mjeff87

Cleaned up the drywall above the panel that they had to cut out....I hate drywall finishing, and am glad I don't have to do it for a living :nuts: Image Not Found

LOL :yes: Who do you go by on there? Jeff

The 2.5 and 4.0 AW4 trans bodies are identical, but the bellhousing and torque converter are different. We swapped a 4.0 AW4 into tjbliley's 2.5 MJ when we converted it to 4WD. Depending on what year tranny you use for the swap you'll need a TC with the right spline count on the input shaft. Early AW4's, up to 90 (IIRC) were 21 spline, then switched to 23. Jeff

got the new load center installed, along with an analog hour meter. All of the wiring is now run from the new panel, across the top of my garage and under my crawl space over to where the generator pad is set. I'll tidy up the drywall where they had to cut out this weekend. Still need to have the whole-house surge protector installed on the panel, and when the generator shows up next month all they'll have to do is mount it on the pad and connect the wiring and gas supply. new load center (with built in ATS): Image Not Found Image Not Found PVC conduit: Image Not Found Image Not Found Image Not Found

I'm running them on my TJ.....been on a little over a year and almost 20K miles and they still look "new". I rotate them every 3rd oil change. $520 bux, shipped to my door: Image Not Found Image Not Found

yep.....since the problem is happening during the day while I'm at work and can't see it, I'm trying to find some kind of adhesive (cheap) thermometer that records the surface temp over a period of time and records it. Someone on GJ mentioned an aquarium thermometer, but I have no idea what that is. Gotta sharpen my google-fu a bit and do some research.

thanks Don :cheers: here's a couple pics of the setup I'm dealing with....first one is the neighbor's window on his second floor (thank gawd it's the only window on that side of his house or I think I'd have bigger problems). It faces southwest and catches the afternoon/early evening sun. Second shot is our two houses and the distance between them. My house ® is in full shade on that back corner where the damage is occurring. Image Not Found Image Not Found

well, after a bit of confusion with the gas company, I got the meter swapped out for a commercial one. Initially, they sent a guy out (thank gawd I was home when he showed up) who started to measure my gas line from the meter to the main because he thought I was getting a new line. I set him straight on that and told him the line was fine, all I needed was a new meter base. Monday another guy showed up and swapped the meter out with no problems in about 20 minutes (and re-piped the original mess they did three years ago when they put the first meter in ;) ), but when I got home from work last night I noticed that Miss Utility had paid me a visit and paint marked/flagged my gas line back to the main across the street. I called them back today to make sure they weren't gonna dig my yard up <> and they said it was an oversight and no work was planned for my address. old meter: Image Not Found new meter, same length and height as the old, just wider: Image Not Found Image Not Found It was raining when he swapped it, so he couldn't paint the new piping he installed, but he left me a brand new can of paint so I could do it when it dried up. Will paint it this weekend.

yarp....

it's a threaded bolt, there's a little metal bracket that holds the brakeline on that side that is (was) held on by 2 of them.

If that's the same threaded vent from an 8.25, the bit size is 25/64" and the tap is 7/16x20 (swapped one of them bad Larry's onto the D44 I am running :D ) I shortened the end of it up a bit with a grinder to prevent contact with the axleshaft: Image Not Found View from inside the tube: Image Not Found Installed: Image Not Found

not to scare you off, but I took my MJ for inspection a couple years ago to Merchant's Tire (they mounted the 35's for me, and I take the wife's car there for tires so I figured they kinda knew me and wouldn't try to bend me over on the inspection). 20 minutes in and the service writer comes out and says everything passes except the driverside upper BJ. Funny, becuse I just rebuilt the whole axle (but not the BJ's and installed it under the MJ about a year beforehand). I asked him to quote $$$ to repair and how long it would take, to which he says "around $100, and about 30 minutes". Noticing a sign on the wall that said no repair would exceed 10% of a written estimate, I ask him to kindly write the quote on the ticket and sign it....which he did (it was early and they didn't have much work in the shop). I settled into the waiting area with a cup of free nasty coffee and start watching a rerun of the Brady Bunch on the tv in the corner. MJ is in the first bay right outside the glass-walled customer area. 45 minutes later I see one very pizzed off mechanic call the writer out and they get into a lively conversation about the intracacies of a 20+ year old D30 ball joint that wouldn't budge. By now the place is filling up, and there are two mechanics working on my rig...cold chisels, dead blow hammers, presses, and then out comes a cutting torch. I finish my second cup of rotgut coffee and get a pack of crackers from the vending machine, Brady Bunch goes into a second episode. Service writer gets called back out, more conversing ensues. A third mechanic joins the party, a cutting wheel appears and sparks fly. Upper ball joint has been cut through. I am aksed to come outside for a consultation, and I learn that they plan on cutting the lower BJ off with the cutoff so they can get the knuckle off to press out what's left of the upper one still in the C. (I should mention thaat they already tried to get the axleshaft out but had even less success with that). I told them in no uncertain terms that they could do what they had to to get the lower BJ out but I was only going to pay for one upper BJ, no more, no less. They asked me to leave the area. Another HOUR goes by and the writer comes out to me with the clipboard. They ended up getting pretty smart pretty fast and got the remants of the upper out and a new one pressed in without damaging the lower one. I ended up paying the $100 quoted plus the $12 for the inspection and drove away, laughing so hard I could hardly steer. They had about 20 customers waiting for service work by that time. Sorry, it's a slow day at work.....thoght I'd share a funny story :) Jeff

