Time for some DIY.Discuss maintenance/repairs/projects here.
general motors
Halright chall. I was planning on going to the junkyard to strip out an SDM tomorrow but if it's freezing rain I might not. I have to remove the console to get the module out of a buick enclave. I might have to remove the seats too?
>>26428268Is there anyway to test an SDM module like this besides installing it?
>>26428260i did the brakes on my daily yesterdaypads and rotors on the front and pads in the rear.parts for my audi 5000 are on the way so hopefully i can get the front end back together and wastegate replaced and have it driving within a week or so.
im fixing my trailer dovetail and putting my park avenue together this weekend always seems theres always another part to order and rebuilding something always nickel and dimes you to death
>>26428260I plan to continue to calibrate my conception of what the fuel gauge means near E. It seems a bit more precise than I originally though if given some time to adjust to changes in elevation, and I suspect something to do with the side-saddle shape that straddles the driveshaft has something to do with it. Like maybe as the pump circulates, the fill side and the measure side start to equalize, or after driving and sloshing it around some. I believe I am not yet in panic danger of one more short trip and one more trip to the gas station.Maybe halfassedly clean the interior again. I forgot how calming to the mind it can be set everything back in order once the mind enters the psychological state often called "flow." Everything else is in reasonable stasis until it gets warmer, including only slightly suboptimal tire pressure.
>>26428260How do you guys justify doing repairs/projects on a car you don't plan on keeping forever? I know it sounds stupid but if it isn't my dream or long term project car I kind of lose a lot of desire to work on anything.For example I have the model car I want to be my eventual long term project but it isn't the same trim level and the trim specific options can't be added realistically (sunroof, reinforcement in certain areas) so I usually reside to doing or adding things that could be swapped over to the eventual "real" project car.
Gonna do another at homeAlignment on my father in laws pickup truck cuz he has excessive positive camber. Solid rear axle and there’s adjustment cams on the front upper control arms accessible under hood so it should be EZPZ with the quicktrick
>>26428361For one, I wouldn't have a car at all if it weren't important to me for various reasons, from entertainment to utility. It might not be a strict necessity to me, but I guess neither is a capable laptop that costs less than an iphone. And I've learned over the years that I'm better off fixing most things myself even if I screw up because it's a long term renumerative investment as well as a good way to learn and build useful equity in tools, parts, and skills.Also I just like working on physical things and solving problems I don't have to. It's a great relief from the total insanity of a desk job in the tech industry. The universe's rules are not so subject to insanity and imagination, I can take the time to do things the way I want them done on my own time, and at the end I can enjoy driving the result :DAlso I'd hate to get the unicorn car only to discover it's not what I really want now that I'm older, and having to start from scratch wondering how I take care of it at all.
>want to engine swap my car>but it’s a really clean, low mileage versionSuper conflicted. Maybe I’ll go with a lesser swap that’ll preserve the ability to revert to stock if I want to.
Replaced the crusty old I ntake pipe on my Hilux with a new one. Not exactly a big project but glad it’s done. >>26428361For me I can usually justify working on vehicles that aren’t forever vehicles by either thinking about how much money I’m saving by doing it myself, or thinking how much my work will increase its value when I sell it, or by thinking of it as an opportunity to learn without potentially breaking my dream car. I got my learner motorcycle for dirt cheap because it’s got bad paint damage and I’m justifying painting it by knowing it’ll be worth at least double what I bought it for and I’ll have a chance to learn to paint on something I can’t possibly make worse.
>>26428361I take pride in being able to fix my own things.
>>26428260Got the tranny on a table. Draining the oil, gotta swap gears anyway. Then I'll try to get the bellhousing off.
Free wood for the fix, and my trailer jack broke.Fuck
>tfw your weekend is taken up by the in-laws coming over for dinner and no wrenchingGot $80 worth of steaks about to go on the grill at leastOh fun fact, was doing the starter on Mom’s car last weekend and her gay Daimler Benz type Jeep plastic key was cracked and falling apart. Told her she needs to get a new one like yesterday or she will be screwed. Jeep dealer quoted her nearly $500 for a new key + programming. Called a locksmith, he referred me to his car key guy, dude came to the house next day and programmed the key in 5min for $140.
>>26430398>warranty void
>>26430269that's pretty nice for free woodt. spent my early life building/repairing all kinds of stuff out of dumpster wood, piles from demolition jobs, broken pallets, broken furniture, &c Wood is amazing stuff and proper lumber even for shit jobs is crazy expensive.
>>26430685I can't believe this 3000lbs truck is breaking through this, these treated 2*6 looked fine Does treated lumber deteriorate differently?
>>26428361I plan on keeping it forever
>>26428260Went on a date with my wife to the pick n pull to get her a new brake actuator. Fuck Toyota, fuck the gen 2 prius, and fuck jannies, niggers, and faggots. Thankfully the replacement part works and I saved $800 in parts and $2500 in labor doing it in my garage. Just need the OBD cable to arrive from amazon so I can bleed the new unit and get back on the road.
>>26430703dude I-beams are I beams for a reason bro. when you build wooden floors you need to have planks on their side underneath to bear the load. The nice flat ones on top are just to cover it so you don't fall through between them. It's not going to matter of it's treated or not if the structure itself isn't built right.2x6 should usually be alright underneath that depending on how far you have it spaced, but a 3l000bs truck might merit some oldschool turn of the century stuff like some rough hewn 4x6 members under every so often or whatever. I'll leave it to somebody who knows more than I do about how to spec it out exactly.
eyup, that aughta do it
Today was a good day.
>>26428361it's a learning experience for me
>>26430770i will crawl under it to see what the inbreds trussed it with, its a mobile home frame for all i know >>26430740try finding a fucking 2az where the intake isnt full of oil or the head isnt hideously warped, i swear toyota owners are the worst i was actually headed out to the junkyard to measure the 1st gen rav4 mounts for a 5s swap into my gen 2 when my truck broke
>>26430808i mean it aughta i reckon
>>26430917>tfw my picknpull is closed on weekends now
>>26431295at least you have a pick n pull.another yard closer to me closed down a few years ago.then the biggest one in the city closed its doors early last year.one of the ones i used to go to about 1.5 hr drive now no longer allows public access because of too many retards injuring themselves and then trying to sue the yard for their own incompetence.one that i fairly frequently go to is temporarily closed while the new owners sort their shit out. rather unfortunate because i left a smol screwdriver in one of the cars and it was actually quite useful.the only remaining one for me is just as far as the 1.5 hr drive one, but in the other direction, and they don't have the cars im after.
