Personality Defect Test.
Hat Tip: North Dallas Thirty
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
Introducing - Drumroll Please - My Car Murphy :-)
As some of you know, I have been trying to rebuild this car for over a month. It is done!
Here it is in all it's $500 glory.
Murphy's Good Side.
sonicfrog
PS. More Pics can be found Here.
Here it is in all it's $500 glory.
Murphy's Good Side.
sonicfrog
PS. More Pics can be found Here.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Sorry... Sorry...
I humbly appologize for not posting anything for a while. Been busy. Yeah, I know. Thats what I always say.
But It's True!!!
The car LIVES. I will get into more detail on that soon. But in the meantime, here is something to help you pass the time while I go and see the last Star War pic.
Beware The Dark Side!!!
Hat Tip: Slant Point.
And you might as well check out Caption This! too.
But It's True!!!
The car LIVES. I will get into more detail on that soon. But in the meantime, here is something to help you pass the time while I go and see the last Star War pic.
Beware The Dark Side!!!
Hat Tip: Slant Point.
And you might as well check out Caption This! too.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
An Old Friend.
Uh, Oh. I felt it was a perfect night for some Genesis. Three Sides Live is stunning. I am digitally recording the album even as I type. Sometimes Phil Collins can out Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel on the live stuff. I always found myself listening to the third and fourth side the most. I always had a special spot in my heart for "You Might Recall" and "Evidence of Autumn". Those songs speak to me. And the musicianship. Anyone who doesn't thing Phil is a phenomenal drummer is, well, quite loopy. Mike Rutherford is a HUGE influence on my Bass playing. When I'm playing CPG's "Fortune 500" there is one little riff that is totally a Rutherford rip-off. And I think of him EVERY TIME I play it.
PS. Duke is my # 1 album of all time. I call it my "Coma Album". If I don't wake up when you play this album whilst in a coma, go ahead and pull the plug!!
DAMN IT - The recording has audio glitches. The recording skips, and it's not the album (yes, I do mean LP). I was listening during the recording, and it didn't skip once STUPID WINDOWS XP!!!!!!!! Should have used Linux.
PS. Duke is my # 1 album of all time. I call it my "Coma Album". If I don't wake up when you play this album whilst in a coma, go ahead and pull the plug!!
DAMN IT - The recording has audio glitches. The recording skips, and it's not the album (yes, I do mean LP). I was listening during the recording, and it didn't skip once STUPID WINDOWS XP!!!!!!!! Should have used Linux.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
The Car - So Far...
OK. As some of you know, I bought a dead 1987 Subaru Turbo Wagon last month for $500. I am throwing a new engine and transmission into the car. I was going to work on it last week-end, but life got in the way. So TODAY was the day I was going to get it all together and drive it. Here is my progress.
On the new engine, here is the list of accomplishments:
Removed all that needed to be removed, including intake manifold, water pump, timing belts, gaskets and cam, front and rear-main seals. I installed the seals and valve cover gaskets. The engine is almost ready for its new home.
Now for the setbacks:
The long intake manifold bolt head broke off, so it tool me an hour to weasel the manifold up and off. I thought the reason it wouldn't come off was because there was a lot of corrosion on the bolt. The more likely reason it took me an hour was that I forgot to disconnect the EGR pipe that screws into the intake manifold (duh). The crank-shaft pulley bolt would not budge, instead breaking my home made flywheel stopper I have had for twenty years. Wedging a C clamp onto the flywheel did the trick, but my torque wrench wasn't torquie enough, so eventually I had to go and buy a breaker bar (should have done that long, long ago). Had to make three shopping trips to various parts stores for bits and do-dads I forgot to get last week-end. And last but not least, I trashed the new rear-main seal trying to put it in with a plastic cup. The seal went in crooked, and the edge of the cup bit through the inner part of the seal.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure the tranny I bought from LA is the wrong one, so I guess I'll try and seal the old one as best I can in the meantime.
So tomorrow is another auto shop day. Thank god I have a garage AND bought that engine hoist last week. I would have spent more money on a rental.
On the new engine, here is the list of accomplishments:
Removed all that needed to be removed, including intake manifold, water pump, timing belts, gaskets and cam, front and rear-main seals. I installed the seals and valve cover gaskets. The engine is almost ready for its new home.
