Why are modern cars so darn fiddly

[obi_waynne]

They seem to make it really hard to work on modern cars. I was helping a mate get his cambelt on his S6.

On this engine the water pump acts as a tensioner but to use it means breaking a gasket and all the problem this causes. As the water pump was only replaced a few hundred miles ago this wasn't really an option:sad2:

Needless to say it was a major hassle but we did manage to get the thing inched on. I guess that is the price we pay for modern engineering.

The job actually took us about 3 hours to do!

What jobs have you started that just seemed to go on forever and do you think that they make cars hard to work on so we have to take it to a garage?

 

[pgarner]

yip with warranties now lasting so long they need to make the money somewhere else.

 

[Wcnwzrd]

i have noticed that as well wayne. my truck is the easiest thing in the world to work on most of the time. plenty of room around the engine and the other go parts (transmision, brakes, shocks, ect) my wifes pontiac i can barely get in to change the oil let alone a belt. i think they are making them that way so the do it your selfers will have to learn a whole new way of fixing something for every car they buy. if you want some real fun, find someone with a 1990 to 1996 300zx and ask to change the timing belt.

 

[prevtec]

i have noticed that as well wayne. my truck is the easiest thing in the world to work on most of the time. plenty of room around the engine and the other go parts (transmision, brakes, shocks, ect) my wifes pontiac i can barely get in to change the oil let alone a belt. i think they are making them that way so the do it your selfers will have to learn a whole new way of fixing something for every car they buy. if you want some real fun, find someone with a 1990 to 1996 300zx and ask to change the timing belt.

ha i can only imagine come on, tell me whats involved

timing belt in a prelude 92 - 96
water pump
3 tensioners, 1 is shaped like an old grandfather clock key
you know the 1 you use every 30 days or so

this tensioner has a spring on the inside which is so small, its actually a job itself getting it to stay in place

it also takes 2 belts 1 is an balance belt to stop 1 of the cams jerking out of place from the other, it makes sure 2 of the cams stay perfectley timed with each other

the 300zx is a nissan so it proberley is a chain belt
let me know mate

 

[pgarner]

im guessing an engine out jobbie ?

 

[Wcnwzrd]

The write up i used when i first did it has 71 steps. if you would like to read it you can find it here.

 

[Wcnwzrd]

going to summarize the write up by saying the following.

If you plan on ANY engine upgrades this it the time to do them

 

[HDi fun]

Anyone remember those Haynes manuals. Didn't it look easy. Nice warm workshop. Good lighting. Nice shiny brake caliper on the bench and a couple of grands worth of tools.

Not quite the same when your up to your ears in 7 years of ingrained road grime. 2 degrees above freezing. No access to the part you want. Dark garage and a couple of cheap spanners from Argos.

 

[obi_waynne]

Cheap spanners. I used to use a plumbers adjustable wrench and a kitchen knife!

The Haynes manuals also omitted one important tip, how to unsieze whatever it was you were undoing.

 

[HDi fun]

Cheap spanners. I used to use a plumbers adjustable wrench and a kitchen knife!

The Haynes manuals also omitted one important tip, how to unsieze whatever it was you were undoing.

Yeah that's right. And instructions on how to undo any nut or bolt with your fifth and sixth hands.

I always thought that they should have included a handy list of expletives as wll.