Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

What they said ^^^^

[emoji106]

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Bob you looked like a professional (didn't think I could spell it did you?) on this job. Better not let the wife see this post or she may find you a paying job! Glad you're safe.

I've found that when I have free time, and I want to be entertained, I can turn-to "Bob Heine Fixing Things" for my tool-amusement. It always amazes me when Bob steps-up to the plate, but unlike "Casey At The Bat," he connects. Whether it's tool storage, an entertainment system on America's Favorite Plastic Sports Car, fence repair, or, in this case, stopping the Part Time Cruiser from pulling an EXXON Valdez, Bob steps-up and does what needs to be done.

Whenever I see worm-drive hose clamps being used, it reminds me of a fire-rescue call I once responded-to, here in southeast Florida. What happened was a cabin cruiser was sunk at dockside of a luxury home just-west of the oceanfront barrier island in our jurisdiction. It was a $$$$ neighborhood, most homes there are on the water, and no fixed bridges to connect to the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Upon arrival, we saw what probably was a heartbreak for the 'poor' mariner, as his Bertram sport fisherman was listing a bit as it sat on the canal bottom at low tide. Water was halfway-up to the interior gunnel from the cabin sole. Climbing-aboard, I went to the engine compartment, and after a bit of rooting-around we found the source of the problem. One of the inboards had a single hose clamp fail on the spigot of a water pump for the engine cooling, and allowed the boat to flood.

Because of the nature of marine applications for parts such-as water pumps, I am accustomed to seeing redundancy. In this case, it would have been two clamps on the water pump spigot. If one failed, the second would prevent exactly this type of calamity. Unfortunately, the brass spigot for the water pump was less-than one inch long, barely-adequate for a single hose clamp on it, much-less a second, 'back-up' hose clamp. The clamp had failed, and the hose popped-off, with the bilge filling with water, the cabin and cockpit too. Evidently, there was no bilge pump on 'standby,' ready to evacuate the bilge, and no type of alarm to alert an owner his sport fisherman was drowning at dockside.

We replaced the corroded hose clamp which was the worm gear type we all know, placed a bronze Hale submersible pump into the bilge, and started it to empty the boat. The next day, the boat had re-floated, and the sport fisherman's owner probably had an interesting conversation with his marine insurance agent.

Meyer Lansky used-to live in this neighborhood. I guess it provided a quick route to the local body dumping-ground, the Gulfstream Current, just-offshore from here. Gambling was open and profitable for the Mob here in the 1950's. The Colonial Inn was a same-community well-known gambling den in the 1950's and the work of Senator Estes Kefauver who chaired the commission bearing his name, finally curtailed the open defiance of such brazen behavior. That-is, until the Indigenous People discovered they could profit handsomely off immigrants' desire to wager big $$$$, and opened casinos on their tribal lands.

Whenever I see a worm-drive hose clamp, it reminds me of the Bertram owner, pacing back-and-forth in his backyard while we tried to figure out what we were going to do about his sunken vessel.

Is that why Chrysler named them PT cruisers? Because it likes to mark its territory?

Bob: first of all congrats on picking a place to live that seems to be out of the direct paths of the hurricanes and very happy to hear you are out of harms way on this one. I haven't heard from Jim yet to see how he's doing so sending prayers his way that it left him alone.

great job on the fix on the new hoses. were they leaking or damaged or do you just decide to replace these in all your cars after 10 or 15 years?

keep up the great work!

I can't imagine no rust. Ahh, to dream. Nice job on the repair.

Mudnut said:

Great job on the repair. Having tools that you can "remember that you have" always helps.

Ken

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Ken, you are very kind. I feel like I passed a critical age test by remembering that tool. The idea of assisted living sounds OK but no garage or shop is a nightmare. I started paying for Long Term Care insurance when I was in my 40s so hopefully I stay where I am and get a home care nurse to wheel me out to the garage and down to the shop when the time comes.

jon04 said:

Bob,
Good repair job on the oil cooler leak.

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Thank you Jon. I got my first hint of winter this morning. It was 76*F outside so I opened the garage doors a few inches to cool it off instead of turning the A/C on (it was 83*F).

BBChevro said:

What they said ^^^^

[emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G950F using The Garage Journal mobile app

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Thank you for the kind ^^^^ Mark!

bolensboneyard said:

Bob you looked like a professional (didn't think I could spell it did you?) on this job. Better not let the wife see this post or she may find you a paying job! Glad you're safe.

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Bobby, that's a very professional compliment coming from you. I have made myself so indispensable at home that the risk of being farmed out to the work camps is small. When she asks me to move a plant or help with the fitted sheet, I stop what I'm doing to help.

driftpin said:

I've found that when I have free time, and I want to be entertained, I can turn-to "Bob Heine Fixing Things" for my tool-amusement. It always amazes me when Bob steps-up to the plate, but unlike "Casey At The Bat," he connects. Whether it's tool storage, an entertainment system on America's Favorite Plastic Sports Car, fence repair, or, in this case, stopping the Part Time Cruiser from pulling an EXXON Valdez, Bob steps-up and does what needs to be done.

