DIY Car Maintenance

mountainaire · Nov 4, 2023

We've got a "should I buy a new car" thread, time for a dedicated maintenance thread.

My current project is this old Jeep that has been in the family since the Clinton administration and it has a lot of sentimental value to me. My father bought it new and I learned how to drive in it, all of my siblings learned how to drive in it. It fell into disrepair and sat neglected for a spell, and now I'm bringing it back around. Already completed all of the engine/drivetrain/suspension maintenance and somehow it still runs and drives great. Now I'm moving onto the rusted out floor pans. Was not looking forward to this part. Finally got around to removing the interior and was greeted with this:

This is my first time attempting body work. Not an expert by any means, just learning as I go. Cut out and chiseled away all of the cancer. Had to remove a LOT of metal:

Thankfully the rust was localized in the sheet metal only, and the frame structure underneath is still intact.

Tomorrow going to grind away the remainder of the rust and get everything nice and clean so I can weld in some "new floor pans" that I cut out of a file cabinet that I found. I plan on using a "weld through" zinc galvanization spray to prevent further rust. The goal is to have this thing completed and road worthy by spring.

Callixtus · Nov 5, 2023

That's quite the endeavor! Looking forward to seeing how the new floor pans look!

frozen-ace · Nov 5, 2023

Does the DOT salt the roads where you live?

paternos · Nov 5, 2023

Nothing I find as relaxing as working on a car, slowly seeing the progress.

It's like one big puzzle, but every little bit is logical, which is soothing. Good luck!

Thomas More · Nov 5, 2023

paternos said:
Nothing I find as relaxing as working on a car, slowly seeing the progress.

It's like one big puzzle, but every little bit is logical, which is soothing. Good luck!

I wish I was more like this. I get very frustrated by things like a bolt that won't come loose even after soaking it with penetrating oil, and then the bolt breaks off flush with the engine block. Or, the nut or bolt that you can't get at unless you have arms the size of a child's, and are double jointed.

I need to able to take all these things in stride, and just enjoy the process like you said. I do enjoy the sense of progress, and the sense of accomplishment when it's finished, but the level of frustration tends to make it unenjoyable for me.

I have some DIY projects coming up, including CV joints, shocks, struts, and brakes. I will get a chance to practice patience!

paternos · Nov 5, 2023

Thomas More said:
I wish I was more like this. I get very frustrated by things like a bolt that won't come loose even after soaking it with penetrating oil, and then the bolt breaks off flush with the engine block. Or, the nut or bolt that you can't get at unless you have arms the size of a child's, and are double jointed.

I need to able to take all these things in stride, and just enjoy the process like you said. I do enjoy the sense of progress, and the sense of accomplishment when it's finished, but the level of frustration tends to make it unenjoyable for me.

I have some DIY projects coming up, including CV joints, shocks, struts, and brakes. I will get a chance to practice patience!

I just did brakes, what helps me:

Take a lot of time for preparation, which tools, wrenches, bit sizes, and accept it takes days, i always miss something, have to order stuff, takes days. I have this cool little magnet stick for dropped nuts. (5 dollar on amazon, must have) I know the feel! haha

Callixtus · Nov 5, 2023

Thomas More said:
I wish I was more like this. I get very frustrated by things like a bolt that won't come loose even after soaking it with penetrating oil, and then the bolt breaks off flush with the engine block. Or, the nut or bolt that you can't get at unless you have arms the size of a child's, and are double jointed.

I need to able to take all these things in stride, and just enjoy the process like you said. I do enjoy the sense of progress, and the sense of accomplishment when it's finished, but the level of frustration tends to make it unenjoyable for me.

I have some DIY projects coming up, including CV joints, shocks, struts, and brakes. I will get a chance to practice patience!

I find that when I have to make a repair on the car I depend on it's a less enjoyable experience and more prone to stress if things don't go smoothly. But if I'm working on something recreationally, especially if it's with some buddies and we're having some beers, it's a much more enjoyable experience.

