Terrible mpg's = new interest in old ideas.

[Christ]

Swapping belts is simple... my cousin could do it when he was strong enough to push on a 1/2" drive socket wrench. You have a single serpentine belt on your car, and if your engine ever came in another car w/o the A/C, but still had everything in the same place, then you can change the belt with relative ease.

BTW, since the A/C compressor is clutch driven, why not just disconnect the electrical connection at the A/C pump? That way you can still use the defrost, but not have to worry about your A/C pump being driven.

[mhmitszach]

Originally Posted by Christ

Swapping belts is simple... my cousin could do it when he was strong enough to push on a 1/2" drive socket wrench. You have a single serpentine belt on your car, and if your engine ever came in another car w/o the A/C, but still had everything in the same place, then you can change the belt with relative ease.

BTW, since the A/C compressor is clutch driven, why not just disconnect the electrical connection at the A/C pump? That way you can still use the defrost, but not have to worry about your A/C pump being driven.

Easier said than done. I don't know where that is exactly located and I don't think it is something easily accessible.

Actually, moorecomp just told me!

Hopefully soon I can try that out.

[Christ]

I take it you're not as mechanically inclined as the people I normally talk to... no problem, I'll do my best to find you a detailed diagram showing what you need to unplug. Check for updates probably tomorrow.

[mhmitszach]

Just got my tire fixed for 12 bucks. Valve stem was all he saw that was leaking any.

[theunchosen]

Fix-a-flat's problem(or the biggest one) is that when you inject the foam into the tire a substantial amount remains in the valve stem. It's a pressure valve and your are injecting something that expands rapidly into it. it gets clogged very quickly. And then the obvious problems are. . .it doesn't really plug the tire.

It's useful in a situation if you do not have a spare, you cannot get your vehicle jacked up, or for some other reason you cannot get a different tire on. It does not work for more than a few miles so really its like putting a tourniquet on and running straight to the hospital(only if you are within 5 minutes of the hospital).

Oh, My Del Sol doesn't have any A/C and has no problems with defrost. De-fogging on the otherhand. . . In the summer when its raining I open the backwindow and turn the slider to cold and that usually does it. Not that its actually cold air, but the combination of change of pressure by vacuum and flow keep the water from condensing on the glass.

[bhazard]

Btw mhmitszach, you dont have a 5th gear, your auto is a 4 speed. Good luck with the trans mods though. I did a 'shift kit' on the Shadows 3sp. Firmed up the shifts pretty good, especially 1-2. Good for performance and probably a little economy boost too, anything to keep the trans from slipping is good I suppose. That 3sp is all mechanical though, I imagine your trans is electronically controlled.

[Christ]

Fix-a-Flat isn't foam in the sense that it ever hardens/congeals/sets... you could leave it in a tire for 2 years, and when you peel the tire off the rim, it's still liquid. It doesn't clog the valve stem at all.

If used properly, it temporarily seals SMALL leaks, like screws in the tire, bead leaks, dry crack leaks, etc.

It also throws the balance of your tire off significantly... and should be removed from the tire immediately.

A tire tech is more likely to throw your tire away if it never had F-A-F in it, but does have evidence of being driven on extremely low air pressure.

Evidence, for tires, consists of beads of rubber in the tire when you take it apart. You do not remount those tires, you remove them, dispose of them, and replace them.

[theunchosen]

Originally Posted by Christ

Fix-a-Flat isn't foam in the sense that it ever hardens/congeals/sets... you could leave it in a tire for 2 years, and when you peel the tire off the rim, it's still liquid. It doesn't clog the valve stem at all.

I guess I should be more carefuly. It doesn't foam. . .it bubbles. It's like when you throw pasta in boiling water and put a lid on it. That lacey froth forms inside. . .and then it spills everywhere and causes a mess.

The FAF is pretty much the exact same, remove the lid from the pot froth goes away peel the tire apart and the bubbles dissipate quickly. what it does to the stem is just. . .not clogs wrong word, but gets it sticky. Adds to the odds small particles will get stuck in the stem itself or cause the stem to stick to the rim wall(the copper surrounding the actual twist in part of the valve.)

[theunchosen]

Originally Posted by mhmitszach

What really sucks is I that I don't have a good way to get my car up in the air any. Oh well. I will just try to avoid using defrost for now.

You might just be able to get some small plastic ramps. I think I got two for 40 bucks? Just slide them under the front tires and as long as everything is level and the weight is distributed across the ramps(and you are not adding huge weight to the car) they will be fine.

Makes oil changes much easier

[basslover911]

Yea I used it on my car for about a year (didnt have $ to replace the tire; due to a nail puncture) and it held air fine and ran completley fine.

When I finally got the tire replaced nobody at the tire shop said anything at all. As if nothing had happened...

I personally love Fix-A-Flat, rather that than having the extra weight of the tire and jack; plus its muuuch easier to inject the foam than to change the whole tire!