Exhaust. I've managed to do a couple ones without serious leaks or problems, but almost every time I try to work on an exhaust system I regret it.
Exhaust. I've managed to do a couple ones without serious leaks or problems, but almost every time I try to work on an exhaust system I regret it.
dculberson said:Exhaust. I've managed to do a couple ones without serious leaks or problems, but almost every time I try to work on an exhaust system I regret it.
For me it's this, but more specifically ... rusty New England exhaust, especially without access to a lift.
My miata came to me straight from Florida. I've done a little jackstand exhaust work on that, and while I won't say I enjoyed it, everything came apart and went back together as was originally intended. Incredible.
For me it's drum brakes and body work. Those are 2 things I just don't have the patience and skill to do a good job with and not be miserable doing it. So I avoid those. Pretty much anything else I'll at least tolerate.
Paint. As a kid I could paint models all day long using brushes, spray-bombs, or a small Badger spray gun. Now I just want to be done with it and will end up bodging one of the many steps. Maybe modern paints are just less forgiving than old lacquer and enamel.
Rust. Rust is self-inflicted, a choice. Y'all keep that stuff up north. Automatic transmissions have a single part # in my world. Early OBD2 BMW check engine lights.
Yes Automatic transmissions. The rest is all doable.
Paint and body work. I'm sure that I could do them well but my patience to perfectionist ratio is all out of whack and I can't put in the time it takes to get where I want it.
Paint and body work isn't my strong point, but my personal Kryptonite hasn't been a particular job, so much as particular cars. I once had a clean, low mileage 1995 Civic subscribe me to the breakdown of the month club. I could get almost anything on it fixed, but then something else would fail, like clockwork, and I'm not joking about these happening on monthly basis.
The first failure was an abrupt flat tire, only for me to find there was no jack and the spare was the wrong bolt pattern. And it just got worse from there.
If:
I'll take it to a shop. Time is money and boy am I poor.
Nothing.
I dislike having to reflash control modules without the needed passthru tho....
I've probably fixed every system and subsequent subsystem at some point in my life.
Changing the timing chain on a DOHC engine without removing the engine from the car.
As long as the timing chain has a master link you can get the chain out of there and feed another new one in as you do it, and even manage to restore correct timing, but the kryptonite part is the time (OK, times plural) where just as you are rejoining the two ends of the new chain, you hear a sudden tinkle as the master link falls into the front timing case (followed swiftly by a loud and usually either blasphemous or biologically improbable expostulation of extreme disappointment) .
Everyday maintenance type of things: I can never separate ball joints without destroying the boots. It seems no matter what method I use, I fubar something.
Fabrication stuff: I suck at math so anything I fab up myself is always trash looking but at least its functional. I just don't have that gift despite recently getting straight As in online calculus, trig, and physics for this second bachelors I'm going after. I just don't have that spatial mindset to translate my thoughts into art.
Champcar Racecar: It's a 94 Accord witha JDM T2T4 LSD trans and an H22A. I can't take just the trans out for maintenance without having to take the whole engine out with it. Just trying to take the trans out by itself is black magic wizardy and a wild pain in the arse. I'm with wspohn - I take everything out and just do all the things that are easier when the engine is out of the car too.
Not much gets under my skin anymore. When I was a young mechanic 30 years ago it was a different story.
wspohn said:Changing the timing chain on a DOHC engine without removing the engine from the car.
As long as the timing chain has a master link you can get the chain out of there and feed another new one in as you do it, and even manage to restore correct timing, but the kryptonite part is the time (OK, times plural) where just as you are rejoining the two ends of the new chain, you hear a sudden tinkle as the master link falls into the front timing case (followed swiftly by a loud and usually either blasphemous or biologically improbable expostulation of extreme disappointment) .
Which DOHC engine? I have done lots of DOHC Honda and Ford chains (yes, even transverse 3.5s) and GM chains (even 3.6s) with the engine in place.
