Toyota RAV4 GX "Jack" - Scrapped 20th August 2021 // Final Video To End 2021

[Agila]

Just now, sgtberbatov said:

but then I thought that's a bit of a dick move to the next person who owns this and has to have it. 

It would be yes....but it's a calculated dick move as a last resort.

Given the age of the vehicle, the fact the subframe is now in good condition and how many times the subframe will need to come off for future jobs? Plus I don't think it's completely irreversible (although would be a ball ache etc) and you would be cursed by the next owner for infinity.

Good luck with it anyway. Personally I'd soak anything like this on an old Toyota every day for a week with atf/acetone mix.

Sounds a freezing frustrating nightmare. I think most of us have been there at some point.

[Mally]

Should be able to drill that out and re tap it.

Centre punch , smallish drill at low speed, keep the drill sharp, open up to tapping size and tap it out.

I may* have once welded a nut onto a mini rear subframe though.

[ruffgeezer]

We have had to cut chassis rails open to replace broken captive nuts before, weld in a fresh nut and weld the hole back up. 

[rickvw72]

Put an oversize nut on and weld it, if you have a welder. Bonus extra heat on it as well.

[warch]

Broken bolts and studs are the worst, especially if you can’t remove the offending part to give it what for.  That bolt looks like it’s made from monkey metal.

 

[Ian_Fearn]

8 hours ago, rickvw72 said:

Put an oversize nut on and weld it, if you have a welder. Bonus extra heat on it as well.

This is what I’d do. But additionally, I’d drill a hole through the stud first as big as i dared without touching the thread. Never failed with this method.

If it’s a smaller welder, turn it to its highest power setting to get as much heat in as possible.

[St.Jude]

So I've the next two days off, and I've spent about 5 hours today sorting this bolt shit out.

Tried the heat a few times. Bolt didn't move.

Tried welding a nut to the bolt, plenty of heat (it was actually glowing) - didn't move and actually broke more when I took the breaker bar to it.

I ended up cutting the bastard out.

Now I've welded a new patch in, welded a nut to it and it's so far looking good. I'm waiting for the primer to dry before I throw the stone chip on it, as I don't have a body top coat for it.

Feel more positive today about it. The subframe should be on tonight!

[bunglebus]

Looking at a RAV4 for the FIL but your thread is putting me off a bit!

[St.Jude]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Looking at a RAV4 for the FIL but your thread is putting me off a bit!

They're alright until you have to start working on them. Then you're in a whole world of pain with 25 year old bolts that won't shift.

[St.Jude]

And with the high, comes the stall, and the plane starts creeping back down to earth.

The subframe is back on. Joy! Great replacement I think.

Putting the bushes back on (the bolts go through the chassis and the subframe) and I realise I haven't ordered bolts for them!

There's a short stubby one which I didn't need, then there's two long bolts which, well here they are.

One looks like it's from the ark, the other's thread is mangled and my tap 'n' die set don't go as big as this. So I was on the phone to Big T. 

That was fun. He reckons I'm wrong, or he can only see stubby bolts. I hate COVID because I'm stuck using my local Stourbridge garage instead of the guys at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham. The difference between the two is that Fort Dunlop let you see the screen, as the Stourbridge lot go away in to a room and come out with print outs etc.

Anyway, he's ordered the bolts, so I will rock up there with the bolts I've got, and I'll take the ones that fit. That should be tomorrow he said, until he called me back and said they won't be here until the 2nd March.

So I'm stuck now waiting for more bolts 😂, so happy. Although as I have tomorrow off, if the bolts don't turn up I can carry on with the Lada.

I'll leave you with a photo of how I've held my engine and gearbox. Length of scaffolding pole and a ratchet strap.

[Agila]

Really well done on this.

I've had seized handbrake cables on a lexus rx 2006 kicking my arse for the last two days. (Common fault)

I've admitted defeat now and it's off to a specialist. Lexus/toyota are great machines but working underneath on 15 years plus cars is not a joyous experience. 

[spartacus]

Surely there's an award available for this much effort?

I'm sorry it's fighting you but it's making a great thread.

[St.Jude]

23 minutes ago, Agila said:

Really well done on this.

I've had seized handbrake cables on a lexus rx 2006 kicking my arse for the last two days. (Common fault)

I've admitted defeat now and it's off to a specialist. Lexus/toyota are great machines but working underneath on 15 years plus cars is not a joyous experience. 

This is showing the very worst of my character, that I can't walk away from aggravating circumstances. Arguments, online or in real life, I can't leave and not have the last word. Same goes for cars like this that give the impression that it just wants to die, but I'm not having it.

8 minutes ago, spartacus said:

Surely there's an award available for this much effort?

I'm sorry it's fighting you but it's making a great thread.

The schadenfreude award? 😂

[St.Jude]

No call from Toyota, so no subframe bolts.

Decided I would inspect the rear of the car for the rust spots I noticed when I dropped the diff before. They do need doing, although the MOT man never noticed them. They're screwed on and also bolted on, but I need to take the wheels off to actually get a screwdriver in there. Can't do that right now, so I didn't do much else.

However, I did set up a little shrine to St.Jude who is the patron saint of lost causes. Genuinely would love to change my forum name to that right now!

[warch]

23 hours ago, spartacus said:

Surely there's an award available for this much effort?

I'm sorry it's fighting you but it's making a great thread.

I agree, it is the epitome of shite car ownership to carry out uneconomical or impractical car repair procedures, especially in sub zero temperatures, the pissing rain or howling gales in order to temporarily extend the working life of an elderly motor. Living life one MoT to the next.

