ExigeEvan
Premium
- 17,192
Sacrificing the ability to aim at pedestrians for a fraction of MPG?
What have you done to your car today?
- Thread starter Perfect Balance
- 6,673 comments
- 392,848 views
- 3,202
- Murcie LP710
Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Now with iron precision sights!
- 2,833
- Colorado
- GTP_Cyborg
Two new CV axles are in, and the ride is oh so much smoother. However, most of the noise was coming from the wheel bearings, which luckily I bought almost a year ago and never installed. I just need to get down to a junkyard for a hub, as I stripped two of the bolt holes during the tranny swap.
- 2,529
- G-D Luxembourg
- GTP_Vince_Fiero
- 3,211
- Brisbane
- Punknoodle_Nick
I noticed that the power steering fluid had gone down a bit, and when I went under the car to drain the oil for it's oil change I saw quite a bit of fluid spill in various places. Great! Couldn't see where it was coming from, so I degreased it all and topped up the fluid, and will check again after I take it out next... So probably going to have to get the rack reconditioned, but thats ok, just another thing to add to the long to do list!
- 3,211
- Brisbane
- Punknoodle_Nick
Keef
Premium
- 25,166
- Dayton, OH
- GTP_KeefRacer
- GTP Keef
Yesterday I took a car down to a friend of my dad's because the guy just happens to have a two-post lift in his garage, sitting next to his Snap-On tool box that requires a walk from one end to the other to open all the drawers. I guess that's what you can accomplish after being a mechanic for 30 years.
Anyways, we lifted the car up and I installed a few replacement parts. I took the old rear camber links out and put the new ones in to supposedly remedy a really obnoxious clunk that sounded like the car was going to fall apart. The install was super easy and they worked just as Mazdatrix said they would. Beyond that, since the rear end is more controlled in general it actually has a better ride and feels firmer, and of course silent now. Awesome.
I also put in new engine mounts. The stock rubbers are 20 years old, soft, and pliable. The led to excessive rocking and knocking from the engine and way more vibration than a rotary should ever have. The new factory "competition" mounts went in with zero hassle and the only special tool we needed was that transmission jack sitting there in the corner. These mounts are much stiffer than the old ones but they lead to more controlled engine motions. The vibration is smoother but still present, and the vibration at idle is right where it's supposed to be according to my good friend the Mazda technician.
I attribute most of that vibration to the Mazdatrix engine torque brace accessory I added to their strut bar that's on my car. It mounts solidly from a steel bracket on the engine to a gusset on the strut brace. Unlike most torque dampers there's no actual "damper", it's just a solid bracket pretty much. The only compliance is two rubber bushings. Pretty sturdy. It's caused a really annoying exhaust heat shield rattle though, the one that covers the manifold. It already gets hot enough in the interior so I'm not going to take it off just yet.
Speaking of hot, we did what I thought would be a sketchy "conversion" from R12 to R134a in the AC system. Apparently simply screwing on different pneumatic attachments, emptying out the R12, and filling it with R134 actually does work. Now I have air conditioning! It feels just as cool as my mom's new Corolla, not to shabby for a 20 year old system.
Anyways, we lifted the car up and I installed a few replacement parts. I took the old rear camber links out and put the new ones in to supposedly remedy a really obnoxious clunk that sounded like the car was going to fall apart. The install was super easy and they worked just as Mazdatrix said they would. Beyond that, since the rear end is more controlled in general it actually has a better ride and feels firmer, and of course silent now. Awesome.
I also put in new engine mounts. The stock rubbers are 20 years old, soft, and pliable. The led to excessive rocking and knocking from the engine and way more vibration than a rotary should ever have. The new factory "competition" mounts went in with zero hassle and the only special tool we needed was that transmission jack sitting there in the corner. These mounts are much stiffer than the old ones but they lead to more controlled engine motions. The vibration is smoother but still present, and the vibration at idle is right where it's supposed to be according to my good friend the Mazda technician.
I attribute most of that vibration to the Mazdatrix engine torque brace accessory I added to their strut bar that's on my car. It mounts solidly from a steel bracket on the engine to a gusset on the strut brace. Unlike most torque dampers there's no actual "damper", it's just a solid bracket pretty much. The only compliance is two rubber bushings. Pretty sturdy. It's caused a really annoying exhaust heat shield rattle though, the one that covers the manifold. It already gets hot enough in the interior so I'm not going to take it off just yet.
Speaking of hot, we did what I thought would be a sketchy "conversion" from R12 to R134a in the AC system. Apparently simply screwing on different pneumatic attachments, emptying out the R12, and filling it with R134 actually does work. Now I have air conditioning! It feels just as cool as my mom's new Corolla, not to shabby for a 20 year old system.
- 4,579
- Houston, TX
- astrosdude91
I changed the oil in the Ranger. I did it myself!
