2000 jeep Cherokee 4.0. I just replaced my head gasket, radiator, and heater core. After this I had a low oil pressure at idle and a constant misfire on cylinder 5. I found that my brand new spark plug on cylinder 5 was bent so I replaced it and I replaced the oil pressure sending unit. The oil pressure was still low at idle so I replaced my oil pump and pickup. Now I have a tick that sounds like it could be a pushrod and the idle is low and often stalls. What can I do to diagnose and fix the issue? I have done all the mechanic work myself so far and would like to continue to do so if possible because I can't easily afford the high labor costs of a mechanic.
Edit: I get a check engine light sometimes after it stalls but it's hard to scan because it disappears fast. I was just able to scan it and I have a p0340 code

'02 Jeep WJ, 4.0 42RE, NV242
​
Just swapped the transmission on my Jeep, with a high mileage unit as it's the only one I can find locally. Got it finished up yesterday, and went for a quick test drive(1/4 miles). When I left the house, everything seemed fine, although the gas pedal seemed a bit hard to push(the TV cable seems too short, so may have something to do with that.) By the time I made it back to the house, it sound like it was skipping, or something inside the transmission is tapping on something. It does so in every gear selector location other than park.
​
Before installing it, I did have the trans oil pump out(relocating the vent), and the intermediate thrust washers got out of place, and crushed them. Swapped them out with the ones from the transmission I removed(measured thicknesses and they matched). Another issue I had was that the first time I was installing, the torque converter slide forward as I was manhandling the transmission into the engine, and I did try pulling it in with the bolts, before realizing the torque converter must be out of place. I pulled it back out, pulled the pump out again, and didn't see any damage, although the inner pump gear did seem to slide around inside the pump awful easy.
​
I've yet to start tearing it all back apart. I'm hoping it's just the pump gear cracked, but then, did I damage something deeper in as well? Or did the mangled thrust washers damage something down in that area?
​
Can't source another used transmission locally. My options are left at trying to fix this one, rebuild one of the other 2 I've got here, or buy one for $500, with basically no warranty off Ebay. I don't have the budget to have a shop do a rebuild. I'm also looking at finding a beater to get around in until I get this sorted out.

I’ll give a little detail for each:
1994 3.0 Manual 210,500 miles Pretty much all OEM/factory (Japan) original parts
1) EXHAUST: pretty bad shape, rusted, from from behind cat to tail pipe, including hangers. Loud and smelly.
2) SUSPENSION: Nothing broken or damaged, just all original factory with over 210K miles on it. Creaky at times and don’t feel comfortable taking it on any thing close to rough terrain including shitty roads.
3) POWER STEERING: slow leak. Just topping off once a month for now. Not sure if it’s pump or reservoir.
4) FUEL DELIVERY: Starts and runs, just not as smooth as one would like even for a 29 year old truck. Has more gas tank pressure build up than normal (new cap, EGR cleaned and tested). Weak start and low idle (500rpm) when starting up warm (haven’t found a vacuum leak yet, new spark, distributor cap and connections good.) Have not dropped tank for inspection.
5) A/C: previous owner removed it completely. So basically a full install. Should I even attempt or just take it to a shop? Time not an issue. This is my hobby side project. Even the frustrating things are fun for me. Oh, and I live in Florida.
6) TRANSMISSION: Just feels rough. Some difficulty shifting down to 2nd to take a turn, for instance. Gear oil recently replaced. Test of old oil revealed a high levels of metals and silicon, but I have no idea how long that gear oil was in there.
I know, a smart man would run for the hills, but if I know this community, y’all understand that I just love this old fella and enjoy working on him, even if it takes me forever and I spend all my allowance, lol.
Thank you in advance. Happy to answer any questions or post pics and video.

Hey guys, it is coming with a lot of delay, but here it is – the practical part of the complete amphetamine purification guide that I announced ages ago.
First, a few things upfront.
Due to time and space constraints, it is not possible for me to cover and list all potentially possible purification methods that exist.
Therefore, I have focused on the ones that, in my experience, make some sense. So, things like recrystallization from an alcoholic solvent are not included because, in my opinion, it is a complete waste of time when it comes to amphetamine.
Furthermore, when it comes to purifying an unknown mixture, the problem is that it is not possible to choose the simplest possible method, as it strongly depends on which impurities need to be separated.
Therefore, I can only advise everyone who consumes regularly/daily to spend some money and invest in the necessary equipment for liquid-liquid extraction/acid-base extraction, as it is the most effective method apart from distillation when you don't know which substances you want to separate.
Lastly, a note:
All the procedures mentioned here are based on the assumption that the amphetamine is in the form of sulfate, as it is the case in 99.99% of all instances.
Most of the procedures should also work with other salts, but that strongly depends on the specific salt.
If you are unsure, start with a small amount to test it. I hope I don't have to mention that I assume all the chemicals involved are acquired in the highest possible purity and should preferably be anhydrous to avoid losses.

"Washing" speed or purifying it through filtration.

I consider washing your speed to be the minimum you should always do for your own sake because, honestly, it requires almost no effort, and the costs for everything you need are minimal, so there's practically no reason not to do it.
The procedure itself theoretically works with a wide range of solvents, but in practice, 2.5 solvents have proven to be effective: acetone, dichloromethane/chloroform, and in some cases, isopropyl alcohol.
Washing primarily helps to remove synthesis residues, solvent residues, caffeine, and in the case of isopropyl alcohol, lactose. The principle is the same in any case: The solvent dissolves the corresponding impurities but not the amphetamine sulfate, and after mixing the speed with the solvent, the sulfate is separated from the solvent through filtration.
I would advise everyone to determine the amount of solvent based on the assumption that 100% of your speed consists of caffeine, that is, based on the solubility of caffeine in the respective solvent. Isopropyl alcohol is the least preferable option because it only dissolves 1g of caffeine per 100ml, so I would recommend using it only if lactose is also present.
Acetone is the best choice for small amounts because it is relatively safe to handle. Acetone dissolves 1g of caffeine per 50ml, so I would use 50ml of acetone per gram of speed.
Dichloromethane and chloroform are the best options, but since both substances have a certain level of toxicity, caution should be exercised when working with them. They dissolve 1 gram of caffeine with just 7ml. For washing purposes, I would simply use 10ml per gram of speed for simplicity. In general, it is also recommended to perform two or more washing cycles because a single cycle will never achieve the same efficiency.
The concept and execution are the same for all:
​
Required equipment:

• 2 glasses,
• a spoon,
• a coffee filter,
• and the solvent are all you need, in my opinion.

​
Execution:
Allow the speed to dry and then finely chop it. This will provide a more optimal surface area, making it easier to remove impurities.
Once that's done, take the speed and put it in one of the glasses.
Then pour the solvent into the glass and stir it with the spoon for a bit. Stir a bit longer, around 1-2 minutes.
Wait for another 5 minutes, then take the coffee filter and place it over the second glass like a funnel.
Once that's done, simply pour the contents of the first glass through the coffee filter into the second glass and wait for all the solvent to drain through the filter.
The amphetamine sulfate will still be in the coffee filter since it doesn't dissolve and can be scraped together after tearing or cutting open the filter.
Once the powder no longer has any odor, it can be consumed.

