Catalytic Converters Being Targeted by Thieves
Catalytic converters being targeted by thieves – MOUNT VERNON — Local law enforcement reported at least five incidents in the past week of people claiming their catalytic converters were stolen. [Mount Vernon News]
How hard is this to curb? Require scrap metal dealers to take a digital photo or require photo id with an explanation of where the converter came from. This isn’t to much to ask from them.
I go to scrap yards all the time and they are full of undersireables toting in goods that I would bet are stolen. They get enough to have a few beers or a crack fix. They’re not hard to spot. Of course, good people go there too, but the stuff they’re bringing is obviously from projects and what not.
1992 Chevy Truck Stalling Problem Diagnosis and Repair
I have an old C2500 1992 Chevy Truck. It’s paid for and it’s tough enough to do most things. With it’s 5 speed and throttle body injection, I can get close to 20 mpg out of it. So, when it’s broke down, I am not happy. For a long time, this truck has had a major stalling problem that nobody could figure out.
- My Old Chevy Truck
The truck would run just fine, then out of nowhere, it would stall. Sometimes it would start up, other times you had to wait about 10 minutes to try it again. No matter what, it couldn’t hold a low idle when the engine was warm.
Nobody could figure out what was wrong. I tried the Internet and the suggestions others had posted. New fuel filters, spark plugs, fuel cleaners, new throttle body sensors, and anything else that made sense. Now that winter is coming on, I want my truck! The motorcycle is getting cold and I’ve passed up oppurtunites for free firewood.
I took the truck to a mechanic and the correct diagnosis of a bad distributor was made! It’s still running rough because it needs a new rotor, rotor cap and plug wires. It was a pricey fix – $300, but I’m willing to pay for someone who was smart enough to know what was wrong. He told me he just looked at all the corrosion in the distributor and knew what the problem was. Also, spraying some water around the motor killed it immediately. Lesson learned. Nobody even suggested the water trick to me, so I was happy to get the tip.
If you’re having similar problems, I hope this post helps. I could have did this repair for less than half of their cost on my own. Contact me if you have any questions I can help with. As Red Green says, “Remember, we’re all in this together.”
LARGE Coyote Killed in Northeastern Licking County, Ohio.
A friend’s neighbor in Northeastern Licking County, Ohio killed this 90 pound coyote recently.
Coyotes can be dangerous to children and small pets, so take care not to let your animals and children go unobserved if you’re in outlying areas. They are becoming more abundant. I’ve read that every township in Ohio has reported sightings of Coyotes.
Some folks have already asked me why he killed it and if it’s legal. From what I’ve read, they’re considered varmints and it’s legal. He killed this one in close proximity to his animals and young children. Yes, it’s sad to see a beautiful animal like this taken, but if it were your loved ones endangered, what would you do?
Here are some links to more information on Coyotes in Ohio.
- Ohio Division Of Natural Resources – excellent resource with tracking information and Coyote sounds.
- Hunting Regulations
Fence Tutorial Completed
After many weekends of working on my backyard fence it’s finally done! I had very little information available on the Internet about vinyl coated welded wire fencing, so I took some photos while I was doing the job and posted a tutorial for fence installation.
If you need an affordable solution to contain your dog and you willing to do the work, welded fence has turned out to be a good solution. It looks good, easy to install with standard tools, and a strong barrier for a dog. Here is a link to How to Build A Welded Wire Fence.
How to Build a Welded Wire Fence – Easy
Introduction
Vinyl coated welded wire fencing is a good alternative to chain link fencing. I discovered the vinyl coated wire fence when searching for a solution to enclose my backyard for my dog. The quotes I recieved for chain link were outrageous, do-it-yourself chain link requires more labor and special tools, and I really do not like the aesthetic appearance of chain link.
A welded wire fence can be constructed with simple tools and it is easily stretched and cut to fit. If you’re attempting to make a fence for your dog on a limited budget, with limited tools, and even a limited skillset, vinyl coated welded wire fence could be your answer.
I found it difficult to get wire fence installation information, even from the companies producing the fencing or the stores selling the material. I used instructions from the construction of other types of fences for the frame and then trial and error to install the wire fabric. Considering I had a hard time finding examples and directions, I thought that an article about how I did it could help others. If you disagree with how I did the fence, all constructive comments are welcome.
Keep in mind that welded wire mesh can be used with many different types of fencing, not just the post and rail style fence that I did. Some ideas are
- Split Rail Fencing – this looks really good when combined with coated wire weld fence
- Cedar fencing
- Metal posts – doesn’t look good, but very inexpensive
Tools Required
- Post Hole Diggers
- Long heavy steel bar – sometimes referred to as a potato bar. A good one costs around $80.
