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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/11/2009 11:31:02 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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Yesterday was a holiday at w***, so I had the day off. In celebration, I decided to ready the motorcycle for the season. Went to the parts store and picked up plugs, oil and filter. They didn't have the right filter, but one that cross-referenced might fit.
Changed the spark plugs...the tank has to be removed to get to them. It's been years since new plugs were installed. The head was littered with bits of dirt and gravel around the base of the old plugs, so I made sure to clean it off first with compressed air. If one of those pebbles goes down in the cylinder, it could burn a piston. 
Put a small 4AH charger on the battery and a meter to keep an eye on the voltage.
Before changing the oil, I wanted to warm up the motor because it's better to drain the oil hot. You get more of the oil and gunk out that way. It's a '93 Honda Nighthawk 750. Only about 16000 miles if I remember right. But it's getting old and it took some considerable cranking...and then some starting fluid...still nothing.
Last year's gas still in it. I know for a fact it had stabilizer in it though.
Then my wife Tooshy came out to check up on me. I explained how it wouldn't start, gave it a crank to show her and it fired on one cylinder. Two more followed and then eventually a reluctant fourth popped off too. I told my wife that she is officially my lucky charm now. 
Last year I purchased an infrared thermometer to check tire and brake temps on the trailer. I thought I'd use it to check exhaust temps and make sure all cylinders were warming up. Then the motor was run until the crank case was up to about 100F.
Checked all the lights and brakes.
Shut it down and drain the oil. Unscrew the oil filter and finagled it out from between the exhaust pipes. Compared the new filter with the old. The gasket and threads look right, but the new oil filter's body is too large in diameter and it won't fit between the pipes. 
Take back the filter and get the right one at a different parts store.
Finished the oil change.
When I was cranking it earlier, the battery seemed kinda weak. The voltage was dropping off to 12V rather quickly when the starter was running. So I pulled the battery wires off and cleaned up the connections. After that it charged up at a slower rate. That's actually a good sign and I think the battery is going to be OK.
Oiled up the chain and took it out for a ride. 
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/11/2009 1:50:19 PM
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APZR
Posts: 1052
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: GA
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We are in clean up mode today, several bad storms and tornadoes hit our area Friday. Also have some neighbors out on the lake looking for their boats and other stuff that was blown away by the storms. At first glance of some of the debris, I'd guess a strong F2 or weak F3.
_____________________________
Ya can't keep trouble from visitin, but you don't have to offer it a chair.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/14/2009 11:24:10 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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It'd sure be nice to be able to contact the owner and let them know about it. Probably easier said than done.
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/15/2009 10:27:14 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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What did 'ya plant in the flower garden? Are you going to seed or sod a lawn? What type of grass?
Yesterday I ordered seeds for the garden from Burpee:
Sweet Pepper - Godfather
Marigolds - Chamelion
Pumpkin - Prizewinner
Canteloup - Ambrosia
Eggplant - Burpee Hybrid
Carrots - Touchon
Tomato - Brandy Boy
Tomato - Steak Sandwich
Coleus - Picture Perfect Salmon Pink (for the front of the house)
Sweet Corn - Triple Crown XP
Hopefully it will turn out better than last year, which was a complete loss from too much rain early in the season.
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/15/2009 11:16:27 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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Years ago, a friend had built a new house and I talked him into seeding the yard instead of sodding. Saved him a bundle and he loved how it turned out. But then he got divorced and lost it all.
Our house faces North too. That's why the Coleus this year. Also I have Hosta there and bushes...one Lilac.
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/20/2009 9:41:07 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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I decided to take the weekend off and get some things done around the house. Plus it was a beautiful day on Saturday, about 75F.
Did a tuneup on the car...new plugs are wires. The plugs really didn't look bad, especially considering they've got about 120K miles on them. The plug wires were worn out though.
Pulled out the mower and went through the maintenance items...getting ready for the season. Now here's where the Snapper looks like it would have been a better design over the Craftsman. It looks like the Snapper to sharpen the blade all you have to do is put the whole mower on its end and remove the blade.
The Craftsmen design is essetially, in tractor terms is a 'belly mower'. (Even though it's not a lawn tractor, but a rear-engine mower.) In order to sharpen the blade, you have to remove the entire mower belly deck and slide it out.
Not quite as bad as it sounds, but there are about a dozen things to disconnect to get it out...and that actually went fairly well.
There are places in the manual that indicate where to lube with oil or grease. It was a little disappointing to find those places completely void of lubricant from the factory.
Then I noticed it could use a new air filter. So I headed out to find one and a new spark plug...easier said than done.
The auto parts store is closest, but when they didn't have it I headed for Sears. Now you'd think that since I bought the mower there that they'd have to filter in stock on the shelf...nope. They looked up the numbers though and said that I could order it...and indicated I'd have to pay shipping.  
I told them I'd buy it somewhere cheaper.
After looking at other auto parts stores and Lowes, I finally found the air filter at Tractor Supply Corp. in stock on the shelf for $3.00 less than Sears wanted (not including shipping).
And the spark plug was another story. The original plug is a Champion RJ4C. Nobody can even cross reference it. (Didn't even bother asking Sears but it wasn't on the shelf.)
The Briggs and Stratton website, I can look up the engine by model number. They'll sell me a plug for it, but you can't see what the number on the plug is. 
Finally after looking on the internet, I found an equivalent (RC12YC...or something like that) that is actually available. We'll see if it really is right though.  
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/22/2009 11:06:11 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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We're hoping to go to a Detroit Tigers game this year. This is their 10th season in the new stadium and I still haven't been there.
3rd base coach sounds like a lot of fun. 
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/23/2009 10:49:56 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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quote:
All good fun
And that's the important part. 
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: The Garage-come on in - 4/24/2009 10:58:24 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 10250
Joined: 4/11/2005
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Most of the trees here haven't leafed out yet. Some are in blossom. The maples have been heavily dropping their leaf enclosures (all over the driveway). Soon the leaves will spread out, followed by the helicopter seeds. It's supposed to be around 80F today and tomorrow. Alas there won't be much time tonight though, and I'm w***ing overtime tomorrow.
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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