| Author | Message | ||
     Rick_a |
Yeah. The most common culprit is a relay. I'm not very interested in becoming an automotive AC technician, but I'll do what I've gotta do. Thanks, anyway. So far most everything I've ordered is backordered and not available...despite being advertised as in stock/available and everyone readily taking my money. That's aggravating. So far I'm getting fancier wheels than I wanted (Enkei RPF1) and cheaper tires than I wanted (Toyo Extensa HPII). I'm also getting a 22mm rear sway bar instead of a 19, and springs that are 15% stiffer up front and 20% stiffer in the rear than the ones I had. It had more roll than I'd like and was a little under sprung for my liking. It's nowhere near racing spring rates, however, and only drops the car 1." | ||
| Hootowl |
I went through the same thing trying to get an AC part for my car. Everyone has it in stock until two weeks later when they tell me it is backordered. I called a place, finally, before placing an order. She swore to me she had two in stock. I asked her to put eyes on it. She said they’re at the warehouse but they definitely had one. Two weeks later, they changed the order status to backordered. Aggravating. | ||
| Rick_a |
When you've spent $1k somewhere just to hear that nothing "in stock" actually exists anywhere, it's a bit much. This guy at the tire shop was suggesting a lower quality and heavier wheel for more money, and a higher profile tire because "nobody makes tires in that size, anymore"...like I haven't spent way too much time researching every suitable tire available in that size. The problem is that high performance tire options abound. Regular all season stuff...not so much. | ||
| Rick_a |
So, I have springs, extended ball joints, fancy wheels, entry level performance tires, factory camber bolts, and had to clearance the leading edge of my control arms to make it work. The windshield cowl was so dirty, you could almost plant a garden in it.  20210407_152041 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr The front springs are straight rate. The rears progressive. It actually works really well.  20210407_150000 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr  20210407_151849 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr  20210407_200344 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr Honda "crash" bolts...as people like to call them.  20210407_153319 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr Ouch. This hurt my feelings a little bit.  20210407_213910 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr I took it out on my control arms.  20210408_124453 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr It drives really well, with just a little more road noise and feel. I just need to do a front end alignment when it settles down, replace a sway bar end link, and figure out what's wrong with the AC. | ||
| Rick_a |
Have strut bar. Also made a patch plate for my transmission hole out of an aluminum cake pan. It ain't pretty, but it works. As for the strut bar, steering accuracy and feel is improved, but it ads an almost excessive level of harshness to the front suspension this time around. Either this style is stiffer than the other, or this car is stiffer than the last...or both.  20210414_171911 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr A bracket is supplied to make some space here  20210414_171926 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr It is necessary to do some trimming to make clearance here.  20210414_181627 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr It just plain hits here.  20210414_171949 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr Unnecessary bling, some would say. It certainly does something...maybe too much.  20210414_181701 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr Unlike the previous car, this one has no creaks or rattles yet. The engine mounts will be the true test. | ||
| Rick_a |
Put on the CRZ undertray. Required some trimming of an existing panel and many holes drilled. They say this is good for a 1mpg increase in fuel efficiency. There are pre existing holes and mounting surfaces and only a few of them actually match. It's like they meant to do a car specific one, then said "screw it."  20210421_191344 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr | ||
| Rick_a |
The car completed. It's dirty as heck so I had to wait for the right light to conceal it some.  20210505_154700 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr It's getting nearly 35MPG's and handles pretty damn well. I've got to fix the AC yet, put a front lip on it, replace the shifter boot, wrap the steering wheel, and give it a good cleaning, yet. | ||
| Rick_a |
So, I need an AC clutch and the AC blower fan resistor died as well. I did a 1" foam front lip in conjunction with the undertray and to my surprise I'm now averaging 37mpg. I'm tempted to a 2" lip and side skirts as well.  20210625_061845 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr | ||
| 86129squids |
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| Rick_a |
I've got one of those. A pretty nice one, actually. It's vintage mountain bike and needs work. I might sell it and get a new one. Work is eighty miles round trip. It's a bit much for me. I like to sprint. Do not enjoy the long rides.  | ||
| 86129squids |
Dang! Sharp bike! Since I posted that pic, I've gotten to ride the Denali a little bit. If it didn't have the paint and such, it would still be a GREAT bike. Fits me perfectly, shifts beautifully. Componentry is "Vitesse". Now for a set of good shoes/cleats, new brake pads...?, and see if I can get the Bell cyclometer to work. Obviously it's time to head to the bike shop. Didja notice the golf ball? | ||
| Rick_a |
Yeah. Noticed the golf ball now. I'm tempted to sell this bike and get a modern example. Everything on it is obsolete...and people seem to be on a vintage bike kick. If you actually use them, these things are pretty maintenance intensive. | ||
| 86129squids |
