AFM Delete

  Thats "active fuel management", a term used to describe an engine system that deactivates cylinders under light load. In my GM Yukon 5.3 V8 that means it will become a V4 under light load. Well, its still a V8 but it will only run on 4 cylinders till the demand is there for more power. It all sounds so wonderful, right? The problem is that many of these engines develop valve, piston ring, lifter and cam lobe problems. Many of them also consume a lot of oil. As I understand it, when the system is in V4 mode, some oil is bypassed through a relief valve and sprayed onto the deactivated cylinders walls and pistons to help cool the engine. This can eventually lead to higher oil consumption.

  I started to worry about having these problems and I was experiencing high oil consumption.  I did a little research and found the best thing to try to do now is bypass the V4 function. I bought a little gizmo made by Range Technologies that just plugs into the OBD connector. Through the black magic of electronics, the thing tells my motor not to slip into V4 mode.

Look again. That's a bacon covered doughnut.
 I didn't eat one but the guy that did (Al)
 had a huge grin on his face.

 The whole point of Active Fuel Management is to gain fuel economy. I think GM claims something like 5-12% depending on the vehicle. Since adding the V4 delete I've calculated my mileage and its dropped from a high average of 17.7 to a steady average of 17 mpg.

 Now dropping from 17.7 to 17 isn't a concern. If it were I'd be driving something a lot smaller than a Yukon XL. What was a concern was that high oil consumption. It seemed directly related to how much hiway use I had, meaning more V4 use. Two weeks with a lot of hiway miles used almost a quart each week. Now with the little gizmo plugged in I'm seeing more like a half quart every two weeks. Ya that still sucks but it is a definite improvement. I should note that some of that oil is dripping from a valve cover leak and not all being burned.

  So I guess the point of this post is to give The Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval to the Range Technology AFM delete module. If you're experiencing the kind of issues I was then it may be worth the $100-$150 investment. As always, your mileage may vary.

Later.

Good Customer Service

 Unless you're new here, you know that we bought my wife a 2011 BMW 328i xdrive back in November. I told you the story about returning it to the dealer for a mirror replacement and headlight adjustment. I also told you about the front differential not having much if any oil in it and the noise coming from it. It's easy to bitch when things don't go as expected. This isn't that kind of story.
 Last Monday their service department looked at the car and put some dye in the differential and asked me to drive it about four hundred miles. I did so and returned last Friday so they could re-inspect the car. There is some question on my part as to how much of a differential leak they found but they stated there was definitely an engine oil leak. The tech had stuck a magnet in the diff and came up with a lot of metal. This wasn't a news flash to me as I already have enough experience with axle problems to know that much noise equaled metal shavings. Anyway, they didn't want me to drive the car and gave me a loaner. Not a car I'd choose myself but I can't complain about a 2018 escape with a thousand miles as a loaner.
 On Monday I heard from them that basically they were trying to decide what to do. My warranty that came with the car was up but this was kinda a grey area. They would call me back with more details. I wasn't nervous but the guys in our shop sure did tease me and came up with a number of scenarios, all of which I came out on the short end. On Thursday I decided to call and was told they were replacing the differential and fixing the engine oil leak but the gal didn't know when it would be done. On Friday they called and said I could pick it up which I did yesterday morning.
 The forty five mile ride home was gonna be the determining factor on how I felt about this whole ordeal. To my relief the only noise I heard on the ride home was the sound of the tires on the pavement. Having a good differential make a big diff!
 In some past posts I may have nitpicked at a few things concerning Holiday Automotive and Holiday Budget Center but in the end they have done everything they promised and then some, all the time with a smile. They did this for us and the only input from me was a four minute phone conversation and bringing them the car. They earned the Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval because they went above and beyond my expectations and I will go back to them when I look to replace my old Dodge pickem up next fall. You should do the same.

Later.

