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simplefish posted:gently caress yeah passed inspection. Ball joints are a goddamn pain in the rear end unless they're the bolt-on kind. If you don't have all the right tools and poo poo goes even a little bit sideways you can be in a world of suffering. Add rust and it's even worse.
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Mar 29, 2021 04:20
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simplefish posted:gently caress yeah passed inspection. They’re both manageable, but yeah probably the ball joint less so. Like all things it all can get a little more frustrating depending on the model and with rust and the like. I’d watch some YouTube videos and get a repair manual and for your car before diving in. The outlay of tools isn’t too bad. You’d probably need a pickle fork to separate the ball joint and a ball joint press to remove and replace it, but a lot of parts stores rent the presses out. Other than that it’s your typical automotive tool kit, a jack, and jack stands really. I don’t think you’d have to worry too much about an alignment afterward with those two parts, but some shops will do a check for a pretty low fee if you’re unsure. Firestone and Tires Plus do lifetime packages too, and I got a good bit of use out of mine with my Fit through a few different repairs I did. nitsuga fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Mar 29, 2021 |
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Mar 29, 2021 04:35
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Having done one ball joint and having seen another done, it's either a horrific pain in the rear end or easy, I don't believe there's any middle ground. When I did it I had to use a MAP torch to loosen it up so I could use all my strength on the pickle fork to separate the ball joint. That's the kind of job that I would gladly pay someone an hour of labor to do if he's throwing in doing some bulbs and stuff with it. The sway bar end link isn't so bad but it's possible to do it wrong which is a pain in the rear end because you don't realize it until you try to turn tight and the sway bar end link starts rubbing against the inside of your wheel.
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Mar 29, 2021 04:42
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nitrogen posted:Are Optimas ok in the heat? I live in North Texas where it gets pretty hot.
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Mar 29, 2021 04:46
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nitrogen posted:Ohh. The silverado 2500 is based on the same chassis as the 1500 and came with the duramax. Its just a 2nd battery tray and hold down that goes by the firewall on the passenger side. And yes, optimas work fine in the heat, but you would want a yellow 78 to drop easily into that location. Or just any agm 78 battery.
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Mar 29, 2021 04:47
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Pollyanna posted:Got it. So the door seal on a Honda Civic is what stops water from leaking in and soaking the A pillar cover? (that part that’s soaked in my photo) It's the car's sides. Front, back, left, right. The headlights are at the front, the tail lights are at the back. Don't forget to check the other door seals as well while you're at it. If they are rotting you should replace them. If you were getting water ingress from the windshield it's very unlikely that it would pool and leak in that position there although all things are possible. But you should replace the door seals first as that is relatively inexpensive, easy to do, and is clearly needed on your car.
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Mar 29, 2021 11:37
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situation: I have a detroit truetrac in the rear of my jeep TJ (dana 44). it was set-up professionally by a local offroad specialist who is regarded as "the best there is." it's been flawless and silent ever since (>6 years). that guy retired so i brought it to another mechanic deal with a leaking rear diff. he eventually dx'd a bent axle and r/r'd that shaft & pinion seal. issues: he mentioned off-hand that he added "skunk oil" to the diff. not sure how specific the term is, but i see that it might be a friction modifier, which i think is a no-no on torsen-style diffs. he also commented that he thought there was too much lash in the rear (this is in the detroit FAQ as being expected on a TT). when i got the jeep back, i immediately noticed a new noise: gear whine coming from the rear when in-gear (manual trans) & decelerating. questions: could the additive in the diff be causing the new noise? if not, what else could be going on? should i get the mechanic to drain the diff & replace with fresh gear lube and skip the additive?
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Mar 29, 2021 15:39
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New England goons: Is there a good pick and pull junkyard around southern NH or north of Boston? I want to find a trim piece for my Focus.
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Mar 29, 2021 17:22
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My usual haunts are Sam's pick n pull in Worcester and a few in RI which is far for you. I'd try brandybrow in plaistow maybe or Tony's on rosemont in haverhill, though I haven't been to either in like... 7 and 25ish years respectively. drat.
