Summer's "fun"

  What a summer.   Getting the fence installed that took a massive chunk out of my summer's free time.  Wile at at one of the few Solos i was able to make it to, i started to have some issues with my Forester XT (turbo issues) so i stopped racing it and hung out for the rest of the event.  Wile at the event i found that the lower suspension arm was rusting really bad!  So i parked the car and dove into that project.  Wile working on removing the lower control arm i had a slight brain fart and went after the pinch bolt for the lower ball joint not the retainer nut...  And snapped it clean off!  YAY time to take the whole front end apart!  So i took the knuckle off, LCA off.  I got the LCA repaired but the LBJ was being very, VERY difficult to get out of the knuckle.  I ended up having to fab a custom tool to be able to pull out the LBJ that took a week between trying some heat and penetrating oil and patience, then brute force.  Now that the LBJ was out i had to drill out the bolt.   That went ok.

Wile working on the knuckle i had it clamped in the bench vise and i was clamping it down and it "broke!"  Turns out the retainer nut for the lead screw on the vise.  The screw was loose, and im SURE that didn't help, but being crappy steel that was not that strong and poorly design.  So i have yet something else to repair.  I got the car done and back together. 

Time for the Vise fix.
Busted vise part.  Wile its a cheap Harbor Freight vise it seams wasteful to throw it out for a "simple fix"

The new fix and so far its holding.  A new M20 ACME nut from Mcmaster Carr.

Then the Turbo on the Forester went south!  I tried to rebuild it, but it was too far gone and i had to source a used turbo.  I got that fixed also.  Wile working on the Turbo fix the floor jack started to leak oil.  "GREAT" yet something else to fix.  So i took it all apart and measured and ordered a slew of new O-rings from Mcmaster Carr.  I put it all back together, threw some oil in it and jacked up the Locost (see i am not totally neglecting it).  It would not go all the way up, but i figured it was low on oil.  I locked the piston and left it overnight to see if the repair holds.  I came back the next day and the Locost was still in the air!  Yay another tool fixed.  I took it back to the work bench to fill it up.  I started filling it with oil, and not knowing how much i took out of it...  I just put a bunch of oil in it.  I put it on the floor and was going to varify it was still working and i had enough oil in it.  Well i had enough oil in it....  A bit too much and i blew out the fill plug!!  Lol (one of those stupid moments).  So a new plug in on order then i can be done with the floor jack. 

Now the Air compressor will not turn on...  YIPPIE!  any other tools want to stop working also?!  GEEZ!  So that is the next thing to fix.