sandt38

Happy 50th birthday Maynard James Keenan... http://loudwire.com/amazing-maynard-james-keenan-vocal-performances/

My Verus and the new MaxiSys. This is the actuator testing on an 08 Prius. The Maxisys has 2 pages of actuation, the Verus layout is different. On the Prius I can perform the same Bi-Directional control with the Verus and the MaxiSys. However, the Verus does everything in this respect better, which is disappointing. But the PID list and graphing on the MaxiSys is nicer than my Verus. I sold yet another battery recondition on this vehicle, as well as an inverter water pump, both cooling system flushes, a trans service, struts, and spark plugs. I am now ahead of the initial investment.

Indeed.

Our cost on the individual cells is pretty cheap. We pay $43 a cell, but there are 28 cells in a gen 2 Prius

This week I have sold 2 Prius battery reconditionings and one complete rebuild. For recondition, I find the suspect cell or v-blocks, replace those cells/blocks, clean the battery, discharge, and recharge the battery pack. For a complete rebuild I replace all cells, discharge and recharge them, replace the temp sensors, replace the cooling fan, and reflash the computer. Nice labor for me, nice profit for the shop. 2 of the jobs were referred/subletted by other shops, one is a customer referral. If things keep up at this pace, I will be forced to buy another battery charging setup. I got a program for my charger system from a friend of mine in San Fran who has been doing this for a while. She sent me the discharge and recharge programs she is using. The rates of both are variable, neither linear nor cyclical. They are temperature dependent, and my charger has 2 temp probes per main unit, so 6 temp probes in total (I use 3 main chargers with 3 separate high capacity power supplies). With these 3 jobs I have taken in as much money as I have spent on the main scan tool, and the chargers (gross, as net with labor still sets me a bit south of a total wash). One more rebuild will put me even for my programmer, and 2 reconditions will set me at a profit. Needless to say the owner and GM are both very happy at this point. Our name has gotten out fast, and with one of my very good friends being a mobile diagnostic business owner (he sublets to shops, figuring out problem cars for them) and sending me his referrals, I am golden. SO many people are afraid of these hybrids, and we are capitalizing at this point.

Try bleaching it.

Sweet piece of equipment there, bud.

J- sorry bro, everything is factory calibration now. Neil, very cool shit. The new scanner will be in tomorrow. I am paying $1K less than anyone else offered, plus as a bonus, we get bonus cash from the company that we are buying it from so I got a $1,700 discount. Worked out well. Plus I am dropping Interstate Batteries and going Delco. We are paying the same money for Interjunk batteries as Delcos, plus I have to pay a $30 a month lease fee for the Interjunk tester. If I go Delco, I pay cash for the tester, but I get $2 back for every test with a receipt, and an additional $5 for every battery sold. We do a battery test at every oil service, so I should have the machine paid off in a few months and be making money on top of the battery sale. I think I am making wise decisions from the shop end. The shop has had foremen that worked as a foreman (mechanic who knows shit and helps others). But I have managed a dealership shop, so I have a lot of contacts and understand how to make money. My service manager is very open to my input, as is the owner which is beneficial. The owner expects a $400,000 increase in gross revenue this year, but will accept $200,000. I think $400,000 is a bit high, but I can help do a quarter mill in a year. I am hoping to move up more in the company (My boss owns a few motorcycle shops including Triumph) and a couple other auto shops, so I am hoping to step out of the greaseball game and into a manager's position. I hate them too. But NOBODY here except the dealer works on them. I'll jump on it. We are a progressive shop, we have a couple very smart, eager techs... so we are training, and where they are hesitant I will jump in and do it, which gives them confidence. I taught 2 guys how to rebuild rear ends, so now instead of putting in differentials we are rebuilding. There are only a few shops in town who know how to set up gears (it seems simple, but it is challenging), and now we are one of the few. Very few guys who reflash outside a dealership, but I have considerable experience, and our shop is taking advantage of it at this point. We have a few factory scan tools, as we specialize in Nissans, and Jeeps, and Vag Com (VW/Audi scanner) is very easy to get into and we have a guy who knows VW/Audi very well. Now with the Hybrids, I have a Tech2 (GM factory tool) which also works on Honda, older Toyotas, etc giving us those abilities, plus the Cardaq gives us manufacturers scan tools for BMW, and Toyota among others. So the shop is extremely capable. I am really stoked at this point.

