What did you do today?

[Arcane]

Today for a friend I removed a 5/16 - 18 bolt he broke off when he was installing the clutch on the flywheel in an old Ford car he's fixing up. He figures the bolt was a tad too long and since Ford didn't tap the hole through completely, it ran out of thread, jammed up and SNAP! Naturally he had tried drilling it and using easy outs to remove it so it was really a mess from the bolt head side but fortunately from the back side I had a pristine hole to center under my mill's spindle. Once all lined up I bored it out with a sharp 1/4" end mill instead of a drill bit so it wouldn't walk sideways any when it got into the part he had drilled crooked. After that I tried a tap and it actually picked up the original thread so, with care, that's how the threads were cleaned out. It worked like a charm and this time all the holes were threaded completely through...just in case!

[dian]

This afternoon I loaded my dogs in the back of my 2009 Honda Fit and prepared to back out of my driveway. When I engaged the clutch, there was a loud rattling sound and the vehicle did not move. My first thought was a broken exhaust component, although that would not affect movement. Then I thought it must be the clutch, but the noise stopped when I disengaged it. Finally I figured that it must be a broken drive axle, and coincidentally a few weeks ago I got a recall notice from Honda stating that some vehicles had a manufacturing defect where the rustproofing under the rubber boots did not adhere properly and allowed the shaft to rust and eventually fail. My place is well known to cause bad rust on vehicles like my 1999 Saturn, so now after having my Honda for a little over 2 years it also has succumbed to the elements. Fortunately replacement axles are only about $100 from NAPA and Autozone, although the Honda dealership should replace it free. The notice said they had not yet gotten the parts needed and they would contact me when available.

I suppose I am very lucky this happened in my driveway before I even got on the road. I've had several instances where fairly major failures have happened in a parking lot or my driveway. Now I just need to arrange for a tow, and meanwhile I can use my 1989 Toyota 4WD pickup. I was actually planning to take both vehicles to my mechanic this week.

The rusty Saturn:



And the truck:

you get through inspection like that?

[MattiJ]

you get through inspection like that?

Perioidic safety inspections are not needed in many of the US states

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_inspection_in_the_United_States

It is literally wild west out there

[dian]

I think I found my new favourite for tig electrode sharpening: cheapo chinese resin bonded wheel on cordless angle grinder. Sharpened 30 electrodes and barely made a scratch to the wheel. Doesnt heat the electrodes and grind result is much smoother than crazy coarse cubitron belt.

Yeah, don’t try that at home.. small 3” resin bonded wheel seem to survive cordless grinder rpm’s

so they have to pass emissions but nobody looks under the car?

[J Tiers]

Perioidic safety inspections are not needed in many of the US states
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl..._United_States

It is literally wild west out there

Many states DO require them. Missouri does, although one might expect it to "free people from unwelcome government interference".

Minnesota, a state generally quite different from MO, apparently does not. But my understanding is that they studied the effects and found that having strict safety inspections did not change the rate of accidents and traffic deaths, a large amount of which are from drunk driving. So they did away with the inspection requirement.

Personally? I rather like the inspections. While they often do not specifically cover structural issues, they DO cover brakes, lights, etc. I have seen pictures from cars where the disk brakes were almost worn through, or where the brake surface was worn away, and the brake pad remnants were riding on the cooling vanes attached to the center part of the disk. That kind of lack of maintenance is avoided..... But usually not rust, unless a clearly dangerous condition is noted.

[Dave C]

Mississippi stopped the annual inspections a few years ago. The whole thing was a joke, and a pita for garage owners. There was no actual inspection going on. You went to the shop and asked for a sticker, someone came out, scraped the old one off and stuck the new one on. You handed them $5 and you were out of there. The shop got $.50 or a buck, and the rest wasn't enough to cover the state's administration cost. Since the inspections demise I don't see an increase in junkers on the road. Goofy headlight aiming is as bad as ever, but that was never checked anyway.

[flathead4]

Mississippi stopped the annual inspections a few years ago. The whole thing was a joke, and a pita for garage owners. There was no actual inspection going on. You went to the shop and asked for a sticker, someone came out, scraped the old one off and stuck the new one on. You handed them $5 and you were out of there. The shop got $.50 or a buck, and the rest wasn't enough to cover the state's administration cost. Since the inspections demise I don't see an increase in junkers on the road. Goofy headlight aiming is as bad as ever, but that was never checked anyway.

Here in Virginia, I had a vehicle fail inspection once because the pointer was a half step off on the PRNDL - pointed between the letters. Really? I fixed it with a tie wrap cinched around the broken part but still a pita. Needles to say, I switched shops.

[PStechPaul]

I called the local Honda dealership and got an appointment tomorrow at 2:00 PM. And my Geico insurance will cover the cost of a tow, which will be here at 1:00 PM.

Maryland only requires inspections when vehicle is sold or transferred. Emissions test is just the OBDII reader. They even have a DIY kiosk.

[Mcgyver]

Here they used to, maybe still do, that is give highly suspect vehicles a citation to show up at ministry inspection station. The one off of Keele street had a pit and they were quite thorough. 40 years ago as teenager with limited funds I got one in my Dodge pickup - truck was 4 or 5 different colours as I replaced bits with new panels from the wreckers when I could. It was and presented itself to the law as a highly suspect vehicle!

Anyway, I load my tools into the truck not knowing what to expect but being prepared and headed into the city to Keele St. Pre smart phone days of course, or dumb car phone for that matter, but I made sure that I knew where the nearest auto parts store was - a Canadian tire maybe a mile away. Remember the days when you had to think before leaving the farm?

