Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with maintenance

A practical mechanics primer?

invitapriore — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:40:05 -0800

Where can I find a basic and fairly comprehensive run-down of, quite literally, the nuts, bolts, screws, seals, bearings, washers and so on of practical mechanics? I'm looking for resources, in print or online, that describe the common and basic components of machines, why they're there, and what they do. For example, this hypothetical resource might contain a chapter or a sub-chapter on washers, going through the different types and explaining their applications. It might also detail certain machines to show how the general principles of how these parts work are applied -- the example that got me on this kick is the headset of a bicycle, whose many components I only partially understand.

While I'll probably be applying this knowledge mostly to bicycle mechanics, I still want something general -- I have plenty of references for bike-specific stuff, but they haven't really helped me get a broad feel for how these things work. Most times, when I get a new experience under my belt, I feel as though I've just memorized one particular case as opposed to having added to the sort of general knowledge that would allow me to deal with novel situations. A general resource will also probably prove helpful when dealing with non-bicycle machines and home repair issues.

I found this book in my searches, but it's out of print and I'm sure there are others. Unfortunately, all of my google searches turn up physics textbooks, which isn't really what I want or need.

Thanks!

To repair or to replace?

hjd — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:50:24 -0800

To repair or replace? Should I repair a boiler with renowned reoccuring faults or replace it with a new reliable boiler with a 5 year warranty? I am having issues with my boiler at the moment. It is an 8 year old Baxi 100HE and it's ignition is frequently locking out. It is a renowed fault with the Baxi range which I have read about in forums. The way to repair it involves calling out an engineer and perhaps having to pay for expensive parts to be replaced (not sure what the parts cost but on forums they were referred to as expensive). According to MoneySavingExpert.com boiler repairs and maintenance come to about £180 a year - but I guess if this boiler has a reoccuring fault it might be more, although of course I cannot be sure.

Do I sink money into this boiler by having it repaired and then perhaps regularly maintained after that, or invest in a new boiler by Viessman which I have read is reliable on forums and also comes with a 5 year warranty. This may cost about £1200 though for the boiler and the installation.

Cost wise they may end up amounting to the same over the 5 years based on conservative estimates, but since I do not have experience of hot water/heating systems on a long term basis I am not sure which is the most effective choice.

Also, even if the boiler is under warranty I suppose I will still have to have it serviced each year to ensure the warranty is not voided, so that would potentially be another £100 a year on top of the original £1200 installation.

Does anyone have any advice based on their own experience and knowledge?

My car stinks and I can't blame it on other cars forever.

zvs — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:42:34 -0800

Should I bother fixing my catalytic converter? Worth it to fix my catalytic converter? It periodically smells like rotten eggs and the mpg is down from 16 to 13 or 14 on the highway. '97 Mountaineer, but I don't use it to commute so it accrues 2500 mi/yr, tops. The car's only about 100K miles old.

Don't know how much this costs to fix. Would it just be cheaper to leave it alone? The car passed the Seattle emissions test by default a month ago, since it's too old to plug into the computer. But am I going to be sorry if I don't fix it when the car ... explodes or something?

Power-vented water heaters -- what say you?

sesquipedalia — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:35:58 -0800

Replacing a water heater... to power-vent or not to power-vent? That is the question. Old water heater (possibly as old as 18 years) is leaking and will go away soon. It's currently chimney-vented; I'm pretty sure the chimney has a liner, but I don't know much about its size (so it's hard to tell if the current venting is effective at venting the heater's output). The furnace no longer vents to the chimney. This has all been unchanged for the past 7 years and there have been no problems, no carbon monoxide alarms aboveground, etc. The house is old and the basement windows (most windows, actually) are far from airtight, so there should be sufficient drafts for convection.

Plumber is recommending a power-vented heater instead of ventung the new one throughy the chimney too. His main argument is that as houses get tightened up and more airtight, chimney convection gets much less effective.

We're probably moving out of the house in the next 5-10 years and don't currently plan on doing an energy audit / making the house more airtight / replacing the basement windows etc in the meantime.

Plumber's quote is $800 for straight replacement with a new chimney-vented heater); $1500 for installing a power-vented one, setting up the venting, etc.

What experiences do you all have with power-vented heaters? Pros and cons? Do you think it's worth doing in this case? And is the cost differential (and the actual amount quoted) reasonable?

Thanks, hive mind!

