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Messages - moto123
51
« on: January 25, 2017, 01:25:11 PM »
Having just bought a 2017 1500 with the 5.3l I did a bit of research before purchasing as I owned a 2008 with the 5.3l and the AFM before trading up to the Dmax. On the 2008 it was a nuisance and I was dissatisfied to say the least. However in 2014 the 5.3 and 6.2 were both redisgned, now designated as the EcoTec3 5.3l as opposed to the older vortec line. (Even look completely different when peeking under the hood) as was stated above by others the bugs are supposed to be worked out of the afm with the newer design. I suppose time will tell.
I will have to see if I can find the articles I read on the topic to post links.
The newer version seems to be more subtle in its transition between v4/v8, and is averaging about 22mpg. Best I could get from the 2008 was 16 if the stars were aligned perfectly. Can't speak on the towing capabilities of the newer model as it is still in the break-in mileage range and I haven't put a trailer behind it.
That is encouraging. I have only read a little bit about the newest vehicles and thought it was just rebranding the same engine. I though I had even read about one that failed that was a 2015, but it's been a while. Maybe I can find that one again, or maybe it was in 2015 but the vehicle was a couple years older. If the new engine really is different, we should start to see some 2014 models hitting 100k soon and we'll find out I guess.
52
« on: January 24, 2017, 03:05:44 PM »
GM has been throwing band aid solutions at this engine since the issue started in 2007. Every model year, someone makes the claim that it has been fixed. And every year more and more vehicles fall victim to the same failure. There have been documented failures as early as I think 40k miles. But the majority of them are around the 100k mile mark. So yes, his 16 should be fine for a while. Most likely until he trades it off for another new one. But the second owner will be hit with the repair bill from this problem. It is not an easy issue to fix because GM would need to scrap that engine design and basically start over again. Most theories revolve around the cooling of the cylinders that are deactivated. A cool cylinder causes a continuous vacuum in the combustion chamber where there would normally be significant positive pressure. This vacuum draws oil past the rings which creates a sludge on the top of the piston and rings. Then when the cylinder is activated again it blows this sludge back into the engine and also out the exhaust. The process wears out the rings and burns oil. Do a search for excessive oil consumption linked with that 5.3L AFM engine. It is the first sign of an issue. The next problem comes when the sludge or dirty oil is pressurized and used in the hydraulic lifters which are the main component of the AFM system. This has a tendency to plug up the passages, reducing oil and wearing out lifters. The third and final nail in the coffin for most engines is the automatic oil life indicator. Since it was programmed around an engine that burns no oil, it cannot account for the continuous (1 quart every 1500 miles in some cases) oil loss. Many people have relied on the oil life indicator and ended up running the engine WAY too low on oil for many miles. Again making the issue worse.
Can the engine design be saved? Yes it would appear. I did an unofficial long term oil consumption test on two of these engines over about 40k miles each. In both cases I was able to significantly reduce or almost eliminate the oil consumption without replacing any parts. I did three things to combat the causes from the failure theories.
1. Ignore the oil life indicator, check your oil every 1,000 miles and add if necessary. Change oil at 3,000 miles religiously.
2. Run a half can of seafoam in the crank case for 5 minutes at idle just prior to changing the oil. This seemed to remove some of the previously created sludge and reduce the oil consumption.
3. Deactivate the AFM system. This can be done with plug in devices or with a programmer. I used a diablosport intune model.
53
« on: January 24, 2017, 02:00:31 PM »
Shawn is right, use the existing rig when you need heavy duty. Use a 1/2 ton the rest of the time. Maybe even buy an older Dodge diesel and rebuild it...Oh wait, I shouldn't have gone there.
Agreed ... no one will have any sympathy for you. You can't complain about needing another vehicle when there is one that is 95% done already in your garage. But if you are going to buy a suburban or Tahoe, avoid the half ton models from 2007 to current that have the 5.3L engine unless you secretly want it to fail so you can repower it with a diesel. The active fuel management system has been causing valve lifter failures left and right, which basically results in needing a new engine, just out of warranty for many people. The 6.0L that came in the 3/4 ton models did not have this issue as well as the 6.2L that came in the denalis and escalades up through 2009. In 2010 AFM was added to the 6.2L as well.
54
« on: January 24, 2017, 01:10:13 PM »
I am debating this issue currently as well. Happened to see you can get the adapter, two new style batteries and a charger in a package. So rather than buy two new 18v NiCad batteries, thinking about upgrading to the new style battery. Still works with my old tools and I will already have the new batteries for the next tool purchase so it will all stay operational with the same batteries.
