Good evening. I've been bust with the van yesterday and today. Got the fuel line hooked up permanently, corrected the problem with the tail lights, got the backup lights working and found a couple of fuses that were blown, but you couldn't tell by looking at them. The fuse strip had burned through in the end cap on each one. So when I looked at the fuse I saw an intact fuse strip, but the meter told another story. So I had to get some new fuses. But that was only the start of things to come. When I went to start it, guess what? It wouldn't start. The engine would crank over but there was no fire from the coil. An investigation showed that the coil had a hairline crack and was leaking, so it was assumed the the coil was the problem. Well, you know what they say about assuming things. And yes, by this afternoon I did feel like south end of a north bound horse. I replaced the coil with a brand new high performance one. That I thought should fix it. Cranked it over and couldn't get enough out of the coil to even raise my eyebrows. I had one of the plug wires off and holding it with a pair of insulated pliers near a bolt head on the engine. Not even a teeny tiny spark! Talk about feeling a bit ticked! Next I pulled the control module and had it tested. Also tested the ballast resistor. Both checked out fine. By now I'm feeling really ticked off. Everything I've done so far and it wouldn't fire. Everything was fine. The engine should fire. So then I started looking at the wire connections for the third or fourth time. Everything in the engine compartment looked fine. I get out and go look under the hood again. This time I move stuff around in case there's a loose wire hiding behind something. Then I see it! A three wire cluster just hanging. It looked SO insignificant. The only terminals they could fit on looked like nothing had been connected to them in quite some time. Well, I decided to connect it. Heck, the worst it could do was burn the thing to the ground. So I connected the wires. No pops, no sparks, no smoke. I get back in and turn the key and it fired right up! A flipping day and a half of chasing this problem and it turned out to be as simple as connecting a few wires! How could I have missed that on the first, second and third run-through? I felt like such a dunce! Well, there is one consolation. My nephew and a couple of his buddies are the best shade tree mechanics in this area and they couldn't find it either. And the funny part to all this (wasn't funny at the time) was that when I cranked the engine after connecting the aforementioned wires, I failed to notice the loose spark plug wire touch my right leg. I sure noticed it when the engine fired! The muscles in my legs spasmed and catapulted me upward resulting in my butt parting company with the seat and my head meeting the roof, then I got introduced to the bushes beside the driveway as I fell out the door with every nerve in my body screaming in agony. No major injuries, just a couple of scrapes from where I landed in the bayberry bushes. I reached in and killed the engine then reconnected the spark plug wire that had jolted me with such a vengeance. There are still a few little things to do before I get it inspected. It needs new head lights, a horn and the brake light switch has to be adjusted. It's not against the brake pedal enough to immediately turn the brake lights off when the pedal is released. As a result the brake lights stay on for a few minutes before finally turning off. I drove the van around the neighborhood a couple of times. Everything seems fine. No roughness, no overheating. Well, that was my day.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Jeff, Owww. I know what sort of power those ignition systems can put out. My dad was holding onto a spark plug on my Farmall by the boot, through a pair of insulated pliers, and he hit the roof of his building when I hit the starter. At least your ok and no worse for wear.
If you can read this... thank a teacher. If you are reading this in english... thank a veteran
When in doubt. grab a hammer.
If it moves and isn't supposed to, get a hammer
If it doesn't move and is supposed to, get a hammer
If it's broken, get a hammer
If it can't be fixed with a hammer... DUCK TAPE!
Hey, just on my way out for the night, when i overhear Jeffrey talking about the Van...
Jeffrey..... Shocking! Glad you are OK. Si you need a horn for monster, huh? How about one of these? I know it costs more than you paid for the van, but you gotta have what you gotta have!
Later!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
howmus Jeffrey..... Shocking! Glad you are OK. Si you need a horn for monster, huh? How about one of these? I know it costs more than you paid for the van, but you gotta have what you gotta have!
The siren has been disabled so only the air horn works. It's super loud!!!
The speaker is nearly identical to this one but was made by Atlas.
Hello everybody.
Thanks very much of all the b'day wishes. It was a great day.
