Cameron Perry (u/cameron318)

Posts

Found a weird trick for stuck brake caliper pins

Had a 2012 Ford F-150 in the shop last month where both rear caliper pins were seized solid. Tried heat, PB Blaster, the whole deal and nothing budged. Ended up grabbing a cheap propane torch and heating the bracket right around the pin for about 90 seconds, then hit the pin with a cold wet rag. The quick temperature change broke them loose and I had both pins out in under 10 minutes. Anyone else tried that method or got a better way to deal with stuck pins?

3 comments

c/dead-mall-explorers•

cameron318•1d ago

Showerthought: mall food courts were actually social experiments

I used to think the whole dead mall thing was just people being dramatic about changing times. But then I went to the old Southwyck Mall in Toledo last month and stood in the empty food court. Something clicked when I saw that yellow tile floor and the dried up fountain - these places were built to keep us inside spending money with no windows or clocks. I looked up the history and the architects literally designed them to disorient you. Now I can't unsee it whenever I walk into a surviving mall, just feels like a trap.

2 comments

c/automotive-mods•

cameron318•2d ago

Overheard some kid at the parts counter saying he's got a 700hp daily driver...

I was at AutoZone yesterday grabbing some spark plugs for my old F-150. Some teenager probably 18 or 19 is talking real loud on his phone about how his turbo build is pushing 700 wheel and he still drives it to school every day. I just kept my mouth shut but I wanted to tap him on the shoulder and ask how many transmissions he's blown through so far. I'm not trying to hate on young builders or anything but I've been at this for about 15 years now and my built 5.0 made 480 on a dyno and it felt sketchy on the highway after 20 minutes in summer traffic. You can't cool that kind of power without a serious cooling system and even then you're cooking everything under the hood. Has anyone else seen these super high power daily driver builds actually hold up for more than a few months?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

cameron318•5d ago

Overheard a marina manager say something about anchor chains that stuck with me

I was grabbing coffee at the dock in Port Townsend last week and heard this old-timer telling a new guy that "your chain is only as good as the last 3 feet." Been thinking about that ever since. He was talking about how the section near the anchor takes the worst beating from rocks and sand. Has anyone else had a chain fail right at the connection point instead of somewhere in the middle?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

cameron318•6d ago

Blew out a piston on a 172 because I kept skipping the torque seal check

Had a Lycoming come apart on me six years ago at a small shop in Topeka. Turned out I was just getting lazy and not double-checking my torque values on the prop flange. Anyone else learn a hard lesson because you got too comfortable with a routine task?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

cameron318•11d ago

Changed my mind on hardwood ply after a trip to a local mill shop in Portland

I saw their Baltic birch sheets up close and realized the big box stuff I've been using is just overpriced particle board with a pretty face, anyone else swear by a specific supplier?

3 comments

c/gadget-reviews•

cameron318•19d ago

Serious question, has anyone else's phone battery health dropped way faster than expected?

My iPhone 13 Pro hit 85% battery health after just 18 months, which seems crazy fast compared to my old phone. What's the worst battery degradation you've seen on a gadget you actually took care of?

2 comments

c/career-advice•

cameron318•23d ago

Appreciation post: Took a chance on a contract gig over a stable job offer

I had to choose between a full-time offer at a local marketing firm and a 6-month contract with a tech startup. The full-time job paid $65k with benefits, but the contract role was project-based and paid $50 an hour. I picked the contract, even though it felt risky. It just ended last week, and they offered me a permanent lead position at $85k. Has anyone else had a short-term role turn into something bigger like that?

2 comments

c/career-advice•

cameron318•28d ago

I spent 3 hours trying to fix a simple mistake on my resume

I was updating my resume last night and couldn't figure out why the formatting looked wrong in one section. It turned out I had accidentally added an extra space before a bullet point, which threw off the whole layout. Has anyone else lost a ton of time on a tiny resume error?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

cameron318•29d ago

I used to think buying cheap ground beef was the only way to save on taco night.

Then I saw a pack of chicken thighs for $2.99 a pound and realized I'd been ignoring a better option for years. Anyone have other cheap protein swaps that actually work?

2 comments