mws

And then the rational part of it: Why do we have 4 WD's in the family? Keep in mind, these are all "relative" to the competion... no vehicle is perfect. - Used ones are incredibly underappreciated and inexpensive - Reliable - Durable - Capable - Low insurance and registration costs - Reasonable maintenance costs - Easy to work on - Comfortable - Decent handling - Warts are few and easily addressed - Not just another pathetic sheep following the herd.... All in all, they just do more for less!

Another tip on the hydraulic press I forgot to mention... I mounted it on a bench/stand so the "working area" is jusssst right that I can rest the driveshaft on my shoulder while pressing the u-joints in and out. Small detail, but it frees up a hand and makes the job easier. Just make sure to use a proper face shield as projectiles will be launched from eye level!

I hope it's not, but it could be the synchros... Have you changed the fluid in the last 25K miles? If not, give that a try. May I suggest Redline Oil? Expensive, but worth it.

I recommend replacing the word "direct" with "significant". Higher octane fuels do burn a bit slower - but the difference is not nearly as significant as the other factors mentioned. So technically, all things being equal, a LOWER octane fuel will produce a tiny bit more power than the higher octane - UNLESS detonation occurs and the ECU retards the timing. At which point everything changes. Dramatically. Bottom line, on modern FI cars with ECU controlled timing and detonation sensors, the experiment bajapathy is performing is a good real world way to determine the optimal grade to use under constant conditions without having some kind of electronic reader/display of ECU outputs. Of course, what is optimal on the highway during winter will be much lower than what you need climbing steep grades at low rpm in the middle of summer....

That is correct.

An idea to pressure flush in your driveway: Use a 1 gallon garden sprayer - you know, the type with the hand pump sticking out the top and a hose with a wand... Take the nozzle off the sprayer. Fill sprayer with a gallon of solvent. Disconnect both lines from trans. Adapt the hose to fit on one line. Stick the other line in a bucket. Pump the sprayer up and flush solvent through lines and cooler. Let metallic particles settle out in bucket overnight. Carefully pour clean solvent off top back into sprayer. Repeat pumping through the opposite line. If still particles coming out, repeat again.

One needle in two pieces? Phshaw.... Frankenvan had one bearing where there was only about 1/2 of the needles still intact enough to be called "present". Of course, they were now only 1/2 needles. They were rather flat sided. The rest had been pulverized to a rusty dust, which compacted into a kind of pressure sintered bushing. It was making very, very little noise. Just an occaisonal thunk. I pulled it apart thinking I was being overly AR! I purchased one of those taiwanese sub $100 12 ton hydraulic presses from Harbor Fright just for these jobs. It's far from the most precise piece of equipment, but it has worked quite well on every project I've tackled, including a couple 1-ton u-joints. For really rusty jobs, I soak and then load up the deal with a couple/few tons of force and then turn my head and smack the side of the yoke with a hammer. Very satisfying PATANG and part launching ensues!

$.99 Delivered? That would be a great deal! Anymore, most sellers are slipping in beyond ludicrous S&H charges making seemingly great deals pretty mediocre deals....

That's because the world revolves around them and we are only here to serve them. Consider it a filter. If they care enough to respond later, then I will care enough to help them again the next time. If they don't, I won't. Hmm... we have the warning counter under our names... how about a "selfish ingrate" counter under everybody elses?

Yes, it is normal. No worries. Oh, you wanna know why? It has to do with the camshafts and valves. When the cam is at a position where it is opening or closing a valve, the force of the cam spring is applying strong torsional force to the cam. If the left is trying to rotate CCW and the right is trying to rotate CW, the belt will appear tighter than it really is - but there will be more slack in the lower runs. If left is trying to rotate CW while right is trying to rotate CCW, belt will seem looser between them, and the lowers tighter. Check at TDC per the instructions and all is good.

What happens over time is that the rubber will fuse to the metal, so you need to rip that bond open. Another method I frequently use is to work a relatively small diameter rod in (long skinny screwdriver or scribe) and then rotate the handle of that tool. It will "walk" around the fitting as you continue twisting, seperating just a small section of the bond at a time.

Are you repairing broken studs? If so, consider raising the body as an option. If I am recalling correctly, I had a nearly straight shot at the front two studs on the drivers side even with the body in stock position (working from the wheel well through the gap between body and frame), and it looked like raising the body a couple inches would have given me straight shots at a few others.... Take a look, it may save you a lot of work. Not hard work, but time consuming to remove engine.

