December 07

3:44 Last few days i squeezed a bottle of CRC valve cleaner into the intake and pulled about half of it with a pump from the bottom of the intake. Not much oil in the intake like the other Elantra, but lots of dirt that came with the whatever oils CRC is made of. I noticed the stuck valve (valves) got a bit released, but still have a small miss at low rpm and foam in oil. To feel it better i made several test drives and then i noticed again a strange vibration that i heard it before, with the Autozone right shaft (returned) and replaced with an OEM one that i bought online that also had about 0.15 mm (radius) or 0.3 mm (diameter) eccentricity before even i installed it.

Vibration starts at around 60 mph and goes all the way to 70 and stops at 80. I looked on a site, at that speed a 16 inch wheel turns at 1200 rpm. I swapped around all wheels and vibration is still there on the right front. Then i did the ultimate test, raised the car, pulled the front wheels, shifted in gear and looked. A terrible sight an noise. Right shaft was wobbling around.

A while ago i realized i had visual from under the hood of the end of the half shaft that goes into transmission. So i looked and saw the axle was unclicked from the tranny. Removed the three bolts from under control arm, and clicked the shaft back in. Put it all back together, started again the engine (again with no wheels), shifted in gear, but the shaft was this time just vibrating, maybe a bit over the normal limit. Put it all back together and did a drive test and it was the same as this morning. So the unckliking must have happened in between. So whatever damage has been done to the bearing or splines at the tranny would be on me. "It was me who installed the shaft and din't click it"

Made one more attempt and swapped this time left front and rear with the same result. However i discovered that the mud splashes have been bent and pulled out of their normal place and made to couch the wheels. That would create a noise that would cover the vibration of the shaft, making me unwear of the dangerous situation.

Just by looking at the original shaft that came with the car, bent, which has an eccentricity of about 1 cm and the splines damaged, i start to believe that the previous owner of the car drove it with that bent shaft for 40k and damaged the splines in the tranny. Now that site gave me a 0.15 mm bent shaft and the combination may lead to vibration and unsafe driving conditions when the shaft may seize and the wheel locked, only at high speeds. Yeah i know here is this image the new shaft appears to be longer, however, it's not. It is raised on two V shape props almost invisible on top of the aluminum rails.

This is the picture with the shaft i took today. The part near transmission.

This is the picture i took right after i installed it.

7:23 I live on a stage. Every time i go outside some people come and start their show. About a week ago i put a bowl of chlorine in the cabin for 24 hours. In the meantime the trunk lid became bend, for two purposes. Chlorine would escape and the concentration inside will be less. Everybody passing would smell chlorine mixed with the smell of a dead animal that comes out of the car. I went to bend the trunk lid back and add some more. The two brother boys who came with groceries for their mother, i think apartment nr.2. The little white van that comes here most time when i work on car. The second i turned phone's flash light to take a picture inside engine compartment, a planed revved its engines like they always do at night. A guy with a dog who stopped staring at me. I made a couple of steps behind. In reality he was waiting for his dog. Some guy hitting something in the distance. The alarm. It means i'm out and about.

An example. Last night i took the UV wand out of the little drawer on top of the roof. Batteries where exhausted or so i thought. It was off, anyways. Put it on the passanger seat. I went back inside to grab something and then went for a test drive. When i came back a nervous Asian woman (ninja are always nervous) with a colored skirt (lots of colored skirts around here, all Japanese women acting islanders, always other faces) passed exactly when i got out of the car (like they always do). However, i figured the wand was on and turned it back off before i got out of the car. At times, they turn my high beams on and when i leave i blind someone, so every can on the street in turn blinds me.

I never ever hear airhorns on freeway except when i open the door. Also the syrens. They come at the hospital only a minute or so before i leave. To allert.

December 6

11:19/9:09 Cheltuielile bugetare sunt prevăzute prin lege, la începutulul anului, pe fiecare minister în parte, până la ultimul leu. Execuția bugetară se constată contabil. Fără acele cifre Cîțu, de care deja începusem să uităm, ne spune doar vorbe frumoase. Să reiau doar exemplul Ministerului Transporturilor care a avut prevăzut un buget variabil (cu "credite de angajament") de până la 32 de miliarde de lei. Anul se termină și nu vom ști niciodată unde s-au dus acei bani. Alți bani, la alte ministere care însumează peste 100 miliarde lei, cu destinație necunoscută. 