>>26430424There’s no warranty on that old Jeep. She only got one key when she bought the car, so at least now she has a backup.>tfw grandma in-law wanted me to put her medium-rare USDA choice steak back on the grill a few minutes more
>>26428260Can an old catalytic converter operating at or below 70% cause my exhaust fumes to look slightly white?I dont think I have a blown head gasket because my oil looks fine, car runs great, doesnt overheat and I'm not loosing coolantEngine is a 1MZFE with 230,000 miles
>>26428361>How do you guys justify doing repairs/projects on a car you don't plan on keeping forever?By only having one car that I need to get to and from work. Thats a pretty good motivator. But I also just enjoy wrenching. The more I do it, the better I get at solving problems
>>26432759that's steam, anonfrom the air
Anyone ever fuck with repairing instruments? My hand me down alto sax won't easily play any notes below E and I don't think it's me. Overhaul with pad replacement is like $800 at a shop so hoping to diagnose it myself. I could probably replace a few pads.Looking to fix my shit other than cars because it continues to be 40 degrees F and my garage isnt heated.
>>26428373When I build my dream garage, what's the best way I can have builders make the floor level? Some kind of self leveling second pour after the house settles on the slab? That alignment setup is slick way better than the fishing line I use.>>26430740Winter junkyard waifu? Damn
>>26430174Bellhousing is off
>>26433655As suspected, found more RTV where gaskets are supposed to be.
>>26433662
The diff is in again.
>>26433817What kind of tires do you run in australia? Probably something with good grip
Road salt is a jewish conspiracy
>>26432759Burning oil is blue smoke that leaves your hands feeling a little oily.Coolant leak is white and sweet smelling.Clear exhaust that hurts your eyes is unburned fuel.Clear exhaust that kills you in your garage is the release from life.There is a strong chance your 2k mile engine has a head gasket leak.
>>26433439Tuning instruments is like 80% black magic I thought. Good luck anon.
>>26433841>Probably something with good gripYou've got to when driving upside down
>>26434154Well shit you're on /diy/ so I might post there if successful. I'm buying $150 in parts/tools. Gonna replace all the leather pads, resonators, "level" each of the tone holes (the brass is corroded and green on the lip) and clean and oil the thing. There's no end to the gatekeepers trying to convince people not to even try repairing instruments online. This thing isn't worth an $800 service, fuck it I'll try it myself. There are lots of youtube videos.>>26433882Fucking hell it's like uniformly thinned. What's your plan? Sell?
the trussing looks ok, definitely homemade this board is just shitting out and its soft here
Car wobbles between 65-70mph. Doesnt wobble at all unless its in that zone. Thoughts?
>>26434293Nah, that was just first cut. Removed more and reweldedThese frames were never made from thick metal - 3.5mm if I recall
Bros..Its over
i am going to lap my valve seats with toothepaste and send it
>>26432759catalytic converters don't correlate to exhaust smoke.if you're loosing coolant, and you're not just seeing steam from a cold start on a coldish day, perhaps you have a coolant-to-cylinder headgasket leak. the coolant doesn't have to be in the oil or vice versa to have this type of leak.when the engine is cold, remove the radiator cap and start the engine. if there is a constant stream of bubbles making their way up to the top, there is a HG leak, otherwise, you're fine.
i doing my first oil and filter change on my first car /o/.>2014 mazda3>85k milesi have a jack and stands and all the tools i think ill need. my question is: what are some other things i could inspect/clean/replace while the car is up on stands? i already plant to rotate the tires. also rusk inspection not an issue due to the climate.
>>26435676Chock your tires so you don't die down there. Pick up a roll of shop towels and some rubber gloves for the oil.
>>26435134Uneven tire wear is a strong contender. Get all the way in to see those back tire inner walls.
How to fix? Get some metal sheets, cut off all rust, replace with sheets, weld to what metal that is left? Any better method?What cheap welding machine should I get for this? I can't afford anything with gas. Also have similar rust damage on the wheel covers/sides whatever they are called
>>26435676Get a new oil plug, or just the copper/alu seal if replaceable. Get some Teflon thread tape if the threads on the oilpan is bad. Had to redo my shit because of this reason, had I had the tape the first time it would have saved time and money.Also make sure you don't die if the car falls >>26435770
>>26435219Mixed cum in the coolant?
>>26435176Welder bro, have an answer for me? >>26435945
>>26428281>audi 5000Had to look this up. Wasn't 100/200 cool enough for the US market?
>>26433841Nah, placing the car upside down made installation a drop-in job.
Didn't turn a single wrench, but I did have an offer accepted on a house. Going to have to wait till May1 to get a builder out there to put a workshop up for me, but I'm super stoked not to be stuck in a 2 car garage with my wife's car and all my shitboxes parked in the driveway.
>>26435945Body welding sucks, much better to find a door at a junkyard and transplant it. Any retard with a mig gun can fix a frame, but proper sheet metal repairs are difficult and take years of practice to master.
I was doing a tune up on a 1MZFE a few weeks back. While taking the intake manifold off, I noticed that the outlet (circled here in red), was completely gunked up. Can someone tell me what that outlet is for, why it would be gunked up and how I should handle the situation?I unclogged it before putting everything back together, but I'm kinda worried I should have done more to clean itEngine has 230,000 miles
>>26436176follow up question:would it be retarded to dump a bottle of seafoam in my intake to help clear that up?
>>26436176If it ain't broke don't fix it. I dumped a can of seafoam into a car further first time in 300,000 miles and it shook enough gunk loose to clog the pipes and turn the catty bright red.
>>26436339>clog the pipes and turn the catty bright red.yeah good point. my cat is already on its way out.
