Just replaced the head & gasket on my Shogun. I was a bit daunted at first, but working methodically I got it fixed up and it started first time. Saved £2k by not going to Mitsubishi to do the same.
Feeling chuffed.....goes off to find swarfega
I filled the screen wash bottle once.
Head gasket on a Volvo 240 for 'normal' DIY.
It was my first car and I didn't have much money but had a bit of time on my hands so thought I'd give it a go. Good thing about the Volvo 240 is that if you take off the fan shroud, fan and sump guard you can stand within the engine compartment to work on the engine.
The car seemed to drive better afterwards and did another 12k miles for me before I sold it and I still see the old beast every now and then as I sold it to a mate in London.
I'm currently (well I've had a year break from it due to lack of garage where I now live) rebuilding a '67 Shelby GT350 (one of [url= 
]these[/url]) but thats not the sort of thing you are asking about though is it?
changed clutch on a Nissan almera.....even found the bolts that the haynes manual doesnt tell you about.....
Head gasket & big end bearing shells. On a Citroen AX - the folly of youth, I really wish I'd just driven it to the scrappy instead!
I've done pretty much every job you could do on car. Stripped engines right down and rebuilt them, replaced entire braking systems, replaced the entire suspension etc. Can't beat tinkering with cars 8)
Rebulit an engine then marinised it --adapted it to put it into a boat.
Even made my own engine mounts for it.
Pretty much everything that can be done - including machining new gearbox parts for a 1956 Jag that were otherwise unobtainable
I've restored a 30's Morris and Minis, Land Rovers and an Amazon. To be honest they were all pretty vintage. Big Meccano kits.
Changed clutches and timing belts on Golfs, even worked on Citroen XMs.
I'd rather spend more on a bike than a car so I'm always keen to try a bit of DIY
Rebuilt the top end of an air cooled VW bus (Getting the engine out takes just 30 mins, easy!)
Gearbox on a Jetta
Head gasket on a Polo
Brakes, driveshafts, cambelts, fuel pumps, all sorts of stuff. It's mostly just a case of undoing a few bolts and following the haynes manual
🙂
sootyandjim - That mustang is a beauty.
I drive a 1972 MGB GT, it is my run around car. I haven't had to anything major yet but I am getting ready. I have the handy Haynes manual and my socket sets.
Im debating puting a stage 2 engine and supercharger in myself.
Replaced the chassis on my 2cv - that was quite a big job but I only needed a couple of spanners and a hammer 😉
As per boardinbob - there's nothing I wont have a go at, it's never as hard as it sounds if you have the right tools. The only thing that I HATE and never works right for me is body/paint repairs lol.
sootyandjim - That mustang is a beauty.
Unfortunately thats not my one (though its what I'm rebuilding mine to look like).
Mine is a little bit faded (it having been a California car) and in many pieces in my parents garage at the moment. One day though.......
Put a diesel engine in our petrol transit. Payed for itself in one trip.
[i]Rebuilt the top end of an air cooled VW bus (Getting the engine out takes just 30 mins, easy!)[/i]
Replaced a cracked head on my Beetle in under two hours. Pretty much everything was an engine out job but it was easy.
Changed the rear numberplate bulb on Ford Focus. wooo for me!
Changed the suspension and brakes on my Audi A4 once never fiddled in the engine though.
Not a car, but I bought a tractor that was in two pieces and put it back together including removing/fitting the engine (it was rebuilt with a replacement block), replacing the front diff, fitting front axle, etc.
Must have been mad as it's a fairly sizeable lump of metal to deal with. Before that I'd rebuilt a smaller tractor engine which was not too bad.
Started off as this:
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which then became this:
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and finally this [:D]
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sharkbait wins.
Superb mate...!!!
I tried to fill the washer bottle but couldn't get the bonnet open so I guess filling it with petrol is my technical limit.
Pretty much everything was an engine out job but it was easy.
They were designed to take the engine out fast, so they could be worked on easier. It works, IMO
🙂
Nice of you to think so takisawa2, but personally I think Uplink wins so far - machining gearbox stuff is big boys territory.
All I did was play with heavy Mechano. Funniest bit was starting the engine for the first time - soon discovered I'd got the hydraulic lines to the sterring ram mixed up......... turned the steering wheel right and the wheels turned left 🙂
Tractor is fun though!
Rebuilt my engine in my Caterham 7 after blowing it up.
Its amazing what you can do with a borrowed Haynes manual, a few old spanners and a borrowed torque wrench.
(head gasket on an old Fiesta)
Well I can't come close to any of that.
