Archive for September, 2008

Polaris 360 Is Going Slow With Normal Water Pressure

The Polaris 360 is powered by water jet that focus a jet of water of water on an internal impeller that is connected to a gearbox to drive the wheels on the Polaris 360. Similar water jets are used in the throat that picks up the leaves and debris in your pool.

The Polaris 360 originally comes with a small screen in the inlet of the hose that propels the Polaris 360. Some pool filters are set-up to use a two-way valve to feed pre-filtered water to their Polaris 360 and to the swimming pool filter. This two-way valve set-up usually works great as long as there is no debris in the water that is small enough to pass through the skimmer basket. Debris that will pass through a skimmer basket, in most cases, will be too large to pass through the water jets inside of the Polaris. The debris will then get stuck in the jet and slow the Polaris 360 considerably.


To correct the problem the water jet will have to be cleaned out and the best way to do that is to take the Polaris apart and blow it out with a can of air, the same stuff you get to clean out a computer.

Remove the top on the Polaris and you will see the inlet pipe connected to the debris throat, remove the screws holding the inlet pipe to the debris throat and lift the inlet pipe out. That will give the axle room to move up once you open the gear box housing.

Next, open the gearbox housing by locating the one screw holding it down toward the rear of the Polaris. Once you remove the screw lift the housing off and the impeller will be exposed. Next, remove all four screws on the corners of the Polaris to detach the gearbox assembly from the bottom case of the Polaris.
When the gearbox assembly is lifted off the lower case you will see the drive jet right under where the impeller was. Blow out the jet and the debris should fall into the area right below it, once the debris is in there suck it out with a wet vac then re-assemble the Polaris 360 in reverse order. Put the unit back in the pool and it should run as it is supposed to. To prevent the jet from getting clogged again it would be a good idea to keep the small filter screen on the inlet of the hose into the Polaris.

If you live in an area where a lot of debris blows into your pool you may need to clean the screen twice per day to keep the Polaris running right. It is much easier to clean the screen than it is to take the Polaris apart every time something clogs the jet.

Another possibility is that the belts that drive the wheels are bad. The belts are the types with grooves in them and if the belt deteriorates the grooves can come off making the belt slip on the pulley. It is a good idea to keep a set of spare belts available for when they do go bad, for me I replace them at least once a year.

1995 Ford Taurus Stalls When Driving

1995 Ford Taurus engine quits when driving for no apparent reason. The engine was up to operating temperature and the car had just been driven 150 miles and it ran fine. When the car was turned off for around 45 minutes and it was driven down the road it stalled.

After careful examination we noticed that the spark and electrical system was functioning ok the problem seemed to be in the fuel system.


There were several suggestions as to what the problem could be, such as, a bad fuel pump, bad gas, etc. We decided to take the easy path first and change the fuel filter. It was the easiest and cheapest to try. Once the filter was removed we dumped it out and dirt and rust came running out. We cut the filter in half and found a lot more rust and debris still inside so somehow contaminated fuel had gotten into the tank on the last fill-up.

So if you have a Taurus that is acting similar try to change the easy and cheapest thing first-the fuel filter.

Ten Steps To Save On Gas and Get Better Gas Mileage!

Gas prices are getting higher with no end in sight. As worldwide demand for oil and gasoline increases the price increases right along with it.  Not too long ago one gallon of gasoline used to cost $1.50 and we thought that was expensive, now at $3.80 per gallon people are starting to look seriously for ways to save on gas and cut down their expenses.

To help get relief at the pump quickly it is best and most efficient to look at the easiest things that we can do ourselves to save money at the pump.

1: Shop Around For the best price on gas without driving all over the place. Ask co-workers, look for ads and call different gas suppliers to find the cheapest price on gas. You can even look on: www.gasbuddy.com

This is the advice that you can apply anytime you buy anything. Always shop around. You can get a cheaper price for your favorite brand, and probably a yet cheaper price for a different brand.


2: Use a Credit Card to buy gasoline that gives you a reward or rebate for buying gas. Brand specific gasoline credit cards are more generous because they can save you 5 10 % off your gasoline purchase.

3: Buy Gasoline In the morning when the weather is cool.  Cool gasoline is denser in cooler temperatures, although slightly, so you can buy more for your money. Gas stations measure volume, not density, so you’ll be getting more solid fuel than vapors, thus improving your overall gas mileage.

