What are some car-repair jobs you always wished you could do but have never done?

wrote:

>>Gotta agree. Mine leaks not a drop.
>
> Doesn't burn any either - and it's 0w20, not 20w50.

The whole viscosity thing is a red herring where I live.
You probably live in really cold areas, where it matters.

Where I live, a straight 30 or 40 would work just fine.

The whole "W" thing only lasts for a minute or two so it's gotta be cold to
matter even the slightest bit.

>>Gotta be true because rust buckets don't seem to exist anymore.
>
> Except Mazdas, Chevys, and Dodge trucks - - -
Funny, but I never had any of them.
I never had a truck though.
Just cars and vans and SUVs, and, oh, yeah, station wagons in the days of
yore.

> They now come pre-gapped - and the gap is HUGE - .060 to .085"
> instead of .028 to .035 - so accuracy is relative.

Yeah. Plugs got easier.
a. They last forever
b. You don't gap them anymore (except in home tools)

> They don't wear/erode any more, so you don't "re-gap" them any more,
> By the time the gap has changed the combustion seals are getting iffy
> too, so younjust replace them.

And they're still cheap as they always were.

> With 20,000 volts, the gap was critical With 60,000 - not so much!!!
Yup.
High voltage is nice.
You'd think it would wear the metal, but with platinum, it doesn't.

>>Not gonna take you up on this one. There's no such thing as 'working
>>harder'. Just not gonna fly with me. The torque curve is the torque curve
>>and the gears do the fixing of that for me.
>
> When I drive a 2.3 liter 4 cyl ranger down the 401 , my foot is
> pretty much on the floor, the manifold vacuum is zero, and the engine
> is working it's poor tail off. The 4 liter V6, is just loafing,
> throttle barely open - manifold pressure about 13-15 inches - barely
> working. A LOT easier on the engine. The gearing is such that the 4
> cyl is turning 3000 RPM, the 4 liter 2200, and a 5.7 liter iforce
> Tundra about 1200 RPM at the same road speed.

The I4 and V6 engines are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT engines.
Take Toyota's 3RZFE and the 5RZFE (from memory).
Completely different engines.
Both last forever.

Sure, one makes for more BHP, but in reality the gearing handles all that.
Besides, did I mention they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT engines?

You can't say one "lasts longer" than the other when all you're comparing
is the external size of the engine.

All I'm saying is that the I4 leaves more room in the engine bay than does
the V6. You don't argue with that, so we can accept that as a fact.

Now you're saying the I4 works harder and hence won't last as long, but I
just don't take that on face value because I might not have mentioned this
yet, but they're completely different engines.

Whether they last longer or not will depend on those billion completely
different things, and not on whether they're working harder cruising at
60mph on the freeway or pulling into or out of your driveway.

How long an engine lasts has more to do with how many cold starts it has
than what you call "working harder".

Besides, I might not have mentioned this, but they're completely different
engines, so you can't compare one thing and say that one thing will make
one last longer or shorter. You just can't.

At least not with a serious look on your face you can't.

> Makes a BIG difference on engine wear and life.

Nope. Not gonna buy that elixer today.
Logic prevails.

There are so many OTHER factors that matter far more to engine life than
the size of the engine displacement.

Just too many.

> As for "working harder" - specific power output - the amount of
> torque and horsepower per cubic inch of displacement -

I'm not gonna argue that the V6 has develops more BHP than the I4 but I am
gonna let you know a little secret.

Two little secrets in fact.
1. They are completely different engines.
2. Even if they were the same engine, there are so many factors that matter
MORE to engine life than displacement that displacement isn't a major
factor in engine life anyway.

Now if you told me one engine had 10K cold starts and 20K short trips,
while the other only had 1K cold starts and had mostly long trips, then
*that* would be a factor in engine life.

But even then, it would only be one of a zillion factors.
Displacement is just not gonna be a major determinant in engine life.

> Call it whatbyou may, but a small engine "works a lot harder" than a
> big engine to do the same work. - and generally doesn't last as long.

You can sell that one to other people. Just not to me.
Displacement is just not gonna be a major determinant in engine life.

>>But that's another difference in the days of yore!
> Yup - no service on planes now unless you pay for it through the nose

And even then, you still get no service.

wrote:

> The platinum is NOT plating - it is a platinum chip welded to the
> (usually copper cored) steel electrode. Many have plat chips on the
> ground electrode now too.

Good to know, I didn't even know to *think* about how they did it.
Thanks!

wrote:

> I gave up on patching mufflers after the first one.

I agree also.
I used to patch the junction between the pipes with that white stuff.
Yuck.
Never worked for more than a week (to get through inspection).

I did patch a holed gas tank once.
Amazingly, it worked for the remaining life of the car.

wrote:

> I have not changed an exhaust system or a muffler in about 20 years -
> and my current vehicles are 16 and 22 years old. But then I buy REAL
> cars that come with stainless exhausts from the factory.

My experience exactly.

wrote:

> Most have been stainless steel for over 20 years.

I agree with you on this.
I haven't had, AFAIK, a non SS exhaust in decades.

wrote:

> Most are made of polypropelene.
> Some are made of Polyethelene. The table was likely made of ABS orPVC

If it's that simple, what happened to the "UV coating" someone suggested?

Anyway, if it's that simple, I'm all for it.

Just like getting oil is simple (you aim for the lowest spread in viscosity
and the highest SX rating alphabetically) and just like getting pads is
simple (you aim for the highest cold/hot friction you can get) I'm all for
simplicity in specifications.

So your recommendation is:
a. Polypropylene or Polyethylene
b. but not ABS or Polyvinylchloride

If that works, I'm ok with that.
Simplicity is good. When it exists.

Still ... what about UV coating?

For example, eyeglasses get complex when it comes to UV coatings because
some plastics don't need it while others do (although I always argue that
naked eyeballs don't come with UV coatings so why do people with glasses
need them when people without glasses don't need them?).

RS Wood wrote on 11/5/2017 12:59 AM:
> rickman wrote:
>
>> Because they are making the table to sell at the lowest price while the bin
>> has a specification. Price, stop buying things based on the price! I bet
>> you didn't even ask about the materials used in the table. I can assure you
>> the city who bought the bin asked what it was made of. So the fault,
>> really, is yours.
>
> While I'm sure the fault is always mine for buying *anything* but garbage
> bins that is made of plastic, I'm not as confident as you that the material
> is so easy to figure out.
>
> For one, we still don't know what material the garbage bins are made out of
> (coating or otherwise).
>
> So asking wouldn't work unless we knew what answer we wanted to hear.
> What I'm saying is that it's not so simple.
>
> I'm also assuming that NOBODY here knows what the answer should be.
> Do you?
>
> What chemical are we looking for?

I'd have to do a little digging, but it's not an impossible question to
answer. Google is your friend, but more importantly, you won't get a useful
answer unless you can find out what plastic the table is made of before you
buy it.

I am currently designing something that will be used outside and needs to be
clear. Initially I was going to use polycarbonate as it is very strong.
But it is not very tolerant of UV light unless coated, so I'm going with
acrylic which withstands UV without coatings.


>> When you return the table tell them that... and you will be ignored because
>> they made a lot of money selling the same crap they sold last year in spite
>> of the few who returned them.
>
> Luckily, Costco takes anything back (except electronics), even years later.

I know, I returned a lawn mower 10 years later. In my defense, it actually
quit after two years and I got ticked off and shoved it in a shed. I
couldn't find anyone I trusted who could work on a Honda mower, so I hired
someone to mow the lawn. Eventually I cleaned out the shed and took the
mower back to Costco. They didn't accept it back without... discussion, but
I repeatedly referred them to their own policy written on the wall I was
facing. So don't think Costco will honor the return policy completely.


>>> I used to patch mufflers, like we all did.
>>
>> Illegal because the patches are crap and the rest of the muffler won't last
>> another six months. My mufflers don't get leaks, the flange breaks off on
>> the pipe. Try fixing that.
>
> I don't disagree. I hated working on mufflers. That was before my gas
> welding days.
>
> With a gas welder, removing mufflers would have been a *lot* easier.
>
>> Because it isn't worth it. When any part of the exhaust system goes bad you
>> are better off replacing it all.
>
> Not gonna disagree. It's like replacing "just" the water pump. Once you rip
> all that stuff off, you may as well do the thermostat, hoses, radiator,
> cap, overflow tank, etc.
>
>
>>> I don't even look at the exhaust anymore, it's that reliable.
>>> I thought the whole thing from the cat back was stainless steel.
>>> Is it not?
>>
>> No, it's not. It's still the same steel that lasts around 4 years.
>
> My bimmer is approaching 20 years on the same exhaust system.

Maybe they used stainless, but you paid for it, no?

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

wrote on 11/5/2017 1:27 AM:
> On Sun, 5 Nov 2017 00:40:49 -0400, rickman > wrote:
>
>> RS Wood wrote on 11/4/2017 11:55 PM:
>>> rickman wrote:
>>>
>>>>> The only plastic that I know of which lasts forever outside is whatever
>>>>> plastic the garbage company uses for those blue, green, and gray wheeled
>>>>> bins!
>>>>
>>>> That's your standard? Things have to last "forever"???
>>>
>>> I leave plastic stuff outside and within a year or two, it crumbles in my
>>> hands. So two years is too short.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, the garbage bins last forever outside.
>>>
>>> Why can they make a garbage bin last forever but not a Costco picnic table?
>>
>> Because they are making the table to sell at the lowest price while the bin
>> has a specification. Price, stop buying things based on the price! I bet
>> you didn't even ask about the materials used in the table. I can assure you
>> the city who bought the bin asked what it was made of. So the fault,
>> really, is yours.
>>
>>
>>>>> I wish *all* plastic things were made out of *that* plastic, especially
>>>>> pool tools.
>>>>
>>>> You can ask about the materials when you buy stuff. It's not the plastic,
>>>> but whether the plastic has UV resistance additives.
>>>
>>> Is that what makes those garbage bins last forever outside?
>>> If so, that's what I want in my picnic table from Costco!
>>> And in all the pool equipment.
>>
>> When you return the table tell them that... and you will be ignored because
>> they made a lot of money selling the same crap they sold last year in spite
>> of the few who returned them.
>>
>>
>>>> I still have to replace the exhaust system ever four years. That part
>>>> hasn't changed. If you know anything about why they fail, you would
>>>> understand the only alternative is stainless steel which is *much* more
>>>> expensive.
>>>
>>> I used to patch mufflers, like we all did.
>>
>> Illegal because the patches are crap and the rest of the muffler won't last
>> another six months. My mufflers don't get leaks, the flange breaks off on
>> the pipe. Try fixing that.
>>
>
> I do it all the time. Cut off the flanges and fit a pipe over the
> joint. Clamp or weld the sleave. Use stainless pipe and stainless
> clamps. The flanges rust off because they are welded with mild steel
> amd/or are not passivated after welding.
>>
>>> And we all know what a pain it was to get the old ones off.
>>> Forget about those u-bolt nuts ever twisting off.
>>>
>>> But I haven't replaced a muffler in decades.
>>> Why?
>>> I'm not sure why.
>>
>> Because it isn't worth it. When any part of the exhaust system goes bad you
>> are better off replacing it all.
>>
>>
>>>> You could get a stainless steel exhaust system the first time
>>>> you replace it, but you would need to keep the vehicle for twenty more years
>>>> to make it pay off.
>>>
>>> I don't even look at the exhaust anymore, it's that reliable.
>>> I thought the whole thing from the cat back was stainless steel.
>>> Is it not?
>>
>> No, it's not. It's still the same steel that lasts around 4 years.
>
> What crap are you driving??? Most have been stainless steel for over
> 20myears.

A 20 year old Toyota T100 with 240,000 miles. Is that your typical crap?

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998

On 11/04/2017 10:24 PM, wrote:
> On Sat, 4 Nov 2017 21:39:37 -0700, The Real Bev >
> wrote:
>
>>On 11/04/2017 05:49 PM, wrote:
>>> On Sat, 4 Nov 2017 16:33:57 -0700, The Real Bev >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I cut my hands to ribbons on the first water pump -- the fan (which had
>>>>to be removed) was attached with at least 4 bolts which could only move
>>>>1/4 turn without repositioning the 12-point box wrench, the only thing
>>>>that would fit. I swore I'd never do that again no matter how much it
>>>>cost -- until I found out how much it DID cost. Some of us are too
>>>>cheap for our own good.
>>>
>>> KD makes a special tool for that - at the value O put on skin and
>>> suffering, cheap at twice the price
>>
>>30+ years ago. Ratchet box wrench?
> Nope - just a real shallow socket on a steel bar about 1/8 x 1/2 x
> 16"

I may have seen a tool like that somewhere and wondered what it was for :-(

I could only move the wrench in a <90 degree arc before it bumped into
immovable objects and I think that 16" might have been too long -- I
might have thought of slipping a hunk of pipe over the wrench if that
was possible or helpful. Putting the wrench on the bolt was the hard
part -- my fingers were right down between the fan and the bolts.

Never again!

--
Cheers, Bev
"The almost universal access to higher education here in the US has
ruined a lot of potentially good manual laborers." -- Bob Hunt

rickman wrote:

> I'd have to do a little digging, but it's not an impossible question to
> answer. Google is your friend, but more importantly, you won't get a useful
> answer unless you can find out what plastic the table is made of before you
> buy it.

That's my point. I have bought stuff from TAP Plastics for example, and
that's all they sell, and even THEY often have trouble telling me what the
plastic is that I'm buying.

Not only do you have to know what plastic (and coating) you want, but you
also have to ask someone who knows what they are selling.

It works for eyeglasses, for some reason, but I doubt it's gonna be easy to
figure out the plastic on anything else that easily (at least not when
you're in the store).

> I am currently designing something that will be used outside and needs to be
> clear. Initially I was going to use polycarbonate as it is very strong.
> But it is not very tolerant of UV light unless coated, so I'm going with
> acrylic which withstands UV without coatings.

I get your point, which is that there are plastics which handle the
sunlight (which I agree since my garbage cans handle it better than anythin
else I've ever seen that is stored outside).

You just have to know the answer.
And the people who sell the stuff have to know the answer.