Automotive Mechanical Thread

I made a dump run today despite my bum knee, and coming home I had more truck problems than I have ever had with my old vehicle. We got to the transfer station fine, but when we tried to leave, the truck stalled. It started with difficulty and stalled again and again about a dozen times and stalled twice more on the way home when I thought it was going. As we neared home, I smelled what I thought was wood smoke, a common thing here, but it got stronger and stronger, then smoke began billowing from the vents on the dash. I think the fan motor under the dash caught fire! I turned the fan off and opened the windows and slowly the smoke dissipated. I guess I have some work to do tomorrow.
 
Don Alaska said:
I made a dump run today despite my bum knee, and coming home I had more truck problems than I have ever had with my old vehicle. We got to the transfer station fine, but when we tried to leave, the truck stalled. It started with difficulty and stalled again and again about a dozen times and stalled twice more on the way home when I thought it was going. As we neared home, I smelled what I thought was wood smoke, a common thing here, but it got stronger and stronger, then smoke began billowing from the vents on the dash. I think the fan motor under the dash caught fire! I turned the fan off and opened the windows and slowly the smoke dissipated. I guess I have some work to do tomorrow.
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When it rains it pours, huh, "Don", are you getting it figured out yet?
 
Jake Smith said:
When it rains it pours, huh, "Don", are you getting it figured out yet?
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Not yet, @Jake Smith. I think it might be ice in the fuel line again. A remnant of a tank of cheap gas I bought sometime ago. The fan motor might be a recurrence of an issue I had a couple years ago that corrected itself, but the real reason may be that my wife was with me and was talking about replacing the ol' truck with a newer model, and the old girl (truck not wife) heard the comment.
 
Don Alaska said:
Not yet, @Jake Smith. I think it might be ice in the fuel line again. A remnant of a tank of cheap gas I bought sometime ago. The fan motor might be a recurrence of an issue I had a couple years ago that corrected itself, but the real reason may be that my wife was with me and was talking about replacing the ol' truck with a newer model, and the old girl (truck not wife) heard the comment.
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Back when I had my Mazda pickup, one winter, it did almost the same thing to me as I was driving into town. It sputtered all the way there, and stopped a few times, I barely made it. I went to the first garage I found, and they had me add some gas dryer and then let it dun for almost a half hour to help the fuel line. He told me to do that every other tank in the winter time, so that is what I did after that.
I didn’t have the fan motor problem, just the sputtering. Adding the gas dryer to every other fill-up in the winter made all the difference in keeping running good.
 
Don Alaska said:
Not yet, @Jake Smith. I think it might be ice in the fuel line again. A remnant of a tank of cheap gas I bought sometime ago. The fan motor might be a recurrence of an issue I had a couple years ago that corrected itself, but the real reason may be that my wife was with me and was talking about replacing the ol' truck with a newer model, and the old girl (truck not wife) heard the comment.
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:D

You'll have to tell her, to not be "knocking" the old girl, when she catches a ride.
 
My truck is still doing fine, I at least crank it every few days and let it run until it warms up, if I don't take it to town. Should have changed the engine out when I first bought it, instead of rebuilding that old one, but we live and we learn. I did get a few years out of the original engine though, so guess I can't complain. It is really nice, to turn it over and it fires right up, takes to town and brings you back; with no problems. :)
 
Jake Smith said:
That was a young age for you both; did you have a "good", step dad later; Don? :unsure:
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No real stepdad as my mother never re-married. I was under the guardianship (with my brother) of an aunt and uncle after my mother died when I was 14. The uncle did not do carpentry or mechanics and believed in supporting the tradesmen he knew. He had been a steeplejack during the Depression, so he was capable and had absolutely no fear of heights.
 
Don Alaska said:
No real stepdad as my mother never re-married. I was under the guardianship (with my brother) of an aunt and uncle after my mother died when I was 14. The uncle did not do carpentry or mechanics and believed in supporting the tradesmen he knew. He had been a steeplejack during the Depression, so he was capable and had absolutely no fear of heights.
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Sounds like maybe the Uncle worked out for y'all; "somewhat"? Man, your Mom died also young, that's bad luck. Hate to hear that, very sad news. My dad died 73 yo, and Mom at 86 yo.
 
I just got back from having my truck fail inspection. There are 2 places (left and right sides) where the frame is rusting through. It can be fixed ($$$) but it won't pass inspection with it. I just put nearly $4,000 in it a couple of years ago because of electrical gremlins.

My Mazda is due for inspection next month and I know it's gonna need brakes (these days the rotors are a consumable item) because they were marginal last time. I wanted to get performance brakes for it because I think they will last longer, but don't trust anyone to install them due to the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) and specific mode you gotta put the computer in so you don't trash the EPB. The dealer doesn't do aftermarket parts.

This is gonna be an expensive Spring. Where my stimulus check at?
 
Batteries started to fall out of the golf cart, so had to pull the six batteries out and weld a new frame around inside, and refloor it. I noticed some old bed rails that had been hanging in the barn for twenty eight years, and thought those would work, about 1/8 inch steel and bent to an L shape. Measured them out and cut them to the right length with a dye grinder, and every time I started cutting them, these "four" dogs went nuts barking. I welded them in place, and replaced the plywood floor, then put the six batteries back in, so far so good. Had one bad place on my left hand where Getty scratched me in the van, last time we took her and Foxy to town. Which tried to get infected so soaked it in salt ,and just got it about healed, well first battery I grabbed out I re busted it. Then when I was replacing the batteries, busted the right hand in the same place, Marie said you should have wore gloves. "True"; next job I will. :)



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Yvonne Smith said:
Back when I had my Mazda pickup, one winter, it did almost the same thing to me as I was driving into town. It sputtered all the way there, and stopped a few times, I barely made it. I went to the first garage I found, and they had me add some gas dryer and then let it dun for almost a half hour to help the fuel line. He told me to do that every other tank in the winter time, so that is what I did after that.
I didn’t have the fan motor problem, just the sputtering. Adding the gas dryer to every other fill-up in the winter made all the difference in keeping running good.
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I had the same problem with my Mazda pickup. I never had it with my 4 WD International unless I used the 2nd tank. I didn't have it with either of my Toyota pickups. I think it was all about where the tank was located.
 
Yvonne Smith said:
Back when I had my Mazda pickup, one winter, it did almost the same thing to me as I was driving into town. It sputtered all the way there, and stopped a few times, I barely made it. I went to the first garage I found, and they had me add some gas dryer and then let it dun for almost a half hour to help the fuel line. He told me to do that every other tank in the winter time, so that is what I did after that.
I didn’t have the fan motor problem, just the sputtering. Adding the gas dryer to every other fill-up in the winter made all the difference in keeping running good.
Click to expand...
I use no ethanol fuel in my older vehicles. Ethanol eats the rings and stuff anyway.
 
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