Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Not my cars, but:

Sister's '03 ZX2 - new front brakes including rotors and calipers. loving rusty slide pins! :argh:

Friend's '04 Alero - New wheel bearing.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I replaced the fuel filter and cruise control cable on my sister's car today. Then I forgot and left the vacuum system disconnected on the 19 mile test run, so it was acting all wonky. Tomorrow, seafoam in the gas, and in the brake booster line.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Received, picked up or ordered the remaining parts to fix up the ZX2. The only other things that may be/are worn are the two ball joints, tie rod ends, and motor mounts. The mounts are like loving $300 so Sister can just live with the vibration at idle. Hopefully i'll be 100% in under two weeks.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I'm just assuming the mounts are bad because of the vibration at idle. The steering wheel does blur up and down a bit and various buzzes happen around the cabin. My thinking went - "worn mounts = less resistance for the motor to move, the motor can now move further before an opposing force moves it the other way - vibration". The car has 112,000 on it right now, I don't have any prior experience with it. So far i've been ordering maintenance parts, fixing the redneck fixes, and fixing the real problem that the rednecks were trying to fix (PCV hose open to atmosphere).

If you say ZX2s are buzzy, then this one is probably fine. There's no engine clunk that would indicate a truly hosed mount. I'll be all up in the wheel wells, so I'll be able to get a close look at all the mounts.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

ohstone posted:

The PCV hoses always break on these and will cause the car to die as soon as your reach a stop sign. Have you done your timing belt yet? If not you might wanna look into it. Its a non-interference motor but you'll still be stranded. 112k is just getting started for these cars.

I am doing the belt, and I have all the parts and pulleys from the Ford dealer. Water pump, too, but from Autozone. After looking at it, and then looking at schematics on alldata, I now realize it is driven off the accessory belt, not the timing belt. Whatever.

I'm replacing the struts with the S/R Tokicos (because they're cheap and Summit is like 50 minutes away), springs with the S/R Eibachs, bushings with ES urethane jobbers, and doing the timing belt and crap while I have the whole strut out of the right wheel well. I'll also be putting on 4 new tires and checking the tie rod ends and ball joints while i'm in there. I bet both of those are expensive and a huge pain in the rear end, too.

After that, it's just re-doing all the 0-120,000 mile maintenance actions properly. There was a receipt for a fuel filter change at 98k, but the one I found inside was an original part. I did the front brakes this past summer and replaced everything there. The back brakes have that stupid loving #4 phillips screw of doom. There's a lot of bulbs out inside the cabin, presumably because the whole wiring harness in the trunk smoked itself and had to be replaced, and took other bulbs out in the process.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
On my "fix everything on my sister's car project" today, I replaced the rear sway bar bushings and end links. The stock link bolts broke off as soon as I started to get serious about removing the nut. I had to sawzall the endlinks out of the bar, so it's a good thing the new kit came with everything needed except the bar to subframe brackets and bolts.

Two things - Bushing grease is loving sticky. Put the endlink bolts into the suspension and get the nuts started before you secure the bar to the subframe.

Going back outside now to further wonder how in the gently caress i'm going to replace the front sway bar and steering rack bushings.

VVVVV oh yeah that reminds me. While I had the back end up, I noticed that I could spin one of the tires by hand. With the parking brake on. Yes, the parking brake cable goes to both wheels.

Skyssx fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Dec 4, 2009

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I hosed MYSELF!

Yaaaaaay! I broke off a bolt head in a terribly awful place!

For those not up to speed, i'm refurbishing my sister's ZX2 while she's in basic training. This includes installing urethane bushings to replace the rotted and all around lovely rubber bushings. Today was tie rod end and front sway bar day. I snapped apart both endlink bolts, which was fine, because I expected it and had a sawzall all ready to deal with it. 15 seconds of "brrrrrrrrrrrrr!" per side and that problem was dealt with. The driver's side sway bar hold down bolt came out with minimal fuss. I had to put a 14mm onto a U-joint then onto my ratchet which put it up just above the steering boot on that side. I was able to ratchet it 1 or 2 teeth at a time until the torque was broken. Then, I brought it out the rest of the way from the top with a 3' collection of extension bars.