Ken ... Yes it was me. The conversation we had several months ago about DCC was very helpful.
Jeff. .... The van has become a daily adventure. Tune in tomorrow for another thrilling adventure.
Inch .... I was at that museum a couple of years ago. It's a good one.
I'm nearly done building my trestle.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Good Morning everyone,
it has been the coldest night since March - only 4 C. Are we in for a winter as cold and snowy as the last one?
Chloe, I need a big mug of coffee, buttered toast and jam to get me started for the day, please.
Nothing much planned for the day. Petra and I have to do the weekend shopping, so there will be something to bite on our table. I hate shopping on weekends, but as long as Petra has to go to the re-education camp, this is the only time for us to do it. As my HD list is fairly short, I will get out some old MRR books and will do a little bit of daydreaming about future layouts
Jeff - a shocking experience - watch out for yourself, please. I am glad you weren´t seriously hurt.
Garry - I am fine at altitudes to about 8,000 ft., above that, I don´t know. I have not been into skiing, as we are too far away from any mountain which deserves to be named a mountain. The highest elevation we have in our neck of the woods is just 200 ft. above sea level . In my younger days, we did a lot of hiking in the Swiss Alps. My parents loved to hike, and we kids just toted along...
Sawyer - when will you be starting on your new layout?
CYA later!
Good Morning
The weather here is cool and windy as we are going to be rained on as well. Right now we are looking at dull dull dull and 10C.
Jeff: OOOOWWWWWWW!!! I had summat happen like that when I was working on a CX1000A linear amp one time--flipped the cap off a CX1000A power tetrode and ZZZAAAAAPP!! I flew! I was holding the screwdriver I was using to flip the cap with my thumb on the shaft of the screwdriver---- RF burns are such wonderful things---
Garry: A belated from this little fellow!!
Robby: I have some pix that I'l be uploading on to my photobucket account sometime on Sunday--hopefully they'll work out!
I'm now strapped to the cell phone for another weekend on-call stint. so that usually means I'm not going to see much mrr time this weekend--as it was I already had 2 this am to contend with--
Chloe, I'll have a breakfast bagel and a coffee as well please--I'll be at the RC for a bit
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Good morning. Just a quick stop before I get to the yrd sale.
Jeff........Glad you are ok, nothing like that has happened to me, but ask me about changing a fuel filter .
Barry.........You know us and pictures.....WE NEED THEM!!!!!!!!
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Bill Tidler Jr.
Near a cornfield in Indiana...
Flo, scrambled eggs, some bacon, hash browns and a Big Dew please.
It sure is getting close to fall it seems like, I have the space heater going here in the garage.
Jeffery Reading your post reminded me why I stopped playing with cars. Fixing what is wrong is the easy part, finding the problem on the other hand is the hard part.
Long time ago, my Road Runner started knocking at idle. Played with a few things and deiced I was losing a rod bearing. Started pulling the motor, had the front stripped, pulled the radiator and had just undone the flex plate bolts. Went to pull the bell housing bolts, and found three where finger tight? Yep, 2 hours of work down the drain.
Brake Light Switch Good luck with that one Jeffery! My 69 Charger was having the same problem. Replaced the switch 2 times and we could not stop the break lights from coming on. I would be willing to bet it is the same switch. We finally installed a fuel injector O ring on the body of the switch, then installed the switch on to the metal bracket. Problem solved. Only thing we could figure was with it's age, the bracket was worn and would not hold the switch tight.
Gary Thanks for refreshing my brain.
Floor Wars Think I m going to take a break from it today. Plus I need to run to Lowe's and find out about the metal strips that will go from the new floor to the old floors with the new one being taller.
Train Front Going to run down to Micheal's and pick up some more road material and start working on the passenger station. Plus get the last 15 feet of track down.
See you folks later, Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Good Morning Folks!
I will have a big cup of coffee and sausage biscuit w/ cheese and strawberry jam please.
Can't decide what to do today, hope all is well.
Steven
Heartland Division CB&QJeff. .... The van has become a daily adventure. Tune in tomorrow for another thrilling adventure.
