who is wrenching today?

[PottedMeat]

There were three plugs that had damaged electrodes but this one in peticular was really bad; http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/1463/photo1tm.jpg

Compression was all normal but I sense some engine work in my future...

wow. so there could be half an electrode in that cylinder?

at the distance and angle you shot the others look okay though.

 

[skyking]

wow. so there could be half an electrode in that cylinder?

at the distance and angle you shot the others look okay though.

Likely burned away over time.

I'm not exactly wrenching, but still working on my truck boxes.

 

[razor2025]

Helped my buddy's V6 accord with tire rotation and oil change. I couldn't convince him not to buy into Mobile 1's marketing on their "extended mileage" oil. I hope he isn't serious about not changing his oil till the 15,000 mark...

As for me, I just replaced all 4 struts to my recently bought WRX. The Tein springs were crap (replaced with better aftermarket one), and the front 2 struts definitely needs a rebuild. My butt appreciates the smoother ride now.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Put a thermostat in my Wrangler yesterday... not a difficult job, but having to handle tools outside when it's 20 degrees out sort of sucks, as does having the serpentine directly across the bottom bolt of the thermostat housing.

 

[Howard]

Helped my buddy's V6 accord with tire rotation and oil change. I couldn't convince him not to buy into Mobile 1's marketing on their "extended mileage" oil. I hope he isn't serious about not changing his oil till the 15,000 mark...

I've heard it really is a good oil, though. Don't know if any oil can handle going that far, but if any can, Mobil 1 EM might be one of the prime candidates.

 

[BW86]

It's not my car, otherwise I would have gone with a different bumper, but yeah its the nismo bumper. We found some coolant on the ground underneath the car a few days ago. Everything was dry except around the oil drain plug..... uh oh.... We took the drain plug off and guess what came out? Yeah...most of the coolant. My friend put 370z gaskets on it bc he said it would work, so either its the gaskets or the block is bad Or maybe its something else....not sure yet. The heads are fine - we used his stock heads. We did put a scope in the cylinders and we didnt find any coolant.

Looks like we're pulling the motor again.

update on the twin turbo g35 - after pulling the motor we found a spun bearing (PO didnt tell us) and some wierd plugs in the head that was causing coolant to leak into the crank case.

Well its all back together - it was brought to Performance Motorsports to get tuned and we got it back yesterday night. It put down 509rwhp on a dynojet at 14psi. This thing rips - the only thing that bugs me is the flywheel chatter, but I guess a 9lb fw will do that. I'll try and get some videos tonight.

 

[BW86]

Changed the clutch on a '99 audi a4 1.8t over the weekend. My friends clutch was starting to make a lot of noise and then last week just stopped working all together.

We started Sat afternoon, worked till it was dark and then resumed the next day. Only got stuck on a few bellhousing bolts. Some of the bolts on the bottom were facing the other direction and were blocked by the subframe. A little jacking up on the engine let us get access. That and the slave didn't want to go back in. Overall it wasn't that bad. Took maybe 10 hours from start to finish



old pressure plate and clutch disc (I can see why the clutch stopped working lol)

old dual mass flywheel:

almost out!

new steel single mass flywheel (17lbs):

new clutch installed (Clutchmasters fx400)

 

[skyking]

What were the consequences of changing from a dual mass to a single mass?

 

[BW86]

A little jerkiness when engine braking but thats all I felt when driving it. Maybe a little more vibration? Nothing crazy. I guess we'll see when its all broken in.

 

[skyking]

Welding a wheelchair mod for my sister's husband today and tomorrow. Sanding the truck boxes and putting on some epoxy and glass tonight.

 

[jlee]

Headed out to the garage now - what's everyone up to?

 

[skyking]

I am drilling out the wheelchair mods. His chair is titanium, so light that the addition of my parts behind the big wheel tips it over without a person in the chair. It would be perfectly balanced with him in it. I moved the axle 5/16" aft. It still tips. If I move it any more he would get the front wheels bogged down in loose material. He depends on being able to pop small wheelies to move through loose stuff and over smallish bumps.
I made the parts from A36 .065 wall tubing. I can drill out one plane of all the major pieces and still have the strength i need in the appropriate planes of loading.