Strut brace in, clears manifold by a cunt hair, all it took was shaving, hammering, and cutting a washer to clear the welds. Worst "10 minute job" ever
>>26436489Is the motor going to break plastic clips and shit when it torques over? Are you going to send engine vibrations thru the strut bar?
How do I find the exact tool I need to remove my oil filter? Do I actually have to measure the dimensions of the filter and then compare that against the wrenches?Took me forever to even find the oil filter was under the damn car
>>26436589Pic related (that’s oil filter and drawing plug, right?)
>>26436596come on dude it has a hex on it. Put an adjustable wrench on that. If you're lucky it'll come by hand but not likely.idfk what a drawing plug is but that plug there isn't your drain plug. Drain plug is on the bottom of the oil pan. Look for pictures of your car if you cant figure it out or ask an adult.
>>26436589Should be able to remove it by hand, key word should. If you weren't the last one who did it odds are it's torqued on with the force of a thousand suns. You can get them off with a strap wrench around the whole thing or just stab it with a screwdriver.>>26436596No, oil filter is a can
>>26436589probably a 27mm/1-1/16"
>>26436609Pic rel, what oil filters look like.
>>26436615If that's not a fuel filter or something in the picture it looks like it's an oil filter housing that takes a cartridge filter
>>26436617Well I'll be derned. All my vehicles just have the external can type.
>>26436621It's a german car thing
>>26435676>>26435955>Get a new oil plug,85k miles it should still be good. You'll want a crush washer handy however.
>>26436621>>26436623That's why America won the war. Less fruity bullshit
>>26436657>America won the warlmao.
>>26436688We sure did. If you don't like it go to your pta meetings. You do have a wife and 4 kids in the suburbs, right anon?
>>26436695we gotta start winning wars again though. That one was almost 100 years ago at this point
>>26436715Wars against desert people and jungle folk never go well for anyone. We're good at kicking people out of other countries. All the natives have to do in places like Afghanistan is wait until we leave. If China goes into Taiwan we'll fuck some shit up. If you want to a win a war maybe we should have left ghadaffi alive to start something.
>>26436606Thanks for the illustration, lol. My only concern is that they have some specification for how tight it needs to be, will it fuck things up if I just wrench it by hand?Pic related is what looks like the drain plug to me (dumb auto correct). And I haven’t changed oil in almost 20 years, so… >>26436621>>26436623Yeah, German car so it has a cartridge thing the filter goes in
>>26436766Don't even wrench it, just hand tighten. If you don't have the torque wrench you can overtighten it and break things.
>>26436772That might have been a stupid answer since it's has a nut shape. If you use a wrench to grip it, under no circumstances should you make use of that extra leverage. Overtightening it will cause problems. Get a small torque wrench for $50-80 or whatever they cost now if you plan on doing most of your own maintenance. You don't need that much precision on your oil cap but you do not want to exceed their number.
>>26433522I’ve just been doing it in the driveway which is surprisingly pretty level since it’s like a 6 car driveway, up by the house away from the street it’s almost entirely flat, it’s only angled near the street. Either way, you zero the digital angle gauge at each wheel before taking measurements so it compensate for uneven floor. Is it perfect? Nope, but I’ve done two alignments with it so far and both drive straight with the steering wheel center and no wierd handling characteristics like uneven return-to-center. Both cars have new tires so time will tell, gonna have to watch tire wear like a hawk to see what f there’s any abnormal wear developing. I do oil and rotations every 5k on the fleet so I’m looking at the tires pretty often
>>26436577>is the engine going to break plastic when it torques overIdk, maybe, it's not touching now and the only thing that would touch is the cap on the pcv tank thing on top of the manifold>will it send engine vibrations through the barDoubtful
anyone else know this feel?
>>26436804>>26436772Ok, thank you. I guess I’ll look into torque wrench too since I don’t even know how they work
>>26436990They're very easy to use. You might decide to postpone it because it isn't really necessary for oil changes or most things, but I have one so I use it anyway. Basically you dial in the torque for the nut you're turning (look it up) and the head of the wrench gives way when you hit the pressure so you know to stop.
>>26436970It's a fucking scam nobody needs any of the other things than the double ended red crimp connector and the male-female crimp spade terminals>>26436766really need more context (wider photo) to see if that really is the drain plug. It will be at about the lowest point of the oil pan (sump) of the engine. that lumpy piece this bolt is attached to looks too strangely shaped to be the oil sump. It could be holding back for instance ATF or PS fluid for all I can tell. You need to consult your cars owners manual at least.>>26436772>>26436804With my Mini coopers that used a similar setup, I would hand tighten and go maybe 1/4 turn at most with the wrench afterwards. If you truly do it too loose, oil filters can fall off. The concern with overtightening is it's a bitch to take off normal oil filters when they've been overtightened. With your setup with that wrench piece and good access, it's not as bad.
>>26436589The claw type oil filter removal tools are still my favorite. They’re like $5 and can reach anything with different ratchets and extensions. Strap wrenches and the big pliers are shitty to use in a lot of spots
>>26428260>Cleaned headlight connections on the fit>Cleaned and oiled clutch pedal since it was sticking too>changed cam gasket on the miata.
>>26438175You did put dielectric grease on those connectors, right?
>>26436176this is the where the PCV valve connects to. dumps the crankcase gas into the intake
>>26435945>>26436032>better to find a door at a junkyard and transplant itWas thinking about it, but previous owner said they were $150 each and only had red, I need two. The front wheel side body things also needs repair. So that would probably be $400-500 + that I would still need to go through all the hassle of sanding them down and repainting. So I was thinking I might as well buy a machine for like $150 and be able to use it for other things too.Wouldn't it just work to cut away damaged parts, bend in a new sheet and weld it stuck. Then sand down and try to do my best with the paint, toning it into the old undamaged parts of the door. Or just painting anti rust paint on it and slap over some huge sticker sheets "wrapping" the replaced parts, and doing a match on all other doors of course?Fake carbon perhaps?
>>26436489What's this cute little filter?
