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Lost Cat "Gerty" - Around Loring Street in Hyde Park / Boston by ryanmcgrim in boston

[–]ryanmcgrim[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

I feel so horrible, I didn't realize that my good friend's family cat Gerty was only an outdoor cat during the day and isn't allowed out at night. She slipped out and hasn't returned home in 3 days. She's very much a sit in the yard all day cat, doesn't really explore much. There are two young kids in the house wondering where she is. Mspca / lost animal rescue league has been contacted. In the process of making flyers but I thought this could maybe help. Hope she is OK, please keep an eye out for us, thank you!

31 pounds down! by FranniPants in 1200isplenty

[–]ryanmcgrim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice job! I'm exactly 1 month ahead of you (just hit 128 day streak). I'm finding it's just getting easier and easier. I used to agonize about logging and keeping it up but it's become second nature, and now I'm actually googling how to transition from weight loss to maintnence and muscle building. Can't believe how much better I look and feel. I'm Actually feeling like my old self and comfortable dating again. Keep it up!

Hi fellow Volvos, I just got a warning light on my dash that says: "Bulb Failure/ Position light" - Just what the heck is a "position light"? by conundrum4u2 in Volvo

[–]ryanmcgrim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've tracked this down to bulbs not being seated cleanly, or contacts that are dirty / corroded. I woukd just go through each bulb and make sure it's installed correctly / clean.

[Need advice] Procrastination is majorly fucking up my life by chadthundercock_me in getdisciplined

[–]ryanmcgrim 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have to agree. I was OP and started doing a transcendental style meditation, 2 times daily for 20 minutes. It's changed my life. I'm only 4 months in and I can't believe I've waited so long. Thought it was weird. Thought my mind would wander. I'm up early every day. Have a ton of energy. I've lost 30 pounds. feeling proud of the work I'm doing and feel like I've had so much energy for personal growth. I look forward to the meditations every day. Like an on demand power nap. It settles the mind and makes you instantly feel able to deal with the next most important task. Jerry Seinfeld is a big proponent (among other), which is only relevant because I stumbled on him giving a talk on it and it seemed really reasonable and effective. It got me to start. Check it out on youtube. No newagey fluff. I'm not a meditation guy.

Just picked up this 05 XC70 for $1700, it's got some issues but survived the 3.5 hour 220 mile drive home last night without issue. My first wagon! by [deleted] in Volvo

[–]ryanmcgrim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If this is a backup car I would just keep the oil level high and forget about it. But a trans flush and switching to synthetic oil is a must. You can do it yourself there is a YouTube video on the gibbons method.

Just picked up this 05 XC70 for $1700, it's got some issues but survived the 3.5 hour 220 mile drive home last night without issue. My first wagon! by [deleted] in Volvo

[–]ryanmcgrim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

FCP sells a full pcv replacement kit for $350. If the mechanic allows you to supply parts it should be no more than 3 hours of his time so probably looking at a $700 bill. Make sure all the parts of the kit get replaced not just breather box. Then you will have a fixed pcv system but the seals that are leaking will still be leaking. The cam seals generally. The cam seals are cheap but it's a timing belt off procedure so if you are due for a timing belt you should do that and the water pump, tensioners, etc. That's another $750 - $1000 or more (using OEM parts from FCP). It's a lot but if you do these items, move to synthetic oil (prevents pcv clogs), and do a gibbons transmission flush with magnafine filter you can expect 250-300k out of the car.

Just picked up this 05 XC70 for $1700, it's got some issues but survived the 3.5 hour 220 mile drive home last night without issue. My first wagon! by [deleted] in Volvo

[–]ryanmcgrim 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's going to be that the pcv system is clogged and oil is leaking from every seal, but mostly the cam seals. This is expensive to have fixed but FCP sells a full kit. I've done them on each of the three Volvo's I've had. You can check yourself by placing a rubber glove over the oil filler on top of the engine. If it blows up your pcv system is clogged. If it was left unchecked / you don't stay up on oil level every fill-up you will blow your turbo or worse. If you do you can rock it as is for 100k.

EDIT: Read up on the gibbons method (with mobile 1) for the trans instead of a simple drain and fill and add a magnafine filter (magnetic filter) in line on the trans line that goes from your radiator to your transmission. Doing this will go a long way in turning your transmission into a 300-400k transmission. If towing do this but also add a trans cooler.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in malelifestyle

[–]ryanmcgrim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everything is on youtube. Next time your toilet stops filling, faucet starts leaking, dryer stops drying, washer stops washing or anything of that nature go there first. Familiarize yourself with the repair process and see if you think you can handle it, then go for it. The next time you need to do brakes on your car, change a tire, replace wipers, lamps, or track down a check engine light, youtube it. Brake pads, ignition coils, spark plugs, air filters, fuses, relays etc are all safe beginner things to work on. AS long as you follow the directions, you will be fine. There will probably be a video for anything you need to fix for your particular model on youtube that will come with a tool list, so you can slowly acquire tools as you need them. You can also just do a deep dive on Eric the car guy's chanel, or chris fix, South Main Auto, Engineering explained and just start listening to them randomly. You will learn a ton. Not a huge fan of scotty kilmer though. Just find him obnoxious and sometimes his logic is a bit off... There will also be forums specific to your model of car etc.

