The Automotive (& other mechanized vehicles) thread

[nogodsnobedtimes]

I had a KLR and LOVED IT. I foolishly sold it off to get a CB550 cafe racer which ended up being the most boring bike I've ever ridden. Flipped that quick, got laid off, never bought another bike.

Debating grabbing another KLR, or something a bit smaller. DR350, CR250, DR-Z, etc.

[ck3]

I've been driving the same Saturn SL for the past 17 years. Unfortunately, time and New England winters have taken their toll.

The fuse box became corroded and had to be replaced a while back. There have been intermittent electrical issues triggered by moisture including a bogus service engine soon light and false service codes (camshaft, maps, and, more recently,evap sensors), which will all prevent me from passing the CT emissions test. I have to park in a humid garage, so the aforementioned light is now on more often than it's not.


Portions of the nest wiring were replaced along with the fuse box, but some random patch is still corroded. My usual mechanic reset codes today, but the system will likely fail to recalibrate properly during the next 150 miles of driving before repeating the emissions test. Do any mechanically-inclined ILFers have suggestions for preventing moisture from affecting my car's electrical system? Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Chankgeez]

I don't have any advice for you, but Achtane said this in another thread:

Looks at my aftermarket tachometer and says, "don't tell me you've got NOS in this thing".

[lordgalvar]

I've been driving the same Saturn SL for the past 17 years. Unfortunately, time and New England winters have taken their toll.

The fuse box became corroded and had to be replaced a while back. There have been intermittent electrical issues triggered by moisture including a bogus service engine soon light and false service codes (camshaft, maps, and, more recently,evap sensors), which will all prevent me from passing the CT emissions test. I have to park in a humid garage, so the aforementioned light is now on more often than it's not.


Portions of the nest wiring were replaced along with the fuse box, but some random patch is still corroded. My usual mechanic reset codes today, but the system will likely fail to recalibrate properly during the next 150 miles of driving before repeating the emissions test. Do any mechanically-inclined ILFers have suggestions for preventing moisture from affecting my car's electrical system? Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Sounds like a bigger problem than just moisture (but possibly began with the wet(. I would check all chasis ground points and sand paper both the chasis and terminal/bolt. Swab the crap outta stuff with dielectric grease (and check it regularly).

It shouldn't be that bad though...I would think parts would have rust through before electrical systems...maybe at a ground point?

Maybe case the fuse box in some kind of military ammo case. Or replace the seals/add some to the box. Silicon every opening. Find every electrical connection that is exposed in the car, dry them out, clean them with abrasive, grease up some, then tape the crap outta 'em.

Having a GM car from probably around the same era (we used to have another), the sensors are a damp weak point...as is the computer soldering. Replace as many sensors as you can afford...or at least test them. Even in CA, with no moisture, some of mine will never ever trip or report.

My wife's old mailbu had bad seals all over the electrical and it lived in the driest of the dry. It also had bad soldering on some chip controllers that would trip the dummy light.

I'd say get rid of it and find a cheap car that is pre emissions and has no electrical. Basically what I did (after fighting sensor failures on a Ford escort and now a Silverado).

[Chankgeez]

3:00



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7P53sP2fDI

[crochambeau]

I'm thinking about converting my fastback to electric. To do it in a way that I would like looks to cost about the same price as a new car though.

(The hillbilly engineer in the back of my head is now screaming HANG ON, HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS!)

[BetterOffShred]

Looking at electricity as a "resource" I'm fairly concerned with the concept of transportation relying on it. That's a fast track to ridiculous prices.

I work for a power utility and I can say with 100% assurance that most metropolitan power grids are not currently built to handle the incoming tide of electric cars. It will be interesting

[crochambeau]

Oh, this goes hand in hand with wanting to reduce our reliance on the grid. My dream is to run the shop off 100% solar, and then move on to the house. I don't have the cash backing for that sort of thing at the moment though.

[colin]

I've made a couple more minor changes to my Miata. Decided to go all in on my JPS inspired colour theme and put some side strips on a couple of weeks ago. Today I replaced my terrible steering wheel with a decent momo wheel.

[Achtane]

I love the stripe, where'd you get it? I've always like the ones that proudly proclaim "TURBO" on 80's cars. Or the action stripes on older trucks. Looks cool man.

