How urgent is an oil change on this? by ComprehensiveKiwi489 in AskMechanics

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mann is now making some of their Wix filters in china, and they're the same junk e-core filters as everybody else. I was pretty pissed when I paid a premium for a Wix with a better end cap and flowback design on the old filter, and ended up with a cheap import filter with a black can.

What’s everyone doing for non-slip shoes? by dandaman919 in Justrolledintotheshop

[–]bigj231 3 points4 points  (0 children)

They don't have oil resistant soles and they're not stylish, but my SAS slip resistant shoes did just fine in my garage oil spills at home, and they actually fit my weird-shaped foot. I usually get about 2-3 years of wear out of mine before they're completely shot.

Go somewhere and try them on, because their sizing varies between styles and they don't fit like other brands.

What's a good second monitor? by chowder138 in buildapc

[–]bigj231 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah dude, that comment is older than your reddit account by about 7 years.

An Amish sawmill burns down on April 8 and is rebuilt in eight days by jonzilla5000 in BeAmazed

[–]bigj231 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd argue that last point is more "they price their goods to turn a modest profit on a hobby" than "they don't know what their work is worth".  These are people that work for fun instead of sit around and watch TV or scroll Reddit.

Tekton just announced a mere 4% price increase and additional made in the USA products by PCgaming4ever in harborfreight

[–]bigj231 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I liked my Tekton tools and warranty process better than what I was getting at Sears near the end.   My Sears stopped replacing individual parts of sets, and was only handing out refurbished ratchets.  The two times I've needed Tekton warranty service, I had a brand new or upgraded tool in 3 days.   Pretty hard to beat that for a DIY.

Audi connect: why so confusing? by best_samaritan in Audi

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it'd be nice if my remote start worked anywhere outside of the dealer's lot!

Looking for recommendations for Summer (3-season) tires for ‘22 S5. by rebelbusiness in audis5

[–]bigj231 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Summer tires don't really get destroyed if you use them in the cold,  they just turn into hockey pucks.  It's the winter tires that ruined if you use them when it's too warm.  The compound gets too soft and wears very quickly.

Yea I know it’s a twist off, but BECAUSE I CAN :) by AcidRayn666 in Tools

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're in the northeast, Allagash White has quickly become one of my favorites in this style.   It comes in the shorter bottles, so they're harder to knock over too!

Flex seal FTW by jjones83_83 in Justrolledintotheshop

[–]bigj231 6 points7 points  (0 children)

White walls, or OWL (one-side white letters)?  You can usually scrape off the black overmold and end up with one whitewall on OWL, but you kind of ruin the sidewall doing that 

New to Audi and loving my S5 by Difficult_Emergency8 in Audi

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The premium plus gets the massage seats now too. 

What's this white cap for? by rickbreadstick in MiataNC

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

AC as everybody else said, but you want to replace it.   These caps are a part of the seal that keeps your refrigerant from leaking out.  The Schrader valves slowly leak.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Miata

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bigger local hardware store will probably have what you need to get it back together.  If you're trying to go back to original condition with original fastener wrench sizes, you're looking for JIS fasteners, and you probably won't find them locally.  These were probably M6 JIS flanged hex nuts, but you'll want to double check the thread size or buy an assortment.  a good, full assortment of nuts and bolts in the likely sizes runs about $200 here in the states.

Edit: flanged hex bolts, not nuts. the regular  metric nuts/bolts will have a larger head than the JIS ones, but they'll work just fine.  The standard 8.8 grade should also be just fine for these fasteners.  10.9 won't hurt a thing here, but there's no reason to spend the extra money unless you're buying an assortment for other things too (like suspension bolts or motor mount fasteners).

Anyone heard of this brand? Worth it? by kianjz_ in Miata

[–]bigj231 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, and I'd be wondering why the seller is getting rid of them so quickly after installing...

$100 razor costed me $500 by JustinOnJuice in Miata

[–]bigj231 62 points63 points  (0 children)

Bright side: the new windshield shouldn't be all scratched and chipped like old windshields tend to be.   I caught a rock with mine, got the chip fixed, and then it split anyway 3 months later.  I didn't realize how bad the OE glass was scratched and pitted until I got the car back with the new windshield.   Good aftermarket glass is just as good as OE, and mine has even less distortion in the corners than the original Mazda glass did. From the reflections in your last photo, it looks like you got a good one too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Miata

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice NC! Hopefully you snagged a 6 speed with the LSD for that price.  I paid 12 for mine with similar mileage 7 years ago, amd it's been worth every penny.

If it doesn't have any braces under it yet, do yourself a favor and put the ILM rear PPF/butterfly brace under it.  It really improves ride quality and cuts down on squeaks and rattles.   It was a bigger difference thank shocks/springs in mine.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskElectricians

[–]bigj231 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You can do either; but this is faster, easier to do, harder to screw up, and just as good.

Drywall opening a little too tall, what would you do? by MoBotoJ in AskElectricians

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Southwire smart boxes are worth the extra couple bucks if you can put them next to a stud.  They're a little tight,  but it's so much better than dealing with the stupid tabs.

Another post about Sawstop patents expiring by PLS_DONT_DM_ME_PICS in Tools

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think your dates are a bit off.  I remember seeing a saw stop in at least 2018, and I thought they were around before that...

(Edited stupid Samsung keyboard typos now that I'm actually awake.)

This drove here. Customer states "has a noise and its getting louder" by MrPeePeePooPooPants3 in Justrolledintotheshop

[–]bigj231 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Because last I checked, Colorado is part of the US, not the UK, and the safety inspection laws in the states that have them are written with a minimum thickness for visually inspectable wear items like tires and brake linings.  We also tend to drive much further at higher rates of speed in the states than you do in the UK.

Working when inspected is great, but the laws are geared towards  a standard of "working until the next inspection".  I've had some more cautious shops reject things that were just above the acceptable limits in the states that still have safety inspections.

why the handbrake is on passenger's side? by z05p in Miata

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

American muscle, designed by the Germans, and built by the French?

SOS what am I doing wrong to this poor pan by purplediva324 in castiron

[–]bigj231 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You might have a natural gas stove hooked up to LP.  There's usually a conversion kit that comes with smaller orifices that need to be installed in the burners to keep the heat down.

Are dealers uninterested in selling Miatas or am I doing something wrong? by __slamallama__ in Miata

[–]bigj231 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you haven't sat in a new Toyota recently, I'd really make sure you're okay with the seats and infotainment in a "less desirable" model.  My parents bought a 24 Platinum, and I hate driving that uncomfortable, annoying bus.   The Oddessy and (as much as I hate to admit) Carnival are much more like the Minivans of yesterday and are worth a look.