[Splinter]

I remember hearing that there was either a bmw or mercedes engine that had the timing chain at the back of the engine, so you had to take off the transmission to service it... anyone know what car that was?

And post some other nightmare jobs on other cars you know about!

[mr_baboon]

300zx z32.

So packed you practically have to remove the motor to put a new battery in. (just kidding, but you get the point)

[snootworks]

Volkswagen VR6 motors have the timing chain at the flywheel end.

[Gigarange]

Early '90s Nissan Pathfinders
The oil filter is right ABOVE the exhaust manifold, and you can't get at it from the top (can't remember why) so you have to reach up thru the (usually hot) exhaust manifold which then gets covered by oil once you get the filter off.

Mid '90s Camaro's with a 350
Changing the spark plugs...
Took Dave and I something like 6+hrs to change 4, and a shop another several hours to change the other 4, and it involved taking out the alternator, Y-pipe and a few other things to do it.

[das Birt]

Fiat X19

[m1ataman]

Pretty much anything from Volkswagen/Porsche/Audi. :p The 1.8T has the timing chain at the back too.

[TurboRay]

Originally posted by Gigarange
Early '90s Nissan Pathfinders
The oil filter is right ABOVE the exhaust manifold, and you can't get at it from the top (can't remember why) so you have to reach up thru the (usually hot) exhaust manifold which then gets covered by oil once you get the filter off.

Mid '90s Camaro's with a 350
Changing the spark plugs...
Took Dave and I something like 6+hrs to change 4, and a shop another several hours to change the other 4, and it involved taking out the alternator, Y-pipe and a few other things to do it.

Pathfinder, drain oil completly, extra 10 min required for filter to be empty during removal. Taking it off you can do from the top you just need practice (ahhh the lube shop days)

Thoes LT1s can kiss my ass. As well as 6.0 V8's in newer chevy trucks. 6 spark plugs are easy, last 2 suck. Same with triton V10s.

I hate all porches. Why my dad loves them beyond me. Too many days fixing electrical probs.

Doing timing chain or even a serp belt on a lincoln town car with a 4.6 DOHC. We had a customer who used to bring his green one in and i HATED it. Why ford shoved its largest motor in sideways is beyond me. Its like putting a J30A into a civic.

[Fleemer]

i hear elcipe/eagle talon tsis are nightmares... I was offered one for free, asked my mechanic about them, he said he turns them away :P

[rental_metard]

Originally posted by m1ataman
Pretty much anything from Volkswagen/Porsche/Audi. :p The 1.8T has the timing chain at the back too.
yup. MK5 oil changes: Take off oil filter remove tiny little oil filter inside (while getting dirty) replace tiny filter and you have to use some oil extraction tool so I'm told. Reading that on the forums has scared me enough to go to the dealership for oil changes:rofl:

If you change your suspension in these cars you need a specific strut spreader tool to release the strut knuckle. Speedway didn't have one, they phoned vw canada the tool was $40 and $100 to ship it. I'll let you take that in for a min. I asked around on the local vw boards if anyone had one I could borrow luckily someone did, the part is only the size of a drill bit or a pen cap its small as hell. $140 for one of those? I would have flipped.

[Oversight]

CA16DE in the 87-89 Pulsars is a whore all around.

My vote goes to the FD. I've never actually worked on one, and seeing the engine bay, I would never want too.

On the VW front however, any 4 cyl non-16V motor up until 1993 are some of the easiest to work on in my experience.

[sixthgear]

Originally posted by Fleemer
i hear elcipe/eagle talon tsis are nightmares... I was offered one for free, asked my mechanic about them, he said he turns them away :P

they are easy to work on

[h0tSX]

the aforementioned z32 tt and a vr6 corrado with a VF engineering supercharger and trying to make IC piping for it. : (

Edit, and rb20/25's with that bloody ic piping routed over the constantly failing coilpacks and their constituent fasteners.