>>26436589Don't buy this fucking chain thing at least. It may just be the premium German engineering, but it was hell to reach and get it to grip correctly on my Audi.
>>26436654For my car the washer was attached to the bolt. Was only $4 though, but as said, shit didn't work because the pan's threads were fucked. Luckily the Teflon tape saved me.
>>26436766>will it fuck things up if I just wrench it by hand?The most likely thing is overtightening it. Watch some video on how someone does it.
>>26438935It's a crankcase breather, used to be a hose to the intake, then I made my own intake and didn't want to put another bung on there. Going to adjust it though since it does get some oil, will run it to a catch can then run a hose under the car so there is vacuum
>>26437782>It's a fucking scam nobody needs any of the other things than the double ended red crimp connector and the male-female crimp spade terminalsFor me... it's these.
Any reason to not use XT60 connectors to extra lights? Plan to run like 2.5mm2 cables to them. I leaning on 5 and I think they go up to 100W. Will this fuck my battery/generator though? Should I put LEDs in them instead, or just run 50W? It's Hella Rallye 2000s.
>>26428260how do you guys like to burn in your brakes?I just installed new pads and the passenger side is slipping
>>26439030can either do a few emergency stops from highway speeds (where there's nobody around of course) or just drive it normally until you feel that the brakes bite differently (you'll definitely notice it)
>>26439030Doesn’t take too many hard stops from 50mph to get them working. Just find a quiet road where you can get some speed
I measured both the rav4s and considering gross error for all the shit thats in the way, it looks like the A->S swap will work, the ECU even looks identical. Obviously I will need the harness as the 5S and it's transmission doesn't have vvt or anything fancy, timing belts will be a pain but I get to do the first one on the stand. $650 for an entire <150k engine vs $650 just for parts to rebuild the one I have, no ringland issues, world renowned vs universally hated, and hopefully it pisses off whoever notices it's not stock. Cars are the same weight, same gearing, same-ish aerodynamics, so it should basically function as a gen 1 RAV4 with the larger 5S engine.
Keep getting this misfire on cylender 1,3 on my mustang gt 2013.I changed the coils and plugs, just ordered some new injectors and put seafoam on the tank.Hopefully that gets rid of it.Other than that I been trying to figure out what comes with the trackpack on my car, since I just noticed a bunch of aftermarket shit on it and wanna confirm if it was part of it or not
>>26439444Has it been driving shitty or just the CEL?We need a dummy’s guide to misfire codes.
>>26439519Not driving shitty but it's been showing a flashing engine light that goes away after some time, and idling rough at like 550-650rpm.I plugged a shitty scan tool from napa and it said it had multiple misfire code and 1 and 3.The engine has 141k miles on it
>>26433522>When I build my dream garage, what's the best way I can have builders make the floor level?Poired concrete is pretty level if done correctly with a slow-setting concrete. Then you can get a poured epoxy floor on top if that for that extra smooth.
Today's work, wiring up the e-fans and figuring out where and how to mount the controller, fuses and wiring.>>26438989Connectors look sturdy, those should do.
i found another medium metalic blue buick out in the junkyard, it had the graphite interior i needed seats from, but it was cloth and someone had wiped their nasty ass hands off in it, i might steal the steering wheel though i did finally get the fucking downpipe that everyone likes to ruin by cutting the cat off before the flange, when i was researching this there is a $500 equal length downpipe kit that makes a 3.8 sound pretty good https://youtu.be/6SAnRfMTMIc
>>26435975idk man.the bigger number is more betterer i guess
Fans are wired up and working now. Such fiddly work to make it clean and properly fused.
>>26435945New doorIn >>26435945 you said a new door is $150, which is fucking nothing - and sanding down & repainting a door is waaaaaaaay less work and leaves a much better result than rewelding that ever will. You'll have to make proper trim holes, get the right bends so that it will seal right, grind down the beads so it'll be flush - we're talking quite a few hours of work that is in no way worth it for a part that is perfectly replaceable
>>26438989I'm a semi-professional light installer & reseller, and I would suggest going with a Deutsch/DT-connector. They seal so much better and can take a higher currentWhat is the total wattage/amps? If you're running 5 x 50w thats 250w, which is not the worst draw - especially if you're in a modern car with its higher-amperage alternatorsPuitting LED-kits into old halogens like that usually don't give you a better result, they simply don't cooperate too well with the reflector design. HID-kits are usually way better for that purpose - a good 70-70w kit will nearly double your output compared to stock 55w halogen
>>26428260Smol thing. Finally got around to installing the shifter boot I bought from yahoo japan, since the OEM ones have been out of stock for at least 10 years and this one was made specifically for this model. Made the shifter frame out of a coat hanger cut down to size, then 3M VHB tape to wrap it around the coat hanger frame.After that, had a bit of trouble trying to get it to stay in place in the clips on the underside of the plastic shifter surround that do exactly that with the OEM boot. Seemed like the leather was just a tad bit too small so I eventually just went ape and started stretching the leather and coat hanger frame apart literally goatse style, which ended up making it fit securely - now when I move the stick, the entire leather part no longer comes free of the plastic trim.
>>26444181>Deutsch/DT-connector.Too expensive I feel. The XT60 can handle 60 A continuous and 160 A peak, so I'm not worried about that. Guess the sealing is true, but I could also just replace the cables if they go bad. Along with using heat shrink and tape as some protection.The Hella can handle up to 100W, so at most it would be 500W. But I will perhaps just run 50W bulbs in them. I have an Audi A4 from 2004, don't know if that's considered modern.I don't really get how the reflections work, I mean either the light point out, and it should be fine, or it points anywhere else and should hit the reflectors?HID kits seems a bit expensive? $50+ per light? Perhaps a future upgrade.
I built an airbox and re-tuned my motorcycle last night. Just got back off from a test ride, need to build a restrictor plate to funnel the air as it's essentially a jazzed up brass pod filter that hangs off the side so air is flowing straight though it at higher speeds. Gonna make one out of vinyl or leather cause it'll look fresh as fuck.