The passenger side bolt was having none such. I could get a socket and ratchet on it with a 1" extension, but the ratchet only came out enough for me to put two thumbs on it. I tried various things until I happened upon a 14mm 1/2" drive mid-well socket and 1/2" ratchet. Well that gave me half a hand's grip to work with! Success! It was moving! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY it completely sheared off the bolt head! :dance:

Cocksucker!

I went underneath and there is a hole in the subframe where I can see the rest of the bolt sticking through. There's a nut welded inside the fully boxed subframe holding the thing in. Not so much corrosion, I don't know why the head sheared off. I hit up a Sears Hardware and got a set of extractors where you hammer them onto the bolt or stud or whatever metal piece you want to turn, except when I got home, they were all too large to fit through the hole in the subframe. Additionally, this hole is off center for the bolt. Why would it be lined up?

I've been hitting it with penetrating oil, I can get some needle nosed pliers on it, but they're having no effect. Tomorrow i'm going to try to sacrifice a lovely 1/4" drive socket by hammering it onto the end of the bolt. I'm *hoping* that once it breaks free, it'll spin right out. Other wise, it'll be hammer, spin one click, hammer, spin one click, all the way down.

If that fails, I have two options. Option one is to remove the entire engine and subframe, then drill and remove as normal. Which really isn't an option unless i'm forced to. Option two is to cut a bigger hole in the subframe, use the fancy stud removal tools I bought, then weld the hole back up again.

I don't own a welder. Best project ever!

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

Lowclock posted:

Does your sister even know her car has a swaybar, or would she notice or care if it was gone? :ssh:

No and no, but to remove the bar would also require dropping the whole engine, etc, solving the issue of no access to the fastner.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

kimbo305 posted:

It's not that convolutedly shaped, is it? You could sawzall it out it segment by segment.

That is true. I *could* sawzall it at the base of each U. I'd have to look though, it would still be really tight. I'll put this as option Z though.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I have repeatedly failed to remove the broken stud from the engine subframe in the ZX2 i'm working on.

I've tried two grabber kits. One you pound on, then spin, and one that you press on to the end and spin. The pound on one refuses to pound on. I've used a 4 pound sledge and an air hammer with a solid brass rod. I did get one of the pound on removal tools fully seated on the stud, but it just spun off what little threads it was gripping. The next size down just will not cut the threads. The spin during contact set has one bit that grips tightly, but just slowly shaves bits of metal off.

The bolt in question is a 8.8 grade M10-1.25 bolt. The head snapped off and the stud remains in the frame. I hole sawed a 1.25" hole, (enlarged a hole, really) in the sub frame to get at the bottom of the bolt. The top is 100% right out without removing the entire sub frame from the vehicle and then taking the engine off the sub frame.

$65 in removal tools down the drain.

My dad found this Quik Center and ordered one yesterday. I'm dubious about its ability to get out the bolt, but i'm out of ideas.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I did SOMETHING today!

Yesterday, I attempted to get both rear struts out of my sister's ZX2 and was foiled by siezed bolts on the bottom of the strut. I started too late to get crazy.

Today I went back out, turned the torpedo heater into the wheel well, ate lunch, and then went outside with a propane torch. This still didn't get anything moving with the rattle gun. I broke out the cheater bar, and after the iron was smoking hot, the bolts would creak and snap around in a circle. I did this until they turned smoothly, but they were still requiring a large amount of torque to move. Then I got my dad to hammerfuck the other end of the bolt while I was spinning it with the cheater bar. THAT got those fucks out! gently caress YOU bolts!

