Topic: What did you do to your non-motorcycle vehicle today?

[scottly]

Yes, LPG conversions have been around here for decades. The Impco systems were one common brand, which was installed on top of the carb, under the air-cleaner. Henry's family had a side business, Road Runner Pizza, where they would cook the pizza while driving to the destination in a step-van, which was powered by a 225 slant six running on propane. Good pizza!
Propane has less power per pound than gas, but it does burn very cleanly, which is why the oil stays so clean. One of the downsides is it doesn't have any lubrication effects like gas with lead or diesel. My friend Clare had recently mentioned trying to convert his fuel injected Dodge truck since propane is so cheap compared to gas; his has an Impco "carb" and everything but the tank, but is not sure how the computer will handle it.

[Terry in Australia]

It shouldn’t be an issue Scott, the taxi industry here run the entire fleet on LPG, and all the modern cars are injected, and are doing half a million miles before they’re replaced.

[Kelly E]

If that was my Jeep Cherokee I would install a nice aluminium 4 bbl. intake manifold and a Holley Sniper fuel injection kit for an improvement in power and mileage along with cleaner emissions.
I have always liked that body style.

[Bankerdanny]

had to move the Envoy yesterday for street cleaning. I hadn't started it in a couple weeks and the batter was dead. I jumped it from my Lincoln, drove it around for a while and ran it through the car wash so it doesn't look abandoned.

A good friend of my girlfriend has offered to give us her 2002 Avalanche with ~107k miles on it if I fix up her Chinese 3 wheel leaning scooter thing.  I had it started and running for her last year (man is it weird to drive, I just couldn't get used to it).

The truck hasn't been running great and a mechanic told her it has a cracked cylinder and needs an engine. Personally I think that is complete nonsense. This is a 2nd vehicle for her, but she has been driving it while waiting to bring her Audi convertible back to Chicago from Florida where she stores it over the winter. There is no way the engine in the Avalanche has a cracked cylinder and yet remains driveable.

So I am going to haul the scooter down to my better workshop at my sister's in a couple weeks and give it a complete service. If the engine in the Avalanche is bad, well the 5.3 in the Envoy will fit right in, as would the transmission that I have been rebuilding, with a lot less work than replacing the bad frame on the Envoy.

[tourmax]

had to move the Envoy yesterday for street cleaning. I hadn't started it in a couple weeks and the batter was dead. I jumped it from my Lincoln, drove it around for a while and ran it through the car wash so it doesn't look abandoned.

A good friend of my girlfriend has offered to give us her 2002 Avalanche with ~107k miles on it if I fix up her Chinese 3 wheel leaning scooter thing.  I had it started and running for her last year (man is it weird to drive, I just couldn't get used to it).

The truck hasn't been running great and a mechanic told her it has a cracked cylinder and needs an engine. Personally I think that is complete nonsense. This is a 2nd vehicle for her, but she has been driving it while waiting to bring her Audi convertible back to Chicago from Florida where she stores it over the winter. There is no way the engine in the Avalanche has a cracked cylinder and yet remains driveable.

So I am going to haul the scooter down to my better workshop at my sister's in a couple weeks and give it a complete service. If the engine in the Avalanche is bad, well the 5.3 in the Envoy will fit right in, as would the transmission that I have been rebuilding, with a lot less work than replacing the bad frame on the Envoy.

Put a rad pressure tester on it and pump it up. If the cylinder is cracked to water, you'll see the pressure dropping. You can also listen around for where the pressure is escaping. IE: intake ports, exhaust ports, oil filler tube, etc.

It a quick and dirty check to confirm suspected cracks and leaks to water....

[Gurp]

Yesterday I used my old truck for a truck. I get lots of funny looks for doing it but I figured if it's truck it ought to be used as one.

Sent from my LE2127 using Tapatalk

[Don R]

 God job truck.

[Don R]

 I put a battery in my 40 chevy, the old Optima was only 15 years old. It previously lived in our dragster going over 180 at up to 3 g's and did a stint as a trailer battery before getting retired to the 40. Storage on a rubber mat over winter finally killed it. 
  I got a diehard for about $160 my price, I briefly considered the Oddysey for $300 but cheaped out. I would have rotated the dragster battery into the 40 and put the new one in the racecar.

