Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Well, So Much for "Be Back Later"!
DUH...posted that on Tuesday, and here it is Sunday.
Museum Ships Weekend went well on the Iowa. We made about 350 contacts, and the guys running the "Legacy Equipment" (the 1980's Navy-installed gear) made about 50 contacts.
If you worked NI6BB and want a QSL card, follow the directions on the NI6BB QRZ.com webpage. I can't link to it, as QRZ does not allow direct links; you must be logged-in on the QRZ page to do lookups.
I spent my "shift" for the legacy guys down in the transmitter room. I don't care to operate the Navy-installed equipment even though I have, as it's all tied through a telephone-type handset. Not my style of operating, but I'll support the guys when they need it.
Got the differential lube changed in the Supra. The "Mark II" Supras only have 1.3 quarts in the differential, which is pretty "light", so keeping fresh lube in it helps preserve the parts inside.
Getting the fill plug out was a pain, as it's a "Low Profile" hex plug, and they're usually in there "Gorilla Tight", which means you DO NOT use a typical box-end wrench or 12-point socket to get the plug out.
The wrench WILL slip off the plug, and you'll round the corners off, making it even more difficult to remove. I know people that wound up pulling the cast aluminum differential cover off the car so they could get the plug out!
Instead, use a 1/2" drive SIX POINT socket with a 1/2" drive breaker bar. PUSH DOWN on the socket with one hand to keep it in place, and smack the breaker bar with 5 or 6 pound "Hand Sledge" (or what my son calls my "BFH"), and after a couple of good whacks, the plug will come loose.
I refilled the differential with Red Line synthetic 75W90 GL-5 gear lube, with 2 oz (half a bottle) of their synthetic limited slip additive.
I just took the car down off the jack stands, and I'm going to take her out for a nice little Sunday Drive to get the transmission lube nice and hot, and then drain and refill the trans with Red Line synthetic MT90 gear oil.
One "bonus" to using the Red Line synthetic products is that they don't stink to High Heaven the way "regular" gear lube does.
And since the easiest way to refill the trans in the car is to pour in the 2.5 quarts of MT90 in through the top, AND most of the interior is out so I can get started on installing the new carpet, I'll just pull a few bolts and remove the shifter mechanism from the top, and pour the fresh lube in through there.
And since the shifter will be out, I'll replace it with the "Short Throw" unit I bought a while back from Raptor Racing, one of the very few places that sells aftermarket parts for these cars.
Time to go for a drive!
****************************************************
Car is up on jacks, and the trans is draining. The drain plug came out fine, but the fill plug is being obstinate. It's not critical to get the fill plug out, as once I pull the OEM shifter, I can pour the 2.5 qts in through the top before I replace the shifter with my new one.
I'll just have to jack the car up a bit more and reposition the jack stands to get a better "angle" on my ratchet handle so I can PULLLLL harder on it.
I tried the breaker bar first, but there's not quite enough room to get the socket on the plug using the breaker bar as the head is thicker than my 1/2" drive ratchet/socket combo....
Museum Ships Weekend went well on the Iowa. We made about 350 contacts, and the guys running the "Legacy Equipment" (the 1980's Navy-installed gear) made about 50 contacts.
If you worked NI6BB and want a QSL card, follow the directions on the NI6BB QRZ.com webpage. I can't link to it, as QRZ does not allow direct links; you must be logged-in on the QRZ page to do lookups.
I spent my "shift" for the legacy guys down in the transmitter room. I don't care to operate the Navy-installed equipment even though I have, as it's all tied through a telephone-type handset. Not my style of operating, but I'll support the guys when they need it.
Got the differential lube changed in the Supra. The "Mark II" Supras only have 1.3 quarts in the differential, which is pretty "light", so keeping fresh lube in it helps preserve the parts inside.
Getting the fill plug out was a pain, as it's a "Low Profile" hex plug, and they're usually in there "Gorilla Tight", which means you DO NOT use a typical box-end wrench or 12-point socket to get the plug out.
The wrench WILL slip off the plug, and you'll round the corners off, making it even more difficult to remove. I know people that wound up pulling the cast aluminum differential cover off the car so they could get the plug out!
Instead, use a 1/2" drive SIX POINT socket with a 1/2" drive breaker bar. PUSH DOWN on the socket with one hand to keep it in place, and smack the breaker bar with 5 or 6 pound "Hand Sledge" (or what my son calls my "BFH"), and after a couple of good whacks, the plug will come loose.
