Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[aquadorhj]

Nice work on the water pump.

Amazing how these are not designed for work to be done. My Cadillac has a huge engine compartment. Earlier cars had a massive 425 cu in engine. Yet its still hard to get to almost all the stuff like spark plugs and belts on my little 307cid V8. 

thanks,.  speaking of, i actually don't even know where the spark plugs are on the lexus....  gonna have to look it up.  but for your engine maintenance items, i think it's just poor engineering on GMs part which is par for the course, right?..  right?. 

Did I tell you the part where it's easier to remove the water pump if you remove the passenger seat?  And how you need (more like want? ) a special vacuum bleeder to bleed to coolant system?

Oh..and replace the coolant cap yearly.

go on, tell me more!!!   i guess boxster's not gonna be in my future.   

[rrocket]

Nice work on the water pump.

Amazing how these are not designed for work to be done. My Cadillac has a huge engine compartment. Earlier cars had a massive 425 cu in engine. Yet its still hard to get to almost all the stuff like spark plugs and belts on my little 307cid V8. 

thanks,.  speaking of, i actually don't even know where the spark plugs are on the lexus....  gonna have to look it up.  but for your engine maintenance items, i think it's just poor engineering on GMs part which is par for the course, right?..  right?. 

Did I tell you the part where it's easier to remove the water pump if you remove the passenger seat?  And how you need (more like want? ) a special vacuum bleeder to bleed to coolant system?

Oh..and replace the coolant cap yearly.

go on, tell me more!!!   i guess boxster's not gonna be in my future.

You need to undo a couple of bolts from the top. Which means accessing from hatch panel from INSIDE the car between the seats. Removing of passenger seat makes this easier.

The bleeding, if done Porsche way, is hit or miss. Sometimes works...Sometimes not. There's a bleeder latch on top of a cap. You're supposed to raise that into bleed position. Then run/drive car. It doesn't always work as coolant lines are a several feet long.

So the vacuum method works wonderfully. Hooked up to air compressor, the tool has a cap that goes too coolant system. It puts a vacuum into the hoses. It collapses them under vacuum. It's also great for checking integrity of coolant system. If there's a leak, it won't hold vacuum. Then the coolant takes the place of the vacuum and the system is completely filled bubble free.

It's a fantastic tool that I've used/loaned out a few times already. Bro even used it to do the coolant on his sled, which is apparently a PITA. He said this made it a breeze. I have this one:  LINKLIFE 28 PCS Radiator Pressure Tester Vacuum Cooling System Kit with Universal Adapters https://a.co/d/dZrgsNW

Lots of video on the topic

https://youtu.be/KbQ77-zDOEo

[Bubba]

so, i haven't done waterpumps in forever, but i guess it was time.

Good work! 

[Weels]

New shoes for the MX-5 installed today.
Went with the Continental ExtremeContract Sport 02's. 
They feel like a nice upgrade from the stock Bridgestone's, but those were totally shot so the difference in grip is uh, noticeable...   

[Dante]

$1400 later, I have new mid pipe (cat & resonator) on the Outlander and a quiet exhaust...

Lesson learned: run-of-the-mill aftermarket manufactured exhaust pipes only last anywhere between 1-5 years in my experience, having replaced few of them already since 2018... In the hindsight, had I bough the more expensive OEM exhaust pipes the first time, it would've been cheaper and less hassle... Original exhaust lasted 11 years before rust eat it...

However, I never thought Ill keep the car as long as I did back in 2018. I was thinking maybe 2-3 years max in which case my strategy would've made sense....

[Gurgie]

New shoes for the MX-5 installed today.
Went with the Continental ExtremeContract Sport 02's. 
They feel like a nice upgrade from the stock Bridgestone's, but those were totally shot so the difference in grip is uh, noticeable...   

Nice shoes!

Sent from my SM-S901W using Tapatalk

[Seafoam]

$1400 later, I have new mid pipe (cat & resonator) on the Outlander and a quiet exhaust...

Lesson learned: run-of-the-mill aftermarket manufactured exhaust pipes only last anywhere between 1-5 years in my experience, having replaced few of them already since 2018... In the hindsight, had I bough the more expensive OEM exhaust pipes the first time, it would've been cheaper and less hassle... Original exhaust lasted 11 years before rust eat it...

However, I never thought Ill keep the car as long as I did back in 2018. I was thinking maybe 2-3 years max in which case my strategy would've made sense....

Yup the aftermarket exhausts don't last. I've experienced this with my truck. What happens though,as the vehicle becomes so old the OEM exhausts are no longer available. I am reaching the point where aftermarket exhaust parts aren't even able to be sourced. There will be  a point where i should sell the vehicle in one piece while it is in working order. You probably have quite a few more years until you will have to make a decision like me.

[me_2]

Went to my prefered Chevrolet dealer today:

Winter tires on 2nd set of oem rims removed
Last summer tires were done so, replaced by 4 used ones that came with oem wheels, tires & tpms bought in 2021. One more year before need to shop new summer shoes
Yearly oil & filter change, spark plugs replaced,
Power Steering Stick-Slip reprogrammed because acting weird, as per service bulletin*
Brake serviced but will need to be redone 4 corners sooner than later, odometer is actually 180K kms
Passenger (right) mirror assembly and lower turn signal lamp replaced at my own demand
That is all for now

*This could cause the steering wheel to stick in the straight-ahead position after driving long distances on a straight highway. The steering wheel can be turned but it may require increased effort.

Cool department: Someone has a Chevrolet Chevette with a commercial license plate 

[Bubba]

New shoes for the MX-5 installed today.
Went with the Continental ExtremeContract Sport 02's. 

You putting a hit on someone?   

[Dante]

$1400 later, I have new mid pipe (cat & resonator) on the Outlander and a quiet exhaust...

Lesson learned: run-of-the-mill aftermarket manufactured exhaust pipes only last anywhere between 1-5 years in my experience, having replaced few of them already since 2018... In the hindsight, had I bough the more expensive OEM exhaust pipes the first time, it would've been cheaper and less hassle... Original exhaust lasted 11 years before rust eat it...

However, I never thought Ill keep the car as long as I did back in 2018. I was thinking maybe 2-3 years max in which case my strategy would've made sense....

Yup the aftermarket exhausts don't last. I've experienced this with my truck. What happens though,as the vehicle becomes so old the OEM exhausts are no longer available. I am reaching the point where aftermarket exhaust parts aren't even able to be sourced. There will be  a point where i should sell the vehicle in one piece while it is in working order. You probably have quite a few more years until you will have to make a decision like me.

Yeah, I've been struggling to make a decision on replacing this car for a long time and ongoing, but every time the rational side wins.... especially in this market. My wife likes the beater status so no pressure from the daily driver either, but the opposite if you can imagine that....

Parts are not yet an issue and I usually get significant discounts on both OEM parts and labor at the dealer (16 years relationship with the Operations Manager) plus the powertrain is rock solid and the body only shows minimal rust.

In fact, the only issues I've had with repairs on this car was in the rare cases when I used aftermarket parts - radiator and exhaust are the major ones.  I went through 3 radiators and about 5 exhaust pipes (3 x Y-pipe and 2 x mid pipe) in the past 5 years or so... The current radiator is a Denso unit I put in last year and I hope it's the last. Exhaust pipes.... will see. The current Y-pipe is almost 3 years old and it shows so I may need to attend to it one more time before I get rid of the car....

May need to replace the brake pads in few thousand km (fall maybe) although I replaced them only 2 years ago and perhaps 20K-30K km. Looks like the ceramic brakes are not ideal for this type of vehicle or maybe they are cheap for a reason? I used Bosch QuietCast Ceramic pads. Rotors are still OK so I may only replace the pads (?!). Will see....

[rrocket]

Not sure what custom exhaust places are like out your way, but I've often used them to make stainless exhaust components for my cars.

Not as expensive as you think and will likely outlast anything you could buy.

[Blueprint]

Tire swap done on the Crosstrek on Sunday, van done yesterday. Accent is up next on Friday (past 50, don't do all three cars on the same day  ). Inspected the van's underbelly with a flashlight, and just a bit of surface rust here and there. Worst are the jack points at the pinch welds, and some reinforcements in the rear bumper area. Jack points should get a wire brush and Tremclad job this summer.

[Firm]

Not sure what custom exhaust places are like out your way, but I've often used them to make stainless exhaust components for my cars.

Not as expensive as you think and will likely outlast anything you could buy.

I was going to suggest the same.