Purification through fractional recrystallization:

This method is based on the principle that when a mixture of substances dissolved in hot water is cooled, the substances that are less soluble in water compared to the other substances precipitate first. This is particularly true for caffeine, which is almost always present in speed, but certain sugar alcohols and substances like creatine can also be effectively separated using this method, which cannot be achieved through, for example, an acetone wash.
For example, caffeine is 33 times more soluble in boiling water compared to its solubility in water at room temperature, while the solubility of amphetamine sulfate only changes by a factor of 7.
To remove synthesis byproducts, it is still advisable to wash your speed first. However, this is not a prerequisite.
​
Required equipment:

• A Kettle or a pot,
• A Coffee filter,
• 2x beakers/glasses,
• A Pasteur pipette 5ml (optional),
• A Glass rod or spoon for stirring

​
Required chemicals:

• Distilled water

​
Procedure:
First, the distilled water needs to be heated to boiling. The easiest way to do this is with a kettle, but a stovetop and pot will also work if necessary.
While the water is slowly coming to a boil, fill a beake glass with the (previously dried and finely chopped) speed. Then, drop by drop and while stirring, add hot water until everything is dissolved.
As a rough guideline, you can estimate that approximately 4ml of water will be required, but this may vary slightly.
Next, let it cool to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, place the coffee filter over the second glass. After the 2-hour period, the caffeine should be clearly visible as cotton-like needles in the beaker glass from the refrigerator.
Pour the contents troughthe coffee filter, collecting the filtrate in the second beaker glass.
What remains in the filter is the caffeine, while the amphetamine salt is now in the second beaker / glass. Transfer its contents onto the plate and allow the water to evaporate.
Once the water has evaporated, the residue only needs to be scraped together and is ready for consumption. Alternatively, it can be directly filled into a nasal spray.
​

Liquid-Liquid Extraction/Acid-Base Extraction

This method is not suitable for casual consumers as it involves a more complex procedure and requires some equipment and chemicals investment. However, most of the costs are one-time purchases, so they won't be incurred in subsequent runs.
This is the method I would personally recommend to regular consumers as it is significantly more effective than others, second only to distillation. However, this method involves working with potentially hazardous substances such as concentrated sulfuric acid, concentrated sodium hydroxide, and others. While handling them safely is possible, there is a potential risk involved.
The method combines the concept of liquid-liquid extraction with the acid-base salt concept, which ultimately achieves significant effectiveness.
Liquid-liquid extraction is a classic separation method in organic chemistry commonly used for processing reaction mixtures. It utilizes the differential solubility of substances in two immiscible solvents (e.g., watedichloromethane). According to the Nernst distribution law, different substances will ultimately accumulate in the solvent in which they are more soluble.
Subsequently, the amphetamine base is released from the amphetamine salt, causing a drastic change in solubility. This allows for the extraction of the amphetamine base and separation of all substances that do not undergo this salt/base transition, including water-soluble and less water-soluble compounds.
During the practical implementation, there are a few aspects that may vary depending on the choice of solvent, among other factors. Therefore, it is advisable for everyone to understand and internalize the information provided before carrying out the practical procedure. Link to reference/04%3A_Extraction/4.06%3A_Step-by-Step_Procedures_For_Extractions)
Required Equipment:

• One set of (6+) beakers (250ml - 500ml)
• 1 separatory funnel with stopper (250ml-500ml)
• 1 stand to hold the separatory funnel (1 stand base, 1 stand rod, 1 stand clamp or ring)
• 1 glass rod
• 1 scale
• 1 pH indicator paper
• 1 glass pipette

Chemicals:

• Distilled water
• Acetone
• Alcohol-based solvent (such as isopropanol), preferably 99.5% or higher
• Sulfuric acid (as concentrated as possible; if concentrated sulfuric acid is not available for purchase, you can concentrate it yourself Link)
• A non-water-soluble, relatively nonpolar solvent (I recommend DCM)

I will explain the practical procedure using dichloromethane (DCM) as it has a convenient density for the process, is highly effective for caffeine, and evaporates rapidly.
Practical Procedure:
Personal protective equipment (goggles, lab coat or apron) should be worn at all times. It is recommended to wear a pair of nitrile disposable gloves with a pair of latex disposable gloves over them. If any chemical contacts the gloves, immediately remove them, wash your hands, and put on a fresh pair. This precaution will help prevent any chemical burns. Always wear protective goggles to safeguard your eyesight when working with any chemicals.
​

1. Wash the speed with acetone.

​

1. Purity the amphetamine sulfate by "shaking it out".

First, the amphetamine is naturally purified as a salt. Dissolve the speed in sufficient water and add the corresponding nonpolar solvent to the separatory funnel.
The ratio of water to organic solvent should be roughly 2:1 in terms of volume. Each phase separation should be given approximately 30 minutes. The amphetamine salt will be present in the aqueous phase, which, in the case of DCM/water, would be the upper phase, while the nonpolar impurities would be in the organic phase at the bottom of the separatory funnel. The extraction should be performed three times, meaning that after each phase separation, the organic solvent is drained into a separate beaker, and fresh organic solvent is added. Once that is done, drain the water+speed solution into another beaker and clean the separatory funnel.
​

1. Preparation of sodium hydroxide solution.

To release the base, sodium hydroxide solution is required. Start by adding 10ml of distilled water to a 100ml beaker. Weigh out 7g of sodium hydroxide and add it slowly (with pauses) to the beaker containing the distilled water in small portions, stirring with a glass rod (Caution! The solution reacts exothermically, meaning it becomes hot!). Once all the sodium hydroxide has been added, set it aside and let it cool.
​

1. Releasing the amphetamine base.

Clean the separatory funnel with distilled water and acetone, then refill it with the amphetamine sulfate/water solution.
Slowly add the sodium hydroxide solution in small portions, following the instructions provided in the link. Shake while venting the funnel and repeat this process until small oily droplets form on the surface.
Caution! This process is also exothermic!
Then, using a pipette, take a sample from the lower aqueous phase and test if the pH value is strongly alkaline (pH >= 13).
If that's the case, close the separatory funnel with the stopper and wait for the solution to cool.
​

1. Extracting the amphetamine base.

After a short waiting period, add the organic solvent in an initial ratio of 1:2 (organic solvent) to (water). Shake vigorously, let it settle, and then drain the organic solvent+base mixture into a beaker.
Note that in the case of DCM, the base will be in the lower phase since DCM has a lower density than water. In other solvents, it may be different.
Then add the same amount of organic solvent again. Shake, let it settle, etc., and drain the organic solvent into the same beaker again.
Repeat this process for three extractions without adding new water. Once that is done, drain the water into a separate beaker as well.
​

1. Drying the amphetamine base.

First, dry the solvent+base mixture by using anhydrous potassium carbonate or molecular sieve A3, and separate the drying agent as in the washing step trough filtration.
Allow the organic solvent to evaporate.
The base is not as volatile as one might think, so depending on the solvent, you can apply some heat if necessary.
​

1. Formation of amphetamine sulfate.

Once the base is dried and the solvent is evaporated, the salt is formed.
Dissolve the amphetamine base in the alcoholic solvent in a beaker.
The base-to-solvent ratio can be about 1:10. Stir the mixture with the glass rod and then prepare the sulfuric acid. It is recommended to dilute the sulfuric acid for this step, possibly to 20% or lower.
Dilute it in the alcoholic solvent and not in water because water could dissolve the salt, resulting in lower yields compared to diluting sulfuric acid in an alcoholic solvent.
Pour the diluted sulfuric acid into a pipette and slowly add it drop by drop to the base-alcohol mixture while stirring.
Take your time and don't rush. Regularly and frequently monitor the pH during the addition, ideally after every few drops.
Once the pH reaches around 8-7, stop adding acid.
​

