General Mechanical Log

Project Overview

This is just a general log of work that isn't really related to any one project. Car related, garage related, mechanical stuff. For the projects that don't get their own log, or other people's cars and bikes.

Work Log

11/4/2025

Category: RFS Box

Task: Designing, printing, and assembling

Notes:

• Designed a swanky box for Mohammed's Realtime Furnce System
• Lots of voronoi, hoping it snaps together nicely

11/2/2025

Category: Precursor Rack

Task: Version 2.0

Notes:

• Desinged rack 2.0. Previously the sides of the box took 2 hours to print. I made one that way and it was sexy as hell but took a total of 6 hours to print.
• Re-did it with a tab and slot design so it'll just snap together.

Notes:

10/30/2025:

Category: Ford Ranger

Task: Getting it started!

Notes:

• brought my charged air complressor to the property, got all the tires up to 26-Ish PSI. They all help air, though the rear right is in absolutely terrible shape
• Changed the fuel ssytem to run from the jerry can to try and solve the off idle bog. It still had the little bit of the flat spot, but the burgling noise was gone
• Installed a fuel pressure guage inline, read a solid 42 PSI static, dropping when at idle as it should
• Changed back to the fuel tank, that read more like 40 PSI static, and bouncing +/- 2 PSI on account of some air in the line, as I thought
• Pulled the air filter off, it was a giant mouse next. I blasted out the air filter with the bit of compressed air I had left. It was gnarly.
• Cleared the back of the truck out, just threw everything on the ground behind it
• Amanda and Norma cleaned off the glass, really transformed the look of it.
• Tried driving it, but it was stuck! Pulled it out using the Isuzu. I half toasted my clutch accomplishing that, but it did work.
• Temp guage works, it came up to temp and held there which was cool. Radio works.
• No signs of life from the fuel guage, surely just wiring.
• Took it to the Summit store for beer, it was pretty cool. I have some truck envy.

10/18/2025

Category: Ford Ranger

Task: Getting it started!

Notes:

• Went back to the property, installed the new fuel pump
• Put the cleaned injectors back in and reassembled the intake manifold. That all went pretty smoothly.
• Created a system where we had a line going from a jerry can to the high pressure fuel pump, and then a return line also going into the jerry can
• Primed it with fuel first, verified the pump was working and all was good
• Tested the voltage at the pump when the key was turned. There was a super short priming pule where I saw about 11V, then while cranking I saw 9V at the pump
• So we plugged in the pump to the car wiring system, and IT STARTED FIRST TRY
• It was crazy, but then the engine sputtered out
• We did this a couple times and then we connected the fuel pump directly to an external battery, and it idled right along it was awesome.
• Connected the back half of the fuel system and used the pump to pump fuel from the tank into another jerry can.
• Then we filled the tank with about 5 gallons, and got it to run on its own tank and return system!
• It idles pretty well, sounds like it has lifter tick to me. It goes away when you give it a rev and oil pressure comes up. Nothing worth getting worked up about just yet.
• We changed the oil, nothing unusual in the engine oil which is rad
• The fuel going through the rail just sounds bad, like lots of air in it and a gurgling noise. I think the high pressure fuel pump has too much asked of it and it can't pick up all the way from the tank, or there is some kind of air getting in. We need to re-visit the jerry can fuel system I think.
• End of the day I jacked up the rear of the car, put it in drive, and the rear left wheel started spinning with some force! It was the only wheel off the ground, very exciting.

10/16/2025

Category: Precursor Rack

Task: Keep designing, start printing

Notes:

• tested the top plate that I printed yesterday, mostly good, 1.3" is wayy too generous for the 1" cylinders, tightened that up. Missed some dimensioning previously
• First stab at the side plate, just working too fast and straight forgot to dimension some stuff so there were holes but all the wrong size and places
• Learned the 3D printer is pretty dimensionally tight actually. To within a couple thousands so for the m3 bolt that measures .113 I made a .1 hole and it threads well.
• Got a proper top and side plate screwed together and it is so cool. Lots of people saying it looks like art, which is the highest compliment I think.

Category: Dan's 2004 Subaru Outback

Task: Diagnose front end shake

Notes:

• Jacked up the car, inspect the front right wheel, everything was tight there
• Jacked up fron left, that wehll had a lot of play in it. The lug nuts were tight but I was able to move the entire assembly inside the steering knuckle so it wasn't ball joints
• My thinking is it's just the bearings, short test drive and there was definitely growling coming from that front corner, not safe to drive really.

Category: Mark's Ranger

Task: Test and re-assemble fuel pump assembly

Notes:

• Applied 12v to the new pump, it worked right away, thank god
• Rebuilt the little fuel pump assembly, it was trivial to put together.

10/14/2025

Category: Precursor Rack

Task: Keep designing, start printing

Notes:

• Finished up the top plate, I figured out a work around for the issue where it wouldn't let me use the voronoi feature inside of two different sketches
  • I just made a second sketch
• Added countersunk bolt holes for m3 bolts, I figured that's better than attempting to snap them together with the tolerances on our printer
• Also made up some side plates. The good news is that none of this is load bearing so I don't have to be too robust or rigorous in my design.