Whenever I see worm-drive hose clamps being used, it reminds me of a fire-rescue call I once responded-to, here in southeast Florida. What happened was a cabin cruiser was sunk at dockside of a luxury home just-west of the oceanfront barrier island in our jurisdiction. It was a $$$$ neighborhood, most homes there are on the water, and no fixed bridges to connect to the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Upon arrival, we saw what probably was a heartbreak for the 'poor' mariner, as his Bertram sport fisherman was listing a bit as it sat on the canal bottom at low tide. Water was halfway-up to the interior gunnel from the cabin sole. Climbing-aboard, I went to the engine compartment, and after a bit of rooting-around we found the source of the problem. One of the inboards had a single hose clamp fail on the spigot of a water pump for the engine cooling, and allowed the boat to flood.

Because of the nature of marine applications for parts such-as water pumps, I am accustomed to seeing redundancy. In this case, it would have been two clamps on the water pump spigot. If one failed, the second would prevent exactly this type of calamity. Unfortunately, the brass spigot for the water pump was less-than one inch long, barely-adequate for a single hose clamp on it, much-less a second, 'back-up' hose clamp. The clamp had failed, and the hose popped-off, with the bilge filling with water, the cabin and cockpit too. Evidently, there was no bilge pump on 'standby,' ready to evacuate the bilge, and no type of alarm to alert an owner his sport fisherman was drowning at dockside.

We replaced the corroded hose clamp which was the worm gear type we all know, placed a bronze Hale submersible pump into the bilge, and started it to empty the boat. The next day, the boat had re-floated, and the sport fisherman's owner probably had an interesting conversation with his marine insurance agent.

Meyer Lansky used-to live in this neighborhood. I guess it provided a quick route to the local body dumping-ground, the Gulfstream Current, just-offshore from here. Gambling was open and profitable for the Mob here in the 1950's. The Colonial Inn was a same-community well-known gambling den in the 1950's and the work of Senator Estes Kefauver who chaired the commission bearing his name, finally curtailed the open defiance of such brazen behavior. That-is, until the Indigenous People discovered they could profit handsomely off immigrants' desire to wager big $$$$, and opened casinos on their tribal lands.

Whenever I see a worm-drive hose clamp, it reminds me of the Bertram owner, pacing back-and-forth in his backyard while we tried to figure out what we were going to do about his sunken vessel.

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Philip, you are way too kind.

When we bought the Century Raven, I did double up the hose clamps on all the cooling system hoses. Wish I could have found a simple fix for the Mercruiser outdrive hydraulic hoses. Seemed like at least one had to be replaced every year.

As you may have noticed, Florida cars (not boats) don't experience rampant rust problems. Even the spring hose clamps haven't rusted.

I have an emergency hose clamp assortment from Harbor Freight that contains the most frightening ones I've ever seen. They are adequate for vacuum and PVC hoses but not for holding anything critical, like water hoses. The beefy clamp that came with the oil cooler hoses (upper right one) will hold up for as long as I own the car but the ones that come in the assortment (lower right one) are purely decorative.


A mechanical engineer friend of mine remodeled his kitchen and installed the standalone dishwasher to built-in. He connected the water line with the rubber hose rather than converting it to a hard line. It was an older waterfront home with fruit trees so rats were a problem. The couple returned from a Club Med vacation to an 3-inch deep indoor swimming pool thanks to a rat that couldn't find a better drinking water supply. Four years later they repeated the disaster but it was the rubber washing machine hoses that time. They stopped going to Club Med and we changed our washing machine hoses to braided stainless.

Hubscrub66 said:

Is that why Chrysler named them PT cruisers? Because it likes to mark its territory?

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HS66, I hadn't thought of that but you could be on to something. At least they didn't put oilers on the chain drive!

drivesitfar said:

Bob: first of all congrats on picking a place to live that seems to be out of the direct paths of the hurricanes and very happy to hear you are out of harms way on this one. I haven't heard from Jim yet to see how he's doing so sending prayers his way that it left him alone.

great job on the fix on the new hoses. were they leaking or damaged or do you just decide to replace these in all your cars after 10 or 15 years?

keep up the great work!

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Drives, we've been lucky this year but we have been hit by our fair share of hurricanes, including Katrina (on its way to New Orleans) and Wilma in 2005. They didn't flatten our house but they did make a mess that wasn't covered by insurance.


If you live anywhere on the east coast of the US, there's a chance you'll be hit by a Hurricane. Can't happen on the west coast because Pacific storms are either Cyclones or Typhoons, and a few have made it to your neighborhood.

I chose to replace those hoses because the new oil cooler has 1/2" ******* for the coolant pipes. The old cooler has 3/8" ******* and the original reinforced hoses won't stretch to fit the larger *******. I could have used hose pieces and metal adapter fittings to jury rig it back together but chose the pricey pre-formed hoses that had the correct size openings at both ends.

xtremek said:

I can't imagine no rust. Ahh, to dream. Nice job on the repair.

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Kirk, thanks for the kind words. Growing up in New York I lived the nightmare. I still remember lying on a snowy driveway hosing off the undercarriage of my new '68 GTO with hot water to prevent the salt from attacking it. Still ended up with body rot around the backlite, which allowed water into the trunk and rear quarters. It was rust-free for 5 years (neighbor's Grand Prix rusted out in 3).

Talking about NY and the 1960's. I recall a huge snowstorm about 1964, the village snowplows couldn't get into our neighborhood for days. The developer who built most of the homes sent-out his bulldozer run by his son, and that cleared a path for the village plows to get through. I tied red yarn around all the trees in our yard, and to the mailbox pole by the street, 39" of snow or more once the snow melted in the spring, according to the yarn.