I used some AutoZone loaner spring compressors, OEM brand. Every time I rent a tool from this store, it's brand new in the box. I got the sissy little GIRL springs off and stripped the rubber bits and mount from the old strut. Then I tossed the old strut and spring in the recycle pile. I assembled the new S/R struts with some new H&R springs. Everything got reinstalled, torqued to spec, and I put all the interior trim pieces back in. I need to chronicle this stuff in an "adventures in domestic econoboxes" thread when i'm done.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I replaced a timing belt on a Zetec with VCT. While I had it apart, I replaced the tensioner and idler pulleys as well. We'll see if I got the tension setting right, hopefully it won't skip or shred. Whoever designed this engine is an rear end. For starters, you time the cams by turning them so you can slip this specially dimensioned flat bar into the back side of them. It's an extremely snug fit. Second, with VCT being what it is, you've got to be spinning the crankshaft breaker bar with your toe while you jam this flat bar into the intake cam. Then, you've got to get a 1" (or so) open ended wrench and spin the exhaust cam back and forth until the bar snaps in the groove.

At this point, you can remove the timing belt. Except, the center cover can't be removed without removing the engine. Once again, gently caress a bunch of that. I took out 2/3 bolts on the center cover normally, but one was WAAAY the gently caress up in there. I ended up using an 8mm 1/4" drive socket, a 1/4 universal joint and a Craftsman 1/4" ratchet. The problem was, I didn't actually need the U-joint to bend. I used a coping saw to take off 3/16" wide slivers of a carpentry shim, stuck them into both parts of the u-joint and snapped them off. Perfect! I only loosened that bolt enough to partially remove the cover, leaving the ratchet combo up against the bolt for tightening.

I had trouble getting the timing belt on, but this was caused by it being my first timing belt job ever. I didn't remove the slack when I came off the crankshaft pulley, so I had about two teeth of length missing when I was trying to get it onto the last pulley. Once I had it pre-tensioned properly, and all of the belt just on the very edge of the other pulleys, it popped right on. I was so exited! Anyway, I got all of the crap I took off reinstalled in maybe 1/8th the time it took to take it all off. I replaced the valve cover gasket, because the old one was leaking anyway.

Tomorrow: Water pump and possibly thermostat. Then, if there is time, the remaining suspension bushings. It's so close to being done!

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

Mr.Peabody posted:

The best part is the dealership only charged me for the parts at cost. Never underestimate the value of a good relationship with your service manager.

Always remain cordial with your mechanic. I returned a part today that it turns out I didn't need for my particular vehicle. The receipt states no returns after 30 days, and all returns subject to a 20% restocking fee. Despite buying the part in November, he still took the part back and only charged 10% for restocking. I'm happy to have $60 back, and he can sell the part again for full price.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

PBCrunch posted:

My ZX2 has been sitting in the garage for a month waiting for me to replace the belt. It has been very cold in Nebraska and I have been very lazy.

I had loaned the car to my little brother and then my uncle and both of them were impressed by what a fun little car it was. Then on the way home it lost 90% of its power and idled and ran like poo poo. I pulled the code and it pointed to the engine being out of time. I pulled the belt covers off and there was way too much belt slack in between the two cams.

When you replaced the belt did you loosen the cam pulleys? It is a revised service procedure from Ford to make sure the cam belt has the correct amount of play in between the intake and exhaust cam pulleys. Loosen cam pulleys so the rotate free of the cams, install belt, then tighten pulleys. Apparently you also need to remove the cam holder tool while you loosen/tighten the cam pulley bolts or you can break the cams.

You should fix it, it's "easy". I used this guide plus the AllDataDIY.com writeup. Neither are complete, but together it becomes understandable.

Yes. Don't wrench on the cam sprocket bolts unless you've got the guide out of there. I used a 1" wrench to position the cams, but it was too loose. It's 15/16" or some metric equivalent. A 12" crescent wrench will not work, the jaws are too thick to manipulate the cams inside the groove they spin in.

I did not loosen my cam gears, because my belt didn't break or skip time. I DID replace all the idle and tension pulleys. At 118,000 miles, the pulleys were spinning very freely and making a good bit of buzz. The new pulleys were positively stiff in comparison. I want this repair to last another 120k or until the car oxidizes away. I didn't loosen and reset my cam gears, mainly because I couldn't get the crankshaft indexing pin in to verify TDC. You have to remove the catalytic converter, and it's rusted on.