55
« on: January 18, 2017, 01:31:21 PM »
I am not sold yet on the clear corrugated panel. I have three main issues with it and am thinking a clear single pane glass would be better. It would be very interesting to compare the two directly. Will your panels work? Yes. But will they be the most optimum, premium, best possible solution? I think more testing is required.  1. not completely clear, anything less than totally clear will block sunlight and reflect the energy back outside instead of letting it in. 2. corrugations increase surface area, increasing the heat loss through the window 3. corrugations have so many different angles, it would diffuse the light into some strange angles, again seems less efficient.
56
« on: January 13, 2017, 02:12:40 PM »
Mileage and price?
Nice choice! I actually looked for a year straight to find that exact build and wasn't able to so we settled for a 1/2 ton denali. The combination of 2500, black exterior, tan interior and LT3 options was apparently not manufactured very many times. If you ever decide to sell it, post it up here first. If I have the cash at the time, I would take it.
119K and about $21K after i talked them down a bit.
Yeah, these baby's are like hens teeth. I was all hot and bothered when i saw it but that was quickly replaced with disdain for how much i hate, loath, despise car dealerships.
here's the listing.
http://www.westsidechevroletkaty.com/VehicleDetails/used-2009-Chevrolet-Suburban-3%2F4_Ton_4_Wheel_Drive_LT_2LT-Katy-TX/2917398203
That's definitely worth it. 2009 was also the first year for integrated blue tooth, pretty handy.
57
« on: January 13, 2017, 01:08:15 PM »
Mileage and price?
Nice choice! I actually looked for a year straight to find that exact build and wasn't able to so we settled for a 1/2 ton denali. The combination of 2500, black exterior, tan interior and LT3 options was apparently not manufactured very many times. If you ever decide to sell it, post it up here first. If I have the cash at the time, I would take it.
58
« on: January 06, 2017, 01:53:07 PM »
Someone please feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but I was also under the assumption that this E85 scam had one other benefit to the country as a whole. If oil reserves deplete, or if we are not able to get oil from outside sources anymore, we could continue to produce E85 using mostly domestic corn and domestic oil for many years. While a cease in production of regular gas would cause issues for non flex fuel engines, because of the "MPG mandated" flex fuel vehicles currently in production, the country could continue operating at a reduced capacity. That is to say, if E85 is the only option, there are already enough vehicles in our country that can operate on it so as to not shut us down completely. Sort of a back up plan if you will. We have the technology and vehicles already tested and ready to use if it becomes necessary.
59
« on: January 05, 2017, 03:46:58 PM »
OK fair enough, I did exclude the megacab. But if he really needed that much back seat space, then he would have already bought one and this thread would not exist. :)
60
« on: January 05, 2017, 02:03:05 PM »
I think you may be right about all of the cars, SUV's and other products. But I hadn't seen any issues with the trucks. Maybe because they were coming out of a different factory? The truck body style also changed in 2007, so bailout or not they were bound to have a few issues with the first year of a new design. But I don't think the 06 models were any better or worse than the previous years before that.
61
« on: January 05, 2017, 01:54:09 PM »
That fan design is not very efficient when installed in a high static application, as is caused by the filter and ductwork. There are many other fan designs that would be better suited, more efficient, and quieter, however they would all be more expensive. If you could find a cheap squirrel cage design, similar to what was suggested about recycling an old furnace unit, it would be an improvement.
62
« on: January 05, 2017, 01:28:22 PM »
Oh forgot to mention, you should rule out the 1/2 ton trucks because everything on them suspension wise will wear out faster. Also the Chevrolet 5.3L engines with active fuel management have been failing at an alarming rate ever since they installed that system in 2007. Avoid ALL of them.
63
« on: January 05, 2017, 01:25:33 PM »
For the price range you are looking at and from what it sounds like you are doing I think a 2500 gas would more than fit your bill. Saves you more than a few grand allowing you to find something a little newer with lower miles etc..
