Over Thanksgiving I did a big brake job on the old Mazda. Replaced the front calipers, rotors, pads, flushed the old rusty fluid, and got a new cap for the master cylinder that actually tightens down snuggly. Previously, the brakes shook violently. Must have been a sticky caliper piston or slide pin. All better now! Although the brakes are a little small for the car IMO. The El Camino has stronger brakes, as do most newer cars.
Today I changed the oil. Not too bad, just gotta remove the tray under the engine (the "skidplate"). The dealership tightened the nut way too tight and I had to grab a mallet to loosen it. The oil filter is a silly cartridge unit and requires a weird size tool to loosen the plastic cap that holds the cartridge. I went to AutoZone twice to try to find the right size tool before giving up. I just filled it with new oil and will order the right tool online and swap the filter next week. Overall the car is easy to work on, except that silly design decision. They could have easily made it a standard "B" size 76 mm filter housing, but no.
They did eventually switch over to a regular ol' spin-on filter. Don't think the 6 and the 3 switched until they were redesigned and the 2.3 was replaced with the 2.5, but the 5 definitely switched to a conventional filter in about 2010. As far as I know if you can find the appropriate housing it just bolts right up.
Yeah, I read a thread on the Mazda forum about switching. The wrench is only $10 on ebay, so I probably won't bother. The current filter housing should come off fine with the right tool. And I won't torque it down to 6000 lb ft like the dealerships do, so next time should be easier.
I know at least one of the motor mounts is bad. The Mazda dealership has previously told us that, plus you can feel a lot of vibration from the engine. Over Christmas I thought about replacing the mount on the passenger side, but on further inspection it seems fine. During the oil change, I glanced at the lower mount at the back of the engine. Looks like it has a big tear/gash in the rubber that goes all the way through to the other side. I'm guessing it's the culprit. Luckily it's cheaper than the front mount (which is like a $120 part :confused: )
(https://i.imgur.com/uJnzwgWm.jpg)
Hmm... Maybe not. Rockauto's picture has the same hole.
(https://i.imgur.com/GAQA9rN.jpg)
KEEP OIL IN THIS ENGINE
The MZR 2.3L is garbage, and whenever I do flip cars any late-model Mazda is usually a 2.3L Mazda3, Mazda5, Mazda 6, Tribute, Ford Escape, or turbo CX-7 that's thrown a goddamn rod.
No problems so far, with 146k miles.
*knock on wood*
Quote from: CaminoRacer on January 12, 2018, 12:33:28 PM
No problems so far, with 146k miles.
*knock on wood*
*knock in motor*
I replaced the cabin air filter today. For some reason I didn't expect any dead leaves. I should have known better - it has been parked under a tree for most of its life. So many leaves. All clean now. :praise:
Sanded and polished the driver's side headlight today. I used the Mothers kit and it turned out pretty well. I need to get a new cordless drill - my current one doesn't spin very fast and the battery wears out quickly, so I ended up doing a lot of it by hand. Started out with 800 grit wet, then 1500 wet, then 3000 dry, then used their polishing compound. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better.
(https://i.imgur.com/3W9etpw.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YPasWgO.jpg)
Much better. They're difficult to get totally perfect...probably more to do with deterioration/discoloration of the material itself as opposed to your skillz.
I finally got around to replacing the oil filter. It's very easy if you have the correct filter wrench.
If I coast at 15 mph I can hear a clunking or ticking noise. It's related to wheel speed, sounds like once a rotation. I checked the tires and there aren't any nails in them. I jacked up each wheel and spun it. The brakes all look fine, but the rear passenger side is hard as hell to turn. It must be the brake/parking brake, or possibly a bad wheel bearing?
Quote from: giant_mtb on January 16, 2018, 02:39:06 PM
Much better. They're difficult to get totally perfect...probably more to do with deterioration/discoloration of the material itself as opposed to your skillz.
Pet peeve of mine that. I don't think light lenses should ever discolor or deteriorate. It's a basic safety deal.
Now that they look nice, get some Lamin-X protectors
Quote from: Morris Minor on January 21, 2018, 08:05:15 PM
Pet peeve of mine that. I don't think light lenses should ever discolor or deteriorate. It's a basic safety deal.
If you can come up with a solution to this, and make it cost-effective, you'd make a mint.
