Replacing Radiator

RedBox — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 06:28:51 +0800

I am going to try to change the radiator to replace the current one in my car that is leaking. Car is a '94 Honda Accord. The few things that I know what to do with a car is 'ahem' drive it, change oil, flush engine, flush radiator, spark plugs, check fluids and minor things like that. That will tell you about where my skill level is with fixing cars (you may say 'NONE', which will not offend me at all! ).

Here's the leak (close to the radiator cap):

Anyway, called an auto repair store and was told it will cost about US300+ (parts & labor) to replace it. I called an auto part store and got this:

1) Radiator USD109.99
2) Radiator Cap USD6.99
3) Thermostat USD13.49
4) Thermostat Seal USD1.99
5) Antifreeze USD8.87

Total+tax: USD153.69. Compared to getting an auto shop to replace it for me which does not include the thermostat, I am saving ~50%. I inspected the upper and lower hose and they both looked fine so I will not replace those. Got a drain pan ready to drain the coolant and all the tools to remove the old radiator. It appears to be a tight fit so I will detach the cooling and A/C fan before removing the old radiator.

Are there anything else that I have overlooked? If you have any tips or gotchas to watch out for, I would appreciate if you can post it here before I attempt this. Planning to do this tomorrow.

Thanks.

RB

IIS 6.0 - Migrating and Restoring

RedBox — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 22:26:06 +0800

Is anyone here a guru in IIS 6.0? Have you done migration of web sites (say 400 and above sites) from one server to another? What tools did you use? How did you handle Frontpage Extension migration? How did you migrate user groups as defined by roles via Sharepoint Administrator/Frontpage Extension?

From my questions, you can probably guess what I want to do. I would like to find the quickest way to migrate, the least manual work to do it, and minimal to nil downtime in migrating web sites from one server to another.

Thanks.

RB

Aquariums - Fishes

RedBox — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 04:11:58 +0800

A continuation of: http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=289326 I think it will serve as valuable resources to continue the thread on aquariums.

RB

Logo Competition

RedBox — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 23:23:28 +0800

Design a logo for Folding@Malaysia for a chance to win yourself an AMD Sempron 64 3000+! More information here!

RedBox

Car Detailing

RedBox — Wed, 18 Aug 2004 14:38:06 +0800

I wrote a short write-up on how I polished and maintained my car a while back but that thread must have been purged. Recently someone had asked about polish/wax/clean car so I thought I would share my experiences with you.

The very first time I did this, the whole process I think took me more than 10 hours if I remember correctly. After I 'perfected' the process I now spend a good 6 hours or so to get that perfect shine. Anyway here goes...

Available here as well.

Some of the products used:

Step 1: Wash car
The very first time I did this, I used a dishwashing liquid. Now I know what you're thinking, that's nuts but I would only do this one time to make sure I get all the grime/oil/dirt off the paint of the car. I used Dawn blue which seems to be recommended most of the time. Remember you do not want to use this regularly which is why I only did this once. You can use a regular car wash liquid if you are not comfortable doing this. But the goal here is to remove as much foreign contamination so the coat of polish can seal the paint properly.

Don't just use any old rags to wash your car. You'll be sorry. I buy a special sheepskin wash mitts to avoid fine scratches during washing. It's plush and gentle on the paint of your car. Wash your wheels first. I use a wheel cleaning brush that can reach into the spoke of the wheels to properly remove dirt and all.

Step 2: Clay
After washing off all the dishwashing liquid, I start the claying process. You do not have to dry your car first. Prepare a spray bottle that contain water/car wash liquid to use as lubricant. Claying is easy but you have to be careful or you will end up scratching your paint. Why clay? The clay as your rub over the paint of your car will pick up any additional grime/dirt/tar/bird droppings/etc from the paint. Your local car parts store should have this.