Sir MadogJeff - a shocking experience - watch out for yourself, please. I am glad you weren´t seriously hurt.
blownout cylinderJeff: OOOOWWWWWWW!!! I had summat happen like that when I was working on a CX1000A linear amp one time--flipped the cap off a CX1000A power tetrode and ZZZAAAAAPP!! I flew! I was holding the screwdriver I was using to flip the cap with my thumb on the shaft of the screwdriver----Whistling RF burns are such wonderful things---
Robby P. Jeff........Glad you are ok, nothing like that has happened to me, but ask me about changing a fuel filter .
cudaken Jeffery Reading your post reminded me why I stopped playing with cars. Fixing what is wrong is the easy part, finding the problem on the other hand is the hard part. Long time ago, my Road Runner started knocking at idle. Played with a few things and deiced I was losing a rod bearing. Started pulling the motor, had the front stripped, pulled the radiator and had just undone the flex plate bolts. Went to pull the bell housing bolts, and found three where finger tight? Yep, 2 hours of work down the drain. Brake Light Switch Good luck with that one Jeffery! My 69 Charger was having the same problem. Replaced the switch 2 times and we could not stop the break lights from coming on. I would be willing to bet it is the same switch. We finally installed a fuel injector O ring on the body of the switch, then installed the switch on to the metal bracket. Problem solved. Only thing we could figure was with it's age, the bracket was worn and would not hold the switch tight.
Good Morning.
Garry- late!!!
More w**k at Mom’s house.
Inch- Sound great! Except, that weekend is the Williamsville Fall Festival and Brenda is in charge of it. So, if I miss any part of it I will……..die.
Jeff- (still laughing from your description of the shocking experience) Do not feel like a dunce. I've worked on vehicles for over 30 years, over twenty of those “professionally” and I cannot even begin to count the times something simple was overlooked because of the evil “A**-U-ME” I'm sure J.R. will say the same thing. And, since I seem to be jinxing things lately, I will reserve my congrats on the van until after you get it inspected and running for a few days. Get the bugs worked out ya know.
Actually, while we are on the subject of bugs, I knew of winged ants but not of winged termites. Then one day while working on a previous project to get Mom’s house ready to sell, I noticed a herd on the drywall and some damage. I sprayed with killer and examined the little buggers at which time I noticed that the body did not fit with that of an ant, but more that of a TERMITE! At which point I’m sure you know what I thought and said out loud. Several times. Called the exterminator and they came out, checked everything sprayed and said to relax, the grinding machines haven’t showed yet and explained pretty much what Tom said. A little drywall mud and some plaster and good as new.
Speaking of Mom’s house I must get going because I have to w**k tonight for someone and I lost almost half a day to that.
Bill doesn’t say much does he. Just sits in the corner drinking coffee and smiling.
Y’all have a Great Day now ya hear?!!!
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
Good morning, Chloe. Coffee and a cinnamon roll, please.
Garry, Hope that you had a
Today, I will try to get some ballast/dirt done on a stretch of track leading up to the log landing.
Later, Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Good Morning, Janie - I'll have the #2 special, scrambled, with wheat toast, blackberry jam, couple of stripes of bacon, and a Rio Grande mug of coffee, please. Thank you!
It got cool in Cape G-land last night - 'twas 52 F (11 C) this morning. Only supposed to hit 78 F (25 C) today - Yep, feels like fall is here! I almost decided to wear a jacket heading out to the laundromat and Diner (but didn't). But by Monday, back up to 90 F (hoping the humidity stays low).
Belated Blessed and to Garry - did you celebrate by having 'Bait Shop Pizza'?
Sue, how come you have to raise the sawmill area? Are you going double-deck on your layout? (Dang! Missed you two times!)
Chris, I got your email, though. Thanks! And guess what I found? (Feel free to borrow it...) Whatcha got going this weekend for THAT editor, by the way?
