DirtyComanche

White Anglo Saxon Protestant.

"Mutually exclusive" means if it is one, it cannot be the other. The one excludes the other, and the other excludes the one. If Christianity and Creationism are mutually exclusive, then if you are a Christian you cannot be a creationist, and if you are a creationist you cannot be a Christian. Not sure, but I don't think that's what you meant. Whoops. You're right. That is not what I meant. I figured out what you meant by reading the other posts... I can't comment on the actual questions (as it is meant to read), but I do have to say... There is a lot of 'Christians' in my part of the world that will have nothing to do with Creationism. They do not read the bible and seek a literal interpretation of what is in it, but accept (if you wish) that it is a book that was complied and adapted from other literature and it features the limited scientific knowledge of the time. Thus, they ignore a large portion of it on the basis that (the feel) it was mostly just filler material to bridge the gaps of understanding in a different time. Generally, they believe in God, attend church occasionally or somewhat often, and will try to live their lives loosely around some of the more important teachings in the book. I'd say they're like 'Diet Pepsi' of Christianity, the taste and colour without a lot of the other junk. Most of them will never ask your views on God, or press theirs. They might make an occasional reference, but that's about it. And if asked about Creationism they simply state they think it's a wash, and often change the subject (unless they then decide they'd like to explain the entirety of their beliefs). If you don't include these 'Christians' in the assessment of it being the largest religion in the world, Islam would most likely be the largest. As it is, I think it's fairly debatable. If asked, I often state I'm a 'WASP', despite the fact that I don't fit the bill of being a Christian at all, however I am from a family that is/was and still identify with those that are.

I find it odd that such a topic is perceived as being likely to build animosity. I think I made my own views clear in there, and I would hope that nobody would think any different of me ELSEWHERE on this forum as a result of that. I certainly won't for any of those who are of the exact opposite thinking of myself, for I was certain that plenty on this forum were of that persuasion before the topic was started. :dunno:

But where did the aliens come from? How much does it cost to join the Church of Scientology?

Okay, what do the 'None of the Above'ers believe in?

You don't think a tractor could kill you? It's a ford. It'll never run, or move, or do much anything but rust and leak... So, should be pretty safe providing you stay away from the sharp edges. Oh, umm, the fuel economy on the van seems pretty dismal.

You're trying to prove a negative... The statement that it is 'impossible' is based on what? You state that it had to be 'prefect' to get us to where we are. Well, it could have been perfect, no? Can we prove that it couldn't be perfect? For 99~% of scientists, no, we can't prove that it couldn't, as we just can't prove a negative. We can call it VERY unlikely, but never 'impossible'. If it did not happen how is had... We would be somewhere else. Life may not have ever germinated, in whatever freak occurrence it was that created that initial spark. Or it could be the extreme opposite, beings with capabilities only heard of in science fiction. The time-line of life is full of unlikely occurrences, but we can't know what would have happened had those events not occurred in the order or way that they did. We can theorize, or make logical deductions, and a lot of them lead to the conclusions that if 'X' event had not occurred, life would not have made it. Perhaps so, we can't know how many other places in the near infinite (or perhaps infinite) vastness of the universe had similar circumstances, and things did not 'go the right way'. We don't know if we're [earth] the only life... But we do know that there is potential that we are not alone. We can also reasonably assume that that if we are not alone, 'they' may well be nothing like us. Anyways, as most would assume, I believe in evolution. I was not brought up to know anything else. Creationism, intelligent design, etc, we're only introduced to me later in life. Obviously I can't accept them as valid theories, although I can read the associated texts and accept them for what they are; and the thought that certain states/counties/etc school boards were either not teaching evolution, or providing the creationism/intelligent design as 'alternate theories' in the classroom, makes me chuckle. It scares me too, but that's another story.

If it's really bad... Well, check out my XJ build in the project section. Anything can be fixed if you're crazy.

July 31st, 2005 That was a while ago. It's out of the 'Houston, we have a forum' thread, I think the board had been around under a month at that point? Oh yeah, I had to search using the actual search feature, Via control panel only took me back to 2008.

For what? The last time I use an oscilloscope... Well, let's just say I'm glad the AC systems on the helicopters (that do actually have them) are basically bomb-proof. I can't think of a time that I've needed one for automotive use. Nor for household use. Best way to check for hall effect cam and crank sensors, voltage spike on coils, injectors etc. The more you play with them, the more uses you find for them. Hmm, hadn't thought of half of that... Would probably be a good thing to have when snooping for a miss. The footprint of the machine is a little large still.

