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yamdankee posted:Great, thank you! And am I right in thinking that's the way to go to avoid paying for 4 new tires just because one needs replacing? Or am I missing something? Do people with AWD, staggered, direction tires do this? What is the tread depth on the other three tires like?
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Jun 27, 2019 22:19
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gently caress rust. Been helping out a fambly member and her lovely 2003 taurus is basically half metal oxide. Had to cut through the ball joints with a hack saw and had to cut through the god damned sway bar link casing/sleeve/whateverthefuck to get the drat things out. My question is... How do you get the links back on?? I have it sitting on flat ground and I'm not strong enough to mash this thing to get more than a sliver of thread showing on the bottom. I've read that ratcheting straps could work but I haven't tried that yet and with these linkages I can't see any way to put any useful force on the thing. No amount of clever jack placement has resulted in any improvement over sitting it flat.
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Jun 28, 2019 02:49
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I've only ever done that with the whole end of the car on jackstands. It's probably not impossible to do on the ground, but you have the wheel in the way and the suspension compressed so working room is limited.
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Jun 28, 2019 03:25
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TheBananaKing posted:gently caress rust. Been helping out a fambly member and her lovely 2003 taurus is basically half metal oxide. Had to cut through the ball joints with a hack saw and had to cut through the god damned sway bar link casing/sleeve/whateverthefuck to get the drat things out. Break this down for me - you're doing balljoints and had to cut off the swaybar endlinks, but now can't get the replacements lined back up between the struts and swaybar? The car is what, on the ground? Raised on one corner with a jack? Wheels cut over to the stop and working on components by reaching around behind the wheel?
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Jun 28, 2019 03:30
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brand engager posted:I've only ever done that with the whole end of the car on jackstands. It's probably not impossible to do on the ground, but you have the wheel in the way and the suspension compressed so working room is limited. I could do that as well, but of course the only jackstands I have are extra tall and very hard to mount in a non-sketchy way on this sedan. If both sides are even, will the sway bar be sitting in the same position as it is when both wheels are on level ground? Geoj posted:Break this down for me - you're doing balljoints and had to cut off the swaybar endlinks, but now can't get the replacements lined back up between the struts and swaybar? Ball joints are unrelated to this endeavor, just part of my rant on the insanely annoying rust situation. Replaced front ball joints and everything there is good. Working on the rear sway links now and the car is on the ground, wheels seem mostly level. I'm skinny and can get under the thing to access where the nut needs to go no problem, but I can't get the thread to poke out from under the bushing and domed washer enough to get the nut started. I've already got it all lined up and through the sway bar and even have the last bushing on. Just need to get the washer and nut on the end so that I can start to tighten it. TheBananaKing fucked around with this message at 03:39 on Jun 28, 2019 |
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Jun 28, 2019 03:32
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Yeah you're going to need to get the whole axle off the ground. Generally you can't work on suspension when its loaded.
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Jun 28, 2019 03:38
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Stupid A E S T H E T I C question:  My weekend towpig Silverado could use new headlights. I expect the last clip holding the grill in place will give out when I swap them so I might need a new grill too. Are there any Silverado/Tahoe/Burban trims of this era that got better headlights? Any grills that would fit and and not stick out like corn in a turd? I think there's a Tahoe grill with a chrome radiator surround that might look okay, but even that might clash with the high-mileage work truck vibe I've got going.
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Jun 28, 2019 06:51
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Boys who love boys
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Polish them, and stick new name brand bulbs in. Halogens do dim over time, and that yellowing cuts your light output way the gently caress down. You could go with something like Phillips Xtreme Vision, but they don't last nearly as long as regular bulbs (I get about a year out of them, vs 5+ out of regular bulbs). Don't put in anything with any kind of tinted glass. Alternatively, there's aftermarket projectors out there. No idea as to the legality, but I know shyboyfromchessclass just put them on his Silverado (same generation I think). Drop into his thread (it'll show as being started by fartpipe, I think). But they do stick out. The stock lights on those are pretty bright until the lenses yellow. Also, I can't tell from the pic (mostly because they're so yellowed), but do those lenses have the "ridges" inside them, or are (were) they clear at one point? If they have the ridges, the later model clear ones will probably be a bit brighter. yamdankee posted:Great, thank you! And am I right in thinking that's the way to go to avoid paying for 4 new tires just because one needs replacing? Yeah, that's the best way to go - have Tirerack shave one down to match the others. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 14:26 on Jun 28, 2019 |
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Jun 28, 2019 14:24
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Geoj posted:Yeah you're going to need to get the whole axle off the ground. Generally you can't work on suspension when its loaded. Was able to get it quickly this morning by getting the nut on by itself, tightening a bit until the top was all snug and pulled into position, then used an Irwin grip to hold it all together while I backed the nut off and put the bushing and washer on. When I do the other side tonight I'll get the whole axle lifted, thanks.