Under-maintained car is under-maintained. What now?

fermata — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:19:09 -0800

How should I keep my under-maintained 1999 Mazda Protégé running safely for just a few more months? My car, let me show you it. It's a 1999 Mazda Protégé with nearly 140000 miles on it. I've ignored most scheduled maintenance, because I am an idiot (I know that part already, you don't have to tell me), but it's generally kept running just fine. Lately it's been showing signs of age, and I've been getting increasingly nervous that it's going to break down in some incredibly horrible and expensive way at the worst possible time. I'd like to prevent that, within reason. On the other hand, I only need to keep it alive about another 6 months, through a Boston winter, so I don't want to spend a fortune on it.

So my questions are these. What major problems have I let myself in for by doing so little maintenance? And when I bring it to the mechanic to check out the funny noise it's been making lately, what else do I really need to get done?

A particular worry: I'm pretty sure I've never had the timing belt replaced. But it's an expensive repair. How stupid would it be to try to get through these last few months without doing that? (I've been reading that this model has a "non-interference engine," meaning if the belt breaks the engine itself won't be damaged, but I'm not convinced yet.)

The car is pretty beat up, too, and its resale/trade-in value is probably close to zero already, so I'm only worried about the next few months. I'd be grateful for recommendations from those of you who are less car-stupid than me.

How to get 91 octane gas in an 87/89/93 area?

ish__ — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:56 -0800

How can I get 91 octane gas in an area that seems to sell only 87/89/93? What sort of damage might I have caused to a new vehicle by filling it with 87 for a little while? I recently purchased a 2009 Volkswagen CC VR6 (and am loving it). A few fill ups ago I realized that the manual & gas cover both say to be using 91 octane gas. The problem is there are no gas stations in the area that sell 91! Every station I've been to only sells 87, 89 and 93. I've been using 93 since, but I feel like I'm paying for more than I need to. Can I just half & half 89 and 93 and get a tank full of 91 - or is there a more complicated mixing method, or does it just not work this way and I'm stuck paying for 93 to get the 91? Does anyone know of a station or chain of stations in Northern Virginia (preferably somewhere along the Fairfax County Parkway) that sells 91?

Relatedly - how much damage could I have conceivably have caused by driving the first 3000 miles only filling with 87? It seems to me like the answer would be "not much, if any." I don't hear the engine knocking, I didn't feel any measurable loss of power while driving with 87, etc. But realistically what might I be looking at? Does it make sense to bring the car in for a once over just in case?

Also (love these multi-part questions); VW's Carefree Maintenance has free oil changes at 10k, 20k and 30k. Their documentation says that due to the synthetic oil being used, and the "advanced European engineering" that I don't need an oil change every 5k miles - that every 10k is fine. I'm planning to pay for a 5k anyway (until Carefree Maintenance came along, they were recommending 5k changes, so I think this 10k thing is a bit of bull) - but any thoughts on the validity to that claim?

Help me clean a window.

Frasermoo — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:31:27 -0800

What is the best way to clean my window with a hose? We have a large window at the front of our house. It's too high up for me to get to it with a ladder, and I have tried extension poles and it leaves terrible streaks and really didn't get the job done. I want to use my hose to spray down the windows, maybe with an attached bottle for spraying soap as well.

Anyone done this?

How many amps do I need to start my car?

Solomon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:21:29 -0800

Please educate me on car battery technology. I was looking for a new battery for my car, but the company I've decided to get it from has three different batteries available that will suit my car - a standard lead acid battery, a calcium battery and a silver battery.

I've been looking at the various different specifications, and it seems that the silvery battery is best. Money isn't a problem. However, I'm concerned about spending money on something that's not worth it.

Is having 160 extra startup amps (between the standard and silver batteries) really going to make a difference? What about in cold, damp weather? I think that the temperature of a battery makes a difference to how much energy it can produce - would buying the stronger battery mean that it can output more electricity at lower temperatures?

I'm pretty clueless about this kind of thing, so please feel free to educate me.

What do I need to do to store my mountain bike?

logicalsequence — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:23:36 -0800

I'm fairly new to the mountain bike game and unfortunately I am having to park my mountain bike for three months whilst I work away. Security is not an issue but in general what maintenance and precautions do I need to take, if any, before it goes away? FYI: I have a 2008 Kona Cinder Cone (linky) and the bike is currently in a reasonably clean state (but not spotless).

Los Angeles Electric Guitar Repair/Modification?

The World Famous — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:30:22 -0800

Best electric guitar repair and modification/maintenance in Los Angeles, preferably close to Downtown or Glendale? I moved to LA from Orange County and I'm looking for the best person or shop to have work on electric guitars. Specifically, maintenance and custom modifications (pickups, electronics, etc) on Fenders and Gibsons. I'm Downtown during the week, and near Glendale the rest of the time, so the West Side would be tricky, but anything from Hollywood to Pasadena to the Valley would work, I think.

