There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

[TollKeeper]

For some reason I have always likes the X90..

 

[OR VietVet]

I think I am just going to end up doing an inspection for any problems but that could change when I talk to her and see if she has maintenance and repair records. The only thing she has noticed is a small oil leak on her driveway. @TollKeeper, do you know of any common oil leak places on that rig? No info given yet on the small Asian pickup.

 

[TollKeeper]

The underpinnings are complete Geo/Chevy Tracker. Depending on generation, usually just the valve cover gasket, and the distributor O-Ring if Equipped. At some point they went to DIS. Not sure if that was during the X90 generation, or after. I also seem to remember the Oil Filter Housing/Neck was a source.

You could always talk her into dropping a LS into it. Supposed to be a pretty straight forward swap!

 

[B-train]

So, I did get that 1985 Ford F150 pickup here Saturday afternoon. As usual he added other work "while here".

Squeal noise when starting, that turned out to be a very loose set of "V" belts on the alternator and power steering. Especially the alternator. I could turn the alternator pulley by hand easily. The tensioning bolt was hidden in the backside of the lower bracket and was a PITA to get a socket on it because so close to frame rail. Fortunately I have a stubby 3/8" drive ratchet and was able to get it tensioned. Been a long time since I have tensioned "V" belts with a pry bar and ratchet.

Next add on was installing his brake master cylinder. The real clue that it was needed was the obvious brake fluid leak at back of master cylinder that had been going on long enough to allow the brake fluid to blister the paint on the booster. I removed the master cylinder in front of him, with lines attached, and there was a rusty mess at back of cylinder and in the plunger rod pocket on the booster. Biggest PITA was that the attaching nuts at inside firewall were rusted badly and took my 3/8" pistol grip Milwaukee impact to take them off after I broke loose by hand. Then the 4 studs were corroded in the thru holes and had to encourage the booster to let go with a pry bar on the outside and a hammer on the inside at the stud tips. Mounted the new booster, bench bled the m/cyl. and installed and then bled at the attaching lines and had a good pedal. Before anyone asks, yes I did measure the hole depth at back of m/cyl. where the adjustable rod sets in to and I also adjusted the adjustable rod to match the old m/cyl. I also did a new stoplight switch while apart.

Then on to the carb. I did a cold start and sure enough the choke pull off was inop but did have power to electric choke. I knew I wanted to adjust the fast idle up on that cold start. The adjusting screw was angled down and while I was trying to bend over the back of carb and adjust that screw I found could not get a screwdriver on it but then I also noticed that the linkage from the pull off to the butterfly was not attached at the bottom. Could not reattach while on the vehicle so I removed carb. Worked on the carb on my roll cart and had to hold a small flashlight in my mouth to see down in there. Was a large PITA. Adjusted the fast idle, reattached linkage and lubed and reinstalled. By that time the owner had showed.
Did a cold start, set the choke with gas pedal, started engine, went right to fast idle and the owner said had never done that before, watched as ran and saw the choke open up the butterfly plate and stand straight up and then kicked down the throttle and went to curb idle and I adjusted that and road tested. All good.

4 hours labor at $75 an hour and $300 in my pocket. Told him I am not working on that carb again. You can see linkage that was unattached at bottom in the pic. You can see the brake fluid sludge too. I tore this all down on Saturday afternoon and installed new parts on Sunday morning.

Turns out, the next door neighbor wanted to buy my girls K2500 pickup but she does not want to sell but it turns out that the Ford pickup owner, that I worked on his 97 K1500 last week, is gonna sell that truck to next door neighbor and I am gonna do about $800 work on it after he buys.

View attachment 402611View attachment 402612View attachment 402613View attachment 402614View attachment 402615

You're a better man than I. That's a crusty old setup for sure. I'm too young to fully be proficient on carbs - luckily they were phasing out to EFI by then. I have no desire to learn it....

Also, the ford's from the 80's and early 90's really helped quench my desire to work on vehicles for a living. IMO they were all piles of shit - except for the mazda powered stuff. In the midwest, they fight every step of the way. Their metallurgy wasn't the greatest for sure. In those years GM was much more enjoyable to work on.

Fast forward 20 years and I now have a 2019 F-250 company truck. I hate to admit it, but I actually like it. 6.2L has a lot of grunt and it runs like a rap ed ape. I think quality has taken more of a presence than it had before, thankfully.

 

[OR VietVet]

You're a better man than I. That's a crusty old setup for sure. I'm too young to fully be proficient on carbs - luckily they were phasing out to EFI by then. I have no desire to learn it....

Also, the ford's from the 80's and early 90's really helped quench my desire to work on vehicles for a living. IMO they were all piles of shit - except for the mazda powered stuff. In the midwest, they fight every step of the way. Their metallurgy wasn't the greatest for sure. In those years GM was much more enjoyable to work on.

Fast forward 20 years and I now have a 2019 F-250 company truck. I hate to admit it, but I actually like it. 6.2L has a lot of grunt and it runs like a rap ed ape. I think quality has taken more of a presence than it had before, thankfully.

This truck has numerous emission control components hanging here and there in the engine compartment. Disconnected one by one.

The carb removal and linkage fix was definitely a blast from the past for me. All I know is that I fixed that linkage, reinstalled the carb and when I set the choke and cranked the engine, it fired up and ran at fast idle. Had not done that for me since he dropped off for the cold start problem. I then told him I am not working on it any more, carb that is.

I did talk to him 2 days ago and the truck has been sitting since he took it back. I scared him a bit about the rust I showed him in the brake system. He knows he needs the wheel cylinders and calipers replaced, see the pics I posted of the inside of the master cylinder. Plus flush the brake fluid as best I can or replace every line and hose as well. I warned him about them as well. It is his beater truck but he still has to stop safely. I told him, "Whether I fix it or someone else, it needs done, period".

 

[OR VietVet]

My AL friend called yesterday and asked me to change the oil and filter on his old Jeep Renegade 1.4 turbo, that his daughter now has. She drove up from Ca. for a 5 day visit. Dropped at 11 a.m. and done by noon. 27mm socket needed for oil filter housing removal for o-ring and cartridge. Kind of a PITA to access but doable. 4 quarts of 5w-4- full synthetic. Changed the air filter. Has 28k miles, so looks good with no leaks. The strange thing is that the low pressure a/c port cap was missing and the large under engine/belly splash shield was completely gone. The daughter lives in Santa Cruz and takes to the same place for oil changes. Someone there forgot to reinstall the shield, at SOME time. Few bucks in my pocket.

Tomorrow evening, the 2007 Lexus RX350 is coming back to get the CORRECT right rear side marker light installed. Came from RA. Kind of a PITA location to get to but again, is doable.

Then sometime next week I am going to do a full inspect of the 98 Suzuki Sidekick X-90. Has obvious oil leaks at the valve cover gasket and the distributor shaft o-ring. Is supposed to have a subdued click noise when accel from stop or even when accel while driving. Will be paying attention to that when I road test it. Maybe @TollKeeper has ideas for that. Need to check tune components. Coolant and brake fluid slightly low and will cover that during inspection. Has original radiator cap and will be replaced. Severe corrosion at battery cable ends. P/S slightly low.

The guy has an 86 Nissan Pickup for me to inspect after that.

 

[TollKeeper]

I would be willing to bet it needs a timing belt. Tensioner probably is about done. They will make a clicking noise when they are WAY, like never been replaced, passed replacement time.

Also another point for the oil leak, where the cam shaft goes thru the front face of the head to the timing belt.

May just be a serpentine belt tensioner.. But I am pretty sure they are running V-Belt on those.

 

[OR VietVet]

@TollKeeper, The timing belt was done at 63326 miles on 9-8-2007 but nothing else mentioned. I will be checking for the tensioner(s) and cam/crank seals. Does have serpentine belts.

 

[OR VietVet]

Did my inspection today on the Suzuki Sidekick. She had a rattle she was hearing and found it at the catalytic converter shield and rocks in there, was able to dig them out. Severe oil leak from valve cover gasket and she actually crawled under and saw what I saw. completely wet and dripping from oil pan front and rear. traced up to valve cover. Told her I would do the valve cover gasket and look real close at the distributor seal when apart and would do the PCV valve and oil sender. Needs a new positive cable end and clean corrosion down the cable and skin back insulation. Found a missing front 4x4 hub allen bolt but no grease there and told her to keep an eye on it. Front pads like new and wearing even. Rear shoes about half on bonded linings and wearing even and adjusted correctly. Opened wheel cylinder cups and no fluid leaks. Picked up valve cover and tube seal kit, Fel-Pro. Picked up oil sender. Still have to get battery cable end and pcv valve. By the time I cleaned the old cable end as best as I was gonna, going to replace in a couple days anyway, the metal was pretty thin. They had those red and green chemically treated round felt pads under the cable ends. Didn't do much good, as I showed them.

 

[iamdub]

Did my inspection today on the Suzuki Sidekick. She had a rattle she was hearing and found it at the catalytic converter shield and rocks in there, was able to dig them out. Severe oil leak from valve cover gasket and she actually crawled under and saw what I saw. completely wet and dripping from oil pan front and rear. traced up to valve cover. Told her I would do the valve cover gasket and look real close at the distributor seal when apart and would do the PCV valve and oil sender. Needs a new positive cable end and clean corrosion down the cable and skin back insulation. Found a missing front 4x4 hub allen bolt but no grease there and told her to keep an eye on it. Front pads like new and wearing even. Rear shoes about half on bonded linings and wearing even and adjusted correctly. Opened wheel cylinder cups and no fluid leaks. Picked up valve cover and tube seal kit, Fel-Pro. Picked up oil sender. Still have to get battery cable end and pcv valve.

Props for catching that hub bolt!