Quote from: 93JC on January 24, 2018, 12:01:55 PM
If you can come up with a solution to this, and make it cost-effective, you'd make a mint.
Glass headlight lenses.
... which you can't make into the complex curves modern cars have without it costing $Texas, and they may not cloud or discolour like plastic but they'll get scratched just as bad if not worse. It's not as though the industry switched from glass to plastic for nothing.
Quote from: 93JC on January 24, 2018, 12:41:42 PM
... which you can't make into the complex curves modern cars have without it costing $Texas, and they may not cloud or discolour like plastic but they'll get scratched just as bad if not worse. It's not as though the industry switched from glass to plastic for nothing.
Bring back the sealed beams.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on January 24, 2018, 02:05:04 PM
Bring back the sealed beams.
Only with pop up headlights
After digging through old paperwork, it turns out that it is the passenger motor mount that's bad. RockAuto has a Beck/Arnley replacement for $43, which is much better than $120 at Autozone. But I did some googling and it seems that 2.3L Mazda3's have the option of a Roca mount that's solid rubber instead of the silly fluid filled mount. Unfortunately I can't find any for a Mazda6. :(
http://www.mazda3forums.com/122-stock-issues/594962-motor-mount-replacement-oem-after-market.html
I dug into the rear wheel problem today. Wheel bearing is fine. Turns out two of the brake pads clips were in the wrong spot, so they were contacting the rotor. I ended up getting new pads for both rear wheels as well as putting the clips in the right spot. All better now, and it didn't cost me a dime. (pads were replaced under warranty. Why brake pads have an lifetime warranty, idk)
The top caliper slide pin has a rubber grommet on the end of it. Idk why. It's a PITA when you try to take the bolt out, since it won't slide out. And it's also impossible to put the bolt back in, because it's sealed so tight that you basically have to compress the air. I took the rubber bit off and my life was much easier. I stuck em in a plastic baggie in case it turns out I need them, but I don't think I will.
Motor mount is replaced! It's a HUGE improvement. No more annoying buzzing.
It's a pretty easy job. Remove the undertray under the engine, undo the big bolt on top of the mount, jack the engine up an inch or so, until it comes off the mount, then remove the two bolts holding the bracket to the engine. Move the bracket out of the way, undo the 3 bolts holding the mount to the frame, swap the mount, tighten the 3 bolts, put the bracket back & tighten the two bolts holding it to the engine. Let the engine back down onto the mount & tighten the big bolt. Done.
If I use a racecar fender protector, it makes it a racecar, right?
(https://i.imgur.com/BPNpSRO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/BBdFDOW.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RVAJCIp.jpg)
Well done. I would have thought changing engine mounts would have been more complicated.
Passed 150k miles yesterday
What kind of sicko puts a motor mount out in the open with easy access like that. It's supposed to go down low with accessories over top of it. It needs to have the bracket go in between the pulleys with the belt running around it. Maybe they save those setups for cars I work on :)
Good job on the fix.
Before:
(https://i.imgur.com/GiPHSvw.jpg)
After:
(https://i.imgur.com/IygKmhn.jpg)
One coat of POR-15. Will do a second coat tomorrow, then spray some clear over it for UV protection. The black does a decent job of blending in with the dark gray metallic. I vaguely thought about color matching it all, but it's not worth the time or money. My motivation for the paint job is to stop rust - making it look a bit better is just a side effect.
Are going to sand it before you paint it?
Nope. POR-15 needs a rough surface to stick to. And the area is pretty messed up due to the rust - most of the lip on the wheelwell is gone.
Nice. Curious to see the durability. That's a pretty intense rusting.
Quote from: giant_mtb on May 28, 2018, 07:26:45 PM
Nice. Curious to see the durability. That's a pretty intense rusting.
From here on out, I expect the rest of the car will rust off before this painted section.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on May 28, 2018, 06:20:43 PM
Before:
(https://i.imgur.com/GiPHSvw.jpg)
After:
(https://i.imgur.com/IygKmhn.jpg)
One coat of POR-15. Will do a second coat tomorrow, then spray some clear over it for UV protection. The black does a decent job of blending in with the dark gray metallic. I vaguely thought about color matching it all, but it's not worth the time or money. My motivation for the paint job is to stop rust - making it look a bit better is just a side effect.
I gotta small patch like that on the 'Rolla. I need to try that myself!
