TWT -- The Wrenching Thread (13 Viewers)

[Rice]

Hold out for an antique functional AC voltage gauge... now that would be cool!

Because I never throw anything away there are 10 of these in the physics department. Haven't used one in probably 20 years. I had no idea they were still available and so $$$.

http://www.alliedelec.com/simpson-2...=30980760979&gclid=CIK3wqHLhdECFctKDQodMZcJ7Q

 

[Rice]

I have an old "working" coke machine in a storage trailer. I would be happy to part with it to free some space up, but not sure the will let me. I married a hoarder, if you didn't already know.

What if was assured it was going to a good home?

 

[alk747triodad]

^^I will have a talk with and if she will let me clear some space, I will get some pics for you.

Edit:
Very similar to this one. If link works..

antique coke machine | eBay

 

[JohnVee]

Not vehicle related, but...

My samsung dishwasher s*** the bed for the last time Thursday night (I won't give them the respect of a capital "S"). Just shy of 3 years old. NOT cheap. Regular and multiple problems. My attempted final repair only managed to destroy the part that needed attention, and severely dented the stainless door, while simply sliding it out from under the counter. That resulted in 'kittens and puppies and butterflies frolicking in a lovely field of flowers under a rainbow-filled sky' (me ripping the fxxxing door off and cursing to holy hell). So yesterday I go to Lowe's and buy a budget Whirlpool since our kitchen remodel has now been moved back until next fall and I need something to get through the holidays ASAP.

I learned 2 things: 1 - Whirlpool hates me (SUPER noisy, lots of sharp metal corners/edges and 'not included' but necessary parts, terrible design and installation, needs sockets/phillips & flat/wrench/allen/torx). 2 - samsung made a well built and well insulated product. They lost it with their circuitry and the stupid way they route incoming & outgoing water through sensors that fail regularly in fragile plastic parts along with a system that allows blockages but no way to access and clear them. Not so oddly, both my samsung fridge and dishwasher began to fail within 1 @jamesurq (2 weeks) after end-of-warranty. They had both replaced perfectly fine, but fairly inefficient, 25+ yr old items. I seem to recall @Izzyandsue once saying something about a certain USA truck brand engineering life expectancy to warranty duration; hmmmm.

So anyway, it only took 12 hours to do the removal/install, but that was with lunch, beer with the neighbor who helped me carry it in, 3 birthday parties, a stop at Target, helping Sarah rehang curtains and all the other things that...oh, look, a squirrel! I feel pretty good about that. I actually had all of the "necessary but NOT included" parts for once so I didn't have to make a pissed off return to the store (where, of course, the salesman had specifically said that everything needed was in the box).

Maybe I'll get to the 80's CEL #21 next week so it'll pass inspection in January. Or February. Or March.

 

[pawwright]

Not vehicle related, but...

My samsung dishwasher s*** the bed for the last time Thursday night (I won't give them the respect of a capital "S"). Just shy of 3 years old. NOT cheap. Regular and multiple problems. My attempted final repair only managed to destroy the part that needed attention, and severely dented the stainless door, while simply sliding it out from under the counter. That resulted in 'kittens and puppies and butterflies frolicking in a lovely field of flowers under a rainbow-filled sky' (me ripping the ****ing door off and cursing to holy hell). So yesterday I go to Lowe's and buy a budget Whirlpool since our kitchen remodel has now been moved back until next fall and I need something to get through the holidays ASAP.

I learned 2 things: 1 - Whirlpool hates me (SUPER noisy, lots of sharp metal corners/edges and 'not included' but necessary parts, terrible design and installation, needs sockets/phillips & flat/wrench/allen/torx). 2 - samsung made a well built and well insulated product. They lost it with their circuitry and the stupid way they route incoming & outgoing water through sensors that fail regularly in fragile plastic parts along with a system that allows blockages but no way to access and clear them. Not so oddly, both my samsung fridge and dishwasher began to fail within 1 @jamesurq (2 weeks) after end-of-warranty. They had both replaced perfectly fine, but fairly inefficient, 25+ yr old items. I seem to recall @Izzyandsue once saying something about a certain USA truck brand engineering life expectancy to warranty duration; hmmmm.