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Jun 28, 2019 15:03
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Geoj posted:Yeah you're going to need to get the whole axle off the ground. Generally you can't work on suspension when its loaded. I heard on some forums that suspension parts should be tightened loaded. True? Edit: Halogen talk - I decided to go with GE Megalight Ultra for my car after reading a Swedish test of claimed range and light output as well as lifetime. Better range, output and a bit better lifetime than the Xtreme vision. I would have gone with GE Lighting H7 Standard though, but couldn't find them when my old light burned out. Test winners with almost as good range/output but with waaaay better life. https://www.testfakta.se/sites/default/files/2017-11/Grafik_Billampor_%28171127%29.pdf If anyone is interested. Rows from top to bottom: Price Promised + more light (distribution) Measures + light (distribution) Measured range @ 2,5 lux (m) Life in hours. They used a six year old Ford headlight instead of the brand new ones usually used in these tests. MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 15:32 on Jun 28, 2019 |
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Jun 28, 2019 15:23
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MrOnBicycle posted:I heard on some forums that suspension parts should be tightened loaded. True? Final tightening/torquing should be loaded, yeah. Cinching everything down tight while drooped can causing binding and other weird issues once it's back on the ground.
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Jun 28, 2019 15:30
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Boaz MacPhereson posted:Final tightening/torquing should be loaded, yeah. Cinching everything down tight while drooped can causing binding and other weird issues once it's back on the ground. Ok I see. I totally forgot about this when I changed McPhearson struts (springs and dampeners were tightened to knuckle + anti roll bar drop links to the strut) on my car. Redo tightening/torque or leave if no odd sounds etc? I used proper torque specs.
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Jun 28, 2019 15:35
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Loaded versus unloaded depends on what you're tightening. Anything that is either meant to be rigid, or uses a mechanical joint that doesn't depend on the deflection of a bushing (ball joint, tie rod end, etc) can be given a final torque unloaded. Anything that does depend on the deflection of a rubber or polyurethane bushing (such as pretty much every suspension link on a stock Jeep) should only be fully torqued with the suspension at roughly ride height. Strut mounts generally fall into the rigid category - even if the upper mount has a bushing in it, the bolts holding the upper mounts to the body don't impact preload on that bushing at all.
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Jun 28, 2019 16:41
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STR posted:Polish them, and stick new name brand bulbs in.  but I took another look at em this morning I might go that way. Kits with sealant are a lot less expensive than I though so maybe they won't go back to looking like poo poo in a couple of months. And I'll take a look at the shy boy's thread. Thanks!MrOnBicycle posted:They used a six year old Ford headlight instead of the brand new ones usually used in these tests. Good info! I've stopped messing with the upgrade bulbs because the increased brightness wasn't worth the short life / high cost. I'll have to see what GE has for 9006/9005 setups. So far the only lighting upgrade I've ever done that was undeniably worth-it was running low-gauge wire from the battery and putting relays right behind the headlamps in my '93 Civic. Picked up over a volt at the terminals and it put out a good deal of light which was appreciated because I did a lot of night time mountain driving in that car.
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Jun 28, 2019 18:38
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monsterzero posted:I though they might be too far gone for polish, and For a vehicle like that with great parts availability I would seriously consider ordering new light housings. They can be had for $25 each.
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Jun 28, 2019 18:47
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monsterzero posted:I though they might be too far gone for polish, and They're not. I've polished worse. Even without sealant, they'll be good for a year or two unless you're in Arizona. They may be far enough gone that you might notice some tiny cracks in the housing, but those shouldn't affect output much. Source: I've polished them in TX without any coating or sealant, and they've been fine for 1-2 years. Get a kit that works with a drill. That said, StormDrain is on the right track. If they're not hard to replace... just replace them.
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Jun 28, 2019 19:19
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I picked up an IS300 a few weeks ago, the PO had polished the lenses then applied clear bra on them. They look fantastic and I'd guess it will prevent further oxidation in the future, I kinda want to do it to my cars now.
