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Topic: Automotive engineers.....What do they know? (Read 4918 times) previous topic - next topic

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #45
really? bob's cars are rusting? wait.. since when does he have 2?!
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #46
I have had a million cars in my life. I could go on and on, but here are a few highlights:

Geo Metro control arm mounts- They rust and separate, and the metal is too thin to weld. You basically have to engineer some hackery or junk it.

Olds Aurora with the battery under the back seat

How about our cars with the cruise  hidden in the wheel well? And the junk brittle clips that break on the ends...

Then we have:

Ford truck mod motor exhaust manifold bolts (rust and the heads pop off)

Any FWD vehicle that you can't get to the rear plugs. C'mon nerds, this is a regular maintenance issue, end users should be able to handle spark plugs. This one there is no excuse for. They should see this right away.

The ever-cracking exhaust manifolds on ford 2.3t cars.

VW Automatic transmissions (jetta, golf, etc)

VW Jetta cable-driven plastic window regulators (I have a 4-door, and they all broke)

Fox body seat backs that break and make me do the Detroit Lean

Aluminum rims that seize onto drums (Chevy astro)

Eagle Premier / Dodge Monaco. Everything about that car. The trans, the goofy way you have to bleed the coolant system with a bleeder that breaks off in the water neck... Worst car I ever owned

Some fords with the plastic timing gears... Really?

Gearboxes on our window motors and the disappearing bushings

Overheating ford TFI modules

Ford Full Size Bronco rear window- It's a power window, that you have to roll down to be able to open the tailgate... The tailgates rust like crazy too

Man, I could go on and on..
CoogarXR : 1985 Cougar XR-7

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #47
Quote from: CoogarXR;376821
Eagle Premier / Dodge Monaco. Everything about that car. The trans, the goofy way you have to bleed the coolant system with a bleeder that breaks off in the water neck... Worst car I ever owned

hondas are the same friggin way.. makes a simple job a PITFA when the bleeder is seized and stripped
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #48
CoogarXR you hit on a good one. Eagle Premier and Dodge Monaco. I had to work on a few of them at the dealership. What .
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
86 T-Bird V6 C5
91 F-150 5.0L 5spd
93 Mustang LX 351C C4
2013 Honda CRV AWD

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #49
This talk about rust reminded me about the rear strut towers on Escorts.
Matt
1984 Thunderbird - 89 302 HO, GT40 heads w/ Trick Flow springs, E303 cam, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake and 600 cfm 4bbl, Mustang headers, Jegs o/r H pipe, Dynomax lers, Mustang AOD and shifter, Mustang 8.8 w/ 3.73s, 3G alternator, Mustang front and rear sway bars, KYB 87-88 Turbo Coupe shocks and struts, and 11" front brakes.

1988 Mustang GT - GT40 heads, Explorer intake, 70mm throttle body, 70mm MAF, Crane 1.7 rrs, E303 cam, Kirban Kwik shifter w/ Pro 5.0 deluxe handle, aluminum clutch quadrant and firewall adjuster, o/r h pipe, Dynomax lers, 3G alternator, aluminum radiator, and 3.27 gears.
 
1986 Cougar 5.0, 1989 Mark VII LSC 5 speed, 1980 Mercury Zephyr 4 door (sold)

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #50
Quote from: 5.0 bird;376838
This talk about rust reminded me about the rear strut towers on Escorts.

Or the strut towers on our cars.. Mine were pretty well shot.. Had one fixed when the engine was out.

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #51
thanks for reminding me.. both of mine are shot.. :(
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #52
Quote from: Fordracer08;376529
How about Renault Alliance and Encore. "1984 Motor Trend Car of the Year." You could always count on them needing something at state inspection time. Trans were junk. They blew head gaskets regularly. Steering racks wore out. E-brake cables broke. On and on. I worked at a Toyota/Chrysler/Jeep dealer in the early 90s. Chrysler took over AMC, I believe in the late 80s, and they were the Renault franchises. What junk. I will agree with TOM Renzo though it kept me in work.

 
My uncle rebuilt one of these back in the 80's, his friend then turned the engine over backwards which was a big nono! Timing belt had to be replaced all over again

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #53
L99/LT1 water pumps directly above the Optispark (distributor).

When the water pump fails, it almost always ruins the O/S. And whoever/whatever entity manufactures those water pumps....I'm on the third one, with not more than 1500 miles between the changes...every ed time it was the bearing and seal going bad and leaking coolant. (they're shaft driven through the front of the engine, off of the cam, via a small splined coupler)

I also won't go into detail about the coolant bleeding issue with regards to said LT1 engines...
Really? You can f*ck up and put a rather important electrical device  directly under a source of liquid, but you can't out a goded  radiator cap ON the radiator to add coolant!? (Caprice/Impala -96 and  older)

C'mon GM...did your engine designers for the LT1 series smoke a fat bag before coming in to work that day..???

One more...whichever brain-deficient jack-hole who thought it would be a good idea to put locking lugs on Ford vehicles...I've never seen any that didn't ultimately need a socket pounded on them to be removed, or else cut off in some manner. Which isn't recommended for wheels you wish to keep in a nice state..)
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #54
i 2nd the 'locking lugs'.. stupid stupid stupid
ShadowMSC.com < < Still Under Construction

R.I.P. 'Zump' 8/29/86 - 11/11/11
3- 87 TC's / 1 really mean 83 Capri RS / 94 Sonoma SAS Project on 37x12.50 TSL Radials / 88 S10 that's LITERALLY cut to pieces / 84 F150 SAS, 351M, 39.5 TSL's / 85 Toyota regular cab, 22R 5spd, 3/4" drop, my little junkyard save/daily driver

 

Automotive engineers.....What do they know?

Reply #55
Try working at a used car dealership that handles mostly 3-year-old lease returns that have been through auction. You get an all new hate on for locking wheel nuts when 90% of the vehicles you're working on are missing the key...
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