TSG's Unified Fleet Thread

[thesameguy]

:lol:

Noted. :up:

After some discussion with a Saab-owning friend, I think this is looking to be the winning design:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/spggauges/tach_pie_griffin.png

Conceptually this is how it looks at night, plus the Griffin, which is too painful to edit using MS Paint. :D

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/spggauges/tach_pie_griffin_night.png

[Kchrpm]

Easy in Google Drawings, though.

https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/16v7NtLCSN6m8WgxtuWw3G-7mttCVhupMK6mSWXMGx9g/pub?w=960&h=456

[thesameguy]

Thanks man! I think that's the bomb... I'm going to head on over to Speedhut and order me some gauges!

[thesameguy]

Again, thanks - that sealed the deal and it's done - the Speedhut website configurator is pretty darned good! Once you upload your image and place it, it maintains relative placement on all gauges you order. It also automatically applied color/font/style choices to all gauges in the package. Pretty cool.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/spggauges/final_day.png
http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/spggauges/final_night.png

The only thing missing is the redline, which is added after the fact. Even though the SPG has a 6k redline, I had them set the gauge for a 7k. For years I have been meaning to pick up the parts necessary to modify the ECM - I already have the tune, I just need the actual hardware to apply. The stuff is cheap, there's just a learning curve and personal uncertainty. Maybe staring at an inaccurate gauge will eventually get me off my ass. :)

[thesameguy]

Hmm. Just read that you can jump pin 2 to 17 and pin 2 to 20 on the round under hood connector on a BMW to redirect those diagnostics to the OBD port. Guess I didn't need to buy the OBD->20pin adapter. $6 WASTED.

[thesameguy]

BMW is up and on out.

Which really nets me nothing. Sort of anticlimactic.

[Godson]

You owned a BMW and didn't lose money? Sounds like a net positive to me.

[GB]

Redline on SPG is 6k? I think mine is 6.5. I'll have to look now.

[thesameguy]

I had to look too, but it's 6k on all of them. :)

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0027/5402/products/DSC_234_large.jpg

IIRC fuel cut on the LH 2.4 cars is 6200rpm. The valvetrain can handle 6500rpm reliably. After that, valve float can set in, but that can be reasonably well fixed with doubled-up valve springs. Of course, the cams in the c900 are worthless above 5500rpm or so - throwing in a 7000rpm rev limit is just 1500 useless rpm without a cam swap. However, I have adjustable cam gears that might wake up the upper end that I'd like to try someday. Failing that, I have cam specs for a few aftermarket regrinds that have been successful for others. Not ideal, but whatever... it's not like I have any intention of actually beating the car up. c900s are well into Endangered Species Protection. :)

Edit: I forgot about a Defrost indicator lamp. Poop.

[Godson]

Defrost indicator isnin the cluster?


What in the actual fuck?

[thesameguy]

Where else would it be?

[Random]

I've only ever had a light on the switch. :?

[thesameguy]

That is pure insanity!

[Godson]

Hell of a lot more sense to have the switch light up than the gauge cluster...

[thesameguy]

Shit man, this is America. I have both.

[thesameguy]

The last problem with the F150 was a lack of reverse lights. I immediately blamed the auxiliary hitch lights and started my troubleshooting there, but uh, it was the fuse. But I *do* blame the fuse blowing on the aux reverse lights. Whoever installed them - and it was clearly the same person that installed all the poorly-wired front lights - inexplicably tapped into the wiring at the tail light assembly rather than the bed wiring harness easily accessible and directly above the receiver. Some people should not play with electricity. All the connectors were completely exposed, and everything was fully of water - the lights themselves, the harness conduit, even the butt splices. So bad. What I should have done was removed it all because who cares, but of course I fixed it. Some Permaseal splices, new wiring, and a couple Weatherpack connectors and all better. I wasted an hour, about $8 in supplies, and now I have completely useless-because-they're-so-cheap hitch lights. Woop.

Then I bought a chainsaw, cut down some trees, put the trees in the Ford, and took them to the green waste facility. It's been really useful having this truck around, but I think I'm still on target for a June sale. Just a few more projects to knock out and the pickup will have served its purpose. :up:

[Random]

Arr arr arr.

[thesameguy]

Yeah, not too sure what to do with it now. I tend to buy things rather than borrow because the cost delta is usually small and I have more scheduling flexibility... but now that I have it, I'm not sure what to do with a chainsaw now. I guess it'll be handy during the zocalypse, whenever that happens. Maybe I will sell it as package deal with the F150. :lol:

[thesameguy]

The '99 Suburban now joins my '87 and '84 Suburbans as being inexplicably invisible on the roadway. The '87 got hit twice, the '84 four times. The '99 is now completely fucked up from taking it in the pooper this afternoon. :(

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=761A647D1BA02FAC!19119&authkey=!ADJgR2X2odPhtbg&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

[Random]

:erm:

[thesameguy]

I know. Grrr.

[thesameguy]

Speedhut has delivered my speedo and tach. Now, to do nothing with them while I continue on with the house!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/spggauges/done_delivered.jpg

[thesameguy]

Since I got the car, and enduring a full suspension rehab the Fiero has had this very odd handling trait that I cannot nail down. It happens in a particular place on my morning commute but not to any sort of significant degree, but today I experienced it on an open road at much higher speed. Over a mellow undulation (for lack of a better term) on a sweeping turn - picture uneven pavement on a big freeway onramp - the back end sets into a brief oscillation that is definitely attention grabbing. The front end goes over in a controlled manner, but the back end feels like it walks sideways over and then bounces back and forth, left to right. In a straight line, or a smooth turn, or a sharp bumpy turn no such problem, the back feels planted and fully controlled. It's only big sweepers where one side is already loaded up that it happens. My daily experience is about 50mph (here (https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5585646,-121.3814095,17.31z) specifically) but today I enjoyed it at about 80 while passing a motorhome on a turn in the middle of nowhere on Highway 16. It was not confidence inspiring. ;)

I am pretty sure the core issue is uncontrolled lateral weight transfer, but I don't know how to fix it, or if it's fixable. The rear suspension a multilink strut setup - strut, LCA, control arm. Struts are Koni Specials ("Reds") on their hardest setting converted to coilovers and 300lb/in Hypercoil springs. I think stiffer springs would reduce the effects of the transfer. I can't do anything further with shocks. There is no rear swaybar on these cars, but one is available for serious $$$ - it's fully adjustable, probably worth the money. I am not sure what effect a swaybar would have. Down the road I hope to shave 150lbs off the back end with an engine swap, but that's a ways off. ;)

Anyone have any ideas?

[novicius]

Heh, who here has experience with MR cars that isn't a pro driver for Nissan??

IMOA -- but you guys don't get along too well. :lol:

[thesameguy]

I have a solid idea of what that answer would look like anyway, so, well, meh.

There are a handful of really talented drivers on the Fiero board, but their answers are probably, "Get yer welder and some tube steel and..."

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd483/DonP87/Build%20Lemons%20Car/Front%20Suspension/IMG_3034_zps71a16974.jpg (http://s1222.photobucket.com/user/DonP87/media/Build%20Lemons%20Car/Front%20Suspension/IMG_3034_zps71a16974.jpg.html)

I have neither a welder nor tube steel. :(

[novicius]

Uh... Leon? ;)

[Random]

Binding?

[thesameguy]

It could be - it feels more wallowy than that, but I wouldn't rule it out. I'm also wondering if it might be bouncing off the outside bump stop. I think I am going to borrow a gopro from work and see if I can see anything.

[thesameguy]

New plan: I had some credit expiring at Dell from a big purchase over Christmas and lacking literally anything else I need I ordered one of these:

https://static.garmincdn.com/en/products/010-01363-10/g/cf-lg.jpg

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/into-sports/action-cameras/virb-xe/prod165499.html

I really would have preferred a GoPro - it's what I've always used and always kinda wanted one, but Dell matched Amazon's price on the Garmin, actually stocks the Garmin, and the Garmin has a cool feature - Bluetooth. You can pair it with a Bluetooth OBDII doodad and the Garmin will display OBDII data over the video, so you can show things like throttle position, rpm, speed, etc. over your h4rdc0r3 recording. Of course, I lack any cars that have OBDII where this would be useful, but you know, because tech. :lol:

We'll see what it says about the ass-end of the Fiero later this week or next weekend. Hopefully the microphone is really good, because I don't want to share how bad the exhaust leak on the Fiero is with you guys, and I am confident exhaust leak is all a bad mic would pick up.

I took the motorhome in for a smog week before last, and the nice people at the smog shop crashed it into their garage. It was a fluke - the latch for their garage door opener was sagging a bit and it snagged on the side of the AC shroud. If they'd been just an inch to the left it would have been fine. But it wasn't, and there was contact. I think it did more damage to their opener than the motorhome, but when we went to test the AC I couldn't get the generator to start. FML. On the way home, I finally got it started, but it wouldn't run normally, just rev up and down. :down:

So I don't know if the AC was damaged. I don't think it was as I think any damage would have shown in the solar panel, and it's fine. I think it's just minor cosmetic damage to the shroud. The upside is that I know the generator needs attention and I have just shy of three months to fix it. I just spent an hour finding part numbers for the consumables, something Onan apparently doesn't want you to have anymore. Then I had to find cross-references for all that stuff. Fortunately rockauto has all that stuff in their California warehouse, so I should have it this week. Really hoping it isn't the auto-choke or the carb itself and just poor performance from old parts. We'll see. I understand you need to remove the generator from the motorhome to replace the "back" spark plug, so that will be fun. So much fun.

[thesameguy]

Remembered: I might also want to replace the fuel pump. It doesn't have that much time on it, but it is 22 years old. The Onan pump is a couple hundred bucks but some research shows people use this as a replacement:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/facetpumps.php

I have never heard of these, but they're cool. Solid state electronic fuel pumps. WTF?


No electrical contacts. No bearings or diaphragms to wear out or fatigue. Lasts four to five times longer than many other electric fuel pumps.

40105 is the one people use and it's like $40. 4.5psi max and 30gph. Neat.

[thesameguy]

Got in touch with Matin at Zada Tech to get the TFT portion of the SPG's new gauge cluster going. I think for the sake of my sanity it's going vertical, not horizontal. The cluster itself is 13" wide and the hole in the dash is 11.5" wide. The two new analog gauges take up just shy of 9" between them. That leaves somewhere between 2.5" and 4" for the TFT. The TFT is 3.3" x 5.1" with the "I'm lazy, do it for me" plastic bezel. Since 5.1" won't fit period, I'm going vertical. ;)

I think we're got all the sensors and inputs worked out. Aside from the idiot lights, it'll be configured to display alternator charging, oil pressure, oil temperature, coolant temperature, boost pressure, fuel level, EGT, and wideband AFR. Most everything is done with a sensor, but the AFR will come via an Innovate Motorsports LC2 which will simulate narrowband O2 for the fuel injection computer. In theory this gives me all the hardware I need to run Megasquirt which I just might consider. Maybe. I think I could sneak it through smog and nobody would be the wiser, and being an '85 has its advantages here... more lenient smog requirements!

The remaining discussion point is how the gauges look. I have no expectation of getting all of those readings on a single legible display with only 4.3" of space, but I need to figure out exactly what I can get. I'm not great with information displays, but I do think a digital approximation of an analog gauge is not the correct approach here. Maybe just a numerical readout? Simulate a drum-type gauge? Maybe use a bar graph display? I'm waiting to hear back the resolution of the display before putting any more thought into it, but I'm excited this is happening. :)

[JoshInKC]

I always liked drum gauges when those were a thing (especially the Chrysler(?) drum speedometers), but a bar graph might be cool.

[thesameguy]

I really like drum gauges too - it's a neat technology we'll never have again because it takes up too much space. :) I'm thinking maybe a horizontally scrolling drum, where the centerline is stuck in the middle, and the increments roll left to right. That might be more work/animation than these guys are willing to do, though. ;) And, I guess, it's not ultimately that functional. Blah.

Something like this:

https://www.london-electronics.com/bargraphs_tricolour.gif

could work. I think four of those on a single "pane" would get me everything I need and fit comfortably in the space I have.

I am half tempted to just use digital readouts - it seems to work okay on my friend's GTI with a Zeitronix box -

http://www.zeitronix.com/questions/LCD_BOOST_400.jpg

It's just not a quick way to look at data. I guess I need to wait on resolution of the display before trying to figure out what to do with pixels.

[thesameguy]

Resolution of the 4.3" LCD is 480x272 pixels.

Resolution of the 5" LCD is 800x480 pixels.

Okay, time to think! 272 pixels is not a lot of horizontal res!

[Kchrpm]

Go big or go home.

[thesameguy]

I'm trying. It's a space issue. The higher res display is a *really* tight fit, I'm not sure I can make it work. I have a CAD drawing, but I need photos so I can see how it mounts, and where the HDMI cable plugs into it. If I can clear it, 5" and double the res fixes stuff! Four 200x480 stacked on top of each other would be *perfect*. Four 120x272 would be dumb. :lol:

[thesameguy]

Google-fu.

99% sure this is the display we're talking about:

https://www.adafruit.com/product/1928

Which, for me, raises the question - is this solution Pi-based? If so, neat.

I have engaged a friend with a 3d printer to discuss minimalistic mounting options. ;)

[thesameguy]

I am pretty convinced the 5" panel will work, so I'm taking the plunge.

I have 5" of vertical space and *at most* 4.5" of horizontal space - the entire width is 13", the rear dimension (essentially excluding the bezel) of the analog gauges is 8.4" combined, leaving 4.6". There needs to be space between the gauges and space between the gauges and the edge of the cluster. The 5" display is 4.6" tall and 3.07" wide, leaving 1.5". It'll be tight, but I think it'll work. I hope it'll work.

The viewable area of the display is 2.5" x 4.25", that's 480x800 pixels in portrait. I gotta cram everything into there. Each page is fixed, the joystick lets you change pages but not the contents of a page, which is somewhat limiting but workable. The good news is that each page can have a unique layout, so one page could be a couple analog gauges, and another page could be a text readout. That offers some real flexibility.

The idiot lights I need are check engine, high beams, park brake, low brake fluid, and a pair of turn signals. I could simplify the turn signals into one indicator, maybe. It's never bugged me on cars that do it that way. If I can put enough brain power into it, I could also not set aside space for each item - like, maybe I don't care if the turn signals are on if the oil pressure is low? What's the order of operations for idiot lights? I also have idiot lights for low oil pressure, low fuel, and low voltage but after a brief discussion I could do this in software - rather than use the sensors for this stuff, I could have the relevant gauge go red or display a warning. I could even pop a currently-hidden gauge to the front as an alert. I should have asked about a scrolling display like the Jag - a single line that tells you everything in text - Check Engine -> Low Oil Pressure -> High Engine Temp, etc. That's kinda neat, need to think!

The gauges I'm going to do are fuel, volt, coolant temp, boost, oil temp, oil pressure, wideband AFR, and EGT. I think I am forgetting one but I have no idea what it is right this second, it's late. Fuel and coolant temp are kind of always relevant. Boost, oil temp, oil pressure, and volt are needed less. AFR and EGT are probably only useful on occasion. I need to figure out a good way to present as much stuff as possible without things being illegibly small or too cluttered to find. Perhaps a hybrid layout where "trends" (like coolant temp) are displayed as graphs, and "momentaries" like AFR are displayed numerically? One page where I cram as many graphs as possible, a second page where everything is presented numerically? Hmmm.

Final thing I've learned is that the ouputs are flexible - choose an input, choose a value, choose an output. If the coolant temp channel goes over 210 degrees, send an output to ground to trigger the fan relay. If the EGT goes over 1400 degrees, send an output to positive to trigger the water injection. I'm hoping I can have a trigger so that if anything goes above threshold to trigger the chime. That would make a 1985 Saab feel like a 2000 Chrysler!

It's a lot of details, but I think I have all the information. Hopefully I can make good decisions and not realize in six months what I should have done. I guess the upside is that if that happens, worst case I ship the box back and have it reprogrammed. Could be worse. :)

[thesameguy]

Not sure if I mentioned, but a couple weeks ago I took the motorhome in for a smog check. It passed easily, but after the test the folks at the shop crashed it into their garage. I think they were trying to pull it through to make it easier for me to get out, but in the process the roof AC smashed into their garage door opener. Initially, I thought the damage was only cosmetic, but upon further investigation today it's decidedly not.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_damage1.jpg
http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_damage2.jpg
http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_damage3.jpg
http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_damage4.jpg

The evaporator is pretty much wrecked as are the mounting bungs for the shroud as is the shroud itself. The fan is wedged into its shroud and bent too. I have further concerns because lifting any corner of the AC unit produces movement relative to the roof. I don't know how the AC units physically attach to the roof, but since the AC is primarily metal and the roof is primarily wood, I am worried that the wood is damaged.

