What have you fixed lately? - Page 3

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What have you fixed lately? (Page 3 of 3)

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:45:46 PM EDT

[#1]

My lawnmower. It's a Troy-Bilt self-propelled rear bagger with a Honda GCV-160 engine that I got at Lowes. After 9 years of being left outside and frequently running 2+ year old gas, it started to run crappy. And then the starter rope broke. So I pulled the starter and replaced the cord. Now to the engine.

I was going to take apart and clean the carb. Harbor Freight had an ultrasonic cleaner on sale for $89. But searching Amazon I found the exact correct replacement carb - genuine Honda parts - for $20 with shipping. Swapped out the carb, threw in a new NGK BPR5ES and air cleaner and it started first pull! Runs like the day I bought it.

Tools involved - a 10mm socket to remove the 3 starter bolts, the same 10mm socket for the 2 carb bolts, and a plug wrench. Fuck, I love Honda. And Amazon.

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:46:16 PM EDT

[#2]

One of the teams at work has a Sony tilt/pan camera that they use for web sessions to demo new software builds. Last demo it got knocked off the table and the ethernet port sheared off the PCB. Scoured mouser and digikey datasheets for a 8+2 pin PCB mount ethernet port with the same pinout and similar dimensions to the broken one and ordered. When it came in, brought in my soldering stuff to the office, and spent a few minutes swapping in the new one. New one was about 2mm shorter then the old one, so the face of the port is a little recessed in the camera - but it otherwise works perfectly.

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:46:40 PM EDT

[#3]

Last week, I replaced the fan speed modules on two ceiling fans.
For a lot of folks, it would not be a big deal.

For me, it meant a savings of a hundred-fifty dollar service call.

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:48:12 PM EDT

[#4]

Did a full PM on my Avalanche.
Welded some supports to some deck chairs for a female parental unit.
Full PM on the Dixie Chopper for the male parental unit.
Straightened up the garage.

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:49:55 PM EDT

[#5]

House back door.

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:50:47 PM EDT

[#6]

I put new front fork slide bushings and oil and dust seals on my Yamaha FZ1(estimates from bike shops ran from $600 to $800,parts and tools cost me about $150) along with two new tires with a tire iron.
Put and old work electric box to put new bathroom light and fan switches.

Took my Stihl weedeater carb apart and cleaned it,now it runs like new again.

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:59:05 PM EDT

[#7]

Valve job on my Ducati, changed the compressor on the fridge

Posted: 5/28/2015 8:59:21 PM EDT

[#8]

belts, idlers and tensioner on Silverado
GFI in the garage
replaced the cheap ass plastic water line to the ice maker
That's what I did this week after work
also picked up dog shit numerous times , mowed grass, mulched some more
Thinking I want a condo

Posted: 5/28/2015 9:00:38 PM EDT

[#9]

belts, idlers and tensioner on Silverado
GFI in the garage
replaced the cheap ass plastic water line to the ice maker

And I replaced the batteries in my fleshlight

Posted: 5/28/2015 9:04:00 PM EDT

[#10]

Replaced a burned out heating element in my whirlpool dishwasher.

Rebuilt a section of fence destroyed by heavy wind.

Performed routine 50k miles maintenance on my wife's car.

Reloaded 550 rounds of 223, 200 rounds of 40s&w, 230 rounds of 45acp, and I am working on 280 rounds of 9mm.

Posted: 5/28/2015 9:12:30 PM EDT

[#11]

I made a new target holding fixture for the research cannon...

and a new front chain ring/adapter for my road bike...

a sight base for my .45 ACP Swedish Mauser conversion...

an aluminum bolt with a funky metric thread to replace the one that was lost on my buddy's Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike...

ran romex through the walls at a friends house from the panel to the office for some outlets...

machined an adapter to mount an optical rail on a test stand for one of the lab classes...

a new brake light in my Suzuki...

and probably more that I forgot about!

Posted: 5/28/2015 9:26:47 PM EDT

[#12]

Stoned the sear out of my 9MM P09 to improve the single action trigger pull.

Opened up the recoil spring guide in my .40 S&W P07 to install a new model captured recoil spring/guide rod.

Replaced the fuel pump, fuel filter and injectors in my 05 Silverado when some bad gas screwed everything up.

Replaced the fan motor capacitor in my heat pump outside unit.

Fixed the reading lights in my son's 03 crew cab F350 (had to make some contacts for the broken ones in the light housings and then install them in the housings).

When he was changing his transmission filter/fluid one of the screw holes for the pan stripped out in the body of the transmission. Often the holes are threaded deeper than the bullets so I got a stud (I never throw anything away) that had been taken out of Pontiac Sunbird 2.0 liter turbo exhaust manifold and it worked perfectly once it reached the good threads in the hold above the stripped area.