CN Charlie, I got an answer back from Walthers on the P2K grabirons, offering to send me a set of the grabirons, but the guy at Walthers said he used the A-Line grabirons set (about 50 in the whole set of varying sizes, I guess) for more durable ones. I'm thinking I may go THAT route (durability would be better, IMHO). (And I won't tell the beavers if you don't...).
Ulrich, I think rather than a trip to the outhouse in the night, I'd find other ways to manage that problem. Wouldn't want to be a midnight snack for one of those five beasties.
Galaxy, I went to my opthalmologist yesterday and told him that I (like you) was having dryness of my eyes also. He gave me some samples of some eye drops (might've been that Systane, I'd have to head home and look at the box). He also said my eye pressure was doing very well (one was 10 and the other was 12 - of whatever units they use to measure THAT). The nurse checked with the doctor when she did the field of vision test, and only checked the right eye (my good one, so to speak). Guess the left one's not changed and the central area's mostly gone; my vision in that eye is good around the edges. I'd already had some optic nerve damage in that eye by the time I noticed and saw the doctor the first time. So all you Diners, remember to get your eyes checked (especially as you get older), okay? And Galaxy, good to hear the Kia was covered under warranty.
Barry - about those layout photos? What Robby said. (I at least want to see somebody else's progress, so I can get motivated enough...)
Hi - I see you were in, Inch - have you heard from Jerry lately?
Ray, that's not good on 'Anacrucis', and sure hope the estimate is the maximum that it will take to fix that bearing. That's one impressive set of horns you linked to there.
Jeff, all that effort and hunting down, and then it bites you? Sheesh! No wonder you weren't feeling too chipper. I certainly hope that's all you need to do on the van for a long time.
Todd, doesn't sound like you've had time to do much on your layout lately. I can understand that.
This evening, I will finally get a chance to catch up with my buddy Mark again. He's treating this time. Ah, I see my laundry's about done across the street, so almost time to go.
Think I'll see about some progress on that transfer warehouse I started a lonnnngggg while back (the Walthers modulars one). Also see about painting some stuff (like shells on my two P2K GP7's and maybe also the Athearn GP9, for the CAW) while it's nice outside on the deck (aka my spraybooth). Might even get photos up by Sunday or Monday (but no guarantees).
Blessings and prayers,
Jim in Cape Girardeau
Jeff, yeouch man that had to hurt, glad the van is running though!
Ulrich, I'll hopefully start it before Christmas. The main thing is benchwork and track. I'm going to swap to Micro-Engineering track and I also want to use ME turnouts for AT LEAST the mainline turnouts. I hope we don't have as cold a winter here either; our rugby games are in February and March.
Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
Strong coffee in a Burlington Northern mug, please.
***Garry, a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you. Hope it was a good one.
***Jeffrey, I gotta admit to being partial to Ray's idea of a 5-chime rail air horn.
Wife & I dropped by the not-so-LHS ealier this week. Picked up some cheap street lamps for her town, made by Model Power (I think). Regular little bulbs in them, but should be "safe" to use. Also picked up a different set of WS figures with a better representation for the "Bubbles" character (Trailer Park Boys). Just need to paint some glasses on him.
Hope everyone is doing well these days. Cheers! Rob
Hey guys
I like the new forums we have, its been quite a cool day here in S.Ontario, really starting to feel like fall. I was just wondering has anybody heard from Jerry lately? havent seen him post a few weeks?
- jeremy
Well the yard sale went but, but it was pretty cold today. Mainly windy. Now its time to grocery shop.
Jeff........Well it was something I didn't know went together!!! It was my VW Bettle, just chromed the whole engine, and I said to myself "let me change the nasty filter". I spilled some of the gas on the engine, but didn't think much about it. Tightened the screw down (filter) and went to start the car. Looked in the mirror and "flames!!!!". Jumped out the car, grabbed the hose (you can laugh at this point now) started spraying water......Well it got worse!! Finally grabbed the fire extinguisher and put it out. The bad thing is......The chrome was covered in smoke. I had to polish the chrome, but none melted. So much for me being a mechanic/fireman!!
Good afternoon....bucket of coffee please 'n thank-you. Yup, cool enough for coffee again (for the next day or so...).
