Zoom Zoom

Started by CaminoRacer, January 11, 2018, 09:32:53 PM

CaminoRacer

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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

93JC

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.

CaminoRacer

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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

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: )



2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

Hmm... Maybe not. Rockauto's picture has the same hole.

2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

2o6

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.

CaminoRacer

No problems so far, with 146k miles.

*knock on wood*
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

2o6

Quote from: CaminoRacer on January 12, 2018, 12:33:28 PM
No problems so far, with 146k miles.

*knock on wood*

*knock in motor*

CaminoRacer

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:
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

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.



2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

giant_mtb

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. 

CaminoRacer

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?
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Morris Minor

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.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

r0tor

Now that they look nice, get some Lamin-X protectors
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee No Speed -- 2004 Mazda RX8 6 speed -- 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia All Speed

93JC

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.

CaminoRacer

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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

93JC

... 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.

CaminoRacer

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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

r0tor

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee No Speed -- 2004 Mazda RX8 6 speed -- 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia All Speed

CaminoRacer

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
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

#20
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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

#21
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?





2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

mzziaz

Well done. I would have thought changing engine mounts would have been more complicated.
Cuore Sportivo

CaminoRacer

Passed 150k miles yesterday
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

RomanChariot

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.

CaminoRacer

Before:




After:



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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

FoMoJo

Are going to sand it before you paint it?
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

CaminoRacer

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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

giant_mtb

Nice. Curious to see the durability. That's a pretty intense rusting.

CaminoRacer

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.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV