What Did You Do In The Garage Today?

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Scsmith42 said:
I did some work on the Scag mower this weekend. A couple of months ago I replaced the PTO switch with a Chinese version from Amazon. Big mistake.... it started crapping out after a month. I located an OEM Scag version and installed it along with a replacement relay. Starting and operation problems solved. I also replaced the fuel filter and some deteriorated fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump (from the pump to the injectors had recently been replaced), and sharpened the blades.

I'm into fast blade sharpening..... Lift the mower up and use a 4-1/2" grinder with a flap disc. Only takes 5 minutes or so.

View attachment 511092

I've owned this mower for 20 years, and hopefully it will be the last one I ever buy. It falls into the "buy once, cry once" category.

Discovered today that the employees had been missing a few grease zerk's on the 40 hour maintenance cycles. That will be a conversation for later this week.

Still need to remove one broken zerk (or drill a new one in). Unfortunately the broken zerk EZ Out broke off in the zerk... :( It may be easier to remove the spindle and drill/tap a new hole versus trying to remove the hardened EZ out.

There is never a shortage of projects on the farm....
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And to think I was proud of my new hoist installed today until I saw this ^ 🙁
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looked at leak on daughters sonic looks like the plastic thermostat housing/gasket. I will get parts and change it tomorrow (working 6pm-6am tonight )
 
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Pair of new tires for our '17 Edge, tread just above the wear bars. Ordered online at discount tire, I carried in the wheels so I can get in and out fast.

Oil and transmission fluid change in the '93 Ion my oldest drives. The transmission drain plug had a magnet in it, just a small film of metal on the plug.
 
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Brake job party on Saturday with Chief. Pads all around and new front rotors for me. Impressive how good they looked after 136K.

Pads and rotors all around for @RetiredUSNChief since he didn't do a good shipcheck beforehand. He figured the squealing noise had to be the front, so we did them and found that the old ones looked fine. Inspected the backs and found them worn out. Three trips to the parts store is an ok day, right?
 
GoWolfpack said:
Brake job party on Saturday with Chief. Pads all around and new front rotors for me. Impressive how good they looked after 136K.

Pads and rotors all around for @RetiredUSNChief since he didn't do a good shipcheck beforehand. He figured the squealing noise had to be the front, so we did them and found that the old ones looked fine. Inspected the backs and found them worn out. Three trips to the parts store is an ok day, right?
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The brakes on the MDX are about as easy at they get, too. Probably helped that mine had been done before...the factory torque/locktite on yours was a bugger-all challenge on some of the bolts.
 
Snal~ said:
So, you installed these with bolts and adhesive? If so, what kind of adhesive?

I'd like to make a pair for my 1756 Grizzly, but didn't really want to weld them on.
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like you i didn’t want to weld mine on, and was going to bolt them in but didn’t want to cut an access hole in the top.

so after watching a gent on youtube rivet his in and have no issue while using them, i went the rivet route. 1/4” waterproof aluminum rivets and 3m 5200 adhesive. used 11 on each side

my boat is a 1442ish
 
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RetiredUSNChief said:
The brakes on the MDX are about as easy at they get, too. Probably helped that mine had been done before...the factory torque/locktite on yours was a bugger-all challenge on some of the bolts.
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You could say the brake job on your car was...






Cash money
 
Yesterday I vacuumed out and rotated tires on moms car that I drive on occasion, rotated tires on my explorer and put new back brakes on, and changed oil in the explorer.

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Did a little maintenance on my motorcycle. It was time for a clutch adjustment so I also changed the oil in the primary. Then did the oil change in the transmission.

You make the adjustment by backing off the lock nut and turning the screw in the center with an Allen wrench.

clutch1.jpg



Once adjusted you have to hold the Allen head screw and tighten the lock nut. Can't do that with a ratchet and I don't have a box end wrench with enough offset so years ago I put this tool together to make it a little easier for me.


clutch2.jpg


With the motorcycle on the lift the engine was able to turn even in gear so I had to put a helper on to hold the brakes.


