Shadetree Mechanic

rs_petty · January 2000

Wanted to start a topic for folks who enjoy
working on their car. Maybe for initial topic we
can discuss what type vehicle is a good base for
starting hobbyists (i.e. cheap initial price, easy
to work on, cheap parts). Other things could be
tools, equipment, safety, etc...

btroy · January 2000

How about the type of tree? That's important, too.

lancerfixer · January 2000

I find a good evergreen provides year-round protection, but at the expense of sap falling on your head and car. This can be especially annoying when vital engine parts are left exposed. Coversely, deciduous trees only offer protection (technical term: shade) about half the year. They do not, in general, drop sap on your car, with the exception of maples, but that's ok, because when enough maple sap drops onto a hot engine, invite the family over, because you've got the makings for a darn fine pancake breakfast.

rs_petty · January 2000

First for btroy and lancerfixer the mighty oak is the best. You must have one with at least a 36" diameter limb jutting out at a 90* angle to make a good place for the engine hoist. Next, I think that a body on frame is easier to repair than a unibody. Usually there is far more room in the working areas and the logic of layout seems better to me. I wish we had a modern version of a '62 Impala with a small block and 4 speed.

btroy · January 2000

I have to agree that a pine would be a poor choice due to the falling sap. A diciduous's lack of shade in the winter months could be seen as an advantage as more sunshine would be nice during the cooler weather and shorter days. An oak with a natural engine hoist would be a possibility, but what about the acorns? One or two direct hits on your head, especially with that little pointy thing on the bottom, might have you reconsidering your parking spot. And don't try to kid yourself that hoisting a Chevy small block wouldn't shake a few loose, either. I'm a personal fan of the ash tree. You know, they used to make baseball bats out of ash before aluminum became a more popular wood. If I knew what an ash looked like and if any grow in this part of the country, I think I would like to work under one.

lancerfixer · January 2000

Obviously, we need to find an aluminum tree. If baseball bats can be made out of them, then they should be strong enough to hoist an engine, without the danger of acorns. Of course, due to deforestation from the bat makers, the aircraft industry, and Audi, our old-growth aluminum forests are becoming more and more rare. I say we start a campaign: Save the Aluminum Tree!

torek · January 2000

What ever happened to the good old-fashioned cast iron tree? Sheesh, the world these days, everything has to be faster/lighter/smaller...

Seriously though, I remember my first car, a 1968 Oldsmobile station wagon. When you needed to do something with it, you just opened up the hood, climbed in to the engine compartment, sat on whatever was handy ... Well, okay, it was not quite that spacious. :-) Funny thing about that car, it burned about a quart of oil between changes, until I noticed that the pressure sensor was leaking. Bought a new one, swapped them out, and it stopped "burning" oil.

That car died after the timing chain broke and something (not sure what) got overstressed. There were some interesting things that happened along the way ... like a burst pressure hose on the power steering pump, or (my favorite) when a brake line ruptured shortly after Sears did something (I forget what, this was all 18 years ago!).

Since this was a '68 -- the year before the dual brake systems -- the brakes went out entirely. I was stuck in merging traffic on the capitol beltway at the time. This was at the point where 270, 355, and the beltway all come together, for those familiar with the area -- I was headed east on the 270 spur when I had to jam on the brakes (sudden traffic crush ahead as the spur fed into the beltway) and they sprang their leak. Since this was rush hour, no one wanted to let me move. I had to limp along on the parking brake for a long way before someone finally let me move left and on over to the shoulder. (Then I sat there for several hours, unable to go anywhere, until someone finally stopped and helped out. A couple of police cars had already passed by without even pausing. But that is another rant entirely. :-) )

bobs5 · January 2000

We have some monster red oak trees at home. Some years there are bumper crops of acorns, it's like trying to walk on marbles at times.
Boy those acorns sure do hurt when ya get nailed on the head, pointy side down of course. OUCH!!!
There have been times when working on the car that the squirrels sit in the tree and purposely fling acorns down at me....or so it seems.
I guess an oak tree would make a good engine hoist, it sure made a great tire swing when I was younger.

btroy · January 2000

Unfortunately due to the deforestation lancerfixer mentioned, I have never actually seen an aluminum tree in the wild, but have always been impressed by their beauty as Christmas trees after seeing them featured in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special as a kid. I wouldn't be surprised if companies like Reynolds and Alcoa have huge orchards of them somewhere. Boy, would I like to see that.

lancerfixer · January 2000

Charlie Brown and his pals had gotten to that tree lot, aluminum trees were alreagy endangered. It's not surprising, then, that you haven't seen one in the wild.

rea98d · January 2000

A friend of mine has an 86 Pontiac Sunbird that turns over, but won't start (it wouldn't even turn over until he replaced the battery.) It has spark (it passed the shadetree mechanic's "grab the contact on the end of the distributor while buddy cranks on starter" test. It HAS spark). It's also getting gas (saw it squirting through the Throttle body injector). The engine is some little OHC 4-banger, not sure of the size. The owner stopped a leaking valve cover with JB Weld, so that thing is not coming off anytime soon. I knew his radiator leaked and his car tends to run a little on the hot side ot begin with, so I pulled the top radiator hose loose. No liquid came out. I stuck my finger in there, and the liquid was about even with the cooling fins, about 2 inches down. Could he have overheated the engine and ruined it? (I checked the tach while grinding on the starter. The starter motor would that little engine up to a little less that 500 RPM while turning it over).