So anyway, it only took 12 hours to do the removal/install, but that was with lunch, beer with the neighbor who helped me carry it in, 3 birthday parties, a stop at Target, helping Sarah rehang curtains and all the other things that...oh, look, a squirrel! I feel pretty good about that. I actually had all of the "necessary but NOT included" parts for once so I didn't have to make a pissed off return to the store (where, of course, the salesman had specifically said that everything needed was in the box).

Maybe I'll get to the 80's CEL #21 next week so it'll pass inspection in January. Or February. Or March.

Merry Christmas Clark So you are saying I shouldn't bring you your jelly of the month membership next week?

 

[izzyandsue]

Not vehicle related, but...

My samsung dishwasher s*** the bed for the last time Thursday night (I won't give them the respect of a capital "S"). Just shy of 3 years old. NOT cheap. Regular and multiple problems. My attempted final repair only managed to destroy the part that needed attention, and severely dented the stainless door, while simply sliding it out from under the counter. That resulted in 'kittens and puppies and butterflies frolicking in a lovely field of flowers under a rainbow-filled sky' (me ripping the ****ing door off and cursing to holy hell). So yesterday I go to Lowe's and buy a budget Whirlpool since our kitchen remodel has now been moved back until next fall and I need something to get through the holidays ASAP.

I learned 2 things: 1 - Whirlpool hates me (SUPER noisy, lots of sharp metal corners/edges and 'not included' but necessary parts, terrible design and installation, needs sockets/phillips & flat/wrench/allen/torx). 2 - samsung made a well built and well insulated product. They lost it with their circuitry and the stupid way they route incoming & outgoing water through sensors that fail regularly in fragile plastic parts along with a system that allows blockages but no way to access and clear them. Not so oddly, both my samsung fridge and dishwasher began to fail within 1 @jamesurq (2 weeks) after end-of-warranty. They had both replaced perfectly fine, but fairly inefficient, 25+ yr old items. I seem to recall @Izzyandsue once saying something about a certain USA truck brand engineering life expectancy to warranty duration; hmmmm.

So anyway, it only took 12 hours to do the removal/install, but that was with lunch, beer with the neighbor who helped me carry it in, 3 birthday parties, a stop at Target, helping Sarah rehang curtains and all the other things that...oh, look, a squirrel! I feel pretty good about that. I actually had all of the "necessary but NOT included" parts for once so I didn't have to make a pissed off return to the store (where, of course, the salesman had specifically said that everything needed was in the box).

Maybe I'll get to the 80's CEL #21 next week so it'll pass inspection in January. Or February. Or March.

That's some good engineering, hitting the Weibull p95 line that close. On other consumer product company I worked at, there will be a chip that will disable the product at certain cycles. Blame management and your elected congressional (closet whoremongers all) officials for creating and allowing that practice, enginerds did do the work.

 

[Rice]

With houses your constant foe will be water (see @JohnVee post above). With small block chevies it's oil. I've had this really slow super annoying leak for months, and back of engine leaks have lots of possible sources. Finally found this one ... leaking dipstick tube.

 

[NCFJ]

I took a few extra , what they called then, technical/industrial classes during High School. One of them was manufacturing and covered steps from inception through delivery. We covered planned obsolescence even then. The instructor provided documented proof of things like toasters that previously would last forever being designed to fail after so many heat cycles.

Furthermore, they designed these products not only to fail but to be pricey to repair with the hopes of people just tossing it and buying another, which they still do. It is another page in the play book of a consumerism driven society.

 

[Rice]

I took a few extra , what they called then, technical/industrial classes during High School. One of them was manufacturing and covered steps from inception through delivery. We covered planned obsolescence even then. The instructor provided documented proof of things like toasters that previously would last forever being designed to fail after so many heat cycles.