I did chip off as much bubbled paint as possible, then used a steel wool pad to sand off any loose rust.
Rusty Mazdas.....
How old is it?
It's a 2004. It's had this rust spot for years - probably since 2011 or 2012.
Today I took off the silly clear license plate cover that was getting all fogged/yellowed. Looks much nicer now!
For some reason, my license plate screws are those security hex head bolts. Took me a few weeks to find a matching hex head bit to take them off. I guess no one will steal my plate thanks to them?..
Quote from: CaminoRacer on May 29, 2018, 10:45:54 AM
... those security hex head bolts
:confused:
I don't think I've ever seen one.
"Hex-pin" http://www.losspreventionfasteners.com/store/products/hex-pin-2/
Oh I got the gist, and already googled. I figured they had a centre pin just like a security Torx head, which is by far the most common security screws I see (in buildings; stuff I work on). I've just never actually seen one, that I can recall. Seems so weird that's what ended up on your licence plate.
Quote from: 93JC on May 29, 2018, 06:01:37 PM
Oh I got the gist, and already googled. I figured they had a centre pin just like a security Torx head, which is by far the most common security screws I see (in buildings; stuff I work on). I've just never actually seen one, that I can recall. Seems so weird that's what ended up on your licence plate.
One of the Corolla/Vibe cars I had had them. I had to cut them off.
Harbor Freight has a bit set for $6.99 that includes hex and torx security bits. So if it happens again, that'll save you a bit of effort. :lol:
New BFGs
(https://i.imgur.com/iyoCato.jpg)
Love the sidewalls on these tires. Nice and stiff, perfect for instilling confidence in corners. But the ride quality is still good.
Passenger front rotor is probably FUBAR'd. It's got some sort of corrosion on the braking surface and it's making the worst grinding noises + throwing lots of brake dust. New rotor + pads, I guess.
Turns out the outer pad was completely worn down (inner is practically brand new). The guide pins must not be lubed enough. Quick trip to Autozone for new rotor, pads, and lube should do the trick.
Fuggin Autozone doesn't have the Max pads in stock, so I had to order them and wait until Tuesday to get them. I did that, but also bought the cheapo pads so I could install something today and get the car driving again. It's all lubed up and ready to go now.
I also fixed the annoying rattle. The heat shield on the Cadillac™ converter rusted away and split into 2. The bottom half fell off a couple weeks ago, leaving the top half to rattle constantly. Had to cut the metal with wire cutters like a n00b, since an 02 sensor was plugged in through the hole. But it worked and now it sounds way less ghetto.
(https://i.imgur.com/GLlvDgg.jpg?1)
Quote from: CaminoRacer on June 09, 2018, 01:21:37 PM
Fuggin Autozone doesn't have the Max pads in stock, so I had to order them and wait until Tuesday to get them. I did that, but also bought the cheapo pads so I could install something today and get the car driving again. It's all lubed up and ready to go now.
I also fixed the annoying rattle. The heat shield on the Cadillac™ converter rusted away and split into 2. The bottom half fell off a couple weeks ago, leaving the top half to rattle constantly. Had to cut the metal with wire cutters like a n00b, since an 02 sensor was plugged in through the hole. But it worked and now it sounds way less ghetto.
THIS PHRASE IS WAAAAY MORE GHETTO THAN THE RATTLE WAS! :lol:
:lol:
Wow, Mazda's must lust like shit in the north. To be fair all cars do but damn. I'd not be a Mazda nut if they did that down here.
Quote from: Onslaught on June 15, 2018, 06:01:54 PM
Wow, Mazda's must lust like shit in the north. To be fair all cars do but damn. I'd not be a Mazda nut if they did that down here.
Anything that goes relatively untouched will end up like that. I'm amazed at the age/condition of some cars on the road when I drive just a hundred or two miles south. It's no joke. I'll get jazzed about seeing a 2004 Grand Am that isn't a total rust bucket.
I know. I've cut new cars apart before from NY and it has rust in between all the panels. And all the bolts are rusted up and snap off. I couldn't deal with that shit up there. And I'd never be a body man up north. Actually it would be OK because you wouldn't need to have any guarantees up there.
Quote from: Onslaught on June 15, 2018, 07:26:14 PM
I know. I've cut new cars apart before from NY and it has rust in between all the panels. And all the bolts are rusted up and snap off. I couldn't deal with that shit up there. And I'd never be a body man up north. Actually it would be OK because you wouldn't need to have any guarantees up there.
