I'm a little late posting my miscellaneous garage projects this season, however it has been a busy year at Area51. One of the early projects to start the new year was a simple yet effective upgrade on my Pitboss Austin XL Pellet Grill/Smoker. It has a sear option which exposes the cook directly to the hardwood fire below, however in stock form you have to remove the centre grate and push the cover sideways with tongs.

This simple mod involved picking up a length of 5/16 round rod, drilling a hole in the tab on the block off plate, drilling a hole in the side of the BBQ, and drilling 2 holes in the end of the round bar to hold two steel clips.

One clip pulls on the tab to open the searing area, the other pushes to close the plate. I used these clips as they are quickly and easily removed while taking the BBQ apart for cleaning.

A simple 90 degree bend in the opposite end finished this easy project.

This spring I took on a unique work project which involved installing a custom security system in a customers heavy duty job site trailer. This included a standard commercial grade alarm system and building a custom off grid power supply to keep it running between sites.

All wiring was fished and hidden for maximum protection against damage and for tidiness.

I took off my winter tires early this year as winter (which never really got started) ended quite early.

Spring cleanup dump run!

Project 6x6 was next to be summerized partly to be able to use it without destroying the tracks, partly because it takes up less real-estate in the garage with tracks, canopy and windshield removed.

I built this small folding table last winter for my ice fishing shelter as something light and portable for overnight trips. It worked well during my backyard test session so I decided to give it a few coats of water based Tremclad paint.

The storage room in our house is almost always a disaster so I got it tidied up and installed some left over shelving from the garage to better organize some of my hunting/fishing/camping gear.

With grass steadily growing, it was time to do some fixing on the lawn tractor. The battery is finally completely shot so I installed the replacement actually picked up 3 years ago (and used for two years in the Argo).

After some cleanup at the Rod and Gun Club it was time to freshen up the chain on my Husky 550xp Mark II. This Stihl 2 in 1 file still works great to get the chain near perfect without a lot of skill or effort.

After finding the door ajar on my stand-up freezer (luckily nothing thawed out) and temperature up, I ordered and installed a dual zone temperature monitoring device and added it to my home security system. Zone 1 monitors for low temperature in the house to notify of potential freezeup, zone 2 monitors inside the freezer in case temperature rises and stays high for a set period of time.

Low temperature probe hung in free air inside the freezer. Other environmental detectors in my home connected to the alarm system include fire monitoring throughout the home & garage and water leak detectors near the well pump, laundry and hot water tank.

New Bosch wipers for the Murano.

This week I had to have my Silverado towed home after it wouldn't start, even after trying booster cables & a jump pack.

The next day I started diagnosing first by checking all main power terminals, fuses etc. Battery terminals were tight and very clean, the main engine ground was cleaned anyway, but never fixed the problem. Next was starter main positive terminal, but to get to it the starter had to be taken out.

After going through the trouble of removing the 11 year old 225k km unit and finding a lot of corrosion on the cable from solenoid to electric motor, I decided to replace it regardless.

Replacing it did not fix the problem so diagnosing continued. Next I connected one side of my booster cables from battery negative directly to a clean spot on the engine block, and the truck started right up. The problem was an internally corroded (rotted out) main battery negative cable which could still provide main ground for the vehicle but could no longer carry enough amps for the heavy load of the starter.

I made a 2nd cable out of 6awg wire with crimped terminals and connected one side to the engine block OEM location and the other to battery negative. This will suffice until the new OEM cable arrives.

Next up was some repairs to my 2017 Webber Genesis II BBQ. I found the lower slats were severely rusted as were the flavourizer bars that cover each burner.

I decided to test out the Webber 10 year warranty as I had registered the unit when I bought it. The process was easy, I filled out an online form, attached some pics and had an answer within a couple hours. Claim was approved and new parts on the way absolutely no charge.

When the new parts arrived I took out all the heat shields and gave the unit a good cleaning by placing a garbage bag where the drip tray normally resides and used a plastic scraper to remove a couple seasons worth of charred build-up.

The original flavourizer bars were enamelled steel, the new ones were automatically upgraded to the same stainless steel parts found on the current models!

