Mud Holes, Forever

The week seemed to be dry and all the clothes were too clean.

But we got a chance to get a little dirty before the week was through. 

A few leaks popped up this week, some where passed off to other crews, but we fixed a few ourselves. Friday was the muddy one.

A reuse leak came in a few days before, but it was small so we let it go for a couple days.  Since it was reuse water, we shut (we thought) the main off so it could dry up (it didnt).

We headed out Friday morning to get it fixed. I hooked up to a trailer and we brought out our BobCat and a mud pump.

No matter where you go, make sure your hair is fabulous.

A few scoops taken out for exploratory reasons.

The main ended up not being off all the way, and the somebody turned the main back on with someone else in the hole. Main was shut off all the way, then the repair began. Ended up being a slipped fitting coming off the main tap saddle.

Mud hog pumping down the hole

Squeeeeezing the bucket between the main and other utilities.

I thought the main was off!?

After we got down to the break, I headed back to the yard with a trailer full of mud. That proved to be a task. All that muck settled driving back to the yard, and suction cupped itself to the trailer floor. I had to hand shovel it all out.

Brownies?

The mud did not move. At all. I even shook the tar out of the trailer and nearly broke the hitch.

After getting more dirty emptying the trailer than I did working, I loaded up some fresh dry dirt to back fill the hole, and headed back. Fuel first.

All the lights

Once back, both reuse services were built back in poly. Meter boxes were set, and we began to backfill. All in all the repair went the way it should.

Tee'd straight off the main.

Not much leak action this week, but I'm sure there will be more next week. I think we have a repair scheduled to remove a meter from a driveway, so that should be fun.

See you later!

Captian's Log: 3

This weekend was a little laid back, not too much to report. Spent some time with family on Friday, and worked on the car a little as well.

This Saturday's project was the beginning of the conversion of MK6 Golf parts onto my MK5 Rabbit. Long story short, my Rabbit came with 150hp/170lbft and a 5500 RPM redline. The late MK5s and MK6 Golfs came with 170hp/177lbft and a 6300 Redline. I will be getting the Rabbit tuned for a 6500 Redline, and in prep for that, I am switching over to all the MK6 parts I can.

First step was the exhaust manifold. The MK5 is an open chamber type manifold. There are hardly any runners at all, and its mostly just an empty chamber full of turbulence. The MK6 manifold is slightly less open, with actual runners. It does open up at the end, but is more "header-like" and almost a true 5-1 manifold. I could have bought an actual header, but they stopped making the good ones years ago, and if you find them online, they are usually $1000 dollars. I would never dream of spending that on a full cat back, much less a header. You can get ebay knock offs, but they are prone to cracking, and I would have to cut up my stock exhaust to make it fit.

MK5 on the left, MK6 on the right. Port holes are the same diameter, MK5 is just dirty.

Swap was pretty straight forward. After removing a few pieces and sensors, everything came up and over the engine with no fuss. About half the studs came out with the manifold nuts, but after a trip to the touch, and using jam nuts, they came right off. The studs were then cleaned and soaked in PBlaster, and all new brass nuts, as well as new OE MLS gaskets were used.

Do not pass go, go directly to torch.



Everything was buttoned up, and then the Rabbit was fired up.

 

Word for the wise, PBlaster smokes like a son of a gun.

 

ProTip: Unbolt the exhaust hanger and the down pipe slides right on.

 I don't have a heat shield yet (one is on the way), so I made do with some reflective heat material, and overlapped it on my fire wall. I'll leave it for added protection once the heat shield gets here.

REVIEW

 

Over all impressions are good! Sound has noticeably changed. Idle sounds more "uneven" (like how I think a 5 cylinder should sound), and under wide open throttle, it is louder. There is almost a trumpet-like blast. Seriously, I picture a chunky kid blasting the hardest note through a trumpet or trombone when I hear it.

 

Power is obviously unchanged for now, but again, this is just a supporting mod for the tune.

 

 

So if you hear something on the Westside that sounds like hells angels blasting trumpets, it's probably me in my pokey VW Rabbit.

 

 

 

More later!



Captains Log: 1

To mix in the personal with the work, I'm going to start these "Captain's Log" posts. So we will start off with a little review of what's been going on these past few weeks.

Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM)

A few weeks ago I drove down to Lorida, a small town south east of Sebring. I joined a group of people other from various places (Virginia, Delaware, Michigan) who are part of a group called Brethren Disaster Ministries. This group is part of the Church of the Brethren, but that is a story for another day. You can read more about them here: http://www.brethren.org/bdm/

We did roof repair and replacement on around 17k square feet of buildings. Patched holes and vents, and then installed metal roofing. I was the youngest one there, and I really enjoyed my time there. I hope to join up with a group again, as I really felt like I did something.



The Rabbit

My latest car is a 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit. 2.5 Inline 5 cylinder, Manual Transmission. Mundane by automotive standards, but a fun car none the less. I'm currently in the process of "sprucing it up", to either sell it or keep it as a run around. 125k miles and as of this typing, seems to be running like a top. I have a couple of things lined up for it to better improve it drivability and "fun-ability". All on the cheap.

 

 

 

That should catch you up to date in the personal life area for now, I'd like to go more into detail later on a few of the car stuff, but that can wait for later. Will update with a work related post here in the next couple of days.

 

Thanks for reading!