And if you know of someone who is both good and turns work around in a reasonable amount of time, that would be even better. Thanks!

What do you charge to not do any work, but instead sit around and wait, just in case?

CommonSense — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:19:44 -0800

I have no idea what to charge to be "on call" for a year, just in CASE a computer has a problem. I got a call this morning from some guy that works with a company that has a government contract with -- I'm guessing -- the Social Security Administration here in Baltimore. His company does IT for them. Well, they have a couple of Macs that they want someone on call for, and surprise surprise, his company wouldn't know how to spell "Mac" if you spotted them three letters.

I do ONLY Mac support and consulting, on kind of a "boutique" business -- I'm a sole proprietor, and I consider it a strength that small businesses always are dealing with me, the same person, and know they'll get me whenever they call, e-mail, or have me come out to their location. So I guess this guy found my company website on Google and called.

Basically, he wants to know what I'd charge to basically be on call, 24x7x365x4 (I don't know what the x4 is, but I'm assuming four business hour response time), for a one-year contract to cover these two Mac Pro machines their client has. Mind you, they don't need me to come out on a scheduled basis or anything like that; they just want to have someone to call for onsite support/repair in case something goes wrong.

I can do tech support, server work (on OS X Server), networking, and LIGHT hardware (e.g., memory upgrades, hard drive swaps, cloning/imaging). I don't do more hardcore hardware stuff, like logic board replacement, etc., much less do it AT the client site -- but I don't think many companies who DO do that kind of service can do it at the client site, either. (There's just a shitload of tools, workbench, etc. you have to have.)

Now, these are pretty new, high-end machines, and the odds of them having serious hardware problems inside of a year are pretty damn low. Still, say something comes up. Would I be OK by explaining to them that it's a high-level repair that HAS to be sent out, and then coordinating everything (pickup, drop-off at a repair facility, being sole point of contact with said repair facility, picking it up when it's done, and delivering it back to the client site)? All the while, I could give them a loaner machine (not necessarily as high spec, but functional) in the meantime.

I've never been asked for something like this, and I don't really know how these government deals work. Also, I'm really not sure HOW the hell to charge to a company that wants me on "retainer," though doesn't actually need me to even show up unless something goes wrong. Yet, the guy who asked me was looking for a quote, something along the lines of a monthly fee or whatever, even (apparently) if I go months without so much as a phone call or e-mail with these people.

But say something big happens and I have to coordinate repair, etc. Do I have to eat the cost, in light of the fact that I'm charging them a retainer? In other words, are we looking at more of an "insurance policy" model rather than a "service contract" model (wherein the latter actually entails regular onsite visits, etc. -- you know, something that's actually DONE, regularly)?

It kinda sounds too good to be true, but hey, it's the government. Working logically isn't their strong suit.

For anyone who's done this before, I'd love to hear whatever input you can offer. Better yet, some suggestions on what a good ballpark range is, too. These are two high-end Mac Pro machines, probably no more than a year old, pretty nicely souped up. FYI, I normally charge businesses $135 an hour for onsite support.

Man-Skills 101

man down under — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:23:23 -0800

Help me man-up! Inspired by these questions, I would like some pointers about how to become a more capable, handy man. My Dad never taught me any real practical skills when it came to household maintenance so now I am a 26 year old married man that is always asking brothers-in-law for tools and small maintenance jobs to be done. I'd obviously like to man-up a bit and be able to get my own tools from my own tool box and fix my own damn door that won't close properly!

So my question is two-fold:

1) What tools will I be needing in my beginners toolbox and for what reason?

2) What basic maintenance skills should I know or pick up? Please provide links to online tutorials, YouTube clips, or just really thorough idiot proof instructions for for unblocking the toilet.

Thanks for the oncoming Father-Son chat, AskMeDad.

It was everywhere I tell you.

Eddie Mars — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:45:58 -0800

Car trouble: How loudly should I yell at my dealer's service department? Yesterday I took my car (Nissan Rogue) to the dealer to have a broken seat latch fixed. Since it was due for an oil change, I had the service department change the oil while it was there.
Today driving home from work, I noticed an oily smell coming from the vents. I popped the hood and found oil everywhere. After hunting around, I found the oil cap sitting on top of the radiator fan. They'd forgotten to put the cap back on.
I checked and my oil was fairly low, but still OK, so I'm not worried about engine damage thankfully. My question is, will all this oil in the engine bay cause me problems? When I mean everywhere, it was everywhere. Pooled around every bolt head, dripping from the hood, everywhere. I'm especially worried about the air vents, since I could see oil draining into them.

