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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

That project is, however, some serious DIY. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

Oil change was easy, of course. The Trans Cooler was kind of a pain in the ass. I didn't want to use the mounting kit they sent because it involved pushing plastic straps through the radiator and condensor and anchoring the cooler directly to the condenser and frankly I just didn't have a good feeling about having something poking through those components. I fabricated some mounting brackets out of some metal straps I bought at lowes. Lots of cutting, grinding, shaping there; took all freaking day to get it right, especially since I opted not to remove the grill.

Cooler is mounted with about an inch and a half between it and the condenser, so there's lots of room for air circulation. I still need to run the lines. I could not find round edge clamps anywhere in this town so I will have to order off Amazon (don't want to use regular hose clamps on a soft hose). Will finish this up one night this week, more than likely.
 
Oil change was easy, of course. The Trans Cooler was kind of a pain in the ass. I didn't want to use the mounting kit they sent because it involved pushing plastic straps through the radiator and condensor and anchoring the cooler directly to the condenser and frankly I just didn't have a good feeling about having something poking through those components. I fabricated some mounting brackets out of some metal straps I bought at lowes. Lots of cutting, grinding, shaping there; took all freaking day to get it right, especially since I opted not to remove the grill.

Cooler is mounted with about an inch and a half between it and the condenser, so there's lots of room for air circulation. I still need to run the lines. I could not find round edge clamps anywhere in this town so I will have to order off Amazon (don't want to use regular hose clamps on a soft hose). Will finish this up one night this week, more than likely.

Sometimes you have to wonder what kit makers were thinking. Not very smart to have something go through your condenser and radiator, and be tight against the condenser where it can vibrate and rub. Fabricating your own parts to eliminate that is major DIY.
 
Sometimes you have to wonder what kit makers were thinking. Not very smart to have something go through your condenser and radiator, and be tight against the condenser where it can vibrate and rub. Fabricating your own parts to eliminate that is major DIY.

Yeah, I'm really baffled at the idea. It must be ok to do that or the manufacturer wouldn't send you those parts, but something protruding through the radiator/condenser just seems like a big 'no-go' to me.

The brackets I built are pretty....crude. I won't win any design contests, but in this case I'm taking function over form.
 
Yeah, I'm really baffled at the idea. It must be ok to do that or the manufacturer wouldn't send you those parts, but something protruding through the radiator/condenser just seems like a big 'no-go' to me.

The brackets I built are pretty....crude. I won't win any design contests, but in this case I'm taking function over form.

If the transmission cooler kit didn't come from Jeep, whoever made it may have been in the "what's easy to do" and IDGAF whether it eventually wears through the condenser and/or radiator.
 
If I go buy a seat wrench, a socket wrench, some plumbers grease and a washer, is it as simple as these directions make it look to repair my leaky tub faucet?

http://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/repairing-a-leaky-bath-faucet/

I've had a plumber fix the same leaky faucet twice in the past year or so. Something in there is just tearing up the washers. My ultimate plan is to replace the knobs/faucet entirely and do a shower overhaul (add water cut-offs at the tub lines, raise the shower head) but I can't afford that right now. Buying the tools might be slightly more expensive than calling the plumber this once, but more cost effective if I would need to call the plumber again before I can do the full replacement.
 
it is if that's what's causing the leak. wakka wakka.

but seriously, that's an easy fix you can try cheaply before calling joe. That is to say, I would definitely attempt it. It'll probably a little more obnoxious than the video shows, b/c it always is.

also, i'd go to Sears and buy a craftsman socket set just to have. You can get a good set on sale usually for somewhere around $70-90.
 
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what else do you use a socket wrench for? $70-90 on some wrenches would almost cover two plumber visits. It looks like I can get a shower valve socket wrench set for $20 at Lowe's.
 
you have a house, right? sockets are useful for all kinds of repair tasks, basic car stuff included. You'll start to notice that everything has a damn bolt that needs to be loosened and using pliers or a wrench sucks and ruins the bolt. Also, do you have yard/lawnmower?
 
you have a house, right? sockets are useful for all kinds of repair tasks, basic car stuff included. You'll start to notice that everything has a damn bolt that needs to be loosened and using pliers or a wrench sucks and ruins the bolt. Also, do you have yard/lawnmower?

I do have a house and a yard and a mower. I don't do too many things myself and would never mess around with my car. Might go with the cheap set for now then give you the opportunity for "I told you so" if I find the need for a nicer set in the future.
 
well, i bought one b/c i started to do some basic car stuff when i lived in Maine and rented but i use them a lot now around the house. I find that i have to do regular maintenance on the mower or it starts to run poorly and i also have a snow blower and a riding mower now. #suburbia. Most of it is easy, Youtube-able video type things, but it does save time/money on hiring maintenance guys.
 
what else do you use a socket wrench for? $70-90 on some wrenches would almost cover two plumber visits. It looks like I can get a shower valve socket wrench set for $20 at Lowe's.

I know I shouldn't be surprised that in NC you can get a plumber to come out for $50, but I still am.
 
I know I shouldn't be surprised that in NC you can get a plumber to come out for $50, but I still am.

I don't remember how much it was the time he came out just for the leaky faucet, but I think it was $40-50. I mean he was only there for like 10 minutes probably. The first time I called him, he fixed the leaky tub faucet and replaced the hot and cold water connectors at the washing machine and all that was only $95.
 