>>26445257500w is a rather heavy draw, I'd advice against it. And they can "handle" 100w, but you will experience fading after a whileAn LED-bulb gives out its light rather differently than a halogen or HID bulb does, and that light then hits the reflector in a different way, which then projects the light "wrong" compared to the bulb it was designed to use
Fuck you VolvoFord for making this job so much worse than it needs to be. If the trailing arm would just bolt to the rest of assembly it would take a quarter of the time
Oh, and guess who found out that his bushing tool specifically ordered for this job would not fit over the driver-side bushing due to the bracket on the bushing being twice as wide on the nordic models?Had to drill out the spot welds on the bushing, remove the bracket, press the bushing in, bolt up the bracket to original fit, weld it in place, remove bolts, weld up the holes and then refit the trailing armYes, the welds are shit - my mask was inside and having its torchbattery charged, and I couldn't be assed to go get it
>waiting for parts for the winter beater (now the summer beater)>still too cold to work on the summer beater i bought struts
>>26445405Nigga I've spent the last 16 winters wrenching in an unheated & uninsulated concrete garage in a colder part of Norway - whats your excuse?
>>26445409>- whats your excuse?lack of urgency. i have many running carsthe summer beater is bukkaked in snow, surrounded by snow, is on bald high performance summer tires and the shop is is a couple miles away. the nicer cars are under the car port awaiting more parts so unless i just wanna stare at them im chilling.
>>26445420Fuck, thats an actual good excuseI've pretty much only ever did the necessary stuff during winter, so that checks out
>>26445422yeah trust me, i really do wanna wrench. I stare at my cars yearning for it, but I don't want ice-cold blistered hands and accumulated annoyance thanks to the outdoors.Also WEW that's fucking cold.
>>26445422When it's -40, you don't even need to specify C vs F
>>26445432Anything below -15c/5f I will try to avoid, unless its really necessary or really quick. Good clothes, a blanket to sit on and all that makes a real difference, but it ain't pleasant to work with anything made of metal, the welding mask keeps fogging up, rubber is way stiffer and all that crap
>>26445442For me, its the old slip while you're giving it your all and gash open your frozen knuckles/hands on some suspension bit's edge.
>>26430398>those chrysler keyfobsif you have two working keys now, buy 2 or 3 more of the shitty chink ones on amazon for like $9 each, with two keys you can program them yourself for free, then you'll never need to buy another from a dealer or locksmith again.
>>26436970I buy the packs of just that connector and refill my assortment. I do this with nuts and bolts too.
>>26445455>giving it your allThats why I've got Milwaukee impacts and an induction heater
>>26445534My impact's motor is dying, milwaukee aswell, been using it for 3 years so not bad.
>>26445540Had my ratchet and big impact for close to five years now, with zero complaint - working completely fine and as new despite being dropped, abused and having been covered in oil numerous timesI have regreased the transmission and anvil-setup on the impact tho, which started to run a bit dry after three years
>>26445534The more I see these pop up, the more tempted I am to grab one. They seem to be getting popular, especially since you don’t cook everything in the area like the oxy torch. And we all know current day MAPP doesn’t do much.
>>26445633That's a nice set of impacts. I pretty much have no complaints about mine, it just isn't taking off shit like it used to. Knew I should've bought the big boy size.
Replacing sparks, oil, and filters. Is this crack in the intake line fixable with some sealant? Or should I just run to AZ or some other parts store and grab a new one
>>26445642What model do you have? Is it an older brushed one? I hear the complaint “my impact is getting weak” from the brushed ones way more, not even just Milwaukee guns. The Snappy brushed guns and Earthquakes were like that too. The new brushless ones get trigger death or battery rattle or something.Also if you’re going to get a new one, either the 2767 if you can find it for cheap because it’s been out for a few years, but the newest mid torque brushless 1/2” are going to be good for all but the most rusty awful old bullshit. They’re like 600ft-lb now (rated*) and so compact that they’re great for all around /o/ work.
>>26445650That looks like it’s going to keep splitting no matter how hard you try to stop it.
>>26445639I really like the Telwin one for hobby-use. It has a fair price point, is a tad more efficient than the usual 1000w aliexpress special, and there is a good deal of extra equipment available for itIt also has a contactless-tool so you can heat up stuff just by putting the "wand" to it instead of having to put coils over, but after giving it a few tries its not doing the job too well - doesn't seem like its able to get enough heat into the metal to break anything loose, unlike the normal coils which gets a super-rusty M12-bolt glowing red hot in 30 seconds
>>26445666Was thinking similarly.Guess its decently past rush hour to drive without retards clogging the roads.Nice satanic get btwCheers
>>26428260Wrenchers help. I think the catalytic converter on my Corolla just broke. Loud exhaust inside and outside, light rattle sound that is very similar to a video i watched demonstrating the sound. It's going to mechanic on Monday to confirm but I wanted to ask: is it possible to bypass the converter? I understand this wouldn't work in States with emissions testing but mine doesn't have that. Or some other less expensive bandaid fix? If it's the cat I'm expecting am $800+ estimate and would like to avoid that as i'm buying a new car soon anyway.
Nothing like wrenching an old shitbox where every single bolt is rust welded together
>>26430740Nah fuck you pussyYour wife looks better like that
>>26430740>Went on a date with my wifeDoes your girlfriend know?
I'm going to continue gutting this thing until it's bare.
>short ram intake>one piece aluminum drive shaftrace car!Its good for like an extra 10hp at the wheels r-right...?
>>26446095Nevermind, I found the answer. Apparently I can indeed straight pipe it where I live.
>>26445389you need to buy the LEDs that actually try to replicate the factory halogen filament location. Those will give off a decent amount of light in the right areas without destroying the retinas of oncoming drivers.
>>26446271Why?
>>26447361Lower weight makes it go faster
I found one whole ass downpipe the junkyard didn't torch or crush, gm decided these should be dual walled with kevlar filling instead of putting a heat shield over itWelded some pipe onto the flange, should work better than the inbred po's dryer vent and Y cut expansion attempt
>>26446121The solution is literally >>26445534
>>26445633do you guys have any advice for getting the batteries without rape prices?