Did rust repair for two years here. Cars backed up all year round.
This is also why I never get my cars fixed in a timely manor. Rust on fucking everything.
Money was good though
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4461/37023137393_59c23f7d47_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4295/35317931663_eeed9b6a8f_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4321/35734563470_4b0a549ce7_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8079/29868397332_6476fe4ded_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8272/29536778885_c3cd3f6e62_b.jpg)
Did more of these than I could count, but I don't care I love these trucks. Got to the point I was faster making the rockers from scratch versus buying replacements.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8593/29414689721_7a31c51986_b.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8554/29414692271_723f394f16_b.jpg)
Yeah I just put POR-15 on everything. Works for me! Gonna do the El Camino's underside at some point.
I think the rear shocks are toast so I bought some Monroes from Rockauto. But now I'm looking up the process and it looks like a PITA. Instead of just removing the shock bolts, you have to actually remove the upper mount and swing it down to be able to get the top bolt off. Looks like an offset wrench might help though?
https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123792415-mazda6-rear-shock-bracket
When I do the swap I'm also gonna inspect the springs. The rear seems to sit lower than the front, but I can't remember if that's how it was when it was new or not.
Shock swap failed.
The bottom bolt was super tight and I rounded the nut. Not worth the effort to torch it off. Old shocks can stay until the car dies
Quote from: CaminoRacer on October 06, 2018, 04:15:29 PM
Shock swap failed.
The bottom bolt was super tight and I rounded the nut. Not worth the effort to torch it off. Old shocks can stay until the car dies
:lol:
This car has been rear-ended like 3 times so the bumper has been hanging down a bit for years. Seems like it's gotten worse lately, so I Youtube'd how to remove the bumper and it showed where all the various clips are. All I had to do was remove the taillights to get to the upper clips and pop those back in. I think there was supposed to be another clip or screw so I just zip-tied it. Should hopefully get rid of some of the rattles coming from the rear.
(https://i.imgur.com/PDNfTcC.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UFzDKbt.jpg)
Also, called the dealership and it's like $320 for them to replace the rear shocks. I might do that. There's an independent shop down the road that I like, but they're closed on Saturdays and I don't think I can drop it off on a weekday right now.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on November 03, 2018, 05:17:18 PM
Also, called the dealership and it's like $320 for them to replace the rear shocks. I might do that. There's an independent shop down the road that I like, but they're closed on Saturdays and I don't think I can drop it off on a weekday right now.
Done. Much better.
They said the fronts are leaking too. Rockauto has pre-assembled struts for $97. That would make life pretty easy, just have 4 bolts on each side AFAIK. No messing with spring compressors.
It was kind of nice to have the dealer do it, since they did a full inspection of everything else. Other things I need to do:
- New wiper blades (haven't noticed one is torn since I've been taking the El Camino lately)
- License plate bulbs are both burnt out
- Transmission fluid probably needs to be flushed
- Power steering fluid might need to be flushed
- I should probably rotate the tires
They said the brake fluid is "dark orange", but I replaced it last Thanksgiving. Probably just residual rust from the old fluid. Not gonna bother with that.
All fairly easy things that I can do myself, but nice to have a second set of eyes. It's interesting that they said the CV joints look fine - when you turn the wheel full-lock it can make a clicking sound. It's been on my radar for a while but hasn't gotten worse, so I haven't replaced them.
Already replaced the license plate bulbs.
I got a jug of oil, a filter, Lucas fuel treatment and two license plate bulbs for $63 at Autozone. But I had $50 in rewards money, so it only cost $13. And the jug of oil had a $10 mail-in rebate, so it's a $3 oil change. :praise:
Flushing is for toilets, man.
Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on November 17, 2018, 07:14:40 PM
If it's yellow, let it mellow. :muffin:
If it's brown, gulp it down. :whatshesaid:
Quote from: Submariner on November 18, 2018, 03:31:01 PM
If it's brown, gulp it down. :whatshesaid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz3P0zDh6wc
Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on November 21, 2018, 11:10:22 AM
Can you comp0st tranny fluid?
LGBTQ and Cis can all by composted.
Zoom zoom zoom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfbKc68OH-w
Quote from: CaminoRacer on November 17, 2018, 06:05:53 PM
Already replaced the license plate bulbs.
I got a jug of oil, a filter, Lucas fuel treatment and two license plate bulbs for $63 at Autozone. But I had $50 in rewards money, so it only cost $13. And the jug of oil had a $10 mail-in rebate, so it's a $3 oil change. :praise:
Since you e used up you rewards get your oil at Walmart. It's a lot cheaper.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on November 21, 2018, 11:39:35 AM
Zoom zoom zoom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfbKc68OH-w
I miss my parents 2003 V6 mazda 6... That thing was so fun, I always wanted to turn it into a Touring race car when they weren't looking
Quote from: r0tor on November 21, 2018, 02:22:56 PM
I miss my parents 2003 V6 mazda 6... That thing was so fun, I always wanted to turn it into a Touring race car when they weren't looking
Must've been dat eye are ess.
Starter died today. Holy balls those are expensive on these cars. $182 is the cheapest one from Autozone. And it's at a shop, so they add a % on top of that. Gonna cost like $400 in the end. Luckily AAA covered the tow to the shop this morning.
On 2 different occasions in the past week, the battery light has flickered on and off. I have a bluetooth radio transmitter that reads the voltage when you first plug it into the cigarette lighter, so I plugged it in today and it read 11 volts (normally reads ~14.5).
I'm hoping it a loose connection on the alternator or battery, not a dying alternator. It's $170 + an hour of my time to get a new alternator.
AutoZone test said it was the battery. But only after I shut the engine off. Everything was fine while running.
I got a new battery. We'll see if the light comes back.
I hate this car. Took me 2.5 hours to fail at getting the alternator out.
I could swap the alternator in the El Camino about 10 times in 2.5 hours.
So it's still in there? Does it have that cold air intake duct on it? I can't remember where Mazder alts are.
It's the 4 cylinder so it's back by the passenger side strut tower.
One of the first steps was taking off the exhaust manifold heat shield, which took 45 minutes because the bolts weren't 10mm. Or 9mm. Or 3/8". or 11/32". Just round.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on February 28, 2019, 10:27:45 PM
It's the 4 cylinder so it's back by the passenger side strut tower.
One of the first steps was taking off the exhaust manifold heat shield, which took 45 minutes because the bolts weren't 10mm. Or 9mm. Or 3/8". or 11/32". Just round.
You don't have a round head wrench?
Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on March 01, 2019, 06:59:33 AM
You don't have a round head wrench?
Isn't that just a vise grip?
Tomorrow I'm gonna take off the motor mount bracket and it should give me more range of motion to use the serpentine belt wrench and get the belt off. Youtube tells me to go underneath the car but then I need a second person to actually slip the belt off the alternator.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on March 01, 2019, 10:56:05 AM
Tomorrow I'm gonna take off the motor mount bracket and it should give me more range of motion to use the serpentine belt wrench and get the belt off. Youtube tells me to go underneath the car but then I need a second person to actually slip the belt off the alternator.
Wife?
Stupid thing is finally swapped. Didn't take off the motor mount - instead I took off the wheel and an access panel thingy to be able to get the belt wrench on the tensioner from below. That wasn't too bad - but getting the alternator out between the engine and the firewall took about 30 minutes. Totally kills your back trying to lift it and maneuver it while hunched over the engine. Eventually it came out when I just yanked on the power wire after getting super pissed.
The wire connector broke apart too. Every bit of plastic on this car has gotten to the age where it is crazy brittle. The metal female connectors on the wires were loose and wouldn't stay on the male connectors on the alternator, so I tried to use pliers to squeeze them smaller so they'd be snug, but one of them snapped. So I ended up cutting both off and using my own connectors that fit snugly. I might buy a new plastic connector + wires off ebay for $13, but IDK. My fix may be good enough. It's a bit more exposed to the elements, but the alternator in general isn't exposed much at all. It's at the back corner of the engine and there's a plastic tray under the engine that keeps road crap off the bottom, so it's pretty enclosed and I don't think I have to worry about it much.
Anyway, it all seems fixed now. Just took 5 hours between today and Thursday.
I did some measuring after it was running and noticed an oddity:
Idle, no accessories:
14.7 volts
Idle, headlights on:
14.6 volts
Idle, headlights + heater fan on full blast:
13.6 volts
Idle, headlights + heater fan + rear defroster:
12.6-12.7 volts
Car moving, all accessories turned on:
14.7 volts
I'm super surprised that the headlights only dropped the voltage by 0.1 while the heater fan drops it a full volt. Rear defroster dropping it a full volt isn't too surprising.