Here's how you do it. Spray an area with the water/car wash liquid mixture. Kneed a small piece of clay (that you can hold comfortably with your fingers and not drop it) and rub it over the sprayed area. For the top area of the car, use a front/back motion and for the side area of the car, use an up/down motion. Rub over the same area until you feel it going over the paint smoothly. Spray more lubricant if needed. Remember to kneed the clay after so many passes as you do not want the stuff that it picks up to scratch other paint area that you are claying. If you happen to drop it on the floor, THROW it AWAY. Do not try to use it again. It will now have dirt stuck to it from the floor and you will end up scratching your car. It's not worth trying to save a few bucks over your $$$ car. I went over every inch of the paint that I can get to with the clay.

Step 3: Rewash car
This time, use a normal car wash liquid to wash off any clay residual.

Step 4: Dry Car
I use a soft silicon squeege and run it over car to remove water quickly. To finish the drying, use a 100% cotton plush towel to complete the job. Before going forward, I inspect the paint and remove any minor scratches with Meguiars ScratchX.

Step 5: Quick detail before applying polish
I use Zaino Z6 Gloss Enhancer to quick detail the car. Spray on and wipe off with a new clean 100% cotton towel. This will remove any water spot and leave the paint smooth.

Step 6: First coat of polish
I use Zaino Z5 with ZFX to provide a faster drying time. You can use a product of your choice. Use a clean polish applicator pad and squeeze a dime size polish on the applicator pad. Polish a small area in circular motion and on top area of the car, finish with a front/back motion and on side area of the car, finish with up/down motion. This is recommended by the polish manufacturer to enhance the optical property of the polish. Z5 is suppose to further reduced swirl marks and fine hairline scratches from the paint. Wait 30 minutes to dry. (Follow the instructions of your polish product if you use a different product)

Step 7: Clean windows/interior
While waiting for the polish to dry, I take the time to clean the windows and interior of the car. I used RainX and Stoner Invisible glass product for the windows/glass, 303 Aerospace Protectant for dashboard/vinyl/plastic interior, leather care product for leather parts. Since there are multiple drying times, I tend to split the interior detailing between the drying times.

Step 8: Buff and apply second coat
After it has dried, use another clean 100% cotton towel and buff off dried polish. For the second coat, I use Zaino Z2 with ZFX. Same method as first coat.

Step 9: Buff and apply third coat
Again, after the second coat has dried, buff off with a clean 100% cotton towel. By now, the car has that truely wet shine that you'll love.

Step 10: Final quick detail
After removing all the polish, I quick detail the car again with a shot of Zaino Z6 to make sure I removed all polish residual and to give the paint that extra shine. At this step, I also apply Meguiars High Gloss Gel to the car tires to give it that shine.

Step 11: Finish
This is the most satisfying part of the whole process. Step back and admire your work. Get a cold drink (non-alcohol ) and inspect the car. Get your keys ready as you know you just want to jump in and take it for a joy ride!!!

That's it. You're done. To summarize, what you want to do is:

Wash, Clay, Wash, dry, quick detail, polish, buff, polish, buff, polish, buff, quick detail. I specify the product that I used in writing this but by all means use a product of your choice. Always remember to read the instructions and follow them especially mixing, applying and drying times. But other than that, it should be pretty straight forward. The reason I went with Zaino or a polymer based polish is I do not want to use a product with rubbing compound. I would only use that if there is oxidation on the paint and I absolutely have to rub it off. Hope this helps anyone who wants to get their car looking great! Have a great day and enjoy your car.

[EDIT]
The product that I used is suppose to be able to protect up to 9 months or so. So I only have to do this about 2 times a year. Other times, wash as needed, dry, quick detail and I have that shine back. Easy... If I am in the mood I will wash, clay, wash, dry, and quick detail without applying the 3 layers of polish. Read the instructions on the product you are using.

RedBox

Some pictures after all the hard work:

Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by RedBox

Replacing Radiator

IIS 6.0 - Migrating and Restoring

Aquariums - Fishes

Logo Competition

Car Detailing