Got A Work Van On GovDeals Today!

[Brewerbob]

now the winds are 35. and the temp is plunging.. was 57 an hour ago.. now 47.. on its way to 37 by evening... WTF didnt i install my webasto heater yesterday and day before when it was 62 out...

-Christopher

Don't you hate it when that happens? I could paint today ... nah, I'll do it tomorrow.

Oh thx for the weather update. It should be here in 5~10hrs then.

 

[cadillackid]

Don't you hate it when that happens? I could paint today ... nah, I'll do it tomorrow.

Oh thx for the weather update. It should be here in 5~10hrs then.

reality had to hit at some point that its december in ohio..... oh well at least I did put new door seals on and a new mirror that the heat actually works so im ready for the flakes to fly on friday...

-Christopher

 

[Tango-SKO]

Same (or at least similar) situation here in Houston. I have been working like a madman trying to get a sculpture project ready so I could begin the installation before it gets too chilly to do the concrete work. Oooops. Driving home from finishing the frame, the weatherman informed us it will rain for the next 4-5 days and be down in the 40's for the next couple of weeks.

GACK!

Not conducive to outdoor concrete placement.

Oh well, at least I can do a few bus things since it is indoors.

 

[cadillackid]

it gets to the 40s in houston? i remember it being in the mid 30s in austin a few years back and the schools closed because it was "too windy and cold.."
-Christopher

 

[cadillackid]

oh and I piut a lighted wreath on the front of the bus!! that was the most importabt part

 

[Brewerbob]

Same (or at least similar) situation here in Houston... be down in the 40's for the next couple of weeks.

GACK!

Not conducive to outdoor concrete placement.

You poor bastard; the lows are in the 40s?!?? OMG!! Our highs won't break the 30s. At least it'll be + 30s and not -30s.

 

[cadillackid]

have we hi-jacked the *HH** out of this poor van thread or what?

 

[Brewerbob]

and its not advertised as such but it would have the effect if you did fall asleep.

The rumble strips just as you go over the cliff?

I only got the car for its tech.. otherwise an old-man-car would be my last choice.. though it is pretty nimble and fast with the bigger-engine package I got.. amazing the 2.0 litre engine has 250 HP... and the 7.3 Litre engine in my school bus is onlty 190.. lol

-Christopher

You oughta look at the CTS-V or VSport. I doubt the ATS has less tech and you can get it in a VSport. Twin turbo 3.6L V6.

Currently I have to drive half way to town to make a cell call. Yes, a landline is available here but I don't have one due to the excessive number of calls from random merchants.

How long have you had a cell? The telemarketers just let the computer dial numbers until they get a hit. If I start at 000-000-0000 I'm going to get to your number no matter what it is eventually. I get calls all the time. If your number doesn't come up with a name, I don't answer so you'd better leave a message if it's important.

 

[Twigg-SKO]

It wasn't bullshit, it was simple common-sense.

All driving advice says don't go faster than the braking distance you can see. That is why Interstates and other fast roads do not have hump-backed bridges and tight curves ... It's so you can see when driving 70 mph.

The advice on other roads is to slow down so that you do not come across a stopped car in your lane over a blind bridge. That is what the self-driving cars do ... they slow down if the visibility is compromised.

I am not talking about the tech that has been implemented already, like lane-assist and self-parking.

The "school bus or cliff" scenario is commonly posed, or some similar situation. Humans will almost never be expected to make the right "ethical" choice, whatever that is, and if we expect the cars to do so, they will never happen.

In almost all situations the car will make a faster decision than a human, and whatever decision it makes it will have a better chance of pulling it off. Humans make poor decisions but are not held culpable because sometimes **** happens and you do the best you can. If you haven't been drinking you will never be held liable for consequential damage in a traffic incident not caused by you. We need to hold the cars to the same standard, and we need to have the discussion.

Remember, seat belts have saved probably millions of lives worldwide, but there are still those who won't wear them and try to justify that by describing obscure circumstances where a seatbelt can cause a problem.

 

[cadillackid]

The rumble strips just as you go over the cliff?

You oughta look at the CTS-V or VSport. I doubt the ATS has less tech and you can get it in a VSport. Twin turbo 3.6L V6.

How long have you had a cell? The telemarketers just let the computer dial numbers until they get a hit. If I start at 000-000-0000 I'm going to get to your number no matter what it is eventually. I get calls all the time. If your number doesn't come up with a name, I don't answer so you'd better leave a message if it's important.

its even easier than that to war-dial.. you can go to localcallingguide.com and pull down all area codes and prefixes for certain geographic areas.. so you dont dial mon existent area codes.. I use this for my phone systems to get local call areas for hotel room charging. I automate it.. all in XML.. so a telemarketer just pulls that data and robo-dials, spoofing his Caller ID number so it looks to you like they are calling from the local area.. its quite easy to do.. and really easy to detect voice vs non-working-number vs voicemail. its easy to obtain the do not call registry to avoid dialing those numbers.. which is a blessing as they are people who wouldnt answer anyway.. ive built robo-dial systems.. VoIP trunls make this easy as i can process 100s of calls simultaneously, but the name of the game was to try and only dial workiong numbers.. you can get yourself removed from a robo-system easily by recording a S.I.T. tone at the beginning of your voicemail message.. the calling system will pick this up as a non working number and take you off the Database...
-Christopher

 

[Robin97396]

If I see a cliff coming up, the seatbelt is definitely going to be a hinderance.