I will agree. The diesel power is awesome if you are going to "play" with it. But if you want a simple reliable truck that can sit on the farm all month, then run when you need it to, with cheap and minimal maintenance, the gasser is the better value. I looked at all my options when I bought mine and ended up last year paying $26,000 for a 2009 chevy 2500HD will all the options (heated leather and backup camera) with the 6.0L gas engine. It had 80k miles. It will do more than I need it to, including hauling tractors and skid loaders. Yes the fuel mileage is not great, but I only do that once or twice a year. Gas mileage empty is actually not that bad. For any long distance traveling you will probably use the car anyway. I was comparing apples to apples, even the same year, color, etc and found that the duramax would cost nearly $10,000 more. Plus the additional maintenance cost and the "you're not going to leave it stock" factor. I couldn't justify it for my use. Now if you are convinced, then you really have two options (because the ford gas motor sucks). You are either looking at a hemi 2500 dodge or a 6.0L 2500HD chevy. I chose the chevy because the interior (in 2009 with the LTZ package) is more refined, the seats are way better and the 6.0 produces more power than the 5.7. If you are looking for something earlier than 2007, the interiors are more or less both equivalent. BUT, and this is a big BUT, the chevy rear doors are available full sized and the dodge rear doors are only small size. Maybe not for you, but this was a huge deal for me because of car seats.
64
« on: January 04, 2017, 01:49:23 PM »
whoa man, ATF fluid as an air freshener?!? That gave me a laugh. My wife would kill me. Last time I spilled some on the floor it smelled like that for weeks, even leaving the doors open. That has to be one of the worst smells ever!
65
« on: December 19, 2016, 02:07:22 PM »
That looks great! It will only seem like too much light until your first oil change. Then, when waiting for your eyes to adjust to the darkness beneath your truck to find the drain plug, you will be happy that you have just enough light so you didn't need to bother with a flash light. :)
66
« on: December 19, 2016, 01:43:01 PM »
I think you should try it and report on it's actual reliability. You know, as a public service to the rest of us. That would be very kind of you. ::)
But for the record, my money is bet squarely on the inevitable "event" where it gets overloaded and you somehow manage to break the thing in half.
67
« on: December 19, 2016, 01:38:47 PM »
Sounds like a fun adventure! Do it!!!
68
« on: December 14, 2016, 02:55:19 PM »
My vote would be for the propane and automatic transfer. But another solution that it appears no one has suggested, although even I don't actually recommend it. I have a Miller Bobcat 225 gas engine driven stick welder. You know, the ones that are mounted on all the heavy equipment service trucks. It has about 8kw generator capacity and a 50 amp plug. So I have a corresponding 220V outlet in my garage near the welder and a totally non-code compliant male to male cordset available. I can back feed the house through the outlet, of course after disconnecting from the main service and turning all the breakers off. Then I selectively turn on only the handful that I need. The downside? If you do it wrong, bad things happen. So you need to be careful, not something I would let anyone else do while I am gone. But the upside? The rest of the year I have an extra 220V outlet in my garage for the occasional borrowed tablesaw or tool. And I have a heavy duty welder when I need it.
69
« on: December 14, 2016, 02:27:09 PM »
Pop cans seem to be effective as well as a few layers of the black screening for screen doors. I wonder if there are other materials out there that would be even better? I also wonder if the pop can unit would be more efficient with a plenum at the bottom so the air could flow inside and outside the cans instead of only on the inside. http://www.builditsolar.com/Experimental/PopCanVsScreen/PopCanVsScreen.htm
70
« on: December 14, 2016, 02:05:55 PM »
We had talked about a cruise once also. Sounded like fun. But once we added up the amount it would cost, my wife declared she had a better idea. Instead she bought me a case of whiskey and then upgraded her car. In her mind a vacation would possibly make her happy for a week(she has a bad record for being sick every time we leave for vacation), whereas a newer car would definitely make her happy every day, for at least a year, until she is ready to upgrade again. I can't argue with that logic, and buying cars is always fun. That was another one of those "yep I picked the right girl" moments.
71
« on: December 13, 2016, 04:49:54 PM »
The thing I found was that the air didn't move fast enough on its own This is caused by the fact that the supply duct at the top of the collector is short. If you were able to increase the length of this duct upward before the air outlet, you would see an increase in air flow. This is due to the stack effect, also known as draft. The same principle is applied to fireplaces and other appliances that heat air. The farther the flue or chimney extends above the heat source, the greater the air flow.
72
« on: December 13, 2016, 04:31:22 PM »
Yes a large thermal storage (water tank) will hold heat. But it will also hold cold, or lack of heat. The same amount of heat energy that allows it to stay warm all night is equal to the amount of "lack of heat" that it also holds during the morning hours of the day. The storage volume does not create heat, it only acts as a flywheel on the system, slowing down the rate of change.