I think you figured out and solved your problem right there! Impact wrenches should never be used for torquing critical fasteners unless properly equiped with a torque limiter. Always install by hand so you can assure they are not cross threaded and that the threads are clean. Once snug, tighten with torque wrench.

Yes, I read your reply. And yes, I am saying all of what you described is normal. I have worked on A/C systems for many years after learning while working with my father in his HVAC service business. I also studied thermodynamics and heat transfer in college. So, yeah, I do feel I know a bit about the topic. Not an expert by any stretch, but enough.

All of that sounds perfectly normal... You are extracting a lot of heat from the inside of the vehicle, and it has to go somewhere! And once the condenser gets hot, it heats up all the air flowing through it and around it. Hint: Lay off the herb for a few weeks and the ability to logically think through the process and all of its ramifications should return.

If I am thinking correctly, where the spring is doesn't much matter. Once you torque the tensioner bolt, it (and the belt tension) are locked. I believe the spring is there just to keep a little load on the tensioner to minimize risk of belt slipping while putting it all together.

The interlock should be a momentary contact deal. Hit the button, release. No need to hold it in. Now turn the key and it should engage the starter - but only once. If you turn the key back off, you'll need to hit the button again for another shot. Using it in 4 Lo and 1st or reverse gives an incredibly controllable application of power to crawl out of tight situations with minimal wheel spin. I need to fix the one in little red.... it only works sometimes!

Yes, the belt should/will flutter to some degree while the engine is running. Tension is checked while engine is off. Plus, grabbing the belt to twist it 90 degrees while it's running can be dramatic. And painful.

I would have to agree. Also possible the damage was to a con rod bearing. But something changed shape! On the positive side, you have to remove this engine to install the new. When you're done, you can dissect this one for more education. Post photos and questions and I'll teach as much as I am able... I know others will as well. And of course, many others will be vicariously learning from our discussions!

GOLF????? http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/7081816?MSNHPHMA

Correction: You DO know what you're doing here - you're LEARNING! And good on ya for that! We all knew nothing at birth... It'll be easier to see damage once you get the head off. The special tool you need? Just get a big allen (hex) wrench in the size you need (was it 10 mm?), cut off the long leg before the elbow, and slip it inside the correct size socket. Once you get the head off, start by looking for gaps between the valves and their seats. Or just fill the ports with water. If the valves are bent, the water will leak between the valve and its seat. Also look for vent holes in the top of the pistons....

One more vote for A/T's. Functionally, they are far superior in wet, slushy, or icy conditions. Function before form, says the middle aged technogeek enginerd. I have a set of each - A/T's are there for all uses except when going out in the desert (cactus and sharp rocks) where I want the tougher sidewalls and tread of the Cooper STT's.

And... it's over. Oil prices shot up again yesterday. I got one tank in at sub $3 price... Hopefully Oregon will be slow to increase... We are heading to the Dunes this weekend. Driving Big Red (F-350 with 460 gasser). With travel trailer. And 2 quads. And 1 motorcycle. Last year we averaged 7.3 mpg.... and that was with only 1 quad.

After seeing all the negative press about the Tour de France and how some feel the sport is at risk of becoming less popular and losing ratings, I became concerned. I mean, shouldn't we as fans be glad at least one sport is trying to clean itself up? For those not knowing of which I speak, the race organizers, team management, team sponsors, and many riders supported and exhibited an EXTREMELY aggressive approach with regards to performance enhancing drugs and blood doping. Not only were several riders immediately disqualified for failing a drug test, the race leader was withdrawn by his team management for lying about why he missed a random drug test months before the race. Yet much of the media was falling all over itself saying how badly this reflects on the sport... I don't get it. I think denying the problem or trying to ignore it should be considered far worse! I personally respect the effort and have become even more supportive of the sport. Pro baseball is worst offender. It's obviously out of control, yet Barry plays on.... Pro football is barely better. I think they are afraid to get aggressive because it would result in extensive player suspensions and firings. They clearly fear that would result in ratings and $$$ losses. Pro wrestling is such a joke I won't even consider it a sport. And any sport that is not actively admitting it has a problem is in denial. But maybe I'm in left field for feeling this way, so time for a poll. How do you feel about it?

I have installed DynoMax cat and muffler in 4 vehicles so far and like all 4. When installing, keep in mind that 90+% of gasket leaks are due to OVER-torquing of clamp bolts. Tight is good. A little more is NOT better.