1. Washing the formed sulfate.

Afterward, filter the mixture and rinse the sulfate in the filter cake with acetone.
​
That's it! You have completed the process.
General notes:
Please note that without knowing the exact purities, we cannot work with stoichiometry. Therefore, we will rely on the pH value for approximate measurements. However, there are rough estimates for the amounts needed per gram of speed.
For every mole of amphetamine sulfate, you would need approximately 2 moles of sodium hydroxide. This translates to around 3.09 ml of a 1.75 molar sodium hydroxide solution per 10 grams of amphetamine sulfate.
During neutralization, we would require approximately 1 mole of sulfuric acid for 2 moles of amphetamine base. This amounts to about 2.8 grams of sulfuric acid per 10 grams of amphetamine. It is advisable to dilute the sulfuric acid to around 20/25%. This makes it more manageable, but you will need to dilute it yourself.
Commercially available sulfuric acid is sold as a solution in water, and the higher the water content, the lower the yield you will obtain. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase sulfuric acid with a relatively low percentage, concentrate it, dissolve it in isopropanol, and then use it.
Additionally, familiarize yourself with the entire process, including practical execution, by referring to internship papers from universities, which are intended for their students, for example.
Pay attention to details such as regular pressure release, as they are crucial.
Theoretically, you can also carry out the neutralization directly in acetone.
This would eliminate the need for an additional alcoholic solvent. I had this in mind because 1L of 99.5% isopropanol costs me less than two euros, while acetone costs about six times as much.
Regarding the polarity of the alcoholic solvent, I would not recommend going higher than methanol. In methanol, the sulfate would be soluble, even if only to a minimal extent.
Do not worry about exposing the base to certain temperatures or leaving it exposed to air for a while. Significant evaporation should not be a concern unless the temperature exceeds 60-80 degrees Celsius.
It is possible to use other acids instead of sulfuric acid if, for example, phosphoric acid is more affordable. Phosphoric acid is also easier to handle. The pH of the solution would be only slightly different in the end. Please conduct further research on this topic.
Please ensure that you are mentally coherent during the process. Avoid attempting the procedure after several sleepless nights, for example. While the overall procedure is not difficult to complete without incidents, if you forget to release the pressure from the separation funnel due to lack of sleep and it explodes in your hand or you get splashed with highly concentrated sulfuric acid, you will encounter significant problems.
Finally, consider how to handle the waste products. Most of them can either be evaporated or disposed down the drain, such as sodium hydroxide. However, do not attempt to dispose of sulfuric acid in this manner.

Steam Distillation:

This method is only suitable for people who really want to achieve maximum purity and are willing to invest a significant amount of money and engage in safe practices in organic chemistry.
Steam distillation is a special form of azeotropic distillation.
Simply put, volatile compounds that are steam-volatile add their own vapor pressure to the vapor pressure of water. These compounds distill along with water when the sum of their vapor pressures reaches atmospheric pressure.
In other words, the distilling water "carries" certain substances with it, allowing them to distill below their actual boiling point and separate them from a mixture. The method is very gentle on the substances and highly selective, as only a few substances are steam-volatile. Amphetamine is one of these substances.
To perform this method, you will need specific equipment and ideally have experience with laboratory work. It's important to know what you are doing to avoid compromising your yield or, worse, encountering significant problems.
Assuming you have already liberated the amphetamine base and have it solvent-free, either through the method mentioned above or by some other means, it is essential to familiarize yourself with safe distillation practices beforehand. You can refer to resources like Chapter 19 here.
Required Equipment:

• 1x Three-necked distillation flask with ground glass joints (NS 24/29)
• Multiple ground glass caps and stoppers (NS 24/29)
• 1x Liebig condenser with ground glass joint (NS 24/29)
• 1x Distillation head with vertical side arm, 2 NS 29/32 cores, 1 NS 14/23 socket
• 1x Distillation thermometer NS 14/23
• 1x Magnetic stirrer with heating plate or heating mantle,
• 1x heating plate
• Multiple hoses with matching ground glass connectors (NS 24/29)
• At least two stands with clamps
• 2x Three-necked flask as a steam kettle with a capacity according to requirements (ground glass joint 24/29)
• 1x Two-necked flasks as collection vessels for the distilled amphetamine (ground glass joint 24/29)

​
Assembly of the distillation apparatus:
First, place the stand on a stable surface and secure it with clamps.
Next, securely attach the three-necked distillation flask to the stand and place it on the magnetic stirrer with heating plate.
Make sure the flask is stable and upright, without wobbling.
Initially, attach the ground glass caps (NS 24/29) and stoppers (NS 24/29) to the necks of the distillation flask.
For the "steam kettle," use a second three-necked flask with ground glass joints (NS 24/29).
Seal the middle, long neck with a stopper and place a riser tube on the inlet neck of the flask for added safety.
Secure the "steam kettle" with a stand to ensure its stability.
Connect the outlet of the steam kettle to the inlet neck of the three-necked distillation flask (NS 24/29) using a hose and a suitable ground glass connector (NS 24/29).
Next, connect the ground glass outlet (NS 24/29) of the distillation flask to the ground glass inlet (NS 24/29) of the Liebig condenser using a distillation head with vertical side arm, 2 NS 29/32 cores, 1 NS 14/23 socket.
Align the condenser so that the upper part (inlet) of the condenser is positioned above the distillation flask, and the lower part points towards the collection vessel.
Attach a distillation thermometer with NS 14/23 joint to the socket of the distillation head. The length of this thermometer should correspond to your specific requirements, meaning it should only measure the temperature of the gas phase and not dip into the liquid.
Check that all connections are tight and stable. Finally, connect the lower end of the Liebig condenser to another two-necked flask with a ground glass joint (NS 24/29) using an appropriate connector.
Insert the connector into the inlet neck of the two-necked flask.
This two-necked flask serves as a collection container for the distillate and should also be secured by a stand.
It should have two necks because a screw valve with ground glass joint 24/29 is screwed into the remaining free neck.
This valve allows the release of any pressure if necessary.
Once everything is set up, perform a test run and distill a certain amount of water as a trial. If everything is sealed, stable, and without any issues, you can proceed. Otherwise, disassemble everything and reassemble it carefully.
​
Practical procedure:
First, add approximately five to ten times the volume of water compared to the corresponding amount of amphetamine, along with boiling stones, into the steam kettle and seal it tightly with a stopper.
Then, add the amphetamine base into the distillation flask and seal it tightly with a stopper as well.
Now, heat both the steam kettle and the distillation flask to 100 degrees Celsius, but stir the contents of the distillation flask gently.
Carefully monitor the distillation process.
The hot water in the steam kettle will act as carrier steam, vaporizing the amphetamine. The distilled amphetamine condenses in the Liebig condenser together with the water vapor and flows into the collection vessel.
Pay close attention to the temperature of the water vapor during the process. While the distillation process is in progress, the temperature will fluctuate and may not stabilize at a constant 100 degrees Celsius. Once the distillation process is complete, the temperature of the water vapor will stabilize and settle at 100 degrees Celsius.
At this point, you can stop the distillation process and separate the distilled amphetamine base from the water using liquid-liquid extraction.
Important: First, remove the steam inlet connection from the distillation flask! If you don't do this first and instead turn off the heat sources, a vacuum will be created in the steam kettle as the cooling water vapor condenses. If the inlet connection dips into the solution, the entire contents of the distillation flask will be sucked into the kettle.
Additional Notes:
The distillation flask should be filled to a maximum of two-thirds of its capacity at the beginning of distillation, which should be considered when purchasing the flask.
The steam kettle should have a volume several times greater than the volume of amphetamine because, in case of any unforeseen circumstances, you may need significantly more water than amphetamine.
The uniform heating of the steam kettle is not critical, but remember to include boiling stones. However, it is crucial to ensure even heating of the amphetamine.
An oil bath would be ideal as a heat source, but a magnetic stirrer with a heating plate will also suffice.