JIM: Thanks Pally! We'll see here in a few minutes if THAT eightball w**ks or not...
After sleeping in far, far, far later than I'd planned to (Noon-ish), Ima w**king on photos and a game summary from last night's high school football. I'm less than thrilled with what I got for photos. Some of it, is the great lighting (brand new field/lights, last year) wasn't so great this time around. I really need a "fast" lens, but THAT isn't in the budget for at least a year. I think the lights (with a year of use on 'em) aren't as bright also...sounds like a cop-out, but last year I was getting shutter speeds of 1/250th and 1/200th. I was lucky to get 1/160th and 1/125th last night with the same equipment, same settings. Ever try to stop a football player at 1/125th?? They get a bit...blurry.
In happier news, a dude posted the following link to the Ames Railfans Group on Yahoo...it has some nice UP and CB&Q stuff from Omaha in the late 60s.
http://www.pbase.com/deanej/trains
I'll be in the back booth trying to hammer-out captions and a game report...
Chris (Kalmbach, I want my 8-ball back...)
The Cedar cRapids Industrial Branch: Proudly Shipping Yesterday's CrunchBerries Tomorrow!
Well I discovered this morning that to get the van started for the first time of the day I have to prime the carb. Now I quickly realized that taking the dog house (engine cover) off every time I need to prime the carb would get very old very fast. So, being the inventive guy that I am I cut and hinged part of the drivers side of the dog house. The hinges are on the bottom and it's held tightly closed at the top by a sliding barrel lock. The locks normal position is down so there's no danger of it vibrating open. Tools required: Dremel with cutoff disk and drill bit, drill with screwdriver bit, pliers, JB Weld, knife. I cut about 6 inches high and 7 inches wide in the left side of the dog house then used the knife to carefully cut the insulation lining the inside. I mixed up some JB Weld and applied it to the back side of the piece from the dog house and pressed the insulation down on it. I then drilled 4 holes in the piece and ran 1.5 inch machine screws through from the outer side so the ends of the screws came through the insulation (washers on each end). I put a nut on the end of each screw and while holding each nut with pliers I used the drill to spin the screws tight. That done it was an easy matter of placing the hinges and screwing them down. I then put the piece in place in the side of the dog house drove in the screws for the lower half of the hinges. I then placed the barrel lock at the top and drove the screws to hold it. Here's a couple of pics to show the end result. One with the side closed and the other with it open.
Howdy ..
Thanks again for all the much appreciated b'day greetings.
Jeff ... Yes, that's "inventive".
Chris ... Thanks for the link to the photos. I like #104. The bridge has character. So does the Burlington passenger train.
Ulrich ... I've not heard back from CO friend. His town is at about 9,000 feet above see level. I think one end of town is 1,000 feet higher than the other. Perhaps, they averaged the altitude. There plenty of towns not so high. Meanwhile, it might help to research the chambers of commerce or visitors organizations and ask what to do.
Evenin' folks!
Flo just a cup of decaf if you please.
Well.... Today was my BILs Memorial service at a little country church out in the Bristol Hills (here in NY near Canandaigua lake). Place was packed! Bernie had a lot of friends over the years. The Card and Photos I sent to the family were displayed in the church during the service. My niece gave me a bug hug when I got there thanking me for the photos and started to cry.... She is a sweetheart! There was a reception put on by members of the church right after the internment of the ashes. We then went back to my nieces house for the party! Got to see and chat with several people from the Fox side of the family i haven't seen for a bit. Got home about an hour ago.
Was cool and windy all day. We all agreed it was much better to have it 65°F and windy than 95° and 90% humidity and no wind!
Some kits came in yesterday, so I may get a few minutes to get some MRRing done tomorrow.. The lawn is getting high again so if doesn't rain (we are getting a bit of the turbulence from Earl right now) I may have to get it cut tomorrow..... I'll play it by ear.
Speaking of piano players.... What ever happened to Tom White.... I see him out in the main forum from time to time. I miss his photos of the cats (and everything else).
