Safety | Mike Strawbridge

Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

Electrical Safety Tip

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Confusing House wiring and Automotive wiring can get you killed.

My favorite hobby is working with cars and Jeeps. I have no trouble repairing or trouble shooting automotive electronic systems. I am also a licensed electrician working with residential and commercial wiring.

In AC wiring the standard is to use the white wire for the neutral which is commonly connected to ground. The green or bare wire is the ground. You can typically touch either of these safely. The black wire is the “Hot” wire having the supply voltage above ground. You defiantly don’t want to touch that one.

In car wiring, the battery voltage is normally the red wire. Often the ignition switched “hot” wire will be blue or purple. While 12 volts will not hurt to touch it, you want to make sure it does not touch ground or you will pop a fuse or maybe burn a wire.

The ground wire in an automotive circuit is coded black. Notice that this is the exact opposite of home or commercial AC wiring. If you are an automotive mechanic making repairs to your home wiring, you need to be aware of this critical difference. The black wire is the “HOT” wire in AC.

Also with home wiring, it is never safe to assume that the white wire is always grounded. In most lighting circuits, the hot is transmitted to and from the switch using a single piece of romex. This will have both a black and white wire in it. The white wire should have a black stripe or tag at the junction but it is very often missing.

Also, if the path to ground in the white wire is interrupted, the wire can be energized through the load. Never assume the white wire is safe. And always assume the black wire is hot.

Use extra caution when switching back and forth between automotive and house wiring so that you do not confuse the two very different color coding systems.

Share on Facebook

Tags:electrical safety wire color codes automotive wiring
Posted in Car repair, Jeep, Safety | No Comments »

Summer Safety Slogan

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Summer Safety Slogan

This summer I have had more than my fair share of injuries in the shop. It may be the heat. It may be the humidity. Louise Hay suggests that accidents and injuries are responses to anger and heat can trigger the emotion of anger.

So far this summer, I have burned my ankle with hot metal and injured my shoulder when a heavy drive shaft fell on it. In the first case, I was not wearing the proper protective equipment. In the second case I was simply not taking proper precautions.

I have read psychological reports that suggest that the summer heat has an effect on mood. In some cases the heat can cause depression. In other cases it has been links with an excessive feeling of mental fatigue. We have all observed that tempers flare more as the temperature rises.

I am sure dehydration plays a role in increasing accidents as well. I can see my own mental function start to fade and my muscle coordination also diminishes when I am dehydrated. These factors could easily contribute to accidents and injuries.

So in the summer heat my advice is to slow down, take more breaks and drink plenty of fluids. Take an extra amount of time to visualize the job process including things that could go wrong and take measures to prevent their occurrence. Wear the proper protective clothing even if it is hot.

If you fail to take proper precautions to deal with the added stress of summer heat you will then need to head my favorite safety slogan: “If you are gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough!” Have a safe summer.

Share on Facebook

Tags:safety slogan
Posted in Car repair, Health, Safety | No Comments »

Burning My Foot While Welding

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Burning My Foot While Welding

It has been really hot in my shop this summer. So far some minor welding jobs, I have chosen not to wear full protective clothing and just take my chances with the sparks. My Australian friend Marcus Ohms has set a bad example for me in this regard.

Things were going pretty well until a glowing hot piece of metal fell into my shoe and wedged against my ankle to cool. It left a nice blister but I never stopped work, I just shook it out and kept on.

I was showing my dad the blister and he laughed and told me a story of him getting into a similar situation.

He said he had stopped by his father’s welding shop one day after his college class. He was wearing his dress slippers.

As he walked into the shop, they were working on a particularly difficult overhead weld that my dad had always done when he was working in the shop. My grandfather told my dad to hop up on the platform and finish the weld since he was quite good at it.

Dad said he was welding away and having to fill in a large gap when a large piece of molten metal fell into his shoe. He felt the burn so he just kicked off his shoe and continued welding.

The shoe however had flown across the shop and caught my grandfather right in the back of the head. My grandfather asked “Why did you kick me in the head?”