Long story short: about to be installing my fifth oil filter housing assembly in eight months.
The Jeep: 2016 RHD JK with 100k+ miles, used for mail delivery that I've owned for four years. Using Mobil 1 5W-20 High Mileage Synthetic before the new engine which has had whatever Mopar oil the dealership put in. Also, I do use a torque wrench to tighten the filter to 18 ft. lbs. at every oil change, which I've been doing around every 3,000 miles because of the intense use.
I came home one day in October 2022 and noticed something that caught my eye on the garage floor underneath my Jeep. I looked and there was oil running underneath my Jeep on the backside of the oil pan and along where the inspection plugs are at on the bell housing, and had the transmission pan covered. I looked in the engine bay and I could tell the valve cover gaskets were wet (this will become somewhat relevant later). I checked the dipstick and noticed I was down a half-quart of oil. I got in touch with a local shop that has a good rep within my small community and the mechanic said it wasn't my valve covers, that I had an oil filter housing leak that was just running along the valve cover. I wanted him to do the work because I wasn't super-eager about reassembling the intake and I needed new spark plugs anyways (this will also come back later), so that overlaps well enough. It took him a month to get around to it, I drove my backup a lot in the meantime, and the bill for spark plugs and the oil filter ended up being $660. That's how I got Oil Filter Housing #2.
But the Jeep kept leaking oil.
I took it back to the local mechanic the next chance I got, a couple of weeks later. He said he'd look at it that day, I guess he did, and assured me it was probably old oil that was still stuck along the way. I was skeptical; after probably fifty hours of use, any old oil should have run off or burned off a bit ago. The Jeep keeps on leaking oil, even after I do an oil change. I take it back and the local mechanic pours some dye in and tells me to come back in a day and he will look and see if it's still leaking fresh oil. Local mechanic finds that it is and he reinstalls the oil filter housing, free of charge to me.
We had a wet and icy winter in the central US that kept the garage floor and the bell housing and the transmission pan cleaned off so I didn't notice a lot of oil getting on the floor but I did have to keep the Jeep topped off, losing a quart about every 1500 miles. I'm figuring that's not super unusual for a Pentastar with 100k+ on the clock and I'm busy and don't have time to have the Jeep laid up in the weather that I bought it for. When spring comes around I start to notice the leak again. At this point I'm starting to suspect a rear main seal more than oil filter housing but the inspection holes are still dry.
One weekend in March, I did an oil change on a Sunday afternoon. The next day (Monday, the perfect day of the week for this to happen), I'm heading out to load my Jeep and I notice a gigantic puddle of something underneath my Jeep. It looks to me like the front crankshaft seal just pissed itself. I feel the puddle and the liquid is slick, like oil. It's also barely above 32F outside, and all the liquid I can see is running underneath the crankshaft pulley. Oil stick still looks OK though. I panic drive the Jeep back home and get it in the garage, put a mat under it, get my backup and do my route. I try to get a local shop (the one I went to before or any others within ten miles, which is about as far as I estimate it can go) to see if they can get my Jeep in but they refuse to take it because they are too busy. I call a Jeep dealership a couple of towns over that has a good reputation (as opposed to the one a town over, but owned by the same company, that doesn't) and have it towed there. I tell them about the immediate problem and the oil leak I've been having. The service advisor, who I have to say is one of the better ones I've ever worked with on anything, calls me back and tell me that it wasn't the crank seal, it was the water pump. They also noticed I had some rocker arms going bad. I tell them that I had noticed that too (I had always heard that Jeep dealerships wouldn't look at rockers until a check engine light came on otherwise I'd have taken care of this a year or two ago) and that they would replace those. The oil leak looked to be coming out of the oil filter housing and the valve covers (the same thing I thought six months ago). To skip ahead through a couple of phone calls, the rockers on the left bank of the Pentastar were also bad and a cam over there was damaged. I could have all of that repaired for $5300 or just install a reman engine + the oil filter housing for around $8k, which would include a three year, 100k mile parts & labor warranty. After thinking about what else could continue going wrong, I ended up telling them to put a reman in. I get over to the dealership to pick up my Jeep after it's all said and done and the SA says "Oh, we had to put new spark plugs in, the old ones were junk and weren't really for that vehicle." My opinion of the trusted local mechanic really has gone downhill but I'm thrilled to have all of their bullshit behind me. That's the story of how I got Oil Filter Housing #3.
Things are going fine with the Jeep, not hearing any crazy noises, but it does occur to me to check the oil after about 1,000 miles. I check and it's about a half-quart low. My eyebrows are raised but I think, "well maybe the dealership only put 5.5 quarts in." I top it off with some Mobil 1 I had around, and continue on as normal. After about 2600 miles on the new motor, I decide to check it again and the oil level is barely registering on the dipstick. I look underneath the Jeep and the back of the pan and the bell housing are all covered with oil again (nothing's on the transmission pan, curiously enough). I look up top and I can see oil coming out below where the filter is (which I haven't even touched on this engine). I top off the Jeep (with Mobil 1 again, which I thought about but that didn't make the Jeep oil level low to start with), call the dealership, and they conclude that it is oil filter housing and they replace the oil filter housing and change the oil, all under warranty and it didn't cost me a dime. That's Oil Filter Housing #4.
I got my Jeep back Wednesday of last week. Besides driving it home, I drove my backup vehicle on Thursday and drove the Jeep on the route on Friday & Saturday (yesterday). There's an empty church parking lot I usually stop at and re-sort and reorganize my parcels in. I decided to have a peek underneath just to check things out and sure enough, right on the bottom side of the bell housing once again. I'm going to be calling the dealership back first chance I get this week, so I guess this will be Oil Filter Housing #5.
So that's the full background.
My question is, are there any other causes for this besides just coincidentally bad workmanship spread across multiple mechanics and companies, or have Mopar parts quality just gotten this bad? Is there anything I can bring up to the Jeep SA that might be making these oil filter housing assemblies fail? I'm completely out of ideas here.

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Here are the adaptations in question. Most of these are focused on allowing them to withstand exposure to hard vacuum without immediately dying. They're not meant to live full-time in space. Their living quarters will be within the pressurized sections of spaceships and space stations. But they do need to be able to venture out into unpressurized sections and perform extravehicular activities with only relatively simple and cheap equipment.
Keep in mind that these GMO humans are designed conservatively. They're meant to be as close to baseline as they can be. This restriction is important. As such, most adaptations will try to work off of existing aspects of human biology. Others still might be transplanted over from our mammalian relatives.

1. Adaptations for handling pressure:

Seeing as the minimum pressure needed to maintain liquid water at body temperature is only 0.06 ATM, and therefore significantly lower than normal human blood pressure, this is actually not as big of a deal as you might think.
The human body is already strong enough not to explode in a vacuum. That said, we can help it along a bit by increasing the natural elastic tension on the skin and connective tissues a little bit and ensuring said elasticity doesn't degrade with age. Basically, we give them the genes for good, strong, and healthy, but otherwise normal skin.
More of a concern is decompression sickness. Being in a pressurized atmosphere and suddenly finding yourself in a vacuum could cause nitrogen bubbles to form in the body. Rapid depressurization may also cause other forms of barotrauma, such as damaged lungs and eardrums.
Diving mammals deal with extreme pressures and decompression all the time, and in fact, they deal with pressure differences far larger than what you'd deal with going from 1 ATM to 0. Whatever adaptations they have would be very useful to implant in spacefaring humans. However, I haven't been able to find out what exactly these adaptations are, so for now, this is a work-in-progress.

1. Adaptations for handling desiccation:

If you put meat in a vacuum chamber, it'll begin to dry out quite quickly. This is because water evaporates spontaneously at any temperature in a vacuum. Any water that diffuses towards the surface of the meat will evaporate immediately and be lost. To stop this, you need to coat the meat in a watertight barrier. Fortunately, evolution has already come up with pathways for achieving just that.
Most land creatures possess a thin layer of compacted dead cells, keratin, and oil covering their skin. Mucus membranes, despite being often kept wet by secretions, also possess a water-resistant epithelium of dead cells and keratin.
By thickening and strengthening these, we can ensure water stays trapped in the body in spite of the dehydrating environment of a hard vacuum. Note that both the epidermis in the skin and the epitheliums of mucus membranes are incredibly thin, so a "significant increase" to their thickness would likely hardly be noticeable, except upon close inspection.
The eyes, though, require some special attention. Just as any mucus membrane, their epithelium will be thickened and keratinized further, but just that won't be enough. The eyes also need lubrication, and water won't work for that in a vacuum. Long-chain oils such as lipids, though, are a very promising alternative.
The human eye already produces oily lipid tears through the meibomian glands, but only enough to form a thin film over the eye to reduce the evaporation of watery tears. We would need to increase the production of these lipid tears so that there is a sufficient volume of them to act as a lubricant, which altogether shouldn't be too difficult.