None of this is related to closing off the solar collector at night. That was just a suggestion to make it more efficient. You would have to run a calculation to compare heat gained from radiation versus heat lost from conduction and convection to determine how much closing and then opening the ducts daily would help. If you don't want to close off the solar collector, then make the collector bigger and insulate it very well. The increase in size will output additional heat during the daytime to offset the loss of heat at night time. This has nothing to do with storage volume, it is purely the difference between heat gained and heat lost. We need to make sure the net result is positive heat gain.
73
« on: December 13, 2016, 02:43:04 PM »
Well I have an update on the floor coating that started this thread. It still looks very nice and sweeps very easy. But using it for a garage application is a big fat fail. If gas spills on the surface and sits for more than 30 seconds, the coating completely melts leaving bare concrete when you wipe up the mess. Kerosene? Well that stuff liquefies the surface coating INSTANTLY! There is no hope for wiping it up fast enough. In hindsight I should have thought about it. The product is oil based and therefore is dissolved with mineral spirits and other similar products. Perhaps a water based epoxy coating is still the best answer for a garage. The only good new about the floor coating I have used, it is very easy to roll more of it over the bare spots to repair them. They end up blending back in and you really can't see where it was. But it is rather annoying that it will require ongoing maintenance.
74
« on: December 13, 2016, 02:23:53 PM »
A couple suggestions:
1. You need to be able to seal off the solar unit from the room at night time. Otherwise all your heat gained during daytime will be lost at night time when it gets cold outside and the process reverses.
2. This system was designed to work with an existing double hung window. For better performance, the cold return duct would be connected at the bottom of your conditioned room to pull the coldest air off the floor. It would then be routed flat to the bottom of the solar heater. This would require an additional floor or wall penetration.
75
« on: December 09, 2016, 01:58:19 PM »
I don't want all the weirdos to have my number just you weirdoz
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We're a special class of weirdo
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As my wife always says "let your weird light shine bright, so the other weirdos know where to find you!"
76
« on: December 09, 2016, 01:41:14 PM »
Ok now I understand. Thanks for the photos. I didn't realize the aluminum outlet block was tapped in the rear also. I thought you could only connect to the top. So I was picturing two elbows, but you only need one. That looks really good.
77
« on: December 09, 2016, 01:32:03 PM »
That's incredible. Especially since he did everything right instead of just throwing it together.
Can anyone explain why the front wheels on our trucks are wider than the rears? What would he have lost by narrowing the front end? It definitely looks better. But there must be a reason GM doesn't do that.
78
« on: December 05, 2016, 01:59:02 PM »
Sort of defeats the point of purchasing a "complete" kit. But yes I can see how that would work. Though you will need one of the expensive adapters to transition from blue pipe to steel at each outlet. And that adds several potential leak points. Which is kind of annoying. But let's see how yours looks and I will either do the same, or just leave all the blue pipe exposed on the wall.
79
« on: December 05, 2016, 01:46:23 PM »
We've been super happy with our '13 ranger so far. Would definitely consider looking at the new version of it if I were in the market. It has been more capable that I expected. Also would look at the Polaris General. I don't have much personal experience, but a friend at work is looking at them and described it as halfway between the more utilty based ranger and the performance based razor (or rzr?).
Keep in mind that the #1 selling feature for us turned out to be the angle and overall squishiness of the seats. Since it is primarily driven by my wife, she sat in all of them and instantly proclaimed the razor to be a no-go due to the stiff and uncomfortable seats. I tried to explain the they hold you in better and it would be more fun, but she was having none of it. She basically wanted a sofa that she could drive around while wearing shorts and flip flops. The ranger was the most comfortable and easiest to get in and out of. You may want to at least consider that in part of your decision making if you expect her to actually drive it.
80
« on: December 05, 2016, 01:19:55 PM »
Ya let us know how the install goes. I just purchased two of those kits, Northern Tool had em on black Friday sale. I can't figure out yet how to install the pipe in the wall and the outlet on the surface of the wall without a huge hole for the pipe to transition through. But maybe you have a better solution that I am thinking of.
81
« on: November 18, 2016, 01:53:31 PM »
Ya that place looks really nice. Bet it would be on the market for about $150k around here. That's a heck of a deal.
82
« on: November 17, 2016, 12:54:56 PM »
That is definitely not where I guessed that story was headed. Very entertaining!
83
« on: November 11, 2016, 02:04:13 PM »
I liked the other idea I read somewhere, he had mentioned that he would coordinate all of the state by state concealed carry laws so that a permit in any state is automatically valid in all other US states. Anyone know more about if this is possible?
84
« on: October 25, 2016, 01:18:38 PM »
Holy wheelie machine!!!