>>26448262Yeah that's the conclusion I've come to. This is my first year living on my own and I don't have a lot of tools.I had big plans for today, doing shocks all 4 corners, front brakes, O2 sensors and the IAC valve. In the end all I'm going to get done is the O2 sensors because everything else is physically impossible for me with what I have.So I'm gonna go to harbor freight get a fucking impact wrench and kill every rust fucking shit
>>26448295From me here in Norway; no. Buy original batteries (I've tried replica/fake batteries, they suck hard ass), and take good care of them>>26448296Induction heater is also a must-have in the rusty parts of the world, especially as they're starting to be quite affordable. They will save you hours upon hours
>>26446095>>26446301Additional update on this. It wasn't the cat or the muffler. Pipe sleeve broke along with pipe. Mechanic was able to repair in an hour. This was a big relief as the amount of noise and vibration it was making in addition to metal clattering noise at idle AND during acceleration sounded exactly like busted cat and clogged system.
Finally got around to putting a helicoil in one of the starter bolt holes of my project truck.The previous owner had jerry-rigged it with the wrong bolts somehow and almost junked the whole transmission case.It starts now reliably without any teeth grinding.
I am changing the oil on a 3rd gen Tacoma tomorrow. I have never changed oil on a vehicle before because I am a wrenchlet. What are some commons pitfalls or fuckups to avoid?I've studied the process over and over and over and it doesn't seem hard, but I'm just worried I could somehow ruin the engine.
How the fuck do you put a set together to start wrenching.What exactly do you even need? Do I just start off with expensive Wera or Hazet tools in the cry once buy once fashion, or just get the super mega huge cheap sets and call it a day?
>>26449871>What are some commons pitfalls or fuckups to avoid?Only hand tighten the filter. Pre-filling the filter isn't as big a deal as everyone makes it to be. Don't overtighten the drain plug. Don't buy Fram filters. Use jackstands.
>>26449897ok good tips. i have a torque wrench and the specs for the drain plug / other things so i hope it'll be fine.>use jackstandsI have enough room to work under the vehicle, is it retarded to not jack it up? I guess if the parking brake fails I die
>>26449906>torque wrenchOverkill. Tighten with your emotions.>is it retarded to not jack it up?Jack it up. Then place the jackstands under the frame. Lower the frame onto the jackstands. Push truck back and forth to make sure it's stable. Keep jack underneath as an extra safety. Don't work under a vehicle being held up solely by a jack.
>>26449880>WeraOnly if you’re primary use for the tools is unboxing vids on RedditAlso it sounds like you’re in Yurop, so I don’t know. Look for a socket set that’s made in Taiwan. Pretty much all of the lifetime warranty mid range “Mechanic’s Sets” in the US comes from Taiwan and stuff like Gearwrench and Craftsman and Kobalt will get you 90% of the quality of the premium stuff for 25% the price, and it’s more than enough for weekend wrenchers.You’re better off having the tool when you need it than not having it when you need to get the job done because you were saving for some French or German made version. >>26449906If you have space to work and it’s an SUV or truck, don’t even worry about jacking it up. Make sure you have room to properly swing the wrench so you don’t end up cockeyed and strip the drain plug. I don’t jack up my car, however some trucks and SUVs have trays and shit you need to pull off to get to the plug and/or filter.But follow anon’s advice for jacking when you need more height. Don’t lift the car and go under it without jack stands. And I’m with him on the torque wrench, just snug it with a 3/8 drive ratchet or whatever combination wrench, just don’t absolutely slam on it. IMO, common sense is as good as a torque wrench as long as it’s not something with moving parts or a gasket and/or lots of bolts like valve covers and heads.
>>26428265F*rd
replacing the header panel on the grand marquis. youbetcha I used aerosol cans to paint it. the top is the only part exposed. the rest just needed some color on it so it doesn't show through the grill.
I've done the control arm bushings, balljoints, wheel bearings and races, brake lines, pads, grinded the rust off of everything and hosed it all down with gloss blackpls dont bully me for getting overspray on the rotor is swear im not retardednext I got to throw some oil in the steering rack and see if it leaks or not, then put new tierods on it, then go through the rear brakes, control arms and eventually drop the transmission to eyeball whether it's worth a fuck or not inside, then get the motor ready to go in.
>>26448313>especially as they're starting to be quite affordable.Might be quite easy to DIY even.https://www.instructables.com/1000W-Portable-Induction-Heater/But otherwise, could you dump current into stuff with an converted microwave transformer, or would that just risk welding it?
>>26449871>What are some commons pitfalls or fuckups to avoid?Overtightening the oil plug, might fuck up your threads in the oil pan, i.e. not good. Look at how hard people thighten it in videos. Usually it's just- okay nevermind just read >>26449906 If you already have the torque wrench you can thighten it to specs. IF it is fucked up by a previous owner keep teflon thread tape at hand, that shit saved me. My threads were fucked (in pan) so just used a bunch of it and it just works.Also you can use a tool to thighten the filter IF it's covered in oil and slippery so you can't get a thight squeeze by hand. But don't pull it hard with the tool. I have never had anyone prefill the filter in the oil changes I have been present at. So wouldn't worry about it.
>>26449880>How the fuck do you put a set together to start wrenching.If you are rich you can buy a complete set. Otherwise just buy things as you need 'em. I read some apparently classic advice. Buy cheap stuff first, if you use it enough to wear it down you can buy an expensive. Haven't done that much wrenching, so don't know if it's great advice personally. But for most tools it's just metal, anything will likely work.
