Dysons have been around for years. No need for cordless.
Bought a high-end Roomba last year. Impressed with the technology. Not impressed with the performance. Good thing I got it Costco, so I could return it.
Fixing stuff
- Thread starter Opsimath
- Start date
Bought a high-end Roomba last year. Impressed with the technology. Not impressed with the performance. Good thing I got it Costco, so I could return it.
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
Oh yeah, I forgot about the Roomba revolution!
It probably would work fine with all hardwood floors and no pets.
For the better part of 60 years I fixed my own stuff. Bicycle, car, furnace, refrigerator, lawnmower, computer, whatever.
Sometimes it was a challenge, perhaps a few times a mistake, but I learned a lot about mechanical, electrical and electronic stuff. I accumulated a good collection of tools, understanding that a $100 tool was a good investment if it saved me $200 in repairs and could possibly be used again..
I'm handy, so my wins substantially outnumbered my errors. What really mattered was that I really enjoyed troubleshooting and repairing. It was a game - solve the puzzle! Seeing a broken something come back to life was very rewarding. Saving money was a plus.
But - one caveat: YouTube "repair" videos can sometimes be terrible sources of help. If you can find an appropriate forum for your queries you have a much better chance of getting useful information e.g., LTG is a much better source of Guild info than a general Google search for "Guild".
If you can accept the idea that some attempts may be less than great but appreciate the challenge, then definitely go for it!
...and enjoy the game! I believe you'll be good at it.
Sometimes it was a challenge, perhaps a few times a mistake, but I learned a lot about mechanical, electrical and electronic stuff. I accumulated a good collection of tools, understanding that a $100 tool was a good investment if it saved me $200 in repairs and could possibly be used again..
I'm handy, so my wins substantially outnumbered my errors. What really mattered was that I really enjoyed troubleshooting and repairing. It was a game - solve the puzzle! Seeing a broken something come back to life was very rewarding. Saving money was a plus.
But - one caveat: YouTube "repair" videos can sometimes be terrible sources of help. If you can find an appropriate forum for your queries you have a much better chance of getting useful information e.g., LTG is a much better source of Guild info than a general Google search for "Guild".
If you can accept the idea that some attempts may be less than great but appreciate the challenge, then definitely go for it!
...and enjoy the game! I believe you'll be good at it.
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
We have cordless Dyson for about 5 years - it gets far more use than our old Miele w paper bag and heavy hose - mostly because it is so easy to grab it - plus the dog hairs and dandruff etc gets emptied right away instead of starting to stink in the bag.
We have hardwood floors and rugs - rugs get Dyson motorhead and rest is wiped off with that long spatula thing.
Last spring I got lucky - at local net market someone was selling 3 cordless handheld Dysons for total of 40€ - one was just like the one we had before - two had just nozzles - all had power adapter and docking unit. They were sold as unfunctional.
I took them apart to discover that they were just full of filth - inside filters were clogged - plenty of dust everywhere - plus the one identical w old one had bad battery pack. I tested it w the old battery pack to determine it was running good - ordered a new one from eBay for 30€
My wife took the one w motorhead to her office - one went to my garage/shop - one went to my warehouse.
Not a shabby outcome for total of 70€
Stagefright
Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2022
- Messages
- 316
- Reaction score
- 541
- Guild Total
- 4
My Depression era Father would buy unfunctional things with the intent of fixing them. Often it was successful and in other cases not so much. Unfortunately, he could not make himself throw the failures in the trash. He has been gone for 4 years and we are still sorting through broken stuff. Tread carefully with your "Fixit"skills. Whatever you do, don't let relatives know you can fix computers.
I try to do my best to break the cycle of hoarding by buying new (or excellent condition used) and taking care of things with my mad fix it skills. It doesn't always work, but I don't want my kids to have to sort through broken junk when I'm gone. Dealing with my GAS issues will be bad enough.
I try to do my best to break the cycle of hoarding by buying new (or excellent condition used) and taking care of things with my mad fix it skills. It doesn't always work, but I don't want my kids to have to sort through broken junk when I'm gone. Dealing with my GAS issues will be bad enough.
