Car Stuff with a Broken Foot

I had mentioned last year I was thinking of doing another car post with all the things I'd recently done. I can't even remember a lot of what I'd done, but with the vintage of cars I own, there's always something!!! Here's a rundown of a few that have been done since the start of this year.

To start off, I'd mentioned that we had red flag days during the fire season, and my wife had driven the Falcon down to the bottom of the hill during that. They'd done a lift of the red flags, then after a couple of days it was back on. Eventually, we got the expected heavy rain season that always seems to follow a nice burn, resulting in mud slides in the scorched earth areas. Of course, we didn't have any fires in our neighborhood, and the rain wasn't as bad as some areas. Anyway, we haven't had a red flag day since, so that's something.

Since my foot was broken, and it wasn't bothering anyone there, I'd left the Falcon down there. After the rains, I drove by and saw that the back of the Falcon had acted as a catch basin for the various muck and debris that had been washed down by the rain!!! Guess it's time to move it back.

I had my wife drop me off one day when we were coming back, and did the classic pop the hood and remove the air cleaner, and shoot some quick start down the carb to fire it up. Got in, and hit the key. It fired as expected, and I let off the crank... but I could hear the starter was still engaged. It often won't stay running on the first fire anyway, and that's what happened, giving me a chance to see what was going on with the key. Messed with it, and it would go back farther than normal to the off position, and it didn't feel right. Gave it a little more quick start, and managed to get it running, even though I had to pull back on the key to keep it from keeping cranking, and drove it back and parked it. Afterwards, I messed with the key some more, and things definitely weren't right.

Oh yea, the back end that had caught all the crud was kind of a mess...

Started feeling around behind the dashboard, and the back of the ignition switch came apart on me!!! I've seen this before...

I knew it had happened before, but I couldn't remember when. Turns out it was about 17 years ago!!! I had no idea that it had been that long!!! I thought I'd looked into the price for a new one back then and had made mention of the price, and maybe I did but I can't find the mention now. Anyway, it was only about $20 from Rock Auto, delivered. A couple of weeks ago, I went down with my full dang foot boot on, and swapped it out. It's kind of a pain working up under the dashboard, and doubly so with my foot in the boot!!! Took a while, and it wasn't super easy, but it wasn't that hard to do. It's all good now!!! Oh yea, by the time I was able to move it back, the weather had turned to our typical beautiful Rose Parade weather, and all the dirt and silt that had washed down had turned into a fine dust, and was getting blown everywhere!!! All the cars down there were a mess. We've had a couple of rainy days since, and it's rinsed a good amount off.

On to the other thing that's been going on!!! One of the things I was going to mention in the never brought to realization car post of yore, I put a new engine in the Matrix!!! Ever since we've had it, it had an oil leak. The consensus was that the usual place it will leak is the timing chain tensioner, which I'd replaced, and then went back and replaced the seal and added some RTV when it still was leaking, all to no avail. I just lived with it. One day when the younger and I were out in it, it was making the low oil valvetrain warning noise, and I checked the oil, which was low as expected. I planned on driving it home and adding a quart, and there we headed. On the way, it got louder and louder, and I was planning on exiting and finding a store to buy a quart to add. Turned out as I decided to do so, we are on a long stretch with no exits, and the power starts dropping. I pulled to the side preparing to call a tow truck. A freeway service truck appears, and gave us a tow off the freeway, then I called and got it towed to our house. The engine was toast, I considered just junking it, then looked into the JDM take out engines. If you don't know, in Japan they have strict emissions standards, and at around 40,000 to 50,000 miles vehicles are usually retired. The engines and transmissions are shipped over, and it turns out for about $1,000 you can pick one up. I've now got a connection at a local shop, and he installed it for $800. Couldn't have bought a similar replacement for that!!!

Anyway, at some point last year the registration was due, and I managed to space out and forget to send it!!! They were kind enough to send a reminder with a past due charge, which I immediately sent in. A few weeks later, they send back a reply, “Oh yea, you need a smog check, too!!!” Thanks. Anyway, it shouldn't be a problem, we've had 2 previous checks with no issue, on an engine with a lot more miles.

