Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
It's been real, & it's been fun. I've been trying to figure out how to get my photos linked into my blog. I've used YABP, but 9/10 of the time the post vanishes when the photo tag is added. I tried the mbox plugin, but that was a joke. My biggest current problem here is getting the photos where and when I want them. Well, it's after 10:30, and time for me to head for home and bed. I think I've got 'most everything else figgered out. Well, not all. I want to figure out how to extend this so that the other family members can have their own blog here also. G'night, all!
Gas
3/29 went to 3.079.
3/27went to 3.199
3/28 AM was at 3.169
3/28 PM is at 3.149
I'm going to have to figure out the formatting, that last message looks terrible, at least it does in Firefox. Looks better in IE7.
OpenNMS seems to running well, the network discovery has found 457 nodes and it hasn't found everything yet.
Still need to figure out the Photoblog piece. That was one thing that I really liked about Xanga. I know I can do it here, just have to sort it out.
3/27went to 3.199
3/28 AM was at 3.169
3/28 PM is at 3.149
I'm going to have to figure out the formatting, that last message looks terrible, at least it does in Firefox. Looks better in IE7.
OpenNMS seems to running well, the network discovery has found 457 nodes and it hasn't found everything yet.
Still need to figure out the Photoblog piece. That was one thing that I really liked about Xanga. I know I can do it here, just have to sort it out.
OpenNMS
OpenNMS sounds like a wonderful piece of software, will let you know when I get done installing it. The installation instructions for Windows leave a great deal of information out, so I'm going to make a list as I figure it out.
1. Install Sun Java SDK 5 or higher from http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/?intcmp=1281. Must be the SDK or SE edition which includes the JDK as well as the JRE. Default install works fine.
2. Install Apache Tomcat 5.5 from http://tomcat.apache.org/download-55.cgi, default install is OK.
3. Install PostgreSQL from http://wwwmaster.postgresql.org/download/mirrors-ftp?file=%2Fbinary%2Fv8.2.6%2Fwin32%2Fpostgresql-8.2.6-2.zip, default install is OK.
4. Download JICMP from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=4141&package_id=240236, unzip and place the two files (.jar & .dll) in the Java jdk\bin directory.
5. Install the opennms-installer-1.5.90.jar from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=4141. When you download, you should be able to save it as a .jar file, and when you doouble-click on the .jar file it should execute. If it doesn't then you need to go back to step 1 and locate the proper Java SDK installation.
6. Open a cmd prompt at "c:\program files\OpenNMS\bin" (assuming you installed everything with defaults, adjust as needed). type "opennms.bat start" and enter. You should get many lines of commands scrolling by over the next few moments.
7. Open IE and open "http://localhost:8980/opennms". user "admin" pwd "admin", strongly urge you to change it immediately by going to "Admin", "Configure Users, Groups and Roles", "Configure Users", "Modify", "Reset Password". Be sure to click the "Finish " button at the bottom of the page to save changes.
I'm already impressed, while I was resetting the admin password (and typing these instructions) it has already found 7 nodes on the network. I'm already in love with it.
After another 5 minutes it has found 33 nodes, it is just pinging addresses in order going thru the subnets.
Well, it only took me two hours to get this far. I think I have spent more than 80 hours with Cacti, and I have just a few things graphed. At this point I would say that OpenNMS shows great promise.
1. Install Sun Java SDK 5 or higher from http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/?intcmp=1281. Must be the SDK or SE edition which includes the JDK as well as the JRE. Default install works fine.
2. Install Apache Tomcat 5.5 from http://tomcat.apache.org/download-55.cgi, default install is OK.
3. Install PostgreSQL from http://wwwmaster.postgresql.org/download/mirrors-ftp?file=%2Fbinary%2Fv8.2.6%2Fwin32%2Fpostgresql-8.2.6-2.zip, default install is OK.
4. Download JICMP from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=4141&package_id=240236, unzip and place the two files (.jar & .dll) in the Java jdk\bin directory.
5. Install the opennms-installer-1.5.90.jar from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=4141. When you download, you should be able to save it as a .jar file, and when you doouble-click on the .jar file it should execute. If it doesn't then you need to go back to step 1 and locate the proper Java SDK installation.
6. Open a cmd prompt at "c:\program files\OpenNMS\bin" (assuming you installed everything with defaults, adjust as needed). type "opennms.bat start" and enter. You should get many lines of commands scrolling by over the next few moments.
7. Open IE and open "http://localhost:8980/opennms". user "admin" pwd "admin", strongly urge you to change it immediately by going to "Admin", "Configure Users, Groups and Roles", "Configure Users", "Modify", "Reset Password". Be sure to click the "Finish " button at the bottom of the page to save changes.
I'm already impressed, while I was resetting the admin password (and typing these instructions) it has already found 7 nodes on the network. I'm already in love with it.
After another 5 minutes it has found 33 nodes, it is just pinging addresses in order going thru the subnets.
Well, it only took me two hours to get this far. I think I have spent more than 80 hours with Cacti, and I have just a few things graphed. At this point I would say that OpenNMS shows great promise.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Moving On
Well, I'm going to move my Blog from Xanga to here, now that I may have learned how to setup a blog on my website, something I've been putting off for a long time.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday March 24, 2008
Gas: Friday 3/21 gas dropped to 3.049 in GR, still there today. Gas in Bemidji on Sunday was anywhere from 3.069 to 3.179.
Got to see Phillip on Sunday, got a few more photos of him.
Which brings up digital cameras. My 5 yr old Vivitar died the day Phillip was born, so this last weekend I went shopping for a replacement. I carry the camera almost everywhere and take quite a few photos with it, and so I had a very specific list of requirements for a new camera:
1. Must have Viewfinder. While the display screens on the new cameras are very nice, it is still quite difficult to see them in direct sunlight.
2. Must have rechargeable battery. The old Vivitar went thru AA batteries almost as quick as I could shove them in. I was lucky if I could get 30 photos before the batteries went dead. And, it didn't turn of automatically, so if, for instance, I left it attached to the PC while downloading photos and forgot to turn it off it would be dead in an hour. Easily.
3. Since I have Palms and PPC's and other devices that use the mini-USB interface both to connect to the PC and for charging, the camera must also use the mini-USB interface for charging and downloading. Since I have several devices that use this interface, I have chargers and cables scattered around the house, in my cars, and at work. I have been slowly replacing devices with other interfaces with newer ones that use the mini-USB interface, I want to continue that process.
4. I want both digital and optical zoom capabilites.
5. Must have good flash and some control over exposure settings.
6. Must use SD cards of at least 4GB capacity.
7. Ease of use: I don't insist that a 5 year old can use it, but that the basics should be discoverable with a few moments exploration for a person of normal intelligence, and the manuals should be clearly written in English. Not Chinglese.
8. Less than $200, prefer less than $150.
I started with the cameras that were available locally at Target and WalMart. The list of 20 different cameras available between the two stores was quickly narrowed to 4 that I wanted a closer look at by searching the Internet for specs and reviews. I selected the Canon Powershot SD1000. Used it over the weekend. Returned it this afternoon to the store.
This is a wonderful camera. I took photos with it that I had tried to take with the Vivitar and they came out far better than they had any right to. For an amateur, this is a great camera. I paid $190 including tax for the camera, which was a little on the high end of my range, but it is a wonderful camera.
I hated to do it, but it failed one of my major criteria: the mini-USB interface. Yes, it used mini-USB to connect to the PC, but to charge the Lithium Ion battery you must remove the battery from the camera and put it in a separate charger that plugs into a wall outlet. You cannot use the camera while the battery is in the charger unless you buy a second $60 battery!
So, I returned it. I'm bummed, but eventually I'll find a camera that meets all the criteria. Eventually. This was so close, and it really exceeded all my other criteria and far exceeded my expectations. Except for the charger. But, I'm stubborn.
Got to see Phillip on Sunday, got a few more photos of him.
Which brings up digital cameras. My 5 yr old Vivitar died the day Phillip was born, so this last weekend I went shopping for a replacement. I carry the camera almost everywhere and take quite a few photos with it, and so I had a very specific list of requirements for a new camera:
1. Must have Viewfinder. While the display screens on the new cameras are very nice, it is still quite difficult to see them in direct sunlight.
2. Must have rechargeable battery. The old Vivitar went thru AA batteries almost as quick as I could shove them in. I was lucky if I could get 30 photos before the batteries went dead. And, it didn't turn of automatically, so if, for instance, I left it attached to the PC while downloading photos and forgot to turn it off it would be dead in an hour. Easily.