A Long Week

 This week seemed to have gone on forever. As you know we have been busy used car shopping and were considering a 2011 BMW 328i Xdrive. On our second visit for a closer look I discovered that the techs at the dealership had replaced the front tires but not the rear. I'm not sure what they were thinking but we had them correct that along with ordering a few other pieces such as a special light bulb for the halo ring headlight and a cracked rear view mirror. Its a used car but getting them to agree to replacing items is an easy way to help get the bottom dollar down closer to where it should be. One of those agreements was knocking off the cost of buying a spare tire. The car originally came with run flat tires and an inflator kit. There is no kit in the trunk and the tires they just installed are not run flats so they gave in to my logic.
 We bought the car and after running it for a few days now it seems like it should fit our needs. My wife keeps saying I like it more than she does but the fact is I just like it because it handles so nice and I think it should be a safe car for her. Getting out of my truck and then driving the BMW is like getting off a boat and into a slot car. Whats not to like. The other thing that intrigues me is the engine. My past experience with inline six cylinders has been with the likes of the Mercury Comet or maybe my old '51 Chevy pickup. They always vibrated like they were only hitting on five cylinders unlike the smooth power delivery of this BMW.  It was a little greasy yesterday and I pushed it a bit to see how the Xdrive worked. It must work fine because I couldn't get myself sideways. This should be a good winter car for my wife.
 I ordered some Weathertech floor liners for the front of the car. I had heard a lot of good things about them and figured that if you're gonna drop a nert on floor mats it might as well be for a BMW. Let me tell you that when they say they are laser measured they ain't kidding. These floor liners fit perfectly. I was concerned about how they might feel slippery underfoot but was quite surprised at the amount of gription they offered. Thats right, its my blog and its ok for me to make up words as needed.

 In other news the bedroom remodel is back in gear after a week off dealing with the car issue. The walls are all skim coated now and some paint has been applied. Nothing fancy is happening here and it almost feels like we're just taking the shortest route to get the room done. Thats fine because its looking pretty good and we have plenty other projects to complete.

Later.

Used Car Shopping

 I last reported of a blown engine in my wifes Subaru Outback. We've been going back and forth on what to do about that situation. Do we fix it? That ain't gonna happen overnight and carpooling together won't fly once the snow falls because we would then be leaving for work at much different times. We really need that second vehicle right away so last night we went car shopping. At one of the dealerships I was talking with the salesman about utilitarian, practical 4wd vehicles when I heard a squeal coming from the other side of the showroom. I pretty much knew I was wasting my time with the salesman because my wife had already found something she fell in love with.

 The car is a 2011 BMW 328i Xdrive. That Xdrive was my only real requirement for her because I truly believe if you live in Wisconsin then you should have all wheel drive. If you don't then you are slowing me down or creating a safety hazard for the rest of the folks on the road.
 The list of options is impressive to include a heated steering wheel. I've not been around many luxury cars and certainly no German engineered ones so shucks BillyBob, this is a new one to me.
 I never even considered such a vehicle as her replacement but why not? A used luxury sedan with all wheel drive and winter package is really ideal for our situation now that the kids are out of the house. She deserves a new one but this particular Ultimate Driving Machine is in our budget. We put a thousand dollars down to hold it and are going back today to take a closer look. My only concern is cost of ownership/maintenance but really its a crap shoot with any used car. Besides, if the lady likes it then she should have it.

Later.

Workshop Wednesday-Winch Update

 You may remember a post about a winch we built at work to use as a skid loader attachment. It turned out to be one of those projects that works pretty good on the first effort. So far it has been used to do the logging project it was built for, recovery of an off road bucket lift that was stuck in the mud, and dragging pallets out of semi trailers so they can be forked off. A handy tool to have around and it gets the Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval.

Later.

Random Boring Pic Day

 ...because I can't think of anything interesting to talk about today, and I don't want to talk about having to drive to Milwaukee yesterday to recover my wifes car that had a bad wheel bearing. No progress on the BSA. Nothing interesting happened at work. No social life to speak of. These pics were all in my phone and may or may not have been previously posted on this blog.

I know this was a warm sunset because I'm wearing my mesh jacket.
 I'm anxiously looking forward to getting back on the bike. 

Kudos to this guy spotted on his bike two days ago.
I really should push the sporty out of the living room and go for a ride.

Kinky links. A generous twist of the right wrist will straighten that right out!

I don't necessarily agree with this statement but I can appreciate the humor.

