What are you working on today?

[cptbarkey]

Organized my garage for the past few weeks and today included, thrown out various junk that I no longer need. I kept onto 15 inch hubcaps but never had a chance to use them. Listed a few things on FB marketplace, and here.

All of this organization is in prep to pull the engine from a 2006 Toyota Matrix. I'm down to only motor mounts and its out. The previous owner drove it for 265k then ran it out of oil. I have a low mileage JDM 1ZR-FE engine and trans to put in. Its super hot here though and can only work for a few hours in the morning.

 

[dfarr67]

Working on an old Toyota 4x4, been avoiding a certain front axle seal for months- the oil stain on the driveway finally got me.

 

[michaelluscher]

I was gonna swap out distributor/plugs/wires in the Villager, but my hopes were dashed when the supposedly OEM Nissan part arrived

Safe to say, it's going back
This isn't the Japan Hitachi reman that was pictured
Does anyone know where to get a quality NS60 distributor?
I straighted out the Total Oil haul in the shed, and took inventory
Was gonna do an OCI, but thunderstorms rolled in

 

[4WD]

Hooked up my swamp cooler on the patio - good for breaks whilst trying to keep plants alive and the pool clean …

 

[Zee09]

Typical mowing and yard work.
Hot..and humid with more Canadian smoke

 

[4WD]

Typical mowing and yard work.
Hot..and humid with more Canadian smoke

In Montreal they had a sign saying you can’t bring that in

 

[Pablo]

Finally started cutting the pieces for the breezeway back fence and gate. Did some nice cross cuts and rips with the new table saw. This
will speed up my work for sure

 

[NormanBuntz]

Spent two and half hours with two neighbors replacing a set of five steps and risers on the community pier. They were damaged during a winter ice event on the Albemarle Sound in NC. It was as humid this morning as I can remember, and I was ready for two 20 ounce Body Armor drinks when finished. Our lowest bid was $1,500. We did it for $200 in materials and our own free labor.

 

[meep]

Sump pump carnage. Out came a shattered plastic unit and in went something heavier. New one-way valve, and drilled a 1/16” weep hole in the outlet tube just an inch above the bottom, which the original installer did not do. These spaces creep me out - there’s something in my lizard brain that wants to freeze and cower in these places. Heebie Jeebies. Had some tunes playing on my phone - alannis moriset, the blues brothers, and blues traveler kept me company.

 

[Tomioka]

2008 Ford F150 2WD front brake pads, rotor/hub, and hub nut replacement. Also performed a full brake fluid replacement.

Worn brake components.

Less than 1mm of pad left.

Went to town with an impact to get the 36mm nut unthreaded. Weird rotor/hub assembly. Cue SMA Brākleen sound effect.

295lb-ft.

Done with Centric brake rotors and Akebono brake pads. Also misc. NAPA hardware which the pads or rotors neither came with any.

 

[D60]

2008 Ford F150 2WD front brake pads, rotor/hub, and hub nut replacement. Also performed a full brake fluid replacement.

Worn brake components.
View attachment 167214

Less than 1mm of pad left.
View attachment 167215

Went to town with an impact to get the 36mm nut unthreaded. Weird rotor/hub assembly. Cue SMA Brākleen sound effect.
View attachment 167216

295lb-ft.
View attachment 167217

Done with Centric brake rotors and Akebono brake pads. Also misc. NAPA hardware which the pads or rotors neither came with any.
View attachment 167218

I don't keep up with the 2wd stuff but there's some way to convert to a 4wd-esque separate rotor and hub

 

[Tomioka]

I don't keep up with the 2wd stuff but there's some way to convert to a 4wd-esque separate rotor and hub

There is a Centric kit for the conversion but it's discontinued. I ordered the kit but kept receiving the one piece rotor/hub part.

Not pictured is the coolant leak diag the owner wanted me to check. Looks like an intake manifold replacement is in order too. Future rear brake job also when I was bleeding the rear brake calipers.