Furthermore, they designed these products not only to fail but to be pricey to repair with the hopes of people just tossing it and buying another, which they still do. It is another page in the play book of a consumerism driven society.

A true conundrum .... I can't make a name for myself unless I make an appliance that last, but it has to fail so I can sell another one. If it fails too soon there is no brand loyalty, if it never fails I lose money.

On the other hand, the complex circuitry and sensor systems being used today make engineering appliances to last forever increasingly difficult.

 

[NCFJ]

The question then becomes, how many of these sensors etc do we really need?
The same applies to autos. There is a growing ground swell of people that are looking to alternatives to new vehicles due to the overload of technology being built in.

Built in is the issue at hand. Cars and trucks have become so complex that most can only be serviced at a dealer. It becomes impossible for the independent shop, no matter how large, to keep up with the technology. The fact that not all car companies share all of their information also hampers independents.

Research what has transpired with John Deer Tractors and equipment. It is essentially illegal to service your own equipment. I expect that the auto industry is not that far behind.

 

[elkaholic]

All this appliance talk reminds me i'll probably have to replace my refrigerator in the next few weeks . It is a 2002 model that is strugglin to maintain reliable, safe food storage temps and I no longer trust it. I have one of the Samsung exploding washers, so I will probably not go that way, but the damned things are expensive ...

So what is the Land Cruiser of refrigerators now?





The answer is likely that there is not one ..

 

[elkaholic]

As the 1fz waits in the corner some holiday items are getting attention. I regularly see these pipe lamps in art shops so decided to give it a try and gift it.

(But it is a 1FZ timing gear. )

View attachment 1368184

Love it Rice ... but I also H8 how clean and organized your work area is. Hell, my garage wasn't that straight when it had just been completed before I pulled automotive items into it!

 

[jfz80]

So what is the Land Cruiser of refrigerators now?



The answer is likely that there is not one ..

Sub Zero
Full Size Refrigerators | Integrated & Built-In | Sub-Zero Refrigeration

 

[fj40z]

@jfz80 is correct. My dad had a sub zero at his old house and it never malfunctioned in any way. Stay away from Viking though, I know some folks with one of their fridges and it's always on the fritz.

 

[elkaholic]

@jfz80 @fj40z thanks for the advice, but there are only 2 problems with Sub Zero for me ... first is $$$ as I may be unemployed in the very near future. Second is that I have a family member who has had nothing but issues with her Sub Zero units in her house - to the point that I would never consider one.

I know that any manufacturer can and will have bad units get out, but her issues and the after sale treatment she has received is simply inexcusable ....

 

[jfz80]

Well land cruisers are not cheap either but sorry and sad to hear that bit of news. Before wolf merger they had been exceptional and can vouch for the Viking unit being troublesome as well. Sister of my sister-in-law had a subzero built in an exceptional service but this was 8 to 10 years ago

 

[elkaholic]

True dat! But when maintained, they do run a long, long time. I am amazed that the Amana that I have is still running strong.

On edit: For anyone that saw the original post, I H8 autocorrect

 

[lt1fire]

All this appliance talk reminds me i'll probably have to replace my refrigerator in the next few weeks . It is a 2002 model that is strugglin to maintain reliable, safe food storage temps and I no longer trust it. I have one of the Samsung exploding washers, so I will probably not go that way, but the damned things are expensive ...

So what is the Land Cruiser of refrigerators now?





The answer is likely that there is not one ..

Sub Zero, Wolf, Viking..... My Dad and Step Mom run a high end kitchen and bath place i'll ask him what is the best in terms of reliability. Last time I asked when I was in the market years ago they were all pretty much equal in terms of defects and warranty issues.

 

[weejub]

A step down in price and maybe quality: Sears Kenmore Elite = LG - Both are highly rated.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Replaced my injectors yesterday and had planned on resetting the injection pump timing, but the dial indicator holder requires a metric dial indicator, which I don't have, so that will have to wait till next week when the indicator I ordered comes in.