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I have both 3/8" and 1/2" drive torque wrenches because they each cover a different range.  The 3/8" I naturally use where fastenings need to be evenly but lightly tightened, such as aluminium engine covers and the con rod / big-end bolts.  It's a nice and compact tool to handle and so I use it a lot.   But I use the 1/2" occasionally too because the 3/8" doesn't go up high enough for some cylinder head nuts, cam-belt adjusters, flywheel bolts, drive train and suspension parts which all too often have nuts requiring torquing to 80ft-lb or more.     Check workshop manual(s) of your own particular vehicles (presently owned and what you might reasonably aspire to) to see what range you're most likely to need.  I have used the down-sizing adapter on my 1/2" torque wrench  to 3/8" a few times so that I might use a more compact six-point socket,  but I've never used the up-sizing adapter on my 3/8" torque wrench.  

In case you are not aware : it's important to unwind the adjuster on each torque wrench fully after use (each time you put it back in your tool cabinet) so its internal springs do not take on a set (stretch). If it does then its calibration goes out the window.  

You can check the calibration when new ..and subsequently through the years, simply by clamping its square drive in a vice and hanging a known weight on the handle. Move that in or out until the torque wrench clicks and then the :  weight x distance = what the adjustment should read.  

Pete.

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We have an electronic torque/degree wrench in our workshop, it is probably good in production lines type stuff but generally folk find it too much of a faff about and just use old style micrometer wrenches and a degree reader if needed. Mebby if used more it would be easier to set.

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My trigger finger is hot.  Might actually buy a Rav 4tomorrow with a hangover.  Vehicle desperation is happening.  03 plate, high miles, estate version, family owned, history etc.  A grand.  Talk to me.  The bus (two every morning) can no longer happen.  Nightmare.  And as usual, there are no live sales on here.  So.....

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Smoll FL's C3 was diagnosed with a rusting through sump as part of the MOT, looks like a pattern replacement or second hand part are the same price, are the new ones made of best chinesium or are they Ok?

Also thinking about pressure washing the blocked DPF off the C4GP, any recommended chemicals that will release the grot? Oven cleaner? Egr cleaner?

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

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26 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

Smoll FL's C3 was diagnosed with a rusting through sump as part of the MOT, looks like a pattern replacement or second hand part are the same price, are the new ones made of best chinesium or are they Ok?

Can't speak of the exact pan you need but the pattern sump I bought for the astra earlier in the year was very well made out of nice thick material and came with a new sump plug and washer. Based on that experience I'd have no hesitation in buying a pattern sump again. My old sump was so rotten when I went to undo the plug to drain the oil I ripped a chunk of rusty metal out of the sump rather than unscrewing the plug!

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I’ve got a Lexus with air suspension (which gives me the fear) and recently it’s been making a noise like a ball joint is on the way out, just a god awful creak, but only when I turn right. But no other symptoms of a worn ball joint. Tonight I raised the car to high mode, just on a whim, and the creak seems to have gone.

Do you think this could be an early sign of an airbag on the way out, or that last time it lowered it folded weirdly (if that’s even possible?)




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Is this the place to ask about Honda lawnmower motors ?

Honda Izy been faithful and hardworking for the past 14 or so years, but this evening it without forewarning ..that I might have noticed,  it didn't want to start easily nor run steady. I thought Ia bit of something might be blocking the fuel line (again !)  until 20 minutes into the harvest of God's green lawns outgrown,  it spued a spray of oil out of the exhaust, covering the whole of the top and deck of the machine.  I guess that's a ring broken or a hole, but it still runs.

Bottom line is it worth just throwing away and buying another used one, or is there someone giving pistons and barrels away for free ?    

I'm thinking I might know the answer to this one, particularly as me old mojo has been below the horizon for the past six months and doesn't look like things are getting any boost.   

So new bottom line.. Does anyone want it ?   Ip6 near Ipswich.   NB. it measures 17" across under deck.

 

p.s. Sorted thanks

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My heated rear window only works on alternate strips. 

IMG_20191201_145554.thumb.jpg.700b16740465a71dcadb9fa3f6b95c67.jpg

If I was to run some copper tape, like you use for model railways or dolls houses, along the edge of the strips, thus joining the working ones to the non working ones would it, 

a) restore the non working strips

b) short out the whole system setting fire to the car within seconds. 

Or c) have no effect whatsoever. 

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33 minutes ago, Yoss said:

My heated rear window only works on alternate strips. 

IMG_20191201_145554.thumb.jpg.700b16740465a71dcadb9fa3f6b95c67.jpg

If I was to run some copper tape, like you use for model railways or dolls houses, along the edge of the strips, thus joining the working ones to the non working ones would it, 

a) restore the non working strips

b) short out the whole system setting fire to the car within seconds. 

Or c) have no effect whatsoever. 

id say it may work (tho this is legally non binding!)

my only concern is how much current does each strip draw, and can copper tape handle that load

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20 hours ago, Yoss said:

If I was to run some copper tape, like you use for model railways or dolls houses, along the edge of the strips, thus joining the working ones to the non working ones would it, 

a) restore the non working strips

b) short out the whole system setting fire to the car within seconds. 

Or c) have no effect whatsoever. 

Use a multimeter to find the break point in each interrupted wire, then paint it with silver ink. Available also in pen form, not sure if the pen will "write" on glass.

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Dilemma:

Multipla mot booked in for Tuesday. Handbrake is being a bit of twat and binding on one side. Replaced caliper. Still binding slightly and properly need to adjust the balance of the cable as the other side comes on way before the problem side. Also, the sodding airbag light is on. Tried to clear with MultiScan Ecu and red jumper cable but intermittent low voltage on driver and passenger side airbags wont clear.

Any ideas how to proceed on the airbag issue?

Finally I've been offered a £500 Cat D repaired '09 Astra 1.9cdti 150 3 door with 150k miles. Will have 12m mot after the weekend.

You can see what I'm thinking, park the Multipla and run the dizAstra for 12m and wait for the Fiat to fix itself.

What you lot reckon?

 

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I've used that Granville stuff on a Volvo 340 and it worked ok. Has a little cardboard template you hold against the glass to get a reasonable line on so it doesn't look like you just smeared the stuff around. Bit dull finding the breaks though.

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1 hour ago, Austat said:

How does the ranking system on AS work? My goal is to get to "Talbot Matra Rancho towing a Talbot Tagora" one day.

ahh this reminds me of when I first found the forum, and I thought at first that the mods gave users special/funny rank titles based on their posts or something their known for etc :) 

I eventually figured out that once you gain enough posts (500 IIRC) you unlock the ability to edit your "user title" you don't even have to put "Rank:" in there, but I did to keep the illusion going, and clearly it seems to have worked! :mrgreen:

otherwise your user title does just change as you hit certain post milestones, but I dont actually know where they top out at! LOL

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Is it necessary to check new spark plug gaps for a 2008 car? Common wisdom seems to be that the right plugs should come pre-gapped, but every plug suggested for my car on online shiops seems to have a different gap from 0.8-1.35mm and there is conflicting workshop manual data online. Should I just go with whatever my old plugs have or trust whatever my local motorfactor or dealer gives me? I'm only changing them because as far as I know they're 85k miles and 11 years old, and I'm hoping it might improve MPG.

 

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