Fixed 3 Nebo weapon lights. Screws broke off on the clamping side of the locating block. Drilled them out (surprised I got them drilled out straight) and re-threaded the holes and picked out some new screws at Lowes and fixed them.

Fixed a couple of old roto tillers and started breaking up ground for a garden (little late, but I got a late start). Both are Sears 8 hp front tine tillers. One my dad bought new in 1974, the other he bought off my aunt after my uncle died. It is the same model, but some years older as it has the little metal tab on the engine cover that has to be pushed up against the spark plug to ground out the spark and shut off the engine. They're old, but they run pretty good.

Posted: 5/28/2015 10:40:20 PM EDT

[#13]

Some of you guys need to come over for beer and BBQ. I've got more shit to fix!

Posted: 5/28/2015 10:41:40 PM EDT

[#14]

Helped a guy with a flat tire on his Suzuki 450 dirt bike fix it.

Posted: 5/28/2015 11:05:46 PM EDT

[#15]

I didn't fix anything, but I did make a bunch of TRS cables for my home studio. Small Neutrik connectors are a bitch to work with.

Posted: 5/28/2015 11:07:07 PM EDT

[#16]

put a new intake manifold on a 96 mustang, 4.6. the old one cracked.

Posted: 5/28/2015 11:09:42 PM EDT

[#17]

Replaced the brake light bulb on my boat trailer today

Posted: 5/29/2015 1:36:59 AM EDT

[#18]

Changed the u-joints on my truck and replaced the sway bar links

relocated all the plumbing in the main bathroom and remodeled it

floated a car off the bottom of a lake and towed it to shore

building a sandbox for the kids, with a lid so the barn cats don't crap in it

ETA made a new handle for one of my splitting mauls and replaced a handle on a shovel

Posted: 5/29/2015 5:51:43 AM EDT

[#19]

I fix too much stuff during the course of a day to remember it all.

Posted: 5/29/2015 8:13:05 AM EDT

[#20]

took the throttle body off the Maxima and cleaned it.
changed the Fuel Pressure Regulator on the Maxima
put a new toilet in the basement bathroom.

Posted: 5/29/2015 8:19:20 AM EDT

[#21]

probably my stripped nut on my Tacoma's thermostat housing. Had to use special extractor sockets

Posted: 5/29/2015 3:05:38 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Stuff.

I try to fix it if within my comfort level and cost effective.

Finding the pump for a 12 yo GE Dishwasher my wife hates would cost $100 less than a spanking new Bosch with a 8 dB lower sound rating?

Toss that bitch.

(The washer)......

View Quote

Don't you hate that? The front loading washer used to have the rear drum support/spider gear available for about $40. Part is now "discontinued" BUT you can still get the part if you want to order the stainless washer drum with the spider gear attached to it (6 bolts hold the support to the drum). Of course, the whole drum is $400, so no.

Found a guy online parting one out. Got him to ship me his spider gear.

Still a PITA. Frustrating as hell now trying to fix anything. It's all made to be disposalbe and IF you can get parts they cost so much it's not cost effective to fix things.

Posted: 5/29/2015 3:12:22 PM EDT

[#23]

Right after I post this, I'm off to the store to pick up the A/C blower motor for my car, that I ordered this morning.

Getting warm out there!

Posted: 5/29/2015 3:22:48 PM EDT

[#24]

Brakes on my Grand Marquis

Tensioner and serpintine belt on my wife's honda

Power window lift motor on my f150

Cleaned up a virus that my wife downloaded into her computer

This weekend, I'm putting my rear end back into my Spitfire, and hopefully will get the damn thing off of jackstands.

Posted: 5/29/2015 3:23:15 PM EDT

[#25]

How my evening was spent yesterday.

Freezer barfed it's defroster element for the fourth time in 10 years ....

Takes me way longer to defrost the coils with a hairdryer than to put a new element in.

Posted: 5/29/2015 3:33:59 PM EDT

[#26]

Just got my 24'x24' shop built. I did all the electrical and built the shelves and workbenches.

Put a new carb on my '02 honda rancher.

Fixed a gas leak on the pressure washer carb. Had to drill out and re-tap the hole for a 1/4-20 bolt to replace the shitty metric pot metal stud in it.

Installed a 16 channel surveillance camera system in the house and new shop.

Dammit. I'm tired just thinking about the last month.