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Mar 29, 2021 18:15
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Hi, I have like zero knowledge of cars and a dumb question. Traditionally the way my family's handled snow/summer tires is to have Firestone swap the tires on the same set of wheels, but I've always had the idea of just getting a second set of wheels so I could just pop them on/off myself when the season changes. Is that dumb/unnecessary? My instincts tell me that constantly popping the tires off the wheels has to be worse than just having them be set for life, but again, I don't actually know.
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Mar 29, 2021 18:42
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I keep mine on a set of wheels. I figure it's cheaper than paying to mount and balance tires twice a year. Probably will need to buy a second set of tire pressure sensors.
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Mar 29, 2021 18:45
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Yeah thats actually pretty smart if you have the space, I do the same. Also lets you go down in wheel/tire size if you can and save some money. First time I did it I found that it was cheaper to buy a used set of 15" wheels with 4 new 15" snow tires than it was to buy 4 new 17" snow tires.
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Mar 29, 2021 19:10
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kastein posted:My usual haunts are Sam's pick n pull in Worcester and a few in RI which is far for you. I'd try brandybrow in plaistow maybe or Tony's on rosemont in haverhill, though I haven't been to either in like... 7 and 25ish years respectively. drat. Thanks, I figured you'd be the one to answer. Those look good and Worcester isn't too bad if the closer ones don't have what I want. Scrree posted:Hi, I have like zero knowledge of cars and a dumb question. Traditionally the way my family's handled snow/summer tires is to have Firestone swap the tires on the same set of wheels, but I've always had the idea of just getting a second set of wheels so I could just pop them on/off myself when the season changes. If you have the storage space to keep them, having them on separate sets of wheels is the way to go. Check out craigslist and you might find a set of wheels and tires from the same model car that will already have the tire pressure sensors installed. Or if you want brand new everything, Tire Rack will ship you a set of tires already mounted to the wheels of your choice. You would need to get the sensors programmed so your car recognizes them
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Mar 29, 2021 19:24
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Scrree posted:Hi, I have like zero knowledge of cars and a dumb question. Traditionally the way my family's handled snow/summer tires is to have Firestone swap the tires on the same set of wheels, but I've always had the idea of just getting a second set of wheels so I could just pop them on/off myself when the season changes. Second set of rims is fantastic living. Put them on and off based on your schedule. Late or early snowstorm? Make the switch a few days before. Always wanted some obnoxious day glow rims? Perfect for the winter wheels. I even found a set that is the same design as my three season set, but a few inches smaller. Oh yeah I forgot it also means you can have a smaller rim diamater which means less expensive tires usually, and some say more sidewall is better for winter use. This year I picked up the transponder so I could do my own TMPS programming, much cheaper than expected. StormDrain fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Mar 29, 2021 |
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Mar 29, 2021 19:26
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StormDrain posted:Oh yeah I forgot it also means you can have a smaller rim diamater which means less expensive tires usually, and some say more sidewall is better for winter use. My Fiesta ST runs 205/40R17 from the factory and a set of Blizzak WS90s for that size cost $148.33 a piece. If I minus-size the wheels two inches and use 185/60R15s though they're only $89.72 per tire and I get a full inch more sidewall to absorb potholes and other general winter road shittiness. The price difference in rubber more or less pays for the wheels. If you have a place to put the wheels/tires and the ability to swap them yourself there's truly no good reason not to have a full set if you live somewhere that winter tires are worth having (or if you just want to be able to run some extreme performance tires in the summer and just switch to all seasons in the winter).
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Mar 29, 2021 21:42
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My relatives own a Toyota Vellfire, a super plush minivan with a V6 (non-hybrid) that's driven literally every single day on various family errands and trips. It's barely The thing is this same independent checked over this car literally just days ago and gave it a clean bill of health, and I wonder if my relatives are being taken for a ride. They're not mechanically minded and would not be comfortable hooking up a jump starter. What would you do: a) leave it to the independent to do whatever they see fit b) insist that the independent checks everything in detail - alternator, battery health, power drain, etc c) have a bunch of parts replaced d) some combination of b and c e) something else? e: apparently the battery died when the car was 3 months old; they replaced the battery and assured my relatives that it wouldn't happen again. Then it happened again a year after. This is the third time... got off on a technicality fucked around with this message at 12:22 on Mar 30, 2021 |
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Mar 30, 2021 12:08
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My money is on the battery. Short trips, tons of gadgets and power hungry stuff. Is the replacement battery of a large enough capacity / correct for the car? Are there more than one battery?