Here's a few gotchas you'll run into. The motor mount appears to block the cam gear cover. It is actually a harmonic dampener bolted to the top of the motor mount. Pop it off with a 17mm socket. Buy a new valve cover gasket, it's better than pulling your plug boots and finding the plug well FULL of oil. If your car was driven in salt EVER, you will likely break off the heads of the bolts that retain the plastic splash shield. There are five, plus a screw into another piece of plastic. Out of the five, two have backsides exposed where you can vice-grip out the stud. Be VERY careful, or be handy with a drill. Have a propane torch, the harmonic balancer (crankshaft) bolt just needs a *little* heat and an impact gun will spin it right out. If you have a model year 99.5+, you only need one 70mm idler pulley and the tensioner. If you have a pre-99.5, you need two smaller pulleys and the tensioner. If you have a 99.5+, and you want to replace the top idler (you do), you need to loosen but not remove the center timing cover. This is a gently caress, and normally requires removal of the engine from the chassis.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Oh yeah, I forgot. You've got to unbolt the water pump pulley before removing the serpentine belt. Or you can have someone hold the pulley with a strap wrench and go at it from underneath.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
So today, since I had the water pump pulley off from the previous job, I decided to replace the pump as preventative maintenance. I have one thing to say: Holy poo poo did the Ford engineers do a good job with their Premium Gold coolant. 11k over the service interval, and the fluid looked almost as clean as day 1. There was so little accumulated sludge in the water pump cavity that I could clean it with 1/3rd of a paper towel.

Taking the bolts and pump out was easy enough. Getting the bolts torqued back into the block was a bit harder. Each one required a funny position, one finger on the socket, and about 5 degrees of arc on the torque wrench. One click at a time all the way to 89"lbs.

Now the tricky bit is to get the new $15/gal antifreeze into the coolant system without putting it all over the driveway.

e: VVVV Zetec motors have over 16° of rotation per tooth. It's virtually impossible to be off.

Skyssx fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Feb 4, 2010

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Instrument panel bulbs are a huge pain in the rear end. Part of this ZX2 is that the wiring supplying the license plate lights fuzed and fried every bulb in the car before blowing the fuse. All the easy ones got replaced, so the panel lights are left to me.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

PBCrunch posted:

I finally got started on tearing down the accessory side of the motor in my 1998 Ford ZX2 to gain access to the timing belt and pulleys.

How many bolts did you break off? :v:

PM or email me if you run into any snags. I did this on an '03 last month. And budget for a water pump and coolant change. It's not run off the timing belt, so it's not critical, but it's still right there.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I used a propane torch + impact gun to get the crank bolt off. I think I already gave you some particulars, but just in case:

Take off the metal lump that looks like the top motor mount. It's just a dampener and is in the way of properly removing and installing the top timing cover. You should replace the pulleys at the same time, all two or three. You may have to loosen the center timing cover, but probably not on your car. If you have two idlers and a tensioner, you're good. If you've only got one of each, you're screwed and have to do something with the center cover.

For the center timing cover, I removed the two bolts by the water pump, then one on the bottom rear, then loosened the one halfway up the back side. For that bolt I used a 1/4" craftsman ratchet, 1/4" u-joint with splints of wood jammed in to make it 95% rigid, and a 8mm 1/4" drive 6 point socket.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

CornHolio posted:

cleared another P0172 running rich code. I hope its nothing :(

It's never nothing.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

MetaJew posted:

I know some people will just take a 2x4 block of wood and put it between the jack and the car, but this always seems pretty precarious.

If you're not working on the suspension, just put the jack stands under the points where the lower control arms bolt into the front subframe. If you need to work on the suspension, use a 2x4 and dado out a groove just wide enough to span the pinch weld. If you do it right, it's not at all unsafe.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I started on my non-automotive reciprocating piston insanity of the season. The walk behind field mower got a whole can of Onan 4C and filled the yard with smoke. Then I replaced the air and fuel filters. Then, I put a quarter can of seafoam in the oil and ran it around a side yard that wasn't too wet for a half hour. Then, I drained the horribly black oil, changed the filter, and refilled with some straight 30 Rotella T. I pulled the old spark plugs, which were surprisingly clean (probably from the 4C), and let it cool down while I ate dinner. Afterward, I put in new and precisely gapped NGKs and ran it around for a while again. Unfortunately, the problem it had last year is still there and possibly worse. The engine won't run smoothly off choke. With the choke on, it'll run at exactly 3300 RPM. With the choke off at any throttle setting, it'll surge horribly. I can't find an actual carb kit on any website, so i'll just piece one together tomorrow at work. Who doesn't make a carb kit for their engines?

