Honda CRV Dipstick Problem

During my lunch break, I took my Wife's 2001 Honda CRV in for an oil change.

The guy pulled on the dipstick to check the oil level and out came the tube connecting to the Engine Block.

(you should of seen his Deer in the Headlights stare.)

After he scratched his head for a while, I told him to put the tube back in so at the least I could drive with a very minimal amount of oil loss. As the guy tried to do this he told me he thought it broke off and I would need a new tube and dip stick because it was all rusted. Hmmmm....yes rust was on the outside handle of the dipstick, but the tube base showed no rust or broken edges and neither did the dipstick. My speculation was that this part was press fitted, and the press finally gave way after 6 years and 190K Miles. Then I researched the net when I got back to work and found a thread explaining the same problem and the cost of having a dealer “Weld”. I wasn’t sure what “Weld” method was used but the price was $100.

I called the dealer and talked to service who said I could bring it in and they would do a JB Weld.

I called my Wife’s brother, Mikey, who is a certified John Deere Mechanic to see if he had this JB Weld. He did and I went to the farm after work and we fixed it. For the non-mechanics, which I am a JB Weld turns out to be epoxy from two tubes you mix together that can withstand high heat.

If you’re reading this and want to know the steps to fix this, read further…this should take no more then 1 hour. If you’ve done this before it will probably take 15 min. The cost of JB Weld is $8.00


STEPS TO REPAIR:-What I did in the evening so the Weld had time to bond (and what I found out the Honda Dealership would do as well) is purchase some JB Weld (tubes of epoxy you mix together) to bond the tube back in.
-Take off the plate guarding the block (4-10mm head screws)
-Clean the base of the tube so no oil would hinder the epoxy weld. I gave a generous dousing of Ether after removing the oil with a cloth.
-Clean the hole inside the engine block to remove oils. (Careful not to let debris fall in the Engine Block Hole.) I did give a short blast of ether at the hole.
-follow the directions on the JB Weld package and apply to tube.
-insert tube in hole. Lightly tap the top of the tube to make sure it is snug in the engine block hole.
-insert dip stick
-re-install guarding plate.

Mount Pleasant Winery

Kelli and I went to the annual Mount Pleasant Winery with her SLU friends. It was a good time as usual, minus being slightly chilly and a rainy day. Unfortunately, it’s all outdoors. There were two occasions to celebrate. Kelli’s friend Lisa’s 30th Birthday, and Kelli being able to finally partake in alcoholic beverages since giving birth.

While there two incidents happened. One a guy was cold cocked a couple times and dropped immediately to the pavement and bled everywhere. The cops chased the guy who threw the first and only punches tackling him and causing him to bleed every where as well. When the guy who was cold cocked came to, he evidently looked around at the blood on the ground and said "Hey, Who got beat up?" An ambulance took him away.

Towards the end of the wine day, a guy in our group pointed on a morning sports radio personality on the AM dial. It was Brian McKenna from 590AM The Fan. He was alone for a while just watching everyone, so I went over and said hi. We chatted for a while until his wife came and got him, but he struck me as surprisingly very nice. Maybe not surprising, but some people could get full of themselves if they reach any sort of celebrity status. He did not.

So when we go to leave my wife is no where to be found. It turned out she and some of other SLU friends were off talking to these guys throwing a football. Evidently, she was trying to talk the guys into getting together with one of her friends. Kelli’s efforts were futile. We finally get Kelli into the car to leave and had to pull over once when she thought she was going to yak. We got back to where we meet another couple to carpool and I got her back in our vehicle and headed for her parents to pick up Allie. Kelli, obviously passes out.

When I get to her parents, Kelli stirs and looks at me sort of squinting. I said "Hey, I’m going to run in and get Allie. Just stay here and relax." I run in get Allie, tell her mom Kelli’s just sleeping when she inquires why Kelli didn’t come in, load Allie up and head for home. Kelli then looks at me and said "When you said you were getting Allie, I was thinking wait,...how did I get in our vehicle. So how did I get in our vehicle?"