If I go buy a seat wrench, a socket wrench, some plumbers grease and a washer, is it as simple as these directions make it look to repair my leaky tub faucet?

http://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/repairing-a-leaky-bath-faucet/

I've had a plumber fix the same leaky faucet twice in the past year or so. Something in there is just tearing up the washers. My ultimate plan is to replace the knobs/faucet entirely and do a shower overhaul (add water cut-offs at the tub lines, raise the shower head) but I can't afford that right now. Buying the tools might be slightly more expensive than calling the plumber this once, but more cost effective if I would need to call the plumber again before I can do the full replacement.

One thing to check is to make sure that the seat is removable before you try to do that. Not all faucets have removable seats. The seat is probably corroded and rough, that is why the washers go so fast. If you have removable ones, the by all means replace them. If not, sometimes they can be ground down to make a smoother surface.

The set of plumbers sockets is different from regular socket wrenches. The plumbers socket wrenches are deeper and in bigger sizes than the regular socket sets. Get the plumbers set if you plan to do this.

A note on the video: when he put the new washer on, it was kinda wavy. That shouldn't be. The new washer should fit snugly inside the lip on the bottom of the stem and sit flat (unless you put in a beveled washer-they are used for some faucets). If it doesn't fit inside (even with effort), get a smaller washer. They make multiple sizes and the sizing is very, very weird (Sizes 00, 0, 1/4, 1/4L and 3/8). It is best to put the size marked side of the washer against the bottom of the stem.

Also, if the bottom of the stem is corroded and doesn't have a nice smooth lip for the washer, get a new stem. They usually aren't expensive (less than $10). Don't assume that because your plumber used it that the stem is "good." He may not have had the proper size stem and didn't want to go get one.
 
deaconblue always saves the day, man.


but i kind of disagree about the plumber's sockets thing, bc you can probably get by with the deeper sockets that come with a larger generic set. You'll have problems with a $20 10-piece super-basic set.
 
Thanks guys.

The plumber offered to do a more expensive fix (something about smoothing down the thing that's messing up the washers) and I declined, since I thought I was going to be doing a full plumbing replacement soon. Then I found out that my furnace is kaput and I need to replace it/get a heat pump, so the bathroom reno is getting put on the back burner. I should have watched more carefully what he did when he replaced the washer last time(s). This is my only bathroom so if I mess it up, I can't shower (or turn the water back on...) until I can get a plumber out! :eek:hnoes:
 
Plumbers sockets are different from regular sockets in two important ways. There is a reason the video showed plumbers sockets being used and not regular large deep well sockets. Plumbers sockets are deeper by at least an inch than regular deep sockets. Also, they are open at the other end so there is room for the faucet handle end of the stem to protrude through if need be. Neither will be the case with standard sockets. the socket handle (usually a ratchet) goes in the end of the regular socket, while the plumbers socket has a simple metal bar handle that goes through the side and leaves room for the stem end. A large enough standard socket set that includes larger size deep well sockets is also gonna set you back some serious coin. Like over $100. A basic set of plumbers sockets is around $20 in my neck of the woods.

Both things have their uses, but for this project, a plumbers socket set is the way to go.

That Teflon(r) plumbers tape is the way to go on the threads. less than a dollar for a pack that will last a long time - if you don't lose it before you need it again.

Also, plumbers grease goes on the inside threaded part of the stem, where it moves to turn the water on and off. It is by design, not water soluble, so somewhat difficult to get off fingers. Use a que tip.
 
Thanks guys.

The plumber offered to do a more expensive fix (something about smoothing down the thing that's messing up the washers) and I declined, since I thought I was going to be doing a full plumbing replacement soon. Then I found out that my furnace is kaput and I need to replace it/get a heat pump, so the bathroom reno is getting put on the back burner. I should have watched more carefully what he did when he replaced the washer last time(s). This is my only bathroom so if I mess it up, I can't shower (or turn the water back on...) until I can get a plumber out! :eek:hnoes:

Well, if the plumber told you he would have to smooth the seat (and not replace it) then your faucet must be one of those without removable seats. So no need for a seat tool.

Sounds like you need to get the set of plumbers sockets and a pack of faucet washers in the proper size. You will be going through them more and more quickly. The roughness on the seat is caused by corrosion on the seat which will continue to get worse. The U tube video, with the caveat I mentioned earlier, is a good lesson in doing this chore. It can be just a few minutes, particularly once you've had some practice. Good luck.

Smoothing a seat is not hard, its just tedious. It is similar to sanding a board smooth. I prefer a spherical grind stone with a metal shank. the ball should look and feel like its made of emery board material. The size should be bigger than the seat, but small enough to fit down the hole. Usually around 3/4 inch. Then its a matter of rotating the grind stone on the seat, checking every few minutes to see if it is smooth. Your finger, feel is good for that. Feel before you start, and work until you get it smoother. Perfection isn't necessary, but the closer to perfectly smooth, the better for your next washer. An electric drill takes some of the drudgery out of this, but doing this by hand also works.
 
Well I bought all the tools (and like 8 sizes of washers) and gave it all the muscle I have, and I could not get the valve thing loose. And now it seems to be leaking worse since I put it back together. I was rather looking forward to fixing something myself but now I spent $40 on tools and still have to call the plumber.

Also I need to do something about my whole house water valve... it took me like 10 minutes of awkward turning to get the water shut off. Maybe I can get it replaced with a lever instead of a knob. It's behind the sewer line or something so all the turning has to be sort of a side-hand angle.
 
Anybody ever replaced their headliner in their car by themselves?
 
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