Should I replace the coolant and do a flush, or is it a meme? Audi from 2004, don't know if it's been done before. Probably years ago if ever. Any other liquids that's good to replace (other than engine oil, I have replaced that)? I haven't noticed any problems, but don't know if I would even do that desu.Also engine cleaning? Good or worthless? The shit you pour in the engine for 15 minutes of idling when changing oil. Heard these cars have had problems with oil clog due to Audi's retarded "long life" plan. Didn't notice much when I replaced oil last time, perhaps a few small cloths.
had to go buy orange RTV for the first time because i havent touched retarded donut gaskets outside a shop yet >>26449880walmart and harbor freight have basic bitch socket and open end sets for under $100>>26452047>coolant flush?not necessary, just change drain and replace, don't mix tap water with concentrate, use distilled water or 50/50 premix>any other liquids?check the colour of the transmission fluid, should be cherry red, orange or darker is time to replace, nobody services manuals so changing the fluid would be good idea>heard these cars have problems with oil clog due to Audi's retarded "long life" plan as long as it hasn't been serviced according to that plan you should be fine, 3500-5000 miles depending on how the oil condition is looking, you can substitute a quart of oil for a quart of generic ATF which has stronger detergents in it and do that for a few oil changes at shorter intervals (2000-3000mi)
Me and a buddy fixed his sister's Elantra. Boring shit like lower control arms, sway bar end links, outer tie rods, ball joints. Couple of smashed fingers but a good time.No homo, but he and I just automatically know how to work together. We never get frustrated with each other, and one guy knows what the other is looking for and hands it to him before he asks. We always do car projects together.I'm convinced a car buddy is the key to enjoying wrenching and not giving up on projects.
Just gave up on my first repair, Head gaskets is not a good thing to do as your first job.
>>26449871Be careful about the amount of oil you're putting in. You don't want to overfill. Slightly under full is fine, slightly over is potentially a problem. Don't forget to put the cap back on. When pulling the old filter make sure the gasket is still attached and isn't stuck to your car. That's it.
>>26452086>not necessary, just change drain and replace, don't mix tap water with concentrate, use distilled water or 50/50 premixPerhaps I was unclear, but I just meant to refil with water, drive around for a while, empty it, and refill with coolant. Perhaps repeat water stage twice. Not use one og those machines. Was this what you meant was unnecessary? Also is tap water really that bad? I have heard that the shops just use that. I don't think we have particular hard water here. I have already put in half a liter when topping it off.>check the colour of the transmission fluid, should be cherry red, orange or darker is time to replace, nobody services manuals so changing the fluid would be good ideaI'm European, so its not an auto. Still something to replace? >as long as it hasn't been serviced according to that plan you should be fine, 3500-5000 miles depending on how the oil condition is looking, you can substitute a quart of oil for a quart of generic ATF which has stronger detergents in it and do that for a few oil changes at shorter intervals (2000-3000mi)It has been on the the two year between changes "long life" plan as far as I know. Think that is equivalent to about 2000 miles in the either time or miles definition.The oil had a few small cloths I think when changing, I changed it hot. I was planning to start changing every year now. Was thinking of running the "engine wash" if I change this summer. It's like $35 I think, so not a big investment. Is there any problems with them, or is the ATF (automatic transmission fluid?) method better? Or better to just say fuck it and continue to change yearly and and see if there's any build up?
>>26452119a ballsy entry
>>26452112>tfw car buddy moved away before I got a carWe did wrenching on his though. I was probably not always the best help, as I'm not that fond of getting dirty. Did much sound stuff with him though, like at least four five cars.
When I get around to selling my car, I'll justify tagging my white dakota. I want to pull the 5.9 out of the parts truck, put aluminum heads on it, have the block decked and everything, put headers/hughes airgap on it, and pray the nv3500hd holds together. Just aint got no time. Hopefully I get a new hire and can have him do simple shit while I chase my autistic dream.
>>26452030>it’s just metalAvoid the cheapest stuff. Get tempted by that $5 Harbor Freight socket set with the round head ratchet and you’re going to rip some skin off the first time you look at the ratchet the wrong way.>>26452047ATF is the only fluid I ever hear people iffy about. The rest of the shit, go for it if you want to be proactive. No harm and getting some Seafoam in the old shitbox either, the “cleaning”, I always get a little bit smoother idle and stuff for quite some miles after doing that.>>26452119Like legit you have never done a brake job or even an oil change?If that’s the case, understandable. Even if you’re real good at building giant LEGO projects, there’s no broken studs or seized bolts in LEGO.
Anyone here replaced a pitman arm before? Any advice? I've heard they're a bitch to get off, especially on a 30 year old car.
>>26452199>The rest of the shit, go for it if you want to be proactive.So brake fluids and the rest of the shit is all a meme in the end? Lasts forever even on a 20yo car, although once in its life it was probably serviced correctly.
>>26452252Brake fluid gets dirty as hell and collects moisture, so I think the biggest issue will be performance when you get the brakes hot. Power steering fluid… eh. Coolant is probably worth doing though, shit gets more corrosive over time and radiators aren’t cheap.I’m mostly just lazy. Brake fluid is going to get flushed when some other brake component goes bad, so that’s that. Power steering fluid will get done when the pump goes around 150k miles. Trans fluid… my car doesn’t even have a dipstick so I’ll leave it alone aside from a last ditch effort to try and help a slipping trans with 200k miles. If I were driving some sports car I got with 80k miles and wanted to keep it around for the next 10-20 years, I would probably be more religious about the flushes, but I have a consumable CUV and if I start flushing the power steering fluid, I’ll probably end up with new leaks in a month or two.
>>26452234Don’t be afraid to spend $15 on a puller tool…Last time I ignored this advice, I almost destroyed a tile wall trying to pull a shower cartridge.
>>26452234>>26452280And get a puller with interchangeable pins. Nothing worse than getting the tool in and finding the heads are too big to fit the the piece.
>>26452301Whoops, I am the confused. I was thinking of a cam pulley holder tool or whatever you call this thing.
>>26452301>>26452280I have both a pitman arm puller and a tie rod end puller, so i should be good. i've also been spraying penetrating fluid on the pitman arm every day for the last week. besides getting it off, my second biggest worry is making sure the threads are lined up perfectly.
>>26452280can agree on this. if it's a cheap(ish) tool might as well get it. pulled out an output shaft seal by sticking a crowbar underneath, and then hammering the shit out of it. And I was only able to do that by taking off the back half of the gearbox.But apparently a seal puller tool just gets it out like nothing.
reposting from the sqtddtotIs an outer cv joint replacement something a total DIYlet can do?