I like to be honest with my customers about their equipment. 

stupid cat

Same stupid cat trying to be cute.

I had to tear this saw down this far just to tell the customer it wasn't worth fixing.

It's been a long winter. I'd take a wet foot if it meant going on a warm ride.

Birthday dinner with Sweetums.

Later.

Beverage Review-Arty's

  Things on the motorcycling front have been quiet this week. The bathroom remodel is almost done with just some plumbing and a few pieces of trim left to do. If I were a plumber or carpenter that would be great news but I'm neither so wish me luck.
 There has been some talk round these parts of parking two motorcycles in our living room this winter. It really would help free up some space in the garage and the two bikes I have in mind aren't due for any winter makeovers. Besides, having bikes parked in close proximity is good for the soul, even if they are just decoration till the weather gets better.
 Meanwhile the Ultra sits in the garage waiting to be ridden but the fact is that not many more miles will get logged for the remainder of the year, unless there are big changes in A: the weather. B: my schedule. The garage is trashed. The sheds are trashed. I need to get my snow blower situation figured out and I still need to do a leaf cleanup in the yard.

 Oh ya, I was gonna do a beverage review. I had a few of these Arty's old fashioneds and lost track of where this blog was going. First, the pic was taken in my newly remodeled bathroom because it now has the best lighting in the house. Looks good, eh? It's a bathroom, you know what the rest looks like. 

 When my wife and I go out for dinner and she is doing the driving, I like to sample a brandy old fashioned or two. Even the bad ones taste alright to me, especially by the time I get to the second one. I wonder why that is?  I was mixing them at home for a while but never found the right combination that was any better than what I was getting at the bars. Because companies thrive on our laziness, the trend has been to offer single serving premixed drinks, and I think it was someone from work that told me about Arty's. I guess the stuff is made about 50 miles from here so I'm not sure how available it is in the rest of the country. They offer a few different mixes but my favorite by far is the brandy old fashioned sweet. Ya you can pour it over ice and add some fruit but occasionally I just sip them right from the bottle. I will warn you that sometimes settling does occur so I like to flip the bottle upside down to stir things up before opening.

 You won't find any fancy talk here about the quality of what might be in this stuff or a touch of this and a hint of that. My taste buds aren't that sophisticated. All I know is that its freakin delicious and you should limit your use of power tools once you start drinking them.

Later.

SCR

 Sunday was the Slimey Crud Run, an event that involves a motorcycle gathering in Pine Bluff, Wi followed by a gathering in Leland. Whatever route you take from Pine Bluff to Leland is the "run" and it's not organized, chaperoned or even have start time.  It is what you make it. The draw for many is the tire kicking, bench racing and jaw jacking that goes on while the bikes are parked. Sunday my plan was to ride the sporty down with Dan but when he backed out I changed up my plan a bit. I rode the Ultra and later rode further to my oldest daughters house for a visit. The sporty may have made the ride but certainly not with the same comfort I enjoyed on Harleys finest touring rig.
 While in Leland I met fellow blogger "Coop" from Coop's Corner.  My memory isn't that good but besides JT who got me started in blogging, Coop may be the first blogger I've met in person. We didn't talk about blogs but we did talk about something we're both passionate about. Bikes, duh.
 There was a decent turnout of bikes but it was lacking in the odd stuff usually in attendance. There was one bike that caught my attention, not so much for the physical bike itself but for the whole package.
 This guy

 It's one thing to put a sidecar on your bike but something totally different to do it without any previous sidecar experience. Looking at the bike and mounts it was clear he built this on his own and to his own specs. I was parked next to him so I had a chance to hear his story and all I could do is grin and give him a thumbs up. Of course these projects are never done. I learned that a propeller may be in the works for this unusual rig.
 Speaking of grinning, I had a weird encounter while I was minding my own freakin business watching the bikes go by. A cop walked up to me and said "It's ok for you to smile". WTF? Now we're monitoring facial expressions? I smile when it's appropriate but I don't go walking around with a fake smile on like so many people do. If you see me grinnin you know it's real.
 Anyway, I was at a bike event so you know I was smiling on the inside and no court could ever prove otherwise.

Later.