2:14 I gave up on the mole chasers, the ones that i modified and buried in the ground. I assume the batteries dimmed and the sound dimmed though i don't see big mole mounds around where i put those, i see small ones in a few place around the building. So i remembered something, i had a sac of Portland cement i bought about a year ago and forgot about. I grabbed a few pounds of that in a jar and poured on the freshly raised soft ground and mix it with a spoon with the soil and pushed it back in the holes. That is after i got really sick and found those again open under the siding. It wasn't smoke this time, "just" the fresh smell of mole enzymes and worms. While doing so i noticed on the stairs of nearest entrance of the building D was a kid that was working his device, for hours. The fat, brown and curly one (Looking more Native Australian than Spanish or Islander). What i think, i think he came early from school after missing some classes and sat there for a couple of hours or something while Angela went to buy groceries from three stores.

5:38 At 70 k, wanted to change the spark plugs. Original ones, Yura (Korean brand) irridium waterver where much criticized on forums. There some trying to kill the myth with Asian spark plugs work only on Asian vehicles, with most notorious, NGK and American spark plugs only work on American vehicles. Could there be a reason behind the myth. They are sabotaging each other. Like all spark plugs made by NGK for American brands are bad from their births and the other way around. I don't know, i think i tried once and indeed didn't (what did i know back then anyways).

Some on forums where praising Autolite as good for Hyundai. (Could it be Koreans are something in between Asians and Americans, with 1/3 of population being Christian and very nicely designed car, which do not resemble soap bars). Ok so i searched and found some in store at Autozone (the newly open store on "Dartmouth" street, across from Walmart, next to WinCo. So when the time came (also wanted to do a test drive after installing new struts and stuff) i went in there to pick them. Guess what. Trouble. The woman who came to help me was acting that day as manager too so she was talking to others while trying to find and sell my spark plugs, at a ratio of 1/10. One word to me, 9 to other people in there. Which all seemed like a theater team from Hungary. When i was  trying to open my mouth to say something, one of them would  yell (to another). Finally saw on the screen what i was looking for, Autolite iridium for about 8 bucks a piece. She went to grab those (from a shelf up in the sky so she used those stairs on wheels to get to them). Some guy came to ask me if i am already being helped, like i was helpless or something. Finally she descended with the spark plugs but she called me at a different checkstand. Where i was in the middle of the mob of actors all yelling at each other. I asked her for a gapping tool (don't know if i still have the one i used 3 or 4  years ago), i looked at a plug to see if it has a crush washer, she checked everything out, when i looked at the price on the card reading machine, the price was 22. So i asked her, how much is 8 by 4, she said, what? and asked her again finally figured, and then she said they are on sale or something but when i looked on the boxed it said "double platinum" instead of iridium. And then she asked for my card, but i told her, i don't think i payed because the price was not right. Or can't remember anyways. Then she did a return, went and grabbed the iridium ones, i payed for, the mob was still yelling at each other when i left. When i got home i didn't feel like installing them anymore, but when i looked inside the box, i saw they were only three of them. Back to the store, 10 more miles or something, she grabbed the stairs on wheels, went up in the sky and grabbed my spark plug and then again the sorry scene. But now i'm plainly afraid to install those. What if she dropped that one and it's cracked? I don't know, the little box should be damaged, but who knows why she did this for. I mean, sending me home with three spark plugs instead of 4.

And BTW when i first installed the half shaft from Autozone, i lost the original nut. The big nut that torques at 200. When the second half shafts came from the store online i installed the right one with the nut from Autozone and then i returned the shaft without the nut. Simply forgot about. Now i have that Autozone nut on the right but guess what. Keeps coming loose (didn't "crush" them yet like i was supposed to). But the original on the left doesn't come loose though it's not crushed. so i crushed them both tonight, but i'm about to order an OEM nut. And BTW i went for a test drive in Wilsonville, it was a traffic congestion, i turned around and heard this noise at the tires, above 50, like i had a tire out of balance or something. I came home to check the torque on the shaft nut, right one was loose, but also had a lug nut was over torqued. Impossible, the way i do it lately, with the torque wrench.

9:07/7:07  About a week after i treated the car with the UV wand, the stench came back, without warning and with a vengeance. Got sick by driving it a couple of hours, with again T Gondii symptoms. Put new batteries (they last a few hours) and put the UV light back in, in the meantime i was thinking. How that parasite (T Gondii) could have survived in there after upholstery was washed with detergent and the car treated with UV, activated carbon (for fish tanks), deodorant and lemon grass essential oil?

The yellow dust covering the engine compartment is still stinking after being exposed to forced air for about 20 hours or how much we've been driving that car and to air rest of the time.

The thing is they probably make dog food with cow's bones flour. Could they come from cows that are sick with T Gondii. Could the parasite survive in the bones long time after the death of animal?

December 5

8:04 Woke at 5 after 4 hours of sleep. Not so tired cause yesterday i slept maybe 10 hours (with the help of Zyrtec). When light came on, or around 7:30 i went outside and took the other strut out. All frozen, ice on car. 30 minutes on the clock to grab it. It was only when i came back in several times to grab tools that i realized how much smoke was inside. I went and stepped on the mounds in the known places then let the door open for 15 minutes and there is still smoke, with 3 filters running inside.