Jeffery, you just might be a Red Neck. I mean that in the nicest way. Why not replace the accelerator pump? It would have taken about the same time! Just hope it does not backfire while you have the hatch open!
Jeff Foxworthy
cudaken Jeffery, you just might be a Red Neck. I mean that in the nicest way. Why not replace the accelerator pump? It would have taken about the same time! Just hope it does not backfire while you have the hatch open! Jeff Foxworthy
Good evening folks!
Well, I did it....I took the DCC plunge. I hope I don't regret it. For the past several weekends I've wanted to make the trip to the semi-local train shop...something always come up that derailed the plans. Today I called to ask if they were open, this being a holiday weekend...they were...then I thought to ask how wheelchair accessable they are (never been there before)...they were not at all. After discussing it with my wife, we decided to go ahead and go, I'd stay in the car, and she would call me from inside on her cell, so I could explain what I wanted (wife did not know DCC from XYZ). Off we went. After a few minutes inside, wife called and put the shop owner on the phone...he said he'd just come out to the car and talk to me directly. He told me he had one Digitrax Zephyr in stock, and it was a very good price. Then came the bad news. I had brought along my Kato F7 A&B set, my pair of Kato RDCs, and my Atlas VO1000 for an estimate on decoder installation. Though Digitrax apparenly makes a designed to fit decoder for the F7s, the owner said they would not install them because they have frequent burnout problems...he recomended TCS decoders, and they would probably be custom installations at about 3 times the price of drop-ins. He said the RDCs would be even more likely to be custom installations. The VO1000 would definately be a custom installation. End result being that he'll call me with an estimate of how many times more than what I had expected the cost would be.
Jeffery: Your starting issue with the van carb brought back memories...Long ago and far away, I ended up putting manual choke kits on 3 different MOPARS, all with the venerable 318 V8s...My mom's 70-something Dodge "Street Van", my dad's 68 Fury, and a friend's 70 Coronet. All three developed similar failing to start symptoms after settting longer than a couple hours, within a matter of weeks of each other. I remember for a couple weeks having to frequently pop the engine cover on the van to start it for mom...I wish I'd thought of the access hatch solution.
Have a good one, all.
Reality...an interesting concept with no successful applications, that should always be accompanied by a "Do not try this at home" warning.
Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.
"Oooh...ahhhh...that's how this all starts...but then there's running...and screaming..."
Zandoz Jeffery: Your starting issue with the van carb brought back memories...Long ago and far away, I ended up putting manual choke kits on 3 different MOPARS, all with the venerable 318 V8s...My mom's 70-something Dodge "Street Van", my dad's 68 Fury, and a friend's 70 Coronet. All three developed similar failing to start symptoms after settting longer than a couple hours, within a matter of weeks of each other. I remember for a couple weeks having to frequently pop the engine cover on the van to start it for mom...I wish I'd thought of the access hatch solution.
Good evening, Raspberry Iced Tea please. I like that stuff.
Started part of the upstairs bathroom floor theis afternoon prior to going to work. I shouldn't have as all I did was worry about the time and had nothing but problems. Brenda says it looks fine, I think it looks like crap.
Zan- All in all I think you'll be happy with DCC in spite of the hidden expenses at this point. I'm still on DC and not sorry about it, but I do see DCC in my future. IF you do not already have your layout wired for DC then I would go DCC. (I know you don't) Me, I'm wiring for DC, but with DCC in mind. It wil be and easy switch for me.
I was gonna say something else but can't remem.... Oh! Jeff- pretty nifty idea you have there. Pretty good hand warmer for those days when the temps drop into the 40's this winter too.
PFTIN.
We are to see a mix of sun/cloud today with our high going all the way to 70F. By Tuesday we will be right back to the swing of things with another sticky day of about 85F and high humidity again
Right now I just finished off another crisis call and have just about enough time to fill out incident reports on this one--so I'll be doing this before I pass out.
Chhloe, I'll have a larg IV bag with rawcaffeine please--I'll be at the window booth for now--
Good Morning, coffee to go please.
On the run this morning.
Have a Great Day!!!
(seems like I was just in here. Hm, I was.)