Boring Job

 No I'm not talking about my employment. I'm referring to the fact that my BSA cylinders need to be bored out. I thought I'd be able to just run my hone through them and order the same .020 over pistons that were in there. Well, by the time I got the rust pitting and scratches out, I was past the service limit for 20 over pistons. The next oversize available is .040 and I'm not gonna punch the cylinders out that far with my little deglazing hone. There are a few local shops that can handle this job and I called on Jim at Modern Motorsports in Ripon to help me out.
 I ordered the pistons, rings, gaskets and some other parts from a place out of Michigan call British Only. Before shipping my stuff they called me to discuss my order. They were very helpful and obviously knowledgeable about brit bikes. I experienced good customer service and got my stuff in a few days.

 In other BSA news, I've ordered the special left hand helicoil, tap and die needed to repair my front axle. Years ago I tried removing the front tire and horsed the front axle until it moved. Unfortunately I didn't realize it was a lefty and it stripped the threads in the fork tube lower. That tube is steel and this should be an easy repair.
 As I write this I have another tab open on my 'puter. Its the website for the Eastwood company. I'm just waiting for them to send me a coupon code so I can order the paint needed for the BSA engine. Sure I could roll down to the local auto parts store and pick up a can of engine paint but I want something that will look good and be able to handle an occasional  fuel spill (read leaky carbs). They offer a two part high temp ceramic engine paint that I've heard is pretty good. They also offer that two part paint in a special spray can. I'll ordered it in both spray and brush on configurations.
 This is a low budget build. It's not a show bike but I want it to look good while pinching pennies where ever possible. One area I have to address that could be costly is the exhaust system. What I have is basically roached from head to tail pipe. It has rust and deep scratches and is in no way presentable. I have a few ideas that may or may not include header wrap and maybe the take off mufflers from my Ultra. I'm not really sure yet but the wrap is on the way. If I don't use it on the BSA then it'll go on the sportster over the burnt on gunk that used to be my riding pants.
 I'm starting to think this might actually be the year I ride this bike again.

Workshop Wednesday-Good Vibrations

  I haven't made a workshop wednesday post in a while so I'll throw this little tip at ya. As many of you know, I fix outdoor power equipment. Most of what I do is 2-cycle stuff like chainsaws and trimmers. Basically, you neglect it and we resurrect it. One of the most common neglects is letting fuel get old in a machine and many times that requires me to clean a carburetor.

 The rust inside the carb pictured above is pretty bad and just using carb cleaner did nothing toward removing it. Recently I have been experimenting with an ultrasonic cleaner to tackle this chore. So far it's been working pretty good but this carb would be a challenge.

 This ultrasonic cleaner is about as cheap as they get. I paid thirty something dollars for it at the local cheap ass tools store. It's big enough for these small carbs and that's about it. The cleaning solution is just some diluted pine sol cleaner. Some soaps work better than others and I'm still experimenting with different ones.
 This particular unit has about a three minute cycle. All it does is vibrate and that loosens up the dirt. I ran this carb through three cycles, rotating it between each cycle.

 You can see that the rust is all gone. There was no mechanical removal of rust, just a bath in the ultrasonic cleaner. Sure that screw head is dark, but there is no loose rust or dirt left anywhere and I can rob a screw from the "big bucket o' carbs". After drying the carb with low air pressure, I used the kit in the background to reassemble it. The reason for the cleaning determines how far I tear the carb down. When I save time, you save money.

"So what did the shop have to do to fix our leaf blower?"
   "They cleaned the carb."
"You mean they just squirted some carb cleaner in it and blew it out?"
   "No, they used some machine called an ultrasonic cleaner."
"Oooooh!" "I feel so good about the money we spent on this repair. Come give me a smooch!"

Street Cannons

 The new ride is great. Too bad it sounds like someone put a gag on it. Not to worry, The Motor Company offers everything a rider could want and then some. I spent some time on you-tube listening to different exhaust systems and narrowed my search down to the Screaming Eagle Street Cannons. They have the sound I wanted and were 20% off when I purchased them with the new bike.

 The stock mufflers look fine but sound wimpy. Time for an upgrade.

After removing the saddlebag it was just a matter of removing two bolts and a clamp.