Posted: 5/29/2015 4:01:23 PM EDT

[#27]

Changed some parts in my 4runner:
Lower ball joints
Lower control arm bushings
Outer tie rod ends
Tundra brake calipers/rotors/pads
Front brake lines
Front sway bar end links/ bushings
Rear sway bar end links/ bushings
Front and rear gears
Mass airflow sensor
Spark plugs/wires
Fuel filter
Fuel pump
Air filter
Oil/filter
Transmission mount
Headlights
Head unit
Door speakers (front and rear)
Cleaned throttle body
Punched out cats and re welded pipe
Modified spare tire carrier to fit larger tire
Installed:
Adjustable front coilovers
Land cruiser rear shocks/springs
Adjustable panhard bar
Extended stainless brake line
Boost/shift light gauge
Front/ rear air lockers
Air compressor
New rims/33's
Supercharger
7th injector
Rear o2 simulator
Headers
Amp
Subwoofer
Body lift
Programmable air-fuel/timing computer
Intake pipe
Vent visors

Lot more to do, but got a good head start for two weeks worth of work.

Posted: 5/29/2015 4:03:48 PM EDT

[#28]

Installed the door knob on my garage door. Had to reverse the handle (lever style).

Posted: 5/29/2015 4:09:10 PM EDT

[#29]

I fixed our riding lawn mower three times this week.
I need to fix it again when it quits raining.

Posted: 5/29/2015 4:13:31 PM EDT

[#30]

Hydraulic door closer on my screen door. Wind took it and bent the shit out of it.

Using a fencing pliers, a vice grip and a pliers I bashed the ram straight and reinstalled.

Then I went outside and took a leak. Because I can!

Posted: 5/29/2015 4:20:56 PM EDT

[#31]

I guess the last thing (other than gun repair) was replace the "guts" in one of our shitters.

Posted: 5/29/2015 4:53:23 PM EDT

[#32]

I fixed a belt that slipped out of place on my lawnmower...

Posted: 5/29/2015 4:54:01 PM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:
I guess the last thing (other than gun repair) was replace the "guts" in one of our shitters.

View Quote

Crapper flapper? Those count.

Posted: 5/29/2015 5:06:36 PM EDT

[#34]

Tonight on my way to work I'm picking up a new toilet to install tomorrow, along with some 10/3 wire to relocate our dryer.

Ah to be the owner of a fixer-upper house

Posted: 5/29/2015 5:19:30 PM EDT

[#35]

My son's table saw. Just over a year old, up and quit for no apparent reason. "Reset Button" did nothing.

Bad motor brushes. Easy $6 fix.

Posted: 5/29/2015 9:30:51 PM EDT

[#36]

This is a cooked inverter that runs the conveyor drive for a 3 head 5 foot wide widebelt sander. It's part of my friend's production line so I rewired the drive motor for 480 volts and he can run it at a single speed (bandaid).

This pile of junk is an old inverter from and old stroke sander and a 480 volt frequency changer from an edgebander for testing the inverter. I was able to test run the inverter and it works fine. Next step is to install in the widbelt sander and connect it to the PLC. My buddy didn't even know he had the "free" inverter. The machine builder wants $2,400.00 for a new inverter!

Posted: 5/29/2015 9:40:28 PM EDT

[#37]

Fixed a loose door handle and loose coat hook. Glad I had my multitool with me.

Posted: 5/29/2015 9:42:51 PM EDT

[#38]

I replaced the radiator in my 1968 Ford 3000 tractor.

Posted: 5/29/2015 9:45:18 PM EDT

[#39]

I power washed the garage door and front of the house last weekend... the house is new to me, but is 15 years old. Never been cleaned before. The lamp housing on the outside of the garage was missing the top and was full of crud, but it still worked. I guess the power wash got water in there and it went kaput. Didn't blow the fuse on the circuit, tho, as the lamp outside the front door still worked. Ordered a new lamp housing from Amazon and replaced it this evening. Slapped a CREE 100W equivalent bulb in it. Should be pretty bright. I do need to get out the silicone and seal it up, tho.

Pretty soon, I'll replace the lamp housing by the front door. It's old and black and ugly. Ug-LEE.

Posted: 5/30/2015 9:48:30 AM EDT

[#40]

I'm no mechanic, but I've replaced oil senders, O2 sensors, struts and shocks, pinion oil seal, drive shaft, spark plugs, alternator, countless batteries, bulbs, belts, and other wear items.
I've installed and repaired stereo systems (head unit, speakers, and amps) from scratch.
I've repaired both our HVACs, Clothes washer and dryer, water heater, TV, and installed and replaced countless light and fan fixtures.

I've replaced faucets/shower fixtures, done minor plumbing work and fixed countless leaks and drips.

I've done drywall repair, and pretty much suck at it if ceiling......

Multiple small engine based repairs, mowers, trimmers, generator, etc.

If I can find anything online, I'll try.
I usually draw the line at screwing it up worse than the repair would cost if done by a professional in the first place.

I'm not as handy as some guys, but have probably done more than others.