 

[BassBomb]

need to do long term maint on my car once school is over... also overdue on an oil change

 

[Pinepig]

Today I get to continue sanding out the clear I laid down last week on a 72tii, I ran the piss out of it in places, oh well, nothing a couple of days of sanding and some compound won't take care of.

I'll try to remember to snap a pic with the phone today.

 

[WackyDan]

Removing front end on my Spyder(Can Am) and installing better shocks and a stiffer swing arm.

 

[vshah]

Oil change,rotating tires, new brake pads today

 

[jlee]

Phew, the hose from hell is finally out...now to put the new one in and put everything back together, then install the new turbo!

 

[Viperoni]

I have the following planned, need some warmer weather to do it:

Koni Yellows all around
Megan lowering springs (280/230 rates, 1.75"/1.5" drops)
Rear shoes, drums and spring kit
Front rotors and EBC red pads

 

[cbrsurfr]

Installed a BSH 27mm adjustable RSB on the GTI and put my summer wheels on. Should be ready to go for the Audi Club HPDE @ Autobahn Country Club next weekend if the weather holds out.

FLICKR

 

[Pinepig]

Snapped a pic, finished the engine bay a couple of weeks ago, this is what I saw when I got started this morning.

 

[skyking]

Looking nice, Pinepig :thumbsup:

Here are some pics of the truck bed/boxes under construction. The assembly is being made with very few fasteners, using glue and clamps. After the wood was done I glassed inside with 3.7 oz./yard tooling fabric and Resin Research 2000 epoxy resin.
I Installed the backs and glassed them on inside, and now I'm finishing glassing on the back and bottom outside.
All the visible surfaces will get resin only, topped with Linear Polyurethane for UV resistance.

The bare bones. The box outsides are clamped to each other to keep things straight.

Gluing on the top edge. Insides are glassed at this point.

It was a clamp intensive operation

Hatch or lid in early stages. Note the use of plywood on edge as a straightener.
The 3/8" plywood is not stable and was only straight in the stack at the lumber yard.
Note the corner detail; there is a 3/4" square void in the design, to be filled with a darker hardwood trim piece.

Same part with the end and some frame sections going in. Later these were cut down after the wood had stabilized a bit.

The foundation the boxes are bolted to.

More pics to follow.

 

[ric0chet06]

interesting bed design, and thumbs up for a fellow 2nd gen dodge owner!

 

[arrfep]

Changed plugs/wires/air filter and seafoamed my Mom's Accord. I'll try to put pics up of this air filter....i'm pretty sure it hasn't been changed in about 80k miles. Looks like she drove through a tarpit. Nice day for wrenching around here. Can't wait till it warms up even more.

 

[jlee]

I looked at my summer wheels today, patiently waiting in the garage...then found out we're supposed to get 6-12" of snow this weekend.

FUUUUUU

 

[skyking]

interesting bed design, and thumbs up for a fellow 2nd gen dodge owner!

Thanks. My 5th wheel trailer is very low, too low for this 2WD truck with a standard bed. I could remove the axles from the trailer and insert a 3" frame extension, but that puts the trailer up into the wind for lower economy and stability. I did not want a flatbed, so I went for a service body. it started out steel and then became a "woody".

One of the front hatches. The wood on the corners is quartersawn Sapele.
Plywood is marine Virola, or Sandee.

Inside is glassed after removing much of the extra frame plywood.

Back hatches glassed on the inside, prior to trimming.

I decided to relocate the batteries under the bed while I was at it. I went from a pair of group 27 batteries at ~50 lbs each, to a single marine 4DM at 118 pounds.

I cut and welded the support in Tuesday.

Built the battery box yesterday from leftover marine ply. Small area at rear is for built in compressor system for 5th wheel air ride.

Bottom of box with ventilation and drainage ribs, glassed.