• So my job is working on cars..AMA
    44 replies, posted
I've always wanted to make an AMA thread... and I figured I would. I work at a shop doing audio/remote start/ alarm/ etc installs.. and part time at an independent mechanic shop. Plus paint and junk on the side (not quite as professionally). But.. I like answering questions and stuff. So feel free to ask me anything. Topics that I'm not knowledgeable on: anything past rudimentary forced induction custom tuning for performance the finer points of setting up a vehicle for autoX or drag racing Crap I can probably help with: No starts, stalling, electrical problems, etc. entertainment systems, radios, speakers, subs, video, meh fabrication custom suspension stuff painting stuff.. candy, flake, pearl Stuff I expect from you: to be able to run tests on the vehicle as you are guided to where the problem lies (run a mutlimeter, get fuel pressure readings, etc.) Stuff I can do but probably not online: running rough, basically anything that needs a scanner hooked up to read the live data stream from the sensors. Lock it if this thread sucks.
the fuck is AMA
ask me anything
what size return fuel line should i have for my 240sx running E85 at 550whp? this is a test question btw
Well... I'll definitely post here if I have a problem. Maybe we should have an "automotive problems megathread." With a list of FP mechanics and people to contact.
[QUOTE=Llamaboy9;31074495]Well... I'll definitely post here if I have a problem. Maybe we should have an "automotive problems megathread." With a list of FP mechanics and people to contact.[/QUOTE] List of contacts:
Haha, Lemon. I don't know if he'll get that. inb4 he googles it
I mean, I don't expect him to get it exactly right, because it kind of depends on how much headroom you want, but i want to see if he is even in the same ballpark.
Oh, test questions? I've got one. It's easy, but still. I have a 1970 Volkswagen Type 1. Recently, I've been having electrical problems. I'm only pulling 12v at idle, and my generator light flickers. My generator belt is on tight. What could it be?
[QUOTE=ThatHippyMan;31078394]Oh, test questions? I've got one. It's easy, but still. I have a 1970 Volkswagen Type 1. Recently, I've been having electrical problems. I'm only pulling 12v at idle, and my generator light flickers. My generator belt is on tight. What could it be?[/QUOTE] get a new battery [editline]13th July 2011[/editline] :>
[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;31078564]get a new battery [editline]13th July 2011[/editline] :>[/QUOTE] Oh you~ Wrong.
[QUOTE=ThatHippyMan;31078394]Oh, test questions? I've got one. It's easy, but still. I have a 1970 Volkswagen Type 1. Recently, I've been having electrical problems. I'm only pulling 12v at idle, and my generator light flickers. My generator belt is on tight. What could it be?[/QUOTE] Very possibly lost a rectifier diode in the alternator. Best way to diagnose is to hook up a O-scope to the + post of the alt and watch the voltage waveform... look for a missing "hump". As for the fuel line question.. that's performance related. Can't say as I have any idea. This is filed under the "the bigger the better" law I would presume. :wink: I like the idea of auto repair megathread. This can turn into that if it would be better, doesn't bother me!
[QUOTE=clutch2;31080118]Very possibly lost a rectifier diode in the alternator. Best way to diagnose is to hook up a O-scope to the + post of the alt and watch the voltage waveform... look for a missing "hump". As for the fuel line question.. that's performance related. Can't say as I have any idea. This is filed under the "the bigger the better" law I would presume. :wink: I like the idea of auto repair megathread. This can turn into that if it would be better, doesn't bother me![/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3y3QoFnqZc[/media]
Ah so you tested it with the Oscope and the pattern was fine? Time to suspect a faulty regulator, brushes, or wiring somewhere in between. Best bet is to bypass the regulator (most likely controlling ground), and just straight ground it for a sec. If the voltage hops back to proper operating voltage (well.. higher generally) the regulator's shot.. or the regulator ground could be corroded, inspect, since generally old regulators are grounded through the casing to whatever they're bolted to. If that turns out to not be the case, have a look at the brushes. Depending on the construction of it, they may or may not be serviceable. Generally they'll just stop charging if one's damaged, but a chattering brush could cause said symptoms. Also, make sure full 12v is at the input side of the field coil at the alt as well (assuming, again, reg controls ground). If not, there's some resistance before. Less likely, however given the problem. You know, there's is no ONE fix for issues like that, regardless of what your "correct" answer is, if you get 10 VWs in with that problem and just toss your fix at every one without diagnosis, you'll get bit in the ass eventually. I can have 100 90's GMC trucks come in with no 4wd and most will have a bad front thermal actuator, BUT, I need to run through diagnosis to be sure it's not something else.. which it will be on some.
