Working on cars.....

[Boyd]

Anybody ever notice how it gets harder and harder to fix cars as you get older? I am hurting in places I didn't know could hurt....

 

[Whispering Winds]

Yes, and DH says some of the engineers should be taken out and put out of their misery for the way they put the motors together and where they put some of the parts . . . almost have to pull the engine to get to the part.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
have to drop a motor mount and rock the motor forward with a jack on the 2.5 motor they use on cav's and Beretta's just to change spark plugs

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Had to pull the engine in my ants caddy to change the water pump just cause of one bolt.....

 

[Dunkopf]

It's the cab forward design they use so much now. Half the engine is under the cowl. The fact that 90% of the cars are front wheel drive means the engine is transversely mounted which has always been a pain in the rear. Seems like most engines are on cradles now too. So the have to be pulled from underneath which pretty much require a lift. They just aren't made for shade tree mechanics anymore.

Had a 97 Caterra that had the trans cooler under the intake manifold for additional cooling from the engine oil. It would eventually corrode at about 100k and had to be replaced after it leaked trans fluid into your oil pan. I like the old days with a 396 stuffed in between fender skirts on a 66 Chevelle. No AC compressor or power steering. Only pain in the rear was getting to the distributor.

The other thing I hate about the newer cars. Since 78 or so. Is the mix of metric and SAE.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
and I hate all the emission controls and computer junk.. My early 80's chevettes got as good if not better gas mileage than most modern day cars (almost on par with the hybrids) and it had a carb and vacuum lines.. 50+mpg and seated 4 with a small hatch in the back.

 

[ranchhand]

I'm probably going to hear about this from someone

..... best, most reliable car I EVER had was a 1982 Chevette, 4 door. So many folks had bad ones, I was lucky to get a good one. Only trouble I had was it kept throwing the clip off the clutch cable. I bought a packet of 12 and kepth them in the glove box.

It was a very sad day when it was totaled out from under me.

ETA, it hauled a U-Haul trailer, fully loaded, from SC to TX, no problem!

 

[Dar]

hubby just last weekend did the rear differential on MY Dodge Dakota 4X4.... he was not happy i heard more curse words last weekend then I care to share cause I dont want points...LOL

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

Yeah,crazy cars. I don't work on them but picked mine up at the mechanics yesterday after having routine maintenance.

I had told the guy that the windshield washer didn't work and had taken a new washer pump in case that was the problem

Not the problem.He told me both hoses were broken and the cowl and wipers would have to be removed to fix it and it would take some time and would have to be scheduled for such.

I'm thinking about taking it to a body shop if I can find a good one here. After a deer came through the windshield in W.V. the drivers window is messed up when I try to get it up. I didn't know it at the time because this was the dead of winter and I only saw the problem when it got really hot.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I miss my air cooled VW.... That engine had nothing it didn't need an got great mileage.

Cant complain about my 1984 6.2 diesel suburban though. It makes 19MPG an caries 8 people. An its currently running on used motor oil that was free to me....