 

[The Critic]

Replaced the alternator on a 2011 Highlander. Took me about 2 hrs…struggled with the evil bracket a bit more than usual. Probably shouldn’t have started at 10:30pm.

 

[RAR]

Swapped out a ball joint on my niece’s VW Beetle turbo.

Dealer shop (non-VW) told her it was ready to fall off. No, not really. It was loose but the amount of effort it took to remove it I doubt it was going to fail immediately. . She’s skeptical of these efforts to part her money from her pocketbook so she takes things like this to me.

They also told her the strut was leaking and needed replacing. No leak, it was dry as an old bone.

These ball joints bolt into the control arm so it was simple… yeah, not quite. Two of the three bolt/nut fasteners came out, but one insisted on being ground out. My Milwaukee M12 4” grinder got that out, as well as cut off the nut holding the ball joint to the knuckle.

I was done from wheel off to wheel back on in 2 hours, with numerous breaks to grab tools, etc.

Then checked out the fuel leak with my smoke machine. Massive leak at the driver’s side front of the fuel tank. Looked like a concert scene under there. . She can’t fill the car beyond 3/4 before it leaks so she only runs half tanks. Time for a new one, as well as fix the filler neck where the fuel flap broke off and is caught. It’s not coming out the top so I’ll have to send it down the tube.

New tanks are not found readily, and they tend to run in the four figures from the VW suppliers. Used is $50 from my regular salvage yard. Her fuel pump is pretty new so it gets reused. New straps, fuel filter and such. Another project.

 

[TiGeo]

Left front ABS wheel speed sensor on the Sportwagen.

 

[Randol]

I put new Dunlop Mutant tires on my Triumph Thruxton

 

[53' Stude]

Finally started cutting the pieces for the breezeway back fence and gate. Did some nice cross cuts and rips with the new table saw. This
will speed up my work for sure
View attachment 167178View attachment 167179

Nice work. I was eyeing that firewood pile

 

[D60]

There is a Centric kit for the conversion but it's discontinued. I ordered the kit but kept receiving the one piece rotor/hub part.

Not pictured is the coolant leak diag the owner wanted me to check. Looks like an intake manifold replacement is in order too. Future rear brake job also when I was bleeding the rear brake calipers.

This got me wondering if '09-14 is still available. If so, you should be able to knock out and swap the 1.5 studs to 2.0. Or run the fine thread lugnuts up front (more booty).

As a company you'd be a fool to discontinue anything for '09-14 F150s. I dunno about the rust belt but there's ten-hundred-bazillion-million still on the road here. OTOH I guess I could understand walking away from '04-08 --- older now and a shorter run and the ubiquitous 3V is killing dozens per day I'd guess

 

[cptbarkey]

2006 Toyota Matrix, about 265k miles. I redid the interior completely from another pristine interior I found at a local junkyard back in december. Early this morning the old engine and transmission came out. It was locked up solid. Since it was super messy from a massive power steering leak, and oil leak, I was not going to remove the timing chain and attempt to unlock and remove the offending piston.

I already have a low mileage JDM engine/trans, and have new gaskets, but still need to invest in some hoses, probably a new cat from the looks of it, suspension parts, and other bits. I dont know when i'll be ready, my deadline is about 1 year from now when my oldest daughter is ready for a drivers permit.

 

[meep]

2006 Toyota Matrix, about 265k miles. I redid the interior completely from another pristine interior I found at a local junkyard back in december. Early this morning the old engine and transmission came out. It was locked up solid. Since it was super messy from a massive power steering leak, and oil leak, I was not going to remove the timing chain and attempt to unlock and remove the offending piston.

I already have a low mileage JDM engine/trans, and have new gaskets, but still need to invest in some hoses, probably a new cat from the looks of it, suspension parts, and other bits. I dont know when i'll be ready, my deadline is about 1 year from now when my oldest daughter is ready for a drivers permit.

I really like the matrix, especially in a stick. This feels a lot like a restoration.