I also was in during the Great Northeast Power Blackout of 1965. I was at high school wrestling practice when the power went out. Usually the power went-on after a couple of minutes, but not this time. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-northeast-blackout

The house we are in now, in Miami, the screened enclosure blew-away during Hurricane Andrew. It wasn't replaced.

driftpin said:

Talking about NY and the 1960's. I recall a huge snowstorm about 1964, the village snowplows couldn't get into our neighborhood for days. The developer who built most of the homes sent-out his bulldozer run by his son, and that cleared a path for the village plows to get through. I tied red yarn around all the trees in our yard, and to the mailbox pole by the street, 39" of snow or more once the snow melted in the spring, according to the yarn.

I also was in during the Great Northeast Power Blackout of 1965. I was at high school wrestling practice when the power went out. Usually the power went-on after a couple of minutes, but not this time. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-northeast-blackout

The house we are in now, in Miami, the screened enclosure blew-away during Hurricane Andrew. It wasn't replaced.

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Philip, I remember those events quite clearly. The January 1964 snow storm hit two days after my brother's funeral. It was really cold that winter, freezing the ground in the family plot so hard they told us it would require blasting to open a grave. Had to wait for the spring thaw fro the interment. I worked for the US Post Office that year so I was out in the snow. I was a Temporary Indefinite Substitute Clerk/Carrier so the Regular Carriers blessed me with the worst sections of their delivery routes. It didn't occur to me that mail wouldn't be delivered to houses with un-shoveled driveways and walks so I just slogged up to each house and put the mail in the box next to the front door. Backbreaking mail loads because the tricycle carts were useless in deep snow. I actually liked that storm because I could mourn my brother without a bunch of people patting my back and telling me how sorry they were. A red face and wet cheeks looks normal in a snowstorm.


The November 9, 1965 blackout happened exactly two months to the day after my little mishap with the train. I wasn't allowed to go back to work yet but that week I took the train from Babylon to Manhattan for a final fitting of my artificial arm at the Institute for the Crippled and Disabled (apparently I was Disabled). When the power went out that evening, we weren't totally in the dark. Our next door neighbor had a gasoline generator and ran an extension to our house. Our gas stove didn't need any electricity so we could cook our dinner and eat by the light of a single bulb. The neighbor's daughter babysat our two children often and she was the reason he had a generator. She contracted polio as a child and was in an iron lung for a while. Without electricity she wouldn't live more than a few minutes so the generator wasn't a luxury. She was in her teens by then and could breathe just fine on her own. She was on crutches and wore gigantic braces on her legs. Her biggest complaint was the damage the braces did to her slacks and skirts. When I came home from the hospital she was horrified that I lost my arm and couldn't understand how anyone could live that way (she needed both arms to get around with her crutches). It helped me immeasurably, knowing how little her disability slowed her down. Made me realize you have to focus on what you can do and not on what you can't.

I'm sorry if I bummed anyone out -- those weren't my favorite years but they made me appreciate the years that followed a whole lot more.

I for one appreciate not so much your story, but your willingness to share what you went through. It indicates a healthy acceptance and determination to have a happy and productive life. Some people never get over a traumatic event, they make it their life's purpose.

The neighbor girl didn't really recognize her disability in her sympathy for yours.

Bob, it was a freezing 68 here this morning.

Great backstories. Always interesting.


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oldironfarmer said:

I for one appreciate not so much your story, but your willingness to share what you went through. It indicates a healthy acceptance and determination to have a happy and productive life. Some people never get over a traumatic event, they make it their life's purpose.

The neighbor girl didn't really recognize her disability in her sympathy for yours.

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Thank you Andy. I worry about those who live in misery and anger because their life took an unexpected turn. It's the only life you ever get so make the best of it and notice the beautiful things around you.

Like the neighbor girl in West Babylon, my Wappingers Falls neighbor's blind son clearly saw the beauty around him with all the senses he had left. He also found my missing arm an impossibility -- how the hell do you tell when your glass is almost full? I had fun showing him how easy it was to do one-handed.

shortykorte said:

Bob, it was a freezing 68 here this morning.

Great backstories. Always interesting.


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Stewart, it was a shock to go outside and not walk into a hot marshmallow. I went back in the house to check the date, worried I had a Rip Van Winkle night.

I made a mistake yesterday. I needed to refill the cooling system and it's difficult to do if you don't open the air bleed screw. It didn't help as much as I expected so I removed the bleed screw completely. It slipped from my fingers and fell down, making lots of pinball machine noises. Unfortunately it didn't make it to the floor. No problem, I'll wiggle my telescoping magnetic wand around and it will find the screw.


An hour later I ordered an assortment of bleeder screws from Amazon. I hadn't given up finding it but if I failed, the USPS would bail me out. I decided the screw might have fallen into one of the plastic shield areas under the car so off came the bumper and inner fender liners.


No sign of the screw so I started on another related repair. One of the bumper cover ripping episodes also did some damage to the intercooler crossmember (and bumper cover lower mount). The near end is pretty messed up.


I don't have much in the way of metalworking tools so I got out some hammers, a crowbar and a 2x4 scrap. The hydraulic press also got involved.



