The Future Of This Blog

  I've been posting this blog for an octad of years now. Every so often I start to evaluate whether or not I want to continue this babble I call The Greasy Shop Rag and right now is one of those times. For a long time I've made two posts a week and then I started the Youtube channel which now consumes one of those posts. I enjoy making those Youtube videos. Some are better than others and none will ever share the spotlight with Spielberg or Tarantino but thats not the point for me. I like making them, period. I used to say the same thing about this blog but lately it has become a chore and thats not a good thing. The "chore" is coming up with content. If I had anything at all interesting to say I'd peck away at the keyboard every day. Its been suggested I take a break, if just for a week. I won't do that at least not on purpose. Long ago I told myself if I was gonna do this I'd be consistent. If you notice that I miss an episode then its because something happened. Please call a lawyer, doctor or fireman cuz I'm in trouble.

 I'm a quiet person despite what my jagoff coworkers will say about it. Making this blog has helped me express myself and maybe help me be less of a grumpy effer. Shutup jagoff coworkers. Making Youtube videos forces that issue even further. The problem with Youtube videos is you still need to come up with content. I can see myself years down the road saying "I used to like making Youtube vids but lately I have nothing to say". 

 So what does all of this babble mean for this blog? Well, nothing. I'll continue to come up with something to talk about even if its just "filler" material like this post. To further complicate things and challenge myself even more, I've been giving some thought to posting two Youtube vids a week. Maybe not every week but with the addition of my "over the bench" videos it might be easy to sneak in a second video some weeks. "Some weeks" because putting out those videos is time consuming. Sure the "over the bench" vids are no effort to record but a nightmare to edit, plus I have to dub audio over the top of them once the video is structured. On top of that I'm teaching myself how to use new editing software. Yippy! My other videos are more of a one or two take kind of effort with less editing and I'm wondering if I can sneak one of those in when I'm up for it.

 So there you have it, the future of this blog as I see it. Thanks for following.

Later.

Over The Bench-Pinched My Saw, Now It Won't Run

  The video for today is another repair as seen from over my bench at work. The customer pinched his small top handle chainsaw and after he got it removed discovered it wouldn't run correctly. If you own a Jonsered CS2236T, Husqvarna T435 or Redmax GZ3500T you'll want to see this one. 

If you don't own one of these then you might want to use this video and some warm milk to send yourself off to lala land.

Check it out:

https://youtu.be/rkLf8P7eW3c

Later.

Which Is Stronger?

  Which is stronger, the large rocks along a river bed or the water that erodes them? How about a flimsy little piece of emery paper or the piece of steel its polishing? Whats my point here? Well sometimes you see something and figure it will wear a certain way only to be surprised at what years of vibration can do to a piece of equipment. Yesterday I opened up a bacpac blower to do some maintenance on it and found something interesting that really made me think about all this. This is the inside of the blower.

 Ya its an odd duck. The pic is zoomed in too far but that entire engine is enclosed in an effort to make it quiet. Air for the blower is drawn in from the bottom, pulled over the hot engine and then blown out the blower nozzle. I'm sure theres an engineer somewhere quite proud of this design. Anyway, the engine has a metal mount and there is a wire that passes over it. Which is stronger, cast aluminum or plastic wire insulation?

 You can see the wire and the wear it caused to the aluminum mount. Heres a closer look.

 A reasonable person would think the wire would wear first. Let me tell you that after sixteen years of service the insulation isn't even compromised yet. Its close but its still sound.

BLAMO! Mind blown!

Later.

Husqvarna 125b Loose Carb

  Another video from over my workbench.

 This one is about a common repair I do to fix these blowers when the carb comes loose.

https://youtu.be/t_6Vugrf4n8

Later.

Hot or Cold?

   You don't need a weatherman to tell you these are the dog days of summer. The heat has been brutal here in Wisconsin. Well thats if you're from around here. I know you southerners are more acclimated to weeks of temps in the 90's but really, you can't fool me. It sux for you too.

