Not allowed out to fly

[Flightrite]

Great little vids,thanks for sharing? I have a female friend of mine (her husband passed away) they have had LR's all their lives, she continues on with them now a widow, she also reckons she could have paid off the national debt of the USA ten times over with what she has spent on the LR's?

[Old Koreelah]

At last: a sensible idea! My mechanic mate has lots of gripes about how modern cars are never designed to be maintained. I've often suggested that, rather than become a contortionist. he remove the engine to replace the timing belt.

 

It works for my Guzzi: removing a couple of engine bolts and the rear shocks allows you to swing the engine-drivetrain down out of the frame, so everything is accessible.

[pmccarthy]

I have told the story here before of my paying nearly $1000 for a blown rear indicator “bulb” on a Merc, Entire lamp assembly plus labour, no serviceable parts inside. Now drive a Toyota.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I was fleeced at my last service - lesson learned. I have n XC90 - 2014 model - last of the previous range - have it dealer serviced - usually around £300 but they update the GPS and provide breakdown cover across Europe; also it holds its resale value slightly better. But normally, I get any repair work done at the local garage. I put it into its last service knowing that the brakes needed doing... and had a lapse... They came back with a quote - £600 for the rear brakes. I had to get them done as I was travelling for work the next day and my local mechanic couldn't fit me in.. Apparently the rear brakes have some additional components that need changing. Checked with the local mechanic - £150 all in (fitted) - OEM

Edited April 18, 2020 by Jerry_Atrick

[turboplanner]

I can't believe the newer car designs where you have to pull the engine right out to do things like timing chains or turbos - because they're mounted on the back of the engine, and can't be got at, without engine removal!

Or the Range Rover or Discovery - where you lift the body off instead, to carry out engine maintenance!!

 

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/range-rover-sport-split-in-half-by-mechanics-just-to-repair-the-engine-video-102295.html

At least they are running consistently with the marque's history. I had two 1953 Land Rovers. Very simple vehicles, exceiptional off road because of their light weight, good honest engine, but near impossible to service. It was wuth those two that I learnt to make my own special tools.

 

When the engines were out of the vehicle they were a dream to recondition with all bolts, nuts etc accessible and I realised that one engineering team must have worked on the engine, and another on the chassis/body.

[nomadpete]

You'll find that quite a few Asian vehicles require lifting the body off the front subframe for any serious work to be done. There isn't enough room to swing a spanner in the 'engine bay'.

Lots of wiring, brake lines, fuel lines, etc to be undone each time. I don't do my own heavy maintenance any more, and our Mitsubishi recently required this, and the mechanic mentioned that it was common procedure.

[turboplanner]

First go on YouTube; I've found there will always be some redneck from Georgia who's found a way to make a triple curved spanner, or undo a few components in the exact sequence he says, and you'll get your hand in. You may require stitches after trying to get it out, but some of these guys have pure genius at thinking outside the square. I took the front wheel off and the wheel arches out of a Subaru a few months ago and managed to get the DPF out, saving $2600.00

[Bootstrapper]

"You can't improve the lot of your own people if you give their work away to other countries." An inconvenient economic truth to the manageriat.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Bootstrapper

[mnewbery]

Plenty of project work at home. Mostly being done "under close supervision" at great personal expense. Neighbours are groaning because their spouses are using the pointy elbow and telling them to get with the program

[Litespeed]

Long gone are the days cars were easy to service and access things. Even a radiator change can be a real pain.

 

For some they have this in mind and major work is easiest by removing the front bar etc esp for major things. A BMW of the last 30 years this is easy and 30 mins has entire front body bar guards off and complete access including radiators out of the way.

 

A engine removal is only another 60 mins with basic tools. Think like the production line and much less problems.

 

For most fwd the solution is drop the entire sub frame, a much bigger job and a real knuckle scrapper. Come a cam belt service and it's easy to find a big bill, many won't pay and it breaks or sell to pass on the problem.

 

Naturally old BMW twin s and moto Guzzi laugh at such matters. The two easiest bikes on the planet to service.

[planedriver]

Well that was an interesting read learning what not to buy.

I think i'll stick with my 12 yr old Falcon Wagon on dedicated LPG that's got 378,000 kms on the clock .

A couple of months back it got me from Melbourne back to Sydney 868 kms on a tank full of cheap gas.

It's been totally reliable for years up until this afternoon when is started to run like a dog and the power brakes gave me a bit of a surprise.

A fractured vacuum hose will be replaced in the morning costing probably 20 bucks or so to fix the problem.

I did a new 2 pack paint job on it last year to freshen it up, and under the bonnet everything gleams like brand new.

I'm sure it will continue to give great service till this old codger pushes the daisies out of the ground. Hopefully that'll be a while yet.

