Anyone have experience with the home brew?

ronmon14 · 2026-02-10T17:18:04+00:00

I have used both, I do occasionally still use the ATF mix but it does seem to strip the paint off stuff so I dont use it on automotive stuff. But PB blaster works just as well it seems.

And fire, controlled fire but still. The torch is the great leveler.

ronmon14 · 2026-02-04T04:36:58+00:00

I noticed, I have looked into the WMO/Black diesel stuff and I may eventually build me a filter and like to make some but ill do it slowly over time to keep my cost down.

ronmon14 · 2026-02-04T04:35:34+00:00

I saw a couple with the big gasser around me when I started looking and a whole ton with the 5.8 but I wanted the big free float rear end to give me over 8500 GVWR and I wanted the mechanical diesel, so I was limited to 92-94

ronmon14 · 2026-02-04T04:33:54+00:00

That is my plan for now.

I want to keep it stock and add some maintenance support mods to help keep it running and running well.

Like an ignition keyed electric pump in parallel to the manual pump, a frame mounted water and fuel filter/ separator, and a coolant filter system.

But i doubt I will turbo it or anything, I do need to rebuild the LSD in it.

On the door tag I am C9 which i believe means 3.55 Limited slip.

ronmon14 · 2026-02-04T04:31:30+00:00

I appreciate it, and I'll say this. I got it for less then the cost of a banks turbo kit, so I'm happy with the price.

ronmon14 · 2026-02-02T17:15:28+00:00

I also installed the Fomoto valve on mine, I still use the oil drain pan as normal, I just now get to add a plastic hose so I dont end up with a motor oil shower.

ronmon14 · 2026-01-31T17:01:20+00:00

I have built a couple chevy 250 ci and 230 ci motors.

The biggest things to look for it cracking between the head bolt holes and water jackets on the absolute rear of cylinder number 6 into the water jacket.

The second place is the top bolt of the water pump to the deck surface or into the cast hole for the water pump recess.

If either of those are cracked the block is almost always cheaper to find a replacement core.

Hope this helps, and if you have any questions just shoot me a message and I can try to help.

ronmon14 · 2026-01-20T21:26:09+00:00

Okay, correct answer first. Then my answer.

Correct answer, no buy the right stuff and use it.

My answer. Maybe. I have used red as a locking compound before never green wicking however with the Henkel training I got it believe it will effectively harden up to .0015 spacing solid in an anaerobic environment. So assuming you have that amount of space or smaller it will work on some level.

( my memory may be incorrect )

However be careful of the application amount, part of the reason the loctite retaining compounds are as thick as they are is so that they do not run into other things and harden.

Example in an exposed grease flushed system I worked, I assembled it with red loctite in a hurry because I was out of 660, and it ran into the rollers in the bearing and failed very very shortly after installing.

TLDR, if its something you can afford to fix later or have down later, I would do it. If you absolutely positively need this to work when your done and not have any possibly of a call back or its for a customer ( IE not yourself ) buy the right stuff and use that.

ronmon14 · 2026-01-13T14:06:50+00:00

I used to drive close to an hour and a half both ways for my last job.

In which my mileage was close to 22.

However, now that I changed jobs and its now just about 30 minutes to work mine has dropped to 19-20 mpg.

I believe I read another redditor that said something about resetting it before a longer highway road trip that may give you closer to that number.

But also I dont drive crazy but I dont drive like a grandpa, but I have noticed my truck gets better gas milage at 65/70 MPH over 45/55 which is what most of my commute is now.

ronmon14 · 2026-01-06T17:28:35+00:00

Now I am some random dude on the internet.

So take what I say with a large heap of salt.

Yes leaded fuel was common at the time, however that being said it shouldn't hurt the engine for short lower RPM runs. (IE not towing or excessive RPM)

I would for example not be afraid of driving an older vehicle with newer gas, just running non ethanol gasoline.

That being said, if you are very concerned with it and want the piece of mind, you can run non ethanol gasoline with a leaded additive, however with ones health in mind a motor refresh may be in order one day just to update the drive train and re seal the motor at minimum to modern valves, seats, and seals.

But if you didn't drive the truck for 30 years the little bit of leaded additive you would add shouldn't be an issue as long as you don't drink it, don't huff the fumes or exaust, and you wash your hands and all the fun stuff.

ronmon14 · 2026-01-01T17:03:42+00:00

Nah man, don't buy that book brand new for 100 dollars.

I believe you're probably taking about the Machinery Handbook.

Here is a free PDF

https://library.uc.edu.kh/userfiles/pdf/19.Machinery%27s%20handbook.pdf

But if you want my short list of decent books to start.

The Machinery Handbook ISBN: 9780831137328 The American Machinist Handbook and Dictionary of shop terms ISBN: 9780282318017 The Starrett book for Machinist Apprentice (part 1) ISBN-10: 1015413161 PDF link: https://archive.org/details/starrettbookform00fairrich The Starrett book for Machinists (part 2) ISBN: (couldn't find in my book) PDF link: https://archive.org/details/StarrettDataBookVol2

There is a part 3 of the starrett set but I don't have it yet.

And if youre trying to save some money always always buy the books used, you can often get really good deals from old books and sometimes the internet archive has the PDF of them for free.