MrOnBicycle fucked around with this message at 12:52 on Mar 30, 2021 |
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Mar 30, 2021 12:50
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Never fully charging the battery with long enough trips will definitely kill it, particularly in winter. Seeing as we're just into spring and this happens yearly, none of the above. Tell them to take better care and/or get a battery tender of some kind on it.
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Mar 30, 2021 12:52
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Battery quality control is poo poo these days. I've replaced probably 4 batteries in the last 5 years because they all dropped a cell and went down to 10.8V. I
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Mar 30, 2021 17:07
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Helping a buddy who is getting started on wrenching with a 1963 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, inherited from a relative. We managed to get it started for the first time in several years, initially on I want to say 3, then 5, then finally all 8 cylinders.  Good: Body seems straight and free of rust, convertible top was replaced somewhat recently, interior is in OK shape (except for the piece of wire poking out of the seat piping that CUT MY loving HAND AND JEANS), and, hey, again, we got it working! Bad: It leaks oil but I expect that's probably to be expected. Battery needs replacing. Some mods added at some point in the 80s/90s (like aftermarket cruise) that stick out like a sore thumb. I've never driven a car with such a huge engine that is so astonishingly slow (though, presumably, "fast" is not what this car's about). Lots of loose trim and electrical "gremlins" (window switches that don't work, that sort of thing). Atrocious: Tires (flat, warped, bulging and a weird size), brakes (barely functional drums because I presume the lines are full of moisture/air), suspension (I mean I know these things are boats but it feels like I'm driving a waterbed). Presumably leads/plugs need replacement. What generic advice have you all got for me? I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty but my issue is all the cars I've wrenched are much newer (like my 2000 Jaguar) so while I love the grand canyon size engine bay I have no experience with carbs/setting points/all that other stuff, and am used to having OBD-II to help me when car no starty. I'll come here with some more specific questions when I have them... sarcastx fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Mar 30, 2021 |
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Mar 30, 2021 20:27
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Step one is to take more photos of that gorgeous vehicle. Step two, for me, would be to address the brakes and suspension with a teardown of the brake system entirely, inspect, and replace anything rubber like hoses and seals, new shocks, and grease anything that gets greased. Fresh fluids everywhere, address leaks, check wear on wear parts, clean it up as much as you can to spot ongoing leaks. Basically its an old rear end car and it hasnt been in use so things are getting brittle and may break at any moment. Head off anything safety related first so you dont lose the whole car around a curve.
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Mar 30, 2021 20:45
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StormDrain posted:good stuff Thanks; yeah the brakes are definitively priority #1. We only took it around the block but it was pretty terrifying going even that far - I mean, I haven't driven a car with all drums before so I expected it to be poor but obviously something's actually wrong because I can't imagine it's meant to be *this* bad. Ultimately we've been asked to get the garage empty so the car needs to move soon (its new location is thankfully only a few miles away) - but I hope we can get its brakes working OK so it can drive there under its own power rather than needing to get a flatbed. As far as pics go I can give you two more for now (it was getting dark).  
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Mar 30, 2021 21:02
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sarcastx posted:Thanks; yeah the brakes are definitively priority #1. We only took it around the block but it was pretty terrifying going even that far - I mean, I haven't driven a car with all drums before so I expected it to be poor but obviously something's actually wrong because I can't imagine it's meant to be *this* bad. Ultimately we've been asked to get the garage empty so the car needs to move soon (its new location is thankfully only a few miles away) - but I hope we can get its brakes working OK so it can drive there under its own power rather than needing to get a flatbed. E: I love it post more about it when you get some time
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Mar 30, 2021 22:04
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sarcastx posted:Thanks; yeah the brakes are definitively priority #1. We only took it around the block but it was pretty terrifying going even that far - I mean, I haven't driven a car with all drums before so I expected it to be poor but obviously something's actually wrong because I can't imagine it's meant to be *this* bad. Ultimately we've been asked to get the garage empty so the car needs to move soon (its new location is thankfully only a few miles away) - but I hope we can get its brakes working OK so it can drive there under its own power rather than needing to get a flatbed.  Holy poo poo that interior. Please get your buddy an account and start a thread for this gorgeous girl.
