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An automotive adventure log for the intrepid Korb brothers
January 05, 2009
December 29, 2008
Special Tool
UPDATED 01/05/09 w/ pics plus Bonus KITTY
I just ordered a special tool to remove Toyota "spark plug tubes".
It's made by a company called Assenmacher
The numeric designation is 150
So of course the complete tool number from SJ Discount Tools is
ASSTOY150
I'm not making this up.
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/asstoy150.html
Most tool and car part deliveries I receive come in plain brown boxes with little description. We can only hope this one follows suit, not arriving in a rainbow box with bold print on all sides.
01/05/09 updates
December 24, 2008
R&R
Removal and Replacement: Engine
My boss asked me if I was their new Jaguar specialist. I said no. Laughs were abundant.
December 19, 2008
note to self
#1 Be careful using an Oxy/Acetylene torch
#2 NEVER wear Nitrile gloves or any other latex/rubber type glove while using a torch. Take them off.
TAKE THEM OFF!!!
#3 wear elbow high leather (or equivalent?) gloves while using a torch (I probably won't do that, but I'll avoid the melty stuff).
So I got an ouchie. I'm told it looks bad. I've seen worse. I've had worse.
But now i'm wondering what is equivalent to leather or other animal skin but is not. I'm reminded that so many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) specify animal products as a special tool (leather gloves, leather hammer, leather welding cloth/jacket, shamois). Do you ask your mechanic if s/he uses animal products? Would s/he even know for sure? Or would you like to pay extra (probably quite a lot) for one who finds a way not to?
I won't be the one, but it seems like a niche, or at least an eye opener.
What kind of glue holds your furniture together?
November 08, 2008
Helicopter Fish
October 23, 2008
bottle tree
my 1st bottle tree
12 bottles doesn't seem like enough
it was kinda fun to make
there's a pic of the painted tree frog w/stand if you click to the flickr photos
I took these 2 pictures in the dark. The electricity was off at the shop. It's supposed to be back on tomorrow. I was gonna make another bottle tree, but instead took these pictures and came home. The colors and background are somewhat edited.
October 20, 2008
duckapus jr
This is our last month in the Alpinis Court garage. The CRX is running, the Austin is safely back at the house, and the shop is all but empty. I still have the welder, workbench, and torch. Mwahahaha!
Dreya and her roomate will have a booth selling their artwork at a fair in Dec, so she asked if I'd like to make some stuff she could try to sell for me there. Cool. I'm working on it, and I have lots of room.
I made another dragon, a stylish crocodilish, another gearhead, and another, ummm... manbearpig?
after jump
October 11, 2008
vivre le peu
You may notice a change in this picture from the previous two full frontal shots of Le Peu.
I spilled a little antifreeze.
oh yeah... and the car is on the ground! Running!
---------------------------------------------------
Next is a picture possibly best described as "shrinkage". Click for bigger ;)
This shows the serious difference in the intake systems between the two engines I've swapped. You're looking at the two different air filter box tops.
Smaller, more restrictive intakes generally make for better low end torque, but worse horsepower ratings.
One more pic after the jump, in which I believe you might see a difference w/o me describing anything.
October 05, 2008
it's alive-r
OK
I know this picture looks very similar to the one I posted below.
But it is very different. Trust me.
I hooked up the exhaust, the shifter, and the clutch cable.
I installed the axles and I added transmission fluid.
I fixed the fuel leak.
hmmm, that doesn't seem like as much work now that I wrote it down. Hmf.
anyway...
I started it up and shifted it through all its gears... except i think I forgot to check reverse... but yeah, it's workin' all righty!
I still haven't installed the radiator or any hoses, belts, yadda-yadda.
Now I need to study as many pictures and diagrams as I can get ahold of so I can hook up all the vacuum hoses right. And I still have to wire up the EGR system. Oh yeah... this engine uses EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation). The other engine didn't need it.
Running such a lean mixture makes for higher emissions (in PartsPerMillion).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhaust_gas_recirculation
There's a 3 wire sensor and a 2 wire solenoid I have to wire up, and some extra vacuum hoses.
October 04, 2008
it's alive
LePeu is FAR from roadworthy, and I still haven't put any belts/hoses on or the exhaust, or... pretty much anything....
But the engine runs!
And has a pretty bad fuel leak. It's just an O-ring seal. I'll try to fix it sunday maybe.
I was worried for a little while. I bought a new distributor to match the new multi-point fuel system and computer, and NONE of the wires were the right colors.
I had to trace each wire from the harness back to the computer to I.D. it
AND disassemble the new distributor to I.D. its wires.
I mixed 2 up 'cause I thought "oh, look, they got one wire in the correct color" but no, they didn't.
When I cranked it the first time it went "wa-wa-wa-POP-wa-wa-wa-POP".
I knew by the sound That I likely had only 2 wires switched... but which 2? Each of 4 components inside this dist has 2 wires (-in/out-)
I should have started with the ONE wire I thought was the right color, but no, I didn't.
I swapped 2 and the cranking sound was more like "rrr-thud-wa-popitty-pop-rrr-wa-wa-thud-pop".
I put them back the way they were.
The thud was a dead giveaway of course.
Engines don't normally go "thud".
2 more resulted in a similar sound.
Then 2 more. "wa-wa-ROARRRR" Hooray for open exhaust (loud)!
Then I shut it off 'cause the fuel puddle was getting pretty big and I needed a cigarette ;)
Sorry for all the technical jargon. I'm just kinda excited. I really don't even know if it runs well yet... just that it starts and runs.
I'll try to add some pictures (done). And maybe another entry for Sunday.
September 22, 2008
Camry sold
I sold the Camry to Dreya's EX/ current? S.O.
good luck with that.
September 18, 2008
sooo tired
updated 10/05/08
This blurry image is of a 1995 Chevy full sized van, sans engine. This is what I did at work today and some of yesterday. The "new to you" engine is back in it now, but only just. There's still a good day or so of work left.
I dislike Chevys right now.
September 10, 2008
sparky derby
bump
Dreya's Lebaron is going to the Demo-Derby!
date pending
--
edit
Oct. 24th
depending on if enough 6cyls show up to compete... or Vern may may have to try to run it in a 4cy class heat. He ran the Buick in an 8cy class heat w/ a V6, but it was a yacht. Sparky's just a bit smaller so it should do well in a 4cy class heat.
/edit/
Vern just sent me the email about its imminent destructive prowess.
FWD from Vern The Destructor -see marvel comics #
∞
Now Quoting Vern:
Hi Fellas,
Please pass these pics along to the girl that used to own Sparky. I spent all weekend getting her ready for the demo derby and now, there's not much left to do but wire down the hood and trunk. And to think, I built this car in a total of 3 days!
AS RECEIVED:
http://www.axcessmypics.com/photos/photo03/e2/03/a8bce97c2375.jpg
START OF BUILD:
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/vernpics042.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/vernpics043.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/vernpics044.jpg
WORK IN PROGRESS:
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08005.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08007.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08008.jp
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08009.jpg
AFTER:
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08012.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08013.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08014.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/vernonmcl/Sparky/16_AUG_08015.jpg
THANKS!!!!
Vern McLendon
endQ and ThanQ- scott
September 06, 2008
August 30, 2008
Althea
Althea is the given name for my recently aquired 1990 Honda Civic DX hatchback. My mom bought a new Civic in ~April, and gave me Althea. HOORAY!
Mom's had Althea since new, and it has about 190K miles on it. In the last few years, strangers have approached her with offers to buy it. The Honda dealer said he could have sold it 5 times in the weekend it sat on their lot. But now it's mine! MWAHAHA!
Dreya and I flew down to Ft Meyers FL to get it over the weekend of the 16th, and drove it back from Naples FL. I picked that weekend because it was my birthday on the 17th. I got a car!
We had to get AAA over to jump it since it sat for 4-5 months. I bought a battery, charged the A/C, and changed out a tire, and it was good to go. We stopped overnight in Savannah,GA and visited an old cemetery among other places.
Althea has been on this site before. Links to about 2 yrs ago:
jump
August 12, 2008
red box, blue box, old box, new box
(OK, it's actually black, not blue)
---------------------
edited on 8-14-08 @ 22:00, jump&scroll*
------------------------------------
My toolbox was falling apart, and it didn't fit my tools well. I was losing tools because I couldn't keep them organized. Solution: spend way too much money on a shiny new tool box.
