Repairs that are easier than they make out to be
Discussion
Following oon from the jobs that are harder.
A neighbour has a Suzuki Vitara with the 1.6 Fiat diesel engine.
It was time for a new timing belt and he was quoted £1200 by his dealer as it's "an engine out job".
Looking at it, I couldn't see why the engine needed to come out so suggested we started stripping it down and when we find why the engine needs to come out, put it back together again as £1200 was reasonable then.
An hour later, the belt was off with no difficulty at all. He ordered a replacement belt, pulley and water pump which then took a couple of hours to put back together.
I imagine someone who did this kind of thing for a living would have done the whole job in half the time.
I can only imagine that for there's some reason I couldn't see why the engine was supposed to be removed but the car has ran fine since and that was over a year ago.
A neighbour has a Suzuki Vitara with the 1.6 Fiat diesel engine.
It was time for a new timing belt and he was quoted £1200 by his dealer as it's "an engine out job".
Looking at it, I couldn't see why the engine needed to come out so suggested we started stripping it down and when we find why the engine needs to come out, put it back together again as £1200 was reasonable then.
An hour later, the belt was off with no difficulty at all. He ordered a replacement belt, pulley and water pump which then took a couple of hours to put back together.
I imagine someone who did this kind of thing for a living would have done the whole job in half the time.
I can only imagine that for there's some reason I couldn't see why the engine was supposed to be removed but the car has ran fine since and that was over a year ago.
I think some people have a real fear when it comes to brakes, understandable given how bad it can go when brakes fail - but I've always enjoyed stripping them down, cleaning them and replacing the seals etc.
Any part that I can remove from the car and refurb on my workbench at my leisure is a welcome job that I don't mind at all.
Also, removing engines from classic bikes. People always panic when an engine has to come out, it does feel like a big job but on older bikes it's just a few bolts to remove, take the carbs off, remove exhaust and disconnect one or two multiplugs and the engine is free to come out.
Any part that I can remove from the car and refurb on my workbench at my leisure is a welcome job that I don't mind at all.
Also, removing engines from classic bikes. People always panic when an engine has to come out, it does feel like a big job but on older bikes it's just a few bolts to remove, take the carbs off, remove exhaust and disconnect one or two multiplugs and the engine is free to come out.
Radiator on a Lexus LS460. I was quoted, IIRC, £900 for the labour and a hefty fee for the parts.
It was the first time I did a radiator replacement, but I did the whole thing; radiator, new trans cooler lines, new coolant hoses, waterpump, new tensioner, new belt, refill and bleed. Took me a few hours with no prior knowledge, on my driveway. Parts were all genuine and cost significantly less from a different dealer.
Lexus have even affixed a label to the header tank with the refill and bleed procedure on it!
True, I had to remove the front grille, radar unit etc. but it was pretty sensibly designed and the plating on fasteners had done its job.
It was the first time I did a radiator replacement, but I did the whole thing; radiator, new trans cooler lines, new coolant hoses, waterpump, new tensioner, new belt, refill and bleed. Took me a few hours with no prior knowledge, on my driveway. Parts were all genuine and cost significantly less from a different dealer.
Lexus have even affixed a label to the header tank with the refill and bleed procedure on it!
True, I had to remove the front grille, radar unit etc. but it was pretty sensibly designed and the plating on fasteners had done its job.
Discendo Discimus said:
I think some people have a real fear when it comes to brakes, understandable given how bad it can go when brakes fail - but I've always enjoyed stripping them down, cleaning them and replacing the seals etc.
Any part that I can remove from the car and refurb on my workbench at my leisure is a welcome job that I don't mind at all.
I've noticed the same, and I am glad for it! I'm glad when people are sensible enough to realise their limitations rather than "have a go"... I've uncovered enough bodges in the past in cars and houses, but thankfully nothing on brakes! Worst thing I have seen is a cross-threaded pin that was slightly off square; the brakes still worked, just they were binding. A new caliper and bracket solved that.Any part that I can remove from the car and refurb on my workbench at my leisure is a welcome job that I don't mind at all.