1. Adaptations for handling lack of oxygen:

Hypoxia is the main threat when dealing with hard vacuum exposure, so addressing it is a big priority.
We want to reduce the rate at which the body consumes oxygen, which means taking full advantage of the mammalian dive reflex. We also want to increase the ability to hold oxygen in the body, which means having more hemoglobin in the blood and more myoglobin in the muscles. Having a larger spleen and perhaps many accessory spleens may help with the blood issue.
These adaptations I just described are often found - to a limited extent - in exceptionally good human divers, but they’re taken to the extreme is in diving mammals, like cetaceans. Whales can have up to 14 spleens, and the myoglobin proteins in their muscles are slightly modified so that they can be packed in large concentrations without spontaneously coagulating. This, combined with their dive reflex, allows some whale species to go for hours without breathing.

1. Adaptations for dealing with radiation:

This one is gonna be a bit difficult. There is no mammal that is naturally resistant to radiation, and I can't really think of anything in the human body that, with some creative engineering, could be fashioned into a mechanism for preventing or fixing radiation damage.
The closest thing to that would be melanin, but that only protects against UV rays. Not to say that melanin wouldn't be helpful, in fact, we would ideally want quite a lot of it in our GMO humans to protect them against the sun's harsh unfiltered UV rays, but it won't cut it for more powerful forms of ionizing radiation.
There is, however, one small rodent mammal that is highly resistant to cancer and aging. I am, of course, talking about the naked mole rat - the only mammal that exhibits negligible senescence. Increased likelihood of cancer and rapid aging are some of the two main dangers of long-term radiation exposure, so bringing whatever anti-cancer and anti-aging mechanisms the naked mole rat possesses over to humans would be very helpful for our purposes of creating GMO astronauts. This is a long shot, but rodents are genetically close to humans, so who knows, that might just work.

1. Adaptations for moving about in 0G:

Since we're deliberately trying to stay close to baseline humans here, we're unfortunately not going to be able to tap into some of the more optimized body plans for 0G.
That said, we can strike a very good compromise between our two competing requirements if we make one simple but very important change to the human body plan: bring back, through genetic atavism, our opposable big toe. Doing so gives us a more monkey-like body plan. Monkeys evolved to navigate through the complex three-dimensional environment of a tree canopy and so wouldn't have much trouble navigating ladders and handholds in a 0G environment.
This should be it, for now. Again, this is a very early draft, fresh out of brainstorming, and I'm seeking critique here, so feel free to suggest more ideas, and if any of the ideas I showed here aren't very plausible or don't really make much sense, please let me know so I can change or scrap them.

hey reddit trades fam! Questions for automotive folx..
On a whim I purchased a large tool cart at a yard sale - it was FULL of tools and looked to be mostly automotive tools. Exactly what I wanted. But there's a few things I'm either having a hard time identifying OR I just don't know if I should keep or get rid of. I'm new to the trade so I want to have everything important, but it would suck to get rid of stuff that might serve me down the road or be expensive to replace.
Items included and I'm unsure if I should keep:

• steering wheel puller
• imperial 45 degree flaring tool (also no idea what that is?! Do I need it?)
• fuel pump vacuum + pressure tester gauge
• oil filter wrench (fairly heavy duty)
• piston ring compressor tool
• multi tool - unsure what this is for. See pic.
• Kastar tool - also unsure. See pic. I thought maybe it was for measuring brake pads, as each tab has a measurement on it, but they all are identical in size when stacked??
• ratchet drive handles (see pic)