3. Since I have Palms and PPC's and other devices that use the mini-USB interface both to connect to the PC and for charging, the camera must also use the mini-USB interface for charging and downloading. Since I have several devices that use this interface, I have chargers and cables scattered around the house, in my cars, and at work. I have been slowly replacing devices with other interfaces with newer ones that use the mini-USB interface, I want to continue that process.
4. I want both digital and optical zoom capabilites.
5. Must have good flash and some control over exposure settings.
6. Must use SD cards of at least 4GB capacity.
7. Ease of use: I don't insist that a 5 year old can use it, but that the basics should be discoverable with a few moments exploration for a person of normal intelligence, and the manuals should be clearly written in English. Not Chinglese.
8. Less than $200, prefer less than $150.
I started with the cameras that were available locally at Target and WalMart. The list of 20 different cameras available between the two stores was quickly narrowed to 4 that I wanted a closer look at by searching the Internet for specs and reviews. I selected the Canon Powershot SD1000. Used it over the weekend. Returned it this afternoon to the store.
This is a wonderful camera. I took photos with it that I had tried to take with the Vivitar and they came out far better than they had any right to. For an amateur, this is a great camera. I paid $190 including tax for the camera, which was a little on the high end of my range, but it is a wonderful camera.
I hated to do it, but it failed one of my major criteria: the mini-USB interface. Yes, it used mini-USB to connect to the PC, but to charge the Lithium Ion battery you must remove the battery from the camera and put it in a separate charger that plugs into a wall outlet. You cannot use the camera while the battery is in the charger unless you buy a second $60 battery!
So, I returned it. I'm bummed, but eventually I'll find a camera that meets all the criteria. Eventually. This was so close, and it really exceeded all my other criteria and far exceeded my expectations. Except for the charger. But, I'm stubborn.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Thursday March 20, 2008
Gas went to 3.099 yesterday afternoon.
After running some errands in Vger yesterday the gas gauge was at 'E' drifting above or below the line depending on accelerating or braking. With 477 miles since last fill I decided to stop and fill it up and I put 23 gallons in the tank. At least I know I'm not going to run out of gas before the gauge gets to 'E' which was my main concern.
After running some errands in Vger yesterday the gas gauge was at 'E' drifting above or below the line depending on accelerating or braking. With 477 miles since last fill I decided to stop and fill it up and I put 23 gallons in the tank. At least I know I'm not going to run out of gas before the gauge gets to 'E' which was my main concern.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday March 19, 2008
Gas went to 3.119 yesterday afternoon.
Vger is now below 1/8 and at 470 miles.
Vger is now below 1/8 and at 470 miles.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tuesday March 18, 2008
Well, Vger has now run 400 miles on a tank of gas. The gauge is between 1/4 and 3/8. IF the gauge is correct then I should see about 475 miles. I wouldn't take that bet.
Gas: still at 3.129.
Gas: still at 3.129.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday March 17, 2008
I have added all the photos of Phillip that I have to my Photo blog.
Gas: On Thursday gas in GR jumped to 3.199. I filled up in Bemidji, where gas was between 3.099 and 3.169, at a BP for 3.119. As of today gas in GR is at 3.129.
Vger is running great and so is the Gladiator, didn't work on any vehicles this weekend. I have a concern with Vger right now, at 200 miles after filling the gas tank the gauge is still at full. At 350 miles the gauge is at 1/2 tank. I have a 5 gal can in the back and I will run the tank dry and see what happens. Last summer I swapped the tank out of the black van, so I don't really know how this gauge will react, and I've put only a few hundred miles on it since the tank swap.
Gas: On Thursday gas in GR jumped to 3.199. I filled up in Bemidji, where gas was between 3.099 and 3.169, at a BP for 3.119. As of today gas in GR is at 3.129.
Vger is running great and so is the Gladiator, didn't work on any vehicles this weekend. I have a concern with Vger right now, at 200 miles after filling the gas tank the gauge is still at full. At 350 miles the gauge is at 1/2 tank. I have a 5 gal can in the back and I will run the tank dry and see what happens. Last summer I swapped the tank out of the black van, so I don't really know how this gauge will react, and I've put only a few hundred miles on it since the tank swap.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Saturday March 15, 2008
Phillip Lee Jordan Hartshorn son of Jonathan & Patty Hartshorn born 3/13/2008 6lbs 13oz.