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
I don't know about the GM mini drums, but the mini drums on my old Boxster took me forever to figure out. I think I spent nearly a day trying to figure out how to get them off and then back on and properly adjusted.
I'll give you two:
1. Apparently, I have no confidence with automatic transmissions. A hot rodder friend talked me into rebuilding mine, with his help. There was a non-related falling out, so my semi-expert help went away. I did the work, but don't trust it enough to reinstall the 904. So, for now, my Valiant sits ...
2. Vacuum lines suck. I'm talking about those with a couple of decades of heat cycles to make things brittle, a few ham-fisted repairs done near enough to crack the plastic or rubber fitting, and sometimes improvised re-routings that led to melting. I couldn't touch my '86 Suburban's 350 without cracking something or finding a new leak.
Heater cores.
The amount of crap you usually have to remove to service a heater core will destroy anyone's will to live.
Cars aren't assembled, they're grown and the heater core is the bellybutton.
Combine all that with the awful feeling of coolant on you and I'm out.
In reply to RacerBoy75 :
Not the best picture but the rear GM disc brakes have drums for the parking brake. Works good, just annoying.
Anything electrical.
For electric issues, my repair knowledge consists of:
1) Replace the battery
2) Check to make sure the grounds aren't corroded (all my cars are Southern, so the grounds are always fine)
3) Call someone that actually knows what they're doing
Also, never, ever let me near a press. I guarantee I'll destroy both objects that were supposed to be pressed together
I don't have a specific task, but I always get myself in to trouble when I don't listen to the little voice that says "this is a bad idea". Like yesterday, when I was trying to change a wheel bearing. I should have stopped and bought an M22x1.5 die and cleaned the threads on the axle. Instead, I tried to ugga-dugga the axle nut on. I knew it was a bad idea. But I stupidly did it anyway and had to spend a couple hours grinding the stupid nut off.
And then I went out and bought an M22x1.5 die and cleaned up the threads on the axle....
wae said:And then I went out and bought an M22x1.5 die and cleaned up the threads on the axle....
Where does a man even buy a die that large locally anyhwhere ?
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:wae said:And then I went out and bought an M22x1.5 die and cleaned up the threads on the axle....
Where does a man even buy a die that large locally anyhwhere ?
They make CV axle thread chaser sets.
Worth every penny.
Reminds me, I buggered up the left front axle from the WRX trying to remove it from the hub, need to bring my axle puller and thread chaser set down here soon.
Math. Anything that requires math like fabrication or wheel alignment. Thusly anything internal to the engine as well, I refuse to touch because the probability of me making it cost way more to have the right person fix it is way too high. I guess learning my limitations has been the hardest thing for me. I'm mechanically minded but not of superior intelligence so I've learned that when I get to a place where I'm pretty sure I'm going to break something or its going to cost me more to get it fixed than I can save by buggering it out myself I just pay to get it done. Wheel alignment in particular. I may be able to string things up and measure them but I can never get it figured out. Black magic.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:wae said:And then I went out and bought an M22x1.5 die and cleaned up the threads on the axle....
Where does a man even buy a die that large locally anyhwhere ?
They make CV axle thread chaser sets.
Worth every penny.
Reminds me, I buggered up the left front axle from the WRX trying to remove it from the hub, need to bring my axle puller and thread chaser set down here soon.
I couldn't find anything in that size locally and I couldn't wait around to order something. I've been trying to spend my tool money on things that are going to be more durable and as not-Chinese as I can, but after visiting two local hardware stores and checking the websites of the big boxes in town, the only option I could find on Saturday morning was to get a 45-piece metric tape and die set from Harbor Freight for $95.
Appleseed said:Rusty fasteners.
Duke said:Electrical connectors. You need to be able to:
- Reach them.
- Figure out how they unlatch.
- Have enough feel and leverage to unlatch them.
You get to pick two.
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