I'm gonna change the gearbox soon in the Passat, considering taking the engine out and MAYBE giving it a rebuild when it's out. Although, it runs fine so I wonder if there's any point? 180k miles tho. There's stuff like corrosion from past leaks, the turbo gasket is leaking a tiny but, glow plugs are leaking a tiny bit too.. and it's really really dirty. So maybe I'll do it.
Turned a 1300 VW Engine into a 1776, twin carbed, ported/polished heads, lightened flywheel, race cam, counterweighted crank, stuck it in my beetle and it flew.
Rebuilt a few other Aircooled VW Engines, fastest time to get the engine out was just under 8 minutes.
Replaced a gearbox in my 67 splitty van, rebuilt the complete brake system.
Aircooled VW's are great to work on.
I have built many recovery vehicles.
cars: alternator, belts, radiator, the entire cooling pipe network, wiring, filters, fuel pump (propper old skoool type, a diaphragm pump and a lever that got bashed by the crank end every time it went round!)
2T motorbikes: exhaust, cylinder and piston after blowing up the engine (2stroke)
4T motorbikes: not a lot, nothing really goes wrong on hondas!
static engines: once stripped a honda 350cc down to every last nut and bolt out of boredome, started first time!
Once built a (lightly, didnt want to kill myself) supercharged 2T lawnmower, ohh that made a nice noise when i fired it up!
Engine, gearbox and axle swap on a morris minor, out with the 1098cc a series lump, in with the 1800 16v zetec motor.
Fully restored 2 Spitfires, strip down, welding, engine rebuilding upholstery, windscreens, the lot. Built a couple of kit cars from scratch as well.
Built a group a nova rally car from a standard sr. Built the engine - head, camshaft, etc. Straight cut gearbox and lsd. Replaced all the suspension, bushes, anti roll bars. Converted it to discs all round. Sweet car. Big regret selling it (and losing a lot of money)
Rebuilt mk2 golf 16v engine ,still using it 5 years on.
I`m about to convert the same car to a 2.8 VR6 engine.
Sh1t off a shovel stuff.
Oh and if anyone is looking for spares for a Mk3 Golf pm me.
Fitted sand filters to what felt like a gazillion army trucks in Saudi in preparation for first gulf war. The MOD had sent them out without the filters which were still back in blighty. We had to beg borrow and steal parts and tools off the Americans the Aussies. We even borrowed some stuff off the Egyptians for chrissake. Every other unit for miles used to hide anything that wasnt welded down when we came round with our begging bowl.
Bought a chinese copy Monkey bike, stripped engine down to the metal swarf, bigger piston and barrel, bigger carb, bigger exhaust, re-covered seat, complete re-wire, clip on bars, rear sets, re-paint.
Went from 90cc to at least 100cc!
...and 50 mph felt like a thousand miles an hour.
Good times...
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I was aiming for this, but ran out of cash!
3 inch body lift, 3 inch suspension lift, modified steering rack & shifters, exhaust, snorkel, etc etc
Body and mechanical restoration on a couple of MGBs. But my favourite was my 1967 Beetle..
Full body work and engine rebuild. New wings, inner wings, floorpans, heater channels, front axle, engine and clutch and respray.
Finished it all off on Friday and drove to France on the Sunday for a VW show. We had no problems apart from a slight(ahem) leak in a torrential downpour. The clue was when the back seat passenger shouted 'Achtung, dive, dive, dive'.
The MGs are long gone but I still have the Beetle, in need of some welding again but the parts are stacking up ready for another go at it this summer.
I'm fixing the heater in my MGB this weekend. It is going to be the only MGB in the world with a working heater 🙂
Today I installed a new Engine Ecu to mums car and coded it to the Vin number. Instrument cluster and keys on a 07 transit.
Removed speed limiter on 08 transit.
I work in the motor trade 😀
mcmoonter - does that mean you aren't followed by a cloud of black smoke everywhere you go now?!
As with Iainmunro i too have topped up the water in my windscreen wash,
On a seperate note Mcmoonter its chris from escape route here, just wondering if you guys are doing any off road riding this weekend?! Got a sunday off (Mega Rarity i know) drop us an email if youve got anything planned and wouldnt mind a "tag a long".
"Machinegun_jubleys(at)hotmail.com".
Catch ye on the flip,
Schwim
Short engine swap in a "breadvan" Polo, went from 1.04L to 1.1L. Clutch cable change required to allow it to change gear!
Full suspension change on a MkII golf Gti along with brake upgrade. CV joint and boot changes. All done on the drive as garage was full of rubbish and leaky.