I refilled the differential with Red Line synthetic 75W90 GL-5 gear lube, with 2 oz (half a bottle) of their synthetic limited slip additive.
I just took the car down off the jack stands, and I'm going to take her out for a nice little Sunday Drive to get the transmission lube nice and hot, and then drain and refill the trans with Red Line synthetic MT90 gear oil.
One "bonus" to using the Red Line synthetic products is that they don't stink to High Heaven the way "regular" gear lube does.
And since the easiest way to refill the trans in the car is to pour in the 2.5 quarts of MT90 in through the top, AND most of the interior is out so I can get started on installing the new carpet, I'll just pull a few bolts and remove the shifter mechanism from the top, and pour the fresh lube in through there.
And since the shifter will be out, I'll replace it with the "Short Throw" unit I bought a while back from Raptor Racing, one of the very few places that sells aftermarket parts for these cars.
Time to go for a drive!
****************************************************
Car is up on jacks, and the trans is draining. The drain plug came out fine, but the fill plug is being obstinate. It's not critical to get the fill plug out, as once I pull the OEM shifter, I can pour the 2.5 qts in through the top before I replace the shifter with my new one.
I'll just have to jack the car up a bit more and reposition the jack stands to get a better "angle" on my ratchet handle so I can PULLLLL harder on it.
I tried the breaker bar first, but there's not quite enough room to get the socket on the plug using the breaker bar as the head is thicker than my 1/2" drive ratchet/socket combo....
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Busy Day....Be Back Later!
Title says it all.
Have some errands to run, and then I'll be back with a post about Museum Ships Weekend on the Iowa!
Have some errands to run, and then I'll be back with a post about Museum Ships Weekend on the Iowa!
Friday, June 3, 2016
Supra Passed Smog.....BARELY....
Passed fine on NOX this time, but just barely squeaked by on HC.
Max limit is 130ppm, and the car tested at 129ppm.
That's a bit too close!
The test tech agreed that the converter should probably be replaced, based on the numbers out of the tailpipe.
SO....I now have until next April to get a converter, and install it.
Magnaflow never replied to my emails, and never called back like they said they would, so even if they make a converter that actually fits my car, I won't be buying one.
Walker makes one, and I'll probably get that one.
Max limit is 130ppm, and the car tested at 129ppm.
That's a bit too close!
The test tech agreed that the converter should probably be replaced, based on the numbers out of the tailpipe.
SO....I now have until next April to get a converter, and install it.
Magnaflow never replied to my emails, and never called back like they said they would, so even if they make a converter that actually fits my car, I won't be buying one.
Walker makes one, and I'll probably get that one.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
YAY! Supra's All Back Together Again, and the EGR System WORKS!
Whew........watta PITA, though.
To start with, I followed the recommendations of the celicasupra forum members who have been down this path, and took everything apart to clean it.
The first problem came when I took the EGR valve off the "Upper Intake Manifold". The valve is held on by nuts on studs, and taking the nuts off freed the valve up, BUT the big line bringing the exhaust gas to the valve was rigidly mounted. The 27mm (!!) nut came off OK, but the rigid mounting of the pipe, and the studs protruding through the valve mounting flange, didn't allow for much movement.
So, like a dummy, I grabbed my BIG pry bar, and pried the valve off.
Guess what? The valve is made of very thin section CAST iron, and the threaded part had two sections break loose from the rest of it.
GROAN!
I used some good old, field-proven "JB Weld", and bonded the pieces back together. After letting it sit in the hot sun for several days, I cleaned the JB Weld off the threads with some jeweler's files, and used a sanding drum in my Dremel tool to clean up the back side where the inlet tube slides into it.
In order to put it all back together when all the cleaning was finished, and not fight getting the valve over the studs while trying to get it to line up with the exhaust gas pipe, I pulled the studs out of the manifold, chased the threads on both ends of the studs, the hold-down nuts, and the threads in the manifold so they'd all go together "finger easy", as it's a cramped spot to work on.
I knocked the core plug loose from the manifold at the passage junction where the exhaust gas dumps into the manifold via a small, pressed-in brass tube, and found the brass tube was plugged solid. I cleaned that out, and then removed the threaded plug from the back of the manifold, and ran a Hoppes 45 cal Bore Snake through the passage to clean it out.