Once more, this was right after I'd broken my 5th metatarsal and was fairly incapacitated. My wife takes her over to get the check done. She calls me up, and it's failed. It has a code that the O2 sensor heater isn't heating up as it should, and the replacement is something like $220 with installation. I could do it for the cost of the parts for considerably less, if it wasn't for that broken metatarsal!!! Go ahead, have 'em take care of it. Oh, and there's a molded tube from the valve cover to the intake that has a big crack on the end, that needs replaced, too. Picked that up from the dealer, and surrogate son and the younger put that in, along with swapping the battery in Scruffy, under my supervision. Reset the computer, and drove it for a couple weeks to get a good data set, and checked the codes. Still has the same O2 sensor code. My wife takes it back, and they say, “Oh yea, you've got the check engine light on the dash that's burned out, it's not going to pass without that.” I figured it'd be like every dashboard I've ever dealt with, with twist out light holders. Surprise, they're not!!! The dash has the circuit board with LED lights everywhere on it for all the indicators and dash lights. I considered taking it to a shop to get the LED replaced, then remembered I had several extra LED dashboard lights I'd bought for Scruffy. Took one apart, destroying all the LEDs in the process, and then a second one, and replaced the one for the check engine. Oh, and if I didn't think the seller was shady before, the LED for the check engine light wasn't burned out or not working, it was missing!!!

Reset the codes again, drove it for a week, and the O2 code was still there. Took it back, this time I was able to come along. Still has the code for the O2 sensor, and the check engine light is burning bright (the original was probably red or amber, I've replaced it with a white one, and it's pretty bright!!!) and they tell us so. Yeah, you replaced the O2 sensor and that's done nothing for the code, time to dig deeper. The technician pops the hood, and says, “sounds like you've got a big vacuum leak.” I was in the passenger seat with the car running, and I could hear it from there. I get out and am observing from the side. He messes with the recently replaced molded hose to the valve cover, then sprays some carb cleaner on that end. It smooths out, and the fluid immediately gets sucked away from the edge of the valve cover. He declares that it's leaking vacuum from the valve cover gasket. Sounds strange to me, but I did see it with my own eyes, and it does have a large hose running to the intake right above there, so I guess it's plausible. “We'll replace that valve cover gasket for $220...” No, you will not. Another $20 to Rock Auto, and I've got a new valve cover gasket in hand. A week ago today I put it on. The old one looked like it was in excellent shape. Took quite a while cleaning out a lot of the varnish on the inside and grime from the outside of the valve cover, and it looks really good!!! I had been thinking of putting the plastic engine cover back on, I had picked up some knobs so it wouldn't require any tools to remove on the old one, and repaired some of the stripped out holes, but never got to that point, and since it looks nice now, I may never do that.

Got it all put back together, and it still sounds like there's a big vacuum leak. I start spraying around on my own, and once again, it smooths out towards the end of the valve cover. Hmmm...

I Look a little closer, and directly under there it has the fuel injector. Give it a direct spray, and it smooths right out!!! IT WAS NEVER THE VALVE COVER GASKET AT ALL!!! Pulled the first injector out, and the seal is gone!!!

I checked the local Auto Zone to see if they've got the fuel injector seals. They have an $8 kit with 4 seals, or a $15 kit with 3 different seals. I head over (it was a beautiful day, I dropped the top on Zonker and had a nice cruise) and showed the guy the $8 one. He heads back and comes out with it. It's a set of O-rings for the tops of the injectors. OK, guess that's why there's a $15 kit, let's see that. It was the one. Brought it home and put it on, and fired it up. Got out, and it's spewing gas from the fuel rail at the other end. Guess I'll need those O-rings after all. I head back, and he'd never put them away so they were easy to get. Got 'em home, and put them on. But, they didn't seem to be a good fit on the injectors, they seemed too large. Put it back together, and it's still spewing fuel. I took it apart again. One of the O-rings had split, and one was pushed out of the bore. I had an extra from the first seal kit, and I put it on, put it together again, and had the same problem. Rage quit.

I went the nuclear option, got on Rock Auto again and ordered 4 new injectors. Selected the 2-day delivery to have them here on Friday so I could hopefully get them on before work on Saturday. They didn't arrive. Being in customer service, I now fully understand the phrase, “Boned by UPS'. They were supposed to then deliver on Saturday, and to no one's surprise they didn't. The tracking didn't show movement on Monday, either, but they finally showed up just before I was off work. That's how I spent my first hour of daylight savings' time, putting them in. Seems to work fine, we'll see if it does the job!!!

