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Post by bunbun / Hank on Jan 16, 2023 13:17:21 GMT -5
Nothing makes sense anymore price wise. Bunnie lost a wiper blade on the Ocean on her way to work this morning, so she called me. I go to Auto Zone where the price of a replacement ranged from $12.00 for the cheapie house brand (duralast) on up to $40.00 for a good quality one. So, I opted for the cheapie just so she would have something, knowing Rockauto would kick their ass price wise but would take a couple of days to get.
Just got off the computer with rock. Four wiper blades, two new fronts plus a spare and a new rear wiper blade, with shipping and tax cost me just three dollars more than ONE good blade (without tax) would have cost me at A.Z. And I ordered top of the line ANCO blades
NOW...here is the part that has me scratching my head. The CHEAPEST shipping (post office) was going to COST MORE than shipping it FED EX and was going to take longer to get. HUH!? Needless to say I choose FED EX. I can understand the take longer part, the PO is not very efficient, but you're going to charge me more money for worse service makes NO sense.
HANK. For more on goofy prices check out last post on 194.
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Post by Sir Trevor on Jan 20, 2023 18:05:25 GMT -5
The shipping price difference is probably because the post office uses dimensional weight. The wiper blades being on the longish side probably bumped the price up another bracket, because they don't actually weigh much of anything.
Gas is up to $3.55 here.
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Post by bunbun / Hank on Jan 20, 2023 19:07:10 GMT -5
Gas here at Sheetz is $3.59 a gallon. Working on the T&C at the moment. What started out as a muffler replacement has turned into an exhaust system replacement. Inlet pipe from the CAT to the muffler rusted, muffler has a hole in it and the outlet pipe with resonator was welded to the muffler pipe. SO, SCREW IT, replaced everything! Only problem is the inlet pipe I ordered was for a 2005, which is the year of the vehicle, is nothing like what I have. Seems like my exhaust system, at least as far as the inlet pipe goes is a 2004. Ran into this same problem awhile back when replacing the power steering hoses. 2004 hoses fit perfectly, 2005 hoses, no way Jose! Something I will need to keep in mind on future repairs as they apparently made some design changes but used up the old 04 parts before making the switch to the new stuff. This shit is why a lot of mechanics my age have a drinking problem!! This bullshit will drive you NUTS!!
HANK.
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Post by bunbun / Hank on Jan 24, 2023 13:27:38 GMT -5
More screwy gas prices: Today (1/24/23) gas at Sheetz in Chardon was $3.65 a gallon. Gas at the Shell station in Chesterland, $3.29 a gallon. I had business that took me over that direction and when I saw that price, well...guess where I filled up?
HANK.
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Post by Sir Trevor on Feb 28, 2023 18:13:35 GMT -5
Well, hopefully it will be as warm as they are calling for tomorrow. Picked up a few things for the car today, and hope to get them in tomorrow. First up is a new cabin air filter. I have no idea how bad the existing one is, but I figure a new one won't hurt. I do know I get about twice as much air when I switch to recirculate, so I am thinking the filter is pretty plugged. Next is a new thermostat. I think my lack of hot air is due to a weak thermostat. I have heat, but it isn't really hot. My temp gauge never gets very high either. Like only about 1/4 of the gauge. No idea what temp that is, as they don't label any temps on the gauge. But I suspect it is a weak thermostat opening too early and not letting the engine get hot enough to give me good heat. It's cheap enough, and easy enough to get to, so I figure it can't hurt to swap it out.
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Post by bunbun / Hank on Mar 1, 2023 18:27:38 GMT -5
Good call on the filter, out of sight, out of mind, no one EVER replaces them cuz most folks probably don't even know they have one. I swear the one I pulled out of the Impala back in 18 when we got it was installed at the factory it was so black. Suppose I oughta check it again sometime soon as it has been 5 years now.
I believe you have the 3.8 engine in the car right? If so you may have to bleed the air out once you change the stat. Should be a bleeder screw right on the stat housing. There was one on the Imp. Good luck with it.
HANK.