- Staple gun and a LARGE box of staples
- Level
- Tape Measure
- Post Level – special L-shaped level that’s banded to a 4×4
- Drill with screw driver end attachments
- Adjustable Wrench – also named a Crescent wrench
- Circular Saw
- Saw Horses
- Extension Cords
- Long string
- Optional
- Power auger
- Reciprocating Saw – sometimes referred to as a Sawsall
Materials Required
- 4X4 treated posts
- 2X4 treated lumber
- 3 inch deck screws
- 1 80 pound bag of concrete for every 3 foot hole
- Vinyl Coated Welded Wire Fence Fabric
- Staples
- 1X4 treated boards (the same number as the number of rails).
- Gate hinges and latches
- L-brackets for 2X4′s (used to make the gate frames)
Wan – The Crazy Beer Drinking Honda Ruckus Man
I don’t know how I missed this, but a year ago a Korean man named Wan undertook an amazing adventure. It’s an adventure that only could come from a foreigner with a big dream to cross America on a Honda Ruckus. A Ruckus is a tiny 50cc heavy duty scooter. It’s basically a trail bike.
Now anybody could do this, there’s nothing original about taking off across the country. It’s been done so many times in so many different ways that it’s difficult to come up with your own spin on the trip. Wan’s story is different. He saved his meager earnings working at a restaurant to fund the trip and he was watching every penny. He did not have a choice, if he wanted to do this trip, it was of the utmost importance to be thrifty. He also had to overcome language barriers, culture shock, and scooter inexperience. Many times this left him depending on the charity of total strangers and relying on his people skills to pull things off.
He logged this trip on totalruckus.com and the members there just took off with his story. They communicate with him, assist with him, and most importantly, they party with him. Wan turns out to be a beer hound of sorts and when combined with is very likable personality and sense for adventure, the United States becomes his never-ending home away from home. This vagabond rarely wants for anything. With the help of the Internet, most of his needs are met and exceeded wherever he goes.
Due to the slow speed of the scooter and his thrift in finding accommodations, he is constantly being scrutinized by law enforcement. The end of every meeting with them results in a photo with the officers and no fines or punishment. Most of the time, they assist him with information he needs for better local accommodations. He even makes friends with Texas law enforcement, which I know from experience, is very difficult to do.
This is a rare must-read forum. I could see a movie being made about this guy at some point. I can get a little boring at time with the usual forum-style language from other members, but it’s well worth the time. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt the need to review a forum of all things.
Here’s the link, – http://totalruckus.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php – enjoy!
Ohio State Route 555 – The Triple Nickel
Ohio State Route 555, otherwise known as The Triple Nickel, is one of those fable rides that surprises just about every rider on the first trip. Truth be told, the catchy name of the road lends more to the hype than the actual ride, but it’s a great starting point for any ride in Southern Ohio. There are so many great roads, like Ohio State Route 78 connected to it, that you can make The Triple Nickel part of any ride in the area.
I started my ride today from Newark, Ohio and headed down Ohio S.R. 668 to Ohio S.R. 22. From 22 I caught 555 in South Zanesville. Bad drivers are everywhere in South Zanesville! For the first few miles of the 555 I had a V-10 Dodge Truck tailing me. It doesn’t take long on the 555 to lose any pickup truck though. After a few miles south of the city, the biggest danger turns into the 555 itself. It’s a little confusing just south of town too, so you have to take it easy to get through what little bit of traffic you’re going to see on this road.
Being October, there’s a chill in the air and the leaves are turning. For the few straightaways when you can look, the Southern Ohio countryside view is incredible. Hard to believe you just left Zanesville at that point!
Today I took the Honda 750 Shadow. After my footpegs hit the pavement a few times, I started wishing I would have taken the wife’s Suzuki V-Strom, but on a day like today, I just wanted to lean back on a cruiser and enjoy the ride. I seen a few V-Strom’s with huge smiles on their face though!
The 555 is notorious for being in bad repair. A few times I dived into curves, seen the gravel and had to grit my teeth and try to navigate through it. It kind of reminds you of the first ride on a roller coaster when you decide that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. You just have to ride through it the best you can. If you can get through the first bad decision, you won’t let it happen the rest of the ride. You can go through curves of the 555, or any road, to slow as many times as you like, take one to fast and you’re done.
The challenging part of a road like the 555 is that you don’t get a rythym going like normal twisting roads. You keep running into so many various types of curves like increasing/decreasing radius, blind, loose gravel, banked and unbanked, banked but the banking fades out, to just barely a curve at all. You even have parts where the road looks like it goes straight, only to find out that’s another road and you have to follow a sharp turn to stay on the Triple Nickel.
Keep an eye out for other bikes in trouble. There are a few spots where a motorcycle could dive off the road and over a cliff, with nobody ever noticing there was a downed biker. Be ready to hug the right edge of the road. A few times cages swung curves wide.
Just north of Marietta, Ohio, I started getting lost just following any road heading north and/or east. I didn’t even pay any attention to the names of all of them. I stopped a few times to check the cell phone GPS and take a break. Eventually, I made it back home just as it was getting to cold to ride. As the sun set on a cold October evening, it’s a little sad to think of a great summer with plenty of great riding weather fading away. Kind of like heading into a gravel covered curve you really wish you could slow down a little more for.