Snowball Effect

I had mentioned at the end of my water heater post that I would likely be installing a new faucet in the bathroom. I did.

After I had installed the water heater I was talking to my friend who had recently bought the house mentioned in the Halloween post from last year. It's an old house, and the plumbing hasn't been updated. He mentioned how often one repair project will snowball into having to do something else, or more than you had intended.

We had a very basic single handle faucet that I'd put in years ago, and I know I'd replaced the cartridge one time. It had corroded around the base to where it had a couple low level holes on the base, so there was really no excuse to keep it. We spent quite a while looking at different styles, and finally settled on another single handle unit with a higher spout. It's installable with a 3-hole sink, or a single hole sink. With the 3-hole, as we have, it gets an oval plate that covers the other 2 holes. It was in stock, and as a bonus, it comes with a new, pop up drain (handy, since the old one had the pull stopper style).

The faucet installation was incredibly easy, and I was thrilled with how it came out!!! The new drain, though...

First of all, the old one was a pain to get out. You have to unscrew it from the chrome flange in the sink, and naturally it didn't want to come. Ended up bending the edge of it up, and got it's number. Hard part is over, right??? Went to put the new one in, and the threaded portion goes through with not much trouble, but it wouldn't go all the way down, stopping a couple of inches short. I tried to force the issue, but it wasn't working. I saw how it was looking chewed up at the end of the threads, and noticed it looked a little larger. Pulled out my calipers, and sure enough, the shank past the threads is an even 0.100” larger!!! What the hell??? I got the box and receipt together and took it back to the store to see if anything can be done. I had a feeling all of them are going to be like that. Of course, I wasn't taking the faucet part back, it's fine. The guy who helped me was great, since the kit wasn't complete, he said I could buy another, swap the drain and then return the whole thing. Of course, I was going to just check it before I got into all that, and as suspected, they have the same thing. Looked at the stand alone drains, and all pop ups have the same design, as did the pull rod type. They had ones with a grate that had the same size all the way up, but no. I took my new old box and drain and walked right out.

I considered buying a whole new sink bowl (maybe one with a single hole!!! And ours is a little worn looking, not terrible though) but I'm already way further into this than I wanted. I headed home, pulled out my little die grinder and went to work on the drain hole. It scattered brown dust everywhere, and stank, but I eventually got it hogged out enough for the wider portion, and after a little clean up, it went together without any more hitches.

Glad to be done with that!!!

Kutcher Swallows a Water Heater

Welcome to the season of blogging very much!!!

On Monday afternoon my wife was doing the dishes, and she says, “Why isn't the water warming up??” Huh. I've heard this kind of thing before...

Down to the basement I go, and sure enough, it's wet on the floor around the water heater. Not a lot, I've seen worse, but bad enough to put out the pilot light. I tried re firing it, and it came on for a moment, but wouldn't stay going. Back upstairs, I dig through my warranty file, thinking it was a while ago, but not that long. Thought I had a 10 year warranty, but that was wishful thinking, it was only 6. Now, when did I buy it??? Here's where there's a practical application for blogging!!!

When I first did the math in my head, I'd thought it was just about 7 months out of warranty, but it's actually 2 years and 7 months. Shopped around that night and ordered the same brand, but with a 12 year warranty. Not making that mistake again!!! Or rather, I'm paying the extra $300 to get one with twice the warranty. I'd also broke loose the water inlet and outlet pipes, and ran a hose out to the street and started it draining.

I don't think I've made mention recently, but I'm back on the weekend shift for a little more than a year now. When I'd started doing this shift, it was 4 hours on Saturdays, and Tuesday through Friday for 9 hours a day. Once again, they bump your pay some for doing the weekend shift, but in my current role, it's a good amount more than when I was filling. Found out after I'd started, when the company has a paid holiday and it falls on a day you have as your day off... they give you your day off. No extra, no you get to take a different day off. I voiced my view on it and was told, “Oh, it all evens out!” SO, for Memorial Day, Labor Day, and both Christmas and New Years I got boned. When the time came around this year, I had a couple of requests. First, can I get a different day off, either Tuesday or Wednesday, and is it possible to start my Saturday shift later. I had been starting on Saturday afternoons at 3:00, and it put a time crimp in the afternoons sometimes, I asked to start later, up to 6:00 PM, and they came through with starting at 5:00, and so far (2 weekends thus far) I've liked it fine. And, long story short, now I have Tuesdays off!!!