Oh yeah, some of those plastic alternator connectors are useless. If it doesn't pull out the first try, I just cut the wires and leave enough room to crimp on some butt connectors. Then I can put the alternator on a bench and extract the connector with precision.
I try to never monkey with plastic car electrical connections below about 70 degrees.
Quote from: Soup DeVille on March 04, 2019, 02:33:09 PM
I try to never monkey with plastic car electrical connections below about 70 degrees.
That's like ten months per year.
I replaced the rear rotors & pads because the old rotors were getting corroded on the braking surface and I could feel pulsing in the pedal. They were only like 1.5 years old.
I probably should have gotten fancier rotors with zinc coating, but I didn't have time to order them & install it all before driving to Vegas this weekend. We'll see how long these non-coated rotors last... The real problem is most likely that the rear calipers aren't getting enough pressure to them, because they would clean the rotor surface off if they were clamping all the way. But I don't have the will power to bother looking into that.
After installing everything, the passenger side made some loud obnoxious groaning noises about 50% of the time when I braked. Took 2 days to figure out that I needed to use the new clips for the pads instead of the old ones. I think that fixed it. I can take everything apart very quickly now. :lol:
Ha that last part sounds like me...
I polished the headlights again today. Apparently it's gonna be a yearly thing.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on June 13, 2019, 10:36:06 PM
I polished the headlights again today. Apparently it's gonna be a yearly thing.
Did you spray clearcoat on them?
Nope. Might do something like that this week
There's a chemical protectant you can buy too.
Yeah, you could use just about any sealant, wax, ceramic coating, polymer whatever-the-fuck. But clear-coat is going to be the most permanent. However, does clearcoat block UV? UV is what brings back fading/yellowing, so you want to block that first and foremost. A couple applications of a paint sealant or similar per year ought to help (can apply on top of clearcoat if you decide to clear them).
The kits to restore your headlights at the auto parts places have "UV protectant" but it's on wet wipes, doubt it's super effectively applied that way.
My kit has a bottle of polishing compound that has uv protectant, AFAIK. But yeah it probably doesn't last very long
Quote from: CaminoRacer on July 09, 2019, 12:53:37 PM
My kit has a bottle of polishing compound that has uv protectant, AFAIK. But yeah it probably doesn't last very long
You better off using Clear Coat! Thats what I did....
Left for work this morning and the heater wasn't blowing warm air. Then the temp gauge started rising...
The water pump is leaking. Part is only like $60 though. I'll have to look into how hard it is to replace myself.
I took it to a shop because I didn't want to deal with diagnosis. They did a leak test and a headgasket test. The leak test revealed that the thermostat housing is cracked (plastic) and that's what puking out all my coolant. But they said the headgasket test failed too. But I don't think it's really failed. If the exhaust is leaking hydrocarbons into the coolant, IDGAF. The oil is fine and the exhaust isn't smoking, so the car is fine for now.
I can get a new thermostat housing for $27 and hopefully replace it myself.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on September 26, 2019, 02:21:37 PM
I took it to a shop because I didn't want to deal with diagnosis. They did a leak test and a headgasket test. The leak test revealed that the thermostat housing is cracked (plastic) and that's what puking out all my coolant. But they said the headgasket test failed too. But I don't think it's really failed. If the exhaust is leaking hydrocarbons into the exhaust, IDGAF. The oil is fine and the exhaust isn't smoking, so the car is fine for now.
I can get a new thermostat housing for $27 and hopefully replace it myself.
What is failing on the head gasket?
Quote from: FoMoJo on September 26, 2019, 02:25:27 PM
What is failing on the head gasket?
They found 165 [insert unit here] of hydrocarbons in the coolant and over 100 is failing. So a bit of exhaust soot might be leaking into the coolant. meh
Quote from: CaminoRacer on September 26, 2019, 02:29:22 PM
They found 165 [insert unit here] of hydrocarbons in the coolant and over 100 is failing. So a bit of exhaust soot might be leaking into the coolant. meh
z0mg replace engine immediately, d@nger 2 manyfold
Quote from: CaminoRacer on September 26, 2019, 02:29:22 PM
They found 165 [insert unit here] of hydrocarbons in the coolant and over 100 is failing. So a bit of exhaust soot might be leaking into the coolant. meh
Those tests are crap because nobody knows how long its been leaking, or from where.