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Mar 30, 2021 23:03
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The most American of cars. drat I love it.
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Mar 30, 2021 23:07
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God bless classic GM porno red interiors. That thing owns hard.
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Mar 30, 2021 23:17
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Does anyone have viperowners.txt handy?
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Mar 30, 2021 23:37
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I'm looking for a '63 or '64 Fleetwood 4-door hardtop. That car is in great shape. Get used to the waterbed ride, it's a feature. Steering is also point & shoot, and as a youngster who never drove anything but rack & pinion, the recirculating-ball steering is going to feel mighty loose and take a little getting used to, especially the utter absence of road feel. There is nothing wrong with drum brakes, most of my cars had them. What's wrong is hosed-up, unmaintained and worn-out drum brakes. They are somewhat less forgiving than discs. As StormDrain noted, you'll want to replace the front rubber brake hoses, all of the wheel cylinders, the shoes, and possibly get the drums turned if they're not reasonably smooth. Then bleed at least a pint to a quart through the system, starting at the furthest wheel & moving up to the master.. You should also cycle the fuel out of the gas tank because it's lost most of its bang & is heading to turpentine city. Hook up an electric fuel pump ahead of the mechanical pump and put the discharge hose in a five-gallon gas can. run it dry and add at least a quart of alcohol to the tank, a half-gallon to a gallon is better, to help remove the water that's accumulated at the botton of the tank. Then pull at least a couple gallons of gas through it until it's clear. Then change the oil & filter, check the plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor & points and make sure that the are corrosion-free & adjusted to spec. Get it running. The more that engine runs, the smoother it'll get. You still may need a carb rebuild or replace. Pretty sure it's fed with a Rochester Quadrajet. These are big cars, but a properly tuned and tuned-up 460 will move it along smartly. The brakes will be more than adequate when they're refurbished too. The windows may be electric, or they may be vacuum. Most of the electrical issues are likely corrosion on contacts or grounds from sitting (it's rare that all of the windows don't work). If you get tired of it, I'll take it off your hands for a small fee 
PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Mar 31, 2021 |
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Mar 31, 2021 04:56
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Oh yeah I had typed and deleted stuff about the gas. Im glad I didn't too, that was a better writeup than I had. My International is four wheel drums and they actually really work, but they do feel different. There's not much give in the pedal once it's actually braking, and the difference between slowing and screeching to a halt feels like no distance moved, just the force applied. Now it's a slow heavy pickup that I drive like an old man so I don't experience brake fade like you might driving around town all day or comin down the mountain.
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Mar 31, 2021 05:23
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With the brake flushing, what about checking the bore in the master cylinder before pushing it all the way down? I've heard that with a car that has been sitting for a long time, with brake fluid being hygroscopic, it can cause the internals of your master cylinder to rust up and score the bore and piston when depressed all the way. And with the drums, personally I'd convert to 4-wheel discs, but that's just me.
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Mar 31, 2021 05:27
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As far as the gas, what about the valve seats?
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Mar 31, 2021 12:14
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C-Bangin' it 
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PAYDIRT. http://cadillac.oldcarmanualproject.com/manuals/1963/1963%20Shop%20Manual/index.html Oh yeah. This poo poo will be handy.   Plan is to start brake work on Thursday, and hopefully get it in reasonable enough condition with weekend wrenching that it can move to its new home. Speaking of the valve seats I don't know if it needs lead additive - I mean, I would assume it does - but I suppose it's possible that the late PO changed them over at some point. I'd trawl the garage for bottles of fluids/chemicals and see what all might have made its way into the car but PO also had a ~1940s/1950s Harley so I'm going to assume false positives are abound. edit:  Thanks for the clarification, GM sarcastx fucked around with this message at 13:23 on Mar 31, 2021 |
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Mar 31, 2021 13:20
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hey man that car was made back when nuts and bolts were cutting-edge technology
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Mar 31, 2021 20:10
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I'm just impressed the got the nuts over the shaft.