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Post by Sir Trevor on Mar 1, 2023 19:45:22 GMT -5
Yeah, there is a bleeder on it, but I didn't bother. I'll wait and see how it acts tomorrow. Everything went fine except I managed to snap a vacuum line I didn't realize it was a hard plastic line right above the top bolt on the thermostat housing. When the bolt broke loose it bumped the line and snapped it right where it went in the boot. Of course you can't just go buy those off the shelf like a rubber vacuum hose. And of course I ended up having to buy a group of lines. It's called "Fuel Pressure Regulator Vacuum and Vapor Canister Purge Harness". Probably for the best, as the boot which had 2 lines going into it (one I broke) was also split almost all the way up to the top, so I don't know how it held vacuum. Rockauto had it for just under $25 after shipping and tax. For now I just pulled it out of the other end about half way and shoved the broken end in the boot where it goes. Not ideal, but I should at least keep some vacuum. Attachments:
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Post by bunbun / Hank on Mar 2, 2023 15:50:07 GMT -5
FYI Trevor, you can buy it from rock auto (DORMAN 47417) I know cuz I bought a shit load of it recently along with fittings and such. I can make that hose you showed a picture of. Would not look exactly the same but would function the same. Look up your vehicle, then at the top of the page click on tool and universal parts, then scroll down to vacuum and click on it. My 2000 S-10/Sonoma does not have one function vacuum line on it other than the large hose going to the brake booster, so yeah, I went a LITTLE OVERBOARD on vacuum line stuff.
HANK.
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Post by Sir Trevor on Mar 2, 2023 18:25:09 GMT -5
Good to know.
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Post by bunbun / Hank on Mar 3, 2023 13:17:44 GMT -5
Another good thing to know. Since vacuum hose come in a variety of sizes as you will quickly learn if you visit that sight I mentioned, you are now asking yourself just which the hell one do I need? EASY!! You take your set of vacuum hose gauges and measure the ID of the existing hose you need to repair/replace. What, you say, "I don't own a set of vacuum hose size gauges." If you own a set of drill bits, yes you do. Eyeball the ID of the hose then select a drill bit of what you think is the correct size and insert the smooth end into the hose. It should be a snug but easy to push in fit.
EXAMPLE: Hose is 1/8 ID. A 1/4 drill is way too big, and a 1/16 would be way to slopy.
Stuff like windshield washer hose is real itty bitty and it goes up from there. Good luck with it.
HANK.
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Post by Sir Trevor on Mar 3, 2023 21:07:55 GMT -5
BTW - thought I should mention, the heat in the car is a LOT better now.
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Post by Sir Trevor on Mar 8, 2023 19:08:56 GMT -5
Forgot to mention, since I put the new vacuum line in, my check engine light went out. It came on 2 or 3 weeks ago. I hadn't gotten around to looking into it as the car was running good, and all my fluids were fine.
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Post by bunbun / Hank on Mar 9, 2023 19:32:09 GMT -5
Glad you're getting heat,nice thing to have this time of year. As for your "check engine" light, a vacuum leak will set a lean air/fuel mixture and turn the light on. So since you are no longer sucking extra air in that problem solved itself.
HANK.
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Post by Sir Trevor on Mar 9, 2023 20:05:25 GMT -5
Especially since the vacuum line was going to the fuel regulator.
I've always had heat, it just never got really hot. And in the mornings, once I started driving down the road it seemed colder. Like I had an air leak, or something was wrong with the blend door. Now, I have plenty of heat, and actually have to turn it down, even with a window open for the dog to stick his head out of.
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Post by bunbun / Hank on Mar 18, 2023 10:48:35 GMT -5
Brakes break! Yes they do. This past Monday as Bunnie and I were returning home from the movies the brakes failed on the T&C. Went to stop at the intersection and the pedal went to the floor and we sorta coasted through it. Lucky there was no traffic coming. Since we were just 2 miles from home I just drove the car home and parked it. The lift was tied up with the Pacifica as I was replacing front brake pads on it as well as two front tires.
Once that was done I got the T&C up to find the rust monster had eaten a hole in one of the lines going to the rear wheels. Since 99% of the line looks to be okay I plan to replace just a section where the break is located since it is reasonably accessible from under the car.
But before I can do that I have to go help my buddy Mark finish the brake job on his wife's Yukon. He tends to go a tad overboard on repairs. Like, replace EVERYTHING in sight, whether it needs to be replaced or not. FOUR new calipers, rotors, sets of pads, brake hoses, banjo bolts, etc,etc. Problem is since he could not get the front brake hoses loose from the hard lines he cut them and has no idea how to splice in a new section of line without replacing the entire brake line which is copper nickel and in excellent condition otherwise. So before he turns this mole hill problem into Mt Everest I guess I better go save his dumb butt. He has a great heart, and will give you the shirt off his back, but he really should not be allowed to play with tools.
HANK.
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