Alternator bracket gasket gone on my N62. Looks like I'm in for a shit weekend
>>26452969for me i just bought the whole axle and replaced it. now that i know what to do, i could probably get it done in 15-30 mins. this is for a 90s camry however, and rust free too so no stuck bolts etc.
>>26453360Was thinking that but it looks more tricky and idk if it's even necessary. Also I could only find used axles for my exact model and I've read a couple accounts online already saying they bought used axles/CV joints that were also bad.
>>26453360>first time around takes 4 hours>second time around takes <15 minutesSuch is the nature of these things.
>>26453403Feels good though when you do a job for the first time on your own shitbox and it’s a whole afternoon, then a friend wants the same thing done and the shop wanted $700 for it, so you tell them $100 for parts and $150 for labor. Then you knock it out in 45min and look like a pro and go spend your $150 on some new German pliers.
>>26452161yap, learned my lesson.>>26452199nope, bought my car off my mom because she gave up on getting it repaired. and needs head gaskets at the bare minimum to get it running.
>>26453942also not the easiest car to work on, a Pontiac torrent with the 3400
>fuck up a gasket>cause a vaccuum leak>car runs better than beforecarbs are weird.btw the secondary butterfly wasn't opening which is why i opened the thing up. it was jammed shut. i managed to free it so much that i could suck on the diaphragm and it opened the secondary, but it doesn't open when on the car itself. when i turn it by hand it doesn't close completely, causing a very high idle. i guess i ddin't free it up enough 7mmHg of vacuum doesn't cut it.how do i lube it to make it even easier to turn?this is a Suzuki Alto sb308 with an f8b
My oil sensor is whining. Note, not that the pressure is bad, it just says "Oil sensor". It's the Audi >>26452047 Has been happening rarely, it popped up today once.
>>26452146tap water can still have some minerals and chemicals that can accelerate corrosion, unless you see a lot of debris when you drain the coolant the first time, a water flush is probably a waste of time >not an automaticyes i would still replace the gearbox oil>2 year 2k mieh you should be fine with regular motor oil then especially if you are going to change it more frequently now, 2k miles or its equivalent in km probably not enough to denature oil to even see it darken significantly. ATF may be difficult to find cheaply in europe. Seafoam and other solvent additives are supposed to be ran some amount of time before the oil is changed, ive never done it that way but a solvent is a solvent, it should do something
>>26453942these arent the easiest cars to work on, but an 3.4 should be a $350 engine or if you want an LKQ one with a warranty around $1000 doing more work tends to be the easy route, if you have a cherry picker or want to get skecthy with some cinder blocks, you can drop the subframe onto a furniture dolly and have better access to replace the engine im doing a similar GM subframe job with no lift now and can have photos in the next couple weeks, its around 15 bolts to drop and i've done this in the junkyard with no special tools before
Bled my trucks brakes for the second time in a week, pedal back to normal. First time I did maybe twenty bleeds on both sides & load-sensing valve, still spongy with no air coming out. Now I had air for the first three bleeds on drivers side, and then it was fine
>>26428265
Looks way better than the rest of the car lol
pitman arm anon here. So, I got the old pitman arm off without much trouble. I put the new one on and lined up the markings(on the shaft & new arm) perfectly. However, my steering wheel was crooked by like 90 degrees. How can that be?I ended up disregarding the markings and just straightened my steering wheel and straightening the wheels and eyeballing it as best as I could, and put all the bolts on. The markings like this were probably 1 or 2 teeth off from where they should have been. I then took my car for a test drive and the steering wheel was crooked about 20 degrees or so when going down a straight road.So my question is this: Should I just take it in to get an alignment, and who cares that the markings are lined up? What would you guys recommend I do?
>>26454749Alignment. Its one of those jobs where you are never able to do it as good as a workshop unless you spend a lot on tools that cost more than you'll ever spend on alignments at a shop put together
>>26454864Hmmm okay. It's frustrating because the steering wheel is just slightly crooked, and the 'markings' are slightly off in the same direction- I'm certain if I could pull the pitman arm off and turn the steering wheel I could fix it so it's straight, but.... I really don't want to pull that pitman arm off again. I haven't had an alignment done in over 2 years so I guess I'm due for one anyway. I'll take the easy way out.
>>26454234ive certainly considered an engine replacement, but not diy so any information on that would be great. its a car i really want to save for sentimental purposes, but being a broke student doesn't leave me with much money, and i don't really have the most room to work on it.
It was almost 60f out today so i'm finally addressing the problems the GSX has.Starting with hanging the evo 3 turbo and FP cast manifold on it to finally rid it of the t25 and cracked stock.
Considering modding some electric windows in my car. Never done any sort of big car work, but I do have some experience with soldering headphones. What am I in for?
>>26456229What are you gonna mod?
>>2645624104 Corolla. I've looked around and saw people either using the parts from the higher spec car (that came with power windows), but most people seem to have gone for that universal kit.
>>26456275So you are simply gonna install power windows, going from levers?If everything fits physically you should just have to draw power to the doors, shouldn't be that hard. If you want to control both from driver seat then you need to draw some extra control cabel. Unless there's some hidden fuckery it's probably quite easy, electrically speaking.
does anyone know anything about toyobaru p000b issue
>>26456860nvm I figured it outhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nWq6Eaci7o
08 tiburon. I get to diagnose whats hopefully a coolant leak or potentially a rocker or head gasket failure. heres hoping its the cheaper failure.
Burping the cooling system, opaque coolant in the radiator. This always means a head gasket issue?
How hard is it to work on a 2008 Pajero? Stuff like changing brakes, filters, belts.
>>26457169Watch some Youtube vids.I always say brake jobs are a good first step for anybody who wants to get comfy wrenching beyond oil changes. They’re not hard, after the first wheel you figure it out and can knock out the other 3 pretty quick, and you can save $500 easily with a socket set and a C-clamp.Filters should be easy enough, and belts on a V6 or V8 in an SUV shouldn’t be too bad, belts are most annoying in certain transverse engines when you have motor mounts and shit in the way.
>>26457169Eaay - all stuff like that are pretty much always very service-friendly