The replacement slats even came with new plastic end caps. I sprayed the underside with fluid film rust proofing to hopefully prevent them from rusting out a 2nd time.

Other than those 2 minor issues the BBQ has been fantastic and reliable. The burners are still like new and heat is very even across the cook surface.

Today I got tired of power window switches not working easily in my Silverado so I set about taking each set apart for a quick cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Check out my How To: Fix Silverado Power Window Switches article for more pics. The whole process took about 20-30 minutes for all 4 doors.

As summer neared its end (at least by the calendar, certainly not the weather as its still beautiful!) it was time to get the bike and Argo checked over for the upcoming moose hunting season. Check out my article Moose Hunting Prep 2022 for more details!

About the same time I received a phone call about a deal too good to pass up, so I ran out to Paradise and picked up this non running pretty rusty 2005 Argo 6x6 Vanguard.

The whole machine is intact including windshield frame, all panels, running gear and the convertible roof (side panels are missing).

This machine has the Briggs & Stratton 16hp V-twin, hydraulic steering/brakes and the same transmission as my '89.

I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with the machine just yet, the frame is extremely rusty from having water sit in it for a very long time. I may try to get it running on a budget, but if not there are some very important, no longer available parts to keep as good spares for my machine, particularly the transmission and both primary and secondary clutches.

My next project in preparation for Moose hunting was to re-cover my open deck trailer for transporting the Argo. The last surface is in sad shape, very delaminated and quite thin.

I measured location of the snowmobile ski guides for reinstallation later.

The new deck is made from pressure treated plywood which should hold up to the elements much longer than the previous one.

The plywood on these Mission trailers slide in back to front fitting inside a groove made into the side rails.

For an extra measure of protection I coated the deck with a couple coats of Thompsons Water Seal.

For moose hunting I actually ended up trading trailers with Dad, taking his enclosed unit instead. It would not only just store & transport the machine for the hunting season, but will also be used for accommodations on the trip as well!

The following week I decided to try and get the '05 Argo running. I removed the breather assembly and filled the carb with fuel.

The plugs are old but appeared OK. However after many attempts, it would not fire. I'll dive back into this later, probably after hunting season. Next steps will be to clean the carb and better assess the wiring and ignition coil.

The next job in Area51 was front brakes on our 2020 Murano which were squealing hellfire with just 30k on the clock. According to the dealer this is normal, and not covered under warranty.

I took a few reference pics to make sure the new anti rattle clips were properly installed.

Old vs new!

As per the Shed-Headz brakes How To article, high temp ceramic slider grease was put between the anti rattle clips and the cast iron bracket to prevent rust & rust jacking which can stop the pads from sliding. The slider pins were thoroughly cleaned and coated in the same high temp grease.

That same day I tackled installing a new rear U-joint in my Silverado.

The last items completed in preparation for Moose hunting were some mods on dads enclosed trailer. The first was the simple installation of a walk through fly screen on the man door to keep pesky critters outside.

Next Dad wanted a battery box installed to run interior trailer lights while the trailer is parked and not connected to the truck. I made up a simple panel with a 2 amp charger & 7amp/hr battery wired into the feed to the interior light switch.

Next I installed a flush mount 110vac shore power receptacle on the outside of the trailer near the man door.

I cut off the included interior cord end and replaced it with a proper 110v outlet mounted inside a wet locations box & cover. Here I also connected a power supply to run the charger for the battery box above. This set up is not just used to charge the battery, but will give dad a place to plug in a battery tender for anything parked/stored inside the trailer without having to jam an extension cord in the door.

Lastly I set up my Moose Hanging rack in the garage in preparation for a successful hunt!

After mowing the grass at the Gun Club a few times again this year, and hitting rocks up there most of those times, the blades were severely on my lawn tractor. A fresh set was picked up and installed with ease.

My Silverado made a return appearance at French's Automotive this fall, this time for a warranty repair.

The brand new centre steering link I had replaced just 11 months ago failed in spectacular fashion busting apart the bushing where the steering box attaches! Fortunately both the shop and parts supplier were absolutely fantastic to work with, and replaced the obviously defective part having me on my way in short order.

