The 'things I (nearly didn't) fix' thread...

[No.3]

Had a few of these lately, I think the result of too much spare time!

Best one, finally got around to fixing a quite handy little torch I have here, it's a $16 hand held alloy no-brand Chinese thing - came with a green plastic case, a sort of functional belt holster, a charger and an 18650 battery and an adapter for 3AAA's. It's actually a usefully bright torch and well worth it for the cost, but the fix list so far includes replacing the body oring which lasted about 2 battery charges, the holster in which the velcro lid closure failed in about 3 weeks so needed a dome added, and the most annoying one in which the little cast plastic dome lense lost it's little moulded spacer ring which is supposed to keep it tight and stop it rattling. I hate rattles...

So I'm sitting there looking at this thing tonight - and I started wondering how I can stop it rattling... I know, that was the warning sign right there!

Nek minute, it's in bits in front of me and I'm looking at the plastic lense and the alloy retaining thingy that the lense is supposed to be a tight fit inside. Hmmm, those spare bits of plastic that fell out come off there - and those keep it tight there... So if I magically had the right tiny little o-ring yeah nah not going to happen. So, if I can't do that, what can I stuff into there to stop it rattling - hang on why stuff when you can pour! A lightbulb moment.

Out with whatever glue I can find and the only thing that looks reasonably suitable is nasty ass cheap superglue - in the 'bulk pour' disposable 5g tube packs. What can go wrong. A careful drop there, a careful drop there, and there and hey this is easy - Fu**it, I've dropped the lot! Ok, that wasn't too bad, just a little drip there which I can wipe off with this piece of - Fu**it, the glue's wicked up and there's glue everywhere and the inside of the lense is now milky with a bloody great fingerprint right there where I just about stuck to it. Gah-rate.

Hmmm how to get superglue off lense plastic... I know lense cleaner (word of advice don't try that it thins wet superglue and makes it run everywhere - Fu**it). Right next to me was the spray and wipe - shrug, spray and wipe. Oh double Fu**it - that reacts with superglue a bit like putting baking soda in it, now I have dried white crystalline glue everywhere! Ahhh - that's not ideal...

Ok, take a minute to deglue myself here - how does one remove white crystalline glue from a lense (thinking while washing hands in the bathroom) - look over and hey, toothpaste polishes, can't cock it up any more! And that actually did work although too slow for me whos an instant results animal - so in the kitchen work area what falls to hand? The Victorionix paring knife with a nicely rounded back edge. A gentle 5 minutes of scraping later and it's mostly sorted back to clear plastic with only a couple of little scratches in the lense to show for my sins, a quick final fluff with the toothpaste and hey presto a perfectly tight and sealed non-rattling lense cleaned, reinstalled and ready to go and the only way you'd know is a couple of tiny little white clumps of crystalline glue. Only took 40mins!

Dumbarse...

[kruza]

The blocked calatic converter on me car. Got a warning light came up on car. Put obc2 reader in, and got a fault on left bank.
Would not give me a specific fault code till I sorted the general fault code. ( which when found solved the issue so never got that specific code.)
Did the plugs (which required disacemble of motor parts to reach back plug)
Replaced plugs as old. Nope.
Replaced leads to plugs which are coil over so nearly $700 for 6.
Went through the wiring loom looking for shorts, fuses, connections, everything I could think of. Came to decision that it may be deeper and was getting ready to get into motor ( that's a mission it's a elgrand and the motor goes back under body and has more crap than you shake a stick at, on it) then thought stuff it, I'm going to get rid of this and go back old school. Space around motors, naturally asperated, no computor controlled stuff. Cars I grew up with and can be worked on easily.
About then mate recomended check catalitic converters for blockage. First car I've ever had with them so was totally ignorant. Turns out it had flakes of rust from inside exaughst blocking it creating back pressure.
Problem fixed. I'm wiser. Still going old school for next car.
Over cars you need a degree to fix, have more sensors than a space station and have to be contortionist to get around. Asuming I'm not forced to buy electric by then.

[XR500]

Was holidaying in our 1300 Mog around the South Island 15 or so years ago. Suddenly lost drive Pissed around a bit fwd and reverse and got going again. Headed to a decent sized town...and lost drive again. Luckily within rolling distance of a nice shaded rest area on the side of the road.

Got a hitch into town and hit up a tow company and a commercial workshop. Then onto my mates working in Threntham workshops. "Could be one of three things in those gearboxes X Y and Z." Got the truck towed and into the workshops, and passed on the good news. 2 days later call from workshop :well its not X Y or Z, gearbox is fine (but fully dissassembled ). But we've found a snapped half shaft in the rear axle". I Had never beasted the wagon, so no idea how it happened. Upon closer inspection the one capscrew that holds the pinion gear to end of half shaft had shat itself.

$2,800 for a 500mm long half shaft and a fist sized cog. 3K for an entire New Old Stock front axle complete ex Army, and good ol german technology, all four corners of the drivetrain are identical, so just grabbed the parts required...and as luck would have it, a couple of years later a drop box shat itself a week after passing a COF, so had a spare up my sleeve!