What have you done this week to prep?

[ThrottleJockey]

WD-40 (Water Displacer, formulation # 40) won't lube, use white lithium grease. The WL grease comes in a spray can with a nozzle just like the WD does. The WL stuff will stay on, won't melt and run, etc...The easiest way to check door alignment after what you've already said is to examine the "reveal" or the gaps around the door when it is closed. Just look for uniformity all the way around....may need a $10 set of hinge pin bushings or may just need the striker adjusted.

 

[flagtag]

My son just told me about the white lithium grease after I told him what I read here. You just confirmed it - Thanks.
The door does "pop" slightly when it opens, but I noticed that the part where the pin goes is pretty rusty. (I'm thinking it might be leaking?) I will have my son check that out tomorrow when he takes it up for the muffler as well.

Does anyone know if there is a way to fix the gear indicator thingie? I have to count places to know if I'm in drive.

My son just came in and said that he will pick some white lithium grease tomorrow for me. (He's such a good boy! )

 

[jeremy]

Does anyone know if there is a way to fix the gear indicator thingie? I have to count places to know if I'm in drive.

I may have missed it depending on what year and make of truck, most of the older ones are just a piece of cable attached to the shift lever and a spring on the other end. Take the screws out of the steering column plastic covers and you should be able to see the problem.

 

[tenring]

Kroger store carry it.

 

[churchmouse]

My daughter and I made plans to restart the old garden plot this spring. It has not held and veggy's in several years. This prepping thing is waking us up and getting all involved again.
Now if I can get the roto tiller started after sitting for 6 years.

 

[flagtag]

I may have missed it depending on what year and make of truck, most of the older ones are just a piece of cable attached to the shift lever and a spring on the other end. Take the screws out of the steering column plastic covers and you should be able to see the problem.

Thanks for the information.
I hope you are right.
I have had to deal with this before in a car I had, but it's a pain! (And I'm somewhat lazy. )

It's supposed to rain tomorrow here, so I may wait until Wednesday.

Thanks again for the information.

 

[Car Ramrod]

While this has been an on-going project, I FINALLY finished my Ft. Knox lighting around my house. It consists of two Mercury lights and seven 500w halogen floods. The Merc lights I scored on at Meijer for $7.50 each. I don't even think you can buy a replacement bulb that cheap.

My house is located on a dead end street, and the only street lights in the neighborhood are at intersections (this made my street a very dark place, I even had an LEO comment on that once). My house is also a magnet for people running from the police, and this is why I decided to light my house up like Ft. Knox. When I get woken up at 4 in the morning to the police outside, I want to be able to flip a switch and see WTF is going on. I put in three of the 500w floods to cover the front yard, one to cover the side yard, and three to cover the back yard. I would like to add another to the rear, but not exactly sure where I could put it. The end opposite the side yard is the driveway and it is covered by one of the Merc lights (dusk-dawn). I mounted the other Merc light to a tension pole for the power lines in my front yard. It's right by the street and works exactly like a street light. I figured since it is only used for tension, and there is no power present on the pole, it would be safe to attach one of the Merc lights there.

The biggest pain with the rear floods (which I finished today) was I wanted them on a 3 way with the detached garage. Had I had an extra hand it would have gone a lot faster, but having to be in the garage, crawl space, attic, and house all at the same time was a little impossible to do by myself. I managed though, and am happy with how it turned out.

This stuff may not help me in a SHTF situation, but I know light is a deterrent for crooks and thieves. It also lets me work in the yard well past dark.

Next on the list is wiring in the generator. I finally got my GE Generator Interlock Kit, and I just need to figure out where I want the outlet and where the generator will be when running. Fun, fun.

 

[Car Ramrod]

Here are some pictures to help explain why it was a little difficult to light up my entire property.

My property is outlined in yellow. One of the other, tiny properties is outlined in red. The closest street light is marked with a blue thingy.

I marked the position and direction of the floods with the arrows and the Mercs with the blue thingies.

Just adding the Mercs made a night and day difference. I probably could have just went with them, but decided I might as well over do it.


Also, my dog decided he wanted to follow me in the crawl space. He was about as helpful as you would have expected.

 

[RBrianHarless]

Checked the batteries in my emergency radios and replaced. Ensured the Dynamo options still work including the lights. Bought some ammo.