If you can't hear exhaust through the radiator cap and your coolant isn't brown its Good Enough™️
It's a Mazda 2.3L.
You got your moneys worth. Run it into the ground.
I got the housing yesterday. I'll probably install it this weekend. It's a bit annoying because I have to get the serpentine belt off and unbolt the power steering pump to access the thermostat, but it shouldn't be as bad as the alternator replacement I did.
200k miles is still the goal.
The new thermostat/housing didn't fix it. Must be the water pump? They're only $30 on RockAuto so I'll give it a shot.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on September 29, 2019, 03:24:56 PM
The new thermostat/housing didn't fix it. Must be the water pump? They're only $30 on RockAuto so I'll give it a shot.
But you said they said the plastic housing was cracked and leaking. Was it? If not, how incompetent is the mechanic who said that?
:huh:
It's a mystery
I did a bit more testing last night and after work today. Filled up the radiator more and let it run with the cap open for a few minutes each time. Last night the heater started working a little bit and while the temp got hot, it didn't go all the way hot. Today I filled it up some more and drove it around. Heater worked normally and temp gauge stayed in the middle.
I assume the original problem was a stuck thermostat and then yesterday there were just a couple of air pockets that needed to be bled out.
Set it on fire and buy a real car, like a Chevy Malibu
Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on September 30, 2019, 07:42:44 PM
Set it on fire and buy a real car, like a Chevy Malibu
Or a squarebody Suburban on airbags and a turbo 4 cylinder under the hood
Quote from: CaminoRacer on September 30, 2019, 08:37:44 PM
Or a squarebody Suburban on airbags and a turbo 4 cylinder under the hood
Yeah buddy. Ecotec 2 the xtreme.
Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on September 30, 2019, 09:21:42 PM
wat
https://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines/ltg-four-cylinder/rear-wheel-drive
Quote from: CaminoRacer on October 01, 2019, 07:56:08 AM
https://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines/ltg-four-cylinder/rear-wheel-drive
Oh. What about the 2.7 from the Silveradoh?
Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on October 01, 2019, 09:12:53 AM
Oh. What about the 2.7 from the Silveradoh?
That would be even better. moar pwr. They just need to offer a crate engine or start showing up on ebay/junkyards.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on October 01, 2019, 10:01:59 AM
That would be even better. moar pwr. They just need to offer a crate engine or start showing up on ebay/junkyards.
Or, two 1.0 Ecobooosts bolted together inline.
There is plenty of engine bay space for that.
Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on October 01, 2019, 10:19:10 AM
Or, two 1.0 Ecobooosts bolted together inline.
That would actually be a cool engine. 2.0 liter, straight 6 with twin turbos?
We need to start trending toward smaller displacements and more cylinders. For the planet!
The front passenger side had cheapo autozone pads for 9 months because I needed a new set of pads asap and couldn't wait for the better ones to get shipped to me. I got the better ones a few days after putting the cheapo ones on, but was too lazy to swap them out until a week or two ago.
Well now that I swapped pads on both sides, the drivers side is making a grindy noise every rotation. Must be a corroded portion of rotor grinding against the new pad. I didn't put new/machined rotors on it because I'm lazy.
Now I've ordered a Centric rotor & pad kit that has coated rotors and decent ceramic pads. I'm tired of gross rusty rotors after only a year of use. El Camino's rotors are coated and look immaculate for years.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on December 06, 2019, 06:14:28 PM
The front passenger side had cheapo autozone pads for 9 months because I needed a new set of pads asap and couldn't wait for the better ones to get shipped to me. I got the better ones a few days after putting the cheapo ones on, but was too lazy to swap them out until a week or two ago.
Well now that I swapped pads on both sides, the drivers side is making a grindy noise every rotation. Must be a corroded portion of rotor grinding against the new pad. I didn't put new/machined rotors on it because I'm lazy.
Now I've ordered a Centric rotor & pad kit that has coated rotors and decent ceramic pads. I'm tired of gross rusty rotors after only a year of use. El Camino's rotors are coated and look immaculate for years.