I'm a grandpa now.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Wednesday March 12, 2008
Gas: 3.099
Beautiful day yesterday. Although I worked from 4:30am to 3pm, I did get to see some nice day. It was about 45 degrees at 3:30pm. Making mud nicely, too muddy to crawl under a car and work on brakes or exhaust. I've gotta pour a slab this summer, but where? That's the real question.
Update Noon:
Gas 3.199
Beautiful day yesterday. Although I worked from 4:30am to 3pm, I did get to see some nice day. It was about 45 degrees at 3:30pm. Making mud nicely, too muddy to crawl under a car and work on brakes or exhaust. I've gotta pour a slab this summer, but where? That's the real question.
Update Noon:
Gas 3.199
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday March 10, 2008
Gas still 3.099, filled up Vger and the Gladiator over the weekend, only $140 for the two.
Stripez is parked, 99% certain it needs a head gasket.
Put new master cylinder on '89 Horizon, stepped on the pedal and blew out the steel line to the left rear. Everything is so rotten under there that I might as well get enough line to replace both brake lines. And probably the rubber hoses also. Fronts appear to be OK. Got back bumper re-attached so it looks nice and might actually do something. Maybe.
Last time I worked on the Gladiator we tightened the hose clamp on the upper radiator hose, but when we pressure tested it on Saturday it was still leaking. Put a new one on, then the hose from the top of the engine to the heater started leaking. Got that replaced. Now it is leaking down very slowly, looks like we need to replace the hoses to the rear heater as well as all the rest of the heater hoses. That will have to wait until after the '89 horizon is running, since the rear heater core must be removed to get to the hoses, and the blower motor on the rear heater needs to be replaced also and that will take some searching to locate a new motor or I will need to get the old one rebuilt.
Put the battery from Stripez into Vger (really the battery for Matt's '65 F250) and then replaced the alternator using a spare I had. Charging system problem fixed.
To-Do:
Brake lines for '89 Horizon
Exhaust for '89 Horizon
Rear tires for '89 Horizon
Rear Heater Blower for '93 G20
All Heater Hoses for '93 G20
Oil Pressure Gauge for '88 Voyager
Re-man head for '92 Voyager
Saturday was chilly and windy, think windchill readings were in -20 range. Sunday temps got into the mid 30's and almost no wind. Starting to see a little mud in the yard.
Stripez is parked, 99% certain it needs a head gasket.
Put new master cylinder on '89 Horizon, stepped on the pedal and blew out the steel line to the left rear. Everything is so rotten under there that I might as well get enough line to replace both brake lines. And probably the rubber hoses also. Fronts appear to be OK. Got back bumper re-attached so it looks nice and might actually do something. Maybe.
Last time I worked on the Gladiator we tightened the hose clamp on the upper radiator hose, but when we pressure tested it on Saturday it was still leaking. Put a new one on, then the hose from the top of the engine to the heater started leaking. Got that replaced. Now it is leaking down very slowly, looks like we need to replace the hoses to the rear heater as well as all the rest of the heater hoses. That will have to wait until after the '89 horizon is running, since the rear heater core must be removed to get to the hoses, and the blower motor on the rear heater needs to be replaced also and that will take some searching to locate a new motor or I will need to get the old one rebuilt.
Put the battery from Stripez into Vger (really the battery for Matt's '65 F250) and then replaced the alternator using a spare I had. Charging system problem fixed.
To-Do:
Brake lines for '89 Horizon
Exhaust for '89 Horizon
Rear tires for '89 Horizon
Rear Heater Blower for '93 G20
All Heater Hoses for '93 G20
Oil Pressure Gauge for '88 Voyager
Re-man head for '92 Voyager
Saturday was chilly and windy, think windchill readings were in -20 range. Sunday temps got into the mid 30's and almost no wind. Starting to see a little mud in the yard.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Friday March 7, 2008
Gas still 3.099, have to fill all three vans this weekend. Oh well.
Gladiator STILL has a coolant leak that I have to try to track down, and still doesn't blow hot air from heater.
Vger needs battery and cables, maybe alternator or regulator.
Stripez needs battery cables, rad hoses, and maybe a new head gasket.
Red Horizon needs Master Cylinder, Rear Bumper, Exhaust system, wiper blades.
