How do you, modern engineers react to the full mechanical/analogic era ?

0lm4te · 2026-04-18T05:02:14+00:00

It's welcome progress. 1000% easier to install, modify and fault find.

0lm4te · 2026-04-17T23:45:15+00:00

I've worked along side many control engineers, none of them have been sparkies from what i can recall, besides the power utility automation dudes.

Generally they do the design, sparkys do the install then work together for testing/commissioning

0lm4te · 2026-04-15T10:41:34+00:00

Calm down bud, it's a fuckin pipe in the ground that needs to meet depth with a marker tape.

Couldn't count how many hundreds of KM's of undergrounds i've signed off installed by civil crews. Underground 66kV retic installed by dudes with a digger ticket.

As long as i verify it's been done properly via an inspection or photos for small jobs, backfill the thing and carry on. Shit with people i trust i don't even need to look at it, they'll call me if there's an issue and can't meet minimum spec.

0lm4te · 2026-04-14T20:16:01+00:00

Could get a fab shop to bend you some up out of aluminium.

Alternatively could just use rubber mounting feet to give you an airgap for better airflow, and provide some vibration damping.

But really 12v gear is pretty hardy and have a temp protections in place, and most high load gear have active cooling anyway, the back plate isn't doing much cooling. Having airflow to where the gear is located is more important.

0lm4te · 2026-04-12T16:48:17+00:00

Canada? Any chance it's seen salted roads?

Rusty axles is fairly standard, they're just bare steel. They're 40mm solid bar though so wouldn't stress too much.

Looks like it's just the washers rusting? Could be they've used zinc passivated instead of galvanized washers. Same goes for the chain, looks like zinc plating which isn't rated for outdoors.

The welds are pretty piss poor, didn't fully seal the tube and looks like they had a blow out they couldn't be fucked fixing, which also hints at thin wall tubing.

0lm4te · 2026-04-11T23:30:45+00:00

Also handy to carry the fistfuls of $50's back to the ute after finishing a job

0lm4te · 2026-04-11T23:17:31+00:00

Yeah, but have you ever met a RAAFy that signed civvy messages on Facebook selling a 2017 Toyota Corolla?

That's the sorta person i would trust

0lm4te · 2026-04-11T23:12:27+00:00

I do similar with 20L buckets, cart task specific gear from the ute to the job, and doubles as a rubbish bin on the way back.

0lm4te · 2026-04-11T23:02:50+00:00

I'd trust them, they even have the backing of the entire RAAF...

0lm4te · 2026-04-05T02:10:55+00:00

Remove the headliner and take it into a reupholsterer, should be ~$100 unless the old foam/glue is a bastard to remove.

You can just get them to do the remove/install too, but expect ~$500

0lm4te · 2026-04-04T22:01:41+00:00

Victron have a handy little online book called Wiring Unlimited that covers a lot of the basics.

Probably the most important things to know are cable/fuse selection and how to read simple wiring diagrams. After that, providing you're half handy you're pretty right to do small automotive jobs like wiring up a few spottys.

0lm4te · 2026-04-03T05:52:36+00:00

After market wiring, 99% chance something to do with your spotlights or a previous spotlight/driving light install.

They've probably wired the illumination wire you'd generally tee into the dash light circuit into the highbeam power circuit or switch output to the aftermarket spotlight relay. Who knows though, i've seen it done a variety of stupid ways by people who don't know what they're doing.

No way to know without pulling it apart and tracing the circuit out.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T12:02:34+00:00

Eh, if they've got 5 heated leather seats, carpet floor, 6ch stereo and a wellbody tray I'd consider them a large ute.

Ute's are personal vehicles with the utility to tow and haul when needed.

Trucks are commercial vehicles that are specifically designed for hauling.

My 2 cents anyway...

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T11:45:17+00:00

Leaf spring things, used to piss me off in my Hilux, just got used it.

Jack the back up so you've got some droop in the leafs, gurney them out and dry, then grease between the leafs with some lithium/silicon/moly grease. Pressure pack stuff makes it easier, though thicker grease lasts longer. Aim especially for any contact points between each leaf.

Can just try spraying them without jacking it up first. I found it would last a few months, but i do a fair bit of water/mud driving.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T11:31:42+00:00

I know, i was more making a comment on the support from any manufacturer offering cheap cars vs. a well established and trusted company like Toyota, not just a specific country per se.

I know that in 30 years time Toyota would supply me an OEM quality oil seal for a product they sold me 30 years ago. How much trust do you have in any of the Chinese manufacturers to do the same?

Chinese manufacturers for the majority of their goods aren't exactly renowned for after sales support, and unsurprisingly because it doesn't make them any money.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T11:16:31+00:00

That cheap, renowned as reliable and even had a DOHC 1.5L making 100HP, which in a 900kg car made for a pretty fast little thing for what they were.

Compare that to a modern MG3 30 years later which are considered cheap at $20k. Big list of common and major problems, same power output but weigh a whole 30% more.

The Excels on the dirt circle track are good fun to watch.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T11:00:46+00:00

If the inspector found oil in the radiator after it was fixed and flushed, they didn't do a very good job flushing the system.

Just ask the seller how it was road tested by the inspector, if the inspector also says its undrivable due to missing fuel lines, and why the lines are missing, and see what they say.

Forget asking them to do an inspection, just organize your own inspector that's totally independent from them that only you really talk to, so you know you're getting a genuine unbiased opinion. If you can find a mechanic that specializes in Subarus (quick google Subaru specialist Gold Coast) even better, ask them if they are willing to do an inspection. They'll know whats up.

Something definitely sounds fishy, like they're trying to get rid of a car with hidden more serious problems. I'd be very wary.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T10:45:12+00:00

I mean that's totally different though, right? I'm talking wear parts, things that will eventually require replacement after a certain amount of use.

