What are you working on?

[56Sierra 1,844]

16 hours ago, jeepwm69 said:

Yeah I’ve seen videos of people getting fried.  Not something I want to mimic.

 

I’m pretty good at making things spark though!

I am too unless they are supposed to spark.

[ATC4ever 1,079]

Well..had to replace the wire feed liner on the old 110V welder i have, clunker. I already put a shorter one from a weed wacker cable lol.. so i bought some bicycle brake cable & put that in. Works fine. Also pulled the plastics off my buds BF750 ..for nothing, he had some kind of oil leak, only thing we could find was from the air breather box. Kawi crap 😫

[jeepwm69 7,611]

On 8/2/2023 at 6:22 PM, Pampas56 said:

It is not wizardry as much as science and atomic theory.  Explaining what it is and how it flows is less important than what it CAN do and how to deal with that.

 

Electricity is expressed as potential energy.  It is stored or generated at a pressure (voltage) and Volume (amperage).  

 

The biggest thing to know is that voltage is ALWAYS looking to release its pressure by going to ground potential.  It doesn't care what the path is,  it wants to go to ground.

 

Amperage is how much energy is trying to go to ground.  It is what does the work/damage.

 

I worked under the NEC (National Electrical Code) which has been around since the turn of the last century, early 1900's.  The interesting fact is it was written by electrical engineers and tradespeople, but at the request/behest of the  NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)!  Fire companies were sick and tired of putting out the fires AND putting themselves in danger doing so.

 

My primary goal as an electrician was to keep the magic/smoke in check.  A working device/circuit was secondary to not causing damage or injury.

 

If I haven't glazed your eyes over already,  later we can talk about AC/DC, generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. 

 

After that I can talk about transformers and single phase, poly phase and three phase systems and how they interact.

 

Hope this simple overview doesn't overwhelm anyone.

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS DON'T GO THERE, IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE DOING!  ELECTRICITY DOES NOT CARE OR FORGIVE.

Well yesterday we had power blink off for a second, and when it came back on 1/2 of Mom and Dad’s power didn’t come back on. 
 

Dad had already checked the two big tube fuses in the box where power comes into the house, and they were both hot. He was headed to the basement when I got there.

 

The basement revealed this…..

 

 

House was built in 1919.  Every one of those fuse boxes is hot on one side, not on the other.  Of course, they’re all daisy chained off of one another so hard to tell where the actual supply line is for all of that. 
 

So does that make you electrical types skin crawl?

 

Knob and tube wiring in most of the house.

 

They did redo some of the electrical coming into the house several years ago when they installed a new central air unit, so I’m guessing the part of the house that is still working is hooked up to the new side

[Fishfiles 20,145]

WOW < that don't look legal ^^^^^ and a fire hazard 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

Been putting a winch on my 96 green 300 , so far all I had to buy was 4 u-bolts , did a 1 1/2 in ch front fender lift 

 

 

 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

[jeepwm69 7,611]

4 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

WOW < that don't look legal ^^^^^ and a fire hazard 

Well it’s worked for 100+ years, but yeah, I’d say it could use a little updating

[Fishfiles 20,145]

 One front wheel bearing from NAPA would have cost  $1.49 more ($!6.49 )  than I paid ( $15,00 / free shipping )  for ten bearings in a tube ,  the seals would have been the cost of two from NAPA and I got ten ----there are no OEM parts  as 300s did not come with disc brakes on a two wheel drive or 4 wheel drive 

 

 

  

 

[Pampas56 52]

2 hours ago, jeepwm69 said:

Well it’s worked for 100+ years, but yeah, I’d say it could use a little updating

Definitely a fire hazard.  The devices mounted to a wood surface would not pass NEC after WW2.

 

It is legal in the sense that it may have passed code before the great depression, but touching it other than to screw the Edison base fuses in and out would require updating the installation.  If it was my family,  replacement would be the proper response.

 

Remember the NEC and our primary objective is to keep the smoke in and things intact.

 

Judging from ONE picture, I would GUESS that one of the fuses in the box on the left is burned out.  That is where I suspect the "service entrance" would be.  I would kill that disconnect and replace EVERYTHING else!  First thing would be a fireproof substrate and/or a 100 amp panel.  then rewire out to each circuit.

 

Again,  if you are not sure of your ability/knowledge,  talk to your local "Sparky" for answers and help.

Good luck and BE CAREFUL

Steve 

[jeepwm69 7,611]

1 hour ago, Pampas56 said:

Definitely a fire hazard.  The devices mounted to a wood surface would not pass NEC after WW2.

 

It is legal in the sense that it may have passed code before the great depression, but touching it other than to screw the Edison base fuses in and out would require updating the installation.  If it was my family,  replacement would be the proper response.

 

Remember the NEC and our primary objective is to keep the smoke in and things intact.

 

Judging from ONE picture, I would GUESS that one of the fuses in the box on the left is burned out.  That is where I suspect the "service entrance" would be.  I would kill that disconnect and replace EVERYTHING else!  First thing would be a fireproof substrate and/or a 100 amp panel.  then rewire out to each circuit.

 

Again,  if you are not sure of your ability/knowledge,  talk to your local "Sparky" for answers and help.

Good luck and BE CAREFUL

Steve 

Got this from Dad a few mins ago. @Pampas56

 

I went up in the attic today to check out the repair I remember being made but couldn't find it. I think it might have been underneath the flooring when I was putting insulation down up there. I'll go back on a cooler day and check that out.