I told these stories to a millwright friend of mine who then shared this story:

He was welding structural steel on about the fourth story. He was sitting straddle of a beam welding in a cross brace. He had his legs wrapped around the beam to hold himself in place.

While welding, a hot glob rolled down the beam and then between his legs. The glob burned through his Levis and into the tender skin below. He tried to wiggle away form the burn while maintaining his balance on the beam. He burning piece of metal worked its way around inside his jeans burning his inner thigh and calf before finally falling out hit pants leg.

I guess the moral of the story is to always wear the proper protective clothing when welding. Or to remember that if you weld with fire you may get burned.

Share on Facebook

Posted in Car repair, family, Jeep, Safety | No Comments »

Ford 600 Carburetor

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

Ford 600 Carburetor Repair

My old Ford tractor runs pretty well now after I installed an electronic ignition. But it still occasionally stalls. Often it stalls in awkward places. My property is pretty hilly and sometimes it stalls on a hill where backing back down is scary. I don’t always use it like I would like to because of the stalling problem.

I had originally thought its was not having enough fuel in the tank. I had a leak at the fitting under the tank so I never liked to put in more fuel than I was going to use because it would leak out before I used the tractor again. I finally fixed that leak, but I was still having trouble with it stalling.

I have carried a long heavy screwdriver with me for a while when I use the tractor. I found years ago that I could tap on the side of the carburetor in just the right spot and it would start running again. Sometimes I had to remove the fuel bowl, but often I could just tap the side. It seemed to me that the float was sticking not letting in fuel.

Today I remembered some advice I received form a mechanic years back. He told me when I have this trouble with the tractor to remove the carburetor, take it apart and then put it back together. He said I would see nothing wrong but it would work.

I realized today after the sixth or seventh time that it stalled and I had to whack the carburetor that it had been a long time since I had taken it off the tractor.

I got it to run enough to get back to the barn and rounded up the two wrenches and screwdriver needed for the job.

First I shut off the fuel supply at the tank. Next using a 9/16 wrench, I removed the fuel bowl from the carburetor leaving it attached to the fuel line. I then loosened the two ½ inch nuts that hold the carburetor to the manifold. The manifold was hot so I had to work quickly so as not to burn my fingers.

Next I held the carburetor in one hand and removed the last nut with the other. I then slipped the two control linkages of the ball pivots. Just pull back on the connector to make them release.

With the carburetor off, I removed the four screws that hold the two halves together. One is longer than the others. I carefully separated the two halves being careful not to change the mixture adjustment.

I then poured out he gas that was in the bowl. I removed the pin that holds the float assembly and then pulled out he float valve from the top of the carburetor.

Just as I had been told I saw nothing wrong. I used some cleaner to spray in the passages where the fuel comes in and cleaned a small amount of rust out of the bottom of the bowl.

I carefully put it all back together. All the gaskets had separated cleanly so I just reused them.

I put the linkage back on the carburetor and then put it back on the manifold. Starting the two nuts was tricky because the manifold was still hot. After the carburetor was secure, I reconnected the fuel bowl making sure the copper washers were in the right places.

I then open the fuel valve and started it up. It ran rough for a minute or two. I guess it had to clear out the cleaner that was still in the passages. But after it smoothed out, the old Ford 600 ran great again.

I used the tractor for another hour and it never stalled again. I am sure glad I remembered the advice to take it apart and put it back together again. It took less than twenty minutes to do and sure made the rest of the time with the tractor more productive.