P.S. The car is worth approxamately $63, which is what the local scrap metal dealer would pay. Car wrecking yards wouldn't touch it for all the rust.

btroy · January 2000

With a creampuff like that, I can't believe you are having any trouble with it at all! Have you contacted the dealership for warranty service? (It's still under warranty, right?) It has to be something completely simple, like I once had a car that when you turned the key and it wouldn't start, you could tilt your head a bit to the left, and sure enough, sometimes it would start right up. It's gotta be something like that.

Don't bother thanking me, it's my pleasure!

rea98d · January 2000

Er...It was made in 1986. I doubt its still under warranty.

dhoff · January 2000

After reading the posts here, I'm not entirely sure whether your post is serious or not. Just in case it is... my dad always taught me, you need 3 things for the engine to start. Gas, spark, and compression.

Sounds like you have 2 out of 3.

Dave

rea98d · January 2000

Although light-hearted,it is an actual car with an actual problem. So that would mean we would have either bad valves or bad rings, and considering the amount of rust in the car, probably not worth fixing. (68 bucks was what the scrap metal dealer quote him on it.)

tsmith3 · January 2000

Just a few questions on the 86 starting problem.
1. Does it act like it is trying to start such as cough, misfire almost catch etc?
2. What happens if you spray ample quantities of starter fluid into the throttle body.?
3. Did it ever run for your friend? Ie. whats the history of the problem?
Not sure what electronic controls they had but I would suspect a map sensor or computer module if it exists on the car.
I dont think the coolant not coming out the top is a problem at all. You wont see any until the engine heats up and the thermostat opens.

ottoman · January 2000

Have you checked the timimg belt? Open the oil fill cap and watch the cam to see if it is turning while someone cranks the engine. If it does not turn, the timing belt is broke.

rs_petty · January 2000

Check your plugs. I suspect they are fouled/worn out. As an alternative to the scrap metal bin, donate the car to the Cancer Society. You can write off far more than $86 on your taxes.

rs_petty · January 2000

Any opinions on which tools are best? I've always had Craftsman, but have been looking at sockets/wrenches offered by Home Depot and Loews.

dhoff · January 2000

Snap-On, of course. But they are very expensive. I've got Craftsman too. Free replacements available at the closest Sears, no waiting for the truck.

Dave

dhoff · January 2000

But, a real shadetree mechanic should really have a $10 set of sockets stamped TAIWAN. Break one, just buy a whole new set.

rea98d · January 2000

your neighbor's!

dhoff · January 2000

You got me there! Break one of his tools, just sneak back into his garage and put it back in the toolbox.

rs_petty · January 2000

How does one go about finding Snap-On tools. I thought they were only sold to businesses/shops - not regular folks. Also, is the cost worthwhile?

btroy · January 2000

I can't speak for the actual tools, but the Snap-On calendars are among the best in the world.

rea98d · February 2000

It has no name, no product, no office, no income, and only one employee. But I still think I could convince snap-on it was enough of a company to buy a couple of screw divers and maybe a socket set & ratchet :-)

dhoff · February 2000

But could you get them to give you a calendar?

mazda323 · February 2000

The only snap-on calendar I have seen in the last few years only had pictures of cars! No scantily clad women. I think they were threatened with a lawsuit from the same group of people of forced Hooters to hire male waiters. On the other hand, RIGID still makes nice calendars...

rea98d · February 2000

I knew I forgot something. Myabe if I give myself a title?

rs_petty · February 2000

Anybody tried the Kobalt tools from Lowe's. I think they are made by Snap-On. Look good, but interested in how that K-drive works in real life.

jsbutler · February 2000

I'm not for sure if I am in the right area,
is this section for serious questions and
commentary, if so I have a 1987 Honda Accord
that the PGM FI light is coming on, and on
occassion it stalls out. After reading the
code and precisely following the Service
Manuel all the way down to replacing the
Electronic Control Unit with a known good
one, still have the same code and problem.
Can anyone steer me in the right direction.
Thanks

pat455 · February 2000

This topic has been sort of tongue-in-cheek, but it's original intent was to have a discussion for folks who work on their own cars. Maybe someone here can offer helpful advice. Also keep an eye on the Honda Accord topic for responses to your same question there, hopefully someone around here has a thought about this.

Good luck!

