Category: Projects
Garage door opener follow-up
I really did not like having one slotted angle (mounted to the ceiling) being the focal point of force when the garage door opens and closes. So I went back and revisited the structure of the hangar. Then I decided to beef it up. I…
Installing a garage door opener
I bought our garage door opener almost 1.5 years ago, …so I guess it was time to install it. If you are going to undertake this, be prepared to spend some time doing it – and/or a lot of beer too. It took me over…
Tecumseh engine governor adjustment
I purchased the snow blower knowing that it needed some fixing up. One of the problems is that it the governor linkage needs adjustment. Hopefully it is just a quick fix, because the engine will operate at wide open throttle without the proper setup –…
Saturn transmission input shaft nut
In my last post, I went through the process of changing the valve body of the automatic transmission in the Saturn SL1. In this post, I’m going to cover how you replace the input shaft nut in the automatic transmission. The input shaft nut becomes…
Replacing the Saturn Valve Body in the transmission
In order to solve the dreaded Saturn “reverse-slam” that automatic transmissions develop over time, you have to replace the valve body inside the transmission. The valve body can be rebuilt, but it must be done with “Sonnax” internal parts – using those quality parts will ensure that…
Fiero side scoops
The Fiero side scoops I ordered came in today, and OH MAN! …are they EVER awesome. They are thick fiberglass, and a direct bolt in. I just have to drill the holes for the screws, and perform the cut-out for the scoop intake. I’m impressed…
Christmas tree is setup
Ok, it might be a bit early to do this – but hey, the longer we’ve got the tree up, the more we can enjoy it :) This is the first time, by the way, that we have ever had a Christmas tree set up…
Saturn intake manifold gasket replacement
The SL1 was having problems with low idle, so I did the test of spraying carb cleaner near the intake manifold gasket in order to see if there was a leak. If there is a leak, the carb cleaner will be sucked into the intake…
Another brake job for the books – Saturn SW front brakes
Our wagon has been making some squealing noises from the brakes – especially when you apply them. It sounded like it was coming from the back. So, I changed the rear drums and shoes a couple of weeks ago, only to find out that the…
Upgrading the HHR steering wheel – the radio control modification
My model of HHR, the LS model, did not have the option of buttons on the steering wheel for radio control. By buttons, I mean the volume + previous/next controls. My HHR does have the upgraded sound system that the LT model has, but since…
Fixing the common Saturn S-Series reverse slam
We were experiencing a slight reverse slam in our 1999 SW1. A reverse slam is the “clunk” of changing the gears in an automatic transmission from reverse to any other gear. In Saturn S-Series cars, this is a common problem – usually the culprit of…
Service Engine Soon – Saturn SW1 EGR valve
Today I took off the EGR, and found that it had a lot of carbon build-up on the pintle. The pintle was having problems operating – a.k.a. obstruction from going up and down due to the carbon build-up. So I cleaned it up with carb…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Nine – Finished
All done. Just have to do some minor touch ups here or there, and get a decent mat to fit in between the register and the shower. All in all, it was a fun project. Frustrating at times, but not as hard as I originally…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Eight – Plumbing, plus odds and ends
Just tackled pumbling today, and got the drain hooked up. Added the new taps, and hooked up the hot/cold water lines. Almost there.
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Seven – Trim + lots of progress
Well, I was right. Once the paint is dry, everything is downhill from here. I had a big day. Trim went up in about 2 hours. Then I caulked any gaps. Once that was done, I started to move in the hardware. I hooked up…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Six – Painting
I managed to get a coat of paint on last night. So today was the second coat – I’m planning on painting three coats total. I’ve been putting them on thin, so they will dry nice and even. I do notice, however, that the paint…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Five – Preparing for paint
These next few steps are the most time consuming, by far. Preparing for paint is a tough a job, …and it will really test your patients for sure. Now, I only say it is tough because I’m dealing with drywall that has been “tampered” with…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Four – Grouting
I was surprised to see how easy, and fast this process goes – however it is a bit messy. Just mix the grout, use your trowl to apply it in the grout lines between the tiles, and wait about 30 mins. The 30 minute wait…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Three – Tiling
On this day, with the cement board down and fully secured, we start the tiling process. First we lay down a pattern, make our pre-cuts, and start spreading the tile adhesive, or tile mortar. Once we get to the end, we’ll cut any additional tiles…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part Two – Demolition
To get this bathroom started, I get to break stuff. Well, …only the old vanity. The toilet gets removed first, then I started on the vanity. The vanity was only held in place by four(4) 3″ screws, …crazy. Once the vanity was gone, I began…
Renovating the Master Bathroom – Part One – Introduction
Well, it’s that time again – house renovation. Been planning this for over a year now, and we’ve been buying hardware for this renovation well over a year. Bascially we are planning to rip up the crappy linoleum tile, replace it with 13″ x 13″…
Harvesting the veggie garden
Today we picked off our first veggies from our first veggie garden. The tiny-tim tomatoes are sooo good :)
Remember the veggie garden?
The first pic is the “before”, …the rest are the “after”. It has grown BIG-TIME. Pretty good for someone that hates plants and flowers. Should be ready for harvesting next month.
Garage shelving
I spent most of the weekend putting in new garage shelving. I needed more organized space for my garden tools, car parts, and various tools. I did have an existing shelving unit in the garage when we moved in, …but I took it down for…