So, when I call my dealer's service department to yell at them tomorrow, what should I demand they do? Do I need a complete cleaning of the engine bay, or am I overreacting here?

Help me, handyman!

ocherdraco — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:32:17 -0800

Help me figure out what to do to get proper maintenance in my rented apartment within a condo building. I rent my apartment in a condo building here in New York. I rent directly from the owner of the apartment. She has no other rental properties, and she lives out of state now, though we are in regular contact via email and phone (she moved out of the apartment when my roommate and I moved in). The building has a super, but she has set up an arrangement with another man who lives in the building to do maintenance on the apartment when it is needed, and has asked us to contact him rather than the super.

The problem is that, apparently, we are on completely different schedules from this man. Our dishwasher has been broken since April, and our toilet has developed issues over the past couple weeks (making strange noises, flapper coming undone repeatedly, etc.), and we have not been able to get in touch with him to come look at it. When we call or drop by, he isn't home, and he has told the landlady that when he has tried to drop by, we aren't home (my roommate and I both work late and are often not there in the evening). I've even left a note on his door asking him to call me, but to no avail.

Where should I go from here? A month or so ago I asked my landlady if we should contact the super, but she said to try again with this tenant she's engaged as a handyman. Is there any reason she might want us to not get in touch with the super? I know she pays her common charges. Are these the kind of things a super would deal with in a condo building, anyway?

To add to the issues, my roommate is moving out and I'm showing the apartment to potential roommates now. A broken dishwasher and a toilet that makes weird noises aren't likely to make it very attractive. (All my previous apartments have been similar rental situations: renting directly from owners in their only rental property, but those were freestanding buildings wholly owned, rather than an apartment in a larger condo building. I've also never dealt with an out of state landlord before.)

I'd appreciate advice on how to proceed.

Hondas and recommended service maintenance schedules, do you believe in them?

holdenjordahl — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:08:53 -0800

Hondas and recommended service maintenance schedules, do you believe in them? I've got a 1991 standard Hatchback, 169,000 miles. and i've done every single schedule maintenance. never had a problem with anything unexpected happening (which is why i do it). Now i'm wondering if there's a better (read: cheaper) way to do this, without sacrificing quality? I don't know any mechanics, don't want to it myself, but am curious if there's an alternative. Thanks.

Where is the coolant drain pipe in a Toyota & is rust-colored coolant a bad thing?

Bearded Dave — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:49:53 -0800

Where can I find the coolant drain in a Toyota Avalon 1995? We just got a car, a used Toyota Avalon '95. It's previous owner didn't really take car of it at all, so now I am going through it and replaced the fluids, replaced the wipers, etc. I also refilled the coolant last week, but when I checked today the reservoir was empty again and the little that is left is rust-colored (coolant was bright yellow), but, as far as I can tell, not oily. I refilled it again and wait and see what happens. There are no puddles under the car.

However, I was also thinking about flushing the coolant system just to clean it out (I'm pretty sure that this hasn't happened in the last 10 years) - but I can't find the drain for it. Could it be under the car? A car repair book that I have explains the process in a way that makes it seem like you can't miss the drain, but I am lost.

So my questions are:

rust-colored coolant and disappearing coolant = bad?
and
Where is the coolant drain located?

Thanks!
~d

I need to kill a tree.

ldenneau — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:34:32 -0800

I have a ficus tree in our yard (planted by the previous homeowner) that is growing too fast and the roots have breached the main sewer line on our property. The trunk of the tree is maybe eight inches in diameter, and completely removing the tree is dicey due to terrain and sewer line considerations. I live in Hawaii. Any suggestions?

Touching up a relic bicycle

backseatpilot — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:58:14 -0800

I bought a bicycle that's twice as old as I am and it needs some cosmetic work. The beauty in question is a 1966 Raleigh Superbe, in the green color. It's in incredibly good condition for its age (even has the original Brooks saddle with very little damage), but there are a few corrosion spots on the fenders and chainguard.

I would like to remove the corrosion as well as possible and fix the paint on those spots, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it. I'm not interested in repainting the entire bicycle; I'd like to keep it as original as possible. So, I think I need to know a few things:

-the best way to remove light rust off the steel bits
-what type of paint to use (I was thinking of the acrylic paint I used to use for building models when I was a kid, and I've also seen suggestions to use nail polish. Thoughts?)
-how to repaint it. Primer coat? Brush type? I'm pretty bad at painting things, so use small words.
-any other suggestions or cautions you've got, or any other tips for keeping this bike looking in tip-top shape

Thanks!