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Jun 28, 2019 19:28
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monsterzero posted:I though they might be too far gone for polish, and Like the other guys said, polish them or yeah, just get new ones. I don't know what the actual year of that truck is, but I ballparked it at 2005 based on body style. Rock auto has them for as little as 35 bucks, thats listed in CDN$ for me if you're US of A dollars it would be a bit less. Also, an upgrade for 9005/9006 bulbs are the 9011, 9012 HIR bulbs. I've got them in my car, they dope as gently caress. https://store.candlepower.com/hesowisu.html
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Jun 28, 2019 19:55
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Yeah, I can't remember what I exactly paid for a pair of new F150 1998 ones. Like $25 each with bulbs. Will say it wasn't much fun getting them back in.
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Jun 28, 2019 20:46
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wesleywillis posted:Also, an upgrade for 9005/9006 bulbs are the 9011, 9012 HIR bulbs. I've got them in my car, they dope as gently caress. Yeah... that's the good stuff. Thanks! The Silverado is a 2001. And yeah, new housings are about $30 and the turn signals are under $10 so I was originally just going to buy new ones and was curious if the 2500/3500/Tahoe or Suburban got a 'better' lego in any manner. Looks like the Tahoe / Suburban have the same part numbers through 2006, so I guess not. STR, stop trying to confuse me. I'm going to give the polish job a go, it'll probably be fine, there were only a few small cracks in one housing and this will be good practice before I polish our Camry's $130 headlight housings. ETA:  new plan, going to add a LED fader and install some of the random motorcycle lights I have instead for cybercountrypunk monsterzero fucked around with this message at 05:03 on Jun 29, 2019 |
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Jun 29, 2019 04:17
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Deteriorata posted:I tend to agree with you. Tires are the wrong place to cheap out on a car. They're the only part of the car that actually touches the road. This concern was because at that point it was the choice between moving 34 miles on a used tire or 34 miles on a donut that had already been used at least once. The last tires my friend got from that guy were at about 90% tread as well, really impressed me how close to new they looked. They were some kind of all-season Yokohama, I forget the model. FWIW whenever I've bought tires in the past they've been Continental DWSes, the weather in CO is so unreliable and I've lived in town so I've never felt the need for winters. Probably will get some winter tires once I can afford it, just have to figure out when to put them on, maybe January or something. Moot point at this point, so the new question is how do I tow a tripod? I can get the control arm enough to roll it onto a trailer, but I wouldn't trust it not to fall off en route, would putting a jackstand under the crossmember next to the bad control arm work, assuming you're also strapping the car in on the trailer? I don't have time to fix it properly where I am, the point where the control arm attaches to the crossmember is bent thoroughly enough that just bending the flanges isn't going to fix it like I thought. Going to need to do the whole crossmember, which won't be a huge issue except that I have to be out of this place by noon tomorrow.
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Jun 29, 2019 16:28
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How well does the "Hair dryer/keyboard duster" trick work for taking dents out of poo poo? Guy I work with says I dented his hood (this is going back a few years). I'm not sure if I did or not. No witnesses, circumstantial evidence at best. If I did, I did, I'll own up to it and fix it or have it fixed, but he says don't worry about it. Except when we're pissed off and arguing with each other, at which time he'll bring it up again, So I'd rather just fix it and then tell him to gently caress off next time he brings it up. Car is a Nissan X Trail of 2006 or so vintage, dent is at the front edge of the hood, and about 1.5- 2inches in diameter.
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Jun 29, 2019 18:17
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It's a balmy 30ºC today and I think my AC is on the blink (in a 2004 UK Honda Civic) on account of it blowing hot air for the several minutes I could stand to wait for it to (not) cool down. My assumption is it needs a refrigerant refresh? It's a sudden development but I don't use the AC much after winter. Is that a likely diagnosis, and is this a relatively simple task for a mechanic to do? I assume it's not something I should be trying myself on account of having to buy refrigerant and correctly dispose of the old stuff.