A few minutes (hours?) later I had it quite a bit straighter. I found the crossmember online for $97 plus shipping so this is a trial run.


It's not finished but I am, at least for yesterday.

A night's sleep refreshed my memory. I bought a Harbor Freight inspection camera a few years ago and thought it might come in handy to find the screw. It only took a minute and I found the bleed screw up against the block on top of the A/C compressor. It's right there under the blue light...


...OK, it's easier to see on the screen...


I thought it would be easy to retrieve but my big magnetic wand attached itself to everything ferrous down there. Got out the smaller wand and it found the screw on the first try.


It crossed my mind to re-install the bumper cover but it's really shot. The waterproof cover I put on the car a few months ago seems to have bubbled and lifted the clearcoat.




The driver side (where the crossmember was damaged) is so badly torn up it might come apart just driving down the road.



My problem is weather. It started raining the day I put the second coat of silver base on the bumper cover. To get good adhesion and chemical bond, the clear needs to be sprayed on the base within a day. It has been raining for a week so the basecoat window has closed. I need to sand and scuff the base again, spray a fresh coat of silver base and then spray the clear within 24 hours. It looks good already but I have to go back a step or the paint job will fail in a few months.

Bob: thanks again for sharing your life stories cause they really paint a picture of who you are and also hopefully help others that are maybe in a similar situation as you are see life differently.

I have never torn off the front end of any car or made that sort of bending metal repair even if you are going to replace it with a new piece so WELL DONE SIR!!

Big Congrats on finding the original screw!!

I suppose you are still going to have the shipment of new screws maybe put in a drawer where you can find them if this happens again and you aren't quite as fortunate to find the screw next time? if your bride only read your thread to know how well you use your tools, but I bet she see evidence of you using them all the time which is a tip to the young guys?

if you want your bride to accept your TOOL BUYING ADDICTION BETTER show her what you can do, make and use them for and I bet that will help.

have a great day and I bet our days this week might rival yours if your temps are in the 60's, but I think we are having a last week of sun before rain and 40's and colder sets in for the winter. hope it warms up a bit for you so you can get your painting and keep your project moving forward.

cheers

oldironfarmer said:

I for one appreciate not so much your story, but your willingness to share what you went through. It indicates a healthy acceptance and determination to have a happy and productive life. Some people never get over a traumatic event, they make it their life's purpose.

The neighbor girl didn't really recognize her disability in her sympathy for yours.

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Well said Andy, I completely agree.

Bob, thanks for sharing those stories, they touched a nerve with me. You may have mentioned it before, and I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to your brother? I lost my brother 10 years ago to a brain tumour, a month before his 30th birthday, and I still think about him every day.

drivesitfar said:

Bob:
if your bride only read your thread to know how well you use your tools, but I bet she see evidence of you using them all the time which is a tip to the young guys?

if you want your bride to accept your TOOL BUYING ADDICTION BETTER show her what you can do, make and use them for and I bet that will help.

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No! Bob NO!!! Don't listen to this craziness!!

I'm sure you learned the rule of unintended consequences during your career. The less information shared with your wife the fewer unintended consequences you'll have to forever live with.

By the way, I got worried when you said you had a screw loose, then was thinking of an inspection camera when you lost your screw. When you can remember you've got it, it can be really handy. Mine has a magnet attachment which goes on the camera. Seems like that would be handy. Getting ready to install my distributor I used the camera to see the oil pump slot location. That was nice.

Carry on.

Andy: OK I admit i've given my bride my password to GJ and she never has logged on. i've read her a few posts mainly cause I probably almost raised the dead with my laughter, but for the most part she understands it's like i'm writing a novel and i have daily readers on the pre manuscript.

Bob: ok so i should have said DON'T HAVE YOUR BRIDE READ YOUR THREAD cause there are consequences, but showing her you are using the tools you buy to fix or make stuff better is what a lot of members could learn from us with more than a few tools that seem to keep buying more. you seem to have found the happy spot in your tool buying, but for a lot of guys especially the younger guys they need to know now or they may never get to buy those tools.

carry on and I bet you'd still give Andy a run for his money even with one arm tied behind your back like he suggested over on his thread cause I just know you'd GET R DONE SOMEHOW.

A good job on the screw retrieval. I always get a sinking pit of the stomach as the errant part pinballs its way into some nether region. The frustrating part is of course the failure to locate and to retrieve it.

Have you ever attempted to locate the first by dropping another to see where it lands? That's my last-ditch method.
I've also vacuumed around and then opened the shop vac to see what was picked up. Sometimes it works. I find it interesting that dropped parts seem to defy the law of conservation of energy. On their way to freedom, they must absorb energy then released once it lands, rolling to a nether location impossible to imagine it making it to from where it was dropped. Small springs are my bane. I disassemble things like carbs in cake tins (please don't inform the missus), boxes, or some other impromptu containment vessel.

I also have a HFT color LED inspection camera which has proven useful. I bought it because my in-laws, whom I loved, had a cat in their wall. I used the camera to locate which part of the stud wall held the kitten & used my reciprocating saw to open a retrieval point. Two days later, another kitten! I guess a cat had a litter under the house or used it as shelter. No re-occurrances. I sealed everywhere that was open.

