Random Thoughts.....

Replaced the hard drive and reinstalled the OS in an old KIA laptop today to be used for a future project. Why is it that a factory-installed wireless card, when using the factory-provided driver disks, a) doesn't recognize that the wireless card is even on board, 2) the driver doesn't exist anywhere in the driver DVDs, even when installing them all manually, and d) I've now got to figure out which wireless card I've got so I can go download the appropriate driver?? I'll have to dig up an Ethernet cable to go old school wired method for a minute...

Fawkin Dell...If it didn't cost me only $25 to refurb a 10 year old laptop to be a simple Tuner Studio, I'd just pitch it and start over.

Boy, do I feel dumb...okay, little background on the situation -- I installed every last driver (in correct order) from the included driver disks, then went to the dell support website and downloaded/installed their updated drivers...to which each and every one said that they could not find the hardware on the computer. I was like, wtf...I know this damn thing has a wireless card, unless it took a shit on me too. So I'm searching through the computer configuration, trying to find anything dealing with wireless, networking, etc. etc...then it hits me.

Restarted the computer, entered the BIOS before startup to check the system configuration that way. Turns out, the wireless card was disabled in the BIOS?? I fixed that, let the computer finish starting up. Lo and behold, once the desktop screen comes up, I get a pop-up saying "new hardware detected, installing drivers..." Damn thing found the wireless card! So now, I'm going low speed, high drag on a 10 year old laptop. I'm about to go download some new software for a tuner studio. :huggy:

Just wanted to put the BIOS/disabled wireless card thing out there in case someone else somehow runs into the same scenario.
 
Beats me...ain't got the froggiest. But it could be...

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Or, could be...

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Think I'm gonna go get my tin foil hat now... lol
 
That feeling you get when a sbc 400 with only headers fires up after two years sitting and then all the neighbors come out as you drive it down the driveway to go up a steep ass hill at 4500rpm and the np203 throwing mud and rocks from all around!!! :D It's great!
 
The USPS is so overwhelmed with weekend deliveries lately that they are driving their personal vehicles. My normal mail delivery guy just pulled up in a 2018 AMG 43 Benz.

I now want to be a mail man......and they get .63 a mile.
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That old saying all you need is duct tape and wd40 in ya 4x4 has changed to all ya need is flex tape and flex glue to make your 4x4 dream come true!
 
Kinda thinking about picking up this cam grinder to fulfill a long time running internet joke. Cam grinder handles 52” blanks and can grind up to 1.060” lift...$4700...in Va. Would probably own it already if it weren’t manual controls. Create a business called ‘R’evolution ’V’alvetrain...so when someone recommended/googled using an ‘RV’ cam...guess who’d pop up. Create a standard line of cams RV cam, 3/4 race cam, Full race cam, stage 1/2/3 cam, etc. Anyone know off hand what it would cost or if I even could retrofit CNC controls on something like this???

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Kinda thinking about picking up this cam grinder to fulfill a long time running internet joke. Cam grinder handles 52” blanks and can grind up to 1.060” lift...$4700...in Va. Would probably own it already if it weren’t manual controls. Create a business called ‘R’evolution ’V’alvetrain...so when someone recommended/googled using an ‘RV’ cam...guess who’d pop up. Create a standard line of cams RV cam, 3/4 race cam, Full race cam, stage 1/2/3 cam, etc. Anyone know off hand what it would cost or if I even could retrofit CNC controls on something like this???

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I get most of the point, and love how random parts equal nhra up.

But specifically what is your point on rv cams?
I'm assuming you know comp made an "rv/towing" cam for years as their first bump over stock, right?
 
I get most of the point, and love how random parts equal nhra up.

But specifically what is your point on rv cams?
I'm assuming you know comp made an "rv/towing" cam for years as their first bump over stock, right?

1) yes I realize all cam manufacturers have at one point or another labeled cams as ‘RV’ style.
1a) but these days 90% of online cam recommendations are ‘put an RV cam on that thing to wake it up’. First thought is ‘winnebago’ or ‘Jayco’. Second thought is, that recommendation literally spans dozens of different grinds across one manufacturer, much less all of them. ‘RV cam’ isn’t a spec/grind/recommendation...it’s a style, and doesn’t do much as far as helping someone actually picking a cam.

