Why I do most maintenance myself.

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
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9,033
I tend to do most maintenance myself on the older cars.
The Mitsubishi Pinin required a new exhaust manifold flexi downpipe and I decided to give it to the local garage to change.
At the same time I asked them to investage a noise from the front nearside road speed related, and the brakes being a bit soft.
The brake issue they came back to me saying the brake fluid was brown (strike against another local garage who claimed they flushed the brake system after the MOT because of soft pedal, only 10 months ago) and the sliding calipers where a bit seized. I authorised a full flush, clean up the calipers, and full new discs and pads all round. Four Pagid discs and pads less than £250! Brakes all good.
They fitted the new downpipe but the o2 sensor was seized solid, requiring a new one. Okay fair enough.
Couldn't find the source of the noise.
Got her back, and within a few miles the joint between the downpipe and manifold was blowing. Took it back and they fixed it.
With another few miles it is blowing again....
Anyway I've just bought fresh diff and gearbox oils, probably never changed in its life, so jacked the whole car up late yesterday.
So I'll change the oils, and have a look at the exhaust gas leak myself.
With the front wheels both off the ground you naturally (don't you? ) give the wheels a rock and a spin to check for any play or noise.
Straight away noticed a huge amount of play in the front nearside wheel bearing, nothing on the offside.
How can you strip down to fit new discs etc, and not give the wheel a rock and spin afterwards, especially after I asked them to investage the noise?
I think the problem is that the garage has become too successful, and they have grown too big with more mechanics of questionable quality.
I need to find a smaller local garage I think, or, do it myself!!
 

TimR

Member
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2,656
Making cock-ups is human....Paying someone else to make them , a little more frustrating..!
I picked up a (slightly suspect?) electronic tester that determines water by percentage in brake fluids recently. Cost me a few quid.
Be interesting to see how fast the Maser oil goes off going forward....
 

Sam McGoo

Member
Messages
1,746
Ditto.
Until I got expensive (too me) cars, I did everything myself other than bodywork.
I still try and do as much as I can, but due the expectation of 'stamps in the book' and the need for the right computer to rectify a lot of things, DIY is pretty limited now.
I'll do an annual (inbetween) service, some tinkerering, mods etc and try and fix any faults I can that don't require a computer.

Although to be fair, I've got enough other stuff to get on with around the house and garden and family life etc.. so would struggle for time to work on cars like I used to.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Ditto.
Until I got expensive (too me) cars, I did everything myself other than bodywork.
I still try and do as much as I can, but due the expectation of 'stamps in the book' and the need for the right computer to rectify a lot of things, DIY is pretty limited now.
I'll do an annual (inbetween) service, some tinkerering, mods etc and try and fix any faults I can that don't require a computer.

Although to be fair, I've got enough other stuff to get on with around the house and garden and family life etc.. so would struggle for time to work on cars like I used to.

That's pretty much my situation.
The Pinin is 20 years old and only worth a couple of grand, even though only 40K miles.
Quite happy to maintain what I can myself routine oil changes etc but very disappointing when you do employ a garage and you get it back not right.
 

RobinL

Member
Messages
456
Making cock-ups is human....Paying someone else to make them , a little more frustrating..!
I picked up a (slightly suspect?) electronic tester that determines water by percentage in brake fluids recently. Cost me a few quid.
Be interesting to see how fast the Maser oil goes off going forward....
I also use one of these and change when it hits 2% at the master cylinder. Strangely I never got round to testing at the other end during fluid change. On my list......

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
I've just investigated the exhaust manifold to downpipe leak, and to gain access above you need to remove the heat shield.
The garage said they couldn't get enough grip on the studs, so they drilled the studs out and bolted through instead.
Anyway partially removing the heatshield, which to be honest I couldn't work out how to remove completely, but enough to see they hadn't bolted through at all and why it's leaking again!
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
No excuses for letting it go with a duff wheel bearing was it not advised on the MOT ?

MOT was 10 months ago, but surely they would noticed after changing the discs and cleaning up the calipers, plus I asked them to check for a noise around that area too.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
Hopefully it’s not that they drilled the stud and there wasn’t enough thread left in the head for the bolt. That would be a big pain.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,118
MOT was 10 months ago, but surely they would noticed after changing the discs and cleaning up the calipers, plus I asked them to check for a noise around that area too.
Totally agree Mike first thing I do when the wheels off the floor is tug and pull and a good spin.
To be fair that's down to them being professionals and the last people touching it.
Let's hope they used a torque wrench on the wheels.
I can't believe Oct accetalyne couldn't get the down pipe nuts off.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Hopefully it’s not that they drilled the stud and there wasn’t enough thread left in the head for the bolt. That would be a big pain.
I think they have simply used bolts instead of studs and nuts.
While under attempted to drain the rear diff oil. Got the fill plug out which was tight, but can't budge the drain plug. 22mm AF.
Had a 2 foot extension bar on the socket and wouldn't budge.
Scared of it slipping as the head is no more than 5mm thick.
Called it a day!
Need to buy battery impact wrench.
Any recommendations?
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,118
Milwaukee all day long best out there but you can probably buy cheaper for home use.
Look on SGS tools web pages.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Totally agree Mike first thing I do when the wheels off the floor is tug and pull and a good spin.
To be fair that's down to them being professionals and the last people touching it.
Let's hope they used a torque wrench on the wheels.
I can't believe Oct accetalyne couldn't get the down pipe nuts off.

Totally agree, first thing I do with any car once the wheels are off the ground is give then a spin and good tug for any play.
This isn't a little play, like my Stag front wheel bearings the difference between no play and a little (which is acceptable) between split pin holes, it's massive!
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Here you go Mike :)
Thanks, just looking on their site.
Would you believe I've no battery tools, apart from an old electric screwdriver!
So whatever I buy is the ecosystem for others!
This might be a silly question but do these same impact wrenches then continue to remove the nut/bolt once they are rattled free, I assume so? And can you limit the torque for putting fasteners back?
So basically an electric socket ratchet like an electric screwdriver?
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
I have the Ryobi, but that’s because I already had the batteries. Have a look at the deals on SGS, you can get very good deals on the drills with batteries which might save you a few quid over a impact gun with battery if you

They drive to max torque in both directions and keep turning when the trigger is pulled. So I rattle the bolt or nut all the way off, but just use it to spin them on and then torque in the usual way.
 
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mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
I have the Ryobi, but that’s because I already had the batteries. Have a look at the deals on SGS, you can get very good deals on the drills with batteries which might save you a few quid over a impact gun with battery if you

They drive to max torque in both directions and keep turning when the trigger is pulled. So I rattle the bolt or nut all the way off, but just use it to spin them on and then torque in the usual way.

Thanks.
Reading reviews if appears you also need a 4ah battery min to achieve all the torque?

This appears a good starting point.
 
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