Looking for alternatives to service beacon

tdreyer — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:07:57 -0800

Looking for a site like ServiceBeacon Service Beacon is stopping their service any time now and I'm out of luck! Looking for something similar that will remind me every so many miles/weeks to do scheduled car maintenance, tell me about recalls, etc. (a calender feed would be nice). More features = better.

Clinging melted plastic must go!

EatTheWeak — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:38:43 -0800

How do you remove plastic that has melted onto a heating element? A couple weeks ago, a tupperware lid fell from the upper rack in my dishwasher and onto the heating element below. By the time I discovered this, the the lid was split in two, melted where it touched the heating element.

Now, there's a thin layer of plastic clinging to the heating element that smokes when I try to run the washer. I was hoping AskMe might have some advice to offer on how I might remove this plastic from the heating element. I had a notion to run the dishwasher to heat the plastic up and make it soft, but that fume-scented smoke sure makes me nervous. That, and I'm not sure if re-melting it just winds up bonding it tighter.

The reason I haven't dealt with this sooner is that I'm in a cast at the moment, making it quite difficult to get down on the ground and d what must be done. This cast shall be removed soon, and I'll be keen to have my dishwasher back soon after.

Any advice is most appreciated. I cannot afford any professional repair services.

Do I need a new roof?

amanda — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:51:44 -0800

In my second year of first-time home ownership and husband and I are thinking we need to do a little spring cleaning around the house. Other than a minor plumbing issue in the bathroom we have had (knock on wood) zero problems with the house. In an effort to keep up this track record, what trouble spots should we look for in the house? How do you know if the roof is in good shape? What are typical home maintenance needs? A little info.... Our house is a single-story 1950s cottage. The sewer line is only about 15 years old and was clean as a whistle when we scoped it two years ago. The roof looks pretty good from the ground but I don't really know what I'm looking at. We have a crawl space that is partially excavated to house the furnace and hot water heater. We have what we think is asbestos shingle siding. It has wood flooring throughout and still feels nicely solid. It's a pretty un-creaky house.

As we walk around, what should we look for? What are telltale signs that something must be done? I'm fairly handy so any advice on what can be done yourself verses calling the pros is welcome.

How do I get the "road fallout" off my car?

jackypaper — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:45:39 -0800

How do I get that black, tarry gunk off my vehicle? You know the stuff, splattering off a recently patched roadway and turning to stone on your fender. Should I scrape it off? Or is there some magical goop that will help dissolve it?

Help me clean my laptop

tamarack — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:43:57 -0800

Help me clean my laptop! I understand about the software (OS + files) aspects of laptop computer maintenance, but what about the physical? Other than blowing compressed air over my keyboard, and trying to avoid getting crumbs in the corners of the touchpad, what maintenance can I (or someone else) do to keep the real-life gunk under control? I am going to keep using the thing, so keeping it on a pedestal is out of the question. I just want to know if I should get someone to open the sucker up and hoover all my dog's hair out of it, or if I should be cleaning the optical drive somehow on a regular basis? (BTW, my DVD drive is starting to sound like a lawnmower). Tips and tricks for management, whether DIY or not, much appreciated.

Sticky Fingers

Blazecock Pileon — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:20:18 -0800

How can I fix sticky keys on a Guitar Hero controller? One of the "fret" keys on the guitar's neck is sticky, which makes playing anything more than quarter notes a bit challenging. Sometimes pressing the key on one side is easier than the other side (except that the "other side" is the side I am more comfortable hitting when I'm rockin' my solos).

Please avoid "search Google" or linking to Google results, as the advice there is not very helpful ("don't play songs with that key", "buy more RAM", etc.). I'd obviously appreciate advice from people who have firsthand advice for maintaining one. Thanks!

what kind of gas to use

BrnP84 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:00:08 -0800

Completemechanicalidiotfilter: Does it matter what kind of gas I use in a 1979 CB400? I've recently bought a 79 CB400 Hawk Type I and wonder if it matters what kind of gas I should use. I have the manual but it doesn't mention anything about it. I've been putting in regular unleaded and it's been running fine except the throttle is not all that responsive in the lower gears but someone told me this might be more to do with the carbs needing to be synched. On a side note, aside from studying the manual what are some good complete idiot motorcycle maintenance sites? Most of the places I've tried expect a fairly decent knowledge and I have pretty much none.