BTW.....Hoppes #9 Powder Solvent works GREAT to remove baked-on carbon on car parts!
Then I took the "EGR Vacuum Modulator" apart and cleaned it, and cleaned up my now "repaired" EGR valve.
I started putting it back together last Friday, but got sidelined a bit with all the Memorial Day activities I helped with on the Iowa.
I put the cleaned EGR valve on the manifold loosely and got it started on the inlet pipe, and then run the studs in. They threaded in easily since all the threads were chased, and once I had the valve and inlet pipe aligned and the BIG nut kinda started, I put the nuts on the studs and tightened the valve down solid to the manifold.
After a bit of fiddling with the BIG nut (and a few choice words....), I got the inlet pipe tightened down, made sure the hold-down nuts were tight, and put the rest of the air-intake piping back on.
The engine started on the first crank and came up to fast idle. I put full manifold vacuum on the EGR valve, and the idle speed dropped like a rock, and the engine ran really rough, just like it's supposed to.
After it was fully warmed up, applying full vacuum to the valve makes it stumble and stall, just like my Toyota Service Manual says it's supposed to.
SO, even though the only part that "needed" cleaning was the little brass tube that channels the exhaust gas into the manifold, the whole shebang is now cleaned about as well as it can be without pulling everything off the engine.
Tomorrow I'll take her out for a good, long drive and make sure everything is up to operating temperature, and then head to the smog test place.
If she doesn't pass this time, I'll put a new converter on her, but the Toyota guys seem to think she'll pass, given as she failed on NOX, and the EGR system was essentially NON-OP.
To start with, I followed the recommendations of the celicasupra forum members who have been down this path, and took everything apart to clean it.
The first problem came when I took the EGR valve off the "Upper Intake Manifold". The valve is held on by nuts on studs, and taking the nuts off freed the valve up, BUT the big line bringing the exhaust gas to the valve was rigidly mounted. The 27mm (!!) nut came off OK, but the rigid mounting of the pipe, and the studs protruding through the valve mounting flange, didn't allow for much movement.
So, like a dummy, I grabbed my BIG pry bar, and pried the valve off.
Guess what? The valve is made of very thin section CAST iron, and the threaded part had two sections break loose from the rest of it.
GROAN!
I used some good old, field-proven "JB Weld", and bonded the pieces back together. After letting it sit in the hot sun for several days, I cleaned the JB Weld off the threads with some jeweler's files, and used a sanding drum in my Dremel tool to clean up the back side where the inlet tube slides into it.
In order to put it all back together when all the cleaning was finished, and not fight getting the valve over the studs while trying to get it to line up with the exhaust gas pipe, I pulled the studs out of the manifold, chased the threads on both ends of the studs, the hold-down nuts, and the threads in the manifold so they'd all go together "finger easy", as it's a cramped spot to work on.
I knocked the core plug loose from the manifold at the passage junction where the exhaust gas dumps into the manifold via a small, pressed-in brass tube, and found the brass tube was plugged solid. I cleaned that out, and then removed the threaded plug from the back of the manifold, and ran a Hoppes 45 cal Bore Snake through the passage to clean it out.
BTW.....Hoppes #9 Powder Solvent works GREAT to remove baked-on carbon on car parts!
Then I took the "EGR Vacuum Modulator" apart and cleaned it, and cleaned up my now "repaired" EGR valve.
I started putting it back together last Friday, but got sidelined a bit with all the Memorial Day activities I helped with on the Iowa.
I put the cleaned EGR valve on the manifold loosely and got it started on the inlet pipe, and then run the studs in. They threaded in easily since all the threads were chased, and once I had the valve and inlet pipe aligned and the BIG nut kinda started, I put the nuts on the studs and tightened the valve down solid to the manifold.
After a bit of fiddling with the BIG nut (and a few choice words....), I got the inlet pipe tightened down, made sure the hold-down nuts were tight, and put the rest of the air-intake piping back on.
The engine started on the first crank and came up to fast idle. I put full manifold vacuum on the EGR valve, and the idle speed dropped like a rock, and the engine ran really rough, just like it's supposed to.
After it was fully warmed up, applying full vacuum to the valve makes it stumble and stall, just like my Toyota Service Manual says it's supposed to.