For what? The last time I use an oscilloscope... Well, let's just say I'm glad the AC systems on the helicopters (that do actually have them) are basically bomb-proof. I can't think of a time that I've needed one for automotive use. Nor for household use.

Anyone who thinks an auto is boring... If you adjust other parts of your driving 'style' it won't be. I can be just as terrified driving an auto as driving a stick. Anyways, auto for the rocks and technical stuff. No stalling, let the converter work instead of burning the clutch, instant power and a power shifts for on-demand wheel speed. It's also probably better for mud, but I don't swing that way. Just try comparing shift times from a stock auto to a sloppy old SM465... A stick is fine for most everything else. Tooling around town, mild trails, etc. Reliability is a tossup. I think an AW4 will easily outlive an AX-15 (at least for total mileage), if anybody cares what I think. However, the auto will be more susceptible to contamination of fluid. But, throw water in your gear oil and see how long the stick actually lasts; or jam mud in your clutch for the instant lose. Stick will allow for bump starting. Automatic, no so much. Modern automatics need electrical jazz, but so do modern engines (moot, it's all going to pile up anyways).

However, the other 'upgrades' don't exactly add to the value.

I've got a dodge diesel, IE a 94 ram 2500, that I DD. 18mpg, and only because I haven't tweaked anything. Most guys get more like 20 - 25mpg. I put about 60 000Kms on it every year, which isn't a huge amount but it handles it okay, and it's still reasonably nice despite the abusive conditions. Road salt, gravel, living outside 24/7, sitting for months and then being driven hard, etc. I don't have either a MJ or an XJ that actually could be driven right now. Well, maybe if you sat in one while somebody pushed it off a cliff and called that 'driving'.

I've heard that line before.

I'm imagining like any government sponsored program, they have failed to do their homework. I don't see any specific references to easily removing the product of it being heated, but I imagine there is a simple enough process. Acid hot tanking perhaps? It does an amazing job on other deposits and should be done at rebuild anyways... I guess it transforms at 210*~ F. Which is fairly low. The engines that actually ran for a while instead of instantly seizing would probably have a lot greater issues than the ones that went for 5-10 seconds and died. That amount of run time isn't going to heat the entire block that hot. I'm sure time will tell. Somebody is going to try it.

But won't it fill up the oil passages? Rob L. I doubt it would bake in, I think it'd only get hot enough to solidify on the actual bearing surfaces... It would be something to try out I guess. But I'm sure there would be a process that could remove it if it did.

Nah, mount it solid behind the cab, offset to the driver's side. Or at end of the bed, offset again. The length of the boom is so that you can pick up a load and set it in the bed by rotating the crane (bed is 8' long). Positioning the truck relative to the load will be critical. I wanted to make the boom length adjustable in use, via another jack/cylinder, but it would be a huge PITA unless I had a power pack or PTO driven hydraulic setup as it would take an absurd number of pumps to extend/retract the boom... Although, maybe I could get a jack that would work for that (rated for less weight). Rails would be kinda cool, but another complication. And it should swing easy enough (hence the spindle) as long as it's reasonably level. If it isn't, it'll go to the low spot. I'm not too worried, I should just be able to grab the boom and pull it over, and failing that I can do so with a rope and pulley. None of the commercially available ones have anything to aid in swinging them, nor any means of adjusting boom length while in use.

Well, this design is probably totally sound. It's just a rip-off on an established design for a rotating jib crane for a truck, but with much beefier materials (4"x.220"~ pipe as opposed to the cheap 3x3x.188 (if that) HSS that is used). The pipe part is okay, I know which grade to buy. My main concern was the usage of a spindle/hub assembly from a vehicle or trailer for the rotating part. I have confirmed empirically that if I use a 14 bolt setup it will be totally fine, so any 1-ton+ rear axle or 1-ton+ trailer axle setup should be fine. I'm building one instead of buying one for a couple reasons. I like building things is one of them... My time is split between locations, and I can't work on my jeep most of the time. But my farm truck, it is here, and I can work on it. Also, nothing I've found for sale is actually built in a way that I'm happy with. Everything reeks of cheap imported junk. I'd like to show you the pics of an engine hoist that folded while at the 1.5T setting, it was only lifting a SBC and TH-400 (no where NEAR max load). Besides, I don't think I'd be money ahead going that way anyways. I think I payed about $250 for my engine hoist (which is a cheap chinese POS), it would still need to be modified extensively to work for this.

