Today I Learned (TIL)

TIL: I catch a wicked buzz from Habanero peppers.

We've been going to this incredible Mexican food truck for about 10 years now. This year they have a different hot sauce/salsa alongside the usual ones ,and while it's incredibly hot, when I eat it I just keep scooping more and more of it on until I'm putting it on everything including grilled Jalapenos. By the time I'm done  my face is warm and sweating, my chest is unusually hot in a way I can't really describe, and I feel light headed, particularly enjoyable and somewhat out of it.

I suspected that it was a Yucatan Habanero salsa (I'm so toasted I forget to ask when I'm there) so I made some up last night, had with my breakfast today, and sure enough that's it!

I am wasted on salsa as I write this

And TIL that it's a real thing, though I must be hyper sensitive to that one particular pepper

Suprf1y said:

And TIL that it's a real thing, though I must be hyper sensitive to that one particular pepper

Interesting.  I enjoy spicy foods, but I can't say that my favorite Thai chicken with cashew nut gets me loaded.  I shall pay closer attention next time.

I definitely get a "glow" after eating enough really spicy foods. Endorphin rush is a real thing.

Oh, and TIL there are places in the US without termites. Thank you really cold winters!

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

We eat a lot of spicy foods, and I mean a lot, but I've never experienced this, so I think it must be this one particular pepper.

More of a re-affirmation than a learn. That authentic Mexican food can’t be beat:

TIL the rear leaf springs on my dad's truck are infact done for and we probably need to do some suspension work before anybody tows with it again.

On the trailer was my mostly gutted 2000 dodge 1500 4x4 parts truck. 

In reply to Daylan C :

You sure that's not the right squat for a 1/2 ton truck towing a car trailer with a decent amount of weight on it? Even a gutted Dodge 1500 isn't light.

In reply to dculberson :

I might be spoiled by the other trucks I've towed with (HD suspension 2013 Chevy 1500 and my old '89 D350). It's definitely sagging in the rear even when empty though. The truck does have 260k miles and the gooseneck hitch mounted in the bed leads me to believe it was not an easy 260k miles.

TIL that W.A.S.P. recorded a version of Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath.

I'm not sure that it was necessary for me to find this out.

Today I learned that local Ford dealer wants to bill 12 hours labor to replace water pump in spouse's 2012 Ford Flex with less than 60K miles on it.

In reply to M2Pilot :

I asked my dealer how much labor they would charge to change out my door actuator and I was told $150. So I said that it’s 90 minutes and he said that’s for one hour.  $150 an hour?   I’ve not been to a dealer recently.  

$150 x 12? $1800?   What’s involved?

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Not sure what all is involved but here's some of it.  Remove intake manifold.  Remove timing chain cover. The water pump lives behind the timing chain I think.  Googled this & it looks like 12 hours isn't unreasonable.   Gonna have a little bit of "while you're in there" stuff done too.

I like changing BMW water pumps much better.

In reply to M2Pilot :

The 3.5 Duratec water pump is pretty buried. I heard of a $3600 quote to replace one on an MKZ, I think it was. They said they had to pull the engine.

dculberson said:

In reply to M2Pilot :

The 3.5 Duratec water pump is pretty buried. I heard of a $3600 quote to replace one on an MKZ, I think it was. They said they had to pull the engine.

TIL I’m never buying a car with a 3.5 Duratec engine.

We are on the middle of a 2.7 Chrysler from a decade or so ago.  7.4 hours.  Intake, valve covers, timing cover, chains and rails, then water pump.  Fun. 

I am not even sure about pumps driven by a timing belt.  Pump fails, lose valves.  Chain, internal leak takes the crank out from oil pan milkshake.

Datsun310Guy said:

In reply to M2Pilot :

I asked my dealer how much labor they would charge to change out my door actuator and I was told $150. So I said that it’s 90 minutes and he said that’s for one hour.  $150 an hour?   I’ve not been to a dealer recently.  

$150 x 12? $1800?   What’s involved?

 

Step 1:Remove engine.

You thought Audis were bad.  At least Audi gave you the option of removing the nose for access.  How do you remove a strut tower?

Streetwiseguy said:

We are on the middle of a 2.7 Chrysler from a decade or so ago.  7.4 hours.  Intake, valve covers, timing cover, chains and rails, the water pump.  Fun. 

I am not even sure about pumps driven by a timing belt.  Pump fails, lose valves.  Chain, internal leak takes the crank out from oil pan milkshake.

i had a unicorn in yesterday.AVK engined Audi with only 91k.  And a leaking water pump. DO NOT PASS GO, replace water pump and timing belt and all pullies and all twenty camshaft pulley bolts just waiting to fail.

,$1800.  Client balked. 

The last AvK that I put back together after the cam bolts backed out was over $8k to replace all the money that fell out. $1800 is cheap in this respect...

FWIW, the 3.7 in a police Explorer (aka Interceptor Utility) calls for only 9 hours, and it is doable in-chassis.

Went to Vatozonerileys for a battery for the $1,000 RX-8 yesterday.  Balked at their “only option” battery being $159.  

Remembered that the next town over has a rural farmer supply house and checked their website.  $46.95 for a rebranded Exide battery.  

Guess who drove over the that town this morning?

dculberson said:

In reply to Daylan C :

You sure that's not the right squat for a 1/2 ton truck towing a car trailer with a decent amount of weight on it? Even a gutted Dodge 1500 isn't light.

Found my ticket from the scrap yard and actually read the weight. 3612lbs. Curious to see what the weight of the whole outfit was but that wasn't on the ticket.

BoxheadTim said:

TIL that W.A.S.P. recorded a version of Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath.

I'm not sure that it was necessary for me to find this out.

Putting the trans back in teh R.  Shop radio is playing a bunch of bluegrass.  A cover of Purple Rain comes on (by Dwight Yoakum).  I voice a thought:  Man, I bet War Pigs would make for an awesome bluegrass cover!

30 seconds later, EvanB changes the station...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3peH3ppJKxo

In reply to Knurled. :

Set up a pandora station called “Iron Horse”.  You’ll get all the bluegrass versions of other songs.

TIL, (Although I already strongly suspected) that Crocs are not good welding shoes.

TI also L that I am too lazy to stop welding long enough to walk to the other side of the garage to put on socks and boots even though I am peppering my feet with weld spatter.

TIL there's a glut of drag tires among Challenge competitors. Might be the time to stock up for next year.