I did a little research and learned how carburetors work. So simple! So ingenious! Neato.
Our lawnmower was spewing black smoke in between high RPM surging, so I gave a tuneup. New spark plug and NOS "been sitting on the wall of a small town hardware store since 1998" air cleaner, plus changed the oil for the first time in......ever.
And a rebuild:

SO CYUUUUTE
It's so simple and easy to rebuild. I tried cleaning it before, but it still ran like ass. I think the gaskets were really the biggest issue.
But now the mower runs super smooth, starting it is nothing and it actually has a throttle range besides on/off...although I need to adjust it, because the max speed is, like, dangerously, insanely fast at the moment.
It's pretty satisfying getting something back in shape though, totally worth it. And I only had one "I wish I was dead" moment, when I dropped the carb bowl's nut into the mower's gas tank...

[colin]

I got the stripes here,https://stripegarage.com/. I'm a big fan of the old school over the top decals of the 80's too.

[lordgalvar]

I've been reading a lot on rear end and transmission gearing.

The mustang has an automatic Ford C4 (1st gear is 2.46, 3rd gear is 1). I went with a 3.25 rear end for a first gear ratio of 8.06:1 and a top speed of around 137 with an overdrive unit (like gear vendors that takes the 3 speed transmission and makes it a 6...with 6th gear being 0.78:1).

Grumpy (Corvette racer, kinda famous) has a rule of thumb that around 10:1 is a good balance between launch and top speed on the strip for first gear.

I want to cruise at around 2000rpm at 60-65mph for gas mileage reasons....which is why I pretty much have to go with an overdrive unit (that is guaranteed to handle 1200+hp...so is my rear end which I finally got and painted...aluminum Ford 9" with wormdrive style posi). This kinda lead me to the 3.25:1 which is much better than the 2.73:1 it has in it now (...I actually thought it took off better/quicker than the crv even if it only a 6.76:1 launch with 65hp...it's an open diff too).

Anyway, I've been checking around at production cars at their ratios...my wife's CR-V has like 12.66:1 at take off (4.5:1 re) and the current mustang is like 11.something:1. But they both have final gears on the transmission of around 0.6:1 for the gas savings.

I dunno, guess I am kinda second guessing myself. I've heard that 3.5:1 is a tire spinner in these light cars...it's only 2400lbs vs modern cars all sit in the mid 3000s (crv is like 3450lbs, mustangs are like 3200lbs). I guess 8.06:1 at 250hp and similar torque is an improvement over 65hp at 6.76:1 no matter what.

I've got the headers resonance tuned for more torque and less reversion...I'm probably going to have tune the carbs for more high end hp with shorter horns to kinda balance things out and get though the gears faster (all pulse/resonance tuning....I had been considering doing long tube intake runners).

Anyway, it's kinda weird to think that top speed is dictated mechanically by gearing and rpm.

Engine Speed aka rpm = (mph * axle ration * transmission ratio * 336) / (tire diameter inches)

My inline 6 probably tops out at 6500rpm due to harmonics...(LS6 kinda redline there stock too).

Then, again, mysterious happenings in the torque converter changes stuff. It's all just junk in my head at this point haha. I still think I'll hit my 24 mpg target.


Is that a constant depression carb? Or some kinda slide? Pretty cool looking. Digging the Miata too Colin,..I've been getting more respect for them the more I see them around and getting into the balance side of cars instead of raw power.

My dad just got an LS6 for his Morris Minor too.

[comesect2.0]

driving a rental car that smells like popcorn at the moment cuz my sweet silver baby got her face ripped off and is in the shop... I cant decide if push button starters are cooler that just starting up with a key..

[lordgalvar]

Key all the way.

And several switches to confuse theives. Like battery, igniton, and fuel pump kills in random places. Also, neutral safety switches make for confusing starts sometimes (like the mustang could only start somewhere between reverse and neutral).

Last rental car I got from SeaTac smelled like a strange puke/fecal hybrid. The seats were black, but there was a faint puddle scar in the back seat...like it could have came from either end. Somebody sprayed two cans of Lysol and shoved them between the seats. The smell didn't really come into full effect until about 20 minutes after driving away. Tried to air it out, but it got worse..after driving for a few hours I called to see if I could swap it...I would've had to have driven for 2 more hours back to SeaTac. I know the car was called Fiesta, but there was no party.

[Chankgeez]

And several switches to confuse theives. Like battery, igniton, and fuel pump kills in random places. Also, neutral safety switches make for confusing starts sometimes (like the mustang could only start somewhere between reverse and neutral).

Mad Max-style?