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Jun 29, 2019 21:17
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Jaded Burnout posted:It's a balmy 30ºC today and I think my AC is on the blink (in a 2004 UK Honda Civic) on account of it blowing hot air for the several minutes I could stand to wait for it to (not) cool down. My assumption is it needs a refrigerant refresh? It's a sudden development but I don't use the AC much after winter. Can you hear the compressor cycle on or off? It's usually pretty noticable on a Civic. If you pop the hood with the car running and AC off, then press the AC button you should hear a click, and the engine load (revs may dip momentarily and then go back up.) Anyway, sudden no AC doesn't sound like a slow leak you could bandaid with a charge kit. You should head over to Motronic's thread and ask if you need more freeon.
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Jun 29, 2019 21:46
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monsterzero posted:Can you hear the compressor cycle on or off? It's usually pretty noticable on a Civic. If you pop the hood with the car running and AC off, then press the AC button you should hear a click, and the engine load (revs may dip momentarily and then go back up.) I can hear stuff moving through the pipes as usual, which only happens when the AC is on. I'm assuming that means the compressor is running but I can test that next time I use the car; as you say it's very noticeable, in a "lights dim briefly" sort of way. monsterzero posted:Anyway, sudden no AC doesn't sound like a slow leak you could bandaid with a charge kit. You should head over to Motronic's thread and ask if you need more freeon. Will do.
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Jun 29, 2019 21:58
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OK removing valve covers. 92 chevy S10 4.3l V6 Z-code engine. It was necessary to remove this coolant line to get the valve cover to clear at the rear. I put a wrench on it and put really quite modest twisting force and it sheared right the gently caress off immediately.      A) how do I get the broken end of the fitting out of the engine block? Preferably without getting shards of metal into the coolant line. I'll cover the exposed valve train before I start loving with it, of course, but I doubt I can totally plug up the coolant line that I need to extract this sheared piece of poo poo corroded aluminum(?) fitting end out of. So a method that doesn't involve reducing it to shards with cutting tools would be ideal. B) what is this fitting called, so I can order a replacement? My first thought is to hit it with PB blaster and then use vice grips to try and grab the ~2-3 threads exposed, but once I start mangling it with grips that may make things much worse? Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Jun 29, 2019 |
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Jun 29, 2019 22:56
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Leperflesh posted:OK removing valve covers. 92 chevy S10 4.3l V6 Z-code engine. It was necessary to remove this coolant line to get the valve cover to clear at the rear. I put a wrench on it and put really quite modest twisting force and it sheared right the gently caress off immediately. I'd probably take the intake manifold off. Is this your daily? Jaded Burnout posted:It's a balmy 30ºC today and I think my AC is on the blink (in a 2004 UK Honda Civic) on account of it blowing hot air for the several minutes I could stand to wait for it to (not) cool down. My assumption is it needs a refrigerant refresh? It's a sudden development but I don't use the AC much after winter. If your AC is empty of refrigerant, then in theory your compressor is not supposed to come on. If it is empty, then as suggested, you can bandaid it with a charge kit, but if it leaked out, there's a reason why (duh:))
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Jun 30, 2019 00:09
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wesleywillis posted:I'd probably take the intake manifold off. Is this your daily? Not my daily, in fact it only gets a few hundred miles a year, and it failed smog a couple months ago, which is why I'm doing the valve stem seals. Is it a major PITA to remove the intake manifold? Also once I got it off, then how would I extract that poo poo? e. Removing intake manifold means draining the coolant, removing throttle body, distributor, moving fuel lines, it's definitely not trivial. If I can possibly avoid that, I want to. Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 01:40 on Jun 30, 2019 |
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Jun 30, 2019 01:31
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I'd start with the vise grips and go to screw extractors from there if needed. I wouldn't sweat a few shavings in the cooling system, personally.
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Jun 30, 2019 02:31
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IOwnCalculus posted:I'd start with the vise grips and go to screw extractors from there if needed. I wouldn't sweat a few shavings in the cooling system, personally. Do they make screw extractors that big? I have some but they're all far too small. Hmm. A friend of mine suggested cutting a slot across the two sides of the tube sticking out, and then using a flat piece of steel like a big screwdriver to try and back it out. e. Oh hey https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-139-Construction-Government-Compliant/dp/B00004T82B so they do, although they look different
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Jun 30, 2019 05:38
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Leperflesh posted:e. Oh hey Ooh, those look neat [add to wishlist]
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Jun 30, 2019 07:08
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How much damage to the engine will it do to run through the dregs of old gas that was drained? Just started up a car that’s been sitting with a drained gas tank for a year and a half. It ran for ~10 seconds before I shut it off, was kind of surprised it didn’t just try to crank. Subaru Impreza if it matters, the gas gauge is all the way at the bottom.
