What did you do to/with your vehicle today?

[jcp123]

Originally Posted by me and my metro

Gave my a/c a sniff of 134 now I get 44 degree air at 2000 rpm. Low side is 26 and the high side is 225 on a 95 degree day.
Started disassembly on the 2007 Saab 9-3 high pressure parts car. I have to figure out how to fit all the intercooler stuff in my L200.
Tomorrow we go to the local ski resort to watch autocross, my future son in law has a 2008 P71 he wants to flog. The big Ford runs pretty well but it is heavy, I imagine after this he will want some 9” wide Mustang wheels and some sticky tires. Then it will need more power, so it begins.....

Ugh. I need to get on the AC fix in my car.

[California98Civic]

All I have done for days is listlessly consult wiring diagrams and procrastinate the fix of my wiring harness. My diagnosis is complete and I know there are intermittent opens in three wires (both O2 sensors and the VSS). I know to seek the open in each of these wires close to the connectors first. But I am doing my paid job and working on house repairs/remodels instead. Excuses. Excuses. The car runs fine. Just pollutes more on start up, so I hardly drive it.

[M_a_t_t]

Worked on the Fiat last night. Almost ready to pull the head off. Biggest problem I see right now is getting the exhaust separated from the manifold. The intake and exhaust are on the same side so it's really cramped to be able to remove the manifolds and the manual says to separate the manifolds after removing the head. I can't get a wrench or socket on and be able to turn it. Any suggestions?



The heater core seems to be bypassed. The hoses are atleast routed differently than stock. I also broke the overflow tank spigot off the top of the radiator. I already looked for a replacement radiator and couldn't find one. Especially one with the transmission cooler ports on the bottom. Hopefully the rest of the radiator is fine and I can just repair that barbed piece.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by M_a_t_t

... I can't get a wrench or socket on and be able to turn it. Any suggestions? ...

Unfortunately no. But this will be a bump to focus on your question and maybe someone else has an idea for you.

For me, my "success with" my car today was taking my wife down the coast in the daughter's 06 BMW I spent so many days wrenching on this summer. AC worked great, steering was perfect, transmission shifts better (quite well for 125,000 miles). No CEL. Good music. Great day. Success.

[M_a_t_t]

I also asked on the Fiat forum and someone sent this link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/44369140@N03/4142853938/

Stop Action Fiat OHV Head Gasket by GeoffGrrdot, on Flickr

Not sure how to embed it. If you click on it it takes you to the flickr page and you can play it from there.

[California98Civic]

Stop action is the period appropriate video style for this car. It's like Saturday morning cartoons in the 60s and 70s.

[MetroMPG]

My $20 set of new-to-me Mirage floor mats came yesterday.


This should make the car easier to sell in the spring...

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by M_a_t_t

I also asked on the Fiat forum and someone sent this link:

That's fun.


I thought of your project this weekend when I saw a pic of an old Lada (on a beach pulling a motorboat out of a Russian river) in the newspaper with a story about overfishing there.

[M_a_t_t]

I pulled the head on the Fiat. I'm not sure it will be useable without some machine work. There is some pitting on cyl 2 and some worrying levels of rust on 3, #3 piston also has some rust on the piston top, so maybe need a replacement for that one. 4 has some crud in it, but the pistons close to TDC so it may not be so bad. 1 is almost pristine looking (for a used car anyway). I have it soaking in ATF for now. I am hoping for just needing a hone and re-ring at this point, but I'm not too confident looking at the walls of 3 and the (small) pitting on 2.

In order 1-4

[California98Civic]

Yeah, 2 and 3 are definitely in really rough shape on the walls too, eh?