3:53/1:53 Bravo Gogu! 10:29/8:29 Prețul Giga caloriei.

10:31/8:31 M-am vaccinat, Gogule!

December 4

6:04 Can't sleep, woke up at 4, went and flatented some mounds, but i smell like camfor from some ointmennt i put on my right knee that hurts from who knows how i moved when i was stoned and worked on car Friday night. Which smell prevents me from sleeping, don't want to take a shower cause i will wake Angela. Also drank like 1.5 liter of water and i'm still thirsty, was dehidrated, i think my body is trying to flush that stuff that was in the air Friday night and alochol i drank last night.

So i just came and did a search because i wanted to post something. It's called air intake grill cowl panel. The panel between windshield and hood that i removed last night from car and washed with a brush, detergent and showerhead. Ever wondered what's under that panel, for a 4 year old car? This is what it is. Mud that after it dries turns into dust and gets into the filter that filter is not a HEPA filter and some will pass into the cabin.
Friday night i just removed one out of the 4 clips (2 broke today when i removed them all Saturday from being britle from being close to exhaust heatshield) and got to the three bolts of the strut on right (left in image), but i saw the dirt. Wiped as much as i could on top of that strut, it was much dirtier. That's what it takes, press with a small Philips on top center of the clips and the two nuts on windshield arms, to remove them. But that is a different story. For that i had to order a tool on Amazon (which BTW came in less that 24 hours), and even with that it was difficult, because only the driver of the windshield arm had splines. The arm itself was just instaled on the driver with conic shape and splines and the splines got indented on the arm. So it became stuck from the start. No chance to remove them without that tool without risking damage. It is true i took the panel (and ordered the tool) just to clean the dirt but now i saw i can get the top nut of the strut, the one i couldn't on the "bench" (kitchen floor that is), before even i remove the strut. Loosen it a bit that is. Cause there is no load on that nut when the vehicle doesn't move when the strut shaft moves up and down, right? Missing part on the air filter hole, most likely another grill that prevents stuff like leaves that pass the panel on the sides (so much for a "tight" design that alows air to get in the to the filter housing. I guess it was removed when they put in the dog food, didn't bother to put it back on). And yes, there is still bad smelling dog food yellow dust all over the engine compartment, after i cleaned with a brush, dry and wet, several times.

1:58 Took a Zyrtec and slept a lot. When i woke up my pain in the knee was so great i could barely move around. Watched a movie which i haven't done in years. Smoke came in, now the pain is gone but i'm afraid to do anything cause if the smoke is kratom, that is a pin killer and by moving could damage the knee even further. Went outside, stepped on mounds.

4:34 I done it. With the monster tool i bought online. That thing is heavy and strong but it did the job. 78 bucks, 450 lbs, though corded. Trouble with smoke again. Alternating cigarette smoke with kratom. I don't feel nothing but a small sore at the knee. Hope i'm going to be able to walk after this. And one trick. When Angela came briefly outside there was this Asian woman with a dog accross the alley who didn't pick and Angela went off, being under smoke influence, without realizing i was working on car too. I think it was all a provocation.
Done it. One of the most anticipated events in the last week. I reviews in my mind over and over how i'll do it.

Installed the strut on the car, camber changed more than 2 degrees, looks like is around specs, did a test drive, don't hear that terrible tire noise anymore. The spring compression screws which i got for 26 on bucks on Amazon work. However, there's a very little window of positioning those at least for these struts. It took me 3 attempts in as many hours to assemble the new strut with the spring but in the end i did it. No surprises with fittment on the car. I was telling Angela. If i went to a dealer here, the only ones who got a strut of similar quality with this one, would have cost me 400 parts and 300 labor for one side or at least 500 at Les Schwab with their own brands and i've done it with 92 from Amazon with Monroe. Could have bought the OEM ones on the same site i got the CV shafts for 280 but what if they crack again being the same as originals. Plus the satisfacation and assurance that i've done it right. Bonus was opening the can of worms that was under the panel (first picture). The one on the right, though cracked, is not that critical because is not so much out of alignment. Got two in the locker today, ordered two by mistake thinking they fit both sides but i don't think i will do it in the next few days or until my knee heals. No i was wrong. Last time when i saw a movie was at the end of the season of Expansy when i binged viewed them all. Needless to say. The next weekend i bumped into that actor, main character, Steven Strait. Did they restart with season VI or something?