[Don R]

  The 40 chevy still wouldn't start even with the new battery.  It seems the 14 year old optima is alive after all, I tightened the cable clamps and clicked it a few times now it starts every time. I'll take off the cable ends, cut the cables back an inch and wire brush the clamps.
  Now I need a core battery to give up.

[Terry in Australia]

My little truck is going in for it's Roadworthy Inspection next week, so after I had the front discs machined and new pads fitted, rear axle seals replaced because the drums were full of oil, then had the drums machined, new shoes, handbrake adjusted, then last night after work I replaced the non-functioning headlight (sealed beam unit with blown low beam) and fixed the right blinker and running light. (The earth wire had broken at the plug so I cut the plug off and stripped the wires back and used those nifty heat gun solder connectors)

I installed the new cylinder head (again) last weekend and it's running like a new car now. A couple of times I've seen a few drips of coolant on the driveway though and can't see where they are coming from, so today I bought a bottle of radiator and engine block sealant, and tipped it in. I also bought a cheap tool kit, a scissor jack and a wheel brace for it. When I was putting them behind the seats I found a jack and a tool kit, so probably didn't need them, but they were cheap, so no biggie.

[74cb750]

I TOLD son #3, to not go to a local tire store for new tires, even though they're a bit cheaper and closer. He did anyways and when he came over to have me help him change the brake pads and rotors we discovered, 24/32 lugnuts cracked! AND they were on at over 200 ft/lbs.
Sometimes Dads do know what they're talking about, non?
michel

[RAFster122s]

I TOLD son #3, to not go to a local tire store for new tires, even though they're a bit cheaper and closer. He did anyways and when he came over to have me help him change the brake pads and rotors we discovered, 24/32 lugnuts cracked! AND they were on at over 200 ft/lbs.
Sometimes Dads do know what they're talking about, non?
michel

Sounds criminal to me Michel. Think I would be filing a complaint with the better business bureau as well as that company and their corporate offices...
Good luck!

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, I remember sitting in my driveway replacing the wheel studs on my old Ford Falcon that snapped off as I was UN-doing them, due to some rattle gun hero with more psi than IQ.

Anyway yesterday the weather was miserable so a great day to road test my little truck after the cylinder head replacement. I thought I’d seen some drops of coolant from somewhere underneath the engine at the shopping centre car park a couple of days before so I threw a bottle of radiator stop leak in it just in case there was a leak, as it goes in for its roadworthy inspection on Wednesday.

I drove it for 50 miles in both city and freeway driving and it performed faultlessly except the windscreen washers are blocked, so I’ll need to get the air compressor out tonight and blow them out from the windscreen back to the washer reservoir which I’ll also flush as it looks pretty murky in there. Apart from that, it’s good to go.

[grcamna2]

Yep, I remember sitting in my driveway replacing the wheel studs on my old Ford Falcon that snapped off as I was UN-doing them, due to some rattle gun hero with more psi than IQ.

Anyway yesterday the weather was miserable so a great day to road test my little truck after the cylinder head replacement. I thought I’d seen some drops of coolant from somewhere underneath the engine at the shopping centre car park a couple of days before so I threw a bottle of radiator stop leak in it just in case there was a leak, as it goes in for its roadworthy inspection on Wednesday.

I drove it for 50 miles in both city and freeway driving and it performed faultlessly except the windscreen washers are blocked, so I’ll need to get the air compressor out tonight and blow them out from the windscreen back to the washer reservoir which I’ll also flush as it looks pretty murky in there. Apart from that, it’s good to go.

You've had some stuff you sorted for sure Terry;that little truck/Ute is now beginning a complete fresh start with you.
I imagine it will be with you for many years.
Did you finally fully remove that rear overhead rack ?

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, I remember sitting in my driveway replacing the wheel studs on my old Ford Falcon that snapped off as I was UN-doing them, due to some rattle gun hero with more psi than IQ.