Old box
jump
August 10, 2008
final gear
The title sounds ominous. The thought of doing this task was daunting, but I finally got off my duff and did it.
what is it that i have done?
I have created Frankenstein's transmission.
I took a 4spd from a Civic Hatchback and a 5spd from a CRX HF, and created a 5spd with a different final gear... or more accurately, I added a 5th gear to the 4spd.
"what is all this fuss about final gear?" you ask
you'll be sorry you asked, but at least I have pictures.... you could just skip to them.
Final gear (or final drive) is the gear by which all others are multiplied. Remember this for when you look at the tables below... FINAL.... All gears, 1-5+R are multiplied by this gear. Also Pay attention to the individual gear ratios' differences.
FINAL is very important. It's the last gear in the equation. Each gear is actually a pair of sprockets to find the ratio -dividing #of driven teeth by drive teeth- like gears on a bike, but autos use two pairs for each gear, the final pair's ratio being multiplied by every gear on the stick.
For example, if your 1st gear ratio is 3:1, and your final gear ratio is 3:1, your actual 1st ratio is 9:1 (3:1*3:1=9:1).
Now your 4th gear ratio may only be 1:1
but the final drive is still the same gear @ 3:1, so actual 4th is still only 3:1 (1:1*3:1=3:1).
My final is going from 3.25:1 to 3.88:1... it doesn't sound like much, but it's about a 20% increase in tire spinnin' fun off the line versus the HF trans. ALL GEARS get this 20% increase.
blah,blah and so on
So, here are my "4" transmissions. all numbers are ratios x:1.
_______Si__________________HF _____________4spd ______Franky
1st_____3.25______________3.25______________3.25_______3.25
2nd____1.894_____________1.65_____________ 1.65________1.65
3rd____1.259_____________1.033_____________1.033_______1.033
4th____0.937 ____________ 0.823_____________0.823_______ .823
5th____0.771 ____________0.694 _____________X____________ .694
FINAL___4.25______________3.25______________3.888_______3.888
The Si trans is way too low geared for the engine I'm about to use. The HF trans belongs with the engine, but went in a slightly lighter car and has zero torque off the line. So basically I took the 5th gear out of the HF trans and put it in the trans with the 3.888 final drive.
I get the long distance between gears vs the Si trans(lower#=lower RPM), plus a little more oomph where I want it I hope. The engine I'm using makes slightly less torque than the one I'm removing, but it makes it all at a much lower RPM. Horsepower is a function of torque, so the horsepower on this engine is low, but thankfully the fuel economy is high.
I don't believe I'll be sacrificing much economy with Franky, but I'm sure he'll put a little fun into this 70hp engine. Jump for pics.
July 13, 2008
start me up
Miss Fuller's Jetta broke. She had it towed to her house and there I diagnosed it, then replaced the starter. The tow truck driver suspected the starter, but I had to be sure.
I tried to work on the CRX today, but didn't get much done. I dragged engines and transmissions around, swapped a few hoses, wire brushed some corroded aluminum... and I found out the intake I'm using has a busted TPS (throttle posision sensor) so I need one. I also found out that I have nothing to control the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) on the new engine. Those parts are not easily found.
And the awful red paint on the replacement engine's valve cover is proving to be a challenge to remove.
June 29, 2008
CRX DX/HF
My CRX DX (A.K.A. LE PEU) started misfiring. It lost compression in one cylinder. Dreya's been driving Mr. Hankey since then (with the 13" wheels back on it).
The CRX engine already burned oil, so it's getting replaced. I've only got about $600 in the car minus the cosmetics, so I'm not too upset that it only lasted almost a year.
Apparently it's very popular to swap engines from one type of Honda to another (like from an Acura Integra to a CRX). People do this to waste gas, er, I mean go faster.
I'll be going in the opposite direction. I want good fuel economy.
We'll see how it works out. It'll take me a while.
Ant helped me hoist out the engine today. I was getting 27/38mpg with this car before it broke- 27 without trying, 38 on trips on the highway cruising 75mph, or driving in town/beltline like a brick.
more pics and stuff after jump.
June 22, 2008
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