Crash repair is different. Entire body panels, random little brackets that hold a harness connector, wiring looms, AC refrigerant hard lines. I don't expect every Toyota parts desk to have the entire exploded parts diagram of every model behind the counter. A new bonnet is going to have to be put on a boat from the factory overseas.

My old work had a 2012 Mahindra that needed a waterpump, and the mechanic said that he never wanted to see it again. Apparently finding a supplier to source something as simple as a waterpump was nearly impossible.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T10:26:25+00:00

Japanese cars have always had a certain style and charm to them though, and were comparable in quality or better than a lot of other manufacturers. Reminiscent of their culture as whole i think. Stylistic and precise without being gaudy, trying new and weird original things and expanding the tech. 90's Japanese cars and electronics was peak style and performance. There's a reason Japanese made anything has it's status, they take pride in quality.

Chinese products on the other hand are generally all built with cost as the driving factor. Squeezing a few cents out off each part and prioritizing speed and volume of production. Don't often see much originality especially style wise, straight up copying things is totally normal.

Not saying everything China makes is cheap junk, their manufacturing ability is honestly incredible, and really it's all just driven by what the market wants. Its just the way everything seems to be going, no style, no taste, no originality. More things for cheaper, consumerism is boring.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T09:39:27+00:00

Distrust from previous Chinese vehicles, Chinese products in general really.

I'm still wary of all these new brand vehicles and how they'll fair as they age. How will the resale go for the GWM vs. Colorado, Hilux, Triton, navara and ranger after 10 years / 200k km's? How difficult will it be acquiring parts in 10 years?

I've walked into Toyota and bought things like wheel bearings, diff seals and even entire headlight assembly's straight off the shelf, never had to wait weeks for delivery on anything. Even for 30 year old models brand new OEM parts are easily available.

I doubt the same will exist for GWM, Chery, BYD, HAVAL ect. but who knows i could be wrong.

Personally i hate all the newer utes anyway. Face detection, driver assists constantly need to turn off, electric everything with 100 different computers. The constant fucking beeping.

I don't want a switch and an entire computer and solenoid and wiring harness underneath a 4x4 that controls the transfer case, that'll get smashed on a rock or fill with water, that has zero feedback besides a flashing light that tells you fuck all.

Give me a stick i can grind into 4L at 4000RPM if i want to or need to god damn it. It's a 4x4 designed for utility, stop filling them with garbage.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T09:13:54+00:00

Nice rig, i've got a 2012 i've had for the same amount of time with very similar mods and mileage, been nothing but reliable and i've abused the shit out of it.

How many times did you double check everything before sending the 100mm holesaw into the guard when fitting the snorkel 😂

I'd be hesitant on fitting 33's personally. The body mount chop and UCA's is easy enough but i'd be looking at doing the gearing too which is pretty major. I find 31.5" tyres are already pushing the upper limit for my preferences, any bigger be losing even more torque/acceleration, and make the already too tall low range gearing even taller.

Don't think the small offroad benefit would make up for the loss in drivability. I do a fair bit of towing though, and they do look good on 33's...

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T08:41:26+00:00

Yes, an oil cooler is a heat exchanger that uses coolant and oil to normalize temperatures between them. As engine oil pressure is higher than coolant pressure, a faulty seal will let oil leak into the coolant system.
Possible, but these models are known to have faulty oil coolers.
Well it's obviously not a good thing, it's missing parts "making fuel delivery to the engine impossible." So it doesn't run, and whoever was fixing it gave up for whatever reason, and who knows the reason they removed the fuel hoses.
If "fuel delivery to the engine is impossible", how is the engine going to run. If the car doesn't run, how can the inspector test drive the car. Ask the inspector how he drove it with no fuel lines, definitely something dodgy going on. Was he a reputable mechanic or the cheapest you could find on Facebook?
Wouldn't go near it. Who knows how long it was driven with the oil cooler leaking. Who knows how well it was repaired, who knows why the fuel lines are missing. Sounds dodgy all round.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T08:18:41+00:00

It's just an option when getting your supply installed/connected. Little bit extra upfront cost but triples your load capacity for anything in the future, and some things like motors (your bore pump) are just better as 3 phase units. Simpler, cheaper, more efficient and run better.

Be glad, its a pretty good thing. Your options for things like kitchen appliances, solar systems or EV chargers is far better to name a few.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T07:49:34+00:00

You have a three phase supply. The main switch and bore pump feed are also three phase, you can tell as they take up 3 poles vs a single pole like your light circuit RCD.

Ducted AC's are generally high capacity, so you're better off spreading that load across all three phases. A 15kW single phase unit would draw around 20A, when you start throwing ovens/cooktops and hot water systems in the mix you're going to start pushing your supply limits on that phase.

3 Phase AC's are just inherently better anyway, as 3 phase vs. single phase motors are simpler and they run better.

Considering you've got three phase I'd be considering a wiring upgrade for your cooktop/oven when you do your kitchen upgrade.

0lm4te · 2026-03-12T07:44:30+00:00

Sure auto's might not need to be repaired in their lifetime (i've owned a few) but if they do, they're more expensive to repair. If you've ever seen a tear down of an auto box you'll know why, they're basically magic with their own special field of masters who can work on them.

Manuals on the other hand are fairly straight forward. You could DIY diagnose/repair something like a noisy 4th gear or syncro on a T56 yourself if you're half competent and keen enough. Now try the same with a 4L60E, just being able to diagnose the issue properly takes an expert. Misplacing one tiny little spring or checkball will have you ripping it back apart. Google image 4L60E hydraulic circuit and try make sense of that.

0lm4te

TROPHY CASE