projects, lol.

Thanks for the pointers on the valve. That is exactly the one I have to replace the original per plans valve. Guess the Allen fuel valve will be shelved.

Seriously wish I could lend a hand.

[Baz]

On the two tiki palms out front - had to replace one of the uplights. The lights are pretty old and have plenty of patina so no biggie - just a routine deal.

I decided to upgrade from cast aluminum body to PVC. The PVC will last a very long time w/zero corrosion.

The little 2x4 acts as a spacer to provide better overall upwards illumination.

Tomorrow I will tuck the wires into some protective tubing.

[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by rsrguy

Seriously wish I could lend a hand.

Hahahahaha, I have an illness and the first step in any recovery is “Acceptance”




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[bugstrider]

Originally Posted by Baz

On the two tiki palms out front - had to replace one of the uplights. The lights are pretty old and have plenty of patina so no biggie - just a routine deal.

I decided to upgrade from cast aluminum body to PVC. The PVC will last a very long time w/zero corrosion.

The little 2x4 acts as a spacer to provide better overall upwards illumination.

Tomorrow I will tuck the wires into some protective tubing.

Those look really cool Baz.


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[rsrguy]

Sure do... how far into a live palm can you carve and not hurt it?

[porsche930dude]

I leave the 914 unattended for a few months and a friggin mouse moves in. Ate my seat! Well atleast she was neat about it. Not sure what im going to do about it yet. Maybe somebody has some scraps i can sew in? Or just sew in some black striped to both sides. Anyway her family is evicted from the glovebox. I need more dryer sheets.

[oldE]

Speaking of mice, I dug the granddaughter's pool out of storage in the shed and set it up yesterday. A truck brought a load of water and filled it in the afternoon. This morning it was down about a quarter. Inspection revealed a mouse had made a hole in the bottom just in from the side. I managed to pump about half into an older, smaller pool, lever the affected portion above the water and get a patch applied. By the time I got the remaining water returned to the pool, I was quite tired of kiddy pools.

Best
Les

[rsrguy]

Finally made solid progress on the scout today... had to do other jobs whilst waiting for a definitive course of action on the crack repair, so now that it's fixed and the old ball is back in my court I got the dacron on and did the first shrink. Totally stoked!

Oh, we had a new birdie fly in for new skin yesterday