It has to be able to pick it up and rotate. I'd only be using it for loading random stuff into/out of the truck. You know, axles, engines, building materials and etc... I've seen the pic you're talking about. I think the hoist was only ratchet strapped into the truck bed... Very hack. Pong, there ain't no northern tool up here. Besides, the ones that they sell (if they're like all the other ones on the internet) have a pathetically short boom. Like, 40" full extension with a 500lb rating!

So, say a guy wants a little crane on his POS farm truck. Obviously, he could just go out and buy something. But, that'd be boring. So, I'd like to build one. Of course, like most things I build, I do consider the possibility, or likelihood, of death. So, MS paint of what I'd like (don't hate my MS paint skillz, girls) Image Not Found It'd be about 4' tall, and the boom would be say 42" - 72" measured from the pivot to the choker. The base would be say 12"x12", and the pipe (yes pipe) would be say 3.5" sch40. The pivot would be an upside down trailer spindle/hub assembly welded into the pipe. I am slightly concerned by doing this, and hope I can find a big enough spindle/hub to feel comfortable. To service it, one would have to unbolt the crane at the base plate. More pipe would make the upright to the pivot for the boom. A PA hydro cylinder (jack type) would be used to raise/lower the boom like any old engine hoist. The boom would be perhaps 3.5" sch 40 with 3" sch 40 inside it to allow for length adjustment. I'd run some tube over top of the boom for strength, like is done with flat bar on engine hoists and such. I only want to lift say 800lbs with the boom retracted, less with it extended... Think it'd all be up to the task? Or, am I building something to kill myself with? Oh, I'm aware I need to bolt it to the frame of the truck, the box isn't strong enough.

Japan has had a 'similar' program for a long time. I don't know the details, but you only see knew vehicles there for a reason. They don't destroy them, just make the insurance such a hassle/high price that nobody does it... So they get exported to elsewhere now. Oh, and I seriously doubt sodium silicate could render an engine unfit for rebuild. If it binds to wear surfaces, machine it off... Pretty fawking simple. People take spun cranks and machine them down all the time, it's not a new concept. Same goes for cams, valve guides, etc.

I saw a couple at the local Pick-N-Pull, they had CARS stickers on them and signs that said no engine part could be sold. And how is that going to work? On the good faith of the junkyard? What are the junkyards to do with the pile of vehicles that have engines that they can't sell parts off? Maybe things are a little different in other places, but here junkyards are what I'd consider 'semi-legit' businesses at best. Cash gets you a better deal, and nothing isn't for sale. If a junkyard was required to simply crush the vehicle with such an engine, I can guarantee there would only be the major components left on that engine when it was crushed, unless there was a government appointed inspector standing there when they did the crushing to ensure everything was still 100% intact.

I'm a ways from Vancouver. Think more 'fingers and toes falling off cold' than 'raining all the god damn time'. I don't think this area is really depressed. The foreclosure rate here never approached that of the US... But, it's hard to say. It's a mill town, and everything to do with cutting trees for money hasn't worked well for the last 15+ years. The risk there is I will buy a property, and watch it plummet in value if things go wrong on a local level. Which is fine if you have no intention of reselling it anytime soon, and you still have a job... Beyond that, my own employment is reasonably secure. However, it would easily be 10X more secure one year from now, and easily 3X more in 6 months (if they keep their tentative promise to provide me with an endorsement then). The services my employer provides have little to do with the local economy, and depends much more on the price of oil and minerals, forest fires, and the super-rich still being willing to toss some pocket change on a vacation. Right now it's hard to say where that's going to go... Meh. I'm tempted to wait a year if living with my buddy works out. I don't think the housing market will go up dramatically unless the rest of the economy does, and in that event I will make enough (additional) money to offset the difference anyways. So, who knoooooooooooows...

The last time I checked, a large percentage of the heli companies in the east were either in receivership, running at 10% staff/capacity, or have cut wages by 50% with the notice 'take it or leave it'. However, I could be wrong, I am more or less isolated from the east other than for minor contact in the middle (working in Sask, we sometimes work Manitoba , but Ontario and beyond is almost forbidden except for our permanent off-shore oil ops.) So, umm, no thanks :cheers: