Car Maintenance Tips

[OldBillParticipant]

Anonymous wrote:

Ok. It may not ruin the engine.
Or it might.

I’m estimating better than a 90% chance it will because that’s roughly how many interference motors are out there.

You were absolutely right to advise him to look into it.

F~~~ rubber timeing belts.

In the case of my acquaintance, we’d convinced them to get it checked and the mechanic found that the old belt was already torn about halfway across.

How much engine time was left? Ten miles? Ten minutes? Hours? Maybe a week?

Do not date. Do not impregnate. Do not co-habitate. Above all, do not marry. Reclaim and never again surrender your personal sovereignty.

[FunInTheSunParticipant 8283]

Princekie wrote:

Are you confusing that belt with the easily visible serpentine belt which replaced the multiple fan and pumps belts on most cars years ago?

Yes, I did. That shows you how much I know. Thanks, Old Bill.

"I saw that there comes a point, in the defeat of any man of virtue, when his own consent is needed for evil to win-and that no manner of injury done to him by others can succeed if he chooses to withhold his consent. I saw that I could put an end to your outrages by pronouncing a single word in my mind. I pronounced it. The word was ‘No.’" (Atlas Shrugged)

[OldBillParticipant]

FunInTheSun wrote:

Yes, I did. That shows you how much I know. Thanks, Old Bill.

Whoa who whoa there brother. Shows how much you know? Don’t you ever crap on yourself like that again.

You and billions of other people only make that mistake because the car and repair industries don’t want you to “know”. They used to build cars so men like you and me could work on them in our garages. Then they realized all the money they could grind out of us in repairs. Hell, we even had a recent thread talking about how many people can’t change a flat tire anymore.

Anyway, all you need to do now is get your owners manual or go online and look-up the mileage recommendation for checking your timing belt or chain.

One caution for you. They usually deliberately design things in such a way that the work required to get to the point where you can inspect the belt or chain means you might as well put in a new when you do so.

Just another way to grind money out of us.

Do not date. Do not impregnate. Do not co-habitate. Above all, do not marry. Reclaim and never again surrender your personal sovereignty.

[FunInTheSunParticipant 8283]

I’ve been fascinated with cars for a long time. When I make a lot of money, I’m going to build a hot rod with the help of a mentor.

This is one of the few TV shows that I can stand to watch. I like to see old cars getting new engines & paint jobs:

"I saw that there comes a point, in the defeat of any man of virtue, when his own consent is needed for evil to win-and that no manner of injury done to him by others can succeed if he chooses to withhold his consent. I saw that I could put an end to your outrages by pronouncing a single word in my mind. I pronounced it. The word was ‘No.’" (Atlas Shrugged)

[Anonymous 3]

Car is just a machine , that is more complicated than a bicycle, but the same simple tips work:

0. get the service manual for it. There was an idiot lady who filled the windscreen-washer fluid into the hole for engine oil, creating a green foamy slime all over the place. like this: https://drivetribe.com/p/this-is-what-happens-when-you-put-eIvUyFPcRHui_6CJaEXR5w?iid=AZsaRBGzSX-W9UbJklVSGA Just don’t be stupid.

1. Correct tire pressure, not less or more. Too less will reduce efficiency (speed of bike, gas mileage on car) while too much pressure eliminates the capacity to absorb vibration, and there will be uneven wear of the rubber. These problems are dangerous as these hinder the control-ability of the vehicle whatever it is. Also too much pressure -at least on bikes- can result in broken rims or punctures.

2. Cleaning, especially if it gets muddy and dirty. Mud and rain water on it can induce rust, corrosion and other problems (stuck parts) in anything mechanical.

3. oil change (and the other fluids), of course. oil is the blood of any machine. Old oil is full of dust and whatever else, that is no good. As I read somewhere, there are chemical labs, who can analyze your old oil and diagnose engine problems before they happen. (For bike, the same applies, oil, grease, whatever after cleaning)

4. I’d guess using only stainless screws for any vehicle and whatever outdoor machine is a good idea, I’m using those on my bike and had no problems disassembling it when necessary. Also, locking nuts ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locknut ) and maybe a drop of removable Loctite thread locker glue are great to avoid things falling apart due to vibration. There are stainless ball-bearings in existence if needed, too.

5. use good parts that don’t fall apart. Ask your mechanic for opinions if needed.

6. Torque wrench for aluminum is a great idea, but also good idea for smaller steel stuff. I have over-tightened a few screws (or severely damaged the head of screws with the wrench) in my life.

7. Keep away the animals, that chew the cables and cats looking for warmth under the hood.

[Author]

Posts