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After the clutch adjustment the oil change in the transmission was simple. Drain oil, then refill.


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This thread chaser kit may be the best money I've spent when it comes to my motorcycle maintenance, other than the factory service manual. When you have so many steel fasteners going into aluminum, some where the service manual calls for Loctite, I have no doubt it has saved me more money than it cost me. And it has seen many more uses than just the motorcycle.

thread saver kit.jpg


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Today I had to disassemble the lugnuts to do my brakes. I did a writeup in this section about what Ford owners should do

But, as stated, did the brakes. With just under 170k miles, the pads were DONE.
So I did pads and rotors

GQjqXUs.jpg

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HMP said:
Today I had to disassemble the lugnuts to do my brakes. I did a writeup in this section about what Ford owners should do

But, as stated, did the brakes. With just under 170k miles, the pads were DONE.
So I did pads and rotors

GQjqXUs.jpg

sGpnnVB.jpg
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I replaced every stupid Ford lug nut on the Focus...and had to have outside assistance on two of them even at that.

I also replace those stupid "locking" lugnuts on any vehicle I get, too. Just did that on my MDX when I did the brakes on it last weekend. Those things are so annoyingly useless.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
I also replace those stupid "locking" lugnuts on any vehicle I get, too. Just did that on my MDX when I did the brakes on it last weekend. Those things are so annoyingly useless.
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Seen this done (don't know how much effort)... Take all lugnuts off except the locking one. Tilt tire towards the locked lug, snap. The remaining lug is weak and breaks.

Only way to improve them would be to put 2 on each wheel. Still a major pain.
 
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Doing a complete fluid flush in the ram 1500 so in process of ordering
Transmission fluid
brake fluid
pads and rotors
power steering fluid
Oil was just changed
 
Beat, argued, cussed and hated on all the 4 wheelers until they worked yesterday. And got my John Deere running with only a little smoke coming from the starter.

The Polaris was particularly difficult to get going. Nursed it along with starter fluid, but it really doesn't run very well until the air box cover is on.
The Yamaha that normally gives me trouble was the easiest of all to start, but it cut off when it got really hot. The old standby Honda did great like always.
 
Changed the plugs on the civic this morning. Easiest vehicle I've ever done plugs in. Took less than 30 minutes. The old ones weren't awful, but I haven't done em since I owned the car, so it's been 2 years since they were done maybe longer.

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Got my oldest daughter's brake warning light to go out. Same thing as last time...reservoir float switch stuck magnetically.

Dang if I can find the replacement cap I ordered several months ago "in case this happened again".

Lexus parts ain't cheap.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Got my oldest daughter's brake warning light to go out. Same thing as last time...reservoir float switch stuck magnetically.

Dang if I can find the replacement cap I ordered several months ago "in case this happened again".

Lexus parts ain't cheap.
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If your like me.. You put it right “there” so you’d know where it was when you needed it.

Every. Single. Time. 🙄
 
hp468 said:
If your like me.. You put it right “there” so you’d know where it was when you needed it.

Every. Single. Time. 🙄
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EXACTLY!

Now, if only I could keep everybody away from my areas, I could probably find these things when I need them.

Like the anti-squeal brake packets I ALWAYS seem to find right AFTER I finish the current brake job with the new packet I had to buy...
 
Looks like the fluid flush needs to wait... Hopped in the truck today and the power steering light came on. Fluid checks out fine so it looks like either a module went bad. We shall see...
 
"Fluid checks out fine so it looks like either a module went bad."

You can't just drop a comment like that in a garage thread and leave us hanging, man! Either a module went bad or WHAT?
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
"Fluid checks out fine so it looks like either a module went bad."

You can't just drop a comment like that in a garage thread and leave us hanging, man! Either a module went bad or WHAT?
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hah or the Electronic Power Steering rack and pinion. Guessing since its intermittent its most likely a module.
 
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