This is the shop I have been going to for a decade and they have always been cool, including now. No arguments, just send us a bill. Tomorrow I guess I am doing that. At the very least it's a new roof unit as they are essentially irreparable. Hopefully it's not a new roof too. At least we have a couple months before Burning Man, but I guess using it is out formJune camping. :(

[thesameguy]

$1100 buys a replacement AC unit, including installation. $1200 buys one with a 10% increase in capacity. Obviously I will foot the bill for more.

Slowly, unexpectedly, maybe unfortunately this thing is slowly becoming less economically beneficial to sell. Blah. If I keep it I'll end up in it another grand for a new roof.

[Random]

$1100 buys a replacement AC unit, including installation. $1200 buys one with a 10% increase in capacity. Obviously I will foot the bill for more.

Slowly, unexpectedly, maybe unfortunately this thing is slowly becoming less economically beneficial to sell. Blah. If I keep it I'll end up in it another grand for a new roof.

That's the shop's money, not yours, though, right?

[thesameguy]

In theory, although I can't see how it won't be.

[Kchrpm]

Shenanigans, that's how.

[thesameguy]

FML. Don't you put that shit on me!

[thesameguy]

I really don't understand what you do for employment. :? *boggle*

This post came rushing back to me today. Know what I spent my day doing? Fixing an electric wheel chair. Talk about insane - nobody who sells them knows how they work, and nobody who makes them will tell you. "Just send in your insurance information, we'll provide a loaner while we fix yours." Yeah, you see, the guy who owns this chair is dead. His insurance isn't going to be much help. And, ps, we're probably trying to sue you.

[thesameguy]

Been playing with the Garmin Virb XE and so far I'm pretty happy with it. Seems to perform admirably and hasn't done a single weird thing. Something I have found interesting is its sound recording - in the Fiero I expected to hear nothing but exhaust leak and trailing throttle burbling, but it's a lot of wind noise. In the XR, I expected rattles from the c-pillar trim and whistle from the turbo, but the rumble from old T5 is dominant. Very weird! I'll throw some crap up on youtube for review as soon as I carve out some time to find the somewhat good bits and learn the software (which you need if you want to overlay GPS data, which I do. :))

[thesameguy]

This thing is kinda bad ass. Check out the HUD:


http://youtu.be/MF0-PJ297SM

You can hear:

The grumbling 4th gear
The whistle as boost passes about 12psi
My exclamatory when a dude towing a flatbed trailer goes for a pass!

The XR is pretty mighty 40-80mph, even with a substantial elevation change!

I just happened to remember this moment so it was easy to find in the video. ;)

[pl8ster]

Did you call him "fuckweed?"

I don't care; I'm using that term from now on whether you did or not :lol:

[thesameguy]

Yep. :lol:

In his defense, he executed the pass with aplomb. I expected a rolling roadblock, but he got his pass done and got right out the way. No hard feelings!

[Godson]

Did you call him "fuckweed?"

I don't care; I'm using that term from now on whether you did or not :lol:

I've used it in the past. Right up there with shitstick.

[thesameguy]

Somehow shitstick got left in the past with turdburglar, which really is a shame.


http://youtu.be/ohdnDJtg3u4

I am not sure why, but the Virb lost the map in the first section of that video. Kinda disappointing, I wanted to see what it looked like. ;) It does fine at night, which I am happy about. There are corrections I could apply that I didn't, it's just raw. Not bad at all.

I am generally quite happy with this doodad, and if he's willing I'd like to pass it on to Random when next he races. :up:

[novicius]

I've used it in the past. Right up there with shitstick.
I've been yelling "shitdick!!" a wee bit too much. :|

Gotta lay off the GTA V... :smh:

[Godson]

Fuckstain is another favorite of mine.


And usually people don't even think about what I am actually saying, just that I am cussing at them. If they knew, I'd likely have been shot by now.



I've been eyeing the virb elite, but I'd be using it for track days, and I want the engine speed, etc, and it doesn't appear to work that well with motorcycles.

[GB]

I'm partial to Fucktard, myself.

[thesameguy]

The Elite is the old model - they don't make it anymore. It's the X and the XE now. They add waterproof and remote preview via a smartphone so you can see what they see when they're stuck on your helmet or the rear quarter panel. :up: If you want engine speed, etc. you need an OBDII Bluetooth adapter - or make your own ANT+/wifi/Bluetooth tachometer! :)

Fucktard is legend. It'll never die!

[Random]

That's pretty slick. :cool:

[thesameguy]

I received over the weekend a tidy anniversary bonus that was not expected, so I am moving forwards with the parts accumulation for the SPG. One of the pieces I need (okay, want) is wideband AFR. The digital gauge pack takes in a linear analog voltage (standard 0-5v), which is pretty much any wideband sensor controller. Aside from just needing a controller, I have a couple options I am entertaining:

1. Just a straight-up controller with linear output, something like the Spartan 2 - $75 - http://www.14point7.com/products/spartan-lambda-controller-2
2. A controller that can also emulate narrow-band to the factory ECM, something like the Innovate LC2 or Zeitronix ZT3 - about $200, http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/products/lc2.php or http://www.zeitronix.com/Products/Zt-3/Zt-3.shtml
3. Something that does more - like aggregate other sensor data or perform active functions. The Innovate SCG-1, for example, has a solenoid-based boost controller which is appealing, but it's $400 -http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/products/scg1.php

Simulating narrowband output saves some pieces and probably improves accuracy, but typically wideband sensors wants to be a couple feet from the turbo and that would leave a hole where the factory sensor is. It's a potential smog problem I think, and I'd probably end up leaving the factory sensor for show. So, maybe the simulation is wasteful. I really like that SCG-1 as I'd love to ditch the now-problematic stock boost control, but that Innovate solenoid is really clunky looking -

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710jQwHeyEL._SL1500_.jpg

How can I hide that from the smog people??? I am sad they left it like that. :smh:

I have run c900s with no solenoid and they're fine, just like you'd expect. I'm not sure it's worth $200 at this time.

Hmmm.

Edit: I will add that the reason why I'm spending any time on wideband is because I am forever inching closer to converting this car to megasquirt. Parts for LH are getting hard and/or expensive to find, and MS is so flexible these days I should not have a problem making it use mostly stock components, making it mostly invisible.

[thesameguy]

Oof.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/pts/5648845778.html

[thesameguy]

I drove the Fiero out to San Andreas last Friday and am right back to thinking how much fun it would be with an engine swap. Someday, I'm gonna. I swear.

I talked with some folks about the GM e-rod motor, because it has the amazing advantage of being CARB-certified for 1995 and older passenger vehicles. You can just put it in anything. Legally. The big gotcha with the Fiero is that the exhaust manifolds are set up for a longitudinal mount and won't work, and technically you can't swap exhaust manifolds to something that will work and maintain the certification. Would a smog tech notice? I don't know.

Also worth mentioning, a complete e-rod setup clears $10k. I can't see the value of a $15,000 Fiero, 430hp or not.

That puts me back into quirky swaps, where the easy answer is a pushrod V6 and manual transmission from a G6, but there are lots of other options. An interesting swap I caught wind of is:

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n58/bmwguru/Gurus%20Car/2013-05-17_15-12-00_853_zpsf357191f.jpg (http://s109.photobucket.com/user/bmwguru/media/Gurus%20Car/2013-05-17_15-12-00_853_zpsf357191f.jpg.html)

That's a Saab turbo V6 from a 9-3. I kinda like the idea of a Saab-powered Fiero in my driveway.

I found out today while getting a fuel pump body for the SPG's upcoming work that a subframe drop is under $2k - engine, 6-speed, electronics. I'm talking to the guy who did the swap about the ECM programming, because that's always the glitch. The potentially nice thing about this swap is that the 9-3 used a variety of engines from relatively different sources, so might be more modular and easier to dissect. High hopes!

[GB]

I LOVE my tuned b284. Definitely the best component in my Aero. If I had lottery-type money, I'd pay someone to put one between the rear wheels of a z31.

[novicius]

Whoa that is cool! :D :up:

I would have *happily* bought a turbo'd '01-'03 V6 Mustang if I had found one when I was looking.

[thesameguy]

Intercooling is a problem on turbo mid engine cars, and that's a tough thing to solve. It may come down to cutting (out) the trunk and putting the intercooler there. It's not the end of the world - since the Corvette brakes preclude using a spare tire, the front hatch is essentially empty anyway. It's not as conveniently operated as the real trunk, but it does have the advantage of not being right next to the engine. ;)

[thesameguy]

http://www.carpron.com/multisite/d/4967-2/jdm_13.jpg

;)

[thesameguy]

Met a guy over the weekend, kinda randomly, and we ended up talking about turn of the century European cars, and how they're all cursed. I mentioned my experience with Saabs, Audis, BMWs, and Jags, and we ended up talking about XJRs and how mine involved several passes to resolve coolant leaks. Turns out his octogenarian neighbor has an '04 R (the X350 aluminum body cars) that has a coolant leak. He was quoted over $1000 to fix (which would be inline with what mine would have cost, I was quoted $1200) doesn't want to, so was going to sell it to a junkyard. It has been offered to me at $3k - the car is probably worth $8k-$10k, so it seems like a deal. It's in Concord, hoping next week I can check it out as I have to go to San Jose for work.

[Random]

How about this for automatic and blue:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5672249923.html

:D

[Random]

Not blue, but it is a hatchback...kinda?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5615954996.html

[thesameguy]

I don't *think* my increase is going to cover anything over $275k, and I can barely tolerate putting her in an '03 Hyundai... it's gotta be pretty recent or pretty abnormally reliable/safe.

Maybe an '04 XJR? :lol:

[Random]

Cross country drive?

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/5695992685.html

I think the history of that particular owner/car is covered in this thread: http://www.roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?35615-Daily-Driver-thread-v-eleventy-The-Shultz-Edition&highlight=mercedes+320

[thesameguy]

If it was a wagon I'd seriously consider it, but a $6k sedan would have to be positively mint, or maybe a coupe or a Sportline. I like what that guy is doing, but I think he's, uh, optimistic. ;)

[speedpimp]

This might be one of coolest engine swaps into a Falcon ever. (https://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2016/07/18/a-different-kind-of-inline/?refer=news)

[thesameguy]

That is really cool - as soon as I get past the Santa Fe replacement I'm going to work on getting a welder so I can practice. I really want to get the Duratec in the garage into the Falcon.

[thesameguy]

The one month countdown to Burning Man has begun, so despite the incredible heat this weekend it was time to de-mothball the motorhome and start prep. Full tune-up on the generator to go with the brand new roof AC (it ended up costing $300 OOP, but that's totally worth it), an oil change, and I reinstalled the rooftop solar panel. I think the house batteries are pretty marginal at this point, and I'm probably going to have to replace them... new batteries sound good, and $200 isn't enough to get all that upset about, but it just adds to the costs that really tip the balance between keeping and selling the RV. That's a whole different problem. Blah.

Also, still have the F150. Ran into some complications (dog hurt her ankle, then I destroyed my back) which knocked out a couple weekends of work. I didn't get into anything heavy in 100+ degree heat last weekend. I think the only thing left for it to do is a dump trip but I just can't pull it together. Feeling pretty poor about my capabilities this summer. :down:

[novicius]

Getting old sucks, partner. ;)

[thesameguy]

That what the damned girl said, but I honestly don't think that's it. *Years* ago, like Y2K, I experienced the exact same thing. Worked on a car ('85 900T) for too long reaching over the engine for long stretches and everything was fine until several days later when I picked up a server at work and thought I was going to pass out. Pain lasted for two days, and then evaporated. This time I spent several days in a row hunched over a server (it was "too difficult" to rack it at a good height) and then Friday afternoon reached too far into the back of the Ford to get a wheel out. Hurt so much I dropped the wheel on the ground! Saturday and Sunday I did nothing except play video games sitting just so in a chair, Monday everything was fine. I'm not sure what the source of the pain is/was - it's not a muscle pain, more like a nerve pain. I feel like I'm general pretty durable. I virtually never get sick (once every few years) and these are the only two times in my life I've been debilitated from pain (minus, of course, fracturing my femur, but that seems expected). I think it's just stupid abuse on my part - I put a strain on my back from idiot ergonomics and then top it off with a careless lift. Probably should be smarter about it. Probably won't be. But I'll check back in 2032.

[Godson]

From what I am experiencing, it totally sounds like a pinched nerve or a slipping disc.

[thesameguy]

The first time it happened I was really concerned it was a slipped disc, but it healed quickly and didn't happen again for all this time, so I'm fairly certain it's a pinched nerve. There is no physical soreness anywhere, just an incredible pain when I move or load it in a specific way. Both times, two days of doing essentially nothing cures it, so I'm not too worried. I just need to remind myself that extended bending at the waist is going to lead to a lame weekend. ;) The other thing that leads to a lame weekend is continual >100 degree days. It's the worst.

[thesameguy]

Got my dump run done last Saturday (heat be damned) so this afternoon I smogged the Ford this morning and put it on the CL. As usual, I am asking too much... but I kinda want to keep it through the 20th. If it sells at this price, it'll easily be worth it. :) If not, I'll repost it at a lower price when we get back from BRC. I actually think I have a shot at $2600 - it's within a few hundred bucks of every similar Ford listed, and while it's not pretty, mechanically I think it's above average. We'll see!

[Random]

You typo'd "point." ;)

[thesameguy]

You don't think it makes the ad more accessible? :lol:

[thesameguy]

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_batterybulge.jpg

Motorhome's batteries are like pants. Bulgy.

[Random]

Original?

[thesameguy]

I don't think so, but I wouldn't be surprised to find they were ten years old. That's not recent Interstate branding, it looks very early '00s. Older than the Suburban's '04/'05 ones at least.

I didn't realize how messed up they were until I removed them. The brace that holds them in place makes it hard to see how bowed the sides are. I put two brand new Duracell (nee Exide, I think) batteries in. Batteries+ has a 10% off store pickup right now (maybe always idk) so both batteries were only $215 after tax, totally acceptable. And these are the uprated 230ah ones, not the standard 215ah ones. :up:

[thesameguy]

Summit Racing just told me they can't ship brake cooling components to California due to emissions laws. What the actual fuck.

[Random]

Huh?

[Godson]

Lol! Because California is dumb.


I bet the dumbass ideology is the brake dust being blown into the air.

[thesameguy]

It is Summit mot knowing what they are doing. California has no such restrictions.

[KillerB]

Yeah, California basically doesn't give two shits about anything besides what's between your air filter and your catalytic converter.

I had a hard time understanding why I saw so many cars broken down with blowouts and suspension failure... until I realized there was no safety inspection done on cars here.

[Godson]

Safety inspections are bs. Missouri has them and the point of failure is fucking scary in some categories.

[thesameguy]

I feel like they were conceived with the right idea. The number of roadway issues around here would be greatly reduced if cars were statistically less likely to have dumbass problems.

In any case, in Summit's defense I always intended to use the brake cooling hardware I bought to make a cold air intake for the Southwind. However, they are still idiots because a) Pre-1996 vehicles are exempted from intake mod inspections, and b) My mod is pre-air filter, so it's exempted period. Executive summary: Summit is still dumb.

One brake duct thoughtfully zip tied to the grille:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_cai1.jpg

One brake cooling duct, one 6" long aluminum pipe, and some giant hose clamps.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/southwind_cai2.jpg

Now the Southwind isn't sucking air from the radiator. :up:

I think this qualifies as ram air. :up: :up:

Unfortunately, I think the generator's fuel pump is actually dead now. I have a shitty potential replacement coming from Amazon tomorrow (free one day Sunday delivery FTW!) to find out if I'm right. The current pump flows fuel but my gauge registered 0psi. Hopefully it's an actual problem with the pump and not the gauge... because that means a problem with the generator. It runs on carb cleaner (as long as I keep spraying...) so it seems like fuel is likely.

[CudaMan]

Pre-1996 vehicles are exempted from intake mod inspections
Since when? This is news to me!

*ponders possibilities for the Turbo*

*realizes he hasn't touched that car in a year. :(*

*hangs head in shame*

[thesameguy]

For like eight years. Since 2009. How do you think I did all that stuff to the XR and SPG??

[thesameguy]

Oh, but like, why I came here.

The new fuel pump did nothing for the generator. Maybe.

After installing and it still wouldn't run, I half-dismantled the carb for inspection and then put it back together and now it runs.

But, uh, before it ran it made a SPROING! sound and a tiny piece of metal fell out of the fan area. It looks like some sort of collar or spacer. Well, half of one. After picking it up I looked up to try and see exactly where it came from, and I found a very delicate spring, about the size of a roll of pennies, sitting on top of the grate, like it too fell out of the fan area. I.... don't... know. But because I have zero sense of personal safety, I tried starting it again and it fired right up, zero complaints. The fan area has to be totally isolated from the actual engine, and I just can't imagine what this pieces might do or where they would have come from. I may go by a generator repair shop and see if they can id them.

I let it run for about 45 minutes, while I made some "adjustments' to the base and idle mixtures and backed down the minimum idle speed. Like all carb "adjustments," this one seems like voodoo. The manual says something like "Do base adjustments, start generator, apply load, change settings until you see 120v +/-2 and 60Hz +/-2" - something very close to that. I turned on the brand new AC (works good!) and was seeing 121v and 61.5Hz, which was within spec. I made some minute adjustments and got the frequency down to 60.5Hz but the voltage stayed at 121v. I turned off the AC and it went to 122v and 61.5Hz, which is still within spec. I guess I'm calling it good...

I let it sit for three hours to cool down, and it started right back up again. I guess I will try it again in a few days to see what a very cold start is like.

While it was running, the fridge switched on and I didn't notice. I must have left the button on last year. Anyway, after an hour of running across four hours of time, it was cold in there. Not freezing, but noticeably cold. I think that's better performance than it's ever had. I will run it on propane towards the end of the week and see what happens.

While all this was going on, I did some more repairs to the dashboard and decided to put in a switch to fully turn off the stereo. I don't think ignition on/stereo off is a big consumer of power, but I'm not messing around. I also looked into cleaning up the backup camera wiring, which is when I found out the wireless transceivers are dead. I don't know if one or both is, but I have this sneaking suspicion it's the front one. I ran a composite cable from back to front and the camera works, so whatever, a $10 transceiver pair is dead.

Gonna pick up:

New transceiver
An actually good fuel pump (that Facet one I linked to a while back)
An exhaust duct for the generator (direct exhaust up, in case we end up camped next to someone)
Toggle switch to turn the stereo off off

Hopefully that's all the vehicle stuff.

[thesameguy]

That stuff is all ordered. Hopefully the new expensive $15 2.4GHz transceivers work better and last longer than the shitty, cheap $12 ones I got last time. Gosh!

What's apparently not shitty or cheap are the $15 SB1245 batteries I got for the bikes. They still work. Two years later! Insane!

[thesameguy]

Generator started up this morning with zero complaints. Not sure what else I can ask for... :lol:

[thesameguy]

Amazon stuck me in the pucker. Wrong camera transceiver, wrong special metal button, botched battery delivery. I don't think I've been this hosed by Amazon cumulatively in the six years I've been heavily using them. Today was a complete disappointment and a total waste. :down:

[novicius]

:angry:

[thesameguy]

I made up new words today. I ain't got time for this shit!

[KillerB]

Speaking of motorhomes - what's the deal with emissions on old motorhomes in CA? Are there any requirements, and if so, what year do they kick in?

Very seriously considering one of those old GMC Motorhomes for the trip to Burning Man in 2017.

[Random]

Speaking of motorhomes - what's the deal with emissions on old motorhomes in CA? Are there any requirements, and if so, what year do they kick in?

Very seriously considering one of those old GMC Motorhomes for the trip to Burning Man in 2017.

Basically the same as for cars. 1976+ = smog. Big diesels (14k+ GVWR) and diesels prior to 1998 get a pass.

[thesameguy]

Yep. They do have less strict requirements - ie, the numbers are higher - but the same guidelines. It's noteworthy that the requirements are loose enough that certain mid-'90s Ford-powered ones don't even have catalytic converters. Just learned that - amazeballs!

Knowing what I know now, not sure I'd bring something vintage* to Burning Man. Unless you've dropped a literal fortune on one that's been heavily updated, the sacrifices in comforts, reliability, and manageability would kind of suck. Fuel injected 454 and a 4-speed on the hot freeway, sitting in gate traffic ain't no thing. Carb'ed 403 or 455 with a 3-speed is rough. Throw in tiny tanks (fresh = 32 gal and black = 20 gal) and vintage AC and an old generator (if you even have one) and there's kind of no reason to bring it. It's just a big rigid tent. A pretty, big rigid tent. Knowing what I know now, mid '90s RVs are where it's at. Just new enough to be useful, just old enough to be cheap. If we'd spent double on GMC (or Travco like I originally wanted! :lol:) we'd have a lot less pleasant experience. $7500 and we want for nothing.

* A lot of people bring old Sportcoaches and such, shitty, boxy, late '70s and early '80s motorhomes. They are big rigid tents, and there's something to be said for not having to set up camp. But that's a $2000-$4000 big rigid tent, not a $10000-$20000 one. I can sort of get behind that.

[CudaMan]

Summit Racing just told me they can't ship brake cooling components to California due to emissions laws. What the actual fuck.

In a similar wtf vain... The harder rubber control arm bushings I just got in the mail say "For Offroad Use Only" on the box. Really? :lol:

[thesameguy]

Are these the Megan Racing ones? They probably stick that on everything they make just as CYA. :lol: Blipshift should do an OFFROAD USE ONLY tshirt.

I emailed Summit pointing out their inane policy, and after three days (!!!) they replied and said "regardless of how the product is used, it's still illegal for us to sell in California." To which I replied "It might be illegal in *some* applications, but since 1996 and earlier vehicles are exempted from rules that would make using this illegal, there are plenty of legal, intake-related applications for this part. California does not regulate the sale of products (except for catalytic converters) but rather the application. You can buy whatever you want, it's up to you to know how to use it. As evidence of this, I drove up the street to my local Autozone and bought the same part. Seems like if they can sell it in California to a California resident for use on a California car, you're probably okay too. I would encourage you to have a conversation with your legal time and find out what it is you're paying for." That was a couple days ago, still no response. I know they aren't going to change anything, but Jesus Christ, I mean, these guys are a business that specializes in these types of parts. You'd think they'd be up to date on eight year old rules by now. Summit Racing should not be playing second fiddle to effing Autozone when it comes to go fast parts. That's ridiculous.

EVERYONE IS A JACKASS!

Edit: Oh shit, maybe that's what that Mad Max Z was running! :lol:

[thesameguy]

Ford is yesterday's news. Seriously, sold it yesterday.

Guy came by and gave me a bit of a sob story and I bought in... He used to do tile work but switched to HVAC when the housing market tanked and people stopped doing tile projects, but hates HVAC and wants out. He wants to start his tile business up again and needs a truck, but since he's on-call with his employer he's not making much. Sounds like better planning is called for, his problem isn't my problem, but it's a bear to scrape money together to bankroll a small business and I know that as well as anyone. I sold it for the two grand I paid for it, which means it cost me about $600 to own for 9 months, including insurance. For it's planned use that would have been a net loss - I originally estimated about $200 worth of UHaul trailer rentals and that still seems right - about seven $30 rentals, once every month or so. However, we did that fridge delivery to LA and that would have cost $110, so the real deficit is closer to $280 or $290. Considering all the time I saved not waiting for UHaul hookups, being able to throw trash straight into the bed rather than piling it up and having to reload it into a trailer, and being able to use it whenever I wanted three bills is a totally acceptable loss. Even $66/mo would have been worth that, and it's really $31. DONE.

Two grand goes into the Santa Fe replacement kitty... which really makes me want to go buy this thing:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/5729937018.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00F0F_jgpvJu5iegQ_600x450.jpg

I am completely enamored of these Heico V50s and it seems there is always one for sale in SF. 10 years old and 120k would be great for a few years. Time is tight and I know I can't pull the trigger, plus I am not even remotely confident the girl is going to keep a shiny black Volvo shiny or even black. Still......

......

[Godson]

You buy that, I'll gladly pick it up in a few months. After I'm done fucking around with having surgery after surgery.

[thesameguy]

If the Ford had sold last week I might have - not only was it one more week to sort things out, but I was in the bay area.

I have to wait til we get back from Burning Man - I am swamped right now at work and I don't have half a day to buy a Volvo I don't actually need right this second.

Sure is pretty though. ;)

There's also this:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/5656635132.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00e0e_lqOwblfOBbo_600x450.jpg

which wouldn't be bad either.

Only a few other cars on the list at this point. I need to look at a few to get a handle on their back seat situations (for the dog) so I can rule out some more.

[Godson]

Yeah, but those years have issues with the angle gear selector I've heard.

[thesameguy]

Yeah, but it's not too bad. The P80 cars definitely had issues, but I think the P2 cars are generally ok. Generally. ;)

[KillerB]

That's ones an auto anyway.

[thesameguy]

It's the front diff that fails, doesn't matter auto vs. manual AFAIK.

It would be nice to have an AWD car again so we could head up the hill in winter and not have to take the Suburban, but it's hardly a pressing need and I might rather just not have to deal with it. ;)

[thesameguy]

The motorhome has had this slight water leak in the back since we got it, and against better judgment I tackled it this past weekend. I initially couldn't figure out the problem, but I guess the cold water drain valve wasn't sealing entirely and when the water pump engaged it would pressurize the system and force a drip past the valve. It was an intimidating fix because there wasn't much room to work and all the plumbing is polybutylene which is known to get very brittle with age. I had a fear that I would touch something and all the plumbing would crumble. Adding to the fear is that none of the plumbing is designed to be serviced - the tubes are forced over copper unions and then copper bands are forced over. There is no disassembly of this shit that yields reusable pieces... except I guess the copper unions - the bands and tubes don't survive. Fortunately, it seems modern PEX tube is a close enough replacement, so I was able to hybridize the plumbing. ;) New valves, new clamps, new tube, sorted.

After I got that done I went to start the pump to test for leaks and found nothing 12v was working. WTF!!! Further investigation showed nothing factory 12v was working - all the work I did two years ago was still fine. DOUBLE WTF!!! And the generator would still start. TRIPLE WTF!!! I had to refamiliarize myself with the whole coach electrical system, and was fearing the 12v converter/charger had failed as my stuff and the generator go around it. It had no power, so I went upstream to the electrical panel under the hood. 12v at the battery, 12v at the isolation relay, 12v after the isolation relay, 0v at the... circuit breaker. Reset breaker, everything worked again. JOY! (I am pretty sure I tripped the breaker when I had the AC, a shop vac, and a heat gun all going at once :lol:)

Overall, it was a (re)learning experience. Nothing in this RV is that special. All the components are stupid-simple, mostly off the shelf, and ultimately not that expensive. Now is not the time, and I don't know when the time is, but all these experiences give my confidence that I could probably do a bus conversion or a vintage RV rehab if I really wanted to. I feel like at this point the only major roadblocks are parts of the house - window seals and exterior trim and such. Nothing functional is difficult or ultimately that expensive. Still not sure what the near-term fate of the Southwind is, but every obstacle I've faced thus far just hasn't been that difficult.

[thesameguy]

Got contacted by a friend on his way to BRC with an overheat scenario... coached him through some stuff, and he ask when I was getting there. Early Sunday morning, I told him, I don't have early entry passes this time. "Oh, you want some?"

HELLS YEAH. Really glad he had car troubles! :lol:

We are packed, going through the checklist one last time and then we're up and on out. I felt like the first time we had mountains of useless shit, but this time we have even more. Lesson not learned. PEACE!

[novicius]

Have a fantastic time! Spank some dusty asses! :D

[thesameguy]

Asses were spanked. Including mine. Also, SO DUSTY.

This time was a complete inversion of the last - first time through was four hours in entry, perfect mild daytime weather and chilly nights, rain & hail but no wind. Drove out in 30 minutes. This time we were in entry for 30 minutes *tops* before kicking back in camp with beers. It was pretty warm, most nights were shorts & t-shirts. SO MUCH DUST. Did still rain, though. It took us eight hours to get out. That's eight hours for three miles.

And that eight hours reaffirmed by belief that RV is correct and trailer is wrong for burning man. While people in the exit line were scurrying around between portos and trailers, our beds, toilets, and refrigerator were right next to us. Eight hours sitting in a motorhome is fine. Like, sit on the couch, read a book, and listen to the radio fine. Maybe make a sandwich. Totally comfortable, no worries. You can even change the air filter from the driver's seat. :rawk:

The Southwind did awesome. The new batteries and solar panel were everything - we only ran the generator twice, once just because halfway through the week and the second time because the girl was napping midday and I turned on the AC for her. The solar panel was enough to recoup most of the juice - fans for the fridge, some time listening to the stereo, lights at night, and the water pumps. We are judicious with using electrical things and I'm sure others wouldn't have the same result but it works for us - comfortably. We had about the same experience with tanks as before - left with the black tank at 75%, the grey at 25%, and the fresh at 50%. Nine days of boondocking is about all the black can handle. We had water & storage left for two short showers (8-10m each) but didn't do that. Ever. It's worth noting that our drinking water doesn't come from the fresh water tank - one of the large Igloo ice chests stores about 100lbs of ice and we drink the melt off. This year I made a small water pump that connects to the chest's drain and bought a few Hydroflask ("vacuum insulated water bottle") clones, so we always had a supply of ice cold water. We drank a full ice chest's worth twice - I cannot remember how big they are, but I think that's somewhere between 18 and 24 gallons of water. If we'd been drinking from the fresh water tank, it'd be down another 25%. Propane is still at about 75%, so I think we used about 10lbs to run the fridge and do a little cooking. On the subject of the fridge, my fan mods worked AWESOME. Before we left I installed a switch to disable them, and on the colder nights turned them off to save electricity. Well, one morning I neglected to turn them back on and both fridge and freezer climbed about 10 degrees F in the first few hours of the day, which is something that never happened otherwise. With the fans on, the freezer stayed at 30F and the fridge at 40F flawlessly. It's worth noting that is with the system at 40% - we were able to achieve optimal coldness in warm/hot weather with the system at less than half power. That's SUPERB.

Also awesome was my cold air intake. I know that sounds insane, but it's for real. There are a few inclines on 80 that I know pretty well at this point and they were FAR less trouble than ever before. Only three times (two going, one returning) did we end up in the slow lane at 35mph eyes glued to the temp gauge. The rest of them weren't even a thing. Coming back from Reno there are a few sneaky, long climbs and the Southwind hustled up them without worry. We passed cars. I think the big funnel and hose give the 454 all it can use, and even at lower speeds enough air is getting shoveled in it's as happy as it can be. I haven't done (and won't do) the math, but I am pretty sure fuel economy was improved as well - we did the entire journey on a tank of gas. That's about 600 miles on less than 80 gallons through the mountains. I will take 8mpg!!! The power steering cooler was also fantastic - although the insane exit line helped us avoid Labor Day traffic in the mountains, we did catch up to pods of bad drivers pretty repeatedly. Nothing tests a man's mettle like asking a 16,000lb bread truck to slow while doing 70mph downhill. Cooler power steering fluid resulted in totally predictable brake performance with every stop. The driving experience was as close to zero stress as it could be. I mean, it's still a 300 sq ft apartment on wheels, so...

I spent all weekend cleaning it. I cannot intimate how much dust we brought back. Now I know what everyone is always talking about. ;) It still cleans up nice, but we definitely have some decisions to make. We have a great running rig with new tires, batteries, and even AC, but it's definitely starting to age. It was old when we got it, and neither Sactown nor BRC are kind. Some rubber seals are starting shrink, some interior trim is starting to curl, what I think it clearcoat is flaking off in places, and the roof has about had it. We've done camping and burning man twice and generally had the RV experience. On the one hand we have a motorhome that does everything we want it to do and has been maintained and customized to borderline perfection, and on the other hand we have one that will need around $3,500 in work at some point in the foreseeable future. Do we keep it and let it nickel and dime us, or do we get out? I dunno. But I think a decision about the roof is going to force our hand sometime real soon.

While I mull that over, I am riddled with automotive projects. As before, I let everything languish over the summer while I focused on budgeting and prep for burning man. Intellectually, I know I put too much effort into it, but our time in the desert was and is so painless I'm okay. Nine days of no struggles is great. Having that spare SLA battery a campmate needs to run his swap cool is great, Having that spare inner tube someone needs to fix their bike is great. Having a spare solar charger so someone can charge their camera is great. I'm not mad at being the one in a position to help other people. I suck at sports but I'm great at bring prepared. ;)

Falcon - Transmission pan spring a pretty epic leak. When I installed it like four years ago I did not have a gasket (none were available) and used Chrysler's ATF pan RTV. It finally gave up the ghost. I fixed that yesterday, in the process discovering the pan was pretty severely warped. It's pretty much just a flat piece of stamped steel, so no surprise. New cork gasket, a little Ultra Blue RTV, and a lot of hammering. Hopefully it lasts another four. That's all it needs to do.

SPG - Brake master cylinder is leaking into the booster. Took me a little bit to diagnose it, but I figured it out right before we left. Gotta get that replaced, but I've also got its power steering and gauge projects in the works so I'm debating about holding off and doing it all at once. It's a huge time/space/dollar commitment I'm not sure I am prepared to make, thus the hesitation. Blah.

XR4Ti - Fucking asshole fan controller failed again. THIRD one that's failed. I hate it. I'm done with it. I did some prep, bought an IR temp gun, and this time I am doing it right. No more controller. I'm just going to install a traditional fan switch and call it good. I just need to figure out what temperature the fan switch needs to be. I think I am only a data-gathering drive and $15 from fixing this.

Cadillac - I need to replace the front brakes. Man, I don't want to do this. But I will. Someday. Soon.

Motorhome - I had a shop do some work on in when we first got it and they failed at the transmission pan - it leaks after sitting for a week or two. I had them reseal it in '15 but it STILL leaks. I was able to stay on top of it for burning man but it's gotta get fixed for real. I think the issue is that they or someone before them threw away the good reusable factory seal and installed a shitty cork one. Although I am thinking about dumping it, I am also thinking about spending $200 on a larger capacity aluminum pan. The factory 4L80E pan is stamped steel and can be bent or warped (although less dramatically than the Falcon's ;) ) and it's possible that's what's causing the leak. The aftermarket aluminum ones have thick flanges and don't warp. I think it's worth $200 to do it once and do it right, rather than risk $50 in fluid and a $15 gasket and find out it still leaks.

Such a long list - I gotta get cracking.

[thesameguy]

In other news, the girlfriend's mom has finally come mostly clean about her financial situation, which is as bad as expected. The mystery of "How does one pay $1700 in living expenses while making $900 in SSI?" has not been solved... One doesn't. One borrows money, uses credit cards, and takes gifts from family to delay the inevitable. :smh: So, she's got two more months' worth of cash in the bank, then will be short $1400 in November. We have offered to let her come stay with us (you know, the people with a giant house, plenty of room, a good financial situation, and a low cost of living) but that has been rejected. On the table is living with the other daughter (the people with a small townhouse who live month to month in an expensive part of the world) or her own mother (who is also a hoarder and already accompanied by another child and his children) in Colorado Springs. The decision could be mitigated with, well, you know, getting a job, but that doesn't seem a component of the discussion for some reason.

Moving in with the other daughter has some value - it means we'd still have easy access to her and would be in a better position to help out, but it carries with it the irksome side-effect of helping the sister out. In my head I don't mind helping out Mom Who Won't Get A Job because at least she's directly responsible for my kickass relationship, but I really resent the idea of helping out Sister Who Won't Get A Job because she's a god damned drain on the universe. I don't know. OTOH, moving to Colorado Springs has some value - she gets to spend what might be the last few years with her 90 year old mother and she (amazingly) moves into a more stable financial situation and just might get me out of the annual Thanksgiving TV-a-thon I absolutely despise. I will mention I suggested BOTH of these things a year ago when it was clear she wasn't going to go get a job. Back then, she could have wound down slowly and walked away with some cash. Now she has nothing but a pretty hard can't-pay-the-rent deadline. (FWIW, I am not going to pony up cash to let her stay - she needs to get out of that dump) Point being, no choice is going to made, something is just going to happen at some point when it absolutely has to and no sooner. Why plan?

Where this is going: If she chooses Door Number B and ends up in the Coolerado, the '94 E320 is going to be a shitty, shitty ride. Old RWD with no stability control in the snow sounds no bueno, so I'm unfortunately going to put the brakes on the Replace the Santa Fe effort and get working on something 4WD or AWD to go with her to the snow. Obviously 2WD car with proper shoes would do her fine, but she just isn't going to mess with seasonal tire changes. No traditional 4WD as I just don't think she will easily grasp the proper use of a transfer case, though I haven't ruled out something like a Cherokee. As she'll be out in the boonies, something with some ground clearance might make sense, but I doubt she'll do that much driving so it's probably not critical.

Some things I am considering:

2nd gen Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner (because the Zetec wasn't available with AWD, and the Duratec is :up:)
A P80 or P2 Volvo, like an XC70, V70, or S60
1st or 2nd gen CR-V
1st gen RAV4 (2nd gen cars are crazy expensive)
1st gen Santa Fe
Turn of the century Subaru of some type
Saturn Vue

It's not going to be an VW/Audi or a BMW, an XWD Saab is not going to fit the budget, and I am not sure I'd trust a 4matic Benz that I can afford (W124 or W210). Everything I named should be easily serviceable and cheap to run. I'm not fond of the Hyundai option due to safety concerns (heh), and I'm not fond of the Subaru option due to comfort concerns - but both are on the list... and the Subaru does offer the advantage of being oh-so-Colorado-friendly. Still, the Escape option is my #1 pick right now. The Duratec is a great motor, the drivetrain is pretty reliable, and nobody wants old boxy Escapes so resale value is in the toilet. You can get an '07 Escape XLT for the same price as an '01 CRV/RAV4/Subaru.

Even though she might not end up in Colorado, I probably need to make this happen around the end of the month so I have time to go through it. If she does move, we'll bring the E320 up here to replace the Santa Fe for a while. If she doesn't, whatever we bought will. I think that works out ok... especially if it turns out to be a Volvo or an Escape, both of which I like (sue me!!!).

[thesameguy]

...

[/wordvomit]

[Random]

Pick up Mapper's boss's Outback as a project? ;)

[thesameguy]

I would consider that depending on the specifics. I'm not spending much time looking at Subarus because they are so incredibly overpriced, especially around here. I get they have their good points, but they've got quite a bit working against them, too. I really don't understand why someone would pay the same money for an '02 Subaru as an '06 Audi. They aren't exactly that reliable. After a few $3000 "needs engine" midyear Legacies I excluded it from the search.

[thesameguy]

A Honda Element. Definitely should look into that.

[thesameguy]

Man, this thing looks absolutely ready to be destroyed!

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/5774706729.html

https://images.craigslist.org/00l0l_aZuQiAEylC6_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

Looks like the AWD car search is going to come down to a Volvo, Subaru, or a Ford. Maybe something else will come up, but one of these seems like a sure thing. I've got a few solid candidates I think, unfortunately I don't think I have the ability to actually check any of them out. Maybe some will still be around next weekend, and if not knowing that there are 13 solid (appearing) options today means there will probably be 13 solid options in a week or three.

2002 Subaru Forester (S) Awd Winter Pkg Low Miles
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5781596875.html

2003 Subaru Forester X
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5743575296.html

2003 Subaru Outback All Wheel Drive
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5761808885.html

2004 Mercedes Benz E500 * 4MATIC * not e350 e320
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/5770697350.html

2005 subaru forester 2.5XS AWD,showroom condition,126900KM,cleantitle
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5755473352.html

2005 Subaru Legacy Wagon GT/Limited
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/5781550095.html

2005 Volvo XC70 AWD -- One Owner -- 183k Miles -- Extra Clean
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5773780037.html

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5742637145.html

2006 SUBARU OUTBACK **NEEDS NEW RADIATOR** FULLY LOADED
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/5775731348.html

2006 Volvo XC70 Cross Country
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5746456358.html

2007 Ford Escape Hybrid
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5740350771.html

2007 Volvo XC70 2.5T Wagon AWD
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/5763595901.html

Subaru Outback sport 2003
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5779831026.html

I think there may be one or two salvage title cars in there, but I'm curious enough to at least have a look. The Benz (which is also a salvage) is just too tempting to not check out. If it's as nice as it might be, it might just hang around. ;)

This search yields WAY more options in LA, but coordinating a car-buying trip down there right now would be rough. Not entirely impossible, though... Used cars values and AWD premiums are far lower down there, which might almost offset the cost and difficulty of the trip.

[thesameguy]

Just so I can be lazy...

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/search/cto?sort=date&max_price=5555&min_price=111&query=subaru%7Cvolvo%7Cescape%7Cmariner%20awd%7C4w d%20-xc90
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/cto?sort=date&max_price=5555&min_price=111&query=subaru%7Cvolvo%7Cescape%7Cmariner%20awd%7C4w d%20-xc90
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/cto?sort=date&max_price=5555&min_price=111&query=subaru%7Cvolvo%7Cescape%7Cmariner%20awd%7C4w d%20-xc90
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/search/cto?sort=date&max_price=5555&min_price=111&query=subaru%7Cvolvo%7Cescape%7Cmariner%20awd%7C4w d%20-xc90

[thesameguy]

Falcon - New pan appears good. I have no idea how old the gasket I installed was, but it seemed adequately.... moist... so plus a little RTV I think it'll be fine. It's kept six quarts of Type F for three days, so, yeah, done.

XR4Ti - Got some road time and have some numbers to deal with. Knowing what I know now, I screwed the pooch back in 2008 or 2009 or whenever I installed the radiator. I put in a bung for a 3/8 NPT fan switch as it seemed common enough (Ford, GM), but all the grounded two- and three-terminal switches are metric threads. Blah. The only options for good SAE-threaded switches are from specialty vendors like Spal and Painless, which not only cost $30-$50 (WTAF!!!) but are probably every bit as unsuitable for a daily driver as the stupid Derale setup I currently have. I should have followed by gut and put an M22 or M12 bung on and used BMW or Saab switches. I guess I am looking for a ~200 degree fan switch with a 3/8" NPT thread. Hopefully the radiator is adequately grounded to support a single-wire Corvette part. SHITSNACKS!!!

Motorhome - I have found pretty effective ways to turn credit card rewards into clothes, camping supplies, household items, electronics, and even food but it's damned hard to turn them into car parts it turns out. That would make this decision point a lot easier, but no such luck. I'm torn between something like two bills for a TRA or TCI aluminum pan:

http://www.getfast1.com/TRA-4L80DPK-Transmission-Specialties-Aluminum-4L80E-GM-Deep-Pan_p_5603.html

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-278000/overview/

or Derale makes a very inexpensive stamped steel pan:

http://derale.com/products/transmission-pans/cooling-pans/3-8-npt-male-x-1-2-barb-90-degree-barb-fitting-detail

I like the idea of saving $50, and the big mark against a steel pan is that it can warp with removals & reinstalls (which is probably what the current problem is) but that probably won't affect me as I'll just be doing this once. However, I'm still so angry at Derale's shitty fan controllers I don't even think I'd trust their chunks of metal. $50 is one load of ATF dumped all over the ground from a bad seal.

Gotta make the call soon - I plan to do this work in a week. I was hoping one of them would be available via credit cards rewards (and thus "free") to make the decision easier... but no such luck. This will be a cash money purchase.

[Phil_SS]

CMB!

[thesameguy]

If we could harness it, we'd all have super powers!

[thesameguy]

XR4Ti - I ordered a $6 200 degree switch off ebay. I seriously doubt it will be durable, but it was a cheap place to start. If it is the right temperature, I will probably order a $20 one (that is probably made in the same factory to the same standards) from a more reputable source. I guess that should be here shortly...

Fiero - Two and a half years ago I got a new radiator for it, but then the dog got hurt and two years of bullshit ensued so it's been taking up space in the garage. I installed it on Friday, and while I was in there I removed the AC evaporator (LESS WEIGHT!) and installed a slightly lower fan switch... the stock one is 235 degrees, and my replacement is 225 degrees (IIRC). The combination proves quite nice - temperature is a rock-solid 220 degrees indicated, which is about 215 degrees according to the ECM. I booked it out to Westpoint (which is near San Andreas) on Saturday night for a wedding and even at 80 or 90mph the temp is square in the middle of the gauge. Previously, it would creep up to 230 or so. Obviously, none of these temps are a problem for a cast iron boat anchor, but it's nice to keep the temp at around ideal (215 degrees) rather than fluctuating between hot and cold all the time.

Santa Fe - Word has come down to OFFLOAD THAT BITCH. So excited, although timing is somewhat poor with the sudden "need" for an AWD car. The only plan I've been able to come up with is buy something we'd be okay keeping, so if it's not needed we'll keep it and if it is we'll trade it for the Benz. Unfortunately, I think this means spending a fair amount more on the car than I'd like to, but whatever, it's just money. :smh:

Over the weekend I hit up a few car dealerships and test drove cars on the list. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm really liking the Forester idea. Although they are not pretty, they're a good mix of a lot of attributes, totally not bad to drive with the 2.5l, and oddly the clincher is the rear visibility... backing a Forester up is downright pleasant. The previous front-runner, the XC70, is a FAR more comfy drive but rear visibility is atrocious - the tiny rear window combined with the dimensions out back make it hard to place. Kinda bummed, but whatever. I will mention the place I drove the most cars was NorCal Motor Group, which actually shares space with 2Bennett out near Random's place. This turned out to be a blessing, as just up the road from there is some largely unattended farmland. Having big patches of accessible dirt made real easy to be sure AWD systems were working. Okay, there was never a concern about a Subaru's AWD system working, but it's a legitimate question mark for the Volvos. Regardless, they all got tested. YEAH! Still need to do some comparisons with Escapes - another dealer has three or four of those so hopefully I'll look into that soon. Sadly, where they are there's no dirt. :(

[thesameguy]

There seems to be a crop of Muranos appearing on CL - 2003-2006 primarily, otherwise similar to cars I'm looking at. Anyone know how reliable they are in general?

[Godson]

Don't they have a VQ?

[thesameguy]

AFAIK... but I know nothing about drivetrain, suspension, etc.

[neanderthal]

Thirsty.
And I think they have the CVT transmission.

[Godson]

I thought that was newer ones. If it has the CVT, Nissan's has been plagued with poor reliability

[neanderthal]

You might be right.

They're just weird, in their operation, to some people.

[CudaMan]

I think 03-06 is still the era of traditional automatics mated to the VQ. Heck I can't think of a VQ CVT application off the top of my head except for the Maxima.

[thesameguy]

The 1st gen ones definitely have the CVT - I think opting of it was part of the 2nd gen update. From reading it seems like the first couple years were really bad, the '05-'06 cars were less bad, and they basically fixed it in '07. Pre-100k failure is pretty much guaranteed I guess, which suggests that everything on the road today probably already has the fixed replacement or it's probably not going to fail. Still a big gamble though. I always liked the 1st gen ones, and the 17/24 rating isn't much off from the W124 so it wouldn't be much of a change. I don't recall ever having driven one, but on paper it seems to hit tick all the right boxes, especially safety-related ones. Hmmm.

[thesameguy]

Also the Altima also has VQ+CVT.

[TheBenior]

From reading it seems like the first couple years were really bad, the '05-'06 cars were less bad, and they basically fixed it in '07. Pre-100k failure is pretty much guaranteed I guess, which suggests that everything on the road today probably already has the fixed replacement or it's probably not going to fail. Still a big gamble though.
In general, post-Renault "merger" early-to-mid 2000s Nissans, particularly those built in the new Tennessee and Mississippi factories, tended to have more issues than those before or after that era. From what I recall in my days of frequenting Nissan forums, the general consensus was that they took the cost-cutting and rushed development a little too far.

[thesameguy]

I could definitely see how that's a thing. I only know two people with Muranos and both were mostly trouble-free, but that's hardly a good sample size. I read some forums last night and all the discussions about failed CVTs ended in '12 or something. It's not a popular topic anymore, I think because the '07+ and then '10+ transmissions were quite reliable. The earlier cars are probably either mostly fixed or off the road - probably aren't many 50,000 mile 2003 Muranos around. ;)

Honestly, the big engine and 4000lbs would be pretty wasteful in the scenarios I've got and in a vacuum I'd rather have the sportiness of a Subaru (WTF?) or the comfyness of a Volvo but when your hunt is really The Best AWD Vehicle $5,000 Can Buy sometimes you give up sportiness or comfyness for just being available.

I sort of feel like I can avoid a time-bomb CVT as well as I can avoid a time-bomb Volvo timing belt or Subaru head gasket - it's probably all pretty lateral. But what I don't know is the rest of the package - is Murano suspension subject to expensive failures or do the power windows and locks fail at lot? I don't know. The only thing I've (comically) read is that the rear window wipers on the first couple years are horribly unreliable. :lol:

[thesameguy]

Although an '04, I am really interested in this Murano -

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5783750422.html

According to the map, it's a block from my house. :lol:

I might go test drive this one:

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/5780659644.html

It's at a dealer, and a feel less guilty about test driving dealer cars than personal vehicles. I can't tell whether it's FWD or AWD - I'm guessing FWD - but that shouldn't make a useful difference as far as the drive goes.

I also keep coming back to this Subaru - I don't like the high mileage, but it sure does look nice. But it's been for sale for two weeks at mid-low price - if it really is as nice as it looks, it seems like it'd have been bought by now.

[thesameguy]

I spent all of last night - like until well past midnight - working on the Santa Fe. Ya'll may recall that a day or two after buying it the check engine light came on for catalytic converter failure and I strong-armed the dealer into buying a new one. I never installed that thing, I wasn't sure what the future of the Santa Fe was and I didn't want to bolt a $700 cat onto a car that was going to be scrapped or might otherwise fail. I remembered on Wednesday the check engine light had been on for two years and I had a brand new cat in the garage... so I set about replacing it.

The cat the dealer purchased was a Miller Cat Co. "direct fit" part, aka a Miller Cat Co. "sack of bullshit." There is NOTHING direct-fit about the cat. The factory cat has studs to mount it, the replacement just holes. The factory cat has really beefy flanges on the inlet and outlet, the replacement has 1/4" flanges. The factory cat has bungs to install a heat shield, the replacement cat has none. The factory cat fits perfectly, the replacement cat is probably a 1/2" shorter and the curve on the outlet flange is probably 15 degrees off. The Miller part is a completely fucking embarrassment. Now, I know there's about $1000 difference in price between the two, but there is not $1000 worth of engineering or production. It's just bad design and bad execution.

Unfortunately I had no choice but to roll with it, as the factory cat was physically damaged inside (substrate somehow detached from the casing) and I need that check engine light off to smog & sell. Installing it meant going through my mountain of M10 hardware to find 8 matching nuts & bolts suitable for installing the cat, bending the header pipe so it would actually mate with the outlet flange, and devising bracketry to hold the shield. The latter was the worst of it, obviously, but couldn't be avoided. I don't understand how Miller thinks eliminating the shield is a good idea - the cat sits directly between the engine and the radiator and is flanked by the AC compressor. Adding 1000 degrees F to this area is utter madness. #irked

In the end, it turned out pretty good - just happy I had some 3/4" steel bar and a nice set of drill bits to go with my mountain of salvaged automotive hardware. ;)

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/04santafe_catshield.jpg

Now the Hyundai has some Audi nuts & bolts and some Mercedes screws & clips!

Today I am putting some miles on it to get the emissions inspection readiness monitors to set, but all seems well so far. Tonight I have some interior bulbs to install and give it a bath. It's already C/L'ed for $2500 in anticipation of success - not sure it's actually worth that, but we'll see. We don't have a replacement for it planned yet - short term that will be whatever the AWD vehicle is - but we do the Suburban and the Cat of Shame for the girl to drive until that happens. Here's to hoping the Hyundai is gone this weekend!

[novicius]

:lol: :up:

Pass and sell!!

[thesameguy]

FML. Setback.

Apparently the Santa Fe has developed a minor oil smoking problem. This is what happens when you leave girls in charge of cars. ;) It won't pass smog as a result and I was quite embarrassed when the smog guy pointed it out to me.

It's never had an oil consumption problem and runs great, so I can only assume the problem is in the head and is just exacerbated by the state mandated throttle snap test. Could be the valve guides but I'm hoping it's just worn out valve stem seals. They are $10/set, but the stupid valve cover gasket is a $40 monstrosity. Makes me long for the days I could complain about $25 Saab VCGs.

I have never replaced valve stem seals in situ - it's always been part of a larger operation that invariably involves removing the head. Well, I don't want to remove the head. I have a cylinder leakage kit so I can pump up the cylinders with air, or I have LOTS of rope and can fill up the cylinders with rope. What I don't have is a valve spring compressor suitable for working with the head still on the engine.

So, $10 valve stem seals, a $40 VCG, and a $50 valve retainer tool. $100 I'd rather not have spent, but a) TOOL UP, and b) this is the only way the Santa Fe is a $2000 saleable car and not a $500 junkyard donation, sooo....

At least there isn't a time crunch here - the car is paid for, I just want it gone. Glad to have found this out now rather than in December when it has to get smogged. Although there is still the very real possibility the problem is worn valve guides and the new seals will do nothing, but it's a $50 one afternoon experiment this way rather than a full head removal job. If this experiment doesn't work it might very well become a $500 junkyard donation.

[thesameguy]

Spent 3-4 hours running around to used car dealers today. Looked at an '05 Forester, an '07 Escape Hybrid, an '05 Murano, and an '05 Outback XT. Tried to look at an '05 XC70 but it was sold.

The Escape was stunning. It was tight, drove great, and utterly shocked us when we remembered to look at the odometer and found it has 190,000 miles on it. I guess the internet wasn't lying when it said they age really well. I thought for sure it was a 100k vehicle - it was so nice I didn't even look. It still ticks a lot of boxes but - and this is something I never noticed before - the seat bottoms are really short. Inexplicably short! Half my leg short. So weird. I can't say for certain, but I really feel like this would be a major liability for any extended driving. It's not enough to kick it off the list, but it's a major consideration.

The Murano was every bit as nice as I expected. This particular one had a 180k on it. Even the sales guy said, "You know about the CVTs..." so that's genuinely a thing. ;) Still, it drove great. Everything about it was really nice except for the rear seats folding - Nissan implemented the Cheap Way of folding seats, where the back just flops down instead of the Good Way where the seat bottoms flip forward to create a flatter, more uniform area. So very, very annoying - especially in this class of vehicle. In a Focus or a Camry, sure, but in a wagon/SUV "long flat floor" seems like such a major design necessity I don't understand why it wouldn't be done. :( Still, the thing is so nice if it wasn't for the transmission, I think my search would center around Muranos. It would do everything necessary for her mom, and I'd be happy to have it around here as well. Except for the transmission. FUCK!

Although there is nothing sexy about it, those 1st gen Foresters just keep bobbing to the top. The right size, the right features, no major reliability issues. Even the head gasket thing isn't such a huge deal, certainly nothing compared to $4k JATCO CVT swaps. The only reason I took another Forester out was to give the girl some seat time. She dislikes the blandness (who doesn't?) but agrees it's about a perfect compromise for mom. This particular example was only a perfect car for people who don't like living. ABS inexplicably engaged on all stops at about 5mph, and the car had clearly been in an accident because both passenger side doors closed improperly. Whoops!

The Outlook XT we drove primarily for comparison to the Forester - to see how the extra length affected rear visibility, handling, etc. It doesn't much - the Forester is still easier to manage in reverse, but the Outback definitely has better visibility and "feel" than the XC70. I wanted the girl to get some seat time here to experience 2.5 Turbo - kinda hoping we can move this direction when we're really shopping for her at the end of the year. I don't think mom needs that much engine... but we agreed a regular 2.5 Outback would be fine. This particular XT drove really nicely, but I can only guess that some realty fat people owned it - both front seats were squashed! It felt like sitting on wooden boards they were so flattened. The passenger side more than the driver's side even - the driver's side still had side bolsters, whereas the passenger's side seat was just flattened! Seems like Subarus age nicely, 185k isn't such a big deal, but they can't take the weight!

We have some good direction now and I will begin shopping in earnest. Nothing has been eliminated from the list, but my cost targets have been adjusted. I've got 2-4 weeks or so to make this happen... hopefully the right deal pops up.

[Random]

I wonder if the Escape got JDM-style seats because of its relationship with the Tribute?

[thesameguy]

I could see that. Could also be some cost-cutting or space-creating technique. It's just especially weird considering the big competitors right now are Nissans and Subarus, and they have totally normal seat depths. I mean, they're not German or anything, but normal. The Escape is freaky shallow.

[thesameguy]

Maybe also worth mentioning: The Murano had the best ride quality by an order of magnitude. The Foresters and Escape are about the same in terms of harshness, with the Forester edging more towards "firm" and the Escape more towards "truck." The Outback really split the difference, with a nice ride quality that still gave the sensation you're not in an actual car. I'd go look at a straight Legacy, but I really like the idea of this vehicle having some ground clearance. Apparently I was wrong about the destination being Colorado Springs - it's a suburb of Grand Junction called "Cory." Seems shitty.

....aaaand that changes everything. Being west of the Rockies snowfall is pretty mild. Wikipedia says 20" seasonably, maybe an inch or two a day when it actually snows. Now I am wondering if a truck-like thing with 4WD would be sufficient... Use the lever (or button) in those rare circumstances when 4WD is needed. Which is probably never.

[Random]

....aaaand that changes everything. Being west of the Rockies snowfall is pretty mild. Wikipedia says 20" seasonably, maybe an inch or two a day when it actually snows. Now I am wondering if a truck-like thing with 4WD would be sufficient... Use the lever (or button) in those rare circumstances when 4WD is needed. Which is probably never.

Pretty sure Subaru is the Official Car of Coolarado. That's probably for a reason. :)

And not because they are all lesbians. ;)

[thesameguy]

That has been a strong motivating factor for me. The Benz ended up being a good solution for SoCal because there are plenty of Benz specialty shops that can take good care of her car. I am pretty sure the same is true of Subaru in Colorado. In fact, one of the dealers we visited on Saturday was a guy who only sold Subarus and used to work for Subaru. He told me that the literature at Subaru c2010 included "1 out of every 4 new cars sold in Colorado is a Subaru." Don't know if it's true or not, but it's probably not far from the mark. :lol:

[Kchrpm]

http://www.colorado.auto/downloads/cao_dec2015.pdf

2015 Colorado total car & light truck sales = 203,471
2015 Colorado total car sales = 70,561
2015 Colorado Subaru sales = 23,784

Presuming nothing in Subaru's portfolio is considered a "light truck" (maybe the Forester), 1 in 4 is now low.

[thesameguy]

WOW. I am blown away by all of that, including the fact that light trucks are 64% of all passenger vehicle sales in Colorado.

What a wacky state! :D

There are about half a dozen Foresters I could go buy right now that would readily fit the bill, but they're all "X" models and not "XS" models. The difference (for me) is one massive sunroof. If we end up keeping the car, I'm gonna want that sunroof so I'm really hoping to find an XS. That's a major stumbling block, so I may have to give up, or just buy an Outback.

[Kchrpm]

64% doesn't surprise me, especially considering the 56.7% rate in the entire country.

http://www.autoalliance.org/auto-marketplace/sales-data

I'd bet there are a shit ton of AWD CUVs being sold there.

[thesameguy]

I think those would get classed as cars, not light trucks, right?


United States[edit]

Federal regulations define a light-duty truck to be any motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating (curb weight plus payload) of no more than 8,500 pounds (3,855.5 kg) which is “(1) Designed primarily for purposes of transportation of property or is a derivation of such a vehicle, or (2) Designed primarily for transportation of persons and has a capacity of more than 12 persons, or (3) Available with special features enabling off-street or off-highway operation and use.”[1]


I don't think a CUV could be described as either "primarily for the transportation of property" or "more than 12 persons." Since they're typically based on cars, they're probably cars. That's kind of why the 64% number was shocking to me - I would have expected closer to the national average and a big percentage of the resultant "45% cars" to be AWD CUVs.

Speaking of, you know what might fit this revised western Colorado bill?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/5764771082.html

https://images.craigslist.org/00G0G_ap1G6CyObc9_600x450.jpg

;)

[Kchrpm]

From the link I used to get the national numbers: "Trucks outsold cars for the third straight year – jumping 3% to a 56.7% market share, which was led by a record demand for CUVs with an all-time high annual penetration of 30% in 2015."

Edit: I'm guessing the manufacturers argue that the raised ride height is enough to say that they have a "special feature enabling off-street" use.

[thesameguy]

ROFL - of course they do. ;) I'm sure being able to position vehicles as light truck helps with various safety & emission requirements. Still, you can only be so dodgy about these things. You'd surely be able to say a Traverse is a light truck, but an Encore? If they're playing that game, well, that means nothing. Why wouldn't they, and why wouldn't we let them? :lol:

[Kchrpm]

Just saying, that's why 64% in Colorado doesn't surprise me in the least :)

[thesameguy]

I've started receiving things for the Santa Fe's valve stem seal replacement, so I guess that's happening. The Lisle valve spring retainer remover/installer looks pretty badass -


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFmC66YU6zI

so I am excited about that.

I keep going back and forth in my head whether to use the rope trick (as shown in that video, actually) or use compressed air. The rope is probably safer, but it's kind of a pain since you have to keep rotating the engine. Since the cams (and thus the timing belt) will be removed, it just feels like there is a lot of opportunity for failure there. With compressed air, once you remove the cams all you need to do is pump the cylinders up to ~100psi and you're done. Engine can stay wherever it is. Assuming it does. 100psi could turn the crank. ;)

I started looking at a couple other vehicles last night - specifically 1st gen Xterras and (argh) Mercedes MLs. The Xterra is kind of a known quantity (being a Nissan truck...) but I don't know much about the ML other than it was far more overbuilt than it appears to be. I know this era of Mercedes in general suffered quality problems, but I think post Y2K the V6 was pretty reliable and the second go at the 5G-Tronic transmission was solid. I think the bulk of the issues are not drivetrain related, but I really don't know. And, can you get good service for an ML in Grand Junction, CO? How grand is Grand Junction anyway?

The downside of an ML or an Xterra is that if the CO move doesn't happen, then we have that vehicle. I don't know that we want either of them around. The upside is that if COdoes happen, either of these vehicles could tow a UHaul trailer worth of stuff...

[thesameguy]

Added: Jeep Liberty.

The $5 ebay thermoswitch in the XR doesn't work properly, it's about 20 degrees off. The fan comes on at 180 degrees and turns off at 165 degrees. That essentially means it's always running, and causes the thermostat to keep opening and closing. No good. Guess I couldn't have expected much else. Now I guess I gotta spend $20-$40 on this stupid thing. WHYOHWHY did I not put an M16 or M22 bung on the radiator? FML.

This thing (https://www.amazon.com/MATCC-185~200-Cooling-Thermostat-Temperature/dp/B01BV3LX3M/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1475016866&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=Engine+Cooling+Fan+Thermostat&psc=1) is probably the EXACT SAME sensor, but I'm sorta tempted to give it a go purely out of curiosity. Maybe I just got a bad one?

This thing (https://www.amazon.com/Sierra-International-TS25101-Temperature-Terminal/dp/B001RIJGPO) is for a boat, but it cross-references to a Stewart Warner part (#83304) which is for a car. Gotcha is that it doesn't have an "off" temperature, but I have read it's 195 degrees. Not sure if that's adequate, a fan switch that only cools 5 degrees. Seems like it'd be on and off all the time.

This one (http://www.parts123.com/corvettecentral/partsort.pta?catalog=cadefibD&&partno=244455) is from a pretty reputable source, and *probably* the same switch for '84-'87 Buick GNs so it's probably reliable, being OE. But $40 for a stupid thermoswitch???

And finally there is this one (http://www.americanvolt.com/Ground-Thermostats/200-Degree-Electric-Cooling-Fan-Thermostat-Temperature-Sensor-Switch-3-8-Thread) which is from a reputable source, but appears to be the same as the $5 Chinese one that doesn't work. Only reason I'd consider it is they will probably stand behind it's functionality. ;) Oddly, you can buy 1 for $20, or 2 for $25 - which kinda supports my theory this is a $5 part. ;)

Ooooooorrrrr maybe now is the time I bite the bullet and start over with a new radiator... Cheap Chinese clone of $500 Euro Ford part?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/50mm-ALUMINUM-ALLOY-RADIATOR-FORD-ESCORT-SIERRA-RS500-RS-COSWORTH-2-0-M-T-82-97-/161909865613?hash=item25b2947c8d:g:v48AAOxylpNTT9z-&vxp=mtr

Just not sure my fan solution will work. :(

Custom one-off stuff is so damned difficult!!!

[thesameguy]

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5794229728.html

I really want to look at this thing. Not sure who is selling it, though, maybe Yoda?

"Well maintenance kept. All services record i have."

[thesameguy]

Got working on the Santa Fe this morning. I was planning on breaking up the work into 2 sessions, but, uh, when I started to remove the timing cover these fell out:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/04santafe_beltbits.jpg

I initially assumed they were pieces from the old timing belt, but after I got the cover entirely off discovered they are... not.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/04santafe_balancebelt.jpg

I guess when the previous fuckers replaced the timing belt they didn't bother to replace the balance shaft belt like you're supposed to.

This job just got a lot bigger, which is great.

:down: :down: :down: :down: :down: :down: :down: :down:

[Random]

Whoops. :( :down:

[thesameguy]

Yeah, and I have zero idea on some key details - I may have to buy a stupid Haynes manual or something. BLAH.

[thesameguy]

Amazon had a used Chilton's manual for $12 so I got that coming. It and the rockauto order shipped today, so I should have everything to put it back together by the end of the week. And some Jeep parts. Next weekend should be a HOOT.

I managed to get my ass out of bed early today so I put time in on the Hyundai. I bought $100 worth of tools to replace the valve stem seals - a $50 installer and a $40 seal pliers. TOTALLY WORTH IT. Starting with a bare head it took two hours to replace all the seals and *mostly* reassemble the head - had to stop because I don't have torque values for anything and I don't mess around with cam followers. Even had time to document the repair! Probably no one cares, but it's pretty similar on a lot of cars. Including Evos, apparently, because the Hyundai engine is virtually identical to the Mitsubishi engine!.


The first thing you gotta do is get here:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_1.jpg
http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_2.jpg

Which involves supporting the engine from underneath, removing the side motor mount, the belts, water pump and crank pulleys, and timing belt covers then disconnecting some wires and removing the
ignition coils, valve cover, cam followers, cams, and rocker arms. Took me about two hours to get here working at a moderate pace.

Remove ONE spark plug. Leave the others in place to keep the engine from rotating when you pressurize the cylinder.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_3.jpg

Screw your air adapter into the spark plug hole, then connect it to your air source. Make sure your regulator is set to around 90psi. You don't need more than that. You can probably have as little as 60-70 psi. I actually used a cylinder leak down tester so I could keep my eye on the pressure - just in case.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_4.jpg

This is the nifty Lisle valve spring retainer remover. It's cheap! I used part number 36050 which is $50 and has both "large" and "small" tools. You only need the small tool - it's not much cheaper individually. You need only the top half for this part.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_5.jpg

Place it over the valve spring retainer. Be sure it's centered, then whack it with a hammer.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_6.jpg

It may take you a few strikes to get the feel for how hard you need to hit it. When you get it right, it knocks the retainer down and grabs the keepers with a magnet freeing the valve spring. It comes off like this, all neat and tidy!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_7.jpg

You can see the two-piece keepers stuck inside.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_8.jpg

This is a valve spring seal remover. Like a pair of pliers, but the nose is a serrated ring. This is Schley Products #92350 Narrow Access tool. You definitely need a narrow access tool - there isn't much room for a larger tool.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_9.jpg

Grabs valve spring seals easily! Twist first to break them loose, then twist and pull.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_11.jpg

One removed valve spring seal!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_12.jpg

Place the new seal over the valve stem. BE SURE YOU USE THE RIGHT SEAL - there are different seals for intake vs. exhaust valves.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_13.jpg

You can buy a special tool to install the seals, but a 12mm deep throat socket on an extension works perfectly. Center the socket on the seal and tap it gently with a hammer. It takes almost no force. You can tell when it's seated when the tone of your taps changes.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_14.jpg

Reinstall the valve spring and retainer. Be sure the retainer is facing the right direction!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_15.jpg

CAREFULLY insert the keepers into the retainer. Note they are tapered, narrow end goes down. It's easiest to install them left and right vs. top and bottom. Press them in with your finger. DO NOT DROP THE KEEPERS - they can easily disappear down an oil drain hole and then you have a problem.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_16.jpg

Grab the Lisle tool and reinstall the lower, black piece. Center the point on the top of the valve stem and press down with your hand (it's spring loaded). Whack it with a hammer - it will usually take a few swings. You will be able to feel when the keepers snap into place, but if you need to relax or remove the tool for any reason, DO SO SLOWLY. You do not want to loose a keeper.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_17.jpg

Everything back together! There is about 3.6mm of exposed valve stem if you want to measure to be sure the keepers have engaged the stem.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_18.jpg

I used a 7mm deep throat socket on an extension to gently tap the keepers to ensure they engaged the stem. Probably unnecessary. Better safe than sorry.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/valvestemseal/04santa_fe_vss_19.jpg

Now you gotta put everything back together. So, yeah, that's fun. But at least you didn't have to take the head off to do this!


Should be able to finish the head Tuesday or Wednesday. Then balance shaft belt between Thursday and the weekend.

Really hope this gets the thing through smog. If not, well, I don't know. First Santa Fe to go to Lemons?

[thesameguy]

So, this is it - one $3000 CRD.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_new1.jpg

It's not bad, right? I spent a fair amount of time on Saturday cleaning up the interior. The plastic is cheap for sure, but it's also really durable, so that's nice. With some good chemicals all the surfaces got pretty clean. There is a spill of something on the trunk floor I will attend to soon, but at least now it's pleasant to be in.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_new2.jpg

Here is the engine with the plastic covers removed so I could look around - it's not spotless in there, but I've seen worse. ;)

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_new3.jpg

And here is the only real paint issue. I have a replacement flare and bumper cover reserved at the dismantlers. Cosmetic stuff waits until it runs right, but high hopes. ;)

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_new5.jpg

I picked up a pair of transmission filters (it has two!) at the dealer this morning, so I will work on a transmission fluid change tonight or tomorrow night. Hopefully idparts ships the mounts promptly. :D

[KillerB]

I'd rock a CRD Liberty. What's the tow rating on those? How is it to drive?

[thesameguy]

It's rated for 5k in North America - maybe more elsewhere. Its big liability is wheelbase - it's real short.

Drive is odd. Feels a lot like an XJ but better - better assembly quality, NVH treatment, etc. Ride quality is a little better probably due to IFS, steering more car-like due the rack & pinion. It's kind of just a nice truck rather than a poor car like, say, the Santa Fe. I suspect that's what they were trying for. My only complaint in the seat time I have had is the seating position - it's a legitimate chair. I kept trying to lower the seat and tilt it back but it just doesn't do that. An actually tall person would be looking directly at the top of the windshield.

Despite whatever issues it has, the transmission felt great and seems a perfect match for the diesel. I kept light on the throttle and brakes and still never had an issue with traffic. 26psi on a common rail 2.8l is pretty great. Always in the power band at legal speeds, very responsive. I read the 0-60 is something terrible like 10 seconds. You would never know it from driving - it feels quick, maybe aided by torque and a generally effortless feeling. Probably big changes in speed aren't it forte, whereas it seems to excel at the 10-20mph changes you generally do on the road.

Overall I think I really like it. The nifty drivetrain makes up for the really cheapo interior materials - the dash feels like a kid's toy, the seats like a stripper's body suit. ;)

[CudaMan]

You're a determined/brave man dealing with that Santa Fe BS.

[novicius]

Yeah no doubt! Don't ever factor yourself into the ROI! :lol:

[thesameguy]

I never do. ;)

I work on computers all day and often all night, so working on cars is a good outlet for me. It's somewhat physical work with a real, tangible result. Plus, I learn practical stuff along the way. It's a hobby that ultimately doesn't cost very much... assuming I do it right. ;)

The Santa Fe is a special case. I didn't pay for it, my job was solely to keep possession of it and be sure it was registered and insured in case it was needed. When we offloaded the Fiat it turned out to be really nice to have as the girl was able to use it, so the last six months or so it's been a real benefit. I could scrap it right now for $500 or so and walk away almost whole - my costs are right about $700... certainly fair in the context we got to drive it for half a year. OTOH, I can invest $300 (IIRC, close to that) and ten hours of my time and hopefully end up with $1500-$2000 in my pocket and some experience. That seems like a good deal to me.

Unfortunately I am not 100% confident this work will fix it - there is definitely the possibility that the bottom end is toast or there is a burnt valve or something and that's the cause of the smog failure. Not sure what I will do then. My $700 investment is now $1000 and it's still worth $500 in scrap. Maybe someone would buy it for parts, maybe I commit to an engine replacement (they are cheeeeeaaaap). I dunno. I guess we'll see. Still, if the end result is I paid $500 ($1000 investment - $500 scrap) for six months' use of a car I'm okay with that. It's fair. And I still learned something. And got a valve keeper remover. :D

[thesameguy]

Brand new window regulators for the Jeep are fifty freakin' dollars. Yessssssssssssssssss!

[thesameguy]

I just learned about this doodad as people use it on the CRD -

http://www.jeffdaigle.com/provent/all-pieces.jpg

https://www.mann-hummel.com/fileadmin/user_upload/service/catalogues/pdf/ProVent_en_2013.pdf

It's essentially a very efficient oil separator. Seriously thinking about buying a couple of these!

[Godson]

Porsche should have used that design on the m96 and m97 engines...

[thesameguy]

Yeah - I think Mann developing it was in response to a lot of modern cars having problems with PCV systems clogging up. Although a catch can is a maintenance item most people wouldn't know what to do with, if it could just be dealt with at oil change time it wouldn't be an issue. I really want to get one for the Liberty and the XR - both have totally inadequate PCV systems.

[thesameguy]

Since the Liberty is in the garage I'm able to put in time on it at night when it's dark out. Mixed blessing, I suppose, but I've been pretty productive this week.

Got the transmission fluid & filters changed, oil & filter changed, replaced both motor mounts and the transmission mount, and performed a general, half-assed engine cleaning.

You can clearly see the places I've cleaned up, and you can see all the gunk under there. When I was first under there, the entire bottom half of the engine looked like the mess above the starter:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_undermessy.jpg

Initially, it looked like most of the sludge was around/below the turbo. However, this mess is on the other side of the engine and it's still pretty high up there. The turbo isn't in play over there, nor is the CCV, not even a front or rear engine seal. Maybe this issue is the valve cover gasket leaking? Not sure.

Here you can see some remnants of the previous mess, but I got it pretty well cleaned up... maybe down the road I will get it steam cleaned or something.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_underclean.jpg

If nothing else, maybe now I'll be able to see the source of the problem.

Tonight I will put the engine bay back together, install a new MAF, replace the alternator pulley, and install the new window regulator. At that point, I think it's reasonably roadworthy. I want to get a few miles on it so I can complete the rest of my to-do list. Right this second the only things I know about are glow plugs and tires. It'd be super if that turns out to be the sum of its needs and I can focus on some of the cosmetics, but nobody is that lucky when it comes to cheap used cars.

And, let me be clear, "that lucky" is totally a relative. My arms and shoulders don't feel that lucky. Those motor mounts, while not difficult, were a royal PITA.

[thesameguy]

When I first looked at the Liberty I was pretty sure the motor mounts were dead based purely on the position of the transmission dipstick. Now that the mounts are new, you can see the indent in made in the firewall insulation vs. where it sits now.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_transdip.jpg

I had some free time so I went ahead and got the new alternator pulley installed, the MAF installed, and the engine bay almost reassembled. Just need to find a bolt for the radiator shroud (I think I lost it :( ) and then it should be good to start. Hoping to back it out of the garage this evening and work on the window regulator before it gets dark. I am excited to start it up... hopefully it's a lot less rattley than it was!

[thesameguy]

MISSION CREEP!

The Jeep drives great. Put about 100 miles on it over the last few days and it's a champ. After getting used to the seating position, I've kind of fallen in love. It's practical and quirky in all the ways I love cars to be. :D

Unfortunately, it's got a sweet, sweet motherfucker of a leak:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_leakyjeep.jpg

Only real candidate is the rear main seal, which is this crazy looking thing!

http://www.idparts.com/images/3363.jpg

The seal costs $60!

I am not up for doing the work - axles, transfer case, transmission, no thanks. I think I found a shop to do the work - it's a sketchy-looking hole-in-the-wall place that, honestly, I'd feel a lot better about if I had a '53 Willys, but they seem like nice people and were enthusiastic about the CRD in general, so I think they're the answer.

Tough bit is that if the transmission is coming off, it seems like the appropriate time for a torque converter replacement (+upgrade) and probably a good time to replace the transmission pump... but that adds a grand to this job. I'd rather not spend that cash, but I'd also hate to have to pay to take the transmission off a second time, so there's that. Even with this extra repair I'm okay dollars-wise, not ahead, but certainly square in future break even territory. Probably worth it?

[thesameguy]

This is the shop. As much as I like sterile, polished dealerships and whatnot, I feel like this is the proper environment for automotive service:

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.5008234,-121.3894947,3a,75y,153.6h,85.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s2ShuLtNor9G_BuLMspGmxg!2e0!7i1 3312!8i6656

[thesameguy]

Oh yeah... also got the Santa Fe buttoned up on Saturday. Had a brief fml/derp moment when it completely failed to start after I put it back together. Even before the cursing started, I realized I'd put the CKP sensor in backwards. I don't know a) how I realized I'd done it without looking, or b) how I did it in the first place, but whatever. Fortunately it was only minor disassembly to flip it around, maybe 30 minutes of work. After that, it started right up. Went right through smog this morning - no more smoke - so I'll get it up for sale in the near future. I just need to do some accounting first. It's obviously not perfect - it's a 2004 Hyundai - but I think it'll make someone a cheap, reliable car. If everything goes as planned, it will go away right as the Jeep comes back from rehab.

One thing the Hyundai needs - like now - is new tires. I was thinking about replacing them pre-sale vs. taking a price cut. Here are some great tires available for the Santa Fe:

Goform Classic-GT02
Crosswind HP010
Lionhart LH-HTP
Lexani LXHT-106
Kenda Klever H/P KR15
Zeetex HT1000
Achilles Desert Hawk H/T
Thunderer Ranger 007 R601

WTAF??? :lol:

[novicius]

Damn, they got you with that one.

I mean I absolutely feel your pain (the Bananastang is also weeping oil) but it turns a deal into well not-a-deal. :|

[thesameguy]

For sure.

A thing that really keeps me positive in these circumstances is that had I gone out and bought a $6,000 car - which could have been some other CRD, or a V50, or a Clubman, or whatever - there is no guarantee it wouldn't need this kind of work. Conversely, if I have a $6,000 CRD with new motor mounts, trans pump, torque converter, RMS, glow plugs, tires, etc., it's going to be head and shoulders over any of those other options. Hmmm... actually... if I do this it's going to be more like a $6500 CRD. Still, I think a $6500 CRD with a bunch of new shit is still better than a $6000 CRD that needs nothing now, but might soon.

[thesameguy]

https://www.factorymoparparts.com/

Seems like good stuff. Saved me a couple hundred bucks vs. a specialty shop and quite a bit more vs. the dealer.

I may have known about this place. I think I may have ordered parts for the PT Cruiser from these guys. Hope they ship fast! :D

[Godson]

You don't want to do the transmission on the crd????


Dude, that's easy money saved. *Shrug*



Of course i say this unable to change oil...

[thesameguy]

Zero interest in bench pressing an NV242 and a big ass 5-speed auto from a 4500lb pseudojeep on 3' of jackstands! I will save $600 some other time!

[Random]

Zeetex! :hard:

[thesameguy]

:lol:

I can't decide if it's the Kenda Clever or the Kenda Cleaver, either.

I think I am going to hit up the Hyundai dismantlers. If I can score some used tires for $40 or so each, it might be a good route.

[FaultyMario]

Kenda were a good brand for the mountain bike. :shruggie:

[thesameguy]

Interesting... I wonder if it's the same actual company, or a just a brand name slapped on some other tire!

[thesameguy]

One broken glow plug:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_glowplug.jpg

All signs point to it having crumbled over time and been digested by the engine. Hopefully that is in fact the case!

Got some new glow plugs coming, as well as gaskets to reseal stuff that has to come off to install said glow plugs. I think it's going to take 10 days or so to get the transmission parts order, so hopefully I can get the glow plugs replaced by then and deliver the thing with no check engine light on. I really prefer to do that so that a) they don't think I don't take care of shit, and b) there are no discussions about the sort of condition it was delivered in. Which is for the record leaky as hell but running right! :D

[thesameguy]

Well, I never!

I got that $5 fan switch off ebay, which did not work. Instead of 200/185 I got a reliable 180/165, which meant the engine was always cold and the fan never stopped running. Lame.

Against my better judgment, I ordered the $12.50 switches from American Volt which appeared to be identical, but were from a reputable vendor and the next step in cost before getting to really expensive stuff. I figured American Volt would, if nothing else, stand behind their product if it failed to work as it should.

Got the replacement switch last Friday, so over the weekend I put it in a pot of water and cooked it to 200 degrees, as indicated by a meat thermometer and an IR gun. The switch closed at about 195 and opened at about 185. Not quite 200/185, but close enough for government work!

This afternoon I pulled the XR in back to swap the switches. Check this:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_fanswitchcomp.jpg

On the left is the American Volt switch, which is clearly labeled 93-on (93C = 200F), $5 ebay switch has no such marking. Notice also the American Volt switch has a gold finished terminal, $5 ebay switch just bare metal. There are some other physical differences, but it's clear the American Volt switch is a higher quality part and, apparently, a known calibration. $5 ebay switch, not so much.

I have some sheet metal work to finish up tomorrow, but hopefully this solves the problem. I'll be real happy if I can get *proper* cooling system performance without having to Fan Switch, $40 Special Snowflake Edition.

[novicius]

Well it *was* $5... ;)

[thesameguy]

Yeah, I'm not mad, even a little. This is definitely you get what you pay for.

I'm just always fascinated when I get to hold in my hand a cheap copy of something - which I'm sure this is. It's even crazier that despite being 1960's technology it *still* doesn't work. Like, it doesn't work out of spite. Like it's only purpose is to remind people to be cautious of their discount insulin machines and whatnot.

Edit: Although, to be fair, it does work. Just not like it's advertised to. If I'd needed a 180 degree thermoswitch, it would have been a good deal. Maybe I will need one some day. ;)

[thesameguy]

Got confirmation my glow plug order will be here Friday, so apart comes the Liberty again! Getting to the glow plugs is horrible. They are on the intake side, sort of like spark plugs, but buried. You can see the first two here:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_glowplugholes.jpg

There are two more, even further back, impossible to see. Even worse than the access is the removal operation which is like, well, Operation. The OE glow plugs are ceramic and get brittle with age. Horror stories abound of them shattering on removal. DON'T TOUCH THE SIDES! If you do, you're either pulling the head, or waiting and then pulling the head because this happened:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/pmari/BHWGlowPlugincident004.jpg (http://s37.photobucket.com/user/pmari/media/BHWGlowPlugincident004.jpg.html)

Ouch.

All mine came out fine - just the #1 with slight damage:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_glowplugs.jpg

Getting to the glow plugs requires removing the intake elbow. That thing is a mess:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_intakeyuck.jpg

It's pretty common, still frightening and gross. Combo of a crap PCV system and questionable EGR implementation is, apparently, to be blame. The ProVent I mentioned earlier is one half of the cure, and a tune the other. I was going to hold off on those for a while, but after seeing this horror show I may move faster. I'll clean the elbow up, unfortunately I am sure the entire intake manifold looks like that and there's nothing gonna be done about that now. Maybe over time it'll clean itself up? HA!

[Godson]

Is it hard carbon or the soft and jelly kind?

[thesameguy]

Like jelly! It's 90% seriously messed up engine oil. I scraped a lot of it away with a screwdriver because everything else just smears it. Blech! I need to figure out a way to clean it... maybe take it to the machine shop and have them hot tank it. I kinda don't want to mess with it here as anything I soak it in I will then have to dispose of.

[Godson]

Yeah. I'd hot tank that shit. Seriously dangerous for the environment.

[thesameguy]

Before I put the XR on the road again I did another little mod. My intercooler/radiator ducts were not getting the results I'd hoped for, so I expanded on the concept.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_skidplate1.jpg

Just made a big air guide to go between the radiator and engine/steering crossmember. This concept is (obviously) deployed on virtually every car these days so there has to be value. I think the idea is that without them air from under the car blows up behind the radiator and prevents are from flowing through the radiator. With the air guide in place, air under the car keeps going under the car and helps induce air to go through the radiator. But, uh, I ain't no engineer so WTFDIK?

If nothing else, it looks cool from inside the engine bay and will remind me every time I open the hood I have a slow leak from the front main seal, so that's a plus.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_skidplate3.jpg

I will do some testing, then consider boxing in the sides. The factory splash shields turned to dust (literally) years and years ago. :lol:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_skidplate2.jpg

Initially - this morning - this idea seems to work. It's pretty chilly out, but on the freeway the engine stayed very cold - like 180 degrees. I don't think it ever does that. Radiator temp had the gauge pegged at the bottom at 160 degrees!

New fan switch also seems to work properly. Sitting in traffic the fan came on once - I didn't catch it come on, but it did shut down promptly at 185 degrees, which is what it should be doing. If this air guide works like it sort of promises too, I may need to bump up the fan switch to a 210 or something. That would be awesome!

[thesameguy]

Taking the XR on a bit of a road trip this afternoon, so we'll see how the guide does. It's not all that warm out, but at least it'll be some high-speed highway time. ;)

Over the weekend I remembered I had about a quart of diesel in a jerry can from 2005 (derp) that was never going to go into a car, so I poured it into a bowl and dropped the elbow in.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_intakeclean.jpg

:up:

Now that quart of diesel is totally wrecked!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_dieselbath.jpg

Also picked up four less-worn tires for the Santa Fe for $100, which isn't great in the grand scheme of things, but $180 (incl mounting and balancing) is still better than $400 for tires I'm going to get 1000 miles out of and it becomes a non-issue during the sales process. Whoever buys it won't have to worry about tires for six or eight months. Fair enough.

While I was out getting them, I took a long cut home to get off the freeway where nobody could maintain a given speed for more than 30 seconds without freaking out and braking. Turned out to be good fortune, as I was able to help some dude had piloted his Astro Van off the road into a pool of mud. It was deep enough to stop the van and he couldn't even open his doors. I always carry tow straps in the Suburban - you never know! Hooked him up and dragged him out, no worries.

[novicius]

Californian superhero. :up: :up:

[21Kid]

Nice work... all around. :cool:

[thesameguy]

Always nice to be able to lend a hand. Hopefully someone else feels that way when I'm in need. ;) I will never forget the time a couple picked me up on the side of Highway 50 when I ran out of gas in '95. I owe the universe for that save.

[thesameguy]

The intake elbow on the Jeep was pretty gross, and I could tell from unfortunate finger placement the intake manifold itself was nasty too. Unfortunately, the intake is part of the valve cover, and I am not getting involved with that at this time. Maybe when I do the timing belt. I did take the time to yank the MAP sensor, though, as it's bolted to the manifold.

Heh.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_mapyuck.jpg

Wasn't exactly sure how you clean a MAP sensor, so I used MAF cleaner. Figured if it's good on hot wires it should be fine on whatever MAP sensors are made of.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/05libertycrd_mapclean.jpg

[thesameguy]

DOPE.

Discount Tires started up a Halloween $100 off $400 sale, so I ordered four Cooper Discoverer AT3s in 235/75-16 for $350 shipped. I agonized over replacing the spare, but I just don't think I'll ever need it, and at least one of the tires on the Jeep now can hang out and get old back there just in case. No point in spending $100 so a tire can just age out. :up:

Edit: Forgot, Cooper has a $70 rebate on four of these tires, so that will fully cover mounting and balancing. YEAH!

[CudaMan]

MAP sensor: Ho. Lee. Fuk.

[thesameguy]

Right? :lol:

Can't fathom how it was doing anything!

[Random]

I think you would have to poke a MAP sensor (or stick a tool into it) to actually break it.

Pretty impressive that the car ran with it all gunked up like that!

[21Kid]

:eek:

[thesameguy]

I'm actually concerned that now it won't run! :lol:

The last batch of planned parts is on the way - new tires, a new intake hose, and... oh yeah, a replacement "fuel head," which is a combo filter+heater. There is nothing wrong with mine (that I know of) but I have no history on the filter and ChryCo released an updated part with - I think - an improved heater. It's like $40 for an aftermarket filter (Chrysler no longer sells the old style) or $90 for the whole retrofit, so I know what I have to do.

Right now the tally is at $5290 (and I get ~$200 back from cores) and I think that puts me in a very good spot. Assuming labor on the RMS and the transmission stays near the quotes I'll feel really good about this. Considering the condition this thing will be in when it's done it'll be an AWESOME VALUE. I may splurge and do some upgrades - one of those Provents to help keep oil out of the intake, and software from Green Diesel Engineering which does some stuff to increase fuel economy (more boost, lower shift points, etc.) and defeats the EGR to eliminate soot from the intake. That's about a grand right there, which places me about $700 over what I'd intended to spend, but I think the benefits would justify the cost.

That leaves the stereo. At least the front speakers are blown, tbh I haven't tested the rears. The Jeep has the upgraded Infinity system, which actually has a pretty nice head unit but the speakers have built-in amps... which is just ridiculous. I can refoam the speakers for $35ea, and I think it'd sound good but we'd be limited to the radio and CDs, which, well, ugh. There is the external Bluetooth receiver option, but, again, ugh. I think the whole thing has to go. I can either cram that work in in the next seven days - before it gets sent off for RMS work - or plan to do it when I get back the first week of November.

[thesameguy]

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8ORIcYg0m78/learn/2002-2007-jeep-liberty-sport.html

Blech. Maybe I will just do the cheap thing for now. I don't have the energy for all that. Not to mention the $500 it'll end up costing.

[thesameguy]

Initial signs are that the Santa Fe's weird idle hiccup were cured with new coils. After putting 20 or 30 miles on the thing and datalogging it and finding nothing out of whack, the coils were a shot in the dark. No idea how a car can - apparently - misfire so badly and so regularly at idle and not set a code. Maybe so Hyundai can say "Look, nothing wrong" and sweep would-be warranty work under the rug? I'd probably suggest it if I was a real conspiracy nut.

Recent repairs, not bad tires, no idle hiccup? I suspect a slam dunk sale. I guess it'll be the first week of November for that - leave just enough time to get the Jeep back, test it out, and then get it gone. Get me back down into the 10 car comfort zone for Thanksgiving. :lol:

[Random]

My Miata never set a code despite hesitating BADLY at part throttle. I mean, it's OBD-I and all, but still...

[thesameguy]

OBDI makes a little sense to me, OBDII c2004 should be much more uptight. Major ignition issues every 45 seconds at a stop should at least be a misfire code if not a "cat warning" code. Maybe misfire detection only works at higher speeds like knock detection only works at lower speeds? I dunno. Both the Volvo and Solstice would set misfire codes under heavy load due to coil or plug issues, but they never exhibited problems at idle so I can't compare. I don't think I've ever had any other CELs for misfires. Whatever, it's apparently solved and soon to be entirely not my issue.

... though I gotta admit, the Santa Fe has been essentially no trouble and it's totally adequate transportation. If you overlook the obvious major safety issues it's not a bad vehicle. I'm not even sure how bad it's safety record is when compared to contemporary competitors.

[thesameguy]

Crashworthiness

Overall evaluation G
Structure and safety cage G
Head/neck A
Chest G
Leg/foot, left G
Leg/foot, right A
Restraints and dummy kinematics G



Not good, but not as bad as some cars I guess! Like the Alero:



Overall evaluation P
Structure and safety cage M
Head/neck A
Chest G
Leg/foot, left G
Leg/foot, right M
Restraints and dummy kinematics P


But it ain't no Volvo -




Overall evaluation G
Structure and safety cage G
Head/neck G
Chest G
Leg/foot, left A
Leg/foot, right A
Restraints and dummy kinematics G


And the Jeep, well, it's a ChryCo product, soo...




Overall evaluation M
Structure and safety cage G
Head/neck M
Chest G
Leg/foot, left A
Leg/foot, right G
Restraints and dummy kinematics A

[Godson]

What do the letters mean?

[thesameguy]

Good, Acceptable, Marginal, Poor.

They tend to lump cars into generation, and incremental improvements may not be reflected in the ratings - though they would be noted in the complete report. There may also be equipment differences - optional airbags, etc.

[thesameguy]

A few weeks before burning man I noticed the brake fluid on the SPG was a little low and I topped it off. Then a week later it was low again. I couldn't find any leaks, so I could only surmise that the master cylinder had failed into the brake booster and brake fluid was being burned off.

Finally got around to replacing the master cylinder yesterday, and it was an unmitigated disaster. Replacing the cylinder itself was easy enough, but during the bleed process I failed to noticed my aged Motive Pressure Bleeder had sprung a leak near the reservoir adapter and was just emptying $10 of ATE brake fluid all over the engine and floor. FML. Fixed that, went to Autozone and picked up some Valvoline brake fluid (more on that in a sec) and started again. Got the rear calipers done and had moved to the front when all of a sudden a huge burst of air popped out of the caliper. WTF? Oh, the Motive sprung a leak at the bottle fitting and had first emptied $8 of Valvoline fluid all over the floor, then fill up the brake system with air. FML!!!! Fixed bleeder, bought more brake fluid, and finally finished... except because I had to do all four again I came up a little short. Need about 4oz of fluid to fill the reservoir. It's okay, 'cause I left the front wheels off as I'm going to touch up the silver caliper paint before reassembling. I am not impressed with the expensive Eastwood nanotech caliper paint - while I guess it sticks better than the VHT spray on stuff, it clearly does not coat as well as the front calipers have lightly rusted THROUGH the paint. FML?

On brake fluid, I'm still mad that Valvoline stopped making their Synpower stuff, it was good. But their DOT3/4 is totally adequate. Autozone now carries a full line of Lucas-branded products, including Lucas DOT3/4 fluid. It's 25% more than Valvoline, $10 vs. $8 per quart. Worth noting that the Valvoline has a wet boiling point for 311F and the Lucas 284F. Sup with that? +25% for worse fluid? Man, the power of branding!

Anywho, I ordered 10' of Tygon (or was it Teflon coated PVC? I don't actually remember) tube from McMaster-Carr to completely refurb the pressure bleeder and avoid future disasters. :smh:

UPS should be delivering new shoes for the Jeep today. FedEx has a new torque converter and transmission fluid pump. Tires will get installed in the next day or two. Then Thursday it's off to Specialized 4WD for RMS work. Friday-ish I'll pick up the transmission, run it over to California Transmission and have them do some refurb, then it goes back together. Really hope it all goes smoothly - I'm hoping to put the Santa Fe up for sale next week and get it gone!

[thesameguy]

UPS dropped off my brand new tires, so I dropped them and the Jeep off at Radial Tire Service (a cool mom & pop) to have them installed and get an alignment. Uber'd home only to find the XR has damn nail in the tire! Pulled it off, threw it in the Suburban, and took it over to RTS too. DOH! I have *never* owned a car that picked up as many nails as the XR. It's rare a year goes by without one. So weird.

[CudaMan]

When it rains... ;)

I dunno how you keep your head with some of this stuff. Actually I do know - you're not me who gets frustrated quickly when things don't go right. :lol:

[thesameguy]

I get pretty frustrated, but at the end of the day I know that I have to make it through, and if I absolutely can't swing that right now I can leave whatever it is alone until I feel better about it. Really, that's how I get through life!

[Godson]

I get pretty frustrated, but at the end of the day I know that I have to make it through, and if I absolutely can't swing that right now I can leave whatever it is alone until I feel better about it. Really, that's how I get through life!

Through my life, I have learned most problems will resolve themselves on thier own. Others just need a little help. Nothing is really impossible (within reason).

[thesameguy]

Dropped the Jeep off at the shop to get the RMS done, on the way the check engine light came on. It is driving me mad not knowing what it's for!!! I assume it's for one of the two reasons it previously came on, but I don't care if it's the MAF code and I will be unnerved if it's the glow plug code. BUT I HAVE TO WAIT FOREVER TO FIND OUT. BLARGH!

[thesameguy]

Lacking a diesel Jeep to work on, and since the SPG was in the garage following the brake work anyway I got started on my fuel pump retrofit. Until 1989 or 1990 c900s used a weird dual pump setup, with both pumps nested right next to each other in the fuel tank suspended with a big rubber boot. Like this:

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0027/5402/products/DSCF6668_large.jpg?v=1375192672

I found out the hard way that boot won't stand up to ethanol long-term when the one in the 5-door turned to mush. That put the fear in me - that boot is seriously NLA. The fuel pumps are getting harder to find too, so there is incentive to minimize the use of these parts. When I think about all the boots I've thrown away over the years thinking I'd never need one... argh! C'est la vie. I have intended for over a year to pull the good one from my SPG and put it in the 5-door. Hasn't happened yet. Soon.

To free up the SPG's fuel system my plan is to swap to the late-style fuel pump, which is essentially shared with 9000s, 9-3s, and 9-5s so parts availability is very good. Plus, even without actual Saab parts the pump insert is a bog-standard Walbro pump which is used on piles and piles of cars. Less rubber, more plastic, commodity pump. That's a slam dunk, so to increase the challenge level for myself I decided to replace the factory pump with an even more common Walbro 255lph pump. That's how I do. As I learned this weekend, the 255 pump is 3mm bigger in diameter and about 6mm longer than the Saab pump. Now I understand the full nature of the challenge.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro1.jpg

I was able to solve half the diameter issue with a file - just clearanced the lower basket a bit -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro2.jpg

Unfortunately I don't immediately know how to solve the other half - a rubber isolator that won't even approach fitting over the new pump -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro3.jpg

I don't think that upper isolator is important to function and really is just to cut down on noise, but I'm not sure and I really don't want to risk the pump buzzing or a loose fit resulting in damage to the plastic in-tank fuel lines, so I do think it needs to be fully secured.

After some work on Google, I found these guys:

http://apeusa.com/html/kits.html

Who oddly sell a whole bunch of Walbro fuel pump install pieces, including the foam damper sleeves in various ODs. They claim the Medium sleeve increases the OD to 48mm which, wouldn't you know, is the diameter of the plastic bucket the pump fits into. Got that sleeve on order, I'll strap it to the pump, and I think that should be sorted!

The later pump uses totally different fittings than the earlier pump, and that means replacing fuel lines. The fuel lines that go from the tank to the engine. And are plastic.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro4.jpg

The feed line isn't much of an issue, because that goes only about three feet from the pump to the fuel filter, so I just need to replace that short section. The return line goes all the way from the rail to the tank. Replacing that requires removing the interior. Blach. Because it's a return line and not under pressure, I have just spliced two sections of plastic hose together with fuel line, but it feels sloppy. Over the weekend I went looking for unions like these:

http://agscompany.com/product/fuel-line-push-on-connector-516-nylon-to-516-nylon-2-per-bag/

but couldn't find any in 5/16" that would arrive in a reasonable time. Then I found these:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/410HJkXqakL._SX300_.jpg

http://www.dormanproducts.com/itemdetail.aspx?ProductID=50971&SEName=800-191

Which, like, wow. Push to connect unions for plastic fuel line? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE???

$8 to Autozone and I think I am sorted.

Final piece of this puzzle is connecting the new pump to the old lines. Saab never intended for anyone to replace just the pump - the thing was sold complete. Replacing just the pump means delicately removing a plastic fuel line from the old pump and getting it onto the new pump in a tiny, tiny space. The upside of this scenario is that the new pump is taller than the old, so I can lose a quarter inch off the old line and actually be in a better spot. But, man, I'm not sure I will be able to execute this. If I can't, I have two options - replace a small, twisted section of plastic fuel line with rubber, or employ one of these:

http://apeusa.com/pics/flex_tubes.jpg

Little corrugated tubes designed explicitly for this purpose, also from APE but used by the factory on a lot of cars... Ford, GM, BMW, everyone. Although submersible fuel line is reliable, I do like the security of sticking with plastic. Got some of those coming with the foam sleeves.

Oh yeah, that reminds me - most of the Saab pumps from 1990 to 2009 used 6mm outlets on the fuel pump, but the Walbro 255lph is 8mm. Making *that* work would have been an enormous pain. But, for a few years in the aughts, GM was packing the parts stream with Delphi branded replacement pumps that had 8mm pump outlets and, more importantly, a T fitting with a single 8mm leg. I snagged one of those pumps from the Saab dismantlers so, no matter what, all I need to do is sort out a 5" 8mm->8mm line capable of in-tank duty rather than some jacked up 6mm->8mm line. That would have been a mess.

I'll get the tank out in the next couple of days, and hopefully by then APE will have my foam sleeves and corrugated tubes here, maybe reassemble this weekend. Then all I need is ... bah, not dwelling on the next step right now. ;)

[thesameguy]

Fuel tank out...

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro6.jpg

Pretty gross what gets trapped between the fuel tank and the body... Ick.

Tonight I will make sure the late-style tank fits, then pretty much sit around and do nothing while I wait for parts to show up. Poo.

[novicius]

Hey an SPG update! :D :up:

[thesameguy]

Seriously!

I find this related matter AWESOME:



Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2016 3:58 PM
To: Dorman Techline Marketing
Subject: 799-450

What material are your 799-450 o-rings made from? Are they suitable for use with gasoline and ethanol, specifically with a fuel pump fitting?




These o rings are made from Buna-N rubber. They are not compatible with fuel.

Jarrad F
Dorman Products
Asst Product Manager/ Technical




Hello Justin,
Buna-N (Nitrile) O-Rings
Resistance to oil and fuels,

Nicholas
Asst. Product Manager/Tech-Line
Dorman Products


Both responses received at the exact same moment.

:lol:

[thesameguy]

Heh.



Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2016 5:13 PM
To: Techline Marketing
Subject: RE: 799-450

Sooo.... I got two emails, one from Nicholas and one from Jarrad. You guys agree they are Buna-N, but Nicholas says ok for fuel and Jarrad says no.

As far as I know, Buna-N/nitrile is okay with gasoline, but for the sake of argument, why do you two disagree?

Thanks.




Buna-N/nitrile is oil & fuel safe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrile_rubber

Thank you,

Robert
Tech Line Specialist/Tech Line Specialist ES/
Especialista de la Línea Técnica
DORMAN PRODUCTS

[Godson]

Lol. Awesome.

[thesameguy]

Yeah, winning. ;)

Got the new tank test fit in the SPG last night. It was pretty anticlimactic. Got my work clothes on, stereo on, garage lights on, work light plugged in, car jacked up. Slotted right in. Turned everything off, went back inside. Back to waiting for parts.

I may go ahead and start fixing the 5-door. I think all I need to do is blow out the fuel lines and then install the SPG's old pump. Hopefully the filter caught all the rubber bits that detached from the old pump and it's not going to be a nightmare. Not really banking on that being the case. :(

[thesameguy]

Got in the first batch of parts - the foam sleeves and the flexi tubes. The foam sleeves were not actually 48mm around, but they are about 46mm and that'll work.

I had to modify the existing isolator - from

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro3.jpg

to

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro7.jpg

I won't lie, it hurt cutting up an essentially unobtanium part, but whatever. With the sleeve on the pump, it nestled right in -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro8.jpg

Now I just need to address the fuel pump output -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro9.jpg

The 5" flexi tubes I ordered were too short, so I ordered some 8" ones that will be just right. I think this weekend I will try and get the existing plastic line over the new pump - if it works great and if not I'll just use the flexis when they show up Monday or Tuesday.

The remaining parts are replacement inlet & outlet fittings. Each of these have a check valve in them to help maintain pressure at the rail when the engine is shut down. I am pretty sure my existing return side check valve is fine, but the output side is unhealthy. However, I'm not sure I need the outlet side - the Walbro pump has a built-in check valve! The only thing is, I don't know if the fitting will seat against the bulkhead without the factory check valve. :( A long-time Saab owning engineer friend is swinging by this weekend so I'll see what he thinks.

I was hoping to put the Santa Fe up for sale today, but the Jeep is not going to be ready til probably the end of next week or maybe even the week following. Apparently there was a problem getting new flex plate bolts. While it sounds a *little* sketchy, it's hard to rule out due the relative scarcity of the motor, and frankly it fills me with joy that the shop I selected had the presence of mind to say "Hey, flex plate bolts are supposed to be replaced, let's get the right ones from Chrysler" rather than just plowing ahead and doing a good-enough repair. While I'd like to have it back, it's not even remotely hurting me to have it gone, so whatever. Give 'em the time, let 'em do it right.

At the same time, after essentially a year of soul searching, I decided to have the XJR repainted. When the dog was hurt in '14, the Jag sat outside under a tree that I thought was providing shade, but mostly just provided toxic plum-infused bird shit. Literally ate the paint off the roof. Possibly the dumbest car-related thing I have ever done outside of piloting one into a drainage ditch. Well, live and learn. Anyway, it's been sitting unused for the last 14 months or so as it's frankly too ugly to drive. It has one other need - a new fuel pump level sender - and I've seriously been weighing the pros and cons of paint & sender vs. dispose of it. Since it seems I'll be coming out ahead on the Jeep, I decided to paint the Jag... but where?

No idea. Most body shops in this area have converted into insurance repair shops and they essentially don't take private business, or they're full on restoration shops that only sell $5,000 paint jobs, or they're Maaco and, well, no thanks. Not on this. I got sick of calling places and, like everything else in my life, looked to the internet to help me. A series of poor decisions lead me to Craigslist, where I essentially randomly selected some dude on the south side of town who paints cars.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/aos/5836014867.html

His ad was articulate and showed a variety of types of projects and that appealed to me, so we'll see. My hope is he does an awesome job and I can come back to him over '17 with the SPG and Fiero, maybe the XR and Falcon depending on some other factors... the XR is not getting paint until I sack up and get a Cosworth body kit, and the Falcon isn't getting paint until I learn to weld. :) Anyway, Jag goes in next Friday. Maybe there will be a moment where the Jag, Jeep, and Santa Fe are all gone, and the driveway will look real empty.

[Random]

What was A1's quote to repaint the Jag, out of curiousity?

[thesameguy]

A1?

[Random]

https://www.yelp.com/biz/a-1-body-shop-davis-3

A1 Auto Body in Davis. Old skool body shop, still pulls out dents rather than replacing the entire panel.

I have a feeling they would be at the $5k end, but was curious if you had contacted them. :)

[thesameguy]

I did not, I actually didn't look outside of Sacramento but if I'd known about them, I probably would have inquired. I randomly decided that if I expanded the search to outlying areas it would just be a rabbit hole. I kept the search near home and near work to limit options and make getting the car there easier. If Jean (I think he's French or French Canadian) doesn't do a good job, I will check them out. I really hope he does a good job - I've had generally luck with random selections of CL over the years, so here's to hoping. ;)

[Random]

Well, FWIW, Tim recommends them highly--says they do a lot of resto-mod/hot-rod/etc work in addition to just regular bodywork. I used them when my 94M got backed into, and they did a really nice job pulling out a head-sized dent that crossed a body crease (!). The only way you could tell any work had been done was to tap on the panels, and even then, the sound difference was very subtle.

[thesameguy]

Very good to know - body work is something I have never had a relationship for, but as everything I own gets older and older and older, it's something I'm going to have to get. It's a little sad that the 2003 XJR is the tester, but frankly I value the Fiero and the SPG quite a bit higher. If the Jag enjoys a good result, then I'll submit the other two. :lol:

[CudaMan]

The trouble is a paint job can look good first thing, but months or years later can have issues. I've seen both happen. I too have yet to find a place/guy who does OEM quality work and isn't a "four figures show car restoration" painter.

Crossing my fingers for you. :)

[thesameguy]

Thanks! ;)

There is always the risk of even high end paint jobs failing after a few years, unfortunately there just isn't a good way to evaluate the long term potential of a paint job up front. Or even in the first year. Kinda sucks. :(

I was not looking for a Maaco quality or a Maaco price. This will set me back about $1500, and it's just the horizontal panels that were affected by the, um, environment. I am trying to find that area in the middle of Maaco and show quality, in price and performance. I think "a few grand" is a fair and manageable price for paint, but I just can't stretch to or justify a $5k paint job pretty much period so that's where I am where I am. Unfortunately it just seems really difficult to find places here that take on "OE quality paint job" for non-insurance entities. That's all I want! ;)

[novicius]

If the Jag is fucked, try doing yourself first? (http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a3110/a-diy-guide-to-painting-your-car-15998013/)

As long as you tape off and cover the rest of the car you don't want to touch, it shouldn't make a hill of beans if you fuck it up at all. You're still in the same position of having to pay out. #$0.02

[thesameguy]

I have been considering trying one of the many DIY approaches for a long time - and you may recall we did a test on the Cadillac back in '12 which is holding up excellently! I can't commit the garage or my time to that right now (SO time intensive!), and frankly it's too cold to paint this time of year anyway. I decided before burning man the Jag either has to be driven or it has to go, thus this step. It's real salvation is that I have maybe 200 miles on the Jeep and don't entirely trust it, so I want to have something with an automatic for her to drive on standby in the event it needs more work. This is one of those times where the DIY price is much higher than the outsourcing price.

Both the girl and I are very interested in giving it a go, but it's just not the right time to try (it never is! HA!). Assuming no surprises in '17, there is a high probability I am going to pick up some cheap car on CL to try a DIY paint.

[novicius]

:up: :up:

[thesameguy]

I am constantly excited about the notion of painting cars, but it's so much fiddly work, and frankly I am really bad at painting in general - I just don't have a "feel" for it. My hope is that I can acquire the tools, do the set up, and the girl can do most of the painting. It sounds like an offload, but I think she's into it as she keeps suggesting it. :up:

[CudaMan]

Unfortunately it just seems really difficult to find places here that take on "OE quality paint job" for non-insurance entities. That's all I want! ;)

The insurance work I've had done and have seen isn't exactly OEM quality either... that's the problem. I am convinced nothing can mach OE paint quality short of a concours restoration job at a high end shop. Even then I haven't seen proof... just a theory. :)

[thesameguy]

What you just described is why the market is the way it is -because insurance companies don't ask a lot of questions, and most people aren't that discriminating. These shops can charge essentially top dollar for minimum effort work, and that's a great business model. Why deal with me when you can just do insurance job after insurance job? I have answered my own question.

I am looking for a craftsman, not a mill - I am hoping by turning this over to A Guy I can do that. It's worked out well for projects around the house, maybe it'll work out here, too. ;)

[TheBenior]

From what a body shop guy told me, the main thing insurance companies want in their preferred body shops is the ability to quickly handle the volume of work referred to them and to not challenge the damage assessments.

This same body shop guy, who wasn't an insurer (State Farm, in this case) preferred shop, IMO did a better job than a State Farm preferred shop did for my Sentra. I later realized that the preferred shop didn't bother with a couple wheel splash guard fasteners, probably because they didn't want to wait for them to come in. :mad:

[CudaMan]

tsg, remember the dark blue 300ZX I had? The front end was repainted by a local guy, a craftsman if you will, who does a lot of restoration jobs. Car guy, drives an E46 M3, referred to me by a friend, etc. The 300ZX was the test to see if I should have him do my MR2T some day. The 300ZX looked brilliant, for a while. Some months later the paint on the hood no longer shined and had changed in texture. I showed him the car and asked about it, he said it had something to do with the primer he used (IIRC) since he was trying to not charge me a kidney. I wished he had told me that before doing the car. He offered to re-do it but I told him not to worry about it since the car was going to be sold and the next owner likely wouldn't be as picky as me - plus, this guy can take a while.

And then my friend who referred me, had some work done on his Stormy Blue Mica RX-8 and the color match wasn't good. First time I saw that -- previous work that this guy has done has color matched amaaaazingly well.

Seems like it's a risk all around.

[thesameguy]

I do, and I almost asked you about it because I was considering taking the Jag down to Fresno... it's just a time investment I can't make right now so didn't. :(

Color and texture matches are incredibly difficult, and not a lot of places will spot-paint cars as a result. It was like pulling teeth finding someone to do the Cadillac. "You just want the hood painted? We don't do that" was the answer I got from everywhere. Literally everywhere. I have read over and over again the only way to get perfect results is to paint the whole car, and I'm just not doing it on the Jag. Probably fair to say my expectations are not as high as yours were - all I want is for the car to look like a well-maintained 2003 Jag and not a pile of shit, and I only need a few years out of the result. I'm not keeping this car forever. If $1500 gets me back to a presentable car I can drive or sell without embarrassment, it'll have been money well spent. Honestly, I wouldn't judge the guy for not exceeding these expectations... I feel like I have been pretty well educated in the world of autobody and understand some of the difficulties of partial jobs.

For the SPG and XR4Ti, and to a lesser degree the Fiero, those are cars I plan to keep for a long, long time and they'll receive full prep/paint when the time comes. Probably not stripping, but trim removal, possibly engine removal, full sand/paint/clear because I'll (hopefully) enjoy the results of that effort for many years. The Jag? Not so much. ;)

[thesameguy]

Not revolutionary, but...

On Friday I was driving the Suburban around, and after a shut down the restart was... mushy. It started, but it wasn't crisp cranking, it just mushed into life. Pretty sure the coil is giving up the ghost - I hadn't replaced it when I did the rest of the ignition system two years ago. Oddly, Amazon would not ship the Delphi part to my house, but shipped the Delco one with free same day, so I had that on tap.

I did the install on Sunday, where I found that 17 years and 180,000 miles later, it still had the original coil. How do I know? Because the coil is riveted to its bracket. Probably not a surprise to everyone, but I had never seen this before. Talk about cost cutting! Instead of just removing two fiddly screws, I had to remove the intake ducting, relocate some wiring harness, and remove two brackets to get to the bracket that holds the coil so I could take it into the garage and grind off the rivets. What should have been a ten minute operation took 45 minutes. Kind of annoying.

Well, it's done. Hopefully no more mushy starts. Maybe some better power or fuel economy? I don't know.

[thesameguy]

Who's got a 2016 pump in a 2005 assembly in a 1990 tank in a 1985 car? This guy!

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro10.jpg

It was no fun getting the new fittings onto the old plastic lines, but the effort was successful.

I have some wiring to do - I need to adapt the old pump wiring to the new pump, and I think I'm going to use the 1990 sender for now so I'll need to adapt that as well.

Splice under the back seat holding two halves of the return line together - something that'll have to be monitored to be sure it doesn't leak. ;)

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/85spg_fuelpumpretro11.jpg

I installed a new fuel filter and I think everything is back together, I guess I just need to put some gas back in it and wire up the pump. Easy peasy!

[novicius]

:lol: :up:

[thesameguy]

Dropped the Jag off for paint this morning. Guy seems nice, has a cool pit bull named Mimi that he brings to work, so that helps me think highly of him. Should be a week or two turnaround, fingers crossed it works out for me. ;)

[novicius]

Good luck!! :up: :up:

[thesameguy]

Ah, the future. A friend of a friend of mine came over today after I'd expressed to our mutual friend that I foolishly had hung onto the BMW's spare tire when I sold it... not the wheel in the trunk, mind you, but literally a spare tire. Anyway, she came by and I said, "Hey, here's that spare tire V told you I had" and she said "Hey, here's that spare weed." So, that's rad.

[thesameguy]

The SPG operation was mostly a success, but I have an occasional, lingering fuel smell I can't get rid of and don't know where it's coming from, which is annoying. And maybe dangerous. There are a few suspects, but nothing is wet or even damp, so I'm a bit baffled. I guess I will start replacing stuff and eventually find the culprit. It's a little disappointing, but most of the stuff I used was 20 years old so it's hard to actually get mad at it. ;) Well, maybe a little mad - obviously that Dorman fuel line union is totally suspect.

Drivability has been hugely improved. It idles better, throttle response is better, and I'm betting if I turned the boost up that would be better too. It really feels like a much younger car as a result. Unfortunately, that probably means the old fuel pump was on the way out and it's going to be of marginal use in the 5-door. LAME. So I've got a plan - it's a back-burner plan, but a plan nonetheless. I need to find someone who can make a 1" or so thick perfectly round aluminum plate. Sadly, my friend that worked in the biotech industry and had a medical grade machine shop at his disposal switched jobs, so, well, I guess I gotta get new friends.

[novicius]

Ah, the future. A friend of a friend of mine came over today after I'd expressed to our mutual friend that I foolishly had hung onto the BMW's spare tire when I sold it... not the wheel in the trunk, mind you, but literally a spare tire. Anyway, she came by and I said, "Hey, here's that spare tire V told you I had" and she said "Hey, here's that spare weed." So, that's rad.
:cool: :up:

I hate smelling gas/exhaust -- the Bananastang suffers from this a bit and it's annoying.

I suppose the upside is that it reminds me of my old Barracuda. :D