[St.Jude]

4 hours ago, warch said:

I agree, it is the epitome of shite car ownership to carry out uneconomical or impractical car repair procedures, especially in sub zero temperatures, the pissing rain or howling gales in order to temporarily extend the working life of an elderly motor. Living life one MoT to the next.

My old man used to say that this life was purgatory, and death would bring him to heaven.

I think this RAV4 thinks the same!

[djoptix]

On 7/27/2020 at 10:55 AM, sgtberbatov said:

A bottle of Rhubarb gin, petrol, and dinner

That sounds horrid.

^^^ you can take that socket back to Halfords and they will replace it for free

[St.Jude]

21 hours ago, djoptix said:

That sounds horrid.

^^^ you can take that socket back to Halfords and they will replace it for free

I looked at this and couldn't remember what happened, you're reminding me of the one job it didn't really fight me on 😂😂

I got it replaced by Halfrauds no bother. I paid £120 or something for it nearly 10 years ago and it's proved to be amazing value for money.

[djoptix]

2 hours ago, sgtberbatov said:

I looked at this and couldn't remember what happened, you're reminding me of the one job it didn't really fight me on 😂😂

I got it replaced by Halfrauds no bother. I paid £120 or something for it nearly 10 years ago and it's proved to be amazing value for money.

Yes, I was doing the thing where you read the first page of the thread, then reply, then I realised that quite some time had passed...

[St.Jude]

Got the call from Toyota, my bolts were ready to collect!

Joy - turned to aggravation. So after being told on Thursday that I could just take the bolts that do fit (which he said he couldn't see/find at the time), I get told today that they couldn't take the bolts back because they're "under value". A polite reminder to them that I was told I could, and that I've given them enough money recently soon focused the mind, and I had the £12 refunded. Yeah I argued the toss about £12, but with the thought of other things cropping up that I haven't discovered yet I don't really want to spunk more money than I need to. 

I'm going to crawl my sorry arse under it tonight and throw these bolts on, tighten up the bolts for the subframe, and that's the subframe fitted. I'll attend to the steering rack and anti-roll bars (which both fit to the subframe) later on, along with the wishbones. Then I can drop it and then attend to the welding and rear-differential leak. 

[St.Jude]

I'VE ONLY GONE AND FITTED THE MOTHERF**KING SUBFRAME ON TO THE MOTHERF**KING CAR!

New bolts tightened, thread locked, feck the next one who has to take it off. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Good man! I've been working on the MR2 today and some of the fixings are rusty/seized after eighteen years of British weather. I don't relish the thought of working on major parts on it as it ages further. Great feeling when you succeed in fighting the bugger though!

[Agila]

Unbelievably proud of you man. Top work. I've got to say I wouldn't of started it. If I did start it I probably would've given up about 73 times.

Massive respect to you for having the determination not to be beaten.

 

[loserone]

14 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

thread locked

Fucking mods, what are they like eh?

 

Top job

[St.Jude]

39 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Good man! I've been working on the MR2 today and some of the fixings are rusty/seized after eighteen years of British weather. I don't relish the thought of working on major parts on it as it ages further. Great feeling when you succeed in fighting the bugger though!

Honestly I'd be tempted to saturate the underneath of it in diesel every week, can't rust then!

35 minutes ago, Agila said:

Unbelievably proud of you man. Top work. I've got to say I wouldn't of started it. If I did start it I probably would've given up about 73 times.

Massive respect to you for having the determination not to be beaten.

 

Half the problem is that I don't think about these things, so I go head first and then wonder why it bites me on the arse then! But cheers for that though it means a lot

[stuboy]

good to see u not bridged it

[jonathan_dyane]

Nice job but! Please tell me you gave the subframe a lick of paint before fitting?

[spartacus]

Cracking job! 

[St.Jude]

8 hours ago, jonathan_dyane said:

Nice job but! Please tell me you gave the subframe a lick of paint before fitting?

.... ahhhhhh shit. I knew I forgot something!

No I cleaned the whole thing as it was covered in muck. Threw two coats of zinc primer on it, then stone chip on the bottom and normal gloss paint at the top (well where it wouldn't really get damaged from driving). I've a can of waxoyl to apply to it as well once it's all done.

[St.Jude]

I had every intention of doing stuff on this tonight after work, but at 4:55pm I got a work call that didn't finish till 5:45pm. But I threw on my glad rags, and ventured outside.

Checked the subframe bolts, all tighter than Prince Andrew's sweat glands - which is good. Bolted the steering rack back on to the subframe (which was a faff). Then slid the anti roll bar back on with the new bushes. That was awkward, and I think it probably should've gone on before the subframe but it's on there now and fixed to the subframe.

It got to 8pm, and decided I'd call it a night. It means tomorrow I can fit the wishbones and new drop links, then put the wheels back on and drop the car! Huzzar!

Tomorrow, at the bare minimum, it'll be a case of dropping the rear diff and petrol tank. The diff needs to come off to get the tank out, and I've noticed a bit of a weep on the seal where the propshaft goes in to it. I've a new seal for that, and I might as well change the other drive seal that I didn't do last time. 

Also gives me a chance to investigate the petrol tank, as I swear when I fill it up to the top I can smell petrol at the rear. I'm thinking it could just be the vent I'm smelling, but I also know these RAV4's are chronic for fuel filler neck corrosion as well. This is the reason, so far, I've put off doing the timing belt and water pump because in terms of budget it's either or at the moment. I can't (well, won't) do both, and in the grand scheme of things a seized water pump on a non-interference engine is a lot safer than getting cremated at the petrol station!

Also took my patented redneck engine hoist thingymabob off tonight. It done it's job pretty well like it always does.