I’ll spare the details of the pump and dump efforts that ensued, but yep, my wife blacked out on her first return social drinking outing and sadly she probably had less then ¾ of a wine bottle.

Gone Hunting,…but not today.

My plan was to get to work early, so I could leave early and go Bow Hunting for the evening hunt. I get into Freeburg which was 10 miles from work and about 20 miles to where I was going. I’m on the phone with Kelli and as she’s telling me that Allie rolled over twice that afternoon, (at the age of 7 weeks), my vehicle starts sputtering like something is wrong with the gas.

Long story short I call Kelli’s dad, who towed my a couple driveways passed where my truck died to an automotive shop. They hooked up diagnostics but in the end they took out a mallet and banged on my fuel tank. Truck starts right away, and alas we have our culprit. I need a new fuel pump. Since it’s end of day Friday they wouldn’t be able to fix it until Monday, but was nice to let me know it would cost $760.


No hunting, and I now needed to wait for Kelli to pick me up, but Kelli’s dad did know how to numb the pain but doing some last minute odds and ends on their farm as we polished off a few beers. Her family rocks!

What was most odd about all of this, I didn’t get pissed once and stayed calm the entire time which is very unlike me.

Reagan Alyssa

My buddy Sam and his wife Jamie had their baby girl, Reagan Alyssa, on 03 October 2007 weighing 7lbs 0oz.

We went to see Reagan when she was a week old and it's amazing to see the difference between a week old and Allie at 6 weeks.


Salute!!! To our little girls!!!

We've got Smiles and Baths

Kelli captured Allie doing one of her post feeding smiles. Allie looks strange to me in this picture, but Kelli thinks it's adorable. Maybe I should put it to vote...


Later the same day we took a picture of Allie getting her first bath where she can sit in the water. In a prior post I showed her hating the bath. This was because she still had her belly button cord that couldn't get wet so we had to wash her outside the water and she inevitably got to cold. The belly button cord finally fell out, and Allie finally can lay in the water. Allie is totally relaxed now, and like her baths. Yeah!

Peter Pan Peanut Butter

It's Back!!

Peter Pan Peanut Butter has finally returned after the Salmonella Outbreak that took it off the shelves. Kelli came back from the store with a jar, and made me two sandwhich's. One for lunch and one for dinner between class.

The Smooth, Creamy taste of Peter Pan Peanut Butter is back in my mouth and that's all I care about. No more Jiff, none of the vegetarian peanut butter or whatever the heck that was that I had to mix the layer of fat in with the butter.

Yeah, I'm 2 years old and my wife makes me a sacked lunch....oh, well my lunches are back to normal.

Relleke Pumpkin Farm

Today, Kelli and I took Allie on her first Pumpkin Farm visit to visit the one and only Ms. Kelly Tracy who was painting face's and had some painted pumpkins for sale. Relleke is a great place to go to take kids with many activities to keep the entertained. Allie however is not to that point in her young life yet.

We didn't stay long, but long enough to buy some pumpkins and snap a few photographs. We especially had to get a picture of her outfit, in spirit of the upcoming Halloween Season.

The Hunt: 01

Deer hunting in the heat is not the best of plans. The way it works now is go when I can, not when I want. It's an insignificant drawbacks to having a family. Luckily Bow hunting lasts until end of December in Illinois so their will be many more opportunities, and I can write this trip off as a scouting trip.

7 a.m. It's 75F and muggy in October. In the woods, it's 72F, muggy and mosquito's are very abundant. I kept swatting them which moving around isn't good because deer will see you. I couldn't put spray on because their sense of smell is outstanding so I had nothing but dirt smell on which left welts on my neck, face, ears, and hands. At one time I had 8 mosquito's just on my legs. In fact, I feel like they are on my just typing this.

9 a.m. Forget about it, it's too hot, I probably saw 4 deer who all watched me twitching around.

Despite they aggravation it really is neat to see deer more through the woods, with little to no noise.

Mapmyrun.com

This is a new site that will help map runs. Great for mapping routes around the town you live or possibly the town you are going too. Check it out.