OK, the first of my "budget" for equipment came in today. I snagged a CardaqM programmer. It affords me the ability to get a factory Toyota scan tool program and do all Hybrid repairs and diagnostic. The TIS program in an 06 Prius today. I now have 100% complete factory service, scanner, and program information at my fingertips. I got my LSID (locksmith ID) so I can do all security and key programming and diagnostics, as well as gathering all security info for many manufacturers. I also ordered the Autel Maxi Sys pro today... http://www.autel.us/Products/ms908p.htm I saw this scanner on my trip to Raleigh NC for training a couple weeks ago. It is massively featured, and very fast. I hammered mt dealer service provider and grabbed one at nearly half of retail. I also bought 3 Hybrid battery chargers, which allow me to charge all the cells in a hybrid battery at the same time. I also grabbed a special tester for hybrid generators at a huge discount. All told I have invested less than 1/4 of my budget in the first year. With additional manufacturer software I am at less than 1/3. We have begun advertising to local shops that we do rebuild hybrid batteries, and we reflash most makes and models. We already have a rebuild scheduled for next week. Quick tease... Gen 2 Prius Under the inverter hood. Inverter out Inside the motor/generator/trans of a gen 2 Prius MV2, the most common motor/gen failure in a Prius transmission. I have most of the tranny apart on my bench now. I will easily be able to rebuild them, and have a couple interested parties at this point. 2 battery rebuilds and 1 trans rebuild will pay for my in shop investment. I should be ahead of my investment within a month. The boss wants to see profit within a year. Should not be a problem. The biggest thing is that we are doing what other shops cannot, and our future margins are what matters. I am happy to be a big part of such a progressive shop.

Old paper

the kickstarter is at $5.5m with 8 days left. ridiculous. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1003614822/ponomusic-where-your-soul-rediscovers-music My understanding is he wanted a player that was better than MP3. I sure as shit can tell an mp3 from a CD with my good headphones or my Martin Logan's. The Logan's are particularly cruel to production and compression.They make some of my most nostalgic albums sound like flat shit because of it. Just cruel cruel speakers. The flip side is, some of those really well recorded albums have so much hidden content that they sound remastered compared to listening on junk speakers. can't tell a 320 I'd bet money on it. My wife could. Through a Butler 475, Hertz Milles, Cadance, and Adire Koda 10s she said she couldn't put a finger on it, but it sounded more "real". Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.

Visiting the academy for the blind again?

Neil, I tried to find that Big Gruesome Stout you suggested, but none of the big 3 microbrew shops here carry it.

Depends on your goals. I would try to find a sliding compound miter. Ridgid makes a fantastic 12" SCM. IMO the rails and action are 10X nicer than the DeWalt Professional series. I would be sure to buy a solid blade. I use only Forrest blades now, but there are many other good manufacturers out there.

Did someone post a pic of my cock?

Because, Slaughtered...

Yep. Motorcrap or bust on the module.

Let it run for a while in the heat. Drive it around the block to get it hot, but not strand yourself. Sounds like an ignotion module. On most fords they like to make you buy a special socket. It will have to be a thin walled 1/4 drive deepwell 5.5MM socket.

Gentlemen? Where? He said gentlemen, not gentleghouls.

Seth if you ever get the chance try this http://www.springhousebeer.com/pages/beer/big-gruesome I have some friends who love this stufff, I have yet to try it. Interseting. I love chocolate stouts, but have never heard of a peanutbutter chocolate. I'll check our local micro-brew stores for it.

Gentlemen? Where?

At 2-3K I doubt a cleaner will really help. If you don't have Seafoam available, tranny fluid will work wonders. As Neil suggested, use a Zinc additive. It embeds into porous metal allowing for smoother surfaces, reduced friction, reduced binding, etc. It will kill an O2 sensor and load catalytic converters, but on a banger you don't need to worry about either.

will do bud.

Be on the lookout, beer lovers. Southern Tier Brewery is releasing their Mokah this month. Their Blackwater series of stouts is fucking brilliant. http://www.stbcbeer.com/black-water/mokah-beer-page/