Author Topic: Do they even have brains? (Read 842 times)

Skydancer · « **Reply #15 on:** July 12, 2005, 05:01:34 AM »

Ah thats nothing.

My Wifes Suzuki ( motorcycle ) You have to remove the fairing drain the coolant and remove the radiator to get at the spark plug on the front pot ( V Twin 650 ).

My Triumph is fine to work on until you need to change the Airfilter. Off comes left and right fairing panel ( got so fed up with this they are permanently removed hanging in garage now ) Then rear bodywork, then seat, petrol tank, battery, carburetors, and finaly the air box which then has to be unbolted to remove filter. Takes two hours if you know what you are doing.

Most other jobs are simple helped by quality fasteners etc, but that airfilter is a pig.

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #16 on:** July 12, 2005, 08:11:21 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Steve
My wife drives q '97 saturn and this is exactly how you change the alternator and the thing just eats alternators. I've put 4 in since the warranty expired. Glad I bought a lifetime warranteed(part only) alternator. First time took me over an hour to do. Last time got out and in in less than 20 minutes. Coincidentally my friend had a 97 saturn and had the same trouble. I enjoyed his slackjawed look as I buzzed thru changing out his alternator. He now thinks I'm an Ace mechanic instead of your average Joe w/ a wrench.(silly rabbit)

Yup. thats the car!
My wifes was a 95 though I think.

Oh and ya need a breaker bar to ease the tension on the belt too

eskimo2 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 12, 2005, 09:08:25 AM »

VW bugs.

I could take the engine out of my bug in 5 minutes; I actually timed it with a stopwatch. This was outdoors, on a hill, with one jack and by myself. I could put it back in in 10 minutes (to complete running condition). I preferred to do some maintenance with the engine out because it was so easy.

eskimo

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #18 on:** July 12, 2005, 09:23:13 AM »

To change the timing belt on a Civic you have to unmount the engine on the left side, jack it up using a floor jack and block of wood, remove the left wheel, undo the compressor and alternator belt,take off the distributor cap, remove all spark plugs, make piston 1 top dead center (this is real fun, you have to turn the crankshaft and find the highest point the cylinder his while the distributor is pointing to spark plug #1), take off the crankshaft pulley (this requires purchase of a 400lb/ft impact wrench), remove the valve cover (which means new seals and cleaning up areas where the seals are), and take off the upper and lower timing belt covers.

After doing all that, I find out the previous owners must have had the timing belt changed at 60K because it looked brand new.
-SW

Maverick · « **Reply #19 on:** July 12, 2005, 09:42:55 AM »

Old cars had problems too. One of my Uncles had a 63 Chevy with a 350 CI or so V-8. In order to change the rear most spark plugs you had to either partially pull the engine or drill holes through the fenders to get to them.

Designers don't care about how easy it is to work on cars. They don't work on them. They just assemble "parts" and try ot make a coherant construction with engineers maybe assisting.

slimm50 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 12, 2005, 10:12:37 AM »

Had a '73 Gremlin that I learned automechanics on. It had the big inline six, and I didn't care if I screwed it up, so, without fear, I was free to tear it apart and put it back together. Everything under the hood was a cinch to work on, except one little, teeny tiny thing .... the freeze plugs. You practically had to remove the engine to replace a 10 cent freeze plug.

indy007 · « **Reply #21 on:** July 12, 2005, 10:50:12 AM »

Swapped the tranny in a '92 Corolla. Took 12 hours over 2 days. Had we known there was an access plate so you could pop off to unbolt the flywheel from the torque converter and cause the tranny to drop straight out the bottom of the car... probably would've cut the time in 1/2 at least...

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:03:09 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!

We Have a winner!!!

Had a car some time back that was side mounted.
Couldnt get at the back 3 sparkplugs fer nuth'n.
Asked a Mechanic and he told me they unbolted the motor mounts and lifted the engine up a tad.

To change spark plugs!

Had another car that I had to change the alternator on.
To do that you had to jack the car up take the passenger side front tire off and remove the wheel well.
To change an alternator
THAT was per manufacturers instructions.

Dontcha just love engineers.

God how I miss the old cars

Bah. Try changing the plugs on a Fiero GT (or just keep driving it until it catches fire, it might take less time). The rear placement, sideways mount V-6 in that car had to be taken OUT of the engine compartment to reach the rear bank of spark plugs. Of course then you have the cruddy fuel lines on the cars that made them a rolling fire hazard. But you could get to those without removing the engine.

Oh, and my 92 Chevy Corsica V6 you had to remove one motor mount and pry the engine sideways to change the alternator. I just charged the battery, and drove it sans alternator to the garage. hehe.

slimm50 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:05:41 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by indy007
Swapped the tranny in a '92 Corolla. Took 12 hours over 2 days. Had we known there was an access plate so you could pop off to unbolt the flywheel from the torque converter and cause the tranny to drop straight out the bottom of the car... probably would've cut the time in 1/2 at least...

Heheh...workin on cars builds character, don't it?

Mustaine · « **Reply #24 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:34:24 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by StarOfAfrica2
Oh, and my 92 Chevy Corsica V6 you had to remove one motor mount and pry the engine sideways to change the alternator. I just charged the battery, and drove it sans alternator to the garage. hehe.

my 95 skylark is the same... the serpentine belt goes through an engine mount.

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:45:11 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by RightF00T
Ever heard of a skid plate? 4x4 does nasty things to unprotected components.

Like even 1% of pathfinder owners ever takes theirs anywear near a 4X4 Trail.

vorticon · « **Reply #26 on:** July 12, 2005, 01:52:08 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by GtoRA2
Like even 1% of pathfinder owners ever takes theirs anywear near a 4X4 Trail.

naturally, that would mean leaving the city, driving more than 60mph, driving on a gravel road, then putting up with the laughter of teenagers in trucks, when she gets stuck in the first mud puddle on the trail.

RightF00T · « **Reply #27 on:** July 12, 2005, 02:47:03 PM »

LOL you may be right GTO, but it doesn't change the fact that 4x4 models are usually heavily armored.

nirvana · « **Reply #28 on:** July 12, 2005, 03:16:45 PM »

Is that plastic gonna even stop something? Half inch cheap stuff held on by a couple bolts.

Like you guys were saying, they don't have to build them, or repair them, so why make it easy? cram everything you need to run it in the car and let it go. It's a messed up world and someone is gonna get hurt. You can't ask factory engineers or mechanics anything cause they get paid 2-3 times what a normal shop does, so they can lift engines out just for a few spark plugs.

Steve · « **Reply #29 on:** July 12, 2005, 03:53:16 PM »

Quote

The rear placement, sideways mount V-6 in that car had to be taken OUT of the engine compartment to reach the rear bank of spark plugs.

Nope. Changed those on 2 different fieros... the back ones are doable w/ engine in place.