From what I've seen modern brakes have been designed in such a way that the consumables are effectively idiot-proof so you won't actually get things back together if you have done it in a way that stops the brakes working... However I've seen enough "just rolled in" videos to see that nature genuinely will devise a better idiot to counter the engineers' efforts.
E-bmw said:
Mk2 Vxl Cavalier clutch.
40 mins from jacking up to dropping back on the road.
I remember these, most mk2 cavaliers were the same, you could remove a cover/big nut on the end of the gearbox, screw something into the shaft and pull it out so it cleared the clutch. All you had to do then was remove the lower panel and undo the pressure plate bolts and drop it down with the gearbox still bolted to the engine.40 mins from jacking up to dropping back on the road.
All clutches should be like this.
Toyota 1KD timing belt change.
Typically the 3 litre 4 cyl engine as found in most Prado sized Toyota 4x4s (badged Landcruiser in the UK) and Hilux, can be 2.5 litre in Hilux and some very old 70 series Landcruisers and Hiace vans.
Kit comprises belt, 1 ilder, 1 tensioner.
No need to remove the auxilliary belt even but its worth changing at the same time, Toyota even attach a diagram sticker of the serpentine belt route for all possible models to the air filter housing.
The only thing i recall shifted for even easier access was a coolant overflow pipe, but you could manage without even moving that.
Cambelt drives only the 1 camshaft, the other camshaft is geared off the driven cam, belt drives nothing else.
SO, half a dozen 10mm bolts and the timing belt cover is off.
No need to remove bottom pulley.
Real timing marks on belt and engine, line the marks up by turning the engine over with a suitable socket, from this point on you only need 1 mid sized socket 1 Allen socket and a torque wrench.
Undo tensioner, remove belt
Replace old with new idler torque it up, fit new tensioner torque it up (its held in place by grenade type pin)
Align timing belt marks up and slide new belt on
Double check timing marks
Pull grenade pin
Replace cover.
1 hour first time DIY.
As the Cavalier clutch change, all cambelt changes should be like this, if anything it makes belt drive more desirable than chain drive when they are simple to change and the belt has such an easy life.
Purely out of interest, on my first Landcruiser, a '93 70 series with the 3 litre turboDiesel (before Toyota D4D'd the engine for later models) every single electrical component such as relays were labelled in English with the voltage and purpose ie 12v Glow Plug Relay, again all vehicles should be like this.
Typically the 3 litre 4 cyl engine as found in most Prado sized Toyota 4x4s (badged Landcruiser in the UK) and Hilux, can be 2.5 litre in Hilux and some very old 70 series Landcruisers and Hiace vans.
Kit comprises belt, 1 ilder, 1 tensioner.
No need to remove the auxilliary belt even but its worth changing at the same time, Toyota even attach a diagram sticker of the serpentine belt route for all possible models to the air filter housing.
The only thing i recall shifted for even easier access was a coolant overflow pipe, but you could manage without even moving that.
Cambelt drives only the 1 camshaft, the other camshaft is geared off the driven cam, belt drives nothing else.
SO, half a dozen 10mm bolts and the timing belt cover is off.
No need to remove bottom pulley.
Real timing marks on belt and engine, line the marks up by turning the engine over with a suitable socket, from this point on you only need 1 mid sized socket 1 Allen socket and a torque wrench.
Undo tensioner, remove belt
Replace old with new idler torque it up, fit new tensioner torque it up (its held in place by grenade type pin)
Align timing belt marks up and slide new belt on
Double check timing marks
Pull grenade pin
Replace cover.
1 hour first time DIY.
As the Cavalier clutch change, all cambelt changes should be like this, if anything it makes belt drive more desirable than chain drive when they are simple to change and the belt has such an easy life.
Purely out of interest, on my first Landcruiser, a '93 70 series with the 3 litre turboDiesel (before Toyota D4D'd the engine for later models) every single electrical component such as relays were labelled in English with the voltage and purpose ie 12v Glow Plug Relay, again all vehicles should be like this.
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