The cars and bikes thread!

[chuckmiller]

How to save a buck:

Some things are better left to "professionals" and some things can be handled at home. The water pump on my Grand Cherokee developed the typical "leaking at the weep hole" leak. Oh great, it needs the pump replaced.

Step 1 - call the Jeep dealer. The dealership charges $800 for the job ($209 for the part). I flinched when I heard that. My favorite local shop charges just over $600 out the door.

Step 2 - get info from the top tier mechanics on the Jeep Owners Forum. The consensus, replace it yourself, it is not a difficult job. The basic hand tools needed are a screw driver, a ratchet wrench with an extension, and 4 sizes of metric sockets, a pair or 2 of pliers, and a torque wrench if you have it. That's really it, of course extra tools can help. The pump is right on the front of the engine and all you have to remove to get to the pump is the air box assembly and a couple of small parts.

Step 3 - look for "how to" videos on YouTube. Yep, found a great one on my exact vehicle and it even included the bolt tightening pattern and torque specs for the reassembly.

Step4 - find the pump locally (or online). Every parts house sells it, most have the exact Chrysler pump if you want that (with a lifetime warranty).

Step5 - buy the pump, new coolant (anti-freeze), a bottle of cooling system flush, distilled water, and since I'm in there replace the thermostat assembly and serpentine belt (83,900 miles of the counter).
Just under $300 in parts.

Step 6 - get it done. Be gentle. Be thorough. Oh, save up 6 empty gallon jugs to collect the old coolant and flush. Dispose of that at the local Household Hazardous Waste facility.

Don't put the engine top cover and under engine gravel plates back on just yet. Wait a few days and watch (wrist watch forum pun) for any leak to pop up. So far we are 100% dry.

I figure I saved $1,000 since I did 4 separate jobs at once. Plus, I have the luxury of taking all day if I want to. I don't think a shop would flush the system 3 times like I did, and they won't test drive it 3 times (up to full operating temp and back to cold again) like I can.

[geoffbot]

Superb work mate. There's your badge

[chuckmiller]

Superb work mate. There's your badge

THAT'S ME!!!!!

[geoffbot]

Me too mate, though you sound like you're on level 2

[Samanator]

I judge jobs that i want to do on my cars based a lot on what is online. I've done quite a few things on my 2002 Jaguar XK8. When multiple people claimed that changing the transmission fluid made a total mess of their garage I put that in the let the mechanic do it column along with changing the roof hydraulic lines. It took four years to go through the car and get everything that holds fluids, has a seal replaced, all the electronic gone through, all the bushings replaced with better versions, new shocks, tires and anything else rubber. Now it is to the point it just needs general maintenance. The original paint, the original chromed wheels, interior, wood and top are perfect. I only wish I kept my 2007 XJR also. They are the last of the real Jaguars IMO. Everything that has followed them does not seem to have a soul. The F Type is a better sports car in every way, but it doesn't have the feel, the luxury and distinctly British soaks up everything ride. You can put miles on these where the F Type you want out of after an hour. Yesterday I was reminded of what I joy it is to take the XK8 out all day. All the work was a labor of love and worth it all. This was the car that when I sat in one at my first Miami car show I declared I would have one. A over $100K car was a dream. No way this could happen if I had to pay to have everything done to get it to, and keep it in top shape. It still feels like the car at the show in my mind.

[tribe125]

^^^

It has the right owner.

[geoffbot]

I judge jobs that i want to do on my cars based a lot on what is online. I've done quite a few things on my 2002 Jaguar XK8. When multiple people claimed that changing the transmission fluid made a total mess of their garage I put that in the let the mechanic do it column along with changing the roof hydraulic lines. It took four years to go through the car and get everything that holds fluids, has a seal replaced, all the electronic gone through, all the bushings replaced with better versions, new shocks, tires and anything else rubber. Now it is to the point it just needs general maintenance. The original paint, the original chromed wheels, interior, wood and top are perfect. I only wish I kept my 2007 XJR also. They are the last of the real Jaguars IMO. Everything that has followed them does not seem to have a soul. The F Type is a better sports car in every way, but it doesn't have the feel, the luxury and distinctly British soaks up everything ride. You can put miles on these where the F Type you want out of after an hour. Yesterday I was reminded of what I joy it is to take the XK8 out all day. All the work was a labor of love and worth it all. This was the car that when I sat in one at my first Miami car show I declared I would have one. A over $100K car was a dream. No way this could happen if I had to pay to have everything done to get it to, and keep it in top shape. It still feels like the car at the show in my mind.

I always wonder why mechanics don't use a really big tray to catch oil spills. Like, 1.5m square.

And why do they never have funnels?! Spilling oil everywhere, having to hack a bottle in half to make one... I have 3 and I live in a flat.

[Samanator]

I always wonder why mechanics don't use a really big tray to catch oil spills. Like, 1.5m square.

And why do they never have funnels?! Spilling oil everywhere, having to hack a bottle in half to make one... I have 3 and I live in a flat.

In the example I gave above it really needed to be done on a lift. Most extended height catch pans are about a fifth of that size. The more important question is why build a transmission that the only way to get the fluid out is to pull the 18"x20" pan out (it had like 20 screws). If it had a drain plug it would be easier and then the pan could be removed to replace the filter and gasket.

To fill the transmission it has a pug on the side. So the fluid must be pumped in with a hooked nozzle until to is at the top of the hole when the car is level. You do this until it runs out. This makes sense when it is installed as line unit at the factory from the bottom. Accessing all these things is easy with no car around them. It's nearly impossible to do in an assembled car without a lot of mess and a lot of cursing. Some manual transmissions allow you to fill them from the shifter hole in the tail end of the transmission with the shifter removed.

[geoffbot]

Huge wide, long, shallow tray. I don't see the issue.

[geoffbot]

If I move to Dubai I'm getting this. Works out as £22k. We don't have them in the uk so it's novel, and cheap! And yeah, I'm going auto - the roads here are agony. https://dubai.dubizzle.com/motors/us...a234ba8f5ac05/