10/14/2025

Category: Precursor Rack

Task: Start designing a better precursor rack

Notes:

• My intern did a lovely job designing a precursor rack a couple years ago, all heavy duty aluminum, must've cost a fortune at the machine shop.
• He designed it true to the constraints of the time which was to maximize precursors, but now that we've significantly reduced the number of precursors, we can design a better rack.
• I'm 3D printing it, spacing out the precursors a lot more to accomodate them when they are unopened and have the red valve caps on them.
• As an added fun, I'm going headvy on the Voronoi design which looks sweet and should use less material.

10/08/2025

Category: Public Cruiser Bicycle

Task: Rebuilding Hubs, New Rear Brakes, New Seat and Grips

Notes:

• Installed new seat and grips
• Installed new rear brake pads, I took some from my mystery box. They're a different style than the origincal and they sit a lot closer to the rim. Definitely dragging just a little bit becasue the wheel is aout of true and the axle is loose
• Tried replacing the axle with one I bought but the size of the cone was off and the pitch was different so I wasn't able to re-use the old cone. It really feels like it should work not sure why it's fighting me.

10/06/2025

Category: Public Cruiser Bicycle

Task: Rebuilding Hubs, Mounting Tires, conneecting brakes, new chain

Notes:

• Rebuilt the rear wheel bearings, it strikes me that the axle is bent so it'll never roll right. I got it good enough to dilly dally but I'll buy a new axle.
• White tires went on easy enough, they're folding styl and came very flat so it was a chellenge to get them to take the cured shape
• Put everyhing back together, adjusted brakes. Still needs more brake love.
• New chain with master link, funny that I've been using the same chain breaker for 10 years.
• Cleaned up the seat tube, it was coated with rust from the down tube. The seatpost itself is aluminum. I went a bit too hard with the wire wheel and scuffed the aluminum but you get that.
• Rode it around the block, the seat and grips are worse than I thought, the seat is like sand paper.

10/5/2025

Category: Public Cruiser Bicycle

Task: Removing tires, servicing hubs, tensioning wheel

Notes:

• Removed the rear wheel, the free wheel actually spins pretty nicely, it was the rear hub that was very seized in there
• It's a cup and cone style which is great, pulled it apart and started cleaning the old grease
• Removed front and rear wheels, removed tires, tensioned spokes 1/2 turn tighter all around. They're still decently true
• Lubed the brake calipers and the brake lines, they're working much better now

10/4/2025

Category: Ford Ranger

Task: Engine cranking, spark checking, fuel pump testing, injector testing

Notes:

• Started by turning the engine by hand, it did two complete revolutions freely which was great
• Checked the fluids, it has trans and engine oil, the engine oil was very black. I may have seen a little metal on the engine oil dip stick but could be paranoia
• Installed the battery from the t bird, tried cranking but nothing from the starter motor
• I jacked up the car and hit on the starter while Mark cranked it, and would you believe it started turning???
• Had to do this cranking and hitting a couple times but it broke free for good eventually
• I pulled a plug and checked for spark, and it had spark!
• I put some carb cleaner straight down the intake and it actually tried to go! A great sign
• Of course it didn't want to start on its own fuel natually, since it was like varnish, so I disconnected a fuel line under the truck connected to the back side of the fuel filter
• Very varnishy gas came out, I'm a bit nostalgic about that smell. Means you're having fun.
• We turned the key with the line disconnected and no fuel came out, no noise from the fuel pump
  • I guess thinking back, we assumed there was something to pump in the tank, but no flow and no noise
• Pulled the high pressure frame rail mounted fuel pump and connected it straight to a battery. It was kinda trying to turn you could tell, but it was locked up. Couldn't smack this one back to life
• So we got creative and joined the fuel pump on the isuzu to the back of the fuel filter on the Ranger
  • This worked! The problem was it's a return style fuel rail in the Ranger, so I was basically pumping my tank out into the Rangers
• Tried to start it again, and it wasn't even close to starting. We did verify the fuel rail had high pressure fuel, burped the rail
• Made the bold choice to pull the injectors! Taking off the top of the manifold wasn't that bad, just a head of rat poop everywhere.
• Tested the injectors and sure enough none of them were firing even when connected directly to a battery
• However some carb cleaner down them to break up the varnish and they all started clicking again! Who knows what their flow is like, but at least they open and close
• That's where we left it. Debating on buying a new fuel pump. They're only like $40, probably worth it.
• The questions is always "why was this parked?" And I haven't found the answer yet. The injectors and fuel pump weren't working, but that seems like a symptom of just sitting. I noticed the rear tires were worn to the threads, maybe best case it the tires were so old they'd rather park it than replace it, and then it wouldn't start because of the fuel pump and it just sat?

Troubleshooting Process

10/03/2025

Category: Miscellaneous

Task: Cleaning up the garage, Fixing the Isuzu Rear View Mirror, Fixing the Isuzu Tailgate

Notes:

• Cleaned the garage. It was a mess.
• The rear view mirror was falling off, so I learned how that works. After years of ratting I solved it. Missing and loose bolts, always something like that.
• One of three bolts was missing so I replaced and tightened them all. Added some VHB tape to where the mirror clips on to the base for good measure. No more rattle!
• The tailgate decided to get stuck for the first time ever which was weird. The thick rod that actuates the latch had fallen off at the handle. I had to remove the rear latch cover to fix it. I was pretty mad and just started kicking stuff. Not the way to do it. Lubed everything while I was in there.