 

[churchmouse]

Started clearing away the hedge and trees that have overgrown the fence line. This blocks off the sun to the garden area. We have not planted for 6 years and we decided it is time to get this back on line. What a mess. Still much to do.

 

[teknickle]

Generator Users

For those fitting up your generators, here are some things to keep in mind:
-test your generator every couple of months, keep full of TREATED gas (like Stabil)
-don't bury your generator in the back of your garage or shed. Not as important in the warm months, but in a winter ice storm, that will be the last thing you want to trudge around.
-for a SHTF scenario: consider the NOISE. running a generator means that you have become a 'have' in the minds of the 'have nots'. Imagine astranged neighbors asking 'can I borrow it for an hour to cool down the fridge?' which in reality could lead to never seeing it again. (we are talking SHTF).
Best bet is to keep it out of sight and out of mind. Build a ventilated plywood box to hide it in and direct the exhaust into a bucket of water/antifreeze to muffle it.

In a best-case scenario for extended usage, it would make more sense to have a _small_ generator (like 1,000 watt) that could run 24x7.
It would use less fuel per used watt than a large generator you kick off and on. The idea is to take the energy of the little generator and store up the potential into a bank of golf car/marine/solar batteries. With a large bank and a decent inverter, you can take those bursts when you _actually_ have that need for 7,000 watt draw for 15 minutes (because your refer compressor does not run constantly 24/7, neither does furnace blower, microwave, toaster, etc....)

Just some food-for-though.

 

[Nitehunter500]

Bought 500 rounds 40s&w and 16. Mags for the are.

 

[flagtag]

Beware: Indiana may be getting a lot of ammo purchases in the VERY near future is the Naziwannabes here in IL get their way.
The state line isn't that far away.

 

[woowoo2]

In a best-case scenario for extended usage, it would make more sense to have a _small_ generator (like 1,000 watt) that could run 24x7.
The idea is to take the energy of the little generator and store up the potential into a bank of golf car/marine/solar batteries. With a large bank and a decent inverter, you can take those bursts when you _actually_ have that need for 7,000 watt draw for 15 minutes

The problem is that you would need a large charger and generator to properly charge a decent sized battery bank. The little 1KW genny would die trying to do it.
7KW at 120v is 58 amps 7KW at 12 volts is 583 amps, not gonna happen.

 

[teknickle]

The problem is that you would need a large charger and generator to properly charge a decent sized battery bank. The little 1KW genny would die trying to do it.
7KW at 120v is 58 amps 7KW at 12 volts is 583 amps, not gonna happen.

I hear what you are saying, but I think you missed my point.
Not talking about fast recharge.
I am talking about constant trickle charging.
Yes, it does work...because it is the EXACT same principle behind any solar panel system or wind-turbine system.
At $179 for 45 watt solar panel, you would spend $29,833 just on panels for 7.5kW (and cheap ones at that). But typically, you do not plan for maximum load (much like cell phone carriers not having lines for 100% utilization).
Anytime someone wants to get a generator, it is specs for the largest possible load at one time. But what happens when you only have a single light bulb on? Your 7,500 watt generator is still running with wasted potential just burning money.
Besides, generators make horribly unclean power. The only way to get a pure 60Hz sine wave is through DC inversion. (and cheap inverters will give you square waves).
So the idea here is to provide a slow and sustainable recharge throughout the day/night (even when system isn't being used). The generator also does not need to generate AC, as you are recharging batteries. The numbers depend on someones actual usage, so won't work if you exceed an avg 20% of your maximum bank capacity over a 24 hour period (otherwise you would have to go greater than 1,000 watts for recharging).

 

[churchmouse]

I have built the battery bank system for friends and it does work. Keep the bank topped off and a 1500 w. genny can do the deal for you. If you really run the bank hard, yes, you need to pull out the big boy.

 

[Car Ramrod]

I got my generator wired into my house today. Yea, buddy!

Next is to build a shed for it near the plug. It will give me a convenient place to store it close to the plug, and also keep it sheltered during use.

 

[flagtag]

I purchased two boxes of each of the calibers of the guns I own. (As you may have heard, (Chicago) the state of IL is considering a 2% tax on ammo.)

 

[churchmouse]

I have said this before...brass and lead are now precious metals.

 

[flagtag]

Much more so than I think "our" corrupt/traitorous government believes.