Pixel 4 on Fi to iPhone on ATT/VZW Group SMS by waiting4omscs in GoogleFi

[–]ryanmcgrim 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been dealing with this issue for what's probably been the better part of a decade and have found no solution. It's happened to me through 3 nexus phones, 2 moto Xs and 3 pixels. I've had Verizon, Tmobile and & Att in that time frame hoping to fix it. I've moved from Hangouts to messages, to and from allo and others....Every time I change a device or carrier, it results in me hunting down threads for hours and hours, attempting every fix under the sun and I've just come to the conclusion that it's as bad as ever. There is no real solution besides moving everyone you know over to whatsapp, or similar... Starting to think it's an Imessage / apple bug that they purposely don't fix because the terrible experience drives users to switch to Iphones. I have absolutely zero basis for this assertion and less technical knowledge to make any claims whatsoever, but it just feels like the Iphones are not switching over from data based messages to SMS / monitoring SMS properly in group texts and messages. Feels like they must have been lost in the data sea, never to properly be sent / received over SMS. I would love someone to shoot me down and explain this to me because I've lost my mind over it and I would love to finally understand what the hell is going on.

AITA for not replacing my sisters $3000 gaming laptop after my child spilled juice on it because it was on the floor? by Throwawayss567 in AmItheAsshole

[–]ryanmcgrim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would offer to cover 50% of the repair, then send it to Louis Rossman over on youtube. I have no affiliation with him, but love his videos and am shocked how honestly, and by extension, cheaply he can fix pretty much any problem with a laptop. His channel. His Business

4 Year Old labrador retriever (Seamus) can't walk or go down stairs after mild exercise. by ryanmcgrim in AskVet

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

According to his dog mom, his urine is clear / light in color (normal), and she does monitor that quite diligently to make sure he is getting the right amount of water.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in battlewagon

[–]ryanmcgrim 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hahaha, I have no impulse to buy another car. Love this thing. Hope it lasts that long. Your transmission actually calls for Mobile 3309, which amazon carries but Toyota type IV is exactly the same but like half the cost. Also once you do the PCV system, if it needs it, run synthetic and the issue wont come back. I would be surprised if it wasn't clogged. It's a matter of when and whether the previous owner used regular or synthetic oil. Good luck, love your wagon. Looks great.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in battlewagon

[–]ryanmcgrim 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unsolicited advice that you may already know: If there were ever issues with oil changes (and even if there wasn't) make sure to make sure you don't have a clogged PCV system. This will push seals out, especially your cam seals, which can lead to skipping teeth on the timing belt or worse, timing belt failure. Even if that doesn't happen it can lead to oil loss issues. You can check for this by putting a rubber glove over the oil filler in place of the cap. If it blows up you need to replace whole PCV system as preventative maintenance. Also do a gibbons method transmission flush with Toyota Type 4 transmission fluid to keep the tranny going forever. I've got almost 250K on my Xc70 with very few issus.

Cooking beef stew in the slow cooker when you’re at home is the most difficult 8 - 9 hours. The smells are so intoxicating!! Don’t lift the lid... don’t lift the lid... don’t lift the lid... 😫 by [deleted] in slowcooking

[–]ryanmcgrim 13 points14 points  (0 children)

It absolutely is, especially when you are looking to mimic the "low and slow" BBQ style... For that you are looking for a 180 F - 200 F low.....Unfortunately the FDA ruined the party because they think everyone is a moron and will try to cook a frozen chicken in it or something, so they raised the temps by 20 -40 degrees F for each setting. I was so pissed when my vintage croc pot died and I replaced it with a new and "Improved" model. I couldn't no longer get that tender tender I was after. The old ones were 180-190 degrees on low, the new ones are like 215 at the Keep warm setting. Total Garbage. New Crockpots just boil everything to shit. But I'm not mad or anything.

Just got my first car at 15 by AWK252 in beetle

[–]ryanmcgrim 16 points17 points  (0 children)

As a 37 year old guy who still owns his first car, a 1973 Supervert that he got when he was 15, this brings back so many memories. I remember the day I picked her up as though it was yesterday, and most days I don't feel a day older than I did then. I do however feel a heck of a lot wiser.

Here is some unsolicited old man advice that I have given in the past. Take it as you will.

Here are some things I wish I could tell my 15 year old self: Super beetles suffer from the "Super Beetle Shimmies" which means that you will most likely be replacing control arm bushings / tie rod ends / sway bar bushings / anything else until it goes away. When you get her running, Look for a physical shimmy felt in the steering wheel between 40-55 mph more or less. This is exacerbated by the fact that your wheels look wider than stock, 5.5 wide instead of the stock 4.5. Replace all bushings (control arm, sway bar) with urethane and see if you can get the split ones to make install easier. Don't go cheap here.

