Showing Love To Subaru.

I always note how much I love working on the Subie.   Unfortunately, (Or Fortunately.... Depending on your perception..) Subie's do not break down too often.  Hooray for Japanese Engineering!   I do try to resist the urge to brag about Subie's reliability and simplicity.  ( Ok, it is a 2003 Legacy.   Today's Subies may be a little more high tech.) I would not want to bring the wrath of Karma upon myself. 

But the trip to Michigan reminded me that Subie requires love now and then.  During all of 2020,  the only thing we did was change oil, buy new tires, and swap out a bearing that "may" have been going bad.  Other than that... for an entire YEAR!  Subie has started up reliably and never complained.   At least in a drastic way.    Andy, ( Cheryl's brother and the Family Subaru Mechanic who introduced me to Subaru.) says Subarus will still work even when they are broke.  True!  As we limped Silver Bullet all the way to Iowa City on a Blown head gasket. ( I still marvel at that feat!)  

What is causing the grinding?

Brake Tools and Parts!

So,  as mentioned before,  Subie has been "dropping hints" as to how he has been feeling lately.   Most Noticeable was the Broken Alternator bolt.  However,  upon arriving home,   Subie began to have trouble idling.   Also, there was a Noticeable grinding sound coming from the front brakes.  After a little research,   we discovered that we replaced the brakes Three Years ago!  Hmmm...  Perhaps the shoes are a little worn?   Cheryl orders new shoes, bolts, and rotors.. figuring we will replace everything whether they need it or not.    

Replace air Filter.

The next day,   the Check engine light throws a code that says the Air Idle Control Valve is "low voltage".   While waiting for the brake parts, I  remove the Air Idle Control valve.  The AICV is VERY dirty!    I take it and the entire Throttle body apart and spend the afternoon cleaning it with cleaner and a toothbrush.  

Cleaning up the Oil Overflow.

While doing that,  I notice the Air Filter is dirty as well, with oil on it. ( this never happens.)  

Then I note the pools of Oil in the engine bay.  Turns out,   I possibly overfilled the Oil on our trip home from Michigan.   Hey!  It said it was low!   And I simply added half a quart.   However,  it was also cold when I took the reading...... And the rumble was not from the lack of  oil, but the Alternator bolt that was about to break.  So... Blunder One for Ethan.   Sorry, Subie.  

Replace the front rotor.

Shiny and new!

Another perk of having a Subaru is that it puts up with bad owner's like me.    So... Time to make up for being a jerk.   When all of the parts arrived mid week,  replaced the brake shoes and rotors.   (At least on one side.... the Passenger side was giving me problems, so I have to work on the rotor later.)   

New Alternator. New belt.

Yesterday,  I disassembled the air intake, belts, battery, and alternator and cleaned out the entire engine bay.   I was not thoroughly prepared for this, so all I had some soapy water, toothbrushes, rags, and lots of paper towels.   I mopped up as much left over oil as I could.   I changed the oil and refilled it to it's proper levels.   

Missing threads.

New alternator looks better.

I swapped out the Alternator and the Alternator belt.   The belt looks pretty good still, but the Alternator was damaged as I tried doing the Highway Recovery.  ( See the first 1/4 inch of threads that had been ground down? )  

Not to bad, but replace anyway.

IN the end.  New Brakes!  New Alternator. New Alternator Belt. New Air Idle Control Valve. New Air Filter.  Cleaned out the Engine bay from dust and oil. ( as best as I could with Soap and water) And Changed the Oil.  Subie is back to himself once again. 

Additional projects:  I have to replace the gasket from the  throttle body, swap out the Rotor on the passenger side, and, if I feel frisky,  I really should hose out the rest of the engine bay that I could not reach from the top.   ( We shall see if that happens...) Cheryl is also suggesting doing the back breaks while I am at it.   Sounds good to me!  After the tough nut on the front brake bracket,  I would like to make sure that I can still remove the back ones as well.  ( I know they were heavily treated with anti-seize... so they should come off.) Just make sure you don't wait three years before you look at them again. 

In other news,  Tomorrow is the First Farmer's Market in Muscatine!   Cheryl and I spent the day setting up the display  in our yard so we can get ready for the actual event.  Being the first one of the year,   we decided it is probably best to stay small and send out feelers for the product.   Soap will be the main item,  but there may be other avenues in the future.   We shall see how it goes.   And if things go well...  We may upgrade to Washington or Davenport in the future.   We shall see. 

Car repair posts are always long.   And does anyone really care?   I mean:  "Your car broke.. and you fixed it....  Good Job!" Not very exciting for those who do not conquer their Subaru "challenges."    But this is my blog and I read it to give me confidence in the future. (You fixed the brakes before Eth.... You can do it again.  Oh,  And the bracket bolt on the passenger side will be a pain in the butt... just like last time." )   See! 

Pain in the Butt Brake Bracket.

I need to help myself overcome my fears.  That is just the kind of "mechanic" I am...  ( Do no harm... first!)  Thanks for stopping in.  (Especially You!  Future Ethan.... I know you will.)

Color in Muscatine.