Hey! If you don't know already... https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/park-announces -2021-plan-for-cades-cove-vehicle-free-days.htm Let me know, we'll ride together. I'd love to try my old Cannondale out there. And- I can show you the way to Deal's Gap! Maybe... call someone in to pick us up. I know the trail. | ||
| 86129squids |
"If you actually use them, these things are pretty maintenance intensive." Yeah... I've gotta re-do the handlebar tape already. It has been so long, but I remember upkeep needs of bikes like these. This Denali is ideal for Cade's Cove. Needs some work. | ||
| Rick_a |
I'm thinking more on chains, chainwheels, cassettes, bottom brackets, hubs, headsets, cable maintenance, adjustments, etc. Seems I was rebuilding the bike every 1500 miles. That looks interesting. | ||
| 86129squids |
I'm guessing you're interested in Cades' Cove? Heck, I'll grill out afterward. Or, my honey could fix some Dominican Nom. DominicaNOM. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
Thirty plus years ago I had a Schwinn Sierra Mountain bike. Thing was fairly darn nice for it's price back in the day. I road it everywhere a teenager without a car would go. Wish I still had it. Wonder if that vintage would be worth anything now? | ||
| Two_seasons |
Rick_a said "It has an annoying creak and squeak in the left front at low speeds that I have to track down." Lube your hood screw-in adjustable supports. Not the struts! These are the rubber tipped screw-in supports. I used to put white lithium grease on mine.  | ||
| Rick_a |
I fixed that a while back. There was a bad wheel bearing and hub that had the brake rotor rubbing on the steering knuckle intermittently. | ||
| Rick_a |
Also, my wheels were designed for Formula 1. Because racecar.  | ||
| Rick_a |
My neighbors raced some Schwinn mountain bikes. Don't remember the model...but they were full suspension and pretty nice. I just sold some old BMX bike parts I'd been holding onto for decades for obscene amounts of money. Hopefully people are as nostalgic about mountain bikes. | ||
| Rick_a |
While that sounds enticing, my bike has been down, needing a new rear hub laced in. The roads around here are narrow and full of idiots. I see people on road bikes hogging the road all the time and wonder how they survive. | ||
| 86129squids |
All the more reason to come check out Cade's Cove on a Wednesday. Heck, you can ride either my Cannondale or my cheapo special mountain bike. Just holler. | ||
| Rick_a |
One of my coworkers has a 3rd gen Mini Cooper with some 120K miles on it. He complained that a "battery not charging" warning was displayed. I checked it out and his accessory belt was not moving at all. Turns out they have a rubber crank pulley/damper setup that is a friction rubber/steel fit. When it wears out it free spins. The pulley is $500 without a cheaper alternative and who knows what they'll charge for labor. He's lucky he only drove a couple miles that way. Makes me a little more glad that I didn't buy a Mini. | ||
| Court |
I ride 30 to 50 miles a day and have found the bike needs regular maintenance but I am fortunate, both south and north, to have gr3at small bike shops. I kept the Schwann I bought years ago and it hangs next to Erik’s first Paramount mountain bike. | ||
| 86129squids |
Dangit Court! I remember riding distances like that... good on you, sir. | ||
| Rick_a |
After a few days of screwing around and a summer of sweating it out, I have AC. At first I replaced the electromagnetic clutch, and the mechanical clutch bearing failed after half a day of use. The fan resistor popped because the filter was completely clogged which overloaded it. I guess I should've checked that at some point.  20210721_151935 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr  20210721_173557 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr A casualty. Those circlips are tough.  20210714_175751 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr | ||
| Blake |
I hate working on AC. So many things to go wrong. Why can't vehicle AC be as reliable as that on my 32 yo fridge? Duty cycle can't be that much different. | ||
| Rick_a |
Yeah. My ex's '92 Taurus SHO had an AC system that never worked. A dealer replaced the entire system after they couldn't figure it out. Still wasn't working. When sold to a portly mechanic that claimed he could fix anything...he was cursing that car  Most cars have known failure points. This one has many in the AC system. The fan, fan resistor, and clutch assembly. The condenser is known to be susceptible to rock damage. The actual compressor tends to last forever. The AC clutch is only available as an aftermarket until through a single vendor, and at a relative premium. It's in the absolute worst position...behind a wheel, in the lowest possible position in the engine bay. It works now, though my MPG's suffer greatly. | ||
| Aesquire |
Nifty Honda. I inherited a mint Odysey '04, 40k. With scooter lift. Sold it cheap to a chair bound friend of a friend. I gave him the warning/instructions for the annoying buttons. Child safety locks, power side door interlock defenstrators, the hidden dash light knob. Then we installed the hand controls, popped the seat out behind the driver, strapped it in the lift. Off he went. About 3 weeks later, he gives me a ride, runs good. He was too excited to process the defenstrator instructions, of course. Pointed out the buttons again. But he's bombing around & I'm jealous. Actually pretty good on twisty roads. I've got the replacement on the way, Rav4 hybrid, mission, tall ( snowbanks, back ) hatch econobox. Will brag soon, I hope.  Pumped up the Vermont camo Stowe after a good cleaning... I'd blame the 12 year old seat, but in think it's just tender butt. Too long, no ride. Bike is as fast as I remember, but I'm not. ( Phase 3 Cycles, Rob Stowe ( local frame builder ) Off road 700c with aero rims, off road... Not a 29er. Predates those, rockshock seatpost, mountain bike components. Fillet brazed, Custom Holstein paint. ) |