- 232
i rebuilt my oil cooler changed my oil to Rotella T synthetic.\, and did a drain/fill o nthe radiator.
took 5 gallons of coolant and 4 gallons of oil. runs smoother, cooler and better then ever. no more annoying oil drip either.
took 5 gallons of coolant and 4 gallons of oil. runs smoother, cooler and better then ever. no more annoying oil drip either.
- 3,211
- Brisbane
- Punknoodle_Nick
Ugh...problems...
It all started great, I bought the car with a blown head lamp, and when I got around to removing the lamp I found they were sealed beams. So I bought some Hella Conversion lenses, so that I can use H4s from now on. Also got Phillips Crystal lamps for that blue look and they came with replacements for the park lamps too, it would look silly having blueish headlights and yellow park lights after all!
Heres a shot of the colour of the standard light, then a comparision (I should have changed the blown one first LOL) but you'll just have to compare it to the park light, well you all know what colour standard lamps are anyway!
And finally a night shot
Then, problems. Big problems. I was just having a look around the car, checking all the fluids etc, when I decided to open the fuse box, looked inside and found the EFI fuse had been super hot, all the plastic had melted off it and it was now really soft. EEEK! So I pulled out the fuse with pliers, and this is what it looked like:
So I cleaned it up as best I could to the contacts, sprayed in a little contact cleaner and popped in a new fuse, just to last until I go to a wrecker and get a replacement fuse box. To do that I disconnected the battery whilst I cleaned it up. Connected it up, ran the car, and it runs like a dog. I mean really bad, the car was running rish before (I have the marks on my drive to prove it!) and I was planning on getting it dyno'd anyway, but now its shocking. Missing, spluttering, the idle has dropped, so I'm thinking something definatly still aint right.
Next step, I disconnect the battery again, rip off the intercooler so I can get to the spark plugs, pull them out and they are pretty black, but also have this "rust" on them. They are Champion (I know, crap) Platinums (the bare minimum for this vehicle) and I'm sure I don't have a blown head gasget, and that leaves fuel, well I always run 98 octane, so I really am puzzled as to why they are like that. Anyway, to the bin they go, and I'll pick up some NGK Iridium IX plugs for it.
As for the other problem, the radio started blinking after I had that problem with the fuse, so I'm thinking there is a serious electrical problem. I ripped out the fuse for the radio, guess what, its still blinking (somebody's done a dodgy) so now I have to pull out the radio, check the wiring, meanwhile the other problem is still there, I am going to check out a lot of the loom and make sure everything is ok - so I started doing this and found this wire:
Now, it is located beside the water temp sensor (from what I can tell anyway) but it isn't for the temp sensor, as I belive the temp sensor is just one wire coming off a spade terminal (using the boss as a negative return) but it definatly looks like it has snapped off SOMETHING.
So I've got a busy weekend planned trying to fight gremlins in my car
And THEN I have to get it dynod. Glad I found this before hand though, would have been interesting turning up to get dynod with a dodgy EFI fuse, rusted plugs and a dodgy sensor wire (I just don't know what sensor, I will try getting a fault code out of the ECU once I get everything else sorted.
Oh yeah, long post sorry, but I also have an engine mount to replace in it, and a new belt for the alternator. Last weekend my friend and I did new belts and water pump and complete timing kit (belt, tensioner, seals) on my partners Lancer, it was making a terrible noise, the tensioner bearing was stuffed, the ribs on the belt were delaminating, lucky it didn't let go!
It all started great, I bought the car with a blown head lamp, and when I got around to removing the lamp I found they were sealed beams. So I bought some Hella Conversion lenses, so that I can use H4s from now on. Also got Phillips Crystal lamps for that blue look and they came with replacements for the park lamps too, it would look silly having blueish headlights and yellow park lights after all!
Heres a shot of the colour of the standard light, then a comparision (I should have changed the blown one first LOL) but you'll just have to compare it to the park light, well you all know what colour standard lamps are anyway!
And finally a night shot
Then, problems. Big problems. I was just having a look around the car, checking all the fluids etc, when I decided to open the fuse box, looked inside and found the EFI fuse had been super hot, all the plastic had melted off it and it was now really soft. EEEK! So I pulled out the fuse with pliers, and this is what it looked like:
So I cleaned it up as best I could to the contacts, sprayed in a little contact cleaner and popped in a new fuse, just to last until I go to a wrecker and get a replacement fuse box. To do that I disconnected the battery whilst I cleaned it up. Connected it up, ran the car, and it runs like a dog. I mean really bad, the car was running rish before (I have the marks on my drive to prove it!) and I was planning on getting it dyno'd anyway, but now its shocking. Missing, spluttering, the idle has dropped, so I'm thinking something definatly still aint right.
