>Reported 19cm overbite on mountain, woke up, no snow falling, finish breakfast getting ready, look outside, dumping! The plow went through less than an hour ago!
Author Archive for taro
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When in Canada, drink Canadian, since it’s domestic & Bud is an import. Yes, the name worries me, but it’s part of their Craft Variety Pack that we haven’t had. Pours pale amber, light head, light carbonation. Yes, strong hop taste, as Derek put it, it tastes like what someone smoking out some weed smells like. Astringent feel and lingering bitter, no smokyness, the bitter is all hops. I can’t say I enjoy this, but I’ll finish drinking it. So have to give one skunky monkey since it’ll function for beertherapy at its 5.2% ABV.
Internal clock somehow woke me up minutes before alarm, pumped up for a potentiLly awesome day. Looks like it’s been snowing throughout the night. Not snowing now, but taking a look outside shows village had a nice number of inches. ROD!
Happy to report snow situation looking good. Vancouver city is even getting a good dump. Whistler is likewise! Checked into unit at Eagle Lodge and amazingly unit is right by elevator. Usually we get stuck way in the boonies, you know how the boys like to party!
In YVR a little late, but our bus is three hours away anyway. Snowing at airport, plane has to pause a bit before pulling into gate because can’t see the lane markings on ground!
 
Didn’t really think about it until the alternator konked out after yesterdays rally-cross, but man, I’ve got a pile of alternators! Didn’t especially want to deal with this, but it’s the daily driver and it should be a quick fix. The hardest part is working it through spaces like a 3D puzzle in order to pull it out of the engine bay. It still spins ok, but on closer inspection I see bits of some beige plastic/bakelite stuff, that can’t be good. I dig out three other alternators from my shelf of parts. The mounts match, but the plug placement is different, no big deal, the wires reach. In fact I think 3 out of four alternators say that the broken one is the “wrong” one. Continue reading ‘Alternator Lifestyle’
Sam Adams seasonal, and I’m buying it in season! Hm, dunno what happened with this second bottle from the six pack, poured with weak head that quickly dissappeared, first bottle had bit more of a head. The taste is still pretty good, but as I write this, the carbonation has all but died. Medium dark amber, but no strong smoky aroma or flavor, a fair amount of bitter middle. Nice malt and the adjunct spices I find to be a nice addition, although I say this with impeded sinus once again. I would drink this again (this is my second tonight 🙂 3 out of 4 spicy monkeys.
Damn Chine tires. So today was the second SCCA Hawaii Rally Cross. Still using the daily driver FX16, the other is not ready yet. It was another blazing ewa day out at Kalealoa, no surprise there, though in the shade the air was cooler. Looks like the track people packed down the oval track area a bit, it was a little firmer and not quite as rough, but eventually it did become rutted in areas. Enough that on my final run, this proudly designed in Taiwan tire debeaded. Silly me, when I went to Sears and asked for cheap tires and they pulled up these Nankang tires, I asked if they were Korean and the sales guy replied affirmative. I didn’t notice until last night when I was hurriedly changing out to the wheels that these were instead “Taiwan Design” Made in China tires. Actually some were marked Made In Taiwan, but one had the Taiwan Design thing going. Damn it, they tricked me! Fortunately airing it with compressor reseated it and I even went for a couple fun runs. And on the drive home they felt just as crappy as on the ride out. Did I rant yet on how crappy these tires drive on the road? Does Taiwan Design mean wiggle like a wet noodle? Continue reading ‘“Taiwan Design”’
JB Weld It” is the tag line on the packaging. Well, I don’t have much choice since the part is discontinued from Toyota, and is specific to the FWD 4AGE so harder to find at junkyard. So time to test out the this metal filled epoxy that is JB Weld. I got the stick putty form instead of the classic liquid stuff, since I was going to be creating a lot of missing flange instead of just filling some cracks or holes. 
The specs shows its not quite as strong as the liquid, but hopefully it’ll be strong enough. Cut off a piece of the ‘tootsie roll’ and mushed it up good, then squished it onto the cleaned fitting and molded it into rough shape. Let it set up for day and half and here it is. I then took the Dremel to it and shaped it. So far it looks pretty good. Hopefully when I put it all together it holds! Continue reading ‘“Don’t Scrap It-‘
These guys work crammed into a warehouse space on Ilaniwai Street (Tyke street off of Ward Ave) and seem to be the go to guys for hard to find parts for imports. Been trying to find replacement heater hoses for the FX16, and no one including Toyota has them or were willing to try and order them, except for Napa in Hawaii Kai. But actually Hawaii Kai is not convenient for me during the work week. Ended up finally at Hawaii Import Parts and right off the bat they knew it would be something that would be a little challenge. But he told me he could order them and they would take about two weeks, so the order is in, for two sets. The “store front” is a tiny space in front of the counter crammed full of parts and stuff cluttering the area, but these guys know their stuff. He found the radiator fan thermo switch too, $40 is much better than the OEM $150. I need to find a fan that will fit first though, so I passed on that, but I know they have it. They get all manner of chemicals too, bunch of euro stuff, and every color of RTV sealant that I didn’t know there was! Oh, and check out the “Costco” sized oil eater box if you’re there, called The Tanker at 16 quarts!