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

rs_petty · February 2000

You've exceeded my knowledge on Hondas, but if the components are checking ok, then the next thing I would suspect is the wiring. I'd start with a good check of all grounds.

clamach · February 2000

Has anyone had a problem with the ventilation fan motor(heater/defroster/A-C) in the '89 Chevy Silverado?
Mine sounds like it's running but very little air comes out and it seems to be blocked. I've heard from a brother-in law that Chevy changed fan motors from bushing types to bearings a while back. Could this be the problem?

rea98d · February 2000

Okay, I have a rather dumb (but serious) question. (If you want to learn you gotta look dumb sometimes.) How do you set the gap on the spark plugs? Last time I did this, I bought the ones that had the right gap to begin with, but this time, I wanted the best brand going, and got the default gap setting that needs to be adjusted. Is it as simple as mashing down the end until it gets to the right gap, or is it more complicated than that?

bobs5 · February 2000

There are tools for setting the spark plug gap.
Mine looks like a flat piece of metal with a notch near one end, which goes around the electrode and allows you to gently bend the electrode to the proper gap.
Do not bang the sparkplug to set the gap, this could cause the sparkplug to crack.

bobs5 · February 2000

Bad bearings/bushings might affect airflow if they cause the motor to bind and not run full speed.
If you change fan speed settings, can you hear the difference in the speed of the fan?

A bad ground could cause the fan motor to run poorly. My fathers 83 Cutlass had this problem.

Maybe check for obstructions in the air intake or the ductwork.

If you change the air flow settings (defroster to floor setting) does the flow change? If not, then something need to be looked at, like the vacuum dampers, if so equipped, or the associated electronics.

good luck

rea98d · February 2000

Thanks Bobs5. I'll look for that tool today when I go to get the guage to measure it with.

clamach · February 2000

Thanks bobs5. Yeah, I can hear a change in the fan motor sound when I change the settings but it doesn't affect the amount of air coming through the vents. What's this about vacuum dampers? My only experience has been with things that have a manual cable to open and shut dampers...

0patience · February 2000

If you can catch the Snap-On tool van driving around at shops,he will sell you any tool you want.It does not matter if you are a shop,business,mechanic,or Joe Blow off the street.That being said,save your money,all you are buying is a name.Tools like Allen(made by Armstrong),Armstrong,Craftsman,SK,and Proto or just as good.Which brings me to Kobalt,they are OK,NOT made by Snap-On,they are made by either Armstrong ot Husky,I can't remember which.I work on heavy equipment,and when you pay $100+ for a wrench,even if it is warrantied,it is really irritating and painful sometimes when they break,and guess what? I have very few Snap-On wrenches.I do have quality,warrantied tools,but I buy them because of quality,not because of a name.So,keep in mind that more money is not always better quality.

bobs5 · February 2000

I not sure how your particular vehicle is designed.

My 86 Ply. Reliant has vacuum controlled dampers which direct the air flow accordingly (defrost,foot,panel/foot,panel).
It also has a cable which swings a door in the housing for heat or fresh air (not a/c equipped).

A repair manual should cover this.

bobs5 · February 2000

Could it be possible that somehow the blower fan has become unattached from the motor?

bnormann · February 2000

That's a great suggestion. I doubt if there is any clear access to the blower wheel in order to test this theory. Too many product liability issues. Sometimes I wish I still had an "OLD" car....

Bruce

clamach · February 2000

to bob5 & bnormann could be we're onto something here. Yesterday, I switched from defrost to heater settings and for a while had a pretty strong airflow out of the heater vents and again to the defroster vents. This morning, I get the loud hum again (and very little air) when I go to a higher fan speed so I'm starting to suspect either an erratically opening damper or dampers OR the squirrel cage being loose on the shaft and sometimes holding partially. Has anyone worked on this part of a Chevy pickup? (1989 model Silverado)

clamach · February 2000

P.S. I checked the available manuals in the library (Chilton's I believe) and it wasn't much help. (re. fan motor problems).

bobs5 · February 2000

I feel the same way about Chilton manuals. Haynes are a little better. Helm is the best, but very expensive.
Wish I could help you more, but am out of suggestions.
Maybe post this in the Pickup conference, as I do not know how many of the truck people visit the Maintenance forum.

Good luck to you.
Bob

rs_petty · February 2000

If I remember right my '82 k2500 had a lot of noise when the fan would run. I believe there is a possibility that over time debris builds up through the outside intakes and gets caught up in the housing. It might just be some has done that in this case. Might try removing any of the covers to see if debis has built up.

clamach · February 2000

Your suggestion sounds like a good 1st step...Do you remember how to get into any of the covers? None are obvious. Do I need to get up on a ladder and pull the screened cover under the windshield wipers (between hood and windshield)?

0patience · February 2000

If this site supports html,then it should bring up the a breakdown of the heater,if not,I'll post a URL of where you can view it.

bobs5 · February 2000

Have you had any luck fixing your fan problem?
Hope you will post the resolution to this problem.

clamach · February 2000

Been working all week on my day job. Hope to get under the shadetree this weekend and work on the fan. The last post from 0patience showing how everything fits together is a godsend. This will let me check and see if the sqirrel cage is loose on the shaft and if the dampers are opening. Will let everyone know what I find on Monday. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and encouragement.

Shadetree Mechanic

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