Still an issue with engines with turbo and GDI.
People in Canada short tripping with Honda’s 1.5 TGDI report gaining a qt of liquid in the oil over a few thousand miles.
In my Hyundai with GDI & no turbo the oil level rises about 1/8" over the Wash. DC winter.
I did that long ago. Btw, a nice example of your dad’s Vornado fan sold on eBay a couple weeks ago for $450 plus shipping. I almost bid on it, but I need another 20" fan like a fish needs a bicycle.
Sounds like a good price for a generally good car but it’s 17 years old and age/rust/corrosion takes it’s toll no matter how it’s driven.
Besides the usual mechanic’s inspection I would anticipate that most of the rubber has become hard/brittle including the valve cover gaskets, brake calipers and A/C lines.
Exhaust system and cooling systems are also probably also nearing the end of their lives.
Finally, be sure that everything elecrical works. Heat, humidity and age turns plastic brittle and the metal parts get corroded.
.
Here’s a link w/a photo of engine sludge. This is what you’d be looking for – and would prefer not to see — if you looked under the valve cover.
Change the oil at a reasonable interval, no need to check for sludge.
1 Like
Delivering food 10 hours a day does not allow the engine to cool between deliveries. This is common city driving, don’t worry about sludge, gasoline in the oil or worn engine parts.
BTW, in the past regulars expressed their nervous fears about buying a used car, could be a “money pit”, now it is “just buy the silly car”.
1 Like
Yes , I said just buy the silly car. These are not normal times . The OP could buy this thing and might even be able to sell it for the same amount or more in 6 months . He seems to think that he will save fuel money but I doubt that it will be enough to justify the purchase .
At used car prices today, I’d probably buy the Civic even without an inspection, and I don’t really care for Honda Civics much.
So right! The best kept secret in America is the actual per-mile cost of running a car. It’s 65 to 85 cents per mile, when you add in tire and engine wear, insurance, registration, and inspection fees, fuel costs, oil change and regular maintenance, and depreciation.
If you do your own work and maintain an old clunker like I do, you may get that down to 50 cents a mile. How many people stop to think that a 20-mile round trip to the mall is costing them from $10 to $17. If they did, there would be a lot fewer miles driven, a lot more money in your pocket, and a lot less with the auto and oil companies.
Same here. I have a lesser 3 blade non-reversible one I pulled out of a dumpster last summer.
Sitting in my basement, waiting for some TLC on the bearings.
Are these fans like vintage? $450 for a box fan?
I guess if you can even GET to the bearings on both sides it would be vintage. Although I am thinking of the oscillating type for which the oscillator control keeps the cowl in place.
These post have got me thinking what kind of oil does Honda service stations use? I wish I had though of this 10 years ago when my Accord was new 
It’s an all metal vintage window fan with a 6 pole sealed capacitor motor and aerodynamic cowling.
Mine is a model 35E1-1 with 22" blades.
Vintage Vornado fans, large or small, move an enormous amount of air for their size.
They stopped making the one in my avatar in 1957.
Comparing it to a box fan is like comparing a Corvette to a Chevette.
2 Likes
These vintage Vordado’s seem to go for less than $200. Does it look like one of those? I’d guess if you want to move a lot of air a rotating-cage type would be better. That’s what my home evaporative air conditioner uses.
https://www.vornado.com/product-category/circulators-fans/vintage
I’m seeeing new versions of Vornado’s available for sale too.
Those are not really vintage.
The “old” Vornados went out of production in 1957.
A squirrel cage fan would make a lousy looking window fan.
OK, I see what you mean. That’s a unique looking fan. Looks very robust design. Yeah the cage fans take more space, heavier, that’s for sure. Mine is sitting in its fixture next to a window, but not positioned like a box fan would be, sitting on the window sill.
I have serious respiratory allergies to pollen, and run a 20 inch box fan with a simple 20 x 20 HVAC filter in front , recirculating the air in the room . Even if I just use one of those $1 fiberglass filters, it’s very effective.
1 Like
These are what I’ve always heard referred to as squirrel cage fans. Not that pretty at all. But they’ll move some air!
My sister ended up having to put filters on the heat vents, as a thought for you!
I want to find someone to service the bearings on my squirrel cage, should do it myself, I want to clean the 50 year old bearings, replace if needed, remembering motor service guys and bearing shops, afraid of tearing it apart and no replacement parts I can find. It has oil fittings that I oil regularly along with the motor, I used to be young and brave, now hire a pro if I can find one, and last pro furnace tuneup, no burner hi low temp adjustment he said, as it seems the thermo spring is getting weak and over adjusting it myself, then he screwed up the wheel on the blower motor. Came home and it sounded like a train was running through the basement. Adjusted high low temp controller, could not get the key back in the wheel and shaft but tightened it up enough so it was not slipping. Bitched, guy came out refunded the service, and the company was highly recommended by friends and was told prices were higher as it is a union shop. Old company out of business, not sure where to go next.
I remember the bearing shop, any bearing you could ever want! I remember the electric motor shop, if it had anything to do with an electric motor he could fix it. I guess those days are gone like the buggy whip companies.
Most stuff is just replaced now instead of serviced. I changed the fan motor in our inside unit a few years ago. One of the local heat and air companies had a motor that would work in stock. Ours is just an electric heat pump. Sounds like yours is an older gas unit with more serviceable parts, I guess.
Heater vents??? … lol … I have no heater vents!!! Here in San Jose we have what is affectionately called a “gravity heater”. Very simple gadget. It uses a natural gas flame to heat up length of cast iron, which then causes air current loops, hot air rises, cold air falls, etc, which eventually warm the entire living space. Sort off.
My parent’s house in Colorado (where a gravity heater wouldn’t provide sufficient heating) had that arrangement, and my dad would apply a little oil to the bearings every 3 months during the heating season. I think it’s called a “pillow-top bearing”. Not sure why. Anyway that fan was still original to the house at 60 years on, and showing not signs of any problems.