Log 2014062101

The right rear brake was bled, then a new left front wheel bearing, left front shock/ strut assembly and right front fender was installed installed today. I forgot to take a mileage then, but the one I have now is at 136,251 miles on the odometer.  I did forget to rotate the wheels, but if I have to get the tire stems replaced, I might as well have those mechanics do it since they have a lift and are in the neighborhood.  My 2008 Chevy HHR LS requires that they be rotated front to back and back to front.  I did it last time and it can tip if the side on my CUV is jacked up too much.

So, I've done about the maintenance that I have to skills currently to do.  I took it out for about a 10 mile drive on the freeway this morning and everything seems to run as it should.  The brake pedal position seemed to improved and so far the car is taking well to the new DOT 4 brake fluid that I added prior to this drive, but still needs improvement.  If I had to, I'd say that it could handle the roads in southern Ohio, towing a loaded utility hauling trailer as it is.  But I'd like it to be better.

Right now, I have to go find my uncle who knows several mechanics.  They're all friends of the family and have worked on our vehicles many times.  I'll have to give him a list and would like to do that tomorrow.  But tomorrow is Saturday and I have a feeling that I know where he's going to be, which is at his camper in Sandusky of Erie County. He doesn't do text messages very well.  So, I anticipate my day tomorrow as consisting of doing a load of laundry and then spending the weekend out there.

One thing that I was not able to do while I was out was test the car to see if the new air filter would alleviate the problem that starts at 60MPH while trying to accelerate going slightly uphill.  It was raining this morning and was almost flash flood conditions on the freeway today.  So, I will test it some other time.

I don't think that this kind of information is on the web yet, but on the topic of building a teardrop camper on a Harbor Freight 4 x 8 Utility Hauling Trailer in Ohio... In the past, I have learned that there is a way to build a way to do it so that the living amenities slide off so you can still have use of your utility hauling trailer.  When I had my utility hauling trailer titled, I inquired about this and was informed by a Deputy Clerk of Court in Lake County that a "convertible" trailer like this would not be legal in Ohio because the trailer has to be registered one way, or the other... either a utility hauling trailer, or a camper and it can not be both.

Log 2014061702

All Internet orders that were made this month have arrived.

Log 2014071701

I finished plotting and correcting waypoints for parking areas along the southern sections of the Buckeye Trail.  At this point, I believe that I have all the information necessary to plan the trail.

Log 2014061602

My Delton X9 Thunder continued to cut out in the wind.  Also, I'm 6'6"/ 198cm and music streaming from two different smartphone's cut out every time I clip them to my belt.  But, they do tend to do better when i strap them to my right arm only, or when my smartphone is on the handlebars on my bicycle mount.

I bought these sometime prior to 13 November 2013 and yesterday, the right channel cut out.  At which time, I performed a power cycle and it still wouldn't come on.  So, in testing the theory that it might just be on a low battery, I charged the device last night and attempted to use it this afternoon with no success... the right channel was still out.  This headset will be discarded today and I'll use wire earbuds for the time being.

After walking to the local Mexican restaurant and drinking a margarita today, I decided that it was not a good idea to resume working on my car.  I don't drink alcohol very much, so I'm a bit of a "light weight."  So, I started working on my bicycle.  With the car on jacks in one bay of the garage and another car and things being moved around on the otherside, making my work space tight, I started working on my bicycle on the back porch instead.  But found at dusk that the lack of light was unfavorable to true my rear rim again.  So, I began to install my double kickstand from bikewagon.com.  But the mounting hardware was incorrect.

The bolts that they sent me were either too small, or too large for my Nishiki Colorado mountain bike.  And the bolt that i had on the previous kickstand was about 1/8" too big.  Lucky for me, I happen to have a spare steel plate handy.  With two pieces cut to a similar size, I'm quite sure that i can make it fit.  But as the stand is kicked up, both wheels retract to one side and that will make it a tight fit considering that it has to miss and ride next to the rear wheel with a knobby tire.  But I think it will mount.

I got the double kickstand because of the new improved, 110lb capasity rear rack.  Standard kickstands with the 25lb capasity rear rack like to tip the bike over.  This double kickstand should lift the rear wheel off of the ground when it's deployed.

Log 2014061601

Today, I broke through the second mounting bolt on the left side stabilizer bar link of my 2008 Chevy HHR LS.  The last time, I burned up a few Diablo blades on the Sawzall and so I was searching for alternatives today.  Yesterday, I mounted the new left side wheel bearing and in preparation to bleed the brakes, I re-mounted the left side caliper and pads.  So my angle to drill it from wasn't as open today as it was before.

I started using a butane torch today, but several minutes in, I remembed something about the stabilizer bar being made out of tempered steel and promptly quit.  Yesterday, I purchased a drill bit extension from Lowe's in Mentor of Lake County.  But to my chagrin, it only extends 3/8ths drill bits and I was very disappointed.  With the Diablo blades on the Sawzall, I was able cut most of the hex off of the bolt.  But because the blade was so wide, it left a sliver of the hex still on there.  So, I mounted a metal cutting blade of standard width and was able to slice it off without damaging the stabilizer bar.

Afterwards, I took off the right fender.  It was just a series of bolts.  But to my chagrin, the after market replacement fender came with it's own eye socket wielded to it.  Now, I have an extra.  But the replacement didn't come with any insulation.  I'm thinking that I might be able to reuse the one from the old fender.  As for installing, I've decided that I'm going to "sleep on it."  Considering the amount of bolts it and the under shielding has, I'm wondering if that is going to be a mistake?

I was about the bleed the left front caliper solo today, but didn't have a clear tube big enough to fit around the bleeding nut.  And I'm concerned about no doing it right, so either I need a vacuum bleeding kit, or I should just task it out to the mechanic?  I think I'm going to go with the latter. Because right now, I'm at a loss as to where the manual transaxle "check/fill" nut is.  I think its to the left of the fuse block and has a hex key that is identical to the drain plug.

With all that being said, there'a bald spot on the table where I layout all of my new auto parts now.

Log 2014061301

I bled the right rear brake line today and moved to the front left wheel afterwards. The new shock & strut was mounted in the shock housing, but remains unfolded at this time as I'm working on that side's wheel bearing, too. I was able to dismount it, unlike last time where I gave up and had the mechanic do it. Basically, with the strut/ shock dismounted from the wheel bearing, I was able to push back the axle, turn it downward and I started beating it with a metal claw hammer until it fell out.

I just now discovered that the auto parts store sold me an ABS replacement wheel bearing. My car does not have ABS and the product that they gave me is not compatible with my car. So, I'll be making a return later today.

Right now, while I'm down there, just like the other side, I have to install another stabilizer bar link there, too. Well, just recently, I picked up some Diablo Steel Demon blades for my Sawzall.  And so far, they work impressively well. It cut through the stabilizer bar link "in no time flat." But I'm not done cutting the inside nut and bolt that is attached to the stabilizer bar.

There's not a lot of room to work with and things are kinda crampt working with the Sawzall in that wheel well.  In the future, I anticipate that this part of the job will take at least 45 minutes and 4 of the before mentioned Diablo blades.

Sawzall blades get really hot when cutting metal. I learned on the Internet to use a spray bottle of water to cool the blade and surface being cut. Bleeding the brakes and changing the manual tranmission still remain on my task list for this wheel. Other than that, work on the left rear wheel and front right wheels still remain as well as a tire rotation.

For the record... my touring tires that are on the car should last until it's at 204,000 miles.

Log 2014061202

My Roswheel Rear carrier bag for my mountain bike came in today from Hong Kong via USPS.