[Flightrite]

Well that was an interesting read learning what not to buy.

I think i'll stick with my 12 yr old Falcon Wagon on dedicated LPG that's got 378,000 kms on the clock .

A couple of months back it got me from Melbourne back to Sydney 868 kms on a tank full of cheap gas.

It's been totally reliable for years up until this afternoon when is started to run like a dog and the power brakes gave me a bit of a surprise.

A fractured vacuum hose will be replaced in the morning costing probably 20 bucks or so to fix the problem.

I did a new 2 pack paint job on it last year to freshen it up, and under the bonnet everything gleams like brand new.

I'm sure it will continue to give great service till this old codger pushes the daisies out of the ground. Hopefully that'll be a while yet.

 

Don't know how you got that many K's on one gas fill, I have the same (ute) and only get at best 650 k's, the Ford gas set up where not known for economy. My old Ford is 16 Yrs old, 430K. Motor never been been touch, it's pretty grubby under the hood, I wouldn't dare wash it?

[Geoff_H]

After watching Landline yesterday it appears that the agricultural equipment manufacturers have systems that prevent the owner from doing any maintenance. Often a machine will break down in the field and wait days for the manufacturer to come and repair it, this comes with large production losses. Particularly if a crop is deteriorating. They have software locks on the machines. Spare parts must be purchased by the manufacturer under the contract of sale. The issue is being taken up by the consumer affairs guys, looks like going to court.

It reminds me of the Mirage aircraft contract where we had to buy ammunition from France.

[old man emu]

I have a Hyundai 2.7 litre V6 engine. To service the spark plugs in the rear bank (east/west layout) you have to remove the intake plenum, which also involves trying to get at a hidden bolt at the rear. Removing the plenum is not a difficult task of itself, but it takes time, and for a mechanic, time is money. It's also advised to replace the plenum gasket if the plenum has been removed - extra expense.

[kgwilson]

I had a Mitsubishi Galant 2 litre V6 25 years ago & the rear plugs were almost impossible to access & were different to the front ones, Iridium I think & so didn't get replaced when the front set were.

[planedriver]

Don't know how you got that many K's on one gas fill, I have the same (ute) and only get at best 650 k's, the Ford gas set up where not known for economy. My old Ford is 16 Yrs old, 430K. Motor never been been touch, it's pretty grubby under the hood, I wouldn't dare wash it?

Well there you go, depends on the size of your right foot, plus i'm sure a regular bit of Armor all helps.

[Flightrite]

Well there you go, depends on the size of your right foot, plus i'm sure a regular bit of Armor all helps.

Nah, you prove to me you get 868 k's from yr gas tank and I'll fill it twice for free!?

[jackc]

I will stick with my old Landcruisers 1HZ, 3B, 2F engines, all ultra easy to service and repair:-)

[old man emu]

the rear plugs were almost impossible to access & were different to the front ones, Iridium I think & so didn't get replaced when the front set were.

 

All spark plugs will wear out due to the simple fact that the arcing erodes them. A traditional IX iridium plug such as NGK ZFR6FIX-11 has an iridium center electrode, however the ground electrode is a traditional nickel construction. Therefore, the ground electrode will wear out first. NGK gives them a life expectancy of 40-50k miles. But they have to temper their projections as driving conditions and motor modifications differ. Typically, you can expect 60,000 to 80,000 miles on an unaltered motor.

 

At about $20 per plug, the pain and suffering involved in replacing them strikes through the hop-pocket nerve. All other pain is trivial.

[M61A1]

Nah, you prove to me you get 868 k's from yr gas tank and I'll fill it twice for free!?

Probably a 200l tank that fills the whole rear cargo area....

[Flightrite]

Probably a 200l tank that fills the whole rear cargo area....

That's cheating?

[onetrack]

Brother used to have a Landcruiser with a long-range tank fitted. The original tank was about 80 litres, I think the long range tank was another 120 litres, making about 200 litres all-up.

He'd pull into a servo to fill up when near empty, and the person waiting behind him would get really toey when it took him about 10 mins to fill her right up! LOL

[facthunter]

That's what HiFlow is for. It's usually cheaper also. Nev

[onetrack]

Nev, many a car or 4WD fuel tank neck opening won't take the bigger Hi-flow nozzle. If they do, the tank venting system won't purge air fast enough. Truck fuel tanks have no such problems.

[planedriver]

Don't forget the tank in the trailer. HaHa!

Was short of money on home trip so lifted right foot on every downhill slope.

That's what I got anyway, partly trying to prove something to No1 son who drives an imported Nissan drift car, and would have probably needed a few tyre changes over that distance, and arrived home on the rims.

Despite a bit of a rallying past, he says I drive like Miss Daisey now.

He's possibly right, but I still have all my points.