4: Steer clear of gas stations that just refilled their underground tanks.
When underground tanks are refilled, particulates at the bottom of the tank get stirred up, and when these particles get into your gasoline tank, they affect the fuel efficiency of your car and clog your fuel filter.
5: Don’t Fill your gas tank all the way, or “top off” your tank, only get gas when you need at least half a tank because a gas pump needs time to draw the gas out of the underground tanks so when you purchase a bit of gas the station, you get short bursts of fuel that you’ll probably pay extra for because a full gallon is never pumped.

6: Don’t use premium gas if your car doesn’t call for it. Most cars nowadays are built to run on regular unleaded gas. Purchasing premium gas is simply a waste of money. Octane measures how hard it is to ignite gas, not the quality of the gas, so getting higher octane, premium, gas will not improve fuel efficiency it will only cost you more.

7: Pump your own gas if you find that it is cheaper to pump your own gas at the self-serve stations rather than using the full-serve pumps. Full-service gas tends to cost more to pay for the attendant.

8: Use your air-conditioning sparingly.  Automotive air-conditioning uses electricity, increases the load on the engine and it can reduce fuel economy by up to 20 percent. It is better to use the air ventilation system instead.
Keep an eye on your car's engine vacuum with a Scangauge II, it will let you know when you are accelerating too fast.

9: Plan your trips to be efficient and avoid unnecessary driving by planning your trip before hand, and of course that saves you money on gas consumption.

10: Purchase fuel efficient vehicles with a good repair record so you save money on fuel and repairs.
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The Scangauge II is one of the best engine monitors on the market that allows you to track your gas mileage while you drive.

How To Repair Your Muffler

When you find yourself receiving angry glances from people while you're driving in town, take it as a telltale sign that you are indeed having some muffler trouble. The noise your car is making is not a part of your imagination. Actually, the faster you accept the truth that you need to have a muffler repair, the sooner you could get the problem fixed. If you continue to procrastinate it, you’ll end up in an auto shop with a considerable bill for the muffler repair service.

Before anything else, what are the warnings that you are in need of a muffler repair? Your car may be making a lot of noises but not every squeak, squeal, and screech calls out for a muffler repair. How can you be sure that the sound means muffler trouble?

Once you’ve heard a rumble coming from your sedan, read this as a low-pitched rhythmic sound, then chances are you have a malfunctioning muffler, converter, or exhaust pipe. If what you’re hearing is a clunk, which is a random thumping sound, then what you have is a loose muffler or exhaust pipe. Like what my math teacher told me, identifying the problem is half of the solution. After knowing just what it is that’s making your car so noisy, then we can begin the muffler repair.


The problem is a loose muffler or exhaust pipe.

Don’t even think about muffler repair on a still hot muffler. When you just finish driving the car, leave it for around an hour. That will be enough time for the engine and all the other auto parts to cool down. After drinking a glass of iced tea and enjoying a little conversation with your friend over the phone, you and your car are ready for some muffler repair.

Lift up the car and carefully secure it on jackstands so that you can go underneath and start some damage control. The exhaust pipe is likely to be found about two feet behind the engine pointing toward the rear of the car. If you are looking at the right place, then you will be able to see a thin metal shield right in the middle of the exhaust pipe and the car floor. If you still can’t find it, it is approximately under the car seats. With all those clues, I’m sure you already have an idea where it is.

Now that you have the metal shield in your line of vision, do everything possible to make it rattle. Poke, prod, push, pull, by all means, do what you can so that you will be able to hear the same thumping sound your car is making when you drive. You may be asking yourself why you have to make it rattle. Well, you want to be 100% sure that all you have is a loose muffler or exhaust pipe. Otherwise, the solution I have here will not do you any good.

If there is no rattling sound even after you did your best to produce the same sound, don’t smile yet. Cover all your bases. Start the car engine. I want to make the next statement as clear as possible. Do not go back underneath the car while the engine is running unless you like the idea of pain inflicted in your own skin. Rather than going under the car, simply lean your head down and listen attentively to distinguish where the clunking sound is coming from.

If the source of the noise is the heat shield, all you have to do now is to tighten it up. Turn off the engine first then go underneath the car. With your good old screwdriver, tighten all the bolts connected to the heat shield and I mean, every single bolt. While you are already down there, check if the heat shield has been twisted or curved. You can fix a bent heat shield through a pair of pliers or a screwdriver. Pull the heat shield away from the spot where it makes contact with the exhaust pipe.

That’s it. Just by tightening the bolts, you can avoid the hassle and the cost of going to a car care center for a muffler repair. You can now drive in style and in silence.