The chainsaw got a new fuel pickup, spark plug and a thorough cleaning. Started right up despite me leaving the gas and oil in the tank to rot all winter.

Still to do: remove and flush the fuel system on the walk behind. I found vegetation inside the fuel filter. Fully rebuild carb. Replace all the blades and probably a few pulleys, too.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

Pipkin posted:

If its a Honda engine they don't. You either have to buy a new carb or order all the pieces separately. I ran into that problem with my X-Mark.

Kawasaki, but good to know about the Honda. Sometime before winter, i've got to replace an Onan engine with either a Honda GX or Briggs Vanguard (apparently Toyota), and I was already leaning towards the Vanguard for parts availability.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I got home from work at 7 tonight with about one hour of sunlight remaining. To do: rear shocks and drum brakes on a Ranger. Rear brakes on a ZX2, which I didn't even get to.

The Ranger is behaving like perhaps a drum is out of round, and on ice, the torque from the engine at idle overcomes the brakes unless you stomp on them hard enough to lock the front tires. hosed if you do, hosed if you don't.

I jacked up the Ranger using the differential, set two jack stands and impacted the wheels off. Much more corrosion under the wheel caps than my previous truck. The wheels weren't rusted to the drums, both came off with a punch to the top of the tire. From there, both drums were rusted to the hub. One came off using regular hammers. The other resisted a 4 lb sledge. I would have tried some oil, but apparently i'm out. So I broke out the propane torch. After some alarming "proing!" noises from the drum itself, it was free from the hub, but locked on due to the shoes grinding a race track inside. The side that came off had shoes that appeared to be virtually untouched. The automatic adjuster was a little stiff on the side that came off, and I familiarized myself with how i'd have to manipulate the other to loosen it. The adjuster on the stuck on drum is apparently rusted too snugly for me to move it. I changed out one of the shocks and called it a night since dinner was getting cold.

I think the one side being in new condition, and the other (probably) being hosed, combined with the open differential, shows why the vehicle exhibited dangerous behavior on ice.

I'm going to pick up a Milwaukee angle grinder with cut off wheel and carve away the stuck drum. I think i'll find some badly worn and mangled shoes inside. I'm going to fully disassemble and rebuild both with large amounts of anti-seize.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
3L Rangers (like this one), have their filter located above the starter, below the exhaust manifold and right next to the frame rail. It's a gently caress.

But today wasn't about oil! Today was about drum brakes! There wasn't any evident pad wear, but there was some drum wear on the passenger side, and a LOT of drum wear on the driver's side. The passenger's adjuster was frozen, but the drum was able to slide off. The driver's adjuster was super mega frozen, and I had to operate!


Click here for the full 1600x1200 image.


Like opening someone's rib cage, sometimes in automotive tasks, there's nothing for it but to hit something with a cold chisel and sledge hammer. Hooray magnetism!


Click here for the full 1200x1600 image.


There. All done. I would like to thank my father, who has done Ranger drums many times (and never had it go by the book). I would also like to thank the semi-gated community of Avalon for the use of their streets as a bedding, test and adjustment track.


Click here for the full 1200x1600 image.


Note that the adjusters were filled to overflow with anti-seize, and then the excess was wiped off.

Oh yeah, I changed that manky assed shock you see there in the back ground. I also removed a bit of muffler heat shield that was no longer attached to anything due to rust.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Not today, but yesterday, I finished the project I started last November. And by finished, I mean it moves on its own safely. My sister is going to be doing her clinicals at Wright-Patterson AFB on Monday, and she wants her car back.