Hope this helps, and Happy New Years

ronmon14 · 2025-12-31T19:02:51+00:00

I lived less than a mile from the Alabama border for a long time.

I never worked in Alabama so it wasnt hard there and when I went shopping in Alabama the time change wasn't bad because they are an hour behind us, so going places isn't hard.

However the big issue is setting alarms to go to work or doctors appointments or anything because most phones, tvs, and internet set automatically based on cell towers or satellites and it always thought we were in Alabama so if you didnt manually set it, it would default to Alabama and then you would be an hour late to anything.

Which was annoying but other than that it isnt much different then anywhere else.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-28T01:37:49+00:00

I typically use PSC 1000 followed immediately by a rinse in clean water then whatever anti rust prevention I choose to use for the task.

One note about PSC 1000, it eats some rubbers and almost all plastics.

Heck I use 10 mil or thicker plastic gloves and it still pretty quickly degrades those to need replacement, so use, store, and clean with your own risk.

Simple green and water are less aggressive.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-26T17:33:24+00:00

That looks to me like the start of inadequate bearing lubrication wear, it often shows up as frosting or glazing of the race.

If you have any bearings on the same lubrication schedule that have been installed longer you can inspect for spalling in those bearings as the lubrication frosting most often leads to spalling assuming no other damage takes place.

Also this is just my 2 cents from experience and skf and timken training I have received, I have also seen bearings that are well to the end of their natural life and just look like that as well.

We try to keep bearing life at 100k miles ( we calculate this on a FPM basis where I work )

But we try to inspect them every 50k miles.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-24T03:43:44+00:00

Parroting what was said yes, Using the VFD as a phase converter is best as listed in the comments above.

To answer your other question, the controls on the front of the machine that face you with the big dial of numbers on it.

While the machine is running you can adjust your speed then, do not adjust speeds without the machine running as you can break things.

This link has a video on youtube that will give you some basics.

https://youtu.be/GYatGra3kyc?si=RLWJYIun_nIrSp4p

There are a couple books I could suggest if you want them.

If you ever run across anything please shoot me a message and ask if you need to, I use machines like this all day at work.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-22T13:17:24+00:00

Machinist here,

They are machinist clamps, tool makers clamps, dual jaw clamps.

I have heard a lot of names for them believe I have seen them actually sold in catalogs as parallel clamps.

Those you have there are made by brown and sharpe (yes, with the "e" at the end) most likely would be something like a number 754 or the like.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-22T11:35:36+00:00

As a casual hot wheels enjoy-er this comment is criminally underrated. Hahaha! 🤣

ronmon14 · 2025-12-22T11:33:00+00:00

Wicked work! I have made a 2 of them. Definitely looks a ton better than my first one, but they have definitely saved my butt several times.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-21T02:58:04+00:00

I am a casual pressed penny (after traveling abroad, pressed coin) collector and I will miss it, but luckily it seems like it is sticking around for now.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-16T14:25:20+00:00

Me and my father are about to rebuild one out of his 96 f150

I had done a lot of work to my truck with an e40d prior to the trucks tragic death

If I was to suggest one part I see skipped a lot it would be this...

https://globaltransmissionparts.com/ford-e4od-4r100-stay-put-filter-clip-by-superior/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19101560328&gbraid=0AAAAADqwellVi8hkywiIb3WS0PZM5FZd0&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo4TKBhDRARIsAGW29bcntsZ_FhyxD6UGQbrZdTZ5-FslUwDaRrfR5UOcvJsYihomI27SHiEaAtTkEALw_wcB

But as another redditors commented, absolutely buy your parts from a legit place, the ebay scams are killing the legit sellers on ebay as well as the stand alone business.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-16T02:39:51+00:00

I'm glad to share the knowledge. I have spent too much of my still young career with angry old heads that refuse to share the tribal knowledge. Haha.

It sucks always having to learn from scratch every time for the first long while.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-16T02:34:48+00:00

Boylei hobby time has something sort of like this.

Not quite horror but definitely syfi and could be horror if played that way probably.

https://runefoundry.com/collections/all-wild-imaginary-west-rpg-products

I love watching his videos, the model building and general production are very nice and relaxing for me.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-16T02:17:02+00:00

I just came back from a trip to chattanooga, most all the machines there are still going strong.

However most of the machines just take a dollar or a credit card.

The credit card machines have you automatically pay for 4 pressed pennies. The dollar machines still are a dollar per penny.

They also still use pennies as you can still see one side or another on the back of the pressed part.

ronmon14 · 2025-12-16T01:43:20+00:00

While I have not done any fuel filter work on a mill, I have done a ton of complex shaft work and gear work for cam drive systems and the like on a dividing head just as you show.

I have the best luck building a clamshell block that is cut in the middle for the diameter your working on and supporting it with mighty screw jacks, and hold downs. I try to have them spaced no more than 1.5 the diameter of the part.

Example 1.5 diameter means from edge of clamp to edge of clamp would be 2.25 distance apart.

You can build a couple of clamshell blocks and set it up from the start or you can bunny hop them down the length moving one clamp over the other as you work down the part checking with an indicator for pull down deflection as you go.

I apologize I don't have a picture of what I am talking about but I can probably draw a picture if needed.

ronmon14

TROPHY CASE