Turns out it was just some loose lug nuts... Fixed for free
Next issue: battery charging light started coming on the other day. Alternator is going out again. I just replaced it in February...
I took it to a shop to replace this time. It's a sucky job.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on December 30, 2019, 03:54:42 PM
Next issue: battery charging light started coming on the other day. Alternator is going out again. I just replaced it in February...
I took it to a shop to replace this time. It's a sucky job.
EEK
181k mile update: Dumb rustbucket.
The exhaust has been raspy for a few weeks, figured it was a hole in the muffler/pipe somewhere. Today we went on a long drive and while driving over some train tracks, you could hear the pipe break lose and rattle around a bit. Luckily nothing fell off, dragged on the ground, or made much noise the rest of the way home. It was just even louder. #racecar
Quick & easy fix and only cost like $6. The inlet side isn't totally sealed because the adapter I bought is a bit too big on that end but IDGAF, it's tight and won't fall off.
(https://i.imgur.com/Sf7eoLH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/j5DU28c.jpg)
Looks kinda sketchy under there.
I dare you to try an adjust the rear camber bolts...
Quote from: r0tor on May 18, 2020, 08:39:39 AM
I dare you to try an adjust the rear camber bolts...
No thx. I couldn't get the rear shocks bolts off when I replaced them last year.
Quote from: FoMoJo on May 18, 2020, 08:24:20 AM
Looks kinda sketchy under there.
It could be worse. Other than the exhaust it's not swiss-cheesed or anything. But it lived in the rust belt for 14 years and that's what happens.
Yeah that looks about right/normal to me. :huh:
If you can't poke a hole in it with an unsharpened screwdriver, it aint rusty.
Nice!
I thought I needed a new wheel bearing, not because it was grinding but because it was wiggly. But it looks like it's actually a rear toe alignment issue.
(https://i.imgur.com/bmqFwpZ.jpg)
https://www.moogparts.com/parts-matter/five-ways-bad-alignment-wrecks-tires.html
"Diagonal Wear
Can be caused by incorrect rear toe adjustment."
A new tire is gonna be twice as much as the wheel bearing though. Boo!
I got an alignment + 4 new tires. Switched from the BFG Comp 2 A/S to Conti DWS06 Plus. The tire shop actually installed 215/55s instead of 215/50, but I drove it around a bit and it doesn't rub, so I don't mind. The ride quality is nicer and it'll reduce the highway rpm slightly. These tires are also quieter than the BFGs. More money than I wanted to spend this week, but I am happy with it. The BFGs had 29-30k on them so they were going to need to be replaced in about 10k miles anyway. It wasn't worth replacing only some of the tires, or shaving 1 new tire to match the others.
I think I'll also put DWS06's on the Miata once the OEM summers wear out. It'll be a good DD/year round tire when I'm not rocking the RE-71Rs.
This car really knows how to defeat me. I got some cheap struts from Rock Auto, since the originals are still on the front and are creaking and making other noises, and it floats down the road. So they're totally blown. But I can't get any nuts/bolts loose on the front end except the tiny ones holding the brake lines on. It's defeated my impact gun and my tire iron breaker bar.
The car passed 190k miles this week. Might put it up for sale for $500 and be done.
Sold for $1300. Was only listed online for an hour.
Congratulations!
Quote from: CaminoRacer on April 11, 2021, 09:27:15 PM
Sold for $1300. Was only listed online for an hour.
What are you going to replace it with?
Quote from: FoMoJo on April 13, 2021, 07:34:26 AM
What are you going to replace it with?
The Miata I bought last fall :lol:
I just drove the Mazda6 through the winter because the Miata came with summer tires and I didn't want to pay for all-seasons yet.
Quote from: CaminoRacer on April 11, 2021, 09:27:15 PM
Sold for $1300. Was only listed online for an hour.
That's crazy.
But then people like me :mask: don't care too much about bad suspension. I was told lots of times I had a strut that needed replacing on many older cars. Since they still rode ok I always just chalked it up to shop money making tactics. But with new Odyssey and Miata riding so crisp, I'll keep an eye out for issues from here out....
The first car I bought with my own money was a 2003 Mazda 6i 4 cylinder. I loved that car. It handled so well for a FWD mainstreamer. After 3 years and 55 thousand miles a contractor van hit me from behind on the highway and it was totaled. You got great use out of your Mazda 6. Mine was short lived.