December 03

6:25 The amount of smoke during last days but especially yesterday here in the apartment was incredible. I worked at the car for several hours and every time i was coming back inside i smelled it. Don't know what it was, most likely kratom. When i finished i got back in here and i knew we will not be able to sleep with that smoke then i checked in a place i haven't checked in a long time. Under the siding next to bedroom floor. All the area alongside concrete foundation under bedroom window was caved. I stepped on it, it remained like a small ditch. My suspicion for a long time is people are passing by with their dogs and stick something self burning (containing an oxygen releasing chemical like saltpeter) in the ground. Due to thermal flow around the building, the smoke is getting under siding and inside walls.

One of the the stupid things i've done yesterday. I had the car's wheel inside, and i accidentally released it on the stairs. I tried to grab it but started moving towards my neighbor's car and hit the front bumper, perpendicularly (given the direction of the stairs). It wasn't going that fast and i wasn't expecting any damage, but when i looked closer i saw exactly in the impact point an abrasion, that was done earlier, because it had horizontal grooves most likely by hitting a curb. I don't want to speculate on how they actually programed my brain to do this, but i know how they did it and sadly it's not the first time. If it would have happen if i wasn't on that whatever it's coming from the ground. No i don't think it would but that was only a factor.
As for my car. One of the problems is i got a -2 degrees camber misalignment on left or where the car was hit in the last accident. The strut is bent and cracked. The right strut is cracked as well, but the cracks in both struts are due to fatigue, not shock during accident. So i first ordered two on the right, by mistake, on a site, which are arriving tomorrow, and the one on the left on Amazon that came two days ago. Monroe. They are for Elantra SE not SEL but on different sites i found they are compatible. On the site i ordered first two they are theoretically 77 dollars + shiping, on Hyundai OEM sites they are listed between 150 and 280, for different part numbers that are actully compatible. I would expect here in Portland at the dealers they will be around 400 a piece, all with no spring. But i suspect they have a design problem that makes them prone to cracking. Which brings me to my failure yesterday of transfering the spring on the left strut because i could not take the nut on top (after succesfully compressing the string with a tool i ordered) because i didn't have an impact wrench. So i just put the bent strut back before i came in and dealt with the smoke. Here in t his image you can see how the strut is bent. 6:44 But before i gave up i went to O'Reilly's, Home Depot and Lowes searching for a tool to hold on the weird looking metal part that's under the top nut on the strut. It's got two indentations which i assume you could get with a tool resembling a fan clutch tool or a tool for a flange. I found both of them but not the right size. Impact wrenches work with inertia of the strut rod instead, no need to counter torque on a stationary part while trying to get the stuck nut at over 100 ft lbs. I don't know if electric impact wrenches are as good as pneumatics, especially the ones i can afford which run for about 50 bucks on Amazon, but i think i'll order one. When i went and especially when i came back i realized i'm high (which i still am after at least 6 hours being smoke free now) and i saw on the alley two Police SUVs. As i could not find a spot, i went back with the truck at Meridian, and came back walking and when i passed the first Police car (closest to intersection, worried sick because my car was sitting there on jacks laid on a side) the engine started by itself and then it stopped several seconds later. I thought is for refreshing the battery for having all the computers in there running, but i also believe it was what made me let the wheel going down on the stairs by itself. It has all been predicted, so they also made the dent on the bumper of my neighbor's car in the exact spot where the wheel hit it.

I remember when i was in high school, i think it was during the fall of 77 one of my roommates, the one who looked like Travolta, told me that the brain can be programmed in such ways that they could make you open a book at a certain page.

7:38 The way it happens, is it increases concentration gradually and actually don't feel it. I just went outside, there was heavy smoke around the building, looked and stepped on soft areas in known spots, from alley's curb to the bushes, all around  the building, the smoke started to subside, got used to cleaner air, when i got back inside it was then when i realized how much it was.

1:22 Just figured how it all started. A few days ago i wrote about smoke from an unknown source flooding  the whole area on December 1st. Smelling like wildfire smoke. While i couldn't figure where it came from, the smoke persisted the next days by turning into a very local, around this building only smoke, but now i was too high to realize. Earlier. A Niagara like sound started through the pipes. Could it be a shower, a washer.  Didn't happen in a while. Which means they are using that so rarely (guy upstairs is not home).

8:10 I was quietly reading the news and making comments in my mind when i heard this commotion upstairs, right on top of me, other then the "normal" squeaks that accompany every my move and thought, for hours at a time. Trying to imagine what it was. Jumping from a chair or the coach on the floor of a short but muscular guy. Scaring the hell out of me. Followed by yells. What is the guy pretending he's doing? It must be this title i was looking at, thinking of clicking on it. The truth is he keeps me on being mad for hours at the time. Can this be categorized as some type of torture? I bet it does but there's nobody here except me and them. "I'm the only real one among the hundreds of thousands of demented actors".

11:44 How many wolves in a pack?