Think I will work on them this weekend in this order:
1. Gladiator - Take doghouse off, pressure test cooling system.
2. Vger - will rob battery from Stripez for test, replace cables OR cable ends.
3. Red Horizon - Install Master Cylinder and get brakes working.
4. Stripez - Find place to park it and start removing head to take to Machine shop.
Oh yeah, chipped a tooth last night. Sharp edges irritate my tongue, but no nerve pain, thank you, God. I have had pretty bad back pain this week, lower back which is unusual for me, my lower back aches often but not this kind of sometimes overwhelming pain where I need to lie down for a while to get thru it, usually that is reserverd for my upper back. It never rains but it pours someone once said.
Gladiator STILL has a coolant leak that I have to try to track down, and still doesn't blow hot air from heater.
Vger needs battery and cables, maybe alternator or regulator.
Stripez needs battery cables, rad hoses, and maybe a new head gasket.
Red Horizon needs Master Cylinder, Rear Bumper, Exhaust system, wiper blades.
Think I will work on them this weekend in this order:
1. Gladiator - Take doghouse off, pressure test cooling system.
2. Vger - will rob battery from Stripez for test, replace cables OR cable ends.
3. Red Horizon - Install Master Cylinder and get brakes working.
4. Stripez - Find place to park it and start removing head to take to Machine shop.
Oh yeah, chipped a tooth last night. Sharp edges irritate my tongue, but no nerve pain, thank you, God. I have had pretty bad back pain this week, lower back which is unusual for me, my lower back aches often but not this kind of sometimes overwhelming pain where I need to lie down for a while to get thru it, usually that is reserverd for my upper back. It never rains but it pours someone once said.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Wednesday March 5, 2008
busy busy
Gas: went to 3.099 last nite (3/4/08)
Stripez: Blew out the radiator, overheated, may have blown head gasket, gotta find time to check it out.
Later
Gas: went to 3.099 last nite (3/4/08)
Stripez: Blew out the radiator, overheated, may have blown head gasket, gotta find time to check it out.
Later
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Tuesday March 4, 2008
Stripez appears to be fine with the new thermostat. First time I have ever had a problem like that with a new Stant 'stat.
I grabbed a thermometer and put it in the radiator of Stripez last night. When the 'stat is open and the temp gauge is at it's highest reading (just below the middle line) the coolant in the top of the radiator is at 185, which I think is not too bad for a 195 'stat. I then moved to the Gladiator. When the gauge is at the same point as shown in the previous picture, the coolant in the top of the radiator is at 190 with a 195 'stat. So, it is now obvious that either the gauge or the sending unit is incorrect, the engine should be running at very close to the correct temp.
I still don't know why I'm not getting as much heat from the heater system as I think I should be, that will be another line of investigation.
I think the battery in Vger has a problem. Since we have had several batteries die in the last month I don't have any spares right now, so it will have to wait until this weekend before I can dig into that problem.
I grabbed a thermometer and put it in the radiator of Stripez last night. When the 'stat is open and the temp gauge is at it's highest reading (just below the middle line) the coolant in the top of the radiator is at 185, which I think is not too bad for a 195 'stat. I then moved to the Gladiator. When the gauge is at the same point as shown in the previous picture, the coolant in the top of the radiator is at 190 with a 195 'stat. So, it is now obvious that either the gauge or the sending unit is incorrect, the engine should be running at very close to the correct temp.
I still don't know why I'm not getting as much heat from the heater system as I think I should be, that will be another line of investigation.
I think the battery in Vger has a problem. Since we have had several batteries die in the last month I don't have any spares right now, so it will have to wait until this weekend before I can dig into that problem.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Monday March 3, 2008
Last week was mostly a blank as I was ill to some extent. I didn't even realize I was sick until Friday when I went home and then slept most of the day. However, I got up Saturday morning feeling good and actually accomplished a LOT over Saturday and Sunday.
Matt and I had been working on the '89 Horizon last weekend (2/23). The head was rebuilt on it and lots of maintenance things replaced (waterpump, hoses, timing belt, tuneup, fuel filter, fuel lines), and now, when it was all back together, it wouldn't start. I was looking at it and realized that the distributor was loose, and so I was then explaining to Matt what the different effects of retarded or advanced timing might be. Suddenly, as I was explaining retarded timing I suddenly realized that I was describing the way Vger was running!