 Here I have slipped on the new muffler. Yes that's why they call them "slip ons".

  Another way HD has found to empty your pockets is to offer a multitude of end caps. I chose black covers over "revolver" caps. I'll live with them but there may have been a better choice out there.

 Here is a comparison of the stock muffler vs. the Street Cannon.
 I've put 500 miles on them since the install and really enjoy the sound. They are quiet enough when idling or light cruising but when you roll on the throttle they bark pretty good. I can basically control when I want to annoy people. How wonderfully childish! Ya, I'm enjoying the bike.

Test Ride

 Thursday I drove up to Harley Davidson of Appleton. A salesman there named Brian told me to stop in anytime I wanted to take a bike for a test ride. When I got there I asked to ride a new Ultra Limited. After they photocopied my drivers license and made sure I had a helmet, they let me loose on this:

 The 103 cubic inch engine has some decent torque. You can pretty much just let the clutch out without throttle and the bike will take off without killing. Once rolling the big pig feels pretty nimble. Dare I say light. I checked the abs brakes a few times in the parking lot just so I knew what to expect then I leaned her over pretty good as I left the lot onto the road. It felt very natural.
 I am not familiar with the back roads in the Appleton area so getting lost was easy. I remember the salesman telling me that all HD dealership locations are pre loaded in the gps so I thumbed through the menus till I found what I needed and the gps talked me back to the dealer. Nice. This bike gets the Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval!
 So now I'm hooked. All that was left to do was decide what color I wanted. Blue is out. Ya I know my truck is blue but I don't like that either. That amber whiskey colored one is ok I guess. Vivid Black would be just too hard for a high miler like me to keep clean. The maroon one might look good in the sunlight but I didn't care for it in the showroom. What does that leave?

 Silver and black. They had a few of these and were willing to work on the price in order to move one.

 It worked because there it is sitting in my driveway. My brand new 2015 HD Ultra Limited. Yesterday after work I managed to put about 250 miles on it. It's so sweet. A nice combination of comfort/power and hi tech. Originally I thought I wanted to remove the trunk for that Street Glide look. Ain't gonna happen. I don't know its back there when I'm riding and it holds a lot of crap. I know it will hold a full face and two half helmets plus gloves and glasses and other crap.
 Stay tuned for posts on a few upgrades I plan to make. The first will be to the exhaust. Harley builds these things to sound crappy so they can make an instant sale to suckers like me that want a more traditional sound from their v-twin.
 I'll see you out on the road. You'll know it's me. I'll be the one with the ear to ear grin.

Calling My Name

 Rattle rattle rattle. Thats what I hear when I'm riding the sportster and hit a bump. Rattle rattle. The front brake pads rattle in the caliper. I know there is supposed to be a part in there that prevents this from happening so after work yesterday I decided to ride to the dealer and get what I need to fix it.
 Going to a bike shop is exciting. All the shiny new iron just begging for my attention. It's almost like the animal shelter where all the lonely pets are crying out, "come pet me". The problem is those fuckers at the dealer got it figured out. You have to walk through this maze of temptation just to get to the parts counter for a three dollar part.
 I tell the parts jockey what I'm after and he's having to spend a little time figuring it out. While I'm waiting I hear someone call my name. "Scott, over here". I turn and look but don't see anyone. Whatever. Then I hear it again. Scotty, I'm over here". I turn faster but still don't see anyone. Am I losing it? I reach up and check to see if I removed my earplugs. Yep, we're good. "Scotty come sit on me". Wait, what? It was a Street Glide calling my name! Not a used SG, or even a new SG, but a new Street Glide Special. Crap.

 I pay $10 for what should have been a $3 part and wander over by the shiny new bike. In my last post I mentioned the street glide as a bike I have always liked. I like the batwing fairing and saddlebags with no trunk. Seems functional with just the right blend of touring and daily rider. Other than that I never really checked one over to see if it meets Greasy Shop Rag standards. As I'm spreading my dna all over this fine machine a salesman comes over to answer some questions. I quizzed him for half an hour comparing pre-2014 Rushmore Project bikes and then comparing the standard model to the "Special". I gotta tell ya, I'm hooked.
 That little brake part is gonna cost me a bundle. Now I need to sell everything and get my ass on a new hog.