TheSurveyor · Nov 12, 2023

Just got done with the first part of a car restoration project. Had left my old bmw e46 sitting at the parents house for about 2 years. No one bothered turning the poor thing on or since then and it had been just collecting dust. Decided that enough was enough and that I was gonna get that bad boy running again.

To start off the poor thing wasn’t starting after a jumping it, ended up having to get a new battery. Also wanted to be safe and had to remove all the old fuel in, much more work than I had expected.

Cranked it up, it started and then it just died on me. Had me thinking that it was the fuel pump that went bad. Decided to go ahead and change the window regulator and call it for the night.

Not wanting to buy another part after spending almost $300 on a battery, I decided check the Internet forum and found that it could be that the ICV got stuck.

Took apart the engine and pulled out the ICV (sure enough, it was jammed) put some cleaner in it and got it unstuck. Put the engine back together and bam. She runs again!

I love working on classic cars that follow simple enough designs! Gonna clean her up and continue on this project

Gazeebo · Nov 13, 2023

Spent last Sunday doing the timing belt/water pump on the Ole faithful Honda Odyssey. A simple procedure however there are a few bolts can be stubborn. Particularly want to be careful with the water pump bolts and tensioner bolts. The photo is the timing side open with no belt, crank pulley, or tensioner and pulley off.

mountainaire · Nov 14, 2023

The work continues. I learned that the first 95% of the rust removal and prep work isn't too bad, but that last 5% is a different story. Rust hidden under the factory seam sealant, and in nooks and crannies that you cannot reach with the angle grinder/wire wheel to make quick work of it, etc...

For that last 5% I will have to switch methods and use naval jelly and a small wire brush.

Gazeebo · Nov 14, 2023

Looks great @mountainaire what are you going to weld with and what material are you going to use for the floor board?

mountainaire · Nov 14, 2023

Gazeebo said:
Looks great @mountainaire what are you going to weld with and what material are you going to use for the floor board?

I cut some sheet metal panels out of a large file cabinet that someone threw out. I have a small flux core welder that runs off of the 110v outlet in the garage. The welding in of the patches and new floor pans will be the easy part compared to the prep work.

Gazeebo · Nov 15, 2023

Nice good idea. I have a friend who also has the Fred Flintstone floor board and a filing cabinet is not a bad choice for metal.

Gazeebo · Nov 15, 2023

This is identical to my previous post but this a tow in due to incorrect instalation on syncro ring on crank pulley. It has a tapered side and a smooth side and if you install backwards it will slowly eat your timing belt as shown in the photo. I found bent valves on the rear bank so in the dealership side we just do an engine swap. Not my father's time when we would rebuild the head if possible or just replace the head all together.

mountainaire · Nov 19, 2023

Jeep update. Ground the welding surfaces clean and then hit them with a zinc galvanization spray. The zinc will protect the metal from corrosion and can also be welded through unlike other coatings. This is only the first layer of corrosion protection, it will get coated with POR-15 after the welding is completed for extra protection, as I really don't want to have to do this again in the future. Do it right the first time.

Cut the first panel section, sprayed it with zinc and tack welded it around the perimeter and plug welded it along the top of the frame channel. Flux core is not ideal for working with sheet metal, but it's what I have so I make due with it. I stood on the panel afterwards and it's strong enough to hold me up.

mountainaire · Nov 19, 2023

For all the boring welding photo enthusiasts out there.

mountainaire · Nov 21, 2023

Almost done with the passenger side.

Kiwi · Nov 21, 2023

I can't see anyone posting - "how do I change my oil?" or "my car won't start" after seeing this thread now thanks to @mountainaire creating something magical.

Great job! Hopefully it encourages others to do the same. Keep the updates coming.

mountainaire · Nov 25, 2023

That was quite a bit of work boys, but the old Heep has floors again.

mountainaire · Dec 13, 2023

All of the major rust repair is done. I'm not a pro bodyman and this thing has a lifetime of little scrapes, dents, scuffs, so I'm not going to attempt to conceal my very amateurish patch panels with body filler/paint. Choosing instead to embrace the patina, it's an old Jeep so I think it suits it well.