SO, even though the only part that "needed" cleaning was the little brass tube that channels the exhaust gas into the manifold, the whole shebang is now cleaned about as well as it can be without pulling everything off the engine.
Tomorrow I'll take her out for a good, long drive and make sure everything is up to operating temperature, and then head to the smog test place.
If she doesn't pass this time, I'll put a new converter on her, but the Toyota guys seem to think she'll pass, given as she failed on NOX, and the EGR system was essentially NON-OP.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Glen Beck "Suspended" By Sirius/XM Radio
Interesting article located here.
The gist is that Mr. Beck is suspended for a week, and his program will be replaced with David Webb.
The gist is that Mr. Beck is suspended for a week, and his program will be replaced with David Webb.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Memorial Day Thanks
To all our fallen service people, and to fallen warriors everywhere who fought for liberty, I humbly give you my thanks.
I'll be on the Iowa all weekend helping out with NI6BB operations, and (probably!) doing some tour guide and escort duties.
All the tour guides and Security folks (yep, they wear red shirts!) know when "Radio" is manned and having an event, so we usually get several visitors who ask to see the Comm Center. We're pleased and honored to show them the area and answer questions even though we're not on the tour route.
The Iowa is having quite a shindig, as usual, so if you're in the area, please stop on and say hi.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Battleship Iowa "Original" Transmitter/Receiver Update For Museum Ships Weekend
Haven't done a specific post on this topic in a while, and since Museum Ships Weekend is coming up, I figured it was time to let everybody know what's been happening.
As of this time, we have three of the transmitters working. One only puts out a couple of hundred Watts (it has low exciter drive to the final amplifier) and the other two put out approx 1200 Watts PEP when running in SSB mode.
Some of the pix below are courtesy of the excellent Navy Radio website run by Nick, K4NYW.
Nick has been a GREAT help to us, and has visited the Iowa.
THANKS, Nick!
Transmitters:
We have four operational R-1051 receivers, that have had the "chain belts" replaced with spares we received from the good folks on the USS Midway.
R-1051 Receiver aboard USS America:
If you ever get down to San Diego, please stop in and see the Midway. It's time well spent!
We also have three URR-74 receivers, which are the MILSPEC version of the Watkins-Johnson 8718 receiver. One of those works perfectly, one works but is low on sensitivity, and one works when it wants to.
URR-74:
For antennas on Museum Ships Weekend we'll be using the "Goal Post" or "Bull's Horns" antennas located on the starboard side by the #2 stack for transmitting, and the "Twin Whip" antennas mounted on the bridge deck for receiving.
We have two of the "Red Phones" manually patched through the "Coke Machine"; one on the bridge, and the other in FACCON, which is the correct name for what we call the Comm Center, or "Radio Room".
Red Phone:
Coke Machine:
We've trained up a crew of guys for the transmitter room that will set the transmit frequency and adjust the antenna coupler for minimum reflected power, and we'll have a guy in FACCON to tune the receiver if we have to "QSY", and another guy who will coordinate everybody, and keep the transmitter and receiver crews on the same page, and more importantly, on the same frequency!
Antenna Couplers:
"Goal Post" or "Bull's Horns" Transmit Antenna:
"Twin Whips" (to the right) Receiver Antennas:
We've tested all the gear on the air several times, and except for the fact that the 1051 receivers have a front-end "as wide as a barn door", and aren't the best to use on a crowded Amateur Radio band, everything is working well enough to hit the airwaves on Museum Ships Weekend, which is June 4th and 5th this year.
NI6BB will be on 17 Meters, at the upper end of the band around 18.164MHz, using this gear, which we refer to as the"legacy" equipment, and on the other ham bands using our commercial Ham Radio gear.
We'll be running SSB, CW, and PSK-31 this year, so hope we run into a few of you on the air!
As of this time, we have three of the transmitters working. One only puts out a couple of hundred Watts (it has low exciter drive to the final amplifier) and the other two put out approx 1200 Watts PEP when running in SSB mode.
Some of the pix below are courtesy of the excellent Navy Radio website run by Nick, K4NYW.
Nick has been a GREAT help to us, and has visited the Iowa.
THANKS, Nick!
Transmitters:
We have four operational R-1051 receivers, that have had the "chain belts" replaced with spares we received from the good folks on the USS Midway.