Rat Turd Exhaust-Live!

 It's been driving me crazy. As you know a while back I built a homemade header for the Rat Turd. What would it sound like? Would it sound like a turd? Would the rain flapper go klinkity klink when the bike was idling? Well with the weather as cold as it's been and the fact that I have other things torn apart on the bike, I finally got a chance to push it outside and fire it up. You be the judge.

 I like it. It sounds like a big throaty four cylinder jap bike. Not the little 550 that it really is. I also got the rain flapper klinking noise I was hoping for. It's actually a lot klinkier than the video reveals.
 I still have to seal the elbow below the muffler. I hadn't done this yet because I didn't know if I was gonna get the sound I wanted. I was happy to see that when I held the rain flapper closed the only place it leaked was at this elbow. My header collector seems to be welded up tight. Schwinnggg!

 I still have the restrictor that came with the muffler. Of course it was removed before I ever started this project. Now I may use it to fine tune the sound and klinkability of the rain flapper.
 I sat on the bike and revved it up a few times. I think it's gonna be alright. The outlet points away from me just enough so I won't be breathing rat fumes yet it's close enough for me to enjoy it. The fact that it points up may lessen the offensiveness of it's tone. I'm not gonna get into the whole "loud pipes save lives" debate. That's not why I built it.
 So it looks like this project is a success and fine tuning it will be simple enough. For that it gets the Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval.

Workshop Wednesday-Leaky Boots part 2

 Last week I talked about the importance of a tightly sealed crankcase and no intake air leaks in a two cycle engine. The saw I was working on had badly damaged intake boots. Imagine my dismay when I replaced the boots and the saw still ran like it had an air leak.
 Actually, I was pissed off. This happens sometimes. You find a problem that matches the complaint then you fix the problem only to find another problem. Some would say that further tested should have been done before starting the repair. Well here's the deal. Labor rates are high. "Further testing" can add a whole lot to a bill. In order to provide a reasonably priced service to our customers, we sometimes have to "go with our gut" on some of these repairs. I gambled and lost on this one. Sort of like playing poker with Frank and John.
 So now I had to take the time I was hoping to save and pressure test the engine. To do the test I need to seal the intake and exhaust. This meant making a block off plate and seal for the exhaust port. It also meant bolting a piece of rubber between the intake boot and carb. I also had to expose the crank seals. This means removing the flywheel and associated parts on one side and the clutch and cutting parts on the other side.
 So now the ports are all sealed. I removed the spark plug and installed a special adapter that allows me to pump air into the engine. The goal is to pressurized the engine to 7 psi and have it hold that pressure for 1 minute. Spraying a soapy mix around seals and ports will reveal any leaks.

 In this picture you can see bubbles forming between the crankcase halves. The bubbles don't look like much but I couldn't even get one pound of pressure to show on my gauge. This is the worst place to have a leak because it means splitting the cases to repair. In most instances this would make the equipment non-repairable because of cost. In this case it may be worth fixing because a new saw retails for $1100. The customer was quoted $400 for the repair which includes all new gaskets and seals, new crank bearings and the new intake boots previously installed. He's thinking about it.

Lets take a closer look at a Husky 562xp that needs to be pressure tested to satisfy a warranty claim.

We need to remove the starter, flywheel, muffler, bar/chain, clutch, oil pump on some models and the carb.

Muffler removed and plate installed.

Carb removed and plugs/plate installed.

 An adapter is threaded into the spark plug hole. The adapter allows us to hook up a pump with gauge. I pumped this up to 7 psi when I suddenly had an urge to drop a deuce. When I got back several minutes later I took this pic. The engine is sealed tight and didn't lose any pressure (unlike what just happened in the bathroom). If it was leaking I would have used a soapy mix sprayed on all sealing areas and looked for bubbles. Our gauge lets us apply a vacuum to the engine also. This test is mainly for the crank seals which can sometimes only leak in one direction. I pumped the gauge to 5 in Hg vacuum and let it sit for 4 minutes with no drop of the needle. There are no sealing issues with this engine.
 So there you have it. If this looks like something you want to do on your own then I recommend buying the Mity Vac mv8500 like I've used here. It comes in a hard case along with some plugs and adapters. This tool also works great for bleeding motorcycle clutch and brake systems and that has earned it the Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval.