I'm not in favor of auto braking but I sure would like autopark for the bus sometimes. Other drivers would appreciate it if I had lane assist. As big as a bus is people simply tend to get out of the way.

 

[cadillackid]

It wasn't bullshit, it was simple common-sense.

All driving advice says don't go faster than the braking distance you can see. That is why Interstates and other fast roads do not have hump-backed bridges and tight curves ... It's so you can see when driving 70 mph.

The advice on other roads is to slow down so that you do not come across a stopped car in your lane over a blind bridge. That is what the self-driving cars do ... they slow down if the visibility is compromised.

I am not talking about the tech that has been implemented already, like lane-assist and self-parking.

The "school bus or cliff" scenario is commonly posed, or some similar situation. Humans will almost never be expected to make the right "ethical" choice, whatever that is, and if we expect the cars to do so, they will never happen.

In almost all situations the car will make a faster decision than a human, and whatever decision it makes it will have a better chance of pulling it off. Humans make poor decisions but are not held culpable because sometimes **** happens and you do the best you can. If you haven't been drinking you will never be held liable for consequential damage in a traffic incident not caused by you. We need to hold the cars to the same standard, and we need to have the discussion.

Remember, seat belts have saved probably millions of lives worldwide, but there are still those who won't wear them and try to justify that by describing obscure circumstances where a seatbelt can cause a problem.

when humans are PRO-actionary they will almost always make better decisions than the computer.. ie if you see flashing lights wayyyy ahead on the road. but the traffic is still moving 70 with plenty of room between cars.. your instinct is to be ready to slow down in case you need to.. the computer of the present-day thinks all is well..

HOWEVER humans get tired, fatigued, Bored, otherwise occupied.. and become more and more RE-actionary the longer they drive.. this has been proven time again.. its a Huge discussion right now as to the ELD laws in regards to truckers..

the computers (barring a failure) work just the same 14 hours later as they did when you first turned it on... so they become more and more a factory the longer a person drives.. computers also dont turn their heads to gawk at the big fire along the road, or the cell phone, or the crash across the highway.. one gawker.. stopped traffic in front of you and BAM!!! biut the computer is still watching the front..

do the computers reduce accidents? too early to tell.. ie what if someone was following me somewhat close.. yeah my computer reacts and keeps me from smashing the driver who pulled out.. but would the driver behind me react quick enough (or his computer) to keep from rear ending me?
-Christopher

 

[Rusty-SKO]

its even easier than that to war-dial.. you can go to localcallingguide.com and pull down all area codes and prefixes for certain geographic areas.. so you dont dial mon existent area codes.. I use this for my phone systems to get local call areas for hotel room charging. I automate it.. all in XML.. so a telemarketer just pulls that data and robo-dials, spoofing his Caller ID number so it looks to you like they are calling from the local area.. its quite easy to do.. and really easy to detect voice vs non-working-number vs voicemail. its easy to obtain the do not call registry to avoid dialing those numbers.. which is a blessing as they are people who wouldnt answer anyway.. ive built robo-dial systems.. VoIP trunls make this easy as i can process 100s of calls simultaneously, but the name of the game was to try and only dial workiong numbers.. you can get yourself removed from a robo-system easily by recording a S.I.T. tone at the beginning of your voicemail message.. the calling system will pick this up as a non working number and take you off the Database...
-Christopher

:horse3:





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[cadillackid]

spam??? really?????

 

[EastCoastCB]

have we hi-jacked the *HH** out of this poor van thread or what?

I'm usually pretty cool/lax about thread jacking. I do it too.
But this is WAAAAY off topic, even when I pepper in progress reports about working on the van.
No worries, though. Jack away.

 

[EastCoastCB]

Spent ALL afternoon just getting the old pump off.
I did one of these before and the gasket left on the block is nearly impossible to remove. I'm literally at a loss.
And I have to totally remove the alternator and its bracket to access the thermostat.
This water pump is one serious battle. And I've done a ton of water pumps. This is the pits!

 

[cadillackid]

can you wire wheel off the rest of the gasket? I use die grinder with the guard off.. and bought a little 1.5" wheel that I put on a long shank and can get in and use for just that purpose.. .. is the Tstat on that one of those that mounts in sideways?
-Christopher

 

[EastCoastCB]

can you wire wheel off the rest of the gasket? I use die grinder with the guard off.. and bought a little 1.5" wheel that I put on a long shank and can get in and use for just that purpose.. .. is the Tstat on that one of those that mounts in sideways?
-Christopher

t-stat mounts straight on top on the engine. BEHIND the alternator for some reason.
I'm not sure I feel comfortable wire wheeling on it because its aluminum.
I may try a scotch brite pad on a drill or something.

 

[EastCoastCB]

Thermostat is behind the alternator bracket.
All that's left is to get that out and replace it. Well, that and I've literally got HOURS of scraping and bloody knuckles to get the old water pump gasket off. Its even impervious to aircraft stripper.

 

[EastCoastCB]

The first water pump I ever replaced all by myself was my Dakota way back in the day.
I never really got all the old gasket off and that sucker always leaked after I put on the new pump.
I'm going to spend the whole day on this if I have to.
NOT looking forward to doing the thermostat, but I may as well while I'm this far into it.
I wasn't going to replace the radiator hoses, just the hoses from the engine to the pump. But after looking at them and seeing how brittle and old they are I'm going to get new ones today.
I may go ahead and do a new idler pulley and tensioner too.