My in-laws were wonderful hard-working people who fled Communism in Cuba after Castro came to power. My FIL was almost lost to a military squad that came looking for him but a neighbor who was a physician hid him in his home, at great risk. They were able to get their only child out but were prohibited from leaving with her. They immediately sent her on a plane to Miami (see Operation Peter Pan) but were kept in Cuba 2-1/2 more years before they were stripped of their home, their savings, and all possessions. They were taken to Havana Airport and arrived in Miami only with what they wore, in their mid-50's. They lived to ages 98 and 99. They started and ran their own business, bought a home, and helped raise two grandchildren. They were both cancer survivors. My wife was always the best-dressed child in school as her mom was a tailor and she made all their clothes.

I think of them every day. They sacrificed a great deal to have their child raised outside Communism, they would have been the first to inform you it was worth the sacrifice. Sometimes personal tragedies allow people to show what they're capable of doing in the face of adversity.

My wife will never return to Cuba while it is Communist. She supports what used to be two elderly aunts, but one died this year. They probably would have both died by now without her buying them food, and sending them supplies.

I keep getting tempted to buy one of those inspection camera's or possibly a borescope attachment for my iPhone but then not sure how often I would use it. But your experience with the bleeder screw reminded me of how often I have played engine compartment pinball with a dropped screw, nut or bolt so maybe that's a good enough reason to use that next 25% off coupon that comes out. Good work on all your recent projects Bob.

rmalkow2 said:

.....Good work on all your recent projects Bob.

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^^^ what he said....

Glad to see that the Florida crew survived the storm. We have some friends who were in the path of the storm but very fortunate in that three trees dropped all around the house but none hit the house itself. They sent us some pictures of their neighborhood and it looks pretty bad so happy to read you guys faired ok.


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Hope the bumper cover paint job goes better this round.

Are you adding any additives since it will be on plastic?

I’ve thought about the camera myself. Definitely useful when you need it. As they say, the job is always easier if you use the right tool.


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drivesitfar said:

Bob: thanks again for sharing your life stories cause they really paint a picture of who you are and also hopefully help others that are maybe in a similar situation as you are see life differently.

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Drives, when you are young, birthdays are ages apart and you say things like: "I can't wait until I turn 16 and can drive." Next thing you know your grandchildren are having children. If you don't savor every sweet and sour day of your life, it will be: "I wish I had...."

I have never torn off the front end of any car or made that sort of bending metal repair even if you are going to replace it with a new piece so WELL DONE SIR!!

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Most people have others work on their cars and enjoy spending their time doing something else, like playing golf. For me, working on my own cars is relaxing and rewarding at the same time. I spent a little more time on the crossmember today and it looks like I won't be replacing it. In the back of my mind I'm thinking I should buy one while they are available but I'm trying not to add to my collection. As I see you getting organized, I realize I could easily overwhelm my space with cool stuff.

Big Congrats on finding the original screw!!

I suppose you are still going to have the shipment of new screws maybe put in a drawer where you can find them if this happens again and you aren't quite as fortunate to find the screw next time?

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There are still a few empty parts drawers in the workshop so the little bubble pack will have a home. As long as they are in those drawers, I'll be able to find them in the future (as long as I remember I have them.

if your bride only read your thread to know how well you use your tools, but I bet she see evidence of you using them all the time which is a tip to the young guys?

if you want your bride to accept your TOOL BUYING ADDICTION BETTER show her what you can do, make and use them for and I bet that will help.

Click to expand...

Liane knows about the tools and rarely complains. She brags to everyone she meets that her husband can fix just about anything (except a decent meal). A lathe, mill or other large machines would be a longer and more painful discussion. The drawer with the dovetail joints caught her eye and I expect I'll be making more but not for my use.

have a great day and I bet our days this week might rival yours if your temps are in the 60's, but I think we are having a last week of sun before rain and 40's and colder sets in for the winter. hope it warms up a bit for you so you can get your painting and keep your project moving forward.

cheers

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Drives, we rarely have days in the 60s, even in the depth of winter. December, January and February may have overnight lows in the mid 60s but not for long stretches. Our outside orchids bloom in February, for example. Shorty and Jim had a morning low of 68*F but they are 450 miles north --we woke up to 76*F that morning.

TwoBytes said:

Well said Andy, I completely agree.

Bob, thanks for sharing those stories, they touched a nerve with me. You may have mentioned it before, and I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to your brother? I lost my brother 10 years ago to a brain tumour, a month before his 30th birthday, and I still think about him every day.

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Mat, thanks for that.
I don't think I mentioned my brother's death before. It's a simple thing but I think the back story is important.

Soon after his birth the joints in ****'s skull began to fuse. The pediatrician wrote a letter to my parents that he would probably never mature beyond a 6-year old. Both being teachers, they did everything in their power to help him. It's the reason I spent those summers in Vermont with my grandparents. He stuttered so they sent him for speech therapy but nothing helped -- until he turned 18 -- when two or three beers had him speaking perfectly. Mom and Dad's tutoring helped **** a lot and he graduated second in his high school with straight As. For fun he designed board games: one was a Civil War game where a roll of the dice and a card with the Generals' strengths and the size of the army determined the likelihood of victory. The South won the war one out of four times. His other game also involved dice and cards but was Baseball. He memorized every players' statistics and the dice determined strikeout, walk, single, double, etc. He could do square roots in his head and multiply or divide any two numbers. He was the lead trumpeter in the High School band and Mom and Dad set him up with a private teacher. The teacher made a comment about the shape of ****'s mouth and how difficult playing the trumpet would be. That was his last lesson and he never played the trumpet again.

**** was on Deans list at Middlebury College all through his Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years. Between his Sophomore and Junior years he traveled through Europe and my parent joined him in England for the last few weeks. Mom and Dad drove **** to Middlebury to start his Senior year and a week later he told them he couldn't go on -- he was losing his mind. They brought him home, took him to a psychiatrist and the doctor said he needed electroshock therapy. After the last treatment the doctor warned that he would regain his memory slowly and therefore had to be watched 24/7 -- in the event a traumatic childhood memory would return. **** spent his days with Liane (we were married and had our own place) and each day she would teach him to play Hearts (again). By Thanksgiving 1963 he was doing better and could stay at my parents' home by himself. He had a standing appointment with the psychiatrist every Friday and I would stop to see him daily at lunch between Post Office deliveries. He told me he wished he could give me his college credits because he couldn't use them. Turns out he found that letter from his pediatrician in my father's office when he was looking for his Passport. To say my brother was sensitive would be an understatement.

The week after Christmas 1963, my father told my brother it was time to go back to school. If he doubled up his course load he's be able to graduate on time. They argued and **** thought he won, expecting to stay home longer. On January 2, 1964 Dad said "I'm your father and you'll do as I say." The next morning my mother left her Triumph Herald at home so **** could drive himself to the doctor. Instead of going to the doctor, my brother went in the garage with the vacuum cleaner hose and hooked it up to the exhaust and into the car. Mom found him that evening after she came home from work. **** was 21 when he died and at 19, I was the only one capable of arranging his funeral. It was my first funeral and I learned some hard lessons, paying too much and making it last way too long. At the end of 3 days looking at him lying in the casket, I didn't want to let him go. Since then our funerals are short, closed casket or no funeral, cremation and a memorial service a month or two later.

Dad never told Mom about the last fight (he told me that night). She believed **** was inconsolable over John Kennedy's assassination. Dad passed away Thanksgiving Day 1968 at age 55 in his first month of retirement. Mom died Mother's Day 2008 at 95.

oldironfarmer said:

No! Bob NO!!! Don't listen to this craziness!!

I'm sure you learned the rule of unintended consequences during your career. The less information shared with your wife the fewer unintended consequences you'll have to forever live with.

By the way, I got worried when you said you had a screw loose, then was thinking of an inspection camera when you lost your screw. When you can remember you've got it, it can be really handy. Mine has a magnet attachment which goes on the camera. Seems like that would be handy. Getting ready to install my distributor I used the camera to see the oil pump slot location. That was nice.

Carry on.

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Andy, we have a deal. If she complains about a tool, she has to listen to my extremely long-winded justification. Even she doesn't have that much time to waste.

drivesitfar said:

Andy: OK I admit i've given my bride my password to GJ and she never has logged on. i've read her a few posts mainly cause I probably almost raised the dead with my laughter, but for the most part she understands it's like i'm writing a novel and i have daily readers on the pre manuscript.

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Drives, Liane wants nothing to do with technology. She wants her rotary dial phone back. I have shown her where every password is stored so she can give it to one of our children to get to important records. I have shown her my posts and it's about as interesting to her as one of my poops in the toilet bowl. The only time she shows any interest is when I show her the online price for something she plans to buy at a store. She gives me the tag from her bra and tells me to order two more every once in a while. She doesn't have a cell phone and when the car won't start she goes in a store and asks if anyone has a phone. She then gives them our number because she has no clue how to use it. The TV and Cable box are in her wheelhouse but I don't actually understand how she uses it.

Bob: ok so i should have said DON'T HAVE YOUR BRIDE READ YOUR THREAD cause there are consequences, but showing her you are using the tools you buy to fix or make stuff better is what a lot of members could learn from us with more than a few tools that seem to keep buying more. you seem to have found the happy spot in your tool buying, but for a lot of guys especially the younger guys they need to know now or they may never get to buy those tools.

carry on and I bet you'd still give Andy a run for his money even with one arm tied behind your back like he suggested over on his thread cause I just know you'd GET R DONE SOMEHOW.

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I bought a new 4-inch wide trenching shovel last year and when Liane found it, she was really happy that I had bought it for her. It is just right for digging a small hole for a plant. As long as my tools are not using her precious clothing and linen closet space, there is no problem.

I think Andy was suggesting tying my one arm behind my back. He will do anything to win.

driftpin said:

A good job on the screw retrieval. I always get a sinking pit of the stomach as the errant part pinballs its way into some nether region. The frustrating part is of course the failure to locate and to retrieve it.

Have you ever attempted to locate the first by dropping another to see where it lands? That's my last-ditch method.

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Philip, before I bought the camera that's exactly what I did. It actually worked when I needed it most. I dropped a bolt for the A/C compressor on the Corvette. I thought I'd just buy another but when the lowest price I found was $14, I went back and dropped another similar size bolt -- it landed in the radiator fan shroud, right next to the real one.

I've also vacuumed around and then opened the shop vac to see what was picked up. Sometimes it works. I find it interesting that dropped parts seem to defy the law of conservation of energy. On their way to freedom, they must absorb energy then released once it lands, rolling to a nether location impossible to imagine it making it to from where it was dropped. Small springs are my bane. I disassemble things like carbs in cake tins (please don't inform the missus), boxes, or some other impromptu containment vessel.