The younger and I got in the wife's Matrix and headed over to pick up the new water heater. Took a bunch of rope, being unsure how it would fit. Slid the front seats all the way forward, and it slid right in , and the hatch closed without issue!!! If Scruffy can do it, then so can the Kutch!!! (None of us ever call it Kutcher, it's always the Toyota or the Matrix) Will It Fit: Matrix Edition part II!!! Driving back was a challenge, though, I was so far forward I couldn't really move my right foot over to the brake, so I was 2-footing it!!!

The younger and I were able to move it around fairly easily, the hardest part was the 4 steps from the street to the foot of the house. The box had instructions to cut along a dotted line around an inch up from the bottom, so that's what I did, and from there was able to roll it on the edge of the base pretty easy. The removal of the old one was easier this time, too, it seemed to have drained most every drop by having the hose attached to the drain all night. None of the fittings fought me, and about the hardest thing was locating a roll of Teflon pipe sealing tape!!! I know I had more that I'd bought from my work, but I found a roll that may have come with our house, so over 25 years old, but it worked just fine!!!

When I had gotten up on Tuesday (actually before I got out of bed) I had the thought that I should take the aerators off the kitchen and bathroom sinks, since having the water off gets a bunch of air in the lines, and it seems to knock a lot of crud loose when it comes back on. Didn't do it, and the bathroom one ended up nearly plugged. It didn't come off easy, but I flowed good once I got it off and cleaned out... but it kind of ovaled from the removal, and it seems like it's leaking down the inside now. Might be able to get it fixed up, but I'll probably be installing a new faucet soon.

The Late Season Vacation

A little over a month ago, we took our late season vacation. It seems we've gotten into doing an early season and a late season vacation. We vacationed again in Catalina. I think the first Catalina vacation we went on was just a bit after Labor Day, and I think we've been going over there right around the same time since!!! Since I haven't been there in summer, I'm just guessing, but I think it's less crowded.

I'm starting this post off with a couple of what I consider my prize winners, the first is was of something I didn't even know was a thing, a red rainbow!!! Apparently when the sun is low to the horizon, it'll filter all the other colors out.

Next up is a pelican perched on a rock on land's end. It wasn't really the end, but it was it a point to the north of Descanso Beach.

It seems like we end up doing a lot of the same stuff, but we enjoy it. To change things up a little, when we arrived, we went to a restaurant that we've passed by for years, but had never been to, the Bluewater Grill. It's literally on the opposite side of Antonio's that we go to pretty regularly, also with outdoor seating overlooking the harbor. We sat outside, and it was a little overcast and gray. By the time our food was arriving, it was drizzling just a little, that's why I have my glasses off!!! They had retractable canvas for the patio area, and we asked if they could roll it out, and they said they would but never did. It pretty much stopped not long after, and it wasn't bad, and we enjoyed the seafood there.

Last time we'd gone, I'd seen the flying fish boat tours advertised, but the day we tried, they were sold out. The next day (first full day) we headed out the pier to see about booking tickets before they again sold out, but they weren't running weekdays, so we once again missed out.

I've always threatened to take the boy on a snorkeling expedition, but that's another thing for another time, I guess, since we didn't get to it this time, either. Instead of the flying fish or snorkeling, the boy and I went on a semi-submarine tour. Lots of fish, and we practically had the sub to ourselves, there was only one other couple and their baby!!!

Last time, we'd gone to Jack's Country Kitchen for the first time, and it was really good. In the interest of hitting another new place, we went to Pancake Cottage that's right along Crescent Street. It was also really good.

Another place we nearly always go is Buffalo Nickel, a ways out Pebbly Beach Road. It's a standout, so we made the trip out there. There was leftover Mexican pizza that ended up going to waste.

I'd taken a picture of this little archway under the benches along the waterfront on one of our first trips. It's fallen into a bit of disrepair.

