CLAMPS AND CRIMPS: WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST USE BOTH

That seems to be what Jeep was thinking when it came to the heater hoses on the '89 Cherokees.

It is what it looks like: a mess.

It seems that heater hoses don't get replaced often on these vehicles due to the crimps--I don't know if they seem intimidating or what the reason is, but you'll generally see a lot of original heater hoses if you open the hood of a Cherokee. The two that may get replaced are the two hoses that have clamps at both ends--the hose which runs from the thermostat housing back to one of the tee's, and the hose that runs from the coolant "valve" to the lower pipe on the heater core. The hoses with the crimps, on the other hand, seem to be treated like lifetime items.

But it doesn't need to be that way. Removing the crimps is pretty easy. First, remove all hose clamps and remove the hoses from the vehicle:

3/21/13: THIS TIME LAST YEAR

Progress makes looking back fun. It sounds like a joke, but this time last year, the mudroom was getting mudded.

Current picture after the jump...

3/21/12 pics:

HIGHLIGHTS FROM A CS-130 ALTERNATOR REBUILD

Last night I had a few minutes to try something new: rebuilding a CS-130 alternator. I've rebuilt GM's SI alternators before, but never a CS alternator. Due to an excess of reading internet forums where guys say that "the CS alternator can't be rebuilt unless you like welding," I almost didn't do it. Is it as easy as an SI alternator? No. Is it that hard? I guess I'll find out if it works when I install it, but it sure didn't seem overly difficult.

DRAG AND DRILL: GO AHEAD. THAT LOOKS RIGHT. WHAT'S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?

Continued from Part 1.

Now that that the tub has been refinished, it is time to drag it back into the bathroom. Claw tubs don't seem to have been designed for ease of handling, so a dolly is recommended. And a few extra hands.

Note the dolly--it's under the moving blanket.

Once the tub is in place—close enough is good enough at this point—it is time to determine where the plumbing will go through the floor. The easiest way to do this is to attach the drain plumbing to the tub, which involves loosely installing both the drain and the overflow fittings. Just snug them up hand-tight, and then install the drain plumbing which connects them. In the case of our plumbing, it had to be cut to fit, which is another case of loosely installing the pipes, marking them with a marker, and cutting after muttering the words, “close enough.”

FUN WITH COMPRESSED AIR AND CONCRETE

My wife and I started on our basement wall project yesterday. Our basement walls are a combination of concrete blocks, brick, and some type of cast (not concrete) blocks. The hopes and dreams which hold this combination of materials together seems to be doing okay, but the walls are still an ugly mess.

Skipping several steps, here's how the first try with the gun I purchased long ago from Mortar Sprayer. I read as many web site articles, blogs, and watched as many youtube videos as I could find, and the consensus was that my small air compressor (5 cfm with a 6 gallon tank tied to a 5 gallon hopper tank) was not going to cut it. But being the type that insists on trying...bring on the burned up compressor, it sure seemed to work fine to me!

SENT TO TOH'S BATHROOM RENOVATION CONTEST: OUR BATHROOM FLOOR IS WARMER THAN YOURS

Link

Anyone need to use the bathroom?

THE MEANDERING START OF HOW TO INSTALL A CLAW TUB AND HOW NOT TO MANAGE RESOURCES

First, find a tub.

It's below the window.

We bought an old house that had a claw tub in the bathroom. It was in poor shape, but it appeared to be fairly solid.

If the tub isn't located where you want it, then you'll need to disconnect the tub from all of the plumbing and move the tub. This almost goes without saying, though—if you find a claw tub in your house, and it's exactly where you want it, and it's in good shape, then you really don't need to be reading about how to install a claw tub. Just leave it where it is and use it.