Removing clogs at the kitchen sink - also my blood vessels causing HBP

 

All of a suddent the kitchen sink was filled with water and tried all sorts of repair:  first aid to clear the clog with boiling water, with vinegar and salt.  Nothing worked.  I looked for thin pieces of stick 

I had the bottom bowl removed and tried to look for the hole leading to the drain pipe.  I could not find.

Then I removed the other parts and found out that there was an orifice at the side of the  of the bowl that was clogged by grease which I removed.  Then water can flow easier.  That was the repair.  

It also told me of possisble health problem I could face.  If the grease clogged the 1 1/2 " pipe with grease, then it is possible that the meals I had clogged my blood vessel.  Ture enough my bp rose to 159/92 by dusk time -  

Black smoke after replacing turbos and injector

 It could be due to the intercooler.   Signs of defective intercooler:   black soot and oil at the underside from the leak.

Why some cars wont start?

The answer is not in the keys.  It is in the pairing of the keys and the starter button.  There are stories where cars dont want to start and mechanics have changed from all sensors to ocils and injectors.  Only for the scanner to show that something is wrong with the key programming.

So the first step really is to think electronic.  We need a sort of password or registration.   First step, have your electronic engine scanned.    

Repairing, restarting a problematic .... suv

 The initial fault was the electrical of fuel system, the car still wont start.   Then they went to the second fault -  the crankshaft sensor and the E.... engine finally started

Lack of interest in repairs - knowing repairs can increase your value

 This post has a very poor readership.  While there are plenty of articles that may interest a handyman, the stat on viewership does not match the effort that went into the posting. There are only 49 views after sometime

Maybe this is not an interesting topic, or people would not invest time and effort for the repair.   They would spend thousands in a repair shop rather than get their hands dirty or bang their heads thinking of how to know the parts, get the tools, and get the repair done

Learning to repair is:

1.  Self improvement -  we must improve everyday;

2.  This increases your value - to your employer and community even your family.  You save money in repairs.

3.   This knowledge comes in handy if your are travelling to far away places and no mechanic is around. You will be thankful that you did

Vehicle repairs: a guess work, luck, or product of critical thinking and scientific diagnosis

 Some would say that mechanics repair using any of the methods:

1.  Trial and error  (guesswork)   the mechanics does have a theory and hypothesis on what could go wrong and tries, and tries if one does nto work

2.  Luck -  he may have tried something and the car suddenly lights up;

3.  Sorcery -  he prays to the God, prays before deities that he may have the correct repair

4.  Scientific critical thinking:

    1.  Use of scanner to diagnose what is wrong so that he can easily find the faults;

    2. Differential diagnosis:

        1.  Comparing this with similar malfunction;

        2.  After cleaning:   compare the good part and bad part.

        We see this often:

       1,  No spark  -  trace when there is no spark:   at the spark plag, or the wire if not by process

                                of elimination the source is the coil

      2.  Fallo (misfire)  can be from:

           1.  From electricity -  coil or 2 gas:   from the injectors

                If from coil, remove the coils one by one.  If there is no change in engine operation if a coil

                is removed, then that coil is suspect

               If from injector, remove the injectors and fuel rail and see how the tip works.   If one does

               not spray,it is candidate for cleaning and or replacement

          This involves comparison (diagnosis) of the normal and suspect part.  Remove the suspect part and borrow a regular working part.  If it works, the suspect part is now candidate for repair  and/or replacement.   (This is the KT approach:   what is, what is not)

ECU (Computer box) briefing

 So that we may know something if the car does not run;   ECU may have something to do with this    ECU controls the car.  It is the brain of the engine.

Pick up headaches finally over

 After several trips to various p up service center nearly 6 digits in repair costs (labor and changing sensor) today our agony with the pick up truck which is nearly new, is over. The trouble was with stuck and dirty turbo actuator (the variable turbo actuator is prone to problems)

The expense this time was lower:   cost of scanning and the teardown and cleaning.  

A grab businessman who used to be HE operator, worker in car manufacturer, and head mechanics of car rental company said that most of car mechanics of service centers up sell, or sometimes outright doing guess work for the repair:   not methodical or critical thinker.

Today we spent only P800.00 for scanner and the rubo actuator cleaning   We can use the pick up again.  Before the brand was the go to brand:   we bought two vans and one pick up from them,   Now we are thinking hard whether we should stick to them.   

