All things Automobile - THE definitive car thread

I'll double-check, but, I believe it's 100LL.

100LL is only "Low Lead" compared to other blends of avgas. But it still has lead, and you really don't want it being absorbed through your skin - something that occurs quite easily with gasolines.

Oh, I know. My little 1-gal jug didn't like the excessive pressure the pump unleashed. The pump hadn't done that, in the past, so I ended up getting it on my hand and ground.

I was born, in '68. We thought nothing of using gasoline and bare hands to clean parts, get road oil off vehicles, etc. I wear gloves, anytime I work on anything, now. Funny, how things change.

BG44K gas treatment will dissolve the paraffin stuff, won't it? I think that is one of its claims.

That's good stuff, but I don't know for sure if it will.

Believe it or not, I've been quite impressed with Pine-Sol for carb dunking.

So when I end up with cancer I'll blame all the parts washing with gasoline that I did as a young man.

Good 'Ol Pine-Sol works great as a degreaser. I completely degreased an entire engine, disassembled, in a big plastic tub filled with Pine-Sol/water. The machine shop was impressed with how clean and bare the iron was. I let it soak for about three days.

I'm of the same generation. Some of my ex co-workers from the car biz have no ill effects whatsoever. Some have significant skin issues from repeated exposure. Some are survivors of less common cancers not normally contracted at the ages the disease showed up. Some are dead.

Was any of this caused by exposure to gasoline, asbestos, solvents, or the plethora of other petroleum products and chemicals associated with working in garages throughout the '80's, 90's, and early 2000's? We'll never know, but I can guarantee it didn't help!

Ok. First off this is not the Raptor that did the jump in the wtf thread. We did supercharge this one and finished today.







I didn't get crazy test driving it as it only has 23 miles on it and that is the owners job but low end it is awesome and it sounds great with the Roush Exhaust. 590 claimed HP 570 lbs of torque. It is nice doing this when everything is brand new.

The boost gauge is kind of cool as the pod takes the place of the vent with airflow still going around it.

I guess that boost is doing it's job if you're getting 6.4 mpg. Ouch. Remind me not to get a supercharged raptor when looking for an economical commuter car.

One thing most people don't get is that is an average and this truck has just a few miles on it most of the time it has ran at idle checking for leaks after install that is 0 mpg.

I know. And anyway, I don't think that potential raptor owners will really give a shit about mileage. . . . just had to point it out.

If you are looking for economy supercharging a 6.2L V-8 isn't exactly how I would go about it.

I assume you Raptor enthusiasts have seen this.

Picked out a 2013 Yukon XL for my business trip to Wisconsin. If you don't have an army of kids, who the hell needs a school bus like this. Good doG this thing is huge. The highway ride/maneuverability reminds of my parents floating 1974 Town Car.

Not too long I bought a parts washer for my home shop....in shopping around I found that water based cleaners are about all you can come by anymore.....and they all work about equal no matter whos name is on the side of the can.

I ended up using PSC1000 from tractor supply, the key with me was I wanted it to not freeze in the winter, shop is un heated while I am not in it......seems to be doing an ok job.

If you can stretch to mid-20's, I just drove a Ford C-Max and was really impressed. Very quiet, good handling, good ride (firm without being harsh at all), the seats were very comfortable & supportive with good adjustability, tilt & telescope steering wheel, lots of back seat room, and a decent cargo area. The battery pack eats into cargo space a bit by raising the floor about 3 inches, but it also means that when the rear seats fold down, the cargo area is totally flat. Very high quality dash & door materials, although the rear door cards are hard plastic.

The CVT was nice, and didn't have that mooing shitbox attitude that the Scion IQ I drove a couple weeks ago had. Hybrid brakes tend to be a little grabby when you first toe into them, and the C-Max's are no exception, but the grabbiness is minor and by the second stop I had it figured out. Surprising power...picked up to highway speeds much more quickly and with far less drama than I was expecting. The steering was nicely weighted, quite quick, and very direct. The test drive was a mix of city, highway, and suburban areas with hills thrown in on each, and at the end the computer said I had averaged 44 mpg. Several times on the highway I was running battery only on level stretches, and a fair chunk of the rest of the test was on battery only. The transition between battery only and engine driven was totally seamless.

I liked it a lot. It drove like a good-handling, reasonably quick, normal car.

Eh. As many miles as I expect to put on it, I'm not ready to trust a hybrid yet. I'm finally to the point of price shopping dealers. The first one flat out said no, and left it at that. I guess I'll have to go a bit higher to the next guy.

Actually, we do know. Bladder cancer is one of the nasty side effects of using parts cleaning solvents with bare hands. Doesn't happen to everyone, but the incidence rates are higher. If you're interested, I'll see if I can dig up a legitimate source. (As if I am not a legitimate source. )

Don't need it. That's one of the cancers one of my co-workers was afflicted with. It showed up in his mid 40's.