Ford Tractor Basic Carburetor Repair Kit - NAA 600 700
US $17.25 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 4:45:08 PST
| Watch this Item

EAE9510D Ford Tractor Carburetor 600 700 With 134 Engine B4NN9510A, TSX580
US $239.75
Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 9:48:18 PST
| Watch this Item

FORD 600 700 NEW CARBURETOR EAE9510D
US $234.00
Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 10:06:48 PST
| Watch this Item

Holley Carburetor Rebuild Kit 4150 Double Pump & 4160 Vacuum (Rebuilt Nylon Fix)
US $39.50
Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 11:19:35 PST
| Watch this Item

Holley 600 cfm Carburetor for Ford Truck
US $31.00 (2 Bids)
Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 18:00:00 PST
| Watch this Item

Edelbrock Performer 600 cfm Four Barrel Carburetor with Electric Choke 1406
US $86.00 (17 Bids)
Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 18:35:01 PST
| Watch this Item

FORD 600, 700, JUBILEE, NAA TRACTOR CARBURETOR BASIC Repair Kit
US $24.50
Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-09-2012 3:07:26 PST
| Watch this Item

HOLLEY MOPAR FORD 1850-3 2851 600 CFM CARBURETOR CHEVY ORIGINAL PLYMOUTH
US $35.00
Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-09-2012 10:12:14 PST
| Watch this Item

HOLLEY MOPAR FORD 1850-2 2503 600 CFM CARBURETOR CHEVY ORIGINAL PLYMOUTH
US $40.00
Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-09-2012 10:12:15 PST
| Watch this Item

FORD 9N 8N NAA 600 CARBURETOR NEEDLE & SEAT
US $5.95
Auction Ends: Friday Feb-10-2012 6:09:45 PST
| Watch this Item

Share on Facebook

Tags:ford 600 tractor carburetor
Posted in Car repair, Safety | No Comments »

Replace windshield wiper bushings on a Jeep Cherokee

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

How to replace windshield wiper bushings on a Jeep Cherokee

After a while, the windshield wipers on a Jeep Cherokee will develop slack and begin to hit the windshield trim. The Jeep dealer will tell you that you have to replace the entire wiper mechanism. However, the wear is just in the little plastic bushings. With a little know how and some simple hand tools, you can have your wipers working properly again for just a few dollars in bushings.

The bushings you need are available from most auto parts stores who carry the HELP brand. You have to buy a whole pack of wiper bushings to get the three you need.

Begin by removing the wiper arms. There is a small tab near the base of the arm. Pull out on the tab and you can then remove the wiper arm from the splined drive.

Next, remove the several Phillips head screws that hold the cowl cover to the Jeep. Carefully lift the cover up until you can reach the windshield washer hoses. Pull both of these off and then set the cowl cover aside.

Remove the four torx head bolts that hold the wiper mechanism to the Jeep. These are T30 torx. Then, remove the bolt that holds the drive motor to the Jeep. It has a 13mm head. Disconnect the wiring harness from the drive motor.

Drop the splined parts through the cowl and then work the whole assembly away from the center of the Jeep into the cavity in the fender. Rotate the mechanism so that you can lift it up and out of the access hole.

Locate the three plastic bushings in the linkage. Check them for slop. On mine, only the one at the drive motor was worn excessively. Mark the linkage so that you can put it back the way it was. Use a pry bar to separate the bushing from the pivot ball. Place the bushing over a receiving cup. I used a large socket. Tap it with a hammer to remove it from the linkage. Flip the link over and drive in the new bushing in a similar manner. Make sure the tabs are aligned with the slots in the link.

If the pivot balls are rusty, clean them before reassembly. I also added a dab of grease, but that is not required. Press the ball into the bushing. Repeat the process for the other two bushings as needed.

Slip the mechanism into the cavity in the fender and rotate it back into position. Start the drive motor bolt, but do not tighten it. Make sure that the wires and washer hoses are not trapped below the linkage. Install the four torx bolts that hold the mechanism to the cowl. Once all four are started, tighten them all down. Then, complete tightening down the drive motor bolt.

Reconnect the wiring harness. Connect the two washer hoses to the cowl cover. Replace the cowl cover and screws. Slip the wiper arms back onto the splined drives and set the clips.

Spray some water on the windshield and test the wiper operation. Make sure the travel is correct and that there is no binding. If the wipers do not park in the proper position, remove them from the spines and reset them to the correct position.

Dorman - Help Windshield Wiper Linkage Bushing - 49447 HELP Wiper bushing kit