A quick post.. (because I have an "involved" post coming up.)   We visited Muscatine today,  and the weather was wonderful!   A rather rare thing in Iowa.   But we were able to run 5 miles and get some cheap $1 pizza  before heading home.   It was a good day. 

Some more color appeared while on the trail.   I'm not sure what this tree is, but I do like the color.   Thankfully the blossoms avoided the cold snap we had over the weekend and are now showing their glory.   My crappy camera does not do it justice when the  sunbeam hit it. 

Small other note.  My Hops plant is coming up and I was able to sample the first tender chutes.  I heard about them on YouTube when I was doing my little "gardener's research."  Turns out,  they taste like a Hoppy Green Bean!   It is an amazing flavor!  I actually think they taste better than normal green beans.  The catch: as with Asparagus,  if you let them grow too long, the chutes become tough and fibrous.  I'm hoping the plant will produce hops this year at least.   And I shall see  if I can catch those tender chutes next year as they pop up.  

The last 2 days have been in the 80's   I hauled out the AC and have it in the Window just in case it climbs back up there later this week.   Storms are supposed to happen tonight and tomorrow.  We shall see if that comes true. Can you believe we has SNOW just last Sunday?   ( Mixed with rain,  did not stick, but still SNOW!) Next day.. 81 degrees.  Horray for that southern breeze. I'll end this now with some pics of the cats.   Hiro enjoys his Sunbeam and Rocket enjoys Cheryl's company.   A rare thing!  ( Cats usually do not cuddle up with Cheryl...) I'll save the Subie Repair post for later, because it will be very involved.   As most Subie Repair confessions... I mean "explanations" usually are. Thanks for stopping in.

The Michigan Weekend Breakdown.

We have been gone all weekend!  Doing "Family Stuff" in Michigan.   A rather un-blogworthy event. Oh, sure!  We did the Typical Family things that Families do when they have not seen each other for an entire year.  We ate food.  We walked through some wooded trails. We ate MORE food.  We griped about the government and such things. ( Ok, that was mostly me.) And then we caught up on all of the happenings that we have done since our last visit 2 years ago.   Typical!

After exchanging gifts, taking the usual odd, awkward family photos, and eating more food,  we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel.   The end!   

But then....  The trip back!   And really, THIS is what I will most want to blog about.    Not the happy fun stuff.... No, no, no, nooooo!    My story  has to have a "semi-tragic" event to make it memorable, and blog-worthy.   Here's what happened...

Early morning rise and ready to leave.   We pack the Subie and start him up.   Everything seems normal, except for the small squeak from he Power-steering belt.   No biggy... It was cold!  35 degrees!   Subie is probably just cold after sitting in the chill.   We head out.  

Everything is fine to about South Haven ( about an hour and a half away from Grand Rapids) and I see the Police in the median.   I check my speed and see I'm going zero.   That is ZERO miles per hour!   Wow!  I'm WAY under the speed limit!   

But then, common sense kicks in and I figure I'm still in a moving car, traveling down the highway with the flow of traffic.   Something does not seem right here.   I mention it to Cheryl, who confirms that my thinking is not off.  

And then... The "chugging" begins.   The engine is running but the car is having these hiccups.   I pull over.   This has happened before.   I'm convinced that My battery is dead.   After several seconds of Intense panic, and me having my brain run and hide to the furthest reaches of my mind,  we take a deep breath, gather up my brain and try to figure out our next move. (Small note here... It was SNOWING!  Yes,  Snow!) 

Pop the hood and do a quick inspection.   The Alternator bolt has broken. AGAIN!   Ok, It DID last 2 years this time.    And we are only an hour and a half away from possible family help... I have done this before and almost feel a sense of relief flood over me.    I know how to fix it!

Better yet!  I HAVE The spare bolt in the glove box. ( Actually, I have THREE!)   I actually HAVE the parts I need!

Even BETTER yet!  A Good Samaritan stops almost immediately and offers assistance.  Oh, My Goodness!!!   We might be able to self recovery yet!  All I require is a 12 MM wrench or socket. ( Which I do NOT have in the car...  I have a 10 mm and a screw driver.   But no 12 MM wrench.)    The Good Samaritan offers to drive us to Menards for the tool.   I did not want to take the time of the Good Samaritan for granted, so we limited our visit to two tools. ( 13 mm and 12 mm) Cheryl wanted to buy one of those "battery starter" things that jump start a dead battery, but I had too many questions and felt the sense of urgency for our guardian angels. Hind site is 2020... Looking back,  I should have listened. 

But who needs a self recovery jump start if the guardian angel is available to jump you?   

Well,  all good things have to end some time.   The small tip of the broken bolt would not be pushed through.   I told the good Samaritan that he had helped enough and we would have to wait for a drill to spin the small piece of bolt out.  I thanked him earnestly and offered to pay for his time and help, he refused.   We told him we would have to wait for the family to bail us out. 