Progress Report

 This should be a short post. Not much progress on the BSA but I suppose after sitting a few decades any progress should seem Speedy Gonzales quick. I did a little polishing on some aluminum pieces and am happy with the way they turned out.

 This front drum brake cover was showing its age. There are some deep nicks in it so it will never be perfect.

 It looks much better and gets the Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval.

 I talked about making a spray booth for winter painting projects. I haven't given up on the idea...just put it on hold. I have a lot of other pieces I can work on without actually painting them yet. If I don't squirt anything until spring well then I guess thats gonna have to be ok.

 Besides, as I turn around in my desk chair and look back at the little workshop, I realize I have a lot of organizing to do. I've just been grabbing pieces and cleaning, polishing or sanding them without any game plan. Well actually I have an idea what the end result will look like, I just don't have a set plan for getting there.

End.

Workshop Wednesday-Small Engine Fuel

 This time of year our inbound repair shelf at the shop is full of leaf blowers and chain saws that ran fine last year but now won't start. Soon it will be snow blowers. As a small engine mechanic I see more fuel related problems than anything else. There are two reasons for this. The first is ethanol. Its just not a good fuel for small engines. Most equipment more than just a few years old has rubber components that won't stand up to ethanol. Typically I see more than one piece of equipment a day that has a broken fuel line in the tank with the filter just laying there unconnected to anything. It ran a while like this and now the carb has crap in it. There is also the problem of phase separation.  Google it, but basically it comes down to the fact that ethanol absorbs moisture...to a point. Then it separates and what you are left with is a layer of water on the bottom of your tank or gas can. When you tip and pour a gas can you get the stuff from the bottom first and that could be a large dose of water. Not good. I'm not going to get into the politics of ethanol but right now its just not a good fuel for small engines.
 The second fuel related problem I see is "stale gas". The equipment was used and ran fine. Then it sat in the shed till the next year when it was needed. Even if it was ethanol free fuel, it will evaporate and leave behind a big mess most people call "varnish". This is the stuff that plugs up tiny ports and jets in carbs.

 A few years back we started selling canned fuel. This is one example. There were a lot of claims about this stuff. We were told this fuel would stay fresh in an engine for two years. Ideal if you are a casual user of certain equipment. For example you have a hedge trimmer that only gets used a few times a year. A quart of fuel may be the total volume for the whole season. This stuff would be perfect for that if it worked up to its claims.
 I'm a "show me" kind of guy. I decided I needed to conduct my own experiment.

 About 27 months ago I salvaged an engine from a piece of equipment headed for the dumpster. I drained the gas and added SEF (small engine fuel). I ran the engine till I knew all the old gasoline was worked out of the carb and it was running on just SEF. Then I shut it off. I was certain the carb now only had SEF in it. I attached the tag in the pic and dated it 7/17/12. I then pushed the engine in the corner and pretty much forgot about it. Oh sure I'd see it every so often and be tempted to try to start it but I managed to hold off.
 Yesterday I noticed the engine and decided it was time to test out the claims. It was over the two year mark so figured why not. When I opened the cap on the fuel tank I noticed the tank appeared dry. I think a lot of the fuel evaporated and couldn't help but wonder if it "varnished" in the carb. I added some more SEF, turned the ignition switch on, moved the choke lever and gave it a pull. Sure enough it fired right up! I was truly impressed that this old piece of junk started on first pull. I let it run a while and it never missed a beat. I'm sold. I'm also relieved that all that canned fuel we sold was actually doing what we claimed it would do.
 Canned fuel isn't cheap but neither are repair costs. No snake oil here, this stuff works. Husqvarna offers to double the two year warranty on certain small equipment if three cans of their 50:1 mixed fuel is purchased at the time of the new equipment purchase. That says a lot.
 So if you've ever considered using this type of fuel but weren't sure if it was any good, go ahead. It has the Greasy Shop Rag stamp of approval.