[Seafoam]

Went to my prefered Chevrolet dealer today:

Winter tires on 2nd set of oem rims removed
Last summer tires were done so, replaced by 4 used ones that came with oem wheels, tires & tpms bought in 2021. One more year before need to shop new summer shoes
Yearly oil & filter change, spark plugs replaced,
Power Steering Stick-Slip reprogrammed because acting weird, as per service bulletin*
Brake serviced but will need to be redone 4 corners sooner than later, odometer is actually 180K kms
Passenger (right) mirror assembly and lower turn signal lamp replaced at my own demand
That is all for now

*This could cause the steering wheel to stick in the straight-ahead position after driving long distances on a straight highway. The steering wheel can be turned but it may require increased effort.

Cool department: Someone has a Chevrolet Chevette with a commercial license plate 

That is a time capsule for sure.

[Blueprint]

Went to my prefered Chevrolet dealer today:

Winter tires on 2nd set of oem rims removed
Last summer tires were done so, replaced by 4 used ones that came with oem wheels, tires & tpms bought in 2021. One more year before need to shop new summer shoes
Yearly oil & filter change, spark plugs replaced,
Power Steering Stick-Slip reprogrammed because acting weird, as per service bulletin*
Brake serviced but will need to be redone 4 corners sooner than later, odometer is actually 180K kms
Passenger (right) mirror assembly and lower turn signal lamp replaced at my own demand
That is all for now

*This could cause the steering wheel to stick in the straight-ahead position after driving long distances on a straight highway. The steering wheel can be turned but it may require increased effort.

Cool department: Someone has a Chevrolet Chevette with a commercial license plate 

That is a time capsule for sure.

And in proper '70s earth tones too! The "F" plate may indicate that it belongs to the dealership.

[Seafoam]

Not sure what custom exhaust places are like out your way, but I've often used them to make stainless exhaust components for my cars.

Not as expensive as you think and will likely outlast anything you could buy.

I was going to suggest the same.

Yeah it depends. I was going to do that with my front exhaust pipe. Got a quote from an exhaust shop to weld in a new flange and add a foot of pipe,400 bucks. Obviously they didn't want the job. My truck isn't 400 bucks. . If one could find a good muffler shop I'm sure it would me more reasonable than my experience.


Ended up sourcing a walker product for 110 bucks on ebay.

[blur911]

Not sure what custom exhaust places are like out your way, but I've often used them to make stainless exhaust components for my cars.

Not as expensive as you think and will likely outlast anything you could buy.

I was going to suggest the same.

Yeah it depends. I was going to do that with my front exhaust pipe. Got a quote from an exhaust shop to weld in a new flange and add a foot of pipe,400 bucks. Obviously they didn't want the job. My truck isn't 400 bucks. . If one could find a good muffler shop I'm sure it would me more reasonable than my experience.


Ended up sourcing a walker product for 110 bucks on ebay.

If you can find a guy who knows how to bend and weld pipe it's amazing what they can do.   Some are reasonable, some nickle and dime you for every bend and flare and end up costing more.

[Seafoam]

^^^ Finding the right guy is key. At some point you need someone who can manufacture parts.

[Dante]

Not sure what custom exhaust places are like out your way, but I've often used them to make stainless exhaust components for my cars.

Not as expensive as you think and will likely outlast anything you could buy.

I was going to suggest the same.

Yeah it depends. I was going to do that with my front exhaust pipe. Got a quote from an exhaust shop to weld in a new flange and add a foot of pipe,400 bucks. Obviously they didn't want the job. My truck isn't 400 bucks. . If one could find a good muffler shop I'm sure it would me more reasonable than my experience.


Ended up sourcing a walker product for 110 bucks on ebay.

The old pipe would've needed 2 patches - the rear flange and the hanger rod - and both would've needed to be bent... the guy at Midas said by the time they would do that it would cost close to new ($1000) plus it would still have other weak points which could fail in the near future so they suggested to go new. The car needed to be fixed ASAP as the whole pipe was hanging from one end and two adjustable clamps I temporarily put on to get it to the shop (the rear was completely separated at the flange to the muffler).

Back in 2018 I looked for a SS version on the market but couldn't find any and didn't think a custom SS exhaust was worth on an 11 years old SUV which I was supposed to replace in few short years. Certainly I will look at SS options if I ever have to replace the exhaust on BMW or GTI but I know for those there is strong aftermarket support so I'm sure I'll have options.

[rrocket]

... the guy at Midas said

That's the problem right there.

I'm not talking about exhaust or service chains.

I'm talking about a local indy "exhaust guy". Every community has one...and the classic car/hot rod crowd can usually point you in the right direction.

Have also found reasonable exhaust guys on Kijiji too