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

I think I got cranky. Apologies.

Reply to
RS Wood
Loading thread data ...

Pushrod is a false comparison because they can be gear, chain or belt driven.

Just add gear to your list and delete pushrod. We are talking about driving the *camshaft*. gear, chain, belt. There are a few varieties of chain in use; single row, double row, hyvo.

That's because pushrods don't drive camshafts. Pushrods are *driven* by camshafts.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

Cars are cheaper now than they were when I was a boy.

They gain handling as long as they understand it's *different handling*.

FWD works for me.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

Far more than most people realise. Even more complex now that trans operation is integrated with a TCU and the ECU.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

You *can* measure warp with a dial indicator if you control the centerline precisely, but nobody sane would do it that way.

I'm only speaking logic. If you have a head that you need to know if it's warped, would you use a. a dial gauge or b. a flat benchtop with a feeler gauge?

Pick one.

With a dial gauge? Or a flat bench and feeler gauge?

I'm not saying it's hard to check warp (heck, people do it for heads all the time I suppose). I'm just saying that warp doesn't happen for the most part in street cars (I already have a half dozen references) and yet

*every* idiot out there *thinks* his rotors warped.

Every time I asked anyone to prove it, they *said* all sorts of bullshit, but they can't even tell me *how* they'd prove it. If they use a dial gauge, for example, while the rotor is on the vehicle for example, then I have to wonder how to respond because that just proves my point.

Nobody who ever said their street rotors warped ever supplied proof. They all are bullshit artists.

Measuring it is trivial if you have a bench and a feeler gauge.

But show me a single picture on the entire Internet that shows someone measuring a street rotor for warp.

Just one.

Now show me the bullshit of someone saying they measure warp all the time. (HINT: We don't enough space on the Internet for the bullshit references.)

There has never been a topic more filled with bullshit than rotor warp, and all the "experts" who claim they measure it and yet can't show a single picture of anyone on the planet doing that (not themselves either) for a street rotor.

I give up.

Reply to
RS Wood

I did and they agree with me on why rotors are slotted. BTW, I don't agree with cross drilled rotors anytime.

In the old days of asbestos in brakes, brake fade was valid even in street cars. These days asbestos is no longer used so fade is much less a problem on street cars driven normally. Again, your link agrees with me.

The pads on my Toyotas are good for 60k miles so they definitely arent the asbestos pads of old. For sure you don't get the smell of fried Ferodo like you once did.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

The pads on my car(s) have both long life and good braking ability. Did I mention they don't squeal too. They are the OEM Toyota pads that came with the car and that's what they will be replaced with.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

I know but I adjust for the load the driver usually has in the car. For a traveling salesman, for instance, his car might be fully loaded all the time. Adjust wheel alignment in that situation.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

Up to a point, I agree with you. Where I disagree is that most people use them incorrectly (backwards) or size them inappropriately. They are no different to an open end spanner when used correctly and, need it be said, they are of a decent quality. When working on earthmoving equipment, the most common adjustables I used were 15". 18" and 24". You have no idea how many different spanners those three adjustables replaced. In field work you need to cart *all your tools* with you. You always look to minimise that load.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

Fractionally more than you. I watch the news on TV. That's it.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

It does tend to deter people from responding when you do that.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

That is precisely the idea.

You just have ozone issues in the garage. Look that one up, it's very interesting.

That's the allowance for low mileage drivers.

I have worn glasses since I was 8 years old. I know all about it. Lots of my non glasses wearing friends are now suffering from cataracts but, so far so good, I'm not at 65.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

Warped rotors will cause steering shimmy but not brake pumping. I haven't seen many but I have seen some.

--

Xeno
Reply to
Xeno

And only a total fool buys everything on the net. I can generally buy off the shelf for close to the same price, with no hassle returns and I get to see-feel EXACTLY what I'm buying.

Can't even BUY Brembo for my daughter's car.

Not in the real world. On a large percentage of rotors doing it your way is totally impossible. And my way (the industry standard) I can measure warpage/runout ON THE CAR and know if it's a problem before taking ANYTHING apart beyond moving the rim.

Really crappy system - sorry.

I've worked on everything from a moskovitch to a Rolls, with Jags, Rovers, Toyotas, Fiats, Ladas, VWs, Nissans as well as just about every North American brand

I'm talking in general - not the limited vehicles of your experience.

\Measure in more than 2 places -

No I'm not. Seen it many times

Watch the needle move.

The internet doesn't show EVERYTHING. What you know comes from the web. What I know comes from tears in the trade (including teaching the trade)

That is totally dependent on how much warp. And what, other than "warp" will cause a rotor to develop "runout" if it is totally true when installed.

Ond I've dome them all at least once.

You have references I have experience.

Reality defies logic.

Only the stop-tech article is written by a pro (Can't open the raybestos link so it's useless)

The rest could be written by you - same level of cred. They are written by enthusiasts who have read articles.

They are correct in most of what they say - but real warpage DOES exist, because not all rotors are properly manufactured and stress relieved and heat treated - like the problem Toyota had in the early '80s, and many of the "crap" rotors in the aftermarket - as I have explained before. In the "ideal world" they would never warp. Also, not all rotors spend their life in "normal" conditions - other problems in the braking system, or abuse, can cause a lot more heat than normal driving - which is why the accurate stement is:

"Under normal operating conditions, properly manufactured and installed brake rotors very seldom actually WARP. Poor quality rotors can warp, as can rotors that are severely overheated due to abuse or certain braking system falures. When you experience brake pulsation, actual brake rotor warpage is UNLIKELY to be the problem - but stranger things HAVE happened. Uneven friction material transfer due to either poor intial bedding of the pads or improper use of the brakes is much more likely, and some brake pads are more prone to causing these issues due to their composition. In areas where winters are more severe and salt is used on the roads some pad compostions are more likely to cause problems - particularly the hard-spotting and pitting of rotors due to localized overheating caused by uneven friction material transfer. Many brake problems tend to be regional in nature for this reason. Rustout of cooling fins of a rotor, for instance, would be unheard-of in arizona or alabama, but fairly common in the northeat and the "rust belt".

NEVER say never and ALWAYS avoid always.

Reply to
clare

ANY mechanical damage fails the rotor on DOT test. Some smoth wear is allowed - but you NEVER install new pads on rotors that have an uneven friction surface because it is virtually impossible to properly bed the new pads to the uneven rotor withot localized overheating

At the price of rotors today even on your Bimmer, it just is not worth it. The pads cost more than the rotors on MOST vehicles today. No reputable shop will do it because comebacks are expensive - and real mechanics KNOW the comebacks will happen if they do something stupid like installing new pads on badly worn rotors.

Reply to
clare

One skinned knuckle is one too many!!!

Reply to
clare

You paid $90 to find that out. Consider it money well spent and move on with your life.

Reply to
clare

Reply to
clare

Every car I've owned except for my Mark 1 Mini has "wind down" windows

- just because they are electric doesn't change the fact they are "wind down" and the window motors WILL run under water - at least once. The mini had "sliders"

Reply to
clare

Depends on the particular engine. Most belts are around 60K change interval, and many are not hard to do. Then you have vehicles with chains, a good design will go 2-300K with no real issues. The shitty designs fail around 50-60K and do more damage than just the valves if it drops into the lower sprocket on a stick that rolls a bit. GMs 3.6 and some others use a VERY light chain that stretches and breaks.

--
Steve W.
Reply to
Steve W.

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.