Garageineer log

...may have fixed the meck-a-neck puzzle of the year, the problems with my 1982 Honda HR-214SM, which started stalling out after starting properly and mowing fine for 10 minutes. The carb had major internal corrosion from the infernal gasohol, CBUE - curses be unto Ethanol. I replaced it, no fix. Cleaned the fuel system up to the carb, no fix. Just yesterday, I ordered a new ignition coil, thinking the heat might have gotten to it after 30 years of hard work. $80 simoleans for that part. Today, I fired up a new bench grinder my son gave me and sharpened the blade on the Honda and the temp replacement Snapper, too. Whilst poking around the front of the engine, I noticed that an insulated heat shield was dog-eared over onto the plug wire, and there looked to be a carbon trail where the sheet metal was touching that plug wire. I set it right, and fired up the machine. It started right up and I engaged the blade clutch and ran it for a half-hour, no problems. Since I just cut the lawn yesterday, I have to wait to test my machine to see if this is the final fix.

I was on a roll then, and you don't stop a Garageineer when he's got his shit in one sock, so I built the X-TCBBB-94. That would be the Experimental Tidy Cat Bucket Boom Box, Model 1994. What would YOU build if you had, just laying around, an el-cheapo 1994 Roadmaster in-dash car stereo (AM-FM cassette), a pair of decent 6-volt, 12 Amp-hour AGM batteries, some speakers and a nice clean kitty-litter bucket with good lid to build it all into?

Next to the X-TCBBB-94 is the Ryobi drilldriver I got this spring. I've used it often, and have charged it twice in all that time. It has 2 LiON batteries, a rapid charger, and cost $80, $72 with my Veteran's discount at Home Depot. It just won't stall under load.

The concept of a TCBBB is now proven, it doesn't sound too bad. Only problem is that the Roadmaster stereo is crap, it has old-school vernier tuning, which seems to be frozen, so it receives one country station on FM and that is all.  It's up to speed today, dono what was sticking it. Cassettes work fine, though. I think I'll cruise some junkyards and see if I can pull a better unit than the Roadmaster. If I get one which plays CD-Rom, it has to work vertically, since that is the mounting position I chose, it sits in the lid to the bucket. All this unit needs now is an antenna. Get a ton of carriers, not much modulation in FM without an antenna.

What did YOU garageineer today? 

Comments

[Jim]

Not junkyards....nosiree. This is one of the few venues where Criagslist shines.

Select "electronics" in the For Sale categories, then begin scrolling as fast as you can, and still see the listings. You'd think using the search feature would work, but there are far more listings and word descriptions for what you're looking for that LEAVE OUT your search terms, that scrolling is the better path.

I see all kinds of OEM pull-outs listed therein. (at least here in the Houston area) Doubtless you'll find a good unit thre, too. And in MUCH better condition than the junk from junkyards.

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

[bob r]

Alcohol free gas: http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp

I use it in my '92 Explorer (185,000 miles) and get more even idle and close to a 1 mpg improvement in fuel efficiency -- a little more than 5% 18 -> 19. Doesn't quite "pay for itself" but the improved operation and probable improved life of the engine are worth it for me. I also happen to drive, every day, directly by the only station in town that sales it.