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

I was going to be late. I was on the verge of panic, uncertain of where I’d come from or why I was late, but I was going to be late.
Today was supposed to be different. I was sure of it. The start of something new. My only opportunity to move out of my little dead-end corner of Appalachia rested on me arriving for the night shift on time.
I sped over the rolling road in a panic. Dense old growth rushed past in a blur periodically broken by small plots of pasture, apple orchards and fields that a few months earlier were brimming with corn. Shadows danced out there in the dim moonlight and the closer I got to the airfield the more separated from the small outlying town I felt.
My steering wheel was cold and it vibrated wildly in rhythm with my heart. I tapped it impatiently.
The rusted hulk nearly left the road each time I crested a hillock. My suspension groaned under the salt spurred corrosion and strain.
I can get a new car if this all works out.
I nearly missed my turn. Fishtailing, I plodded off the main road onto an aptly named “Airport Drive”.
I came to a halt at the designated stall and turned the car off.
A minute to spare.
I looked out into the darkness beyond the parking area and a tingle ran down my spine. The shadows that were once dancing as I passed were still now and the air oppressive. My hands were tingled with cold yet brimmed with sweat. Before opening the door, I took a few deep breaths, flattened my hair, and made sure my uniform was sharp. Looking into my image in the rearview mirror I cleared my throat.
“Alright buddy. You’ve been drifting from service job to service job in this dying county for half a decade. Somethings got to change. *You’ve* got to change. You’ve got a daughter now, you can’t be out there chasing bar weasels and getting drunk every other night. It’s time to up your game. You aren’t the little boy who had to stand in the corner with his nose to the wall every time you messed up anymore. Now your choices matter for her life too. The pay and experience here are going to help springboard you off into something bigger and brighter. You can do this.”
My car door shrieked open causing the chirping and croaks in the forest around the airfield to briefly fall silent. The crunch of gravel followed me across the unpaved, unmarked parking spaces poorly illuminated by one lonely floodlight. I made my way to the entrance of the terminal and pulled open the door to the chime of an old brass bell.
“Oh, hey buddy.” He glanced at the clock. “You’re early.” Stepping into the room I saw Gus casually looking up from his crossword, bifocals resting on his fat, bright red nose.
“Yessir. I figured maybe if things weren’t too busy we could get started early. I’ve heard night shift can be a lot to take in.”
His brows furrowed and his mouth hung half open.
“Well….alright, I guess. But we’ll be easing you in. Just the basics for the first week.” He held up a finger, “Will and I are gonna rotate each night, until we know you’ve got the hang of it, then we’ll start giving you more responsibilities – if you’re up to it.”
We spent several hours on the night shift responsibilities for the airfield. Many of the duties weren’t too complicated. When we went to the control room at the base of the single tower overlooking the tarmac we flipped several very clearly marked switches turning the runway lights on and off. Then we walked over the several generators tucked away behind baggage claim to check their fuel and oil levels.
“Checking these emergency generators things each night seems a bit overkill, no?” I asked.
Gus smiled. “These aren’t for emergencies. This is our power. Yea, this past winter much to our surprise we found that some of the power poles came down. Some heavy rainfall right before the first snow turned the ground to soup and the just sort of…fell over.”
“They really shouldn’t do that.”
Gus shrugged. “Yea well, corners get cut all over the place. Damn things still aren’t back up, so here we are.”
As we walked back over to the portables for baggage claim and arrivals/departures. Another tingle ran down my spine. Instinctively I looked around and caught sight of something out in the dark. It was the feeling of being watched. I tried to focus my eyes on the darkness. I saw some gently pulsating shadows near the trees but nothing more.
The chirping and croaks were nowhere to be heard and I shivered.
“Come on kid, I ain’t got all night.”
I came to and trotted over to where Gus had stopped. “Sorry, I thought I saw…something.”
We continued onward, restocking the restrooms, went over baggage tagging and safe lifting procedures and the other mundane parts of preparing for the night’s departures and arrivals.
Finally, we wrapped up my first training session with perimeter checks.
Gus’ labored breathing alternated with his footfalls on the blacktop as we walked down the small runway.
“Every 3 hours you are going to be making this walk.” He gestured around. “You start over at the ATC tower and head out to the tree line, then follow that parallel to the tarmac until you pass the last of the landing lights and keep going until you hit the transmission shack. Don’t get distracted and go off following the transmission lines. Had a guy do that a year or two ago and it took us a week only to find his ass mumbling by the side of the road talking about the linemen – boy wasn’t right after that.”
He paused thoughtfully for a moment.
“Anywho, after the transmission shack you hook right following the shore of the river until you hit Eddie’s orchard then head back. You’ll pass his cornfield and follow that until you see the two terminal portables, then you check the parking lot and come back to the office to enter it all in the logbook. Just need to make sure there ain’t nothing out there that shouldn’t be.”
We continued walking in silence for a few minutes. “So what do I do if I find something? Are we looking for the Wilson boys or something? I thought they stopped causing trouble after you…”
“Well, you need to enter it in the logbook for one.”
“Bears? What do I do if it’s bears?”
He stopped. “Bears? What the hell are you rambling about? We don’t get bears this time of year. Oh, and be sure to bring your bear spray.”
“Even though there aren’t bears?”
“It’s under the counter next to the logbook.” He paused again. “If you see any wildlife, just take the truck out there and honk at it to get it away from the runway. Be sure to use your high beams, too. Very important. You see any people you get back to the office and call the Sheriff – don’t need to be a hero. You hear anything weird out there in the dark you leave it be, if it’s off property it’s not our problem.”
“Any questions?” he asked as we got back to the office.
A few.
“No, I’m good.”
“Great, Will’s in the control tower if anything comes up. No flights scheduled for tonight so it should be awfully quiet. Here’s the keys to the castle. Adios.”
He placed a massive key ring into my hand that had more keys than there were doors on the property and took off.
I sat down behind the counter, looked at the broken clock and sighed.
I was able to knock out the task list before midnight and had 6 more hours to kill before the end of my shift. There was no cell service, because of course not. I tried reading an old Town and Country magazine I found stashed under the desk and found most of the pages had been covered in circles and doodles by someone who must have been just as bored as I was on some unknown shift prior.
I decided to sweep up and clean the counters to keep myself busy and after I was done it was only 12:15.
I groaned.
The silence was oppressive. Outside the window was an empty, dark expanse with a slowly strobing series of red lights marking the flight line. I felt safer indoors but even then as I stared into the dark something felt off. If I turned my gaze from the windows I could see something out of the corner of my eyes. Branches swaying in the breeze.
There was no wind here.
12:34.
I pulled the logbook out from its shelf and placed it on the counter entering my start time, grabbed my flashlight and headed out into the frigid night.
The occasional whistling of the wind punctuated my footfalls. I passed red light posts every few yards on a never-ending runway. I kept walking for what felt like half an hour, losing count of the lights I’d passed. I turned back out of curiosity and still saw the slowly receding light of the air traffic control tower confirming that yes, all was well. After the runway ended I continued into the dark until coming to the boarded up transmission shack and the power lines that ran off into the forest.
I came the edge of the marsh and began following it. Minutes passed. I turned to get my bearings on the tower and found it’s lonely beacon, but I also noticed a void in the dark – not a blackness per-se, black is a color. No, it was a complete lack of color, a hole in existence out past the power lines. It was getting larger.
I picked up my pace.
I got to the orchard and looked back finding that the lights were out. All of them were out. And that thing in the forest was growing near.
I stood there and watched it for several minutes waiting for it to move. It didn’t.
I turned back now walking as fast as I could. After a dozen yards I stopped and turned around.
It was closer, I was sure of it. Much closer.
I turned and began to jog forgetting everything Gus had told me. It was gaining on me.
Now I was in a full-blown run down the flight line, glancing back every few moments, still unable to see it but sure it was there. The thing that had been watching me since I got here. The thing that drove a cold shock down my spine. This was it.
My legs pumped like pistons and the sting of cold air shot through my chest with each strained, gasping breath.
I passed the recently harvested cornfield, in which stood two perfectly still Deer judging me for my frantic escape.
It was gaining on me.
Finally I came to the portables. I slammed into the nearest door but it stood firm. I slammed my shoulder into it three more times and it didn’t budge. I remembered my key chain.
I pulled it out and started flipping through the keys. *too many keys*.
First key. No.
Second key. No.
Third key. No.
The fourth key worked, the tumbler clicked and I was in. Slamming the door back in place, I frantically locked it.
My hands were shaking and even though I was panting, I went to the window. The void cast long shadows across the field as it stood transfixed not on me, but on the deer.
“Shhhh” a man’s voice whispered from behind me.
“Oh SWEET JESUS FU-“ I screamed as a hand clamped down on my mouth.
“SHHH.” Sharper this time, commanding. “It’s me.” Will whispered, releasing his hand from my mouth.
“What..” I replied quietly as I turned to see him using his phone to maneuver the drone. “What’s going on? You scared the shit out of me. Nice to meet you by the way I’m..”
He smiled, “You gotta be more careful buddy, Didn’t Gus tell you not to go out into the woods?” Now that I could hear him clearly, his odd vowel pronunciation took me off guard. He’d fit right in, in Venice beach. Surfers. He sounded exactly like how I imagined California Surfers sounded. Very out of place for this part of the country. I shook the thought from my mind.
“I didn’t, I..”
He shushed me and pointed to the deer.
“Just…watch.”
I’d never seen deer stay still so long.
I strained my eyes to see. The shadows, tilled earth and wilted corn husks broke up the terrain making it hard to see what was hidden in plain sight. I’d see movement then have to dismiss it as wind kicking up gentle curtains of soil or the shifting of a shadow from the small movements in the night.
Slowly a thin sharp shadow moved, followed by another, then another. They moved in concert from that enormous void that had followed me.
The deer stood transfixed before it all happened at once.
A mixture of humanlike screams erupted as each of their bodies were slammed into the ground. Viscera painted the wind. In another moment the light went out and I heard Will sigh.
The wind whistled and died, but we could still hear it out there breathing heavily as it gorged itself. From where I stood I could only see a throbbing silhouette breaking the horizon as it went to work. A crisp snap rang out as it pulled limb by limb from the carcass. The throbbing of the shape slowed as a new sound arose. A contented hum made its presence felt through the rattling of the windows and doors and threatened to overwhelm my own beating heart.
The sound rose as the shape slowly moved closer.
“What do we..”
Will shushed me.
I jumped and stifled a scream as a wet, boneless appendage slammed against the window curiously. The doorknob rattled though this time not from the creatures’ purr but from it’s clumsy efforts to open the door and join us inside.
The ceiling creaked above us under a massive weight.
It groaned as if remembering something and suddenly began moving away back towards the trees. There were no footfalls, just the gently receding sound of a blissful purr.
When it finally entered the world beyond its movements melted into those of the swaying branches becoming indiscernible. The more I tried to focus on it the harder it was to recall its form or the impossibility I’d just witnessed.
Will smiled and patted me on the shoulder sadly, “Welcome to Murkintok.”