Opsimath
Senior Member
Yes, I save stuff to try to fix but the reason is usually that the new replacement stuff feels so inferior I want the old one back. Right now the old iron is waiting its turn because the new one is awful, just feels cheap although it wasn't. But, I'm thinking it's the electronic setting control that fizzled in the old one, in which case I doubt I can revive it. At the very least I'll see what the inside of an iron looks like.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Out swapping a radiator for a neighbor today, had to pull the old one from a wreck where the D side fan was jammed into the A/C idler, challenging. Started yesterday at 1:30, done pulling the old one by 4:40 and I was done for the day. Today, started pulling the leaking radiator from the good car at 10am after moving some rigs and mowing the area, now on lunch break.
And the whole time I have to be hyper aware that the cat doesn't go anywhere near the A/F, it's well known to kill pets, a horrible death from poison.
All I have to do now is install the good rad, fill it, etc. The worst part of all this is usually the trans cooler lines.
Now the cat is in here napping, it will be less stressful.
And the whole time I have to be hyper aware that the cat doesn't go anywhere near the A/F, it's well known to kill pets, a horrible death from poison.
All I have to do now is install the good rad, fill it, etc. The worst part of all this is usually the trans cooler lines.
Now the cat is in here napping, it will be less stressful.
Last edited:
Opsimath
Senior Member
I wish I knew what you know.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Radiator transplant went well. I have to keep the car for observation a couple days to make the sure the overflow tank get refilled as needed as the air bubbles get worked out of the system.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
How many things wrong can you find in this badly written article?
:extract_focal()/https%3A%2F%2Fpocket-syndicated-images.s3.amazonaws.com%2Farticles%2F7853%2F1653343770_628c03cf2ce46.png)
Last edited:
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
From this side of the pond - is that article a joke or written to be taken seriously? Of course I'm aware you have that system over there, that keeps lawyers busy - do this, or - don't do this, or - 
Last edited:
Opsimath
Senior Member
I am in such big trouble re the Bronco project.How many things wrong can you find in this badly written article?
You flagged it. Nuuska's laughing. I didn't find any. I'm doomed.
How many were there?
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Couldn't count them all.
Like describing battery problems as a car "cranking and cranking". If your car is "cranking and cranking" your battery's fine, something else is the problem.
Like describing battery problems as a car "cranking and cranking". If your car is "cranking and cranking" your battery's fine, something else is the problem.
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
Somehow Don McLean popped in my mind
"All the voyeurs and the lawyers who can pull a fountain pen
And put you where they choose with the language that they use . ."
Bronco Bill's Lament
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Here's where I would start with the Bronco.
Hopefully the gas tank was drained.
If you have nasty old gas in there, it is a problem, it has to be siphoned out, and if the tank reeks of old bad gas, it may need to be removed, taken to a radiator shop and boiled out.
When removing the tank, or any similar old parts, use penetrating oil on the fasteners well in advance, planning and patience are your friends.
If the engine is any good, was "running when parked", the last thing you want to do is suck the old fuel through the fuel pump and engine, it will destroy it.
If the tank is dry, you can find out if the engine still runs by simply pouring a little gas into the intake somehow, through the "downdraft" carburetor - in the olden days - or into the TBI - Throttle Body Injection - and cranking the engine with a good battery, the engine will fire up and run a few seconds as it runs out of gas.
If an engine refuses to start on a little gas, then you have another problem, lack of ignition or compression.
It takes three things for a naturally aspirated gasoline engine to run, in this order: compression, fuel, ignition.
The carburation/injection's job is to provide a "stochiometric" mixture of air/gas, 14:1 if I remember right.
Compression is achieved by the four strokes of the internal combustion engine being:, Intake, sucking the mixture in, Compression, the piston comes up and compresses the mixture, typically 8 or 9:1 compression ratio, Power, the spark plug fires exploding the misture pushing the piston back down which translates to rotational force on the cranckshaft turning the drive wheels through a transmission, and finally Exhaust, pushing the spent mixture out the tailpipe.
This repeats millions of times in each cylinder as you drive.
The piston rings/cylinder bores have to be in good condition to provide the compression.
The intake/exhaust valves provide the gas mix/removal of spent gas by opening and closing via a Camshaft, a long metal stick with bumps on it - eccentrics - that open and close the valves, i.e. "valve timing".