Time.    Oh, the time.   Turns out the family was in the middle of Church and would not be available for Family rescue for about 2 hours.   Plenty of time for me to hang my head and contemplate fate's meaning and God's design.   With 2 hours  (or so) to think about all of the failings I have had in life,  I decided to continue trying to remove that small piece of bolt out of the alternator.  Tap Tap tap... hardened steel grinding on a Phillips screw driver never making a dent. The bolt was selected for its hardness,  after all. Still it failed me.  

I began to think about how this small 1/4 inch of broken bolt is symbolic of  my efforts in life.   All that Prep for the trials of life.... and the future,  comes down to a 1/4 inch barrier that seems immovable and impossible without outside help.   Thanks a lot, education!  Thanks a lot, moral upbringing and strong work ethic.  All of that preparation dwindles down to sheer will, determination, and futile persistence.   

after about 20 minutes of wrestling with in in the median, I bring the Alternator into the car and Cheryl suggests using a tweezers.   I can feel the piece of bolt moving, if I could only spin it.   I tried threading in the broken bolt in to see if I could push or pull it out.  Finally...  Cheryl suggests the Swiss army knife. 

The Swiss Army Knife.   A Swiss army Cornucopia of Possibilities. Perhaps the most useful and Best-est birthday Present ever given to me.   I have used it in Alaska for Hunting, Army stuff, and  mushroom hunting.   I recently have been using it to harvest the Dandelions for my potato salad.   I flip open the screw section and begin twisting and grinding away.   

IT WORKS!   As I feel it move,  I slowly work on it until it eventually comes out.  Things are beginning to take shape once again.   A Wave of optimism swells over me.   I painstakingly put Subie back together with deep breathes between each bolt  I certainly do not want to screw this up if I can help it simply because I was overly eager to be finished. 

Buttoned up...  we turn the ignition.  Nothing!  Of course!   Well,  Cheryl's Fam will be here in about an hour now... unless we call a tow truck to give us a jump.  Incidentally,  no one stopped after that first Good Samaritan.  Cheryl makes the call and the tow truck is on his way.   

Less than 20 minutes later,  The Tow Truck uses the same Jump box we had the opportunity to buy at Menards.   It works! We are back on the road!

The only problem is that we had to bother Cheryl's family and possibly ruin their Sunday as they plotted out how they were going to save us.  Not only is it awkward, bu it is also humiliating!  Because I had been telling them how awesome Subie was on the way to Michigan.   ( Secretly knocking on wood so I would not bring Karma's hex on my endorsements.) I know Subie is Old....  and approaching 350,000 miles!   And I also knew.. ( In hind site, now) that Subie was telling me things.   Small squeals and squeaks as I turn the steering wheel, a small hesitation when I start him up each morning over the last week.   And finally,   a bit of a rough idle this morning.   I took that as perhaps he was low on oil as this was 1500 miles into his oil change schedule. ( It was a bit low, so I added more,   And the sound went away... )  

Well, we made it home without any further incident.  I will be now looking to replace the Alternator and possibly the serpentine belt as a preventative.   I most likely stripped out the threads as I struggled to get that small shard of broken bolt out of there.  Best to prevent the next even if possible.   Or at the very least... delay the disaster!

Home now.   Time to rest and reflect.  Thrilled that the family things are done and we can get back to hugging up on the cats.  They all appear to have missed us. ( or at least... our food!)  The take away from all of this is that no matter how prepared you may be, ( or lucky)  there are still things that require an outside force for help.  A helpful hand from a Stranger,  a service provider that is only minutes away.   And a little bit of determination and persistence.  My only regret from the whole experience is that we had to involve the Family at all.   No need worrying them or causing an inconvenience on a Sunday.  They are busy people, after all.   And now we will probably be the talk of the family and how we are still the official "Screw ups" of the family.   It would have been a colorful story for Thanksgiving... but now the plot has already been revealed. 

Cheryl says that after taking a break from the monthly car repairs, due to Covid....   We are now back to our normal routine  of monthly car repairs meaning: The Pandemic is over!   ( for us anyway.) Lord have Mercy!

The Paper Gnome!

 I was not going to blog today, but I finally found success in folding.  Actually,  this is my second attempt at folding the Eric Joisel gnome. The first attempt was with some older paper I had lying around.   But the instructions said that this model works best with foil paper.   So...  Take the advice from the Master!

I quickly whipped some foil paper up and began folding.   This attempt turned out far better, but there may still be places to improve.   One issue was that the paper began to fail as I was doing the finishing shaping.  If I took my time making the paper next time,  it may be more durable.    We shall find out. 

First attempt.  Not very good.

Other than that,  I think it turned out pretty good.   He looked kind of sad all alone on my table so I gave him a background and a bamboo skewer to make him look more formidable.  Now he looks like a watchman on some gnome trail deep in the forest.  Or maybe he just looks like a dwarf. 

Anyway,  I like it!   Maybe the folding will get easier if I practice.  The Box-Pleating calls for 28 equally divided folds.  28!   That is an odd number.  So I have been starting out with 14 inch paper and measuring the marks beforehand. Models are easier when there are no odd  prime numbers in their set up. I find the actual model rather "simple"  but with complex add ons. Similar to my "Dancer" model that I created. only the gnome has fingers!  How cool is that. Thanks for stopping in.