The FORD Lounge

[ArdWrknTrk]

You'd be surprised.

I can't tell you how many I've had to go exchange a wheel, and their garage is brimming with projects.

But you've driven one.
They're certainly fast enough, as is.
That doesn't mean you don't have a weekend toy (motorcycle, garden tractor or something else) to work on.

[viven44]

Yes, I'm probably generalizing too much based on the ones I know that own a Tesler.

I've driven one, but it just doesn't amaze me as an engineering marvel. It's a DC motor on wheels. Yes there are technical challenges in converting ridiculous amounts of energy from a battery and use it in a broad spectrum of voltages to make it go slower or faster, voltage this.. voltage that.. probably an electrical engineer's dream (not mine.. probably just jealous I don't understand any of that!!)

[ArdWrknTrk]

It's an appliance, just like any Honda or Toyota... or Ford or Chevy for that matter!

The fact is that you're converting about 30% of the energy that you're putting into a gasoline engine to do the same exact thing, let you down the road.
So, absolutely not ridiculous amounts of energy.

Ridiculous is starting with a tank full of gas and throwing 65% of it out the window.

[viven44]

More than 50% of the electricity still is made from gas. That has conversion losses. So I think things are even FOR NOW. Long term I agree with you and I didn't mean Ridiculous in a bad way, more in a horsepower kind of way.

What do you think about Toyota Mirai? Toyota has a habit of picking old and discarded American technology (GM Electrovan) and coming up with something useful in the modern era.

[ArdWrknTrk]

And powerplants are upwards of 65% efficiency, where an ICE is maybe 30%

The more batteries connected to the grid, the more renewables it can handle.

I'm getting really tired of stating the obvious facts

I'm done with this.

[viven44]

Sometimes it takes more explaining to average people like me. I do not possess the memory or retention of a savant but a foolish stubbornness in certain beliefs. Thanks for your patience. Don't give up because of my deficiencies

I will look into whether power storage is a constraint today preventing bring-up of more renewables. That is an important fact.

I have never argued on long-term plan. I know we will all get there one day... although Elon thinks we need to colonize mars.

[Clutch47]

After reading through the last 5 or so pages, I'll add my .02 cents.
   EVs have their place developing. That's what happens in a free market.
The problem is, when laws are injected to support/suppress.. which is what we have here.

Get off my neck with your electric mandates and requirements for the market to sell only EVs... and try not to forget how we got here.
 
  Before I retired, I was the perfect candidate for an EV or a hybrid for my daily commute.
8 miles one way. Garaged storage at home with a 240 power source.

Nah. Nothing available. Few hybrids beginning to pop up. Friend drove a Honda Element and was a hyper-miler blogger.
  70-ish miles one way.

So I drove my '95 F-150 4x4 4.9/5spd.
NEVER ONCE had an issue in the 10 years I ran that.

As I ramble on here building a picture with words to make my message...
   It's my choice. It's going to be my choice.
The current leaning tower of environmental beliefs is really leaning over.
   It's about to crash.

I'll keep my fuel. Leave me alone.
See you at the pump.

[mat in tn]

amen!

[essmaker]

Back to the family topic...

I am lucky that I am a morning person..up by 5 if I like it or not...and the rest of the family are not.

On weekends, I head to the barn early and try to be done by 1pm. The rest of the day is with the better half.

During the week if I have something to do in the barn I try to keep it to an hour. That way I get my barn time and my wife realizes that I am better to be around if I have some time alone to tinker after work.

So, for me it is all about using time when it isn't taking much away from the family as well as making it known I need some downtime for people to want to be around me anyhow. 😀

[viven44]

Good tips!

If I start something I try to finish that "block" of work all at one go, and thats where I get into trouble. For example I replaced all the rubber last weekend on my bronco. Did that all in one sitting, but i'm sure I ran into some family time. I need to be better about sticking to a schedule, as Jeff said earlier my projects will be "waiting for me".

[ArdWrknTrk]

I don't sleep.
But, I don't have 'family' either...

[mat in tn]

my problem is that I do not idle well. I am better busy. it is also in my nature to build or produce. to take a day off and sit around and visit gets old very fast. it rarely has anything to do with other people. I can be in the garage for 12 hours and still not want to call it a day if I am into something. my oldest daughter is here visiting with the two oldest grandkids so I'm staying close these few days. but with a half dozen engines at one stage or another it gives me a stress of its own.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Neither do I, but my leg is infected and I have a bad case of cellulitis (skin is splitting, etc...)

Plus it's raining all day and I don't have a garage (BUT I prostituted myself, and Rock Auto is trickling in! )

So I'll be building a 10.25 this weekend, and I'm off to Vermont in my truck for the 13th
Hopefully I didn't jinx myself, and it turns out better than my last trip there.  🙄

Edit to ask: what's your break-in regime?
Do you have an engine stand or dyno?

[ArdWrknTrk]

My Dana R&P plus spider gears & pin came yesterday.
The Spicer rebuild kit w/ bearings and seals is OFD RN.
The Dana carrier and shim kit comes tomorrow....

This will not be fun in my condition, but I will get it done and broken in before I make a road trip.

[Gary Lewis]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

My Dana R&P plus spider gears & pin came yesterday.
The Spicer rebuild kit w/ bearings and seals is OFD RN.
The Dana carrier and shim kit comes tomorrow....

This will not be fun in my condition, but I will get it done and broken in before I make a road trip.

Good luck, Jim!  

[mat in tn]

in TN I had an engine run stand. I have one I am building as a side project here, but I have not had time for it in a while. I'd love to have a dyno. I keep a very basic break in. hydraulic flats get the 2k run in with additive then oil change and tune. visual oil test etc. but further if there are any signs of reason. roller cams get a simpler version.  when assembling, I mark all the lifters with a paint dot and index them at a central point and make sure they rotate as I rotate the engine over before proceeding. mentally it helps me to have seen them rotate as I know that is what makes or breaks lifters.

[ArdWrknTrk]

You care, and it shows!

No one can ask for more than that.

[viven44]

That seems like a nice litmus test for success on lifters. I love having that kind of preview. Hate doing thing where the only indication of success is after the fact if things haven’t broken.

I do hear about metal hardness not being the same as it used to be and oil additives etc etc but I think having the correct lifter and cam profile is probably the biggest factor.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Comp definitely had a batch of soft cores years ago.
But they could have solved it by checking brinell or Rockwell and sending the batch out for heat treat.

But they jumped the shark, got bought out, and won't listen to the guys who had been grinding their cams for decades....

Proper break-in involves plenty of oil, with ZDDP, and varying the rpms for at least 1/2 hour. (Don't let it drop below 2k and you'll be okay)

[viven44]

Interesting read
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043164821003124