Some days, I suck at cars

[.RJ]

Today was one of those days.

Well, sort of started yesterday. I wanted to get the integra ready for this weekend, so I get it up on stands, brake rotors and pads, change the oil, new plugs and a valve adjustment. Easy enough, right? Well I couldnt get the damn oil filter off.... so today I go to NAPA and get one of those oil filter cup things and it worked great - bonus is, the miata filter was the same size so I can use it on both cars. So the integra is done and ready, I thought.

Once that was done I got the miata in to do the 90k service shit - plugs, wires, valve cover gasket, oil change, tranny fluid and it also needed front brakes - but advance didnt have any rotors so I bailed on that. Miata out of the garage and I take the integra over to Evan's place to give him a hand on some things on his miata, I figure I can make sure the Integra is running fine and I can bed in the brake pads.

Here's where the shit hit the fan. I leave evan's and head towards great falls (empty roads, lots of slow corners - good for bedding brake pads), and I get about 3 miles and I hear a *thunkclunk* and the battery light flashes on. I figure, well shit I tossed the alternator belt. No such luck. The goddamn crank pulley is off the damn crank and hanging by the a/c and alt belts.

What had happened, when I did the valve adjustment my dumbass left the socket and ratchet on the crank bolt and when I tried to start it I hear *CLANK*. No big deal, i pulled it off and didnt think twice about it - it had loosened the crank bolt. And it backed out at some point, and of couse the pulley fell off.

I got it towed home... called the guy I crew for and said "hey i'm gonna go steal some shit off one of your spare engines in the garage" and went over there and scavenged another bolt, pulley and woodruff key. Bit of loctite on the crank bolt, put it all back on and the car is back together now and seemingly running fine. Could have been much worse (crank failure).

So thats that.

[.RJ]

For this GRM project, I will only be allowed to take things apart.

I will put Pete in charge of putting things back together! He might blow up turbos, but at least parts arent falling off his car when he's driving down the road.

[JackoliciousLegs]

:lol: That's hilarious. I woulda paid to see the look on your face when you pulled over and found out what happened!

[ScottyB]

ha! just stick to installing altezzas.

seriously though, i'm scared to really get into my engine for reasons like that. i'm the kind of guy who shuts the hood, forgetting there's a bottle of oil still draining upside down on the engine (tommy boy reference)

[Andy]

I changed a fuel filter in mexico and left a flat head screwdriver and wrench for approximately 7,000 miles. No harm, no foul.

[Sijray21]

wow, that could've been much worse. Glad you got everything fixed. I hate forgetting about tools, more if they're still in the engine bay :-p.

[.RJ]

seriously though, i'm scared to really get into my engine for reasons like that.

Well, you'll always come up with new and exciting ways to amuse your peers and test your patience..... if you're worried about stuff, then make a list and just be cautious with what you're doing. I'm generally on autopilot, 3 deep :burp: , and music cranked while I'm working on a bunch of stuff on the car.

[Sijray21]

ps, i'm going to ask for your help with the civic's suspension (control arms as well) and the teg (hopefully i have that back today). i know i've told you before, trying to find time has been rediculous this past week.

probably isn't the best thread to put that in but....

[.RJ]

Whenever you're ready

I promise to be sober

[Mike]

dolt

[.RJ]

your car is still running, dont complain

[Mike]

hardy. it's putting out about as much power as evan's miata was (or is... i don't remmber if he swapped out that tired pile of metal yet)

[Evan]

nice try at an excuse mike, but when I was on track with you (errr....your car) it pulled on me quite a bit on the straights

[Mike]

yeah yeah yeah... well... you rolled rj, not me shit... we both rolled rj, didn't we?

[.RJ]

I rolled your ass on the street battle stage! w00t!

[Evan]

you never had me! you never had your car!

[KPWSerpiente]

Least it wasn't like a first gen eclipse. I was nodding along to your story cause pulley/balancer seperation is a common problem.

-T

[Jeff]

LOL, F&F refs make me laugh every time. Don't feel bad RJ, ur just a dumbass. You are in good company though.

I was troubleshooting a low/no boost problem with the Daytona after installing the IC (with the old, and now gone, PVC pipe). You could crack on it down the road and it would only hit 5PSI and the vac would fall deep at an idle when it normally holds 15. So, I asked everyone I could and everything looked strait. I drove it like this for 2 days. Then I said F*** this. Re-did everything, rerouted all the vac lines and all. I easily spent 3 hours on this. Finally I shook the lower IC pipe....and it wasn't even hooked to the turbo outlet. I don't know how it even ran as well as it did, and even more perplexing is the boost gauge even getting to 5. I dunno...thatÔÇÖs why itÔÇÖs goin in the trash in a week or 2.

[navin]

I caught my SS brake lines on fire... I win

[Littleton]

RJ owe's Formula Systems Group $325 for taking the machined pully and not the OEM one.