Next step, I disconnect the battery again, rip off the intercooler so I can get to the spark plugs, pull them out and they are pretty black, but also have this "rust" on them. They are Champion (I know, crap) Platinums (the bare minimum for this vehicle) and I'm sure I don't have a blown head gasget, and that leaves fuel, well I always run 98 octane, so I really am puzzled as to why they are like that. Anyway, to the bin they go, and I'll pick up some NGK Iridium IX plugs for it.
As for the other problem, the radio started blinking after I had that problem with the fuse, so I'm thinking there is a serious electrical problem. I ripped out the fuse for the radio, guess what, its still blinking (somebody's done a dodgy) so now I have to pull out the radio, check the wiring, meanwhile the other problem is still there, I am going to check out a lot of the loom and make sure everything is ok - so I started doing this and found this wire:
Now, it is located beside the water temp sensor (from what I can tell anyway) but it isn't for the temp sensor, as I belive the temp sensor is just one wire coming off a spade terminal (using the boss as a negative return) but it definatly looks like it has snapped off SOMETHING.
So I've got a busy weekend planned trying to fight gremlins in my car
And THEN I have to get it dynod. Glad I found this before hand though, would have been interesting turning up to get dynod with a dodgy EFI fuse, rusted plugs and a dodgy sensor wire (I just don't know what sensor, I will try getting a fault code out of the ECU once I get everything else sorted.
Oh yeah, long post sorry, but I also have an engine mount to replace in it, and a new belt for the alternator. Last weekend my friend and I did new belts and water pump and complete timing kit (belt, tensioner, seals) on my partners Lancer, it was making a terrible noise, the tensioner bearing was stuffed, the ribs on the belt were delaminating, lucky it didn't let go!
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- 24,344
- Midlantic Area
- GTP_Duke
What I've done with my car today: I've decided that the engineer in charge of where to put the oil filter on a K24 needs to be condemned to a life of having to replace them, without a lift, on cars that have gone 20,000 miles between oil changes.
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CAMAROBOY69
Premium
- 18,567
- Michigan
- CAMAROBOY69
About a week ago I decided to buff Heathers 2000 Saturn. We had a maple tree that constantly dropped sap and other debris on the cars for the last 8 years. Well I finally gave up and had the tree removed. After I started buffing I noticed that the sap actually ate into the clear coat in a few spots.
So now I might have to wet sand those spots with 1500 grit sandpaper and re-buff. The worst spot so far has been on the trunk. Hopefully the hood isnt as bad and the roof. The rest of the car buffed out nice.
I really need to get new front brakes for my 2005 Subaru. Also need an oil change. I plan to do those sometime this month.
So now I might have to wet sand those spots with 1500 grit sandpaper and re-buff. The worst spot so far has been on the trunk. Hopefully the hood isnt as bad and the roof. The rest of the car buffed out nice.I really need to get new front brakes for my 2005 Subaru. Also need an oil change. I plan to do those sometime this month.
- 433
- MR2 Land
- rollingzoku92
nothing since my car as died. i might wash the dust of her....
CodeRedR51
Premium
- 55,323
- United States
- Flushed out brake fluid with Super Blue
- finished tidying up my Idle control valve wiring
- Trying my hardest to find another rear sway end link before the track day on saturday.
- finished tidying up my Idle control valve wiring
- Trying my hardest to find another rear sway end link before the track day on saturday.
- 3,930
- St.Pete, FL
- NotThePrez
- NotThePrez
I like it, Dougboy. Take off the trunk spoiler and slam it to the ground and it's perfect.
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Saturday I began by cleaning about 3 weeks worth of lizard crap out of the Datsun since I hadn't worked on it in over a month. Also scraped about 20 years of tar and dirt from off the front wheel wells and managed to avoid being bitten by a baby centipede that made its way from the car to my finger without me knowing until I had turned my hand over and saw it. Quite the norm in Barbados as centipedes seem to be drawn to old cars.
Sunday I chiseled off the rest of the sound deadener tar from the flooring. Didn't have any dry ice so I had to do it the old fashioned way with a hammer and a flathead screwdriver. Found a little rust and a couple holes but nothing too major.
My old Datsun 210 is finally ready to go get some bodywork.
Sunday I chiseled off the rest of the sound deadener tar from the flooring. Didn't have any dry ice so I had to do it the old fashioned way with a hammer and a flathead screwdriver. Found a little rust and a couple holes but nothing too major.
My old Datsun 210 is finally ready to go get some bodywork.
WeinerSchnitzel
(Banned)
- 1,179
- GTP_W-Schnitzel
Joey D
Premium
- 47,544
- Lakes of the North, MI
- GTP_Joey
- GTP Joey
Over the weekend I got new rims put on the Cooper, two of them were bent when a pot hole the size of the Grand Canyon appeared from under a truck and I couldn't avoid it. It really sucked although it wasn't too expensive. $200 for two rims. Now people can understand why I didn't buy expensive rims and why my car does not sit on modified suspension.
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