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Mar 31, 2021 20:36
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2007 Ford Focus, how long should fresh power steering fluid last until it turns black and gross again? It groaned under certain steering inputs so I changed the gross fluid like a year ago and the noise stopped. Noise hasn’t returned but it’s looking just as cruddy in there now. Wondering if 1. That’s fine? 2. Change the fluid? 3. If it’s already killed that fluid in a year something else is wrong?
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Mar 31, 2021 21:31
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RadioPassive posted:2007 Ford Focus, how long should fresh power steering fluid last until it turns black and gross again? Did you actually extract all the fluid, or just empty the reservoir and refill it? The latter will need to be repeated many times to fully get clean fluid in there.
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Mar 31, 2021 22:08
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Extracted, I used a cheap hand pump with some tubing and filled/emptied it a couple times.
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Mar 31, 2021 22:31
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sarcastx posted:PAYDIRT. If you have little to no experience replacing drum components, give yourself a full day and take your time. Even after sitting, the drums will be full of brake dust, and who knows how much asbestos is in there (depends on how old the shoes are) so you might want to wear a disposable mask when you remove them. If you have a hose handy carry each drum out into the yard and hit it from as far away as possible and/or upwind, and sluice it out real good. Take photos of each wheel before removing the hardware. Yes, you have access to a factory shop manual, but you never know if there was some mid-year change or other weirdness that doesn't match the book. Unlikely, but belt & suspenders. Oh yeah; get it heated up & check the transmission fluid. Should be arterial red or maybe a shade or two darker. If it's heading for chocolate cherry, replace what's in the body. There's no drain for the torque converter (only Chrysler seemed to do that on the Torqueflites) so it may not come all the way back to bright red. If it's real bad, do it a couple times. The 400 Turbo-Hydromatic this car (hopefully) has is bullet-proof but the seals like to leak behind the TC and all over the exterior case, especially the loving neutral safety switch. Which you have to open the pan to change the O-ring. With respect to lead additives, I have never used them; drove the '66 Bonneville for ten years and when the motor was pulled for rebuild (rings, etc. Poor thing was worn out) the valves & seats were fine. Where you may run into trouble is alcohol in the gas playing hob on the rubber seals & bits in the carburetor. You're probably going to wind up rebuilding it at some point, or replacing it with something modern, so I wouldn't sweat that yet. Get it to go, then get it to stop. After that you can have all kinds of fun. RadioPassive posted:2007 Ford Focus, how long should fresh power steering fluid last until it turns black and gross again? That seems to be a sign of seal failure in the rack or pump (given the groan, it may be the pump). Hope it's the pump. Dissolving O-rings bring the black. VVV just the rears. The fronts are removed at the bearing by removing the Jesus nut. In fact, you don't even have to remove the wheel! VVV PainterofCrap fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Apr 1, 2021 |
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Apr 1, 2021 01:58
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Your brake drums might also be rusted the gently caress on to the hubs. Be prepared for that.
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Apr 1, 2021 02:02
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I'm glad someone brought up the asbestos concern, it's a real issue. Hell... Only through the combined action of WA, CA, and IIRC OR was asbestos in *new* brake parts finally banned in TYOOL 20FUCKING10. And the manufacture ban only became effective in 2015, and old stock can be sold until 2025. The 2010 law also banned copper (for waterway pollution reasons) beginning this year with old inventory allowed to sell until 2031. And asbestos is still allowed in many exhaust gaskets, putties, packings, clutch discs, etc. Be careful out there. If there are asbestos free products in the category you need advertised, that means ones that don't say anything about it may well have asbestos in them. Most manufacturers determined that the states that banned these materials are a large enough market segment that it no longer makes sense to have two formulas and are just abandoning asbestos and copper (and Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg) but verify what you're buying especially if it's a cheaper or specialty product. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) kastein fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Apr 1, 2021 |
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Apr 1, 2021 05:38
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