Well it failed the inspection. He didn't like the amount of corrosion on a brake line. Truck gets impounded behind a chain link and barbed wire fence. Amazing, and fortuitous as I had no way to get home, 20 miles north of the city, the inspector let me go into the compound, after I'd walked to Crappy tire and back, armed with the necessary accoutrements. He leaves me in the compound where I crawl under the truck (gravel lot, the sharp grey kind of limestone stuff that's just more comfortable than a bed of nails) where I got the brake line changed

In an act of extreme coolness, every government employee since has be trying live down, he then came out to the compound and helped me bleed the brakes and sent me on my way. My four kids, very accomplished young adults nailing it in various careers are all amazing in their own ways.....but not for the life of me could I imagine anyone of them do that in a million years. This technical inclination gene is a rare, powerful and maybe elusive thing that makes us think and act in that sort of way.

[danlb]

Back in the 70's we had state sponsored road side safety checks. These were unannounced and they waved you in like a drunk driver checkpoint. If you failed the check you got a fix it ticket.

I found it convenient to hunt them down and get a free inspection of the car a couple times each year. There was often something wrong with the car that I was not aware of. I drove old clunkers back then so the service was really appreciated.

Dan

[mickeyf]

where I crawl under the truck (gravel lot, the sharp grey kind of limestone stuff that's just more comfortable than a bed of nails) where I got the brake line changed

I spent far too much time doing that sort of thing in the snow, in bitter cold in Nova Scotia when I was young, broke, and had no sheltered place to work. I used to carry enough tools to rebuild the engine by the side of the road if I had to. (Never quite came to that, thankfully.) I haven't even changed my own oil now in years, and now that I have an electric I never even have to do that!

Best story may be when the clutch cable on the minivan broke when visiting the folks in TO - on a long week end with all the parts places closed. Had to get back to Ottawa for work (living there at the time) and drove all the way back by starting in gear, and shifting clutchlessly. A clutch really is just a convenience, after all...

[Arcane]

I spent far too much time doing that sort of thing in the snow, in bitter cold in Nova Scotia when I was young, broke, and had no sheltered place to work. I used to carry enough tools to rebuild the engine by the side of the road if I had to. (Never quite came to that, thankfully.) I haven't even changed my own oil now in years, and now that I have an electric I never even have to do that!

Best story may be when the clutch cable on the minivan broke when visiting the folks in TO - on a long week end with all the parts places closed. Had to get back to Ottawa for work (living there at the time) and drove all the way back by starting in gear, and shifting clutchlessly. A clutch really is just a convenience, after all...

Back when I was working on a Power Line construction and maintenance crew, I was tasked with being the driver of our 55 foot double bucket truck which used a Ford tandem chassis and it had a Road Ranger 13 speed transmission in it. I would use the clutch to start off but that was it, after that every shift was clutchless, except for all the times when I had to use a clutch like on a job site, etc. If I wanted , I could get 5 gears with that thing across a 4 lane intersection. Funny thing is, with another tandem truck with a different model 13 speed road ranger in it, shifts were a real bear.

[dian]

over here the car has to be like new to pass every other year. body dents dont matter. any trace of rust, invisile imperfection on windshield, little crack on a light cover and of course anything mechanical will get you flagged. 2 weeks for repairs. no repairs allowed on exhaust. no mods allowed. for a spoiled you need cert. papers.

[Mcgyver]

over here the car has to be like new to pass every other year. body dents dont matter. any trace of rust, invisile imperfection on windshield, little crack on a light cover and of course anything mechanical will get you flagged. 2 weeks for repairs. no repairs allowed on exhaust. no mods allowed. for a spoiled you need cert. papers.

draconian. Here, safety inspection is only done when plating a car, i.e. change of ownership. We used to have a vehicle emissions test every few years but done away that. Those sorts of things are such a pita - another annoying task to fit into you day. No issue with mods provided it doesn't alter the basic safety functions. Enhanced tunes are fairly common. Inspection is brakes, steering, tires, lights etc - aspects involving safety. I don't believe rust matters, but no sharp edges and no holes into cabin.

Overall though, one sees very few beaters on the road, like not one 1/10,000. Perhaps they are weeded out by LE giving inspection tickets

[Dan Dubeau]

I spent far too much time doing that sort of thing in the snow, in bitter cold in Nova Scotia when I was young, broke, and had no sheltered place to work. I used to carry enough tools to rebuild the engine by the side of the road if I had to. (Never quite came to that, thankfully.) I haven't even changed my own oil now in years, and now that I have an electric I never even have to do that!

Best story may be when the clutch cable on the minivan broke when visiting the folks in TO - on a long week end with all the parts places closed. Had to get back to Ottawa for work (living there at the time) and drove all the way back by starting in gear, and shifting clutchlessly. A clutch really is just a convenience, after all...

The line going into my slave cylinder busted one time as I was heading home across the city. I rarely used the clutch for shifting in that truck anyway, so I made it home by starting in gear and shifting clutchless. I stopped at a parts store on the way home for a new slave cylinder though. Would have done it in the parking lot, but didn't have the right tools with me. I'm pretty stubborn when it comes to fixing stuff, and have the "what one man can do, another can to" attitude. Some stuff is just too specialized on today's cars, so I begrudgingly pay a mechanic. Power steering pump went on the wifes equinox last year, and the quote they gave vs me looking down into that engine bay was also a no brainier lol. Here ya go, you do it....

Changing oil though is one thing I'll gladly pay for though. I used to do it myself, but for what little they charge, and for how convenient it is, I always get it done at Mr lube.