There was a lot of exposed wiring over the back porch and I checked that with the

voltage tester. What I found interesting is circuits in which both legs were testing positive (hot) for voltage. Normally you get a hot on the live leg and negative on the the neutral side. When I got back down stairs I started testing the dead outlets and both sides were showing hot. The working outlets were as they should be. This suggests to my inexperienced (but common sense) thought process that when the power went out the neutral on that circuit was somehow energized but I don't have even a guess as to how that could happen. I'm going to get Glen to come over and look at the mess but don't think I can get him until Tuesday. It's not an emergency situation, simply a big P/A since we don' have lights/working outlets in some of the rooms. Thank goodness the AC, kitchen/computers rooms work and I have enough extension cords. I did get the freezer plugged into one.

 

Any ideas?

 

He actually has a new panel to put in place, but he’s a perfectionist and procrastinator so hasn’t done it.  He also doesn’t like other people working on his house (he’s impossible to please).

 

That said, his minister is a former electrician and I think Dad has him coming to look at things in a day or two.

[jeepwm69 7,611]

Oh. And all the fuses are good. 

[Melatv 792]

Hi -- you have lost the Neutral some place.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

16 hours ago, jeepwm69 said:

Well it’s worked for 100+ years, but yeah, I’d say it could use a little updating

I wonder if a fire broke out from that service and damaged the house.   if insurance would even pay.  It is so outdated and out of code. >>>>>>>>  Over here you can be grandfathered in for certain things , until the property or name on the electric bill changes.  Then the new owner must update everything to the newest codes including septic systems.  Lots of times I hear about the new owners getting  screwed bad with tens of thousands of dollars 

[jeepwm69 7,611]

Parents have lived in that house for about 50 years. Back then this was normal.

 

Farm Bureau is aware that the house has knob and tube wiring in it. They have insured it.

 

That said, I have my doubts that if that house was 100% up to modern specifications that the insurance company wouldn’t try to weasel out of paying were there a fire.

 

Insurance companies are side-by-side with politicians on my list of untrustworthy

[jeepwm69 7,611]

13 hours ago, Melatv said:

Hi -- you have lost the Neutral some place.

Any idea what in a brief power outage would make this suddenly appear?  
 

 

 

 

[Melatv 792]

I would start with looking at where the new wiring was connected to the old wiring coming into the house for a bad connection on the neutrals.

[ATC4ever 1,079]

16 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

 One front wheel bearing from NAPA would have cost  $1.49 more ($!6.49 )  than I paid ( $15,00 / free shipping )  for ten bearings in a tube ,  the seals would have been the cost of two from NAPA and I got ten ----there are no OEM parts  as 300s did not come with disc brakes on a two wheel drive or 4 wheel drive 

 

 

  

 

Wow cha ching. I usually go to the local transmission shop & match them up, lot cheaper. Tho some bearings you have to order them like the wider ones.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

Today I am working on the 2000 Red 300 2wd , the carb has been over flowing sometimes  if I didn't turn the petcock off , took off the tank and dumped it in a clean container , it was funky , flushed it a few times with fresh gas and still funky  in the corners when using a flash light , so I put a large handful of nuts and  a pint of Simple Green , shook it up , rinsed it out and caught it in a clean contained , still funky ,  took about 6 times before it was clean , then pulled the carb and disassembled it and put the hard parts in a gallon of ChemTool carb Cleaner for a soak , going to tooth paste polish the needle valve port 

 

I didn't check them nuts before dropping them in the tank  and 7 of them were stainless steel so the magnet wouldn't get them out the tank and there is a lip in the tank  , so shake them 7 out was tuff , but got it 

 

 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

Not as good as @Goober does ,  but good enough for me , and thanks to Goober who had sent my a new fuel plunger , as the one in this carb as in bad shape

 

I polished the needle valve bore with Q-Tips and tooth paste as it was funky , it is shining now 

 

Got to wait on a petcock to come , Honda wanted $65 , got one coming for $13 with free shipping , it comes with , the tank screen , o-ring , new hose , spring clamps and a filter , LOL , hope it  works a couple of times before leaking 

 

Found a vent tube had melted on the exhaust and the one going to the carb was rotten , so new  plastic tubing for vents  going in tomorrow 

[ATC4ever 1,079]

Working on an old twin cyl lawn tractor a buddy of mine gave me. Choke cable was seized so when i removed it, the clip attached to the butterfly valve broke off the shaft :O 

So i JB Welded a small piece on it after putting a hole in it to put a wire/cable through. Good times working on old junk! 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

On 7/30/2023 at 11:03 AM, ATC4ever said:

Good grief is it that cool there you can have a fire? 😅🤣

I was burning a stump from a tree that was dying which I had just cut , it had some type of burrowing worm in it , I think the tree was a holly tree , it has leaves that were pointed shape like needles ---- we in  a no burn ban till further notice , glad I got it done 

[56Sierra 1,844]

On 8/2/2023 at 8:30 PM, jeepwm69 said:

Yeah I’ve seen videos of people getting fried.  Not something I want to mimic.

 

I’m pretty good at making things spark though!

I am too unless they are supposed to spark.

[56Sierra 1,844]

Annual maintenance on Momma's little red rag top plus a little more.  Oil & filter, tire rotation, brake fluid change, LSD lube, Turbo end play check, air filter and waiting on the Red Line MT 90 GL4 gear lube to get here so I can change the transmission lube.  I can't find GL4 anywhere locally.  All GL5 and that's not good for syncro rings.

After all this a wash and wax then go enjoy it 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

36 minutes ago, 56Sierra said:

LSD lube

 

 

What is LSD lube ?  >>>>  ironic I was just reading about a clan that is into licking poisonous frogs in the  woods , naked  ,  for hallucinogenic purposes  

[56Sierra 1,844]

4 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

What is LSD lube ?  >>>>  ironic I was just reading about a clan that is into licking poisonous frogs in the  woods , naked  ,  for hallucinogenic purposes  

Limited Slip Differential.  I figured you of all people would catch that.  It only takes 20oz since it's an independent rear axle.