Technical Why can’t they leave well enough alone?

Between tractors and vehicles, I have 11 engines that I change the oil in at least once a year. Some of those share the same filter. For those that are unique, I have one on the shelf then replace it after I use it, sometime before the next oil change. For those that are repeats I stock 2. At my local Napa they have a filter sale a few times a year, so I replenish my stock at that time and I'm never hard up for a filter.

For my tractor, I stock all the filters I'll need for my yearly maintenance (fuel, oil, hydraulic), then replace them when there's a filter sale.

It's not so unheard of that parts for our obsolete junk won't be on every store's shelves.

 

I agree nothing is free, but sometimes volume can make it real cheap. Not Amazon, but Walmart, does ship free! Case in point. I can go to Walmart and buy $100 worth of stuff and at my Walmart I also pay $10 in tax and have to spend $5-7 in gas and an hour of my time. So, now I have $145 in my $100 purchase!
I can take a five minutes, $2.50 , no gas, $0, put the $100 on my credit card, $98.50, since I live in the county I don’t have to pay city sales tax, so my tax is $5. There is no charge for a $100 purchase delivery. So my total cost for the $100 goods is $106 vs $145, by ordering online.
In my books $106 vs $145 is better than free! It’s profit!
We have deliveries about once a day!
I was at the mercy of the “ small business “ owner for over fifty years! Hell, I was even one on them! But I gave excellent service! Unlike many I ran into! Most had the attitude , you have to buy the product from me, because I’m the only outlet in town!
Well, now there are more outlets in town and the old shop owner is crying the blues! Sorry for his luck!
As a young man, I tried to do what was “ right” for the myself and the nation. And got ridiculed for , by the way! Now my predictions have come to past!
I now do what is best for old Bones !



Bones

 

I agree!!!

So some 25/30 years ago I acquired a vacuum pump set up. Quincy or Dayton, have to look at the tank again.
Anyways , didn’t need a 60 gallon tank with a vacuum pump, so snagged an old compressor my dad has and made a compressor out of it.
I silver soldered 1/2 copper pipe with 90’s out of the compressor head, back and forth into the tank, right behind the flywheel find in hopes of cooling the incoming air to the tank down.
Well, the compressor struggled to get to 100 psi (just old and tired) so picked one and it’s a V twin, so need to modify the piping I did years ago.
It has 155 max rating, but I’m good with 135 or so.

 

I use silver solder and this flux when I want to solder steel together. I use the non-silver solder when doing copper. If you can find any on facebook that someone is selling, probably good to buy it and put it on the shelf before the "Save the World" fanatics find a way to outlaw it. What I've found is that you don't want to apply too much heat too quickly or it will turn black looking. Het slowly with a propane torch till the solder melts with no heat applied, then dance the flame over it as you add some more. Also, I made a "test" joint with a 5/16 to 3/8 tube and put a gage on it. 100 lbs held for more than a year and only lost about 5 lbs. Its still back in the shop somewhere.

Given your love affair with the smallblock Chevy, and the length of time you probably have left to work on them, it would probably be smart to stock up.........they are only going to get more expensive and more unavailable as time goes by. I've got a couple of brand new aluminum blocks.....the unmentionable ones. I paid $2700 for one at the GM dealer. Its on the shelf and now they are about $3700. Gave $1700 for the other and its quite a bit higher now too. Just sayin, that the things you know you will need are worth stocking. Maybe gasket sets as well.

 

I used a similar flux/acid when silver soldering.
Clean things shiny, wipe some in and as you said “heat slow and uniformly” just keep it hot enough to take the SS into the joint.
It is kinda fun, and amazing on how well it bonds the two together.

 

Simply another opinion , didn't all the frame bashing start about 20 years ago ? Aside from a few Jughead "mister sciences" on the web , that witch hunt has pretty well settled down , fram has been bought sold reorganized etc, like every other company.

 

I’m not sure! I used to be a Fram guy , back in the day, because they had cool decals and the looked good. In about 1979 or so I bought a Fram air filter and held it up to the light and could see holes in it! I asked for a Wix and compared it! Twice the weigh and twice the paper and you held it up to the Sun and no light! After that ……Wix all the way, even till today!
I know of no “ witch hunt” only facts, I found out over forty years ago, that apparently others have ,also , figured out.
I just couldn’t believe no one called the OP out for buying one!

But it’s all good…..just thought I would mention the elephant……





Bones

 

I like to park my truck in front of the garage door, drain the oil, pull the filter, then realize that of the dozen filters on the shelf, none fit the truck. Too bad the wife's car is inside the garage.

 

This is correct, I figured out about 10 years ago that I have to be my own parts store. As far as Walmart not stocking a oil filter for a SBC, small blocks are becoming dinosaurs. So welcome to the club. Won't be too long before someone will coin the phrase "Small block chevy's Forever" Wait I just did. LOL