Some people would remove all the spark plugs on something that has been sitting this long, squirt thin oil - like ATF - down the cylinders to lubricate them, and make sure the spark plugs look decent with appropriate gaps, typically .035" to .040" on older rigs such as yours. You can also crank the engine with the plugs out to get some oil into the engine bearings before firing after sitting this long.
Make sure the engine has the appropriate amount of motor oil and coolant in it before starting it.
If the engine fires, and the transmission still works, next you're looking at the brakes, which might be in sad shape from sitting a long time. Brake components typically rust from sitting, sometimes freezing the wheels, this can all be fixed with a little blood, sweat and tears.
Hopefully the gas tank was drained.
If you have nasty old gas in there, it is a problem, it has to be siphoned out, and if the tank reeks of old bad gas, it may need to be removed, taken to a radiator shop and boiled out.
When removing the tank, or any similar old parts, use penetrating oil on the fasteners well in advance, planning and patience are your friends.
If the engine is any good, was "running when parked", the last thing you want to do is suck the old fuel through the fuel pump and engine, it will destroy it.
If the tank is dry, you can find out if the engine still runs by simply pouring a little gas into the intake somehow, through the "downdraft" carburetor - in the olden days - or into the TBI - Throttle Body Injection - and cranking the engine with a good battery, the engine will fire up and run a few seconds as it runs out of gas.
If an engine refuses to start on a little gas, then you have another problem, lack of ignition or compression.
It takes three things for a naturally aspirated gasoline engine to run, in this order: compression, fuel, ignition.
The carburation/injection's job is to provide a "stochiometric" mixture of air/gas, 14:1 if I remember right.
Compression is achieved by the four strokes of the internal combustion engine being:, Intake, sucking the mixture in, Compression, the piston comes up and compresses the mixture, typically 8 or 9:1 compression ratio, Power, the spark plug fires exploding the misture pushing the piston back down which translates to rotational force on the cranckshaft turning the drive wheels through a transmission, and finally Exhaust, pushing the spent mixture out the tailpipe.
This repeats millions of times in each cylinder as you drive.
The piston rings/cylinder bores have to be in good condition to provide the compression.
The intake/exhaust valves provide the gas mix/removal of spent gas by opening and closing via a Camshaft, a long metal stick with bumps on it - eccentrics - that open and close the valves, i.e. "valve timing".
Some people would remove all the spark plugs on something that has been sitting this long, squirt thin oil - like ATF - down the cylinders to lubricate them, and make sure the spark plugs look decent with appropriate gaps, typically .035" to .040" on older rigs such as yours. You can also crank the engine with the plugs out to get some oil into the engine bearings before firing after sitting this long.
Make sure the engine has the appropriate amount of motor oil and coolant in it before starting it.
If the engine fires, and the transmission still works, next you're looking at the brakes, which might be in sad shape from sitting a long time. Brake components typically rust from sitting, sometimes freezing the wheels, this can all be fixed with a little blood, sweat and tears.
Last edited:
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
Hi De Ho - Hi De Hi
Great advice - and yes - before attempting any driving - make sure the brakes are working - they are absolutely the most important part of any moving vehicle - steering comes second - motor and drivetrain come next.
Great advice - and yes - before attempting any driving - make sure the brakes are working - they are absolutely the most important part of any moving vehicle - steering comes second - motor and drivetrain come next.
Stagefright
Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2022
- Messages
- 316
- Reaction score
- 541
- Guild Total
- 4
Florida is flat. Brakes aren't as important there as most places. There are lots of swampy things to stop you should the need arise.
Get the old Bronco running and do the brakes whenever. You'll know when the time is right.
Get the old Bronco running and do the brakes whenever. You'll know when the time is right.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Flat or not, you can't drive a car with a brake pedal that goes to the floor.
Opsimath
Senior Member
In the past I've had three brake failures while driving, in three different vehicles. I have great appreciation for the good ole emergency brake, and especially for brakes that work as intended. I'll make sure the Bronco has brakes.
Before she was parked I was training her to voice commands. "Ho. Good girl. Okay, giddup!" She was doing well, but has been "resting" so long we'll probably have to start over.
"Swampy things to stop you", that was funny!