Ontopic The new car-seching thread

It appears I didn't get the cam break-in done correctly, as I've wiped a lobe or three.

The notion of break-in on flat-tappet cams with solid lifters is that you set the lash, run it for a little bit to wear the surfaces in and mate them up.

I think I used the wrong oil, and didn't have enough ZDDP to properly control the film.

So, I get to try again, after putting a new cam and new lifters in. Got an email into the manufacturer to see if there's anything additional they recommend (some like you to run a single spring instead of double springs for break-in, but I didn't know that until last night).

Expensive lesson :/

edit: #JEHANNUMGRADE
 
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Started replacing the front axles on the Audi today as one of them has a pretty significant leak in the outer CV joint. I'll take the old ones down to the axle shop locally and have them rebuilt. The ones I put in are from a place called "Raxles", and they were $280 a side, but they are all new parts.

To take the axle out, you need: a triple square set (inner axle bolts), a torx set (brake caliper), a 17mm impact allen wrench (outer axle bolt), and regular 17mm sockets (pinch bolt at the bottom of the strut assembly that holds it on the ball joint).

Really makes a man feel special with all them tools arrayed in one spot.
 
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A man as in one, sure. The rest of us would be cussing all that utterly needless complication.
I agree, it's fuckin' stupid to have so many different kinds of fasteners.

There's a method to the madness - the triple square fasteners take a higher torque value than the torx fasteners, which take a higher torque value than traditional bolt/nut of the same size, but I don't see why they couldn't just specify different torque values and appropriate bolt composition for it.
 
I suppose having 3 different grades of the same bolt holding the suspension together would be dangerous if you mixed them up, and having different heads for each of them avoids that issue.

Today's accomplishment: I got the fucking starter out of the corolla, finally! The stock starter has an iron nose on it that fits all precisely into a hole on the aluminum transmission, and after 10 years of atlantic canadian road salt, the thing seizes together. Ended up finally getting it out with the air hammer, and somehow managed to not destroy the thing in the process.

Maybe tomorrow I'll have the fucking transmission out of it, but I'll probably just run into "now I gotta go buy a die grinder to get at this bolt"
 
Found the rest of the caster adjustment bushing relocation kit in the attic parts bin for the Audi, so I'll stick that on the front sway bar (which doubles as the tension rod) before I put the subframe back in too and go get it realigned.

The pillowball mounts I have on the top of the front struts (instead of the rubber units that degrade and fall apart) don't have enough adjustment to get both the caster and camber in spec.
 
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I suppose having 3 different grades of the same bolt holding the suspension together would be dangerous if you mixed them up, and having different heads for each of them avoids that issue.
The thing is, they're all different sizes. The M10 triple squares are 10mm, the 17mm axle bolt is bug fuck big (probably 14mm by eye), the m8 pinch bolt is 8mm, and the caliper bolts I didn't measure. They might be 8mm, but they're way different length than the pinch bolts.
 
I agree, it's fuckin' stupid to have so many different kinds of fasteners.

There's a method to the madness - the triple square fasteners take a higher torque value than the torx fasteners, which take a higher torque value than traditional bolt/nut of the same size, but I don't see why they couldn't just specify different torque values and appropriate bolt composition for it.

The torque values make sense though you can get different grades of the same style bolt that are so marked.

If they need an innie and an outie for some reason, like so road wear, dirt, sand, gravel, etc. doesn't wear off the corners of a hex bolt over time that's fine, I just don't see a need for 3 different innies and an audi.
 
The torque values make sense though you can get different grades of the same style bolt that are so marked.

If they need an innie and an outie for some reason, like so road wear, dirt, sand, gravel, etc. doesn't wear off the corners of a hex bolt over time that's fine, I just don't see a need for 3 different innies and an audi.


Finished the Audi.

Caster offset bush pushes the sway/tension rod 10mm forward, should bring caster back into spec, and let the hat on the top of the strut correct camber more.
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Washed the shit out of the wheel well. This was caked in the axle grease from the ripped boot. Took a couple cans of brake cleaner and then some iron decontaminator to get all the shit out.
2020-11-29 (1).jpg

Next up, I need to swap out the brakes, but that was a bridge too far today.
 
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Huh, dad just emailed me that he ordered the Holley Sniper EFI throttlebody, an EFI fuel tank, and a tilt/telescope steering column for the GTO.

So I guess I got that on my plate now too.
 
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I remember vapor lock left my buddy sitting at the liquor store one time. I could think of worse places to break down.
 
Huh, dad just emailed me that he ordered the Holley Sniper EFI throttlebody, an EFI fuel tank, and a tilt/telescope steering column for the GTO.

So I guess I got that on my plate now too.
Small world - one of my co-workers worked at Holley and did firmware design on the Sniper. He runs the thing on his truck in place of the stock engine management and loves talking about it.

If you've got any weird questions about the thing, I'll pass them along.