One advice to avoid this turbo problem is to allow the cooldown of the engine for 5 to 10 minutes before turning this off.   Otherwise you cook the oil which cools down the turbo shaft.

Its really a challenge, very daunting to restart an idle "stuck " engine

 We see mechanics of Matz seeming to have incantation to restart an engine that has been paralyzed for a long time.  And we can see Matt of Diesel Creek rejoicing and laughing at the top of his voice when he restarts an engine.  It should be.

Matz even says it is hula2 (a guess) because he could be wrong.   Matt of Diesel Creek gave up on a repair of gasoline operated forklift.  I would give up on 90% of what Matt has restarted.  

Did he make the 1992 D2 bulldozer costing $500 run

 Thats 33 years old.  The tracks were stuck and the only thing he said that was working was the engine  

And for $500.00 for a running CAT engine, he said the amount was worth it.  Yes he was able to make this run after checking the fuel, and making sure that fuel reaches the injector.   And he was made able to unstuck the tracks.  How amazing.!

Repairs are getting more expensive; it is easier to repair older engines but not the modern, electronically controlled ones

 Matt of Diesel Creek shows how simple and straightforward the repairs of mechanical engine  Those that are all ready electronically controlled looks complicated and expensive to repair.

Most of the engines of Heavy Equipment repaired by Matt are diesel.  The electric part only is about battery and starter.   That is all.    (The only complicated ones are bulldozers that have pony engine.  First you have to start the pony engine and then the pony engine will start the main diesel engine)  Then it is a straighforward checking and replacing oil, fuel, oil and fuel filter.   That is it.

But  there are two main paths to pursue in electonically controlled engine:   fuel (which is also electonically controlled by ECU fuel injectors and sensors)  EGR valve, crankshaft position sensor.   And they are not cheap

Thus Matz had to resort palit (change) parts (no more repairs) that involve sensor, ECU (which cost 6 numbers) And a day repair by Matz can cost upwards from P5K to P100k.    That is not my type of repair.

Our Navarra pick up repair tab runs up by 6 numbers too.  Huhuhu

Repair from Matz Mechanic

 I have watched his video from FB.

I noticed this Visayan speaking mechanic from Oroquieta:

1.  Most of defective vehicles are from Ford;

2.  He speaks in Visiayan

3.  He does this scientifically using a computer;

4.  He sells both his parts and service (which sounds pricey)   He changes modules rather than repair of individual parts.    

He does excellent repair but it looks expensive.   He has been expanding as many as far as Basilan and Zamboanga, and from Cebu goes to him for repairs

But his analytical skills are tops.

Matt repairs a water soaked Onan generator; Yes he was able to make this run

 It is very fun and educational to go through with repairs of Matt, making almost junk equipment run agian  This time it was a water soaked Onan diesel generator.   It was really water soaked:   the air intake filter was filled water; and so with its oil, its fuel tank, its fuel, and fuel lines.  Even its internals.

Matt showed us methodically and patiently:

1.  How to power up batteries and the starter;

2.   Removal of water from the air intake

3.  Freeing the engine from water lock (opening exchaust valve vie the hims on the tappet to open the exhaust valve on compression stroke to vomit out water in the cylinder.

4  Removal of water from fuel tank and lines.   (Cranking up the engine after cracking up the bolts of the fuel lines

5.  Changing oil and replacing the filters

6.  Getting the engine to compress the fuel for ignition

And then success

VERY INFORMATIVE

Hydraulic cylinder repair by Matt at Diesel Creek

Matt showed how to repair the hydraulic cyclinders of D4 Komatsu bulldozer. He had deferred such repair for 5 years, although it cost him much in terms of lost hydraulic fluid that leaked.

As usual, it is demonstrated that disassembly was mostly hard and challenging.  He improvised:

     1.  How to remove the cylinder cover by welding a flatbar which he hammered;

     2.  Pulling out the internal rod by using a back hoe.

The seals and glands were bought from the store and Matt reinstalled them well.  

Summary of options for various repairs

 From what I have read so far on repairs, these are some of my thoughts:

1.  Vehicles and equipment that should be prioritized or given attention in repairs:

    1.  Those that were not used for a long time and probably used as nest and residence of mice.  Their nests and feces fouls up the intake and exhaust manifold, and feces cause corrosion.  Mice likes to chew plastic cover of electrical wires

    2.  Exposed to elements:    rain snow, sunlight, or overgrown with weeds

    3.  Those that are used constantly and heavy conditions

2.   Steps in repair and revival of vehicle or heavy equipment:

    1.  Removal of growth vegetation on the equipment

    2.  Clean the debris:  stones, grasses, rust dust on the equipment

    3.  Check fuel, oil and filters;   replace.   Check fuel lines:   for loose and leaking copper, plastic or rubber tubings.  Check for blockages, kinks and or stuck parts especially for injectors and fuel feed lines.  