So, this Saturday we broke out the timing light. I checked the timing on Vger ('88 Voyager) and, sure enough, the timing was about 12 degrees retarded! I set it to spec and WOW, does it run good. I'm driving it today. So, Vger has been resurrected. So, that should save me about $100/month in gas. Yippee!! I kick myself as I think of all the time and money I spent trying to figure out why it was running so badly.
Then, we took the timing light over to the '89 Horizon and set the timing while cranking. As the mark got close vroom! the Horizon started and ran. Runs pretty darn good. Needs a new Master Cylinder ($17), a couple of tires, and I need to do something with the rear bumper, it has rusted off. And the exhaust is extremely rusty and loud and leaky. But we drove it up to the corner and back and it seems to do very nicely, goes down the road straight and stops straight (after you pump the pedal). I get this baby on the road and it should save me another $50/month in gas over Vger.
When we made the "dump run" Saturday morning I noticed that Stripez ('92 Voyager) was cold, the temp gauge never quite warmed up and the heater never put out any warm air. When we got home I saw that the coolant level was low and when I pressure tested the system I saw that the cap was not holding pressure. Well, I have noticed that the engine temps have not been consistent, so, when I went to pick up a new radiator cap I also picked up a thermostat. On the 2.5L in the Voyagers it is trivial to change the thermostat, so, about 15 minutes later we had Stripez holding pressure and temp again. Matt also changed the Oil Pressure sending unit. I bought the sending unit a long time ago but it required a special socket that I finally bought a couple of months ago but hadn't gotten around to actually changing it, mostly because I figured it wouldn't help since I was told that it has had low oil pressure since the engine was rebuilt. Guess what? It doesn't show low oil pressure any more!
Well, now that we had two vehicles (Stripez and Vger) running reliably I decided that maybe we could tackle the Gladiator. First order of business was to replace the thermostat and see if we can find the coolant leak. It has been running cold all winter, but it's a pain working on anything on this '93 Chevy G20 Van. Looking from the front under the hood I can barely see and reach the thermostat housing, and I couldn't see any coolant leaks although the pressure test gauge was dropping rapidly. So, pull the doghouse off, which takes an act of God under normal circumstances but is even worse in a conversion van. By the time we get the doghouse off and the air cleaner housing out of the way the coolant leak becomes apparent, it is that the upper radiator hose hose-clamp is loose on the thermostat housing; and, although it is a stretch, it is easily accessible now. So, I replaced the thermostat, put the hose-clamp on straight and tight, now it has heat and no coolant leak.
Still have a lot to do on all the vehicles, the '89 Horizon needs brakes, exhaust, tires. The '88 Voyager needs the oil pressure gauge replaced. The '92 Voyager needs an new alternator belt. The '93 G20 needs the rear heater blower replaced and a ton of body work. But, for right now, we are in pretty good shape, far better than we were on Friday.
And gas is still at 2.999 this morning and all three vans have full tanks of gas.
EDIT 11am
When Stripez warmed up this morning it appears that the thermostat never opened, the engine temp went straight to the red zone while the radiator stayed cold. It had run just fine Saturday after we put the new 'stat in and I took it to GR and back for a test. I had to run home and put a new 'stat in. Sitting in the yard it seems to be OK, we will see what happens.
On the way home I noticed that Vger's charge gage was reading very low, and after working on Stripez and getting ready to head back to work Vger barely started, so I switched over to the Gladiator. Now, I did not test drive the Gladiator after putting the new 'stat in it; I just warmed it up and topped off the coolant. Driving the Gladiator in to work I note that the temp gage never got over the 140 mark, which is rather disappointing after changing the 'stat.
When we first got the Gladiator 3? or 4? years ago the gage went to half-way between the 140 and 180 mark, but since the new heater core was installed last fall it has never moved over the 140 mark. After installing a new 195 'stat I had hoped to see it at least hit the 180 mark. Now I don't know what to think. Guess I will try to check the coolant temp some other way to see if it is a gage problem or not.
Here is a photo of it after I drove in to work, 'prox 15 miles and 20 minutes, outside temp -2.
Just too darn cold.