Now for the setbacks:
The long intake manifold bolt head broke off, so it tool me an hour to weasel the manifold up and off. I thought the reason it wouldn't come off was because there was a lot of corrosion on the bolt. The more likely reason it took me an hour was that I forgot to disconnect the EGR pipe that screws into the intake manifold (duh). The crank-shaft pulley bolt would not budge, instead breaking my home made flywheel stopper I have had for twenty years. Wedging a C clamp onto the flywheel did the trick, but my torque wrench wasn't torquie enough, so eventually I had to go and buy a breaker bar (should have done that long, long ago). Had to make three shopping trips to various parts stores for bits and do-dads I forgot to get last week-end. And last but not least, I trashed the new rear-main seal trying to put it in with a plastic cup. The seal went in crooked, and the edge of the cup bit through the inner part of the seal.
Oh, and I'm pretty sure the tranny I bought from LA is the wrong one, so I guess I'll try and seal the old one as best I can in the meantime.
So tomorrow is another auto shop day. Thank god I have a garage AND bought that engine hoist last week. I would have spent more money on a rental.
I Guess I'm Into Recycling...
...posts that is. This is for Sleepybomb, where ever he may be.
As posted on April 29th, 2005. "Another great musician and a friend / co-conpirator of Billy Harvey (they help each other out in the studio). Ladies and Gents', tables and chairs, please give a big hand to song-writer extrordinare, Bob Schneider. Here is the Amazon.com link to B. Schne's works. It seems I gravitate toward artists who work with other artists I like, such as guitarist Tim Pirce. He has worked with, among others, Toy Matinee and Tim Finn."
As posted on April 29th, 2005. "Another great musician and a friend / co-conpirator of Billy Harvey (they help each other out in the studio). Ladies and Gents', tables and chairs, please give a big hand to song-writer extrordinare, Bob Schneider. Here is the Amazon.com link to B. Schne's works. It seems I gravitate toward artists who work with other artists I like, such as guitarist Tim Pirce. He has worked with, among others, Toy Matinee and Tim Finn."
Monday, May 02, 2005
Not So Turbo-Quick...
UPDATE: So yesterday turned out to be a quagmire, kinda like the one after the first week of the Iraq war, sans sand storm; a quagmire only because I wanted everything to be done NOW and that wasn't going to happen. I rented an engine hoist (cherry picker) on Saturday and they didn't give me an engine sling, which makes the hoist useless when trying to lift an engine. I called them and they didn't have one, so I returned the hoist and got my money back. I ended up buying a hoist for $150 (and of course the hoist didn’t come with a sling either but I found a way to improvise. Thank God for bungee cords. Just kidding … I used high capacity tie-downs). I could have rented one, with sling, from another company in town, but the realization hit me that the engine / tranny swap was probably going to take several days, and the rental fees would have come close to the purchase price. Plus, in a couple of months, my lead vocalist will be swapping engines in his Pontiac Fiero and was planning on buying a hoist for the job. When he starts his project, he’s agreed to buy this one from me, and if he doesn’t, I can sell it on e-bay.
Then I started shopping for the bits and gaskets that I need to do this right. But again fate was against me. Each auto parts store had only one or two of the needed parts in stock, so I had to go all over town to get the stuff, and I’m still a piece or two.
So now it’s 5 pm. Had to assemble the hoist.
So now its 6:30 pm. And I’m too tired and frustrated from the lack of progress to do anything else.
I did manage to get a little prep work on the new(er) engine last night. But dinner called… AND the new season of Family Guy started at nine. It Rocked!!!
sonicfrog
Then I started shopping for the bits and gaskets that I need to do this right. But again fate was against me. Each auto parts store had only one or two of the needed parts in stock, so I had to go all over town to get the stuff, and I’m still a piece or two.
So now it’s 5 pm. Had to assemble the hoist.
So now its 6:30 pm. And I’m too tired and frustrated from the lack of progress to do anything else.
I did manage to get a little prep work on the new(er) engine last night. But dinner called… AND the new season of Family Guy started at nine. It Rocked!!!
sonicfrog
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Turbo-Quick Post
Dateline: Sunday 05/01/2005. Today is the day I fix the $500 '87 Subie Turbo Wagon I bought last month. The engine is dead and I'm putting a new(er)one in today. While I'm at it I figured I'd replace the tranny as well. The replacement engine and tranny have been sitting on a pallet in my garage for over a week (it is really cool to have a garage). I have been very busy with school and haven't had the opportunity to do this until now. Well, I'm off. Wish me luck and pray that I don't squish my fingers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
