Recent content by CosmickGold

At the moment, it's 14 F in Arlington, Texas (near Dallas). I set my thermostat to 38 F to prevent water freezing, and wear a toasty 12v mini-blanket around my chest under my coat. If I set the furnace thermostat warmer, I'd use up my propane because of having to circulate 14 F outside air to...

I found a mechanic who has a small shop on a short industrial side street across from an open field. There was no problem with my staying in that field overnight so that he could test the engine cold in the morning (...about the only time the problem goes crazy in all its glory). That worked...

I don't have a rollup door, but that's great advice for anyone who does! I did almost put a lock on the outside that someone could have placed a key or combination lock through, preventing me from opening it from inside or out! But someone here quickly pointed out how foolish an idea that was...

I always use this one for weather anywhere. I used to wonder why meteorologists still can't be more accurate with their weather predictions. Then I learned it's due to the curls and swirls of the solar winds from the sun that can't be seen before they reach the earth. The little invisible...

I'm "winterizing" too. I just returned an hour ago from purchasing a fresh bottle of propane. For anyone who thinks these 15 lb. bottles of propane are too heavy to lift into their van, this hand pulley hoist is my solution. I keep the temperature in the van set to 38F to be sure nothing...

To me, the name has serious meaning. It's the Native American name given to me at age 4. I still remember the little ceremony where several of us boys were named. I was given "Little White Cloud" because my hair was so blond that it was almost almost white. The name is also a trigger for...

Someone asked me to record what the engine sounds like. So I made a brief recording of what I think is a good start. In this start, it only thumps around for about 3/4 second before changing to what I think is a smooth run: Engine start.

Ha ha ha! I'm laughing because that's such a complicated question, asked so simply. The body is the 1998 model. Which probably means it was assembled in 1997. However, the engine had been replaced, perhaps a year before I purchased the van in 2017. And the replacement engine was not new, but...

Great tip! It worked perfectly. I now know I have a 5.7L (350) SFI V8 Vortec 5700 engine. 👴 (y)

There is such a conceptual distance between the blue "like" emoji and red-eyed "love" moji, I often find it hard to decide which one to use, if either. Often "like" seems insultingly weak, while "love" would rise over the top like foam on a beer and go splashing down onto the floor! So I'm now...

Thanks for the tips, like on what to replace first! I don't know what engine. I'm told it is a replacement engine from AutoZone, but I have not found anyone who can reliably tell me which engine. If I get stuck again, your WD 40 tip might get me going again, but it sounds like a temporary fix...

I thought that possibly, the cause of Cloud suddenly coughing and kicking back worse than ever before, might be because it has just rained continuously for the last 24 hours. So maybe there's moisture in the ignition system shorting the spark voltage to the wrong places at the wrong times To...

I now own the ANCEL AD410 for OBDII onboard diagnosis. ($39.99) So now I'm studying the manual, hoping to be ready to plug the device into White Cloud tomorrow.

In addition to keeping my interior hidden, I also added a plastic coating to the inside of every window's glass to make them virtually un-smashable. And I invented my own deadbolt -- added to each door -- which only I know how to release by hand from the outside. Having no added locks or other...

I may hold the record for how fast one can get "The Knock". I had just purchased my van and drove it from the purchase point into a large shopping mall where I parked to purchase a few things. But before I even opened the door, "Knock! Knock! Knock!" It was the mall's security who rides around...