Of course, the last couple of times the boy and I have been playing Pokemon GO, and it's a great place for it, lots of stops and gyms centralized in about the most pedestrian friendly area I frequent. Last year, they were having Fashion Week while we were there, and the boy got one of his coolest, Cherry Jam!!! We'd go out on walks in the evenings. They've added in routes, but there were only two there. One goes along the waterfront to the Casino, and the other went from the waterfront to the back of the town, close to the place we'd stayed the first couple of family trips. I tired to submit a route of my own, it's still pending approval.

Another place we've been frequently is Descanso Beach. A big part of it is the place we've stayed the last three times gives you a daily credit for a few places, and Descanso Beach Club is one of them. There's a little coffee place right next to the place we stay, too, and we had coffees and boba teas and various breakfast foods from there quite a bit. These pictures are from there, the shore north of the beach, where I got the pelican shot, was a little hike over some rocks, and there were several little tide pools.

The farthest north cabana had this tunnel under it. Might have been from when the old Descanso hotel, which had a salt water pool with a channel from the ocean to it.

The boy and I also hiked up to the Chime Tower again, it's a pretty scenic hike. I was thinking next time we might try hiking up to Mount Ada.

On the way down, we met a big chonker of a cat, one of the cats you're glad to meet while you're out and about, who is super friendly and loves the pets!!!

Also featured in these shots is the shirt the boy got while we were there, it's pretty cool and one of his favorites. I also got an Aloha shirt, it's pretty understated, white with outlines on the shape of Catalina, the Casino, and the Via Casino archway. Here we were having dinner on the last night. As I said, Antonio's on the waterfront has been one of our go-tos (also it was on the short list of places to use our room credit on), but it seems like they've shortened their hours quite a bit, and scaled the menu down too, so we didn't go there. However, there's another Antonio's that was right across from where we were staying. They don't take the room credit, but that's OK. It was another place we'd never been, and it was pretty good!!! The boy had gotten a meatball sandwich from the other one last year, and that's what he ordered from this place, but it's quite different, almost not even a sandwich, but still really good!!!

And, right across the street, there was this cool looking cloud. Come to find out, it was a rocket launch from Vandenburg!!!

Birthday Delay

It's been more than a month since the younger's birthday. He was planning on inviting a bunch of friends over, and hanging out, mostly on the back patio. However, it has been one of the wettest winters in recent memory.

Coming up to the date he'd scheduled, it was going to be non stop buckets of rain that weekend. He let everyone know it was scrubbed, to be rescheduled on a future date. Furthermore, my wife had another surgery coming up, just a few days after the actual date.

Prior to the surgery, the hospital, in keeping up with the covid theater, required my wife to get tested, then isolate, along with the rest of the family until she went in. Not wanting the milestone to go unacknowledged, my wife got a cake mix and made up a cake. It's been a while, but I dusted off my decorating skills. He wanted his alter ego, Catnip, on the cake.

I added the medallion around his neck, because it was yellow cake, get it??? I put his new age in his favorite color, and had a lot of orange left, so I added radiation waves. I know, they are traditionally green, but who's to say they're not orange???

We gave him his gifts. I think it was last year we got him the game, 'Binding of Isaac: Four Souls”, and he's already gotten a couple of expansion packs, and we got him another one. Got him the funny cat shirt, also in his favorite color.

He also wanted this nine tailed fox necktie, and my wife found this other cool shirt.

Since there's been a fairly lengthy recovery going on, the reschedule hasn't occurred yet. More birthday to come!!!

Tower Trek

I've made mention of the Catalina Chimes Tower a few times here, from it's origin story to it's prevalence over the town of Avalon. But for all the years of seeing and hearing it, I've never seen it up close.

I started checking into going up there and checking it out up close. Several people had posted about taking rented golf carts up there, and several about hiking up to it. There are a few ways up, from taking the road around the back, to taking the stairs that parallel some of the houses along the front of town.

The stairs is the way my son and I opted to go. They look like they go straight up to it, but they only go about halfway, then the foot path takes a left, then there's more stairs. After that, you are out on the streets.

None of the streets from that point are especially steep, so it's a fairly easy walk.

And there it is!!! Actually not much to it, once you get there. It has a nicely tiled roof, nice classic lines, and matching terraces around the front side.

It's closed off for renovations and preservation, but I honestly didn't see much that should really be accessable anyway!!!

You can see the chimes from the front gate. It's pretty impressive looking. We were there as it struck 6:00 PM, and it wasn't nearly as loud as you might think it would be up close.