I was going to be late. I was on the verge of panic, uncertain of where I’d come from or why I was late, but I was going to be late.
Today was supposed to be different. I was sure of it. The start of something new. My only opportunity to move out of my little dead-end corner of Appalachia rested on me arriving for the night shift on time.
I sped over the rolling road in a panic. Dense old growth rushed past in a blur periodically broken by small plots of pasture, apple orchards and fields that a few months earlier were brimming with corn. Shadows danced out there in the dim moonlight and the closer I got to the airfield the more separated from the small outlying town I felt.
My steering wheel was cold and it vibrated wildly in rhythm with my heart. I tapped it impatiently.
The rusted hulk nearly left the road each time I crested a hillock. My suspension groaned under the salt spurred corrosion and strain.
I can get a new car if this all works out.
I nearly missed my turn. Fishtailing, I plodded off the main road onto an aptly named “Airport Drive”.
I came to a halt at the designated stall and turned the car off.
A minute to spare.
I looked out into the darkness beyond the parking area and a tingle ran down my spine. The shadows that were once dancing as I passed were still now and the air oppressive. My hands were tingled with cold yet brimmed with sweat. Before opening the door, I took a few deep breaths, flattened my hair, and made sure my uniform was sharp. Looking into my image in the rearview mirror I cleared my throat.
“Alright buddy. You’ve been drifting from service job to service job in this dying county for half a decade. Somethings got to change. *You’ve* got to change. You’ve got a daughter now, you can’t be out there chasing bar weasels and getting drunk every other night. It’s time to up your game. You aren’t the little boy who had to stand in the corner with his nose to the wall every time you messed up anymore. Now your choices matter for her life too. The pay and experience here are going to help springboard you off into something bigger and brighter. You can do this.”
My car door shrieked open causing the chirping and croaks in the forest around the airfield to briefly fall silent. The crunch of gravel followed me across the unpaved, unmarked parking spaces poorly illuminated by one lonely floodlight. I made my way to the entrance of the terminal and pulled open the door to the chime of an old brass bell.
“Oh, hey buddy.” He glanced at the clock. “You’re early.” Stepping into the room I saw Gus casually looking up from his crossword, bifocals resting on his fat, bright red nose.
“Yessir. I figured maybe if things weren’t too busy we could get started early. I’ve heard night shift can be a lot to take in.”
His brows furrowed and his mouth hung half open.
“Well….alright, I guess. But we’ll be easing you in. Just the basics for the first week.” He held up a finger, “Will and I are gonna rotate each night, until we know you’ve got the hang of it, then we’ll start giving you more responsibilities – if you’re up to it.”
We spent several hours on the night shift responsibilities for the airfield. Many of the duties weren’t too complicated. When we went to the control room at the base of the single tower overlooking the tarmac we flipped several very clearly marked switches turning the runway lights on and off. Then we walked over the several generators tucked away behind baggage claim to check their fuel and oil levels.
“Checking these emergency generators things each night seems a bit overkill, no?” I asked.
Gus smiled. “These aren’t for emergencies. This is our power. Yea, this past winter much to our surprise we found that some of the power poles came down. Some heavy rainfall right before the first snow turned the ground to soup and the just sort of…fell over.”
“They really shouldn’t do that.”
Gus shrugged. “Yea well, corners get cut all over the place. Damn things still aren’t back up, so here we are.”
As we walked back over to the portables for baggage claim and arrivals/departures. Another tingle ran down my spine. Instinctively I looked around and caught sight of something out in the dark. It was the feeling of being watched. I tried to focus my eyes on the darkness. I saw some gently pulsating shadows near the trees but nothing more.
The chirping and croaks were nowhere to be heard and I shivered.
“Come on kid, I ain’t got all night.”
I came to and trotted over to where Gus had stopped. “Sorry, I thought I saw…something.”
We continued onward, restocking the restrooms, went over baggage tagging and safe lifting procedures and the other mundane parts of preparing for the night’s departures and arrivals.
Finally, we wrapped up my first training session with perimeter checks.
Gus’ labored breathing alternated with his footfalls on the blacktop as we walked down the small runway.
“Every 3 hours you are going to be making this walk.” He gestured around. “You start over at the ATC tower and head out to the tree line, then follow that parallel to the tarmac until you pass the last of the landing lights and keep going until you hit the transmission shack. Don’t get distracted and go off following the transmission lines. Had a guy do that a year or two ago and it took us a week only to find his ass mumbling by the side of the road talking about the linemen – boy wasn’t right after that.”
He paused thoughtfully for a moment.
“Anywho, after the transmission shack you hook right following the shore of the river until you hit Eddie’s orchard then head back. You’ll pass his cornfield and follow that until you see the two terminal portables, then you check the parking lot and come back to the office to enter it all in the logbook. Just need to make sure there ain’t nothing out there that shouldn’t be.”
We continued walking in silence for a few minutes. “So what do I do if I find something? Are we looking for the Wilson boys or something? I thought they stopped causing trouble after you…”
“Well, you need to enter it in the logbook for one.”
“Bears? What do I do if it’s bears?”
He stopped. “Bears? What the hell are you rambling about? We don’t get bears this time of year. Oh, and be sure to bring your bear spray.”
“Even though there aren’t bears?”
“It’s under the counter next to the logbook.” He paused again. “If you see any wildlife, just take the truck out there and honk at it to get it away from the runway. Be sure to use your high beams, too. Very important. You see any people you get back to the office and call the Sheriff – don’t need to be a hero. You hear anything weird out there in the dark you leave it be, if it’s off property it’s not our problem.”
“Any questions?” he asked as we got back to the office.
A few.
“No, I’m good.”
“Great, Will’s in the control tower if anything comes up. No flights scheduled for tonight so it should be awfully quiet. Here’s the keys to the castle. Adios.”
He placed a massive key ring into my hand that had more keys than there were doors on the property and took off.
I sat down behind the counter, looked at the broken clock and sighed.
I was able to knock out the task list before midnight and had 6 more hours to kill before the end of my shift. There was no cell service, because of course not. I tried reading an old Town and Country magazine I found stashed under the desk and found most of the pages had been covered in circles and doodles by someone who must have been just as bored as I was on some unknown shift prior.
I decided to sweep up and clean the counters to keep myself busy and after I was done it was only 12:15.
I groaned.
The silence was oppressive. Outside the window was an empty, dark expanse with a slowly strobing series of red lights marking the flight line. I felt safer indoors but even then as I stared into the dark something felt off. If I turned my gaze from the windows I could see something out of the corner of my eyes. Branches swaying in the breeze.
There was no wind here.
12:34.
I pulled the logbook out from its shelf and placed it on the counter entering my start time, grabbed my flashlight and headed out into the frigid night.
The occasional whistling of the wind punctuated my footfalls. I passed red light posts every few yards on a never-ending runway. I kept walking for what felt like half an hour, losing count of the lights I’d passed. I turned back out of curiosity and still saw the slowly receding light of the air traffic control tower confirming that yes, all was well. After the runway ended I continued into the dark until coming to the boarded up transmission shack and the power lines that ran off into the forest.
I came the edge of the marsh and began following it. Minutes passed. I turned to get my bearings on the tower and found it’s lonely beacon, but I also noticed a void in the dark – not a blackness per-se, black is a color. No, it was a complete lack of color, a hole in existence out past the power lines. It was getting larger.
I picked up my pace.
I got to the orchard and looked back finding that the lights were out. All of them were out. And that thing in the forest was growing near.
I stood there and watched it for several minutes waiting for it to move. It didn’t.
I turned back now walking as fast as I could. After a dozen yards I stopped and turned around.
It was closer, I was sure of it. Much closer.
I turned and began to jog forgetting everything Gus had told me. It was gaining on me.
Now I was in a full-blown run down the flight line, glancing back every few moments, still unable to see it but sure it was there. The thing that had been watching me since I got here. The thing that drove a cold shock down my spine. This was it.
My legs pumped like pistons and the sting of cold air shot through my chest with each strained, gasping breath.
I passed the recently harvested cornfield, in which stood two perfectly still Deer judging me for my frantic escape.
It was gaining on me.
Finally I came to the portables. I slammed into the nearest door but it stood firm. I slammed my shoulder into it three more times and it didn’t budge. I remembered my key chain.
I pulled it out and started flipping through the keys. *too many keys*.
First key. No.
Second key. No.
Third key. No.
The fourth key worked, the tumbler clicked and I was in. Slamming the door back in place, I frantically locked it.
My hands were shaking and even though I was panting, I went to the window. The void cast long shadows across the field as it stood transfixed not on me, but on the deer.
“Shhhh” a man’s voice whispered from behind me.
“Oh SWEET JESUS FU-“ I screamed as a hand clamped down on my mouth.
“SHHH.” Sharper this time, commanding. “It’s me.” Will whispered, releasing his hand from my mouth.
“What..” I replied quietly as I turned to see him using his phone to maneuver the drone. “What’s going on? You scared the shit out of me. Nice to meet you by the way I’m..”
He smiled, “You gotta be more careful buddy, Didn’t Gus tell you not to go out into the woods?” Now that I could hear him clearly, his odd vowel pronunciation took me off guard. He’d fit right in, in Venice beach. Surfers. He sounded exactly like how I imagined California Surfers sounded. Very out of place for this part of the country. I shook the thought from my mind.
“I didn’t, I..”
He shushed me and pointed to the deer.
“Just…watch.”
I’d never seen deer stay still so long.
I strained my eyes to see. The shadows, tilled earth and wilted corn husks broke up the terrain making it hard to see what was hidden in plain sight. I’d see movement then have to dismiss it as wind kicking up gentle curtains of soil or the shifting of a shadow from the small movements in the night.
Slowly a thin sharp shadow moved, followed by another, then another. They moved in concert from that enormous void that had followed me.
The deer stood transfixed before it all happened at once.
A mixture of humanlike screams erupted as each of their bodies were slammed into the ground. Viscera painted the wind. In another moment the light went out and I heard Will sigh.
The wind whistled and died, but we could still hear it out there breathing heavily as it gorged itself. From where I stood I could only see a throbbing silhouette breaking the horizon as it went to work. A crisp snap rang out as it pulled limb by limb from the carcass. The throbbing of the shape slowed as a new sound arose. A contented hum made its presence felt through the rattling of the windows and doors and threatened to overwhelm my own beating heart.
The sound rose as the shape slowly moved closer.
“What do we..”
Will shushed me.
I jumped and stifled a scream as a wet, boneless appendage slammed against the window curiously. The doorknob rattled though this time not from the creatures’ purr but from it’s clumsy efforts to open the door and join us inside.
The ceiling creaked above us under a massive weight.
It groaned as if remembering something and suddenly began moving away back towards the trees. There were no footfalls, just the gently receding sound of a blissful purr.
When it finally entered the world beyond its movements melted into those of the swaying branches becoming indiscernible. The more I tried to focus on it the harder it was to recall its form or the impossibility I’d just witnessed.
Will smiled and patted me on the shoulder sadly, “Welcome to Murkintok.”

Update: Solved! I screwed the can down too tight and it essentially sealed up and didn't let any refrigerant through. I loosened the can a smidge and the freon went through and now the ac works.
So i bought this truck a month ago, ac never worked last guy didn't know why. It looks like the compressor is new as it's shiny and the rest is dirty. I replaced the ac condenser as most of the fins were bent. Pressurized the system with air to check for leaks. No leaks. Replaced the ac accumulator because I opened up the system. Bought a vacuum pump and pulled a vacuum for an hour to boil off the moisture.
Then here is where it gets weird. In Chrisfix's video he says screw down the valve on the can tap and then bring it back up so that freon go flow through and then you can purge the air. On mine it didn't work and then the instructions on my valve say to leave it screwed down but it didn't matter as I couldn't get it to purge like he did. I went ahead started the car with ac on and opened up the low side valve (that was under vacuum) and it started taking refrigerant. (This is in WA so r134 is banned but someone on Facebook marketplace sells them for $30 a can) I ended up wasting the first can and screwed up so I had only 12 oz in (sticker on truck says it takes 1lb 9oz. So I closed the valve and went and got a second can. Same thing, purging air doesn't work. I went ahead anyway start the truck but when I open the low side valve the freon won't go in. The sight glass doesn't have anything moving through it. I hold the can high or low, shake it, twist the valve on the can tap down or twist it up but nothing. So I only have one can in but the ac clutch kicks on and off at idle. In Chrisfix's video, even one can in, his was running fine. Is that part of my problem? I'm so frustrated with this, I'm hoping someone can help me. I'll even Venmo beer money to whomever can help me with a solution.
For legal reasons this is a hypothetical scenario in my Minecraft server.

Link: https://imgur.com/a/CtV3Wkl
I tried to cover everything but please let me know what you think and feel free to ask questions!
Background: My father owns a small flooring company and I would help him with jobs when I was a kid. I have some basic knowledge on flooring due to my past experiences but not enough to be considered above average. My partner was recently in the market looking for a house and stumbled upon a 98 year old house in a “up and coming” neighborhood. When we attended the open house the first thing I noticed was how beat up and faded the floors were. Of course, given my upbringing, I’m more sensitive to conditions of flooring. The finish was well beyond its life, you could see the high traffic routes due to the wear and tear, previous botched attempts to spot stain and fix little areas were obvious, some rooms were sun stained and different tents due to having carpet cover them for years, and various deep scratches. Yes it was rough but I knew there was potential. We didn’t have the budget to completely strip, stain, and seal the whole house so we decided to go a simpler and much cheaper route that still made a drastic difference.
Project: I borrowed a Square Buff Floor Sander from father but you can rent one from Home Depot ($75 a day). I purchased a box of 120 grit screen sheets ($40). Started with slowly hitting every square inch I could in each room to break down the old sealer and buff out stains and scratches. Swept up after every round. I did three rounds of all the rooms then a fourth round of high traffic areas and other spots I thought was needed. Next I used a 1.2 Amp CorneDetail Sander ($25) with 100 grit sandpaper ($14 pack) (note: I used 100 instead of 120 because edges and next to walls were a bit rough). I did several rounds on all the edges and other spots the big sander couldn’t hit till it blended with the rest of the floor. Once the sanding was done I swept and vacuumed everything up. Next, I grabbed wide broom and soaked a towel in water and hit the whole floor. Typically would have to rinse the towel after each room. Did three rounds and the floor was prepped for the sealer. It took two gallons of Minwax Clear Semi-Gloss Oil-Based Polyurethane ($50 ea). Went with the water based because it’s easiest to apply and self leveling. Applied just one coat but some floors need two coats. Once applied we waited 24 hours and the pics were taken about 30 hours after completion showing the end result. The working area was about 700~ sq ft. Project took 4 days to complete but could be done in 2 if free all day and night.

Ok guys and gals, I'm stumped. My wife's car, '14 Escape SE 1.6L Ecoboost 60k miles, has been having recurring overheating problems the past month. A year and a half ago I had to replace the cylinder head temp sensor and it's pigtail connector. Everything fine since then. A few weeks ago she started getting regular overheat warnings, low coolant warnings and going into limp mode.
I changed out the thermostat/ housing (one self contained unit if you didn't know) and one of the radiator hoses in which I found was cracked and slowly leaking (small diameter crossover line w/ 3 branches to degas bottle, back of head and radiator).
I've bled and topped off the system, levels are as they should be, water pump works fine. Still she gets an overheat condition when driving for longer than 20 minutes, especially with the ac on high. I've found no signs of coolant and oil mixing, so I don't think it's the head gasket.
Any help is appreciated.

Market: suburban Houston - AC unit gets heavy use.
AC unit: Goodman GSX14 5 ton split system. Installed as replacement for generic builder AC unit in 2016. Existing home copper AC lines reused. Both the upper evaporator and the lower compressor unit replaced.
Refrigerant: R-410A
Problem: AC unit began not cooling to requested temp in May. Aircon techs have come out twice and diagnosed the problem as a slow leak at the Schrader valve and a defective piston valve (either the wrong size or stuck open) at the evaporator. An electronic leak detector was used.
I have been quoted $1500 to replace the Schrader valve and $1400 to replace the piston with a TXV valve which, honestly, seems like a lot.
So...a Schrader replacement valve is $20, a vacuum pump and recovery tank is $120, 20 lbs of R410A is $200, a Goodman TXV valve is $104. I've got a torch, solder, guages, assorted plumbing tools. The parts needed to be replaced cost approximately $120 and it would cost me only about $300 to become my own HVAC guy.
This is the calculus: If I do it myself costs me approximately $420. If the HVAC company does the work it costs me $3G? Assuming an 10 hour job to repair both, $258/hr for labor seems a bit excessive -- how do I become an HVAC repair guy?
Is $2900 an excessively high quote for these repairs or is this about average?

I have a 80 f100 with a I6 in it, after running for about 20 minutes or more. The oil pressure drops the engine gets hot, then starts to run rough, it’s sounds like how it runs when there is a vacuum leak. Oil levels are fine, coolant levels are fine. Flushed the fuel pump, there is always fuel in the filter. So I’m really stumped on what it could be.

I'm installing a mini split with a brand new 1/3 hp vacuum. Vacuum pump has fresh oil within spec and hose fittings are tightened firmly.
I can't pull a vacuum down to -30. It gets to -15 or -20 and doesn't drop any more (even running vacuum pump for 45 minutes). System held this vacuum overnight - so confident no leaks.
Thinking it may a limitation of the the vacuum itself, I capped the vacuum line and tested max vacuum with same results.
If I release the refrigerant into mini-split system with vacuum pulled to only -15 or -20 (vs. the general recommendation of -30) what risks and performance considerations should I be aware of?
What would you recommend?