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Jun 30, 2019 12:34
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Get a gas can and throw some fresh gas in, and drive it to the gas station. Fill it up, then change the fuel filter (if equipped) once you run through most of the tank. The gas is stale, but since it's so empty, I wouldn't worry about it at all. I'd be more worried about rubber parts (belts, seals).
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Jun 30, 2019 15:36
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Fair enough. Seals got replaced about... 50k miles ago, belts I think about 20k. I’ll take a look at the belts although I can never really tell if they’re cracked. Would the timing belt be a concern too or just the V-belts? Should I do the oil? I need to see when my last visit was with the shop, miles-wise. They hopefully would have a record. Looks like last time they didn’t do the usual mileage sticker. With how old it is though, don’t know if it matters. I managed to lose a nut for the battery, the thing that holds the dumb poles into the bracket on top. It’s somewhere down there but I need to get another magnet on a stick assuming it didn’t fall out during my test drive around the block. If I need a new nut for that will any nut from Ace do or do I need an automotive-specific one? Once I get this thing inspected and registered the next step is a vinyl saying I Live, I Die, I Live Again since it’s a salvaged 20 year old mess in a good way. 22 Eargesplitten fucked around with this message at 16:50 on Jun 30, 2019 |
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Jun 30, 2019 16:37
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I'm going on a road trip in the south eastern US and looking to rent a car for around $60/day that has limited self driving features. Basically, adaptive cruise control and lane centering steering down to a stop that works on turns on the highway. Ideally I'd get a Tesla with Autopilot. Unfortunately, Teslas in my state on Turo are about $150/day when you include unlimited mileage and other fees and no rental car companies I see around here say yes you can rent a Tesla for $X per day. TLDR: What rental cars have limited self driving features and can be rented for $<60/day?
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Jun 30, 2019 17:33
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93 Mercury Capri, Non-turbo The ignitor (circled) in my distributor died on me and I have to replace it. Should I replace the pickup coil (non-circled) also? The FSM refers to both parts together as the igniter assembly, but only suggests replacing the igniter, not the pickup coil, making a distinction between them in the troubleshooting guide 
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Jun 30, 2019 17:47
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The Door Frame posted:93 Mercury Capri, Non-turbo What is the downside of replacing it? If it doesn't cost much and is easy to do, go for it. If it's finicky and requires recalibration or costs a ton or is a pain in the rear end to get out, leave it alone.
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Jun 30, 2019 18:11
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22 Eargesplitten posted:Fair enough. Seals got replaced about... 50k miles ago, belts I think about 20k. I’ll take a look at the belts although I can never really tell if they’re cracked. Would the timing belt be a concern too or just the V-belts? Should I do the oil? I need to see when my last visit was with the shop, miles-wise. They hopefully would have a record. Looks like last time they didn’t do the usual mileage sticker. With how old it is though, don’t know if it matters. Change the oil once you get the bad gas run through it, and don't beat on it until the oil gets changed. Yeah, the timing belt may be a concern, though after only a year and a half it shouldn't be a huge deal (I'd change it at 60-75k instead of whatever interval is normally recommended, but I'm paranoid like that). Any nut that threads on will work for now, but may corrode quickly. Take the bolt with you to a parts store (if it comes out) to find a nut that matches the threads.
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Jun 30, 2019 18:13
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CarForumPoster posted:I'm going on a road trip in the south eastern US and looking to rent a car for around $60/day that has limited self driving features. Basically, adaptive cruise control and lane centering steering down to a stop that works on turns on the highway. Ideally I'd get a Tesla with Autopilot. Unfortunately, Teslas in my state on Turo are about $150/day when you include unlimited mileage and other fees and no rental car companies I see around here say yes you can rent a Tesla for $X per day. Almost nothing for under $60/day is going to have ACC an lane centering. In cars that MIGHT be in that price point you are looking at the highest trims and even then it's largely optional equipment. I'd say your best bet to get close would be looking at Ford Fusions, Nissan Sentras, and Toyota Camrys.
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Jun 30, 2019 18:18
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Deteriorata posted:What is the downside of replacing it? If it doesn't cost much and is easy to do, go for it. Fair enough, it's only like $35 and gives me a little peace of mind. As far as I can tell, the only calibration to be done is to put the screws in the right holes
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Jun 30, 2019 18:21
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