Search results

  1. circuitsmith

    Changing oil with engine running...

    ... and flying. Pilot Bob was the oil guy. This happened in Vegas, but didn't stay in Vegas...
  2. circuitsmith

    Clog resistant outdoor drain

    The drain under my back porch would clog with debris. The hardware cloth, in use for several years, catches debris with a gradual rise in water level instead of clogging all at once. I just replaced the old grate, shown to the side, with one that flows better.
  3. circuitsmith

    Portable starter battery maintainer build

    The goal is to keep the battery in my infrequently used car well charged. I park on a city street with no access to AC power. I used an inexpensive solar panel (x2) on the dashboard for a couple years; its performance tapered off to failure. Bought another, same degradation and failure ... in 2...
  4. circuitsmith

    Battery swapping

    Here's a new video about it:
  5. circuitsmith

    Musical instrument oil?

    If Bob is truly THE Oil Guy, shouldn't there be a sub-forum about musical instrument oils? I'm sure there's a few brasswind players out there to chat. http://thegoodoilforsaxophone.blogspot.com/
  6. circuitsmith

    Overriding a "smart" battery management system

    Like many modern cars the 2017 Hyundai Tucson reduces battery voltage when it decides the battery is charged “well enough”. It does this to mainly save a little fuel and also avoid over charging the battery. I have a voltmeter plugged into a 12V port so I can monitor system voltage while...
  7. circuitsmith

    Matrix totaled

    On Jun 9, driving along a 35mph road, sunny dry day, I hear a screeching sound seemingly to my left. Before I can look behind... POW. The other driver then passes to my right, loud noises from under the hood. I give chase long enough for my passenger (wife) to get the tag number. Back tire...
  8. circuitsmith

    Filter change by minder at 42K miles

    The WIX filter minder on my Toyota (in the sig) finally reached 11" after 6 years & 9 months. Gauge checked after a WOT run to 5000 rpm. Dirty side: Clean side: Close up: The new filter reached one click below 8" restriction.
  9. circuitsmith

    Wix white can 57145 cut open

    Sorry only one photo. Mosquitoes spoiled the party. Didn't want to take it inside. 9400 miles, 23 months, 2 OCIs. All the parts (ADBV etc.) looked fine.
  10. circuitsmith

    Smaller rims on Matrix

    Put on my new 15" rims and Continental Pure contact 195/65/15: Haven't driven much, but the steering feels lighter at low speeds and the new wheels weigh 31lb vs 39lb of the old 16" steelies /w Yokohama Avid Envigor. Looking forward to a smoother ride and less road noise. Also, new...
  11. circuitsmith

    Spark plug change

    Changed spark plugs on the Matrix. Only 57K miles, but after 10 years I worried about the threads sticking. Otherwise they could have gone much further. Old threads looked and felt grungy coming out, but were OK. New (Denso): Old(NGK): I also checked valve clearances. One intake at the...
  12. circuitsmith

    LTFT anxiety

    I hooked up my OBD-II scanner partly out of boredom after not using it for over a year. The LTFT was +10.x. I was hoping it was just dirty fuel injectors so I put a bottle of Techron in the tank and filled up. After 35 miles of running errands 50/50 city/highway then the LTFT was +19. When I rev...
  13. circuitsmith

    Purolator PL14477 cut open

    Distance: 9223 miles (two OCI's) Time: 14.5 months Purchased 11/27/2012 from Amazon
  14. circuitsmith

    Road trip with Mobil Super 5K

    Just returned from a 2 week, 5377 mile road trip from Wash. DC up through mid Canada. Changed to MS5K 10W-30 with a (PL14477) Pure One filter just before the trip, replaced with MS5K 5W-30 after returning. Consumed about 1 cup of oil. Car now has 41K miles on the clock.
  15. circuitsmith

    Clogged filter photos

    Sorry, it's not an automotive filter. Came out of a heat exchanger that was flowing about 10% of normal. With direct sunlight shining through it looked totally opaque. Last shot is the "clean" side.
  16. circuitsmith

    Significance of center tube holes

    I wonder what fraction of the total flow resistance is due to the holes in the center tube. I have a Toyota filter and a P1 in front of me. On both filters circular holes cover maybe 10% of the center tube's surface area. Other filters have a lot of perforations instead of round holes. With...
  17. circuitsmith

    Cold air intake, Circuit Style!

    I re-routed the air intake on my 1zz to draw in cooler air. I wanted to disturb the stock intake (which is well designed, IMHO) as little as possible. I didn't want to spend much $$ (ended up costing under $10), didn't want to make more noise, didn't want to fiddle with the MAF sensor and didn't...
  18. circuitsmith

    Steering wheel wrap, Circuit style!

    My "Sport Grip" steering wheel cover was getting a little tattered and I didn't care for the plastic cord wrap and the fact that it doesn't cover all the way around. So I had an extra roll of bicycle cork handlebar tape around. I did the bottom half first since that's where I keep my hands...
  19. circuitsmith

    Wear metal levels in low mileage motor oil

    It's been said that new motor oil causes a higher rate of engine wear during the first couple hundred or so miles of use. The only evidence I've seen presented of this are seemingly high metal concentration from early used oil analysis. A graph of wear metal vs mileage would show a high slope...
Back
Top