Our Engine Project

My car has been operating at reduced capacity for a couple days, I am pretty sure the turbo had stopped boosting my power so I was limping along into work.  I started looking for a new car with limited urgency.

On May 13th I took it into Mauer for a diagnostic appointment ($234 dollars), to be informed a needed a new engine, radiator, and turbo.  The next day I drove into work and when I left it was blowing white smoke.

On the 8th the pope was elected, and on the 14th the sonic wanted to get in on the fun and elect a pope as well.  On the 15th I was able to find a new car a Toyota Corolla.

Since I wasn't going to spend 15k on the sonic for a new engine.  Nick and I thought we could take a crack at replacing the head gasket...

 

New Car...

My 9 year old, 80k mile chevy sonic decided to start billowing white smoke from the exhaust this week.  I need to get to work so we started looking for a new car.  We have been happy with our Toyota so we started there.  I looked at Prius or rav4 PHEV, but landed on a corolla hybrid because it was in stock, and reasonably priced (all in 30k, more then the 15k for zippy, but hopefully this one will last...).  I financed at 5.99%, which is OK...  I might try to pay it off early we will see what the world does.

I went to pick up Maddie with zippy/smoky from school and we had to wait till everyone had left before we could start it up again.

Nick is going to try to change the head gasket on zippy and see if that fixes helps.  The dealership told me I needed a whole new engine for 12k, which didn't make any sense.

 

First trip up North

 We had some hot weather so came up to open up the cabin.  We worked on taking the rails off the pontoon and I worked on fixing the motor.  I am going to need to retap the threads on the drain plug.  Brainerd marine didn't seem too interested in helping with that project, so I will try DIY... 

I did get the thread chaser and was able to clean it out and get the plug back in.  We also, got the new carpet on the pontoon and started replacing the fence.

Gutters in front

I have been planning to redo the garage apron for 2 summers now.  The project is a bit daunting so I have been putting it off.  In the interest of getting something started on it, and to send enough last year at Home Depot to get a reward, I put gutters up over my garage stall.  Not too hard a task, but I did need some help holding them up there while I attached them to the facia.

I think to note, you need to seal the pre-fabed corner pieces otherwise they leak.

I made the little jog in the downspout, because that was as far as I could get with the length of gutter I purchased after cutting for the corner.  I could see regretting that if ice builds up in there.  Also, I put it up a week ago, it rained once and there were a bunch of leaves in it already.  Hence I added the gutter guard stuff.

Bathroom costs

I have been collecting receipts for the last year, this is what I have so far...

• $350 - 60"x42" White curb shower base
• $500 - Wall Tile, grout
• $40 - lights
• $20 - bargin door
• $120 - pocket door frame
• $100 - faucet
• $100 - drain PVC, ball valve, pex adapter, etc
• $130 - cement board
• $110 - waterproofing stuff
• $100 - self-leveling concrete
• $30 - mortar
• $35 - drywall

= $1635

I am sure there is more I am missing but it is probably under $2000.  We still have the floor, toilet, and vanity to find.  So all in will probably be close to $5000 I would guess.

Shed pt 5 cost roundup...

The kit from Costco came with a flour, but I wanted to put it on piers and I wanted 10/12 foot pieces of lumber, so I bought that separate.  I put 9 piers under it, with 3 double 2x6 beams.  That seems to be working well so far.  We are trying an ice rink in front of it.  It hasn't been cold enough to freeze yet though.

We still need to paint it next spring.

• Costco Kit: 2400
• Deck flashing - 23.50
• Screws, hook blades - 25
• Concrete - 100 (tubes) + 135(concrete)+135(brackets)
• Floor - 35+290+15+
• Deck - 200+
• Ramp - 30+21 
• Roof Edging - 41.88
• Shingles - 210

• ~256.20 (tax)

$3916.58

Snowblower Repair...

 

So I am not sure the exact comedy of errors that happened with fixing the snowblower, but it started out with it not starting.  So naturally a carburetor problem...  Nick and I took it apart and found that the needle valve was indeed covered in stuff.  We cleaned it off and it worked for a bit.

Then it must have stopped working again, because I am pretty sure we took it apart again...  Then after we put it back together it wouldn't start.  So my fallback is to order a new carburator.

We got it and I started putting the new one in, but I was having a problem getting the spacer to fit.  So I checked You Tube and figured out that the spacer went on the other side of the carb.  So we must have put it back together incorrectly that second time.

So I doubt we needed a new carb, but I put it in anyways and it ran right away so we are ready for winter now.  Lesson of the day is to double check how to put things back together...