[QUOTE=clutch2;31082509]Ah so you tested it with the Oscope and the pattern was fine? Time to suspect a faulty regulator, brushes, or wiring somewhere in between. Best bet is to bypass the regulator (most likely controlling ground), and just straight ground it for a sec. If the voltage hops back to proper operating voltage (well.. higher generally) the regulator's shot.. or the regulator ground could be corroded, inspect, since generally old regulators are grounded through the casing to whatever they're bolted to. If that turns out to not be the case, have a look at the brushes. Depending on the construction of it, they may or may not be serviceable. Generally they'll just stop charging if one's damaged, but a chattering brush could cause said symptoms. Also, make sure full 12v is at the input side of the field coil at the alt as well (assuming, again, reg controls ground). If not, there's some resistance before. Less likely, however given the problem. You know, there's is no ONE fix for issues like that, regardless of what your "correct" answer is, if you get 10 VWs in with that problem and just toss your fix at every one without diagnosis, you'll get bit in the ass eventually. I can have 100 90's GMC trucks come in with no 4wd and most will have a bad front thermal actuator, BUT, I need to run through diagnosis to be sure it's not something else.. which it will be on some.[/QUOTE] It's a generator, not an alternator. It was a belt that slipped above idle speeds.
Ah, true true, little bit different wiring for the regulator and such then since there's no field coil and stuff. And no rectifier diodes I see now that I bothered to look up a wiring diagram. Can't say as I've ever worked on a car w/ a generator, so I'm assuming 12v must be adequate output for idle, then?
[QUOTE=clutch2;31082698]Ah, true true, little bit different wiring for the regulator and such then since there's no field coil and stuff. And no rectifier diodes I see now that I bothered to look up a wiring diagram. Can't say as I've ever worked on a car w/ a generator, so I'm assuming 12v must be adequate output for idle, then?[/QUOTE] Nope. 13v is the ideal idle voltage. Enough to charge the battery and run lights and windshield wipers. [editline]12th July 2011[/editline] IE, it slipped every once in a while on idle, then did not run at all at higher speeds, causing the generator light to come on. [editline]12th July 2011[/editline] And rectifier diodes on a 1970 [I]anything?[/I] Real pro.
Hey clutch, I'll throw you a simple question to see how knowledgeable you really are. A man had a '92 Civic hatchback, it's got a D15B8 in it and snaps the timing belt. Bending the valves in the head, he decides to pull it off and throw it in the junk. Over it, he chooses a D15B2 head, and uses a D16A6 camshaft in the head. He uses his D15B8 block with it and an '88-'91 Felpro headgasket with a D15B7 timing belt. Will this setup work? If not, explain why.
[QUOTE=bradley;31083086]Hey clutch, I'll throw you a simple question to see how knowledgeable you really are. A man had a '92 Civic hatchback, it's got a D15B8 in it and snaps the timing belt. Bending the valves in the head, he decides to pull it off and throw it in the junk. Over it, he chooses a D15B2 head, and uses a D16A6 camshaft in the head. He uses his D15B8 block with it and an '88-'91 Felpro headgasket with a D15B7 timing belt. Will this setup work? If not, explain why.[/QUOTE] [img]http://www.owned.lv/images/1.jpg[/img]
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA i remember seeing that picture a while back but the timing in which you used it is golden
[QUOTE=lemon_lover;31083994]AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA i remember seeing that picture a while back but the timing in which you used it is golden[/QUOTE] I'm not going to lie and drum up some answer I found from Google and Yahoo! Answers. I know the basics, that's it
i dont know it either i don't know shit about hondas and all there LEGO engines
[QUOTE=lemon_lover;31084323]i dont know it either i don't know shit about hondas and all there LEGO engines[/QUOTE] I know they're four bangers and have the same displacement as my VW but pull twice the horsepower because of crazy Nipponese Moonspeak Magic.
