Zero Knievel

First see if the needed parts can disassembled. If the top part comes off, you could find a replacement jack and just replace it's top part.

Okay, not an expert on what’s currently out there, but when I had a similar situation, external video cards were limited. In my case, I wanted a double monitor setup on a cheap office Dell that has a PSU too small to support a card with dual monitor capability. There was an external USB unit that did the job, but I regulated it to the more “static” display of the two. The GPU slot is next to the CPU to minimize lag in data transfer. So, unless an external unit plugs into the GPU slot inside the case, it likely won’t outperform an internal graphic card.

He probably doesn’t use them and won’t now that he has a whole house generator. I keep mine because I have corded yard tools that need to be near a power source.

If they came from a retail store, yes. Maybe if you bought them in bulk….

Sounds about right. Don't know if mine came with free shipping or not...but businesses get better rates.

Yeah, but so long as the instructions let you know....

It’s a recent thing to prevent poor wiring. Every switch or outlet I’ve bought of late has different colors for hot, neutral and ground. The instructions tell you which one is which. Smart move. Easier than using a marking on the back you can barely read to tell you which terminal is which.

I had a Pro-Oiler. Never minded the mess. First, if there's a lot of oil, you may have it set to oil too frequently, but I found that spray on lubes themselves would fling off, so I had to clean chain and wheels regularly anyhow. I suppose it was easier with the black rims...not as noticable.

The difference is that everything you buy in the store is harvested before it's fully "ripe" (for lack of a better term). What you grow in the garden is picked when it's ready.

Never if Big Pharma has anything to say about it.

Try telling that to mom. 😜 I wouldn’t mind closing in the floor in the basement area, but there are things to do before that is an option. We also need the driveway serviced…and that’s a higher priority. I have to budget the costs of things. It’s not like I have a pot of money to pay for things.

Fiberglass batting is the standard for floors, ceilings and walls. In invariably holds dust, can foster mold, sheds fibers. Maybe not right away, but inevitably. Especially if you have allergy issues. You don’t want exposed fiber material. It’s also an eyesore. Insulation panels aren’t as effective but can come in handy for small projects.

Now for the abuse. Mom complains that it's too cold because the basement perimeter was never insulated/finished. This is just an issue during winter, and I don't think it's worth the $$$ for the few months one even would notice. So you can picture this, our basement/garage (lower level) is "underground" on three sides (the side with garage doors is open to the air). From the where the ground ends (just below the basement windows) to the upper level, the only insulation is the brick face on the outside wall and material of the walls themselves. Arguably, where the cinder block ends and the upper level begins (the floor joists) is where there is the least thickness of material (just plywood and Tyvek). We never got around to finishing the basement. Mom wants to at least insulate the perimeter, but I do not want any exposed insulation because it WILL invariably pose issues with air quality and make doing anything in the basement problematic. Even the "allergy friendly" insulations are just LESS allergenic...not allergy-free. Pictures will follow, but I can't find any insulation that is sealed by itself. It would still need to be "finished" to seal it in so it doesn't affect air quality. I don't know if any such product exists. One guy suggested spray on insulation for mom's needs, but again, I don't want exposed insulation. At the very least, it will be an eyesore. Doing the whole basement would eliminate the issue, but that's a larger project, and I would need to see that electrical (additional outlets and put basement and garage on separate circuits) and plumbing projects (replace all emergency cutoffs with better models as the ones we went with are crap) are completed first so done first so when the ceiling is put in place, it's done.

Well, thanks to the Oracle that is YouTube, I saw how easy it was to disassemble the unit without having to pull whole housing out of the ceiling. I’ve spent over an hour cleaning all the dusted crud out of all the parts. The next step is to reassemble it and see if it runs better than it did beforehand

That may be a problem. I see replacements for the exhaust fan but not the heater fan. After 30 years, I suppose the, motor is weakening…although you’d think the exhaust fan would wear out first.

We installed NuTone Heat-A-Ventlite in both bathrooms (QT-9093). They are starting to show their age. I thought of just replacing them, but I can’t tell if the model is completely discontinued. AliExpress has them, but I don’t know if that’s a reputable source. What we currently have. If I must go with something else, a comparable unit with the hole already in the ceiling would work best. The ceiling-side calls for a 14” diameter hole. Not sure how to search for a replacement one. The existing model has exhaust fan, forced air head, light and night light functions. I was hoping this model was still kicking around so rewireing would not be needed.

Hmmm. This could solve everything if I only care about the lights coming on and turning off with the truck. https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Motorcycle-Automotive-Circuits-Terminal/dp/B0BM9WFJKL/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=21IH4CX800TFC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wfxNZSFh-D-aymq1qF9AOT_aDpxu48pzDqk8Bk1d6AY.dcOfjabBZhRPuWfcJntW__iTtkhIuu457pSphbYKM2I&dib_tag=se&keywords=fuzeblock+fz-1&qid=1735828524&sprefix=Fuzeblock+fz%2Caps%2C916&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Someone posted this on a Ford forum. Odd bit is that the parts list call for 15A fuses but the diagram says 30A. Oversight?

And it’s entirely possible to pull the key and walk away before realizing it. There’s no auto off for lamps after shutting off the motor. As it stands, I run the lights when trailering for added visibility, but I’d prefer something more noticeable along the lines of a young woman working her way through college by demonstrating she has daddy issues.

I like the added safety of DRLs. I’d like to instal a DRL kit to the ‘98 Mazda pickup, but when I try searching, I find bulbs but not entire kits. I’d figure someone makes a kit with the relays needed so you just wire it in and it comes on when the engine is running (or at least when the car is on). Any suggestions?

Buy welding equipment and start making miniatures to sell at craft fairs.

No…unless there’s a recommended crack filler that works in these temps that would prevent further damage until it’s done properly.

The driveway has developed a crack that runs across it. It’s narrow, but I don’t know which is a better option…fix it myself (and which product is best) or hire a driveway guy to treat the whole driveway and parking area (1/10 mile). The driveway and parking area cost enough to install that letting it deteriorate too much is not acceptable, and I figure if I have a crew come up to fix the crack, they might as well inspect, treat and repair anything else when they come out. The rest of the drive and parking area are in good shape, but I don’t know how frequently asphalt should be treated or sealed to protect its integrity.

I see what you did there. Honestly, the issue is that the aftermarket wires never perfectly lined up with the OEM…so it was extra important to replace only one at a time and carefully match the replacement to the original. Several wires were similar, but not identical, in length, and removing multiple wires was inviting complication, but the only way to be sure was a side-by-side comparison.

We had an issue one time with the wires not staying seated properly. You’d think this wouldn’t be an issue, but wire sets seem to be only as long as they think is needed, so you can’t have any slack. Even with my B3000, getting the replacement wires to fit took several tries because if you didn’t lay the correct wire in the correct channel, those extra fractions of an inch would cause trouble by the time you wanted to plug in the other end.