   4.  Check and rewire electricals:    battery terminals, batteries, starters, 

   5.  If the motor is not stuck, try restarting.   Spray ether on intake manifold

3.   Process action on various items:

     Item                    Keypoints           Action         Other Options                     Preventive Measures

     Electricals

     1.  Spark plug    spark no spark  use other sp     use aprk indicator                 check use multimeter

                                                         no spark          replace spark plug, cable

                                                         no spark          replace ignition coil

   2.  Batteries          12.6 volt or ++ charge                                                          disconnect batteries when

                                 not charging    replace                                                         not used

                                                         check alternator

   3. Wiring           check loose connection   use new connectors                       put napthalene balls to 

                                                                      replace the harness                        drive off rats

3.  Fuel lines

    Leaks                                                     replace copper, plastic tubes            regular tpm for fuel filter

    Air in system                                         flush                                                 use trusted fuel brands

    Stale fuel                                              replace                                               add additives

    Water in fuel                                        drain the fuel tank

    Blocks kinks in lines                           replace lines

4.  Mechanical parts

     missing gear tooth                              replace;  machine shop

     loose bearings                                     replace                                                 lubricate often, clean

     loose fit                                               build up,, add washer/shim                  tpm, avoid corrosion

     broken shaft/axle                                replace, rebuild at machine shop          bullet proof repair

Matt, god of repairs; Pakistanis idol of parts machining?

One cant help but admire the works of Matt in Diesel Creek in salvaging junk equipment, resurrecting them from non functional state to one that roars and works.

As this post watched his work on Fiat Allis payloader (used as forklift)

1.  Removal of weeds with brush cutter and chain saw;

2.  Restoring electrical power, fixing batteries

3.  Fixing the fuel system;   making sure that fuel reaches the injectors

4.  Restarting the unit;  bypassing the starter, shorting the circuit and making the unit start after 12 years.

It looked impossible that Matt was able to do this in less than a day.  Perhaps, it was because the unit was under a warehouse so 

He and Pakistanis are as remarkable.  Pakistanis craftsman are known for their quick and easy repair of parts like shafts, gears and the like.  In record time.   Westerners typically will opt for a new off the shelf part, wire harness or assembly.

Had these videos been availabe before, I would have devoted more time for endeavors as this.   However that is contrary to bigger business and life purpose

Turbo failures can cause engine failures which can be caused by bad filters.

 Engine failures especially low power can be caused by turbo charger failures which can be caused by:

       1.  Non delivery of oil or coolant to the turbo;

       2.  Old oil non functioning oil filter

       3.  Carbon deposit on the turbo shaft due to sudden turning off of engine after a long drive (thus

            burning oil)

Be sure you take good care of turbo if your vehicle has one

Case excavator lost power due to malfunctioning turbo; be sure turbo has proper oil supply

 Matt found his newest acquisition, a Case excavator always on verge of stalling as he goes through its function.   It happened on  cold day, and he mistakenly had an open throttle, and this may have caused the turbo failure.

The solution is always turbo replacement and the challenge was removing the turbo from the exhaust manifold.  You need heating the nuts and bolts and they can get stuck in areas where there is plenty of cycle for heating and cooling.   

Thus do not turn off engine at once after a long drive as it will cook the oil cooling the turbo.   Install a turbo timer and or wait for 5 minutes before turning off the engine

Matt is a genius in doing the repairs

 Matt repaired the rear wheels and the brakes but his biggest problem was the third wheel - it would not lock.   How he repaired the thing was pure genius.  He just removed a pin and then wiggled it a little and then the thing worked.

Seized engine (for replacement) or just a busted bearing for PTO clutch

 This post watched a video of a lawn mower that does not turn.  The battery was juiced up and oil was added.  Still the engine would stop.  There was a heavy resistance in its turning.  

Here we see the importance of past experience and critical thinking.   The mechanic postulated it could be the PTO clutch assembly And true enough, there was a busted bearing that made it hard for the engine to turn.  When the clutch was removed (and consequently the bearing replaced) the engine turned well.   

Great repairs.  Great savings for the lawn mower owner