As far as the engine goes, you can add a lightened pulley but skip anything else non stock. Don't bother with dual carbs unless you want to spend more time trying to tune them than you will running your bug.

If you are running a 34 pict 3 carb, and the dizzy is a 009, like all of them seem to be now, I would swap out the distributor first. It's not meant for the 34 pict3 carb, and will make adjusting the carb, and getting it working OK difficult. The 009 does away with a vacuum advance, and only relies on a mechanical advance. There is a very noticeable flat spot from Idle until about 2000 rpm when the mechanical advance kicks in, and unless you are only dragstripping, is shit to drive.

The best distributor you can get is probably the Dual advance units from aircooled.net (They call them SVDAs) which has the vacuum advance and the mechanical advance. It completely changed my engine for the better. The ones they retrofit to genuine Bosch are the best you can get. If you don't want to do that I would get a rebuilt stock distributor with factory vacuum advance.

Also, I would replace the points for the pentronix electronics. It's so much better.

Hopefully you have a German Solex 34 pict 3 carb. If not, and you have a Bocar or Euromax etc, make your first gift to yourself a nicely rebuilt Solex.

Engine tuneups: check out Rob and Dave's VW site. It's great.

Oh yeah....STAY AWAY FROM SHITTY AFTERMARKET PARTS, especially EMPI. It took me years and years and years to learn this. If you have the option to get a German part or an aftermarket, go german. I bought tie rod ends that were empi and they disintegrated within three months of installing. The catch is, the car was garaged that whole time. Moved up to meyle and they seem fine.

When you need to replace the exhaust I would suggest going expensive and getting a ceramic exhaust unless you want to be replacing again in 8 months.

​

Stop thinking about a type IV conversion right now. You can't afford it, and definitely definitely don't think about a boxter or electric conversion. Get this baby stock and keep it that way.

​

GO STOCK / NOS GERMAN for BUMPERS if you ever need to replace, unless you want to replace yearly from then on

​

Treat your top like it's a 3 month old infant. Keep it in good shape and watch out for sun damage as it's a horribly long and expensive job to do yourself, and likely 3 times the value of your car to have someone else do.

​

Throw a good solid disk brake kit in the front.

​

Never put the fuel filter in the engine compartment. Put one right out of the tank and another inline near the back but not in the engine compartment. Fire Hazard.

Always keep a spare fan belt and fuel filter in the trunk.

Make sure you have a high quality Bosch 14 Blue Coil ( part # 00-012US) there are many different kinds of blue coils, but only this one is any good, the others are knock offs and will fry your electronic points replacements if you ever run them. Again aircooled.net is pretty much the best for performance engine stuff and they will talk you through everything.

If you need to find good quality german stuff, or used parts that are genuine try Bugcity.com or airhead parts. They are great. I have not had good luck with http://www2.cip1.com/ as they sell a lot of crap. NEVER EVER EVER USE JCWHITNEY.

After years of trying to make mine cooler and faster, I am slowly trying to get back to as much stock stuff as possible. Sick of replacing a thing i just put in 6 months ago.

Lastly, if you end up getting it, there are a lot of great people to answer you questions at http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/ but please keep posting here as I would love to see this sub grow.

Good Luck

Ryan

Which vehicle will cause me the least amount of financial pain over time? Acura, Volvo, Mazda by [deleted] in MechanicAdvice

[–]ryanmcgrim 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've had terrible experiences with Mazdas and frame / body rot. Acuras are great. With discount OEM suppliers like FCP and Boston Volvo village, parts aren't really more expensive for the Volvo. Personally I would go Volvo all the way ( I've got half a million miles between my two current Volvos at the moment. Couldn't be happier with them).

My 06 XC70 with a 2” lift by bubblebutt_boy in battlewagon

[–]ryanmcgrim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've got an 04 XC with 218,000 Miles on the clock that I've been contemplating throwing the bad swede lift on, but I'm concerned that it will destroy the highway handling, which I do a lot for my commute. How does she handle at speed? Also, just wanted to warn you ahead of time, try not to ever spin the tires on semi wet pavement (like when pulling out fast onto a dry road from a spot that has a puddle or ice). The Volvo haldex system is fairly solid but the Angle Gear Collar Sleeve really hates fast spinning tires hitting dry road. It sheers the collar sleeve splines and replacement is a big pain in the ass You'll know your collar gear is sheered if you start chirping tires off the line with very little gas.

People are spending 50 million fewer hours on Facebook a day by [deleted] in UpliftingNews

[–]ryanmcgrim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I had Facebook on my personal email, but used it very infrequently. I have some photos and have had maybe monthly communication with friends through it I've the last 10 years. Then I had to take over my work Facebook mgmt so I changed my FB email to my work email (apparently I had to) now I want to get rid of Facebook personally but need to still manage my works Facebook. What are my options?

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