As I told in the Chime Tower Story post, it's right across from the Zane Grey compound. Finally got a chance to see that up close, too!!! It's been converted into a hotel, and I actually looked into getting our room there, but... it's way up a hill!!!

The forward portion looks fairly original, and the back portion looks like all new construction.

The best part, though, is the views!!! Naturally, it's over it all, and what a panorama!!!

There's looking towards Descanso Beach...

And overlooking the harbor...

The sunlight fading over the hills beyond the town...

And, finally, an overhead shot of the Casino!!!

17 Shots From the Island

We took the longest continuous vacation we've been on in a couple of years last week. Went back to Catalina for the week!!!

We pretty much repeated a lot of the stuff we've done previously there, down to eating at the same restaurants!!!

The first day we went to Antonio's, which I always like because you can eat right out over the water, enjoying the fresh air and views. My son had the most epic meatball sandwich you've ever seen!!!

There's the Chimes Tower in the background!!! I notice that it's in about half of the scenic pictures you take in Avalon!!!

Afterwards we walked on down by the Casino, where I got another shot of the point past Descanso Beach.

The pathway down to Descanso Beach was blocked off with safety tape. What's up with that, we wondered.

Don't think I've ever made mention, but there's a dive park right off the Casino. Stairs lead right down into the water. Back in my younger days I did some Scuba diving. The water is very clear, and it drops off on a slant to pretty deep. There's a shipwreck, the SueJac, which sunk in 1980. The dive park was later expanded to include it. The SueJac had a ferro cement hull, go figure!!!

Another night shot of the Chimes Tower.

Took my wife back to our hotel, then the boy and I set out for an evening walk. Headed back out to Descanso Beach, which we had done last time. Of course, we walked down the street since the walkway was blocked. The place is deserted at night, and you can lay on the lounges that they rent for something like $80 for free. Just as we got to where the lounges are, I saw this deer chilling on the beach!!!

We laid down, and the deer stayed there for several minutes. There was another one in the background when I took the picture, and another one (or the same one returning) came by behind us. On the way back, we took the walkway, and halfway down it there was a small backhoe and much of the walkway was dug up.

Later on that night, I got up and was drawing the drapes so we wouldn't be woke up by the sun in the morning, and there were a couple of deer next door!!!

The next night we went out on another night walk, this time towards the Catalina Express landing, where I got a great shot of the Casino from across the water, and the Chimes Tower glowing up on the hillside.

We came back, and in the lobby the hotel has a huge old safe, with a bunch of games stored in it. We played a game of Battleship, then pulled out the rather elaborate Monopoly game and played for quite a while!!!

The next day the boy and I had gone out to do a raid in Pokemon GO near the Casino. Afterwards we noticed that the walkway to Descanso Beach was open. Took a look, and they had it all patched up!!! Later on in the day we rented stand up paddle boards and paddled around the harbor. Saw a sea lion while we were paddling!!!

Saw this crow down near the beach on Crescent Avenue, wonder if he was our friend from our last visit?

On our last full day, we were having lunch at the fish place out on the Green Pier. They sell clam chowder or chili in sourdough bread bowls, and you know I'm a sucker for those!!! I had the chili, and the fish frying smelled so good I went ahead and got myself a fish taco. While we were out there, the power went out. Apparently, for all of Avalon!!! Other people came up trying to get food, and they couldn't make it. We had been planning to go to an ice cream place, and we headed over and they were able to serve us even without juice. On the way back to our room, my wife wanted to stop in a shop right before our hotel, and she was able to buy what she wanted there, too. I was wondering how things were going to go at the hotel. Almost all the hotels have the rooms above ground level, and we were staying in the only one I'm aware of that has an elevator, since my wife doesn't get up stairs very well. We were staying on the third floor. The power came on just before we got back, but when we got to the elevator the call button only lit up while it was being held.

The elevator is in view of the front desk, and we let them know. The maintenance guy came, and assured us that they should be able to get it running. It was about a half hour later, and the door slid open. Got in, but it didn't go, and the car was riding just a little low in the shaft. They tried a little longer, then the staff told us they were going to take us up in the freight elevator.

Walked us around the outside, and up we went!!! The next morning it still wasn't going, but going down stairs is much easier that up.

It was a great trip!!! More to come...