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I use those free LED flashlights from Harbor Freight. Lay it down on the floor and sweep in a circle -- I often see a little gleam from the spring/screw/nut -- but as often find solder balls and slivers of plastic packaging.

I also have a HFT color LED inspection camera which has proven useful. I bought it because my in-laws, whom I loved, had a cat in their wall. I used the camera to locate which part of the stud wall held the kitten & used my reciprocating saw to open a retrieval point. Two days later, another kitten! I guess a cat had a litter under the house or used it as shelter. No re-occurrances. I sealed everywhere that was open.

My in-laws were wonderful hard-working people who fled Communism in Cuba after Castro came to power. My FIL was almost lost to a military squad that came looking for him but a neighbor who was a physician hid him in his home, at great risk. They were able to get their only child out but were prohibited from leaving with her. They immediately sent her on a plane to Miami (see Operation Peter Pan) but were kept in Cuba 2-1/2 more years before they were stripped of their home, their savings, and all possessions. They were taken to Havana Airport and arrived in Miami only with what they wore, in their mid-50's. They lived to ages 98 and 99. They started and ran their own business, bought a home, and helped raise two grandchildren. They were both cancer survivors. My wife was always the best-dressed child in school as her mom was a tailor and she made all their clothes.

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My mother grew up in the Depression and had to make her own clothes. She also made some of mine but I can't say it always made me the best-dressed in my crowd.

I think of them every day. They sacrificed a great deal to have their child raised outside Communism, they would have been the first to inform you it was worth the sacrifice. Sometimes personal tragedies allow people to show what they're capable of doing in the face of adversity.

My wife will never return to Cuba while it is Communist. She supports what used to be two elderly aunts, but one died this year. They probably would have both died by now without her buying them food, and sending them supplies.

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rmalkow2 said:

I keep getting tempted to buy one of those inspection camera's or possibly a borescope attachment for my iPhone but then not sure how often I would use it. But your experience with the bleeder screw reminded me of how often I have played engine compartment pinball with a dropped screw, nut or bolt so maybe that's a good enough reason to use that next 25% off coupon that comes out. Good work on all your recent projects Bob.

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Bob, thank you for your kind comments. I think I bought it when it was on sale. I already had a camera on a cable but it was next to useless having to hook it up to a computer. This HF camera works just fine but I couldn't get it to fit in the spark plug holes on either of the Corvettes.

Duker said:

^^^ what he said....

Glad to see that the Florida crew survived the storm. We have some friends who were in the path of the storm but very fortunate in that three trees dropped all around the house but none hit the house itself. They sent us some pictures of their neighborhood and it looks pretty bad so happy to read you guys faired ok.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

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Duker, thank you! We have been close to quite a few storms but even the ones where the eye passed over us have been mild. Wilma was the worst and it lifted concrete roof tiles from our roof. Still nothing compared to the recent storms. It's amazing how much difference 20 or 30 miles makes. Andrew passed 50 miles south of us and all we lost were a few leaves and palm fronds.

shortykorte said:

Hope the bumper cover paint job goes better this round.

Are you adding any additives since it will be on plastic?

I’ve thought about the camera myself. Definitely useful when you need it. As they say, the job is always easier if you use the right tool.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Stewart, I worked on the crossmember again today. It looks like we may have some relatively dry days this week (30% chance is dry I guess). The urethane I'm using for both base and clear is very flexible and I'm told flex additives won't make it better. We'll see.

I don't usually splurge on high priced tools or gadgets. I buy used/refurbished computers, phones and other stuff with my comfort zone fading when the price exceeds $100. I think I paid about $50 for the camera.

Bob!

Thanks for taking the time to talk about your brother mate. I love talking about my brother, but it's not always easy.

It's 10 years since my brother Anthony passed on, and some days it still feels like I saw him yesterday. I hope I still get that feeling after 55.

My brother was 2 years younger, 4 inches shorter and 20 kilos lighter, but I looked up to him in a lot of ways.

He wasn't as good academically as I was, and struggled to find his feet career wise, but man he was a ****** natural at everything else. He was ridiculously good at any sport he tried, had a fantastic sense of humour, always had a silly grin on his face and the ladies loved him (though most of the time he'd rather be out on his bike).

Speaking of bikes, he was one of the fastest riders I've met, effortlessly quick on and off road. That's actually him in my profile pic. That's at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney, I was just behind him. That bike of his is in my garage now, and I love it dearly.

After a few different jobs in his teens, he eventually got an apprenticeship as a motorbike mechanic and took to it like a duck to water. By the time he got sick he was the head mechanic at Ducati Canberra.

Cheers to long lost brothers. Both the ones our parents gave us, and the ones we meet along the way.

Mega post, Bob!

Thanks for allowing us to all remember and admire ****.

Thank you for telling us about your brother. You grew up in a hurry. I hope the good memories are more numerous for you. Losing a parent when young is a sad time.

Bob, it took me three times to get through your post. It had nothing to do with grammar or sentence structure.

TwoBytes said:

Bob!

Thanks for taking the time to talk about your brother mate. I love talking about my brother, but it's not always easy.

It's 10 years since my brother Anthony passed on, and some days it still feels like I saw him yesterday. I hope I still get that feeling after 55.