Yesterday, I did the back brakes on her car. Drums again. This time they both worked until there wasn't enough pad left to brake with. One wheel cylinder was leaking, $12 + seized flare nuts. A propane torch and a fully fitted 6-point wrench broke it loose, finally. The passenger side adjuster was seized solid. PB Blaster did nothing. I sledge hammered it into a vise, then hammered the adjuster back and forth until it moved in a somewhat fluid fashion.

Today, $100 got it fully aligned with the new tie rod ends, lowering springs and struts. Only the front camber is off, .02 degrees out of spec and unable to be adjusted. Drives great.

I got a box of assorted push nuts, so I can pull apart the lovely adjuster and emery cloth it smooth. Then I need to silikroil up the passenger e-brake cable so that it relaxes. After that, I just need to reattach the three splash guards I took off for the timing belt and water pump. By SUNDAY EVENING!

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I hosed around with ProScan some before sending off the ZX2. It gave me some good data on fuel economy. I think. I don't know.

Apparently it has 4,000 HP.

No wait, I think that this is possibly more realistic.

Stupid lump of poo poo software.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine

Matlock posted:

What color was the ZX2? I might know you.

Dark blue, but I doubt it. The car hasn't been on the road since November last year.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
This time, swap to the two pulley set-up instead of the three idler that came on early models. You delete the bottom idler, then get a bigger top idler. The tensioner and belt are the same.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
I tore out all the wiring and lights on my utility trailer and installed waterproof LED multifunction lights. I've got side markers on all four corners, running/brake lights to the rear and a license plate light that shines down onto... nothing. Because the plate is screwed into the big slab of wood that is the tail gate. Because it's low enough to the ground that the plate would routinely scrape the ground when going up a hill.

So anyway, I did it right. All the wires are fully in the C-channel frame, with looped hold downs every foot or so. I soldered and heat shrinked the tail lamps into the main wires instead of using wire nuts and electrical tape. Then, since it was a LED system, I needed grounds. My newish angle grinder cleaned up some metal and toothed washers should keep the connection, even after the brackets rust again.

Next year i've got to strip out all the wood. Each board is held down by 3-4 carriage bolts at each cross member. They're all rusted solid. So that'll be fun then.

It had been 12 years since I soldered anything electrical. I was quite pleased when all five joints took solder perfectly and remained shiny after cooling.

Skyssx fucked around with this message at 03:59 on May 27, 2010

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Not a car, but I finally understand old points/condenser ignition now. It's seriously been eluding me for the past two years working as a service writer.

Shop had a Stihl 032 come in that was breaking up under load. The lead tech, been working on chain saws for at least 30 years, replaced the points (burned) and "tested" the condenser. He ran it for about five minutes and it cut great, then started breaking up again. Tech had an old beat to poo poo Fluke DMM and pronounced the condenser good because it "ohmed open". Having an electronics background, I explained capacitors and Farads a bit. Got my DMM while on lunch and googled up a site by a guy who loves is 031/2s WAAAAY too much, tested out the new condenser and found it to have about 3nF capacitance when it should have had 200.

So what had been eluding me, that the condenser and the coil, capacitor and inductor, and the air gap resistance at the spark plug, set up a tuned circuit. The spark is bouncing back and forth at high frequency for the thousandth of a second the points are open. If the coil or condenser are off, the tuning is off and the spark arcs more at the breaker points instead.

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Changed the oil myself for the first time on my Tundra. Pretty easy except three things. There's 7.5 quarts of oil in there. I had to replug the oil sump twice and empty my pan. Then, in loosening the plug in the cartridge filter, the whole housing wanted to spin off. Got the plug loose by holding the housing stationary with a strap wrench. Then, after you drain the filter housing with the special disposable tool, you need to remove the housing that you were previously holding. To do so requires a 65mm 14 flat oil filter wrench. Autozone had a 67 mm. It only somewhat worked.

Oh and gently caress that skid plate. Although mine did have an impressive collection of fist sized impressions.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Skyssx
Feb 2, 2001

by T. Fine
Go buy this and spend more time getting the grease into the packer than you spend perfectly packing the bearings.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply