The Mechanical Advice Thread

[multicartual]

Originally Posted by dared3vil0

you needed a special tool to compress the piston, any old piston compressor will not work

You can't just use a C-clamp?

[fliptuner]

Originally Posted by !Aznboi128

should of mention the sound comes from the engine, sounds like a gerbil running around one of those wheel things lol

Probably the release/throwout bearing. It's what contacts the diaphragm springs on the pressure plate when you step on the clutch pedal. The noise goes away when there's pressure/load on it but gets squeaky/chirpy when your foot's off the clutch pedal.

Spoiler!

0:20-2:25

YouTube

Originally Posted by dared3vil0

I did not know that rofl.

Oh well, gotta' learn somehow right?

Yep. I'm sure you won't forget either lol.

The E-brake has to be mechanical so it can't be compressed like a front caliper.

Spoiler!

[jcmaz]

Is a chip on the interior part of the back windshield repairable? The chip is down by the speaker deck with defrost lines in between. I'm still kicking myself over this idiotic mistake. Fyi, it's a 2005 Lancer. Thanks!!

[underscore]

Originally Posted by Akinari

Going to be monitoring my A/F after I install my race header and test pipe soon. Will have full bolt-ons after that (intake, TSX intake mani, race header, test pipe, catback). Been looking into wideband A/F gauges, specifically the AEM UEGO with the new Bosch LSU 4.9 sensor.

However, the factory O2 works on a 0-2v range and actually measures the current of a pump cell. This means you technically cannot use it to create a signal for use with an aftermarket A/F gauge. The AEM UEGO can output a signal that works with most factory O2 monitoring systems, however will not work on an Element because it uses this oddball setup. BUT since I am getting rid of the cat altogether, and the race header I'm installing has an O2 bung before the collector, I'm assuming I can simply stick the sensor into the O2 bung on the header because the cat is gone? Since both the stock O2 sensors will pretty much be useless given that the cat is deleted (will have to use plugs to prevent CEL), I'd simply connect the O2 sensor from the wideband onto the bung before the collector on the header?

Someone school me on these things!

You'll need to send a signal to the factory upstream O2 sensor (the one before the cat) or the ECU won't know what's going on as it uses it for calculations, the downstream one is only to make sure the cat is working. You can either get another bung welded to the exhaust, or get an Innovate wideband instead of the AEM. Some of the Innovate ones will allow you to program what you want the analog output ranges to be, so you can easily set it to 0-2V and tie it into your ECU.

Why do you want a wideband on an N/A car though? If it's just for tuning any dyno worth going to will have a wideband they can put in your tailpipe to use while they do the tuning.

[threezero]

so my car has been sitting on a tank of full gas for the past 2 months now. I was planning to work on it alot more than i actually have and with new work arrangements i'm even more busy now. I don't know when i will have time to work on it and start it up, could be next week could be months later.

should i treat the gas at this point with stablizers? the bottle saids that it must be ona FRESH tank of gas and i must turn on the car and let it ran for couple mins. At the moment it can't be started yes and the tank isn't fresh.... should i still throw the stablizer in or would i do more harm than good?

[hud 91gt]

I'd toss it in. The reason they say run it, is to get it through the lines. If it's in the tank at least it will only run shitty for a few minutes, rather then a whole tank.

2 months isn't too old. I'd consider it "fresh" still.

[saiko]

Hi All,

2003 Toyota Camry SE (4cyl), 233k km, car has been throwing a P0420 code, Catalyst System Effeciency Below Threshold (Bank 1).

I've been reading it could be an o2 sensor (or two) or an exhaust leak or even a bad cat..
- 02 Sensor, best place to buy? (Toyota / Lordco?)
- DIY or bring to shop?

Thanks! (I can wrench but I'm no mechanic..)

[mlum6969]

bring it to a shop to test o2 sensors and check the exhaust. doing exhaust stuff without a torch at home is going to be hard.

[Klobbersaurus]

bad cat

the exhaust leak after the rear o2 wont throw any codes, cheapest way to fix it is to get one of those rear o2 eliminators

[boibuddha]

Hi guys,

I have a quick question about refreshing my suspension. (1990 Honda Civic)

Here's what I have replaced:
- Rear LCAs + Rear Sway bay + Rear Endlinks (~3 yrs old)
- Front UCAs + Rear Tr. Arm Bushings (~2 yrs old)
- OE Radius Rod Bushings (1 month)

Buying soon:
- Rear UCAs (Moog/Dorman)
- Fr. LCAs (Moog/Dorman)

Assuming the bushing in the parts above are still good, what other bits am I missing? Front Lower Ball Joints? Inner + outer Tie Rod ends? Front Endlinks?

[threezero]

^if you are going for the full refresh should do all those. Check that the boots on ur axles and steering column is good too while your at it. It they have been ripped for a long time chances are it's mess up inside too

[twitchyzero]

some electrical issues?

few weeks ago when i installed HIDs I noticed my sidemarkers both sides were no longer working

today I tried reinserting the bulb when the power was on. Now I'm having more problems

1. cluster gauges don't light up
2. parking lights don't light up (low beam nor when locking the doors)
3. taillights don't light up
3. sidemarker still not working

low beam, high beam, brakes, reverse lights, drl, signals all work fine

i've disconnected the battery but no dice. Then again my radio usually prompts me to enter a security code when I do so but not this time so may I have to leave it disconnected for few minutes longer?

I checked the under-dash fuse panel but I didn't find any slots that corresponds to the gauge/parking lights.

RSX

[dn53]

^ Check fuse # 2 (15a) in the underhood fuse box. top of your fusebox cap should list what number fuse # 2 is.

[Akinari]

Got an annoying squeak coming from the engine that's particularly loud at idle, actually pretty much only audible at idle. Thought it was the serpentine belt so I got that replaced (it needed replacing anyway) and the squeaking still remains. Could the squeaking be coming from the timing chain, crank pulley, or belt tensioner? It's a K series motor.

[twitchyzero]

the belt tensioner on my k20a3 went and it's a very distinct rattle only during warm up (very noticable in the winter, faint during summer) so if you hear the belts slapping around it's probably that. Not a squeaking sound.

Originally Posted by dn53

^ Check fuse # 2 (15a) in the underhood fuse box. top of your fusebox cap should list what number fuse # 2 is.

i grabbed my box of new fuses from princess auto only to realize they're not the right size. Can I buy them at a general electronics component store or is it strictly an automotive application?

[learn2manual]

Need some advice for a torque wrench a DIY mechanic should have for ie. oil changes, brakes, spark-plugs etc. I already have a 1/2" 10-240 ft-lb for lug nuts. I'm looking into buying a smaller torque wrench for smaller jobs but would need to have the proper torque range. I should buy a 3/8" drive with which torque range? Would only prefer to have 2 torque wrenches.

Another question I have is for bleeding brake fluid. Should you jack up all 4 sides of the car at once or you can jack each individual side and bleed the fluid from there.

[fliptuner]

Originally Posted by learn2manual

Need some advice for a torque wrench a DIY mechanic should have for ie. oil changes, brakes, spark-plugs etc. I already have a 1/2" 10-240 ft-lb for lug nuts. I'm looking into buying a smaller torque wrench for smaller jobs but would need to have the proper torque range. I should buy a 3/4" drive with which torque range? Would only prefer to have 2 torque wrenches.

Another question I have is for bleeding brake fluid. Should you jack up all 4 sides of the car at once or you can jack each individual side and bleed the fluid from there.

I've never used a 3/4" drive on a car or light duty truck. If you mean 3/8" drive, you shouldn't need it for anything over 60ftlbs.

As for the brakes, it shouldn't matter as long as the MC is higher than the wc/caliper. Sequence is more important.

[twitchyzero]

06 rsx: about 6 months ago, my headlights/interior lights would flicker briefly accompanied with a single tick noise every 30 seconds or so. I replaced the battery, the light flickering was gone by the tick remained. Since installing 35w HIDs a month ago, I've been getting electric surges during idle (radio would completely cut out for a few second, engine rpm drop by 200-300rpm). Twice when this happened the engine also cut out. Note the headlights were never on when it occurred so I think they can be ruled out. The issue went away for a few weeks and now it’s back. Although engine hasn’t cut out this time around, it has happened even when the car is moving and not just during idle. Are these symptoms of an alternator going? I sure hope not, I was just in there doing the belt + tensioner

[Reeyal]

Originally Posted by learn2manual

Need some advice for a torque wrench a DIY mechanic should have for ie. oil changes, brakes, spark-plugs etc. I already have a 1/2" 10-240 ft-lb for lug nuts. I'm looking into buying a smaller torque wrench for smaller jobs but would need to have the proper torque range. I should buy a 3/8" drive with which torque range? Would only prefer to have 2 torque wrenches.

Another question I have is for bleeding brake fluid. Should you jack up all 4 sides of the car at once or you can jack each individual side and bleed the fluid from there.

For a 3/8" torque wrench, you can pretty much get a range of anything you want since your 1/2" will cover whatever is missing. Beware, anything over 80 ft-lb, it's going to feel like you're torquing 150 ft-lb with a 1/2". It's difficult.

I have used a 3/8" torque wrench before, and what I find is that I end up using my 1/2" more often. Even for small jobs, the leverage of the 1/2" will make it easier. I recently bought a longer handle 1/2", and now torquing fasteners are super easy.

When I bleed my brake fluid, I jack up at most 2 wheels at a time anyway. Like fliptuner said, sequence is more important.

[Reeyal]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

06 rsx: about 6 months ago, my headlights/interior lights would flicker briefly accompanied with a single tick noise every 30 seconds or so. I replaced the battery, the light flickering was gone by the tick remained. Since installing 35w HIDs a month ago, I've been getting electric surges during idle (radio would completely cut out for a few second, engine rpm drop by 200-300rpm). Twice when this happened the engine also cut out. Note the headlights were never on when it occurred so I think they can be ruled out. The issue went away for a few weeks and now it’s back. Although engine hasn’t cut out this time around, it has happened even when the car is moving and not just during idle. Are these symptoms of an alternator going? I sure hope not, I was just in there doing the belt + tensioner

When installing the HID kit, did you have to splice any wires? Check those connections to see if they are still good.

You can test if your alternator or battery are going bad by testing them with a digital multimeter. Digital will give an extact reading with decimal points. A fully charged battery should read 12.6+ v. A good alternator will output anywhere between 13-14v.

[Puck Luck]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

06 rsx: about 6 months ago, my headlights/interior lights would flicker briefly accompanied with a single tick noise every 30 seconds or so. I replaced the battery, the light flickering was gone by the tick remained. Since installing 35w HIDs a month ago, I've been getting electric surges during idle (radio would completely cut out for a few second, engine rpm drop by 200-300rpm). Twice when this happened the engine also cut out. Note the headlights were never on when it occurred so I think they can be ruled out. The issue went away for a few weeks and now it’s back. Although engine hasn’t cut out this time around, it has happened even when the car is moving and not just during idle. Are these symptoms of an alternator going? I sure hope not, I was just in there doing the belt + tensioner

First thought that comes to my mind is ignition switch.
To me it doesn't sound like a charging/alternator issue.

[Akinari]

Long story short, my power steering rack has been leaking very very very minimal amounts for the last couple years. I top up very small amounts every few months. I need a complete flush as the fluid is not very clean, but I worry that if I flush it along with all the crap potentially inside the seals, the leak may get worse if the crap is flushed out, necessitating a new steering rack (not cheap). Any way I can get around this?

[tinico]

Originally Posted by Akinari

Long story short, my power steering rack has been leaking very very very minimal amounts for the last couple years. I top up very small amounts every few months. I need a complete flush as the fluid is not very clean, but I worry that if I flush it along with all the crap potentially inside the seals, the leak may get worse if the crap is flushed out, necessitating a new steering rack (not cheap). Any way I can get around this?

My opinion, Don't bother with the flush, drive it as is until you can replace the rack. BTW the fact you top up every so often, you end up "refreshing" your fluid so your pump should be fine. Unless when you say, not very clean, you actually mean, it's brown and thick/muddy. then you probably have to flush it. without seing the car, that's the best i can do

[Peturbo]

a power steering "flush" shouldnt harm anything. you basically just suck out fluid from reservoir and fill it
back up few times over.

[Akinari]

Originally Posted by tinico

My opinion, Don't bother with the flush, drive it as is until you can replace the rack. BTW the fact you top up every so often, you end up "refreshing" your fluid so your pump should be fine. Unless when you say, not very clean, you actually mean, it's brown and thick/muddy. then you probably have to flush it. without seing the car, that's the best i can do

It's not dirty, but it's not clean. It's not clear, but not brown and sludgy either.