 Heres a few pics that cooled me down about a tenth of a degree. That don't seem like much but in these desperate times I'll take what I can get.

 Ahhh, 40's or 50's and sunshine. Just right for that early February ride on a sportster. I can't even imagine wearing a jacket right now.

 A Jeep stuck on a sidewalk while plowing snow. I can tell you that it was a cold day but don't remember how cold. 

 

 My wife shoveling the sidewalk on a cold windy day. From here it looks cool and refreshing but I doubt thats how she would describe it.

 Mother nature doing her thing. Right now it would be fun to stand under this tree and shake it hard enough to get that snow to fall, maybe some of it right down the back of my neck. Ya know how when that happens and you arch your back, roll your shoulders back thinking this will somehow keep the cold snow off your skin and then dance around a bit in a circle? Ya thats the stuff.

Later.

Husqvarna 120i Battery Issues

 This weeks video is the first of an effort to present more content of what happens on my workbench while employed as a 2 cycle mechanic.  Some of it may be informative and some may be a yawn fest. One thing is for sure, I'll have much more material to draw from when I'm trying to figure out what video to make for the week.

https://youtu.be/vfIwsrcYqFM

Later.

Rest In Pieces

  Its a sad day in the Automower community as we've lost another loyal lawn mower. Let us bow our heads and say a little prayer for the mower formerly known as Badger Central.

I don't like to cut my grass,

I don't like to deal with gas.

You cut my lawn rain or shine,

While I sat at home and drank my wine.

To end this way does really suck,

Squished flat by a UPS truck.

The lawn you kept was neat and clean,

Rest in pieces you green machine.

 This mower was one of four that were part of one of our earlier installs. The machine had 8,572 hours on it and traveled a total of 11,889 miles while performing its lawn maintaining duties. The mower on the right is a similar model.

This is a pic of the scene of the crime.

 Ya its a total loss. Mowby Dick, my personal Automower, was salvaged after being run over by a skid loader but that was more of a glancing blow when compared to the way a UPS truck monster trucked this poor thing. A mere handful of parts might be salvageable and most of those are just screws. Heres a pic of the way I first saw it.

Scattered in that box are all the parts of this machine. Its toast and I'm outta here.

Later.

Junk In The Trunk

  ...or more appropriately, "stuff in my tour pack". What kind of treasures can be found in the depths of my tour pack? I've had the bike six years now and its been a long time since I've taken a look at what has collected in its massive storage areas.

Check it out:  https://youtu.be/K042Bf4Mz8E

Later.

Spring Has Sprung

  Well, sorta. When I say spring has sprung what I really mean is one of my coil springs on the big ass station wagon broke. I was blocks from work when I heard a loud bang as the right front corner dropped. The coil spring broke and that corner was now supported by a bottomed out strut. Like I said, I was blocks away from work so after a quick examination I just drove it there.

 Initially I was quite upset. Not because the struts would need replacing, I'm sure they are overdue for replacement. I was upset because it looked like the boot on my cv shaft was compromised. I just replaced these shafts last fall and they were definitely not due for more attention. In this next pic you can see the broken spring and I took note of where it broke.

 In the back of my mind I kept wondering what caused the spring to break. After installing a new loaded strut I noticed the spring was hitting a gusset on the Rough Country Suspension supplied upper control arm. This only happens at full droop of the control arms and I don't remember seeing that when I installed the lift kit. I reckon I've been doing enough full droop type of maneuvers to have compromised the spring. 

 

Since I don't plan on changing my driving habits I figured its best I fix the problem. 

 I used a cut-off wheel to adjust the gusset enough for the spring to clear. Yes this is where the old spring broke. Shame on you Rough Country for not foreseeing this potentially dangerous problem. 

 A special shout out to Dan for staying after work and helping me replace both front struts. 

Later.