85
« on: October 20, 2016, 12:56:01 PM »
I'd say add some Chipolte mayo
I concur with this, or some Sriracha mayo... but also lose the tomato. It's unnecessary since I'll be adding some ketchup anyway, and a fresh fried egg on top.
Then replace the bun with a fork and knife. .... Wait never mind, that would be breakfast. Which cannot possibly be the same as lunch. So proceed with the bun to create a unique lunch dining experience.
86
« on: October 17, 2016, 01:52:06 PM »
Those do look really cool.
87
« on: October 13, 2016, 02:20:41 PM »
And it also depends on what era of KTM they are talking about. 15 years ago, I would agree the bikes were not up to the standard of the Japanese bikes. 10 years ago is approximately where they started to catch up. But today? I would argue that KTM has not only caught up, but went flying past their competition in terms of quality and reliability. Price wise they are still a little more expensive, so actual value is probably a wash when comparing the KTM equivalent bike to one of the Japanese options. For me, it all boiled down to which one came from the factory with a license plate. And in this department, KTM has been dominating the market since 2007. Unfortunately I live in the ridiculously corrupt and misguided state of Illinois. It is very difficult to get an off road bike converted and titled here. It is much easier to buy one with a plate already on it. Here is what I upgraded to last month. Currently have 7 or 8 hours on the bike and love it. The previous KTM that I got rid of had 180 hours and still ran great, so I couldn't complain. Never had an issue. 
88
« on: October 12, 2016, 11:22:40 AM »
Thanks everyone for all the information on this topic!
89
« on: October 10, 2016, 04:31:19 PM »
That does make me feel better actually. I would have assumed at 100 PSI it would just push the plug back out the hole. But if it works at 100, I am much less nervous about it holding at 60 PSI. Thanks!
90
« on: October 10, 2016, 04:00:28 PM »
I didn't think about an internal patch option. That's a good idea. I kind of figured it would start leaking slowly and annoy me before anything catastrophic. But it is good know some of you agree. These tires have about 4,000 miles on them so far. So I really didn't want to have to buy a new one right away.
91
« on: October 10, 2016, 01:46:19 PM »
92
« on: October 04, 2016, 01:14:48 PM »
The last time I had issues with a garage door opener, I bought a new one that was the same brand as the existing one. Installed only the main "box" component. I reused the old track, belt and sensors. So my install time was pretty minimal and I still have the spare new extra parts. If your new replacement unit is $200 and your new circuit board is $85. Then you have to decide if it's worth $125 for the risk of it not working. Whereas the entire new unit should have some sort of warranty.
93
« on: October 03, 2016, 01:49:59 PM »
That's a big change in direction! I will be curious to watch what you do to the ranger. We have one that is almost identical.
94
« on: October 03, 2016, 01:40:53 PM »
So the remote openers work when in close proximity to the opener, but not when moved farther away? Sounds like you might have an issue with the antenna or it's connection to the main board.
95
« on: September 22, 2016, 02:14:55 PM »
Must have been a good party for him to end up naked down there!
As for your ATV, we've still got the same exact one. Grandpa purchased it new in 1998 and it has been in use for hunting / yard work / plowing snow / fun without any major service ever since. I think it got an oil change every 5 years maybe? I personally have rolled ours over a few times and I think my brother did too. Yet it still fires right up and everything works great. I do agree that this particular model seems to last forever. They still sell for around $2500 here in my area. So while it's probably not worth a complete overhaul, fixing the items that need repair should still keep you well under the point of spending more than it's worth.
96
« on: September 22, 2016, 02:02:37 PM »
Ya but at least his shop is separated from the house. So that's your fire prevention technique I guess. I am also doing 1/2" OSB on my garage interior walls and mine is only separated from the house by a double thickness drywall partition. But for some reason, I am just not that worried about it. Maybe that's because my fire department is less than 3 miles away.
97
« on: September 08, 2016, 01:53:42 PM »
Oh and yes it was new concrete. Next I will try to use the same product on the existing garage floor and see how it sticks.
98
« on: September 08, 2016, 01:52:23 PM »
Thanks everyone!
Yes is is a drive thru. Two trucks in the front and tractor and lawn mower in the back. That way I don't have to move my truck to get the others out.
And I can confirm the concerns over traction. When wet, it is very slippery. But that's OK, my main concern was wiping up oil spills. Which should be easy. If you want more traction I think they have sand grit to apply with the last coat.
100
« on: September 06, 2016, 02:48:49 PM »
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