Very interesting article I just found: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/...t-vinyl-siding I also called the original siding contractor and am awaiting a call back from their residential department. One of the comments in the section below the article mentions the "zap distance" to be around 35 feet, and a few comments mention the problem being more prevalent in the winter months with low sun angle and cold vinyl surface temps.......my neighbor's house is right around 35 feet from mine Jeff

wow.... http://www.youtube.com/embed/ACkmg3Y64_s

I'm still not convinced that it's his window that is causing the problem, but we're tight. If it does turn out to be the case, we won't have a problem coming up with a solution...he's a great neighbor.

well, the builder sent out a field manager to look at the problem and he is blaming it on sunlight reflection from my neighbor's window (I wasn't there, he sent me an e-mail earlier today). If the weather cooperates, I'm gonna watch that side of the house over the weekend to see if I can tell when it's happening and where the reflection is coming from. Once I fix it, is there anything I can do short of planting a tree or something to shade that corner of the house? Thicker siding? Offer to install some type of anti-reflection film or something on the neighbor's window? Foundation plantings (bushes) woudn't really look good right there, just because of the way my lot slopes off toward the back. Would have to be some pretty tall bushes.... Jeff

for clutch components/kits, either OEM or LUK. If you're replacing an intenal slave/throwout, it would be foolish not to replace the clutch since you already have the tranny off. RMS on a 2.5 is a one-piece. I would also look at the welch plug in the back of the block (and the one at the back of the head) while you have the flywheel off and replace either if necessary. Jeff

these help any? Image Not Found Image Not Found

thanks for the suggestions so far guys, I really appreciate it :cheers: The siding is installed correctly, it does move a bit and has a good 3/8"-1/2" end-gap under the corner piece. No leaks from the meter that I can tell, but the gas company is coming back out Monday to replace the meter with a commercial one in prep for the generator. I asked for them to check/inspect the area for problems, including the heat tape/wire, but I don't think it's their issue. There is nothing on that corner of the house utility-wise, except that heat strip on the gas line, that I think could be causing the issue (hot water heater is on the other side of the house in the garage, electric dryer and vent are second level), and I've got 4 cats who pee in a box inside the house ;) No vehicles in the area, and I do all my stogie smoking up on the deck LOL.... Maybe it really is sunlight, reflecting off the el-cheapo thin gauge siding after all. We haven't had any snow/ice down here so far this year, but we did have a really cold snap over new year's weekend. Maybe the cold air temp combined with a cloudless sunny sky and the neighbor's window really are the cause. I'm gonna do the lawnchair-beer diagnosis this weekend if the sky is clear and see if I can figger it out. Or else get drunk sitting on a chair in my side lawn and fall asleep :yes:

nothing coming out of the vent, they are just crawl-space vents (not sure if you're familiar with them ;) ) The only thing on the inside is a rarely-used corner fireplace (sealed, vented, gas logs). The vent comes out well above and on the back wall of the house to the left of the damage. Thought the fireplace might be the cause, but I ran it for 20 minutes the other day and checked the outside with an infared heat gun, no difference in temp at all. Someone over on GJ mentioned the heatwrap strip wrapped around the gas supply line where it enters the house maybe shorting out or overheating. I'm gonna try to follow it tonight after work and see. Worth a shot.

lots of kids, but I really doubt any of them would be dumb enough to do it, let alone step on my property. The damage does continue under the corner strip, to the edges of each siding piece.....I think if it was a vandal that the corner piece would be damaged as well. Ditto on the sunlight, too.

I think it's heat-related as well, but I'm just not buying the neighbor's window as the culprit. We built this house almost 3 years ago, and this damage just occurred within the last month. If the sun/window were the cause, it would have happened long ago, IMHO. :dunno: Jeff edit: no stove/grill, etc. Jim.....that part of the yard isn't very convenient to BBQ due to the slope.

I'm having a small issue with the siding on the back corner of the house (opposite the garage), trying to figure out what is causing it to buckle. Looks like someone whacked it with a broomstick, but I know that didn't happen....and the buckling only happened within the last month or so (house is about 2.5 years old, never had a problem). Can anyone offer an opinion? I've been back and forth with the builder, and they just asked me via e-mail if my neighbor's house next door has a window on the side of their house facing mine where the damage is.....(???) Here's a few pics. I'm trying to get the builder to cover it under warranty (so far they are not willing, but I'm persistant). If nothing else, I'll replace the damaged pieces myself and eat the cost, but I don't want to fix it without figuring out what the cause is, and have to keep fixing it. I did check and the siding is cut/installed correctly (it slides a tiny bit for expansion). Thanks, Jeff Image Not Found Image Not Found Image Not Found Image Not Found *also cross-posted on Garage Journal if anyone is over there too....

***knocks on wood*** So far, during all of the power outages we've been thru, including the two hurricanes, we haven't lost NG service.....we're hoping that won't happen. Small update, gas company came out and inspected my meter and they'll need to remove the existing residential one and install a commercial one. The current meter is rated at 300K btu, and the genny needs 290 to run :ack: Should be getting it swapped out next week. Jeff

I'm up in Richmond.......so is tjbliley. Welcome :cheers: Jeff