R-1051 Receiver aboard USS America:
If you ever get down to San Diego, please stop in and see the Midway. It's time well spent!
We also have three URR-74 receivers, which are the MILSPEC version of the Watkins-Johnson 8718 receiver. One of those works perfectly, one works but is low on sensitivity, and one works when it wants to.
URR-74:
For antennas on Museum Ships Weekend we'll be using the "Goal Post" or "Bull's Horns" antennas located on the starboard side by the #2 stack for transmitting, and the "Twin Whip" antennas mounted on the bridge deck for receiving.
We have two of the "Red Phones" manually patched through the "Coke Machine"; one on the bridge, and the other in FACCON, which is the correct name for what we call the Comm Center, or "Radio Room".
Red Phone:
Coke Machine:
We've trained up a crew of guys for the transmitter room that will set the transmit frequency and adjust the antenna coupler for minimum reflected power, and we'll have a guy in FACCON to tune the receiver if we have to "QSY", and another guy who will coordinate everybody, and keep the transmitter and receiver crews on the same page, and more importantly, on the same frequency!
Antenna Couplers:
"Goal Post" or "Bull's Horns" Transmit Antenna:
"Twin Whips" (to the right) Receiver Antennas:
We've tested all the gear on the air several times, and except for the fact that the 1051 receivers have a front-end "as wide as a barn door", and aren't the best to use on a crowded Amateur Radio band, everything is working well enough to hit the airwaves on Museum Ships Weekend, which is June 4th and 5th this year.
NI6BB will be on 17 Meters, at the upper end of the band around 18.164MHz, using this gear, which we refer to as the"legacy" equipment, and on the other ham bands using our commercial Ham Radio gear.
We'll be running SSB, CW, and PSK-31 this year, so hope we run into a few of you on the air!
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Boeing Wins Case Against Sea Launch Partners
From a post on NASASpaceFlight.com:
Boeing wins case against Sea Launch partners
On May 12, 2016, judge Andre Birotte of the Central District of California, ordered RKK Energia to pay Boeing and its business unit, Boeing Commercial Space Company, BCSC, a total of $322.49 million in owed investments and interest.
The same ruling ordered KB Yuzhnoe and its production partner Yuzhmash, (both based in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) to pay a total of $193.44 million.
The total sum owed by Russian and Ukrainian space industry in the Sea Launch debacle thus reached $515.93 million.
As the person making the post noted, it's doubtful that Boeing will get that amount, if anything, from their former partners.
Here's a nice history of the program from RussianSpaceWeb.com.
Every time I drive from Long Beach to San Pedro, I see the ships sitting there.
They haven't moved in almost three years now, and I'm sure the hulls are rather thickly encrusted with barnacles and other sea life.....
Boeing wins case against Sea Launch partners
On May 12, 2016, judge Andre Birotte of the Central District of California, ordered RKK Energia to pay Boeing and its business unit, Boeing Commercial Space Company, BCSC, a total of $322.49 million in owed investments and interest.
The same ruling ordered KB Yuzhnoe and its production partner Yuzhmash, (both based in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine) to pay a total of $193.44 million.
The total sum owed by Russian and Ukrainian space industry in the Sea Launch debacle thus reached $515.93 million.
As the person making the post noted, it's doubtful that Boeing will get that amount, if anything, from their former partners.
Here's a nice history of the program from RussianSpaceWeb.com.
Every time I drive from Long Beach to San Pedro, I see the ships sitting there.
They haven't moved in almost three years now, and I'm sure the hulls are rather thickly encrusted with barnacles and other sea life.....
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Tuesday Car Bashing
Well, not really "bashing" anything on the car, as I refuse to let it get to me.
It's an inanimate object and while working on it can be frustrating at times, I just walk away if it gets that bad.
All the bits and pieces of the EGR system have been cleaned up, and are being reassembled today.
Hopefully I'll have it running this afternoon, but had to take a break for lunch.
It's an inanimate object and while working on it can be frustrating at times, I just walk away if it gets that bad.
All the bits and pieces of the EGR system have been cleaned up, and are being reassembled today.
Hopefully I'll have it running this afternoon, but had to take a break for lunch.
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Yawn....just more Kabuki Theater, but interesting reading, nonetheless. Read All About It Here.....
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Every so often when I'm checking my PiAware ADSB receiver/display I'll notice an aircraft with a flight path that catches my eye. I...