who is wrenching today?

[jlee]

I'm going to try to get my new stereo installed today. I'd better stop neffing and get to it...

 

[franksta]

I removed the pedal assembly from my Beetle. Running '57 pedals on a '73 chassis is a recipe for broken clutch cables. Ask me how I learned this.

 

[halik]

All control arms on the S4 + intake spacers with boatload of RTV silicone

 

[franksta]

All control arms on the S4 + intake spacers with boatload of RTV silicone

The bigger the glob the better the job. Don't be stingy with the RTV. :whiste::biggrin:

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Replaced both front wheel hub assemblies (bearings going bad).

 

[Tristicus]

Upgraded my Jeep distributor cap, rotor, and plug wires. TeamRush upgrade.

 

[Howard]

another oil change, Pennzoil Platinum this time. Easy on the 1st gen CTS.

 

[StageLeft]

I have taken apart the doors today on my van and applying POR-15 to the inside bottom and outside bottom of them in an effort to slow progression of rust. I've also figured out one of the key reasons the doors on mine and many other mazda MPVs rust, a terribly incompetent piece of engineering that ends up in a small channel at the bottom of each door within which water literally cannot escape, so it sits between metal and a rubber strip and just eats away at the metal.

I also feel that the drain holes in the doors are probably causing more harm than good and are the key means of ingress for water into the inside of the door. I have half a mind to just seal them up but I suppose I won't.

 

[Gillbot]

I need to force myself to take a day and finish my car up. UGH, work and kids leave zero time though.

 

[Harrod]

Installed ITR swaybar and gsr exhaust onto the integra.

 

[Instan00dles]

Did the timing belt and water pump on my car this weekend, not impressed but I think the damn water pump is leaking. Dont want to have to go and do all that work again.

 

[T2urtle]

Did the timing belt and water pump on my car this weekend, not impressed but I think the damn water pump is leaking. Dont want to have to go and do all that work again.

what kind of car?

 

[halik]

Great success here, all control arms swapped out and managed to do the inner and outer tie rods too (was planning on having those done).

Hit a snag on the passenger side, the bearing is shot... so car is in pieces till i receive the replacement in the mail.

 

[CraigRT]

Did the timing belt and water pump on my car this weekend, not impressed but I think the damn water pump is leaking. Dont want to have to go and do all that work again.

Generally they do recommend to replace both but honestly, I don't replace unless its broken.
This could be one of those examples why that's not a bad idea

Is it timing driven or externally driven?

 

[Howard]

Generally they do recommend to replace both but honestly, I don't replace unless its broken.
This could be one of those examples why that's not a bad idea

Is it timing driven or externally driven?

He just said he did the timing belt and water pump. I would assume that he didn't just do the belt and leave the pump alone.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

another oil change, Pennzoil Platinum this time. Easy on the 1st gen CTS.

Doing a UOA? Vanilla Mobil 1 5W20 synth did alright, but I'm curious to see if Pennzoil Ultra is as good as everyone says it is.

 

[Howard]

Doing a UOA? Vanilla Mobil 1 5W20 synth did alright, but I'm curious to see if Pennzoil Ultra is as good as everyone says it is.

I'll do a UOA after the end of the current OCI, which will probably be in a few months.

 

[CraigRT]

He just said he did the timing belt and water pump. I would assume that he didn't just do the belt and leave the pump alone.

I realize that..
He said he did the pump.. and I was saying I'd tend to leave it alone if it were me, although most people normally suggest doing water pump during timing jobs.

 

[exdeath]

Routine engine health examination due to running lots of boost, running hard etc, I like to keep an eye on things:

#1:155
#2:160
#3:157
#4:160
#5:165
#6:165
#7:155
#8:160

Explains the numbers here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2108317

All cylinders at or above the desired 155 for this engine, *very* healthy. To give an idea of whats normal, most see 155 max, and high 140s is acceptable in #7 / #8 (they are usually the lowest).

 

[thedarkwolf]

I upgraded or downgraded the headlights on my beater over the weekend. The passenger vans came with the newer replaceable bulb deals but the plastic lenses on the things are crap, yellowed quickly after polishing, and are $140 new for a pair. Too save a few cents dodge installed the old sealed beam style headlights on the cargo versions of the vans and I found a pair with everything for cheap so I swapped them over. The low beams are good enough that I can actually see now at night but still aren't great. The high beams are vastly improved. Next time I get bored I think I'll try wiring in a relay on the low beam side so they get full battery voltage and if that doesn't make me happy maybe I'll upgrade to a decent H4 setup.

 

[CraigRT]

Did the timing chain on the Saturn today. (Finished, started the other day)
Was a big job.. Runs awesome now. Nice and quiet.

 

[T2urtle]

I realize that..
He said he did the pump.. and I was saying I'd tend to leave it alone if it were me, although most people normally suggest doing water pump during timing jobs.

given the easy engine takes about 3-4 hours, whats a $50 brand new water pump really going to cost. Same thing as recommending replacing of certain seals and gaskets. You dont want to do the job over again for a $5 part.

 

[BW86]

bumper is on

 

[CraigRT]

given the easy engine takes about 3-4 hours, whats a $50 brand new water pump really going to cost. Same thing as recommending replacing of certain seals and gaskets. You dont want to do the job over again for a $5 part.

I would agree with you, but on my car, the water pump job is about an hour.

It's really easy to get to, it's externally driven and a breeze to remove from the wheel well. That's why I left mine alone.. If it needs to be changed down the road, I'll just change it..

On some cars, I agree entirely!

 

[Instan00dles]

what kind of car?

Its an 06' chevy aveo. I defineatly learned my lesson this time. I was cheap and to save $40 bucks I went with a cheaper water pump and in the end it cost me 300 bucks to fix in a shop. if I had waited much longer the belt would have come off and cost me much much more.

The water pump is round and the pulley is off center of the pump housing and rotating the pump tensions the timing belt. Well the housing was undersized so when the bolts that hold the water pump in place were as tight as could be the water pump was not so it leaked but at the same time the force of the timing belt was slowly rotating the pump, losing the belt tension. Got it into the shop and you could lift the damn belt off the cam pullies, dont think I could have gotten any luckier then that, next time I will but a new acdelco pump instead of a crappy no name one.