After a successful solo hunt on September 17th, Area 51 was transformed into a Moose prep area as we set about cleaning up our harvest. Full story of the hunt and moose processing can be found on the Crew Adventures page.

A couple weeks later the whole garage was thoroughly cleaned top to bottom, floor mopped and stainless work top surgically cleaned in preparation for processing the harvest.

We've been cutting up/deboning our own moose ever since I got back into hunting in 2013. This keeps quality second to noone and is a great cost savings as well.

A few years ago we also started making our own ground meat, and have since expanded to making our own sausages, snackin' sticks, jerky and more! All with a nominal investment in equipment, of which the expenditure was saved in one single season!

With all the fun stuff out of the way it was back to regular small engine projects in the garage, today the annual service of my buddy Doug's Honda Snowblower. After a couple seasons of larger repairs including new belts, bearings and a rebuild of the transmission, this year was a simple standard oil change, lube, spark plug, and carb sediment cup cleanout.

I also had to replace a broken bucket height adjuster handle which was a simple repair.

In November winter vehicle preparations began first by undercoating my trusty pickup with another dousing of Proform black oil based undercoating. I've been using this product for years now, its pudding like consistency is doing a great job of protecting the frame & body of my now 11 year old truck. It doesn't trap moisture (I only apply it when the vehicle has been thoroughly dry for days), and does not wash off quickly like Krown or Rustcheck treatments. 

My Magnum professional undercoating gun is holding up great and continues to work very well.

Next up was a quick inspection on Project Foreman before my last minute trip to Glenwood. The big item I wanted to check was the clutch adjustment. For easy access on a Foreman it's best to remove the left foot well and inner front fender. The adjuster was seized with mud & dirt, but an overnight soaking with red Rustcheck spray had it freed up and working well.

A quick test ride around the backyard ensured it was adjusted and working properly for the trip.

Next on the list was winterizing our Nissan Murano which included swapping over to winter rims/tires, touching up the undercoating and installing our long awaited OEM rubber floor mats. These will be much easier to clean and keep clean than the factory carpeted mats.

As expected they fit the vehicle perfectly connecting to the same hooks in the floor as the carpeted mats.

Our Glenwood trip finished off my back brakes, much quicker than I expected. I found the rotor on the driver side to be severely rusted out. Not surface rust, but deep cancerous rust that destroyed the metal. This very rough surface ate the hell out of the brake pads causing the wear indicators to engage the day after we got home.

New parts were sourced from Automotive Supplies and installed. I serviced the callipers which are only a couple years old and found the pots and sliders to be in great shape and not seized, fresh high heat lube was applied to the cleaned slide pins.

Again the calliper brackets were thoroughly cleaned and greased to prevent rust jacking which will bind up the new brake pads in no time.

Of course it started to snow as I finished up the worst (drivers) side, the passenger side will have to wait until tomorrow.

The following day I cleared out the garage to finish up the brake job on my Silverado 2500HD.

Deep rust was forming on the passenger side brake rotor (installed at the same time as the old driver side) but wasn't quite as severe as the driver side.

Likewise the pads on this side were not as severely worn, however all new pads, hardware and rotor were installed to match the driver side which completed this repair.

I needed new winter tires this year but remembered I still had Dean Wintercats on my old steel winter wheels in the storage unit. A quick inspection determined they will work one more winter so I saved myself $1000 and threw these on for another winter season.

Fortunately the chrome centre caps I bought for my other steel wheels (which are factory GM 17" styled steel wheels) fit these aftermarket steelies quite well.

It's a different look than the styled GM steel wheels, but they will suffice for another winter.

My last little project for the year was performing a maintenance on my now rarely used Honda 1000w generator. With the advent of fantastic and capable cordless tools, there is less and less of a need for generators on construction sites anymore. However I needed this to run my big SDS Hammer Drill for an upcoming camera installation and right now it won't start.

I completely drained the fuel tank of 10ish year old fuel, gave the carb a quick clean and replaced the spark plug. Now with fresh supreme fuel & Seafoam additive, the unit started right up.

I finished out the maintenance with an oil change and this 37 year old unit was ready to go to work!

Cheers, MIKE