Matt and I had been working on the '89 Horizon last weekend (2/23). The head was rebuilt on it and lots of maintenance things replaced (waterpump, hoses, timing belt, tuneup, fuel filter, fuel lines), and now, when it was all back together, it wouldn't start. I was looking at it and realized that the distributor was loose, and so I was then explaining to Matt what the different effects of retarded or advanced timing might be. Suddenly, as I was explaining retarded timing I suddenly realized that I was describing the way Vger was running!
So, this Saturday we broke out the timing light. I checked the timing on Vger ('88 Voyager) and, sure enough, the timing was about 12 degrees retarded! I set it to spec and WOW, does it run good. I'm driving it today. So, Vger has been resurrected. So, that should save me about $100/month in gas. Yippee!! I kick myself as I think of all the time and money I spent trying to figure out why it was running so badly.
Then, we took the timing light over to the '89 Horizon and set the timing while cranking. As the mark got close vroom! the Horizon started and ran. Runs pretty darn good. Needs a new Master Cylinder ($17), a couple of tires, and I need to do something with the rear bumper, it has rusted off. And the exhaust is extremely rusty and loud and leaky. But we drove it up to the corner and back and it seems to do very nicely, goes down the road straight and stops straight (after you pump the pedal). I get this baby on the road and it should save me another $50/month in gas over Vger.
When we made the "dump run" Saturday morning I noticed that Stripez ('92 Voyager) was cold, the temp gauge never quite warmed up and the heater never put out any warm air. When we got home I saw that the coolant level was low and when I pressure tested the system I saw that the cap was not holding pressure. Well, I have noticed that the engine temps have not been consistent, so, when I went to pick up a new radiator cap I also picked up a thermostat. On the 2.5L in the Voyagers it is trivial to change the thermostat, so, about 15 minutes later we had Stripez holding pressure and temp again. Matt also changed the Oil Pressure sending unit. I bought the sending unit a long time ago but it required a special socket that I finally bought a couple of months ago but hadn't gotten around to actually changing it, mostly because I figured it wouldn't help since I was told that it has had low oil pressure since the engine was rebuilt. Guess what? It doesn't show low oil pressure any more!
Well, now that we had two vehicles (Stripez and Vger) running reliably I decided that maybe we could tackle the Gladiator. First order of business was to replace the thermostat and see if we can find the coolant leak. It has been running cold all winter, but it's a pain working on anything on this '93 Chevy G20 Van. Looking from the front under the hood I can barely see and reach the thermostat housing, and I couldn't see any coolant leaks although the pressure test gauge was dropping rapidly. So, pull the doghouse off, which takes an act of God under normal circumstances but is even worse in a conversion van. By the time we get the doghouse off and the air cleaner housing out of the way the coolant leak becomes apparent, it is that the upper radiator hose hose-clamp is loose on the thermostat housing; and, although it is a stretch, it is easily accessible now. So, I replaced the thermostat, put the hose-clamp on straight and tight, now it has heat and no coolant leak.
Still have a lot to do on all the vehicles, the '89 Horizon needs brakes, exhaust, tires. The '88 Voyager needs the oil pressure gauge replaced. The '92 Voyager needs an new alternator belt. The '93 G20 needs the rear heater blower replaced and a ton of body work. But, for right now, we are in pretty good shape, far better than we were on Friday.
And gas is still at 2.999 this morning and all three vans have full tanks of gas.
EDIT 11am
When Stripez warmed up this morning it appears that the thermostat never opened, the engine temp went straight to the red zone while the radiator stayed cold. It had run just fine Saturday after we put the new 'stat in and I took it to GR and back for a test. I had to run home and put a new 'stat in. Sitting in the yard it seems to be OK, we will see what happens.
On the way home I noticed that Vger's charge gage was reading very low, and after working on Stripez and getting ready to head back to work Vger barely started, so I switched over to the Gladiator. Now, I did not test drive the Gladiator after putting the new 'stat in it; I just warmed it up and topped off the coolant. Driving the Gladiator in to work I note that the temp gage never got over the 140 mark, which is rather disappointing after changing the 'stat.
When we first got the Gladiator 3? or 4? years ago the gage went to half-way between the 140 and 180 mark, but since the new heater core was installed last fall it has never moved over the 140 mark. After installing a new 195 'stat I had hoped to see it at least hit the 180 mark. Now I don't know what to think. Guess I will try to check the coolant temp some other way to see if it is a gage problem or not.
Here is a photo of it after I drove in to work, 'prox 15 miles and 20 minutes, outside temp -2.
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