Anyway yesterday the weather was miserable so a great day to road test my little truck after the cylinder head replacement. I thought I’d seen some drops of coolant from somewhere underneath the engine at the shopping centre car park a couple of days before so I threw a bottle of radiator stop leak in it just in case there was a leak, as it goes in for its roadworthy inspection on Wednesday.

I drove it for 50 miles in both city and freeway driving and it performed faultlessly except the windscreen washers are blocked, so I’ll need to get the air compressor out tonight and blow them out from the windscreen back to the washer reservoir which I’ll also flush as it looks pretty murky in there. Apart from that, it’s good to go.

You've had some stuff you sorted for sure Terry;that little truck/Ute is now beginning a complete fresh start with you.
I imagine it will be with you for many years.
Did you finally fully remove that rear overhead rack ?

Thanks Bill, the one at the back of the truck came off very early in the piece, and I’m going to cut the front one off when next I have my angle grinder handy as I’ve already backed it into one of the carport pillars, which pisses me off.

[74cb750]

Sounds criminal to me Michel. Think I would be filing a complaint with the better business bureau as well as that company and their corporate offices...
Good luck!

He went out of business recently....

[Bankerdanny]

Changed the oil and filter on my Lincoln. The oil life monitor said I still had 30% life left, but it has been 7,000 miles since the last change and I just don't like super extended intervals. I also replaced the left side outer tie rod. There was a good 1/4 inch of play in the tire from the bad ball joint. I still have a rattle coming from the right side that I think is a bad strut, I will track that down soon.

[ekpent]

Today I cut the cancer infected corroded + battery terminal out of the wiring harness on my Ford F250. It was waiting to let me down. Used a marine/boat battery terminal with a nice post that I could mount the new lugs. Last night as I was inspecting the harness I noticed a plastic junction box further downstream on the main + wiring harness and as I was messing around to remove the lid to take a peek at the corrosion I was seeing the thick wire running out the back broke off very easily  That is gone and bypassed also. Would have been fun tracking that problem  down along the side of a busy highway or a desolate country road at night.I bet the juice is running a little better now.     

[Terry in Australia]

Good work Eric, looks very professional. I’d almost forgotten that the last thing I needed to do was unplug  the partially blocked washers on my little truck, so I first blew ‘em clean with compressed air from the washer jets back to the water reservoir. Looking in the reservoir I could see that there was some mud down the bottom so I pulled the jug out and sneaked into the kitchen to wash it out with hot water and dishwashing liquid, which removed 99% of it.

I cleaned the jug up around the pump and reinstalled it, and was rewarded with a good stream, so I think it’s ready to go back to the shop and get the tick in the box for a roadworthy certificate. Once that’s done, I need to think seriously about that Ebay turbo kit, it drives fine, but another 100 BHP would be handy for some longer road trips I’m thinking about……

[Stev-o]

Good work Eric, looks very professional.

+1.  I like those marine terminals, they do come in handy...

[BenelliSEI]

Had an excellent weekend in the LEXUS. Four of us drove in two x eight hour enduros, Saturday and Sunday. Warped front discs somewhat slowed the car (not so much) and we took 2nd in class, both days. We adde a 24 gallon fuel cell since the last race, so we were able to run full two hour stints (three pit stops), all weekend. Hot weather added to the excitement. The car ran great!

[BenelliSEI]

Unfortunately the little Echo that we prep and bring along (rented to four other guys) died an untimely death! Car has a massive cage, full comp seat, six point harness, and fire system. Driver was shaken, but no injuries......

[RAFster122s]

Wow...scratch one racing Echo...
That looks like it hit something pretty hard. Hope the driver(s) didn't get too banged up... Someone is buying you guys replacement value on that...

[BenelliSEI]

Wow...scratch one racing Echo...
That looks like it hit something pretty hard. Hope the driver(s) didn't get too banged up... Someone is buying you guys replacement value on that...

Truthfully, that little car paid the entry fees and fuel bills! May be replaced soon. Driver was a bit sore, but no injuries.

[RAFster122s]

An Echo is going to be transitioning to Race car as your wrecked one is gonna be breathing life into another for track duty......