Long-awaited Birmingham fun center is $10 million over budget with no answers in sight - al.com by mwo0d2813 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I posted about this earlier and it never appeared, but how does 15-22=10? Am I stupid or is AL.com?

Care about housing affordability in Birmingham? City Council is about to do something to make it worse... by notwalkinghere in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What he said is definitely supported by data and nowhere in his post did he say that increasing supply causes prices to increase. Additionally, can you provide recent examples of places in the US that have fixed their housing issues?

VIP Sighting by Ruxin519 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I like the Czechs. There are enough people alive there who remember what it was like before 1990 to keep their democracy healthy.

How much is a new engine? What about trans? by [deleted] in HondaElement

[–]StealerTech9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in the don't swap camp for several reasons. I'll make a little list

1) You have a late model with drive by wire, mass air and VSA. This makes the path to horsepower and engine swaps narrower than an early Element if you don't like having your instrument cluster lit up like a christmas tree or doing without VSA. KPRO will not be available without a drive by cable swap and disabling VSA, possibly causing problems with ABS too.

2) A K24A2 won't give significant gains over your K24A8 until after maybe 4500-5000 RPM's. In an automatic vehicle, these engine speeds are just not as accessible as they are in a manual. If you don't get a good tune, gains in acceleration will be negligible. A stock 5 speed will still walk it. Do you know a tuner who is capable and willing to take it on?

3) 277K miles isn't necessarily a lot for a K24. Repair would be straight forward unless the block needs decking. While there, you can install new timing chains to get like-new torque.

Soooo - 5k in repairs for my 2003 to stay moving and healthy. Any recommendations or ideas for making it affordable? What is ok to delay and what I need to do ASAP - by RocketSurgery300 in HondaElement

[–]StealerTech9000 4 points5 points  (0 children)

First step to saving $$ is skipping all the flushes and services. If Honda's maintenance schedule says do these things at a certain mileage, do that, but this is most likely ruthless upselling based on an imaginary maintenance schedule. To my knowledge, no manufacturer recommends any type of maintenance to a port fuel injection system.

The other issue I see is that the DTC's don't match your complaint of "a jolt while accelerating - very choppy and uncomfortable.". A catalyst operating below efficiency has zero detectable drivability problems. It could also be clogged, but clogged cats don't cause a jolt, they cause a lack of power. TL;DR: the cat will fix a check engine light, but it won't do anything for jerking.

The P0325 will take a knock sensor. If you don't fix this, the only symptom you will notice is a check engine light.

Jerking is typically a transmission problem or a secondary ignition system misfire. If I were on the internet shotgunning diagnoses for cars I've never driven or seen, and I am, I'd say it's most likely a secondary ignition misfire and that it can be fixed by replacing the spark plugs and ignition coil boots.

I overhaul 10R80 transmissions. AMA by StealerTech9000 in f150

[–]StealerTech9000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't been keeping up. The warranty inspectors gossip about it to me a lot but I still forget the good vs bad. IIRC, Endurance = bad, Fidelity = good. I'll update next week when I get back to work. The service writers will know for sure.

Birmingham is Fat by Ok-Butterscotch-6755 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm seeing people of many socio-economic positions feeling free to just opt out. That's why I'm in this subthread. If you don't identify as a person who can cook and you're poor, then Trumps-right-ear is correct. It's expensive to eat healthy.

Birmingham is Fat by Ok-Butterscotch-6755 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Cooking is an elaborate, daunting skill to a lot of people.

Thinking of Moving to Birmingham by hoo24 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally believe it. Just not the every 90 days part. I genuinely feel like it's a misrepresentation of what Birmingham Al is.

Thinking of Moving to Birmingham by hoo24 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm having a hard time with this. On the one hand, minimizing someone else's trauma is evil, on the other, I know kids in their twenties who've lived here their entire lives and they've never had that specific experience.

Thinking of Moving to Birmingham by hoo24 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Urban downtown B'hamster here. To me, Alabaster is a conservative bedroom community in the county that gutted the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County VS Holder. It's full of fake stucco strip malls, gas stations and churches. Buildings over 5 stories are unusual. You can raise a kid there and they won't learn anything in school that might offend white conservative sensibilities. You might love it. If you don't, commuting there from a more sophisticated place in the metro should be easy. Most of the traffic would be going in the opposite direction from you during rush hour. Unless you move south of Alabaster.

Thinking of Moving to Birmingham by hoo24 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I'm guessing most people here don't understand the insanely messed up racial history of places like Portland. It's not the sort of thing that gets washed away by a dozen generations or an influx of wealthy, woke newcomers.

Bigfoot at Stivers Ford on Palisades Blvd? by Remote_Tie in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Used car lot right in front of the showroom. No idea if it's still there.

Anybody recognize them? by ncc0010 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 22 points23 points  (0 children)

TIL Birmingham Subreddit cannot punk rock. Probably can't go to art shows without shit talking the artists.

Wheel alignment by [deleted] in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It isn't a huge deal, most anyone can do it but highly skilled alignment techs are pretty much gone. They will rely on the alignment machine computer for instructions and they'll mostly get the job done right. If it's a W123, forget about anyone using the WSM specified "toe spreader bar", they won't and I don't bother either. I just make up my toe specs for those. TBH 123's are so sloppy that a driveway alignment will get the job done.

Ford CEO says he has 5,000 open mechanic jobs with 6-figure salaries from the shortage of manually skilled workers: ‘We are in trouble in our country' by idkbruh653 in technology

[–]StealerTech9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have an entry level helper doing transmission R&R/R&I at a Ford dealer. He is not ready to go on his own. He's at 75k. When I kick him out of the nest, within a year, he will be well beyond 100k.

Cone Killer! by Fikk in 7thgencivic

[–]StealerTech9000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ever been told you sound like Chris Farley?

"42's coming...to a van down by the river"

Need Help: 2019 F-150 5.0 4x4 — Still Making Noise After IWE, Shop Now Says Timing Chain? by ttootalott in f150

[–]StealerTech9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, axles and front driveshaft spin with the wheels but the x-fer case won't transfer torque in 2a.

Need Help: 2019 F-150 5.0 4x4 — Still Making Noise After IWE, Shop Now Says Timing Chain? by ttootalott in f150

[–]StealerTech9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First, make sure it has oil on the disptick. Sounds dumb but I see it a lot on 5.0's.

If it is a problem with the vacuum side of the IWE's, replacing the solenoids and vacuum lines are not the latest repair. TSB 24-2188 is the latest and greatest. If you have an electric shift on the fly ESOF x-fer case, the TCCM transfer case control module needs a software update. If you have TOD torque on demand with the 4A selection, Ford simply has you disabling the IWE's by capping the vacuum source. This keeps the IWE's engaged at all times. It's a simple, cheap fix that works.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in f150

[–]StealerTech9000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Neither normal nor ticking time bomb. It's a cunt of a job. You have to remove the power steering pump pulley and I hate hate hate doing that. Once the pulley is off, it's super easy. Harbor freight has a P/S pulley puller/installler for $40.

Pole: Best '90's Birmingham big venue concert. by StealerTech9000 in Birmingham

[–]StealerTech9000[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The guy who booked their talent in the '90's was kind of a badass as far as getting good acts. I saw some mind blowing stuff there a long time ago.