My brother was 2 years younger, 4 inches shorter and 20 kilos lighter, but I looked up to him in a lot of ways.

He wasn't as good academically as I was, and struggled to find his feet career wise, but man he was a ****** natural at everything else. He was ridiculously good at any sport he tried, had a fantastic sense of humour, always had a silly grin on his face and the ladies loved him (though most of the time he'd rather be out on his bike).

Speaking of bikes, he was one of the fastest riders I've met, effortlessly quick on and off road. That's actually him in my profile pic. That's at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney, I was just behind him. That bike of his is in my garage now, and I love it dearly.

After a few different jobs in his teens, he eventually got an apprenticeship as a motorbike mechanic and took to it like a duck to water. By the time he got sick he was the head mechanic at Ducati Canberra.

Cheers to long lost brothers. Both the ones our parents gave us, and the ones we meet along the way.

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Mat, like you, I am very proud of my brother. He loved sports but wasn't real good at them. He ran the mile on the track team in spring and cross country in the fall. He spent one summer playing badminton with my father and when I came home in the fall we played for a week or two. It was fun until I started beating him. I couldn't stand to see him so angry and frustrated so we stopped. To this day I don't watch sports because it isn't fun for me without him reciting each player's statistics.

In a way I feel like I know your younger brother. I salute him and I know you'll never forget him. I don't think of **** every day now but he is on my mind at every big and small event in my life. He knew my children (a 14-month old and a 2 month old) but never met his nine grand-nieces and grand-nephews or his great grand nephew.

I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse but our long lost brothers don't age. I never think of **** as an old man but he would be 76 now.

oldironfarmer said:

Mega post, Bob!

Thanks for allowing us to all remember and admire ****.

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Andy, **** was my hero, friend and enemy and I am proud to share his story.

driftpin said:

Thank you for telling us about your brother. You grew up in a hurry. I hope the good memories are more numerous for you. Losing a parent when young is a sad time.

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Philip, you are most welcome. I did grow up in a hurry -- I waited until I was 17 to get married. Had I waited much longer my father wouldn't have known my children at all. I did not get along with my father growing up. Everything I loved he called frivolous, being a B student was a total failure and spending time together was torture for both of us. After my brother's death, we grew closer and after my accident, he changed more than I did. He actually told me he loved me for the first time in the hospital. Just as we grew closer, he passed away.

bolensboneyard said:

Bob, it took me three times to get through your post. It had nothing to do with grammar or sentence structure.

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Bobby, telling that story wasn't meant to sadden anyone. I had a brilliant and wonderful brother who didn't believe he was brilliant or wonderful. We have a few regrets, like not telling my brother he could move in with us. But coulda, woulda, shoulda isn't helpful.

On a happier note, I made progress on the crossmember yesterday. At minimum wage I've already spent more than $100 to fix it but Vieux was watching so it had to be fixed. In addition to thanking Vladamir, who showed me how so many broken things can be fixed, I have to thank Robert (MP&C) for showing me how to make metal behave. Wouldn't have even tried this without their inspiring threads.

The hydraulic press worked so well I felt I had to make a small mechanical press. A bolt, matching nut and some thick wall stainless tubing already on hand...


...became a press...


...with the help of a couple of wrenches.


It took a while but with some body hammer tapping while the press was putting pressure on the steel, it started really straightening out.


The screws are 1/4-20 and are in the enlarged sheet metal screw holes meant to hold the bumper cover in place. I'm putting that reinforcing bar in there as well so I need the stronger attachment. Rather than thread the sheet metal, I plan to weld those three 1/4-20 square nuts to the back side.


I finished the day by test fitting the crossmember in place. It fits just fine so it's on to welding, priming and painting.

Bob, I'm always amazed at you. Your post about **** is heartbreaking and amazing at the same time. And nice job on the subframe repair.

xtremek said:

Bob, I'm always amazed at you. Your post about **** is heartbreaking and amazing at the same time. And nice job on the subframe repair.

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^^^^^ yes sir.


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Bob, always entertaining, informative and/or moving. Looking forward to an opportunity to visit Delray Beach and Boca.

Pride of ownership right there, good work sometimes is more satisfying than buying a replacement and installing it. I probably would have been going to work at the fire department and using a porta power but since I'm retired your method would work for me in my 'stay-at-home' status.

A beautiful post about your brother, thank you Bob.

I'm always impressed with your car repairs, you put some of us to shame, mostly ME.

Steve

Ps. It's a bit chilly here in the mornings and SWMBO has started wearing the
unused winter coat she bought from a Boca thrift shop. i can understand a water proof coat but a winter coat, in Boca.

Bob what great memories and the story about your brother. God bless him.

Oh and your savvy mechanic work. I wish you good luck on your painting. It didn't work on mine so maybe it will take on yours.

Bret

Damn you're good!!

You'll save your little jack, of course.

Crossmember looks great Bub.

Bob, great post about your brother.

xtremek said:

Bob, I'm always amazed at you. Your post about **** is heartbreaking and amazing at the same time. And nice job on the subframe repair.

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I couldn't have said it better.



Sent from my SM-G950F using The Garage Journal mobile app

After reading about your improvised spreader, I found this. A Vise-Grip-type spreader tool.

https://goo.gl/images/aNH3LP

Bob, your work amazes me and inspires me both.

Thank you for sharing the story of your brother, I'm sure that wasn't easy.