They're just oversized motorcycle engines built for four wheeled motorcycles by a motorcycle company :smug:
[QUOTE=bradley;31084909]They're just oversized motorcycle engines built for four wheeled motorcycles by a motorcycle company :smug:[/QUOTE] honda is an engine maker. they decided to make something to put them in. case in point- f20c and k20xx
[QUOTE=bradley;31084909]They're just oversized motorcycle engines built for four wheeled motorcycles by a motorcycle company :smug:[/QUOTE] Yeah, well, a Honda CB1000 is my dream bike.
Did I mention I don't know about performance. Hey what's the proper cam shaft to put in my Ford 5.0 if I'm planning to turbo it? Hey, how about what's the ideal pushrod length if I'm top swapping a GM 3.4? When did this become a quiz thread. And YES, there were alts w/ rectifier diodes before 1970 Wiki: "They are simpler, lighter, less costly and more rugged. They use Slip rings providing greatly extended brush life over a commutator. A set of rectifiers (diode bridge) is required to convert AC to DC. Since the 1960s, the availability of low-cost, solid-state diodes allowed car manufacturers to substitute alternators for DC generators. To provide direct current with low ripple, a three-phase winding is used and the pole-pieces of the rotor are shaped (claw-pole) to produce a waveform similar to a square wave instead of a sinusoid. The alternator is usually belt driven at 2-3 times the engine crankshaft speed. This improves output when the engine is idling. The alternator runs at various RPM (which varies the frequency) since it is driven by the engine. This is not a problem because the alternating current is rectified to direct current." Here's some GM alt stuff [url]http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tech/GmAlternatorIdentification.htm[/url] Guess helping people out is no good, just attracting a bunch of know it all jerks. Since you are all godly smart, help me out. I wanna put a remote star/alarm in my 2002 mustang, and also install the window roll up/down module.. where do I start? Any takers?? Or what if I was installing a remote start on a new GM with a bypass that doesn't take care of the low current ignition switching? Can anyone explain that one? Come on it's easy, GM stuff is child's play.
But it's not an [i]alternator.[/i] And no, I'm not a know-it-all. If I was, I would have answered Brad's question. If I wasn't but wanted to seem like one, I'd copy+paste a Wikipedia article or Google up an answer. Unlike you, I'm not ashamed to say that I honestly don't know much about cars. My knowledge ends at basic motorcycle and aircooled Volkswagen repair and maintenance. [editline]13th July 2011[/editline] And if you wouldn't have come across as a know-it-all douchewhistle Google Mechanic, we would not have been such jerks.
[QUOTE=clutch2;31095361]Did I mention I don't know about performance. Hey what's the proper cam shaft to put in my Ford 5.0 if I'm planning to turbo it? Hey, how about what's the ideal pushrod length if I'm top swapping a GM 3.4?[/QUOTE] I didn't realise getting something running PROPERLY using pieces from different engines was performance related! A D15B8 block with a D15B2 head and D16A6 cam will be equivalent to a factory D15B7 engine, the stock engine for that car. It's no different than havign to use different model 350 chevy heads on something, say bolting some 305 heads or 283 heads on a 350 because you cracked one of yours. It's pretty common knowledge nd even google mechanics could figure it out.
Yup, because I hit up google every day when I get no starts towed in and stuff. Nope, I'd be swamped over my damn eyeballs and wouldn't get anything done. Out comes the scanner, multimeter, compression tester and some old fashioned know-how. Can't say as having experience in the automotive repair and electronics field/s means I google things. Bring me a 350 with a cracked head and better believe it's getting a matching pair, and those are getting cut. I never go swapping sizes. GM 3500 heads bolt right up to GM 3400 blocks.. but do I put them on? No. Little nuanes in intake ports/ size/ etc change the tune and end up being more of a pain for me. Easier to park it and get the correct part in. I thought maybe it could be valuable to come poor sap who wakes up to a no-start or something, and have someone willing to at least lend a hand online, but apparently google can solve no-starts and any other issue out there, so this thread's pointless. Peace.
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