About Author

The author is a contributor of Muffler Repairs

If you want to know more about muffler repairs like the shops offering this service as well some basic information about mufflers, visit the website and say goodbye to your muffler troubles.

Source: ArticleTrader.com

Delta Power Miter Saw Parts and Accessories

I recently had to order parts for my Delta Power Miter Chop Saw and had to chase several leads to find a place where I could order the parts. If you need parts for your Delta saw you can order them here:

Dewalt Factory Service
2001 Fern Valley Road
Louisville Service Center
Louisville, KY 40213
Phone number: 502-380-3748

Dirty Swimming Pool Water, Yellow or Green After a Hurricane?

If you have been in the path of a hurricane and have a swimming pool your pool water probably became green or yellow after the storm passed. Or, possibly your swimming pool water just became dirty from ground water rising and spilling into your pool, if that is your problem all you will have to do is run your filter steady for three days back-washing or cleaning your filter as needed. Also the addition of a clarifier would help your swimming pool filter remove the fine silt that usually washes into a pool during a hurricane.

If, on the other hand, you have green or yellow swimming pool water you will need to run your filter for around three days and keep the water balanced as you apply shock to the water.
My swimming pool recently turned green when Hurricane Fey moved through our area dumping a lot of rain.

After three days of filtering the swimming pool water and keeping the PH and chlorine in check the swimming pool water returned to normal.

I am using a Triton Sand Filter so I had to backwash the filter four times to clean up the water. I also used HTH 4-in-1 granules to clear up the water.

Make sure you brush the sides and bottom of your pool as the water starts to clear up while the filter is running so it can take away any silt that had been resting on the walls or bottom of the pool.

What Causes Bad Gas Mileage

The causes of bad gas mileage in a car or truck can be caused by many reasons, some very simple to fix and others more complex. If you suspect that you have a car problem that is causing your bad gas mileage it would be advisable to check the easy things yourself first before you take the car to a professional. For car problem diagnosis help we usually enlist the help of ATS. ATS has access to a library of information on all makes and models to help the "backyard" mechanic diagnose car trouble.

Car troubleshooting has to be done in an orderly fashion. First you have to decide and determine what part of the car your problem is in, such as, fuel supply problems, electrical problems, or electronic control module problems. If you have a car problem that has set a trouble code once you determine what the code means it should help you narrow down the particular area of your car where the problem is and whether it would cause bad gas mileage or not.

As I mentioned before about using ATS for help, it can save you time and money and keep you focused on fixing the problem you actually have. Car parts are expensive so you don't just want to throw money at your problem making it more expensive to fix than necessary.

What Causes Bad Gas Mileage:

1) A bad air cleaner will restrict air flow into your engine and cause the engine to run inefficiently and burn more gas than necessary.

2) Faulty fuel injectors - if the injectors stay open longer than required more fuel will be injected into your engine than necessary.

3) Low tire pressure - under inflated tires have a higher rolling resistance that correctly filled tires

4) Engine not reaching operating temperature making the EEC system "think" the engine needs to run on a rich mixture to warm-up. ( Possible thermostat problem could cause this).

5) Bad gas - if you use cheap gas try using a better grade of gas before you do anything else. Just changing the fuel is a cheap fix.

6) Accelerating too fast - You can be accelerating too fast and not even realize it. To find out if you are accelerating too fast a vacuum gauge will tell you as it shows a vacuum drop under acceleration. A good multi-task tool is the Scangauge II that provides an electronic display of vacuum readings and other engine performance readings as you drive.

Sears Craftsman Eager-1 Lawnmower Leaking Oil

While mowing the lawn with my Sears Craftsman Eager-1 self-propelled lawnmower, model # 917.377561, I noticed the engine and mower deck becoming drenched in motor oil. The leak was so bad it almost looked like the engine block had cracked, but that was not the case. After checking further I noticed that the oil was coming from under the flywheel. The engine manufacturer for this particular engine is Tecumseh and they sometimes add an oil breather to the Eager-1 engines and that was the cause of the oil leak.

In this case the rubber breather had shrunk allowing oil to escape around the edges of the breather and on to the mower deck. It was easy to tell that the breather wasn't sealing properly because it was lose in it's mounting hole where it should have been making a tight seal. The only fix is to replace the breather, a $17.00 part.

The breather for the Eager-1 mower is Tecumseh part# 36557

Once you have the flywheel off of your Eager-1 engine all you have to do is pull out the old breather and insert the new one. You will need to cut the tube that goes to the carburetor to the correct length before you replace the flywheel.

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