2) The interest on a more personal level would be an extension of LEB. One of our biggest requests at LEB are for cams. We need about 75 a year for all our builds, and a couple hundred more that get spec’d out. We don’t do generic off the shelf cams, we match cams to parts/builds. So we spec one out, send it off to our cam guy, mark up 10% and send to the customer. If I can get equipment for $5k and retrofit CNC controls for another $10k...that’s $15k. Now figure an average custom grind is $300, and we go through 300 cams/year...
 
Anybody else notice traffic was really good today?
 
Kinda thinking about picking up this cam grinder to fulfill a long time running internet joke. Cam grinder handles 52” blanks and can grind up to 1.060” lift...$4700...in Va. Would probably own it already if it weren’t manual controls. Create a business called ‘R’evolution ’V’alvetrain...so when someone recommended/googled using an ‘RV’ cam...guess who’d pop up. Create a standard line of cams RV cam, 3/4 race cam, Full race cam, stage 1/2/3 cam, etc. Anyone know off hand what it would cost or if I even could retrofit CNC controls on something like this???

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CNC Retrofits | FlashCut CNC

No idea the cost, but they do exist.
 
Hmm.. why won't this crank pulley come off!! I took the bolt out.. put the puller on.. tighten tighten tighten with a 4ft breaker bar.... it isn't moving, I'm going to break the bolts holding the puller or the puller..... Scratch head... Remove puller.... oh, oops... Remove washer. Install puller. Practically slipped off with a 12" ratchet.
 
As a father of a 2yo I'm constantly amazed at how poop can ignore the law of gravity. How does that crap get all the way up his back. I was snowed in with him yesterday. I was warned. No poop yesterday=today's gonna be a shitty day.


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1) yes I realize all cam manufacturers have at one point or another labeled cams as ‘RV’ style.
1a) but these days 90% of online cam recommendations are ‘put an RV cam on that thing to wake it up’. First thought is ‘winnebago’ or ‘Jayco’. Second thought is, that recommendation literally spans dozens of different grinds across one manufacturer, much less all of them. ‘RV cam’ isn’t a spec/grind/recommendation...it’s a style, and doesn’t do much as far as helping someone actually picking a cam.

2) The interest on a more personal level would be an extension of LEB. One of our biggest requests at LEB are for cams. We need about 75 a year for all our builds, and a couple hundred more that get spec’d out. We don’t do generic off the shelf cams, we match cams to parts/builds. So we spec one out, send it off to our cam guy, mark up 10% and send to the customer. If I can get equipment for $5k and retrofit CNC controls for another $10k...that’s $15k. Now figure an average custom grind is $300, and we go through 300 cams/year...

Look into the geometry limitations and machine accuracy of something of that age/type with a CNC retrofit, then figure out if it's worthwhile based on your needs. It doesn't matter how cheap it is if it can't make what you need to the proper specs. I'm no grinding expert, but I know older machines often can't do a lot of things that the newer ones can based on wheel size, etc.
 
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Look into the geometry limitations and machine accuracy of something of that age/type with a CNC retrofit, then figure out if it's worthwhile based on your needs. It doesn't matter how cheap it is if it can't make what you need to the proper specs. I'm no grinding expert, but I know older machines often can't do a lot of things that the newer ones can based on wheel size, etc.

That actually was one of my concerns. Obviously is a gamble, but for the price point, I think it’s one I’m willing to take. But the Current owner is using it to to grind his own cams for 2000hp set ups, so it does give some warm and fuzzies.



I don't see where there would be any value in buying cores and spending the time to grind your own though. At least monetarily.


Like I mentioned above, our average custom grind is $300...figure $50 (high end) for a blank, $50/hr in labor (spec’ing the cam takes an hour) and an hour or two to grind. You’re in a cam for a max of $150. We go through 2-300 cams/year. Equipment and retrofit pays for itself in 6 months and/or allows us to cut out the 3rd party mark up and bring the product price point down to being competitive with a Comp/Lunati/etc and in theory increase sales volume for a custom product.
 
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