[Fleemer]

Originally posted by Oversight
CA16DE in the 87-89 Pulsars is a whore all around.

My vote goes to the FD. I've never actually worked on one, and seeing the engine bay, I would never want too.

On the VW front however, any 4 cyl non-16V motor up until 1993 are some of the easiest to work on in my experience.

They only had the ca16de in 87, 88-89 it was a ca18de. You get used to it after a while, after you clean up the bay its easy to work on. (ca18de anyway)

As for my mechanic, he said he didn't want to fix it because of their notorious breaking down, fix one thing, something lse breaks. He suggested i stay away from it even though it was free :P (had a dead clutch)

Consequently the kid who did get it blew the turbo a week later . :P

[h0tSX]

most mechanics are pussies, ca's are fine, worked on a few ca18det's and they were great, and took one hell of a beating, just many aren't cared for/paid attention to, and the head's warp/crack, and nissan t25g's are filthy cheap.

[Fleemer]

Originally posted by h0tSX
most mechanics are pussies, ca's are fine, worked on a few ca18det's and they were great, and took one hell of a beating, just many aren't cared for/paid attention to, and the head's warp/crack, and nissan t25g's are filthy cheap.

its not that ca's are bad, they are cramped pretty good in pulsars. You need to remove an engine mount to get at the timing belt (if its lifted) i can't imagine doing it when its on the ground :/

I found mine relativly easy to work on other then oil changes since the oil filter is cramed up under the intake manifold, not a problem for RWD setups, but this transverse setup makes me have to go under it.. again :P

[h0tSX]

lol, fair enough.

[Fastam]

I'll drop the quad4 into here.

To remove the timing cover, you need to remove the upper motor mount, which has 3, 4" bolts about 1/2" from the shock tower, so you have to jack the motor up until the bolts can clear.

Then you must remove exhaust manifold, you have to do this to remove the water pump, which is bolted to the timing cover. Then you have to remove the alternator and crank pulley. After this its time for the oil pan (yes oil pan) as bolts go through the cover and into the pan.

The chain itself is painless and has to be the easiest to set the timing on i've ever seen....oh the irony.

[84GLI]

Originally posted by m1ataman
Pretty much anything from Volkswagen/Porsche/Audi. :p The 1.8T has the timing chain at the back too.

Sure don't! All 1.8T's are belt driven.;)

[m1ataman]

Ooops, my bad. I was thinking of the chain at the back that drives the other camshaft.

[sixthgear]

Originally posted by Fastam
I'll drop the quad4 into here.

To remove the timing cover, you need to remove the upper motor mount, which has 3, 4" bolts about 1/2" from the shock tower, so you have to jack the motor up until the bolts can clear.

Then you must remove exhaust manifold, you have to do this to remove the water pump, which is bolted to the timing cover. Then you have to remove the alternator and crank pulley. After this its time for the oil pan (yes oil pan) as bolts go through the cover and into the pan.

The chain itself is painless and has to be the easiest to set the timing on i've ever seen....oh the irony.

Not sure I would say that is a bad design. Realistically how often would you have to change or mess with the timing chain. It is also good to replace the majority of the components you have to remove (such as the water pump and crank pully (if it has a rubber isolator in it)).

[Gigarange]

To remove an alternator on a '90-'93 Integra you've got 2 options...take out the axle, or take out the master cylinder. Those are your only two options to physically get the alternator out from behind the motor.

It's got lots of room to move around back there, but won't fit out without removing one of those two things.

[Super Dipper]

Originally posted by Gigarange
To remove an alternator on a '90-'93 Integra you've got 2 options...take out the axle, or take out the master cylinder. Those are your only two options to physically get the alternator out from behind the motor.

It's got lots of room to move around back there, but won't fit out without removing one of those two things.


or how about knocking out the lower mount bolt and slide it out between the axle and the subframe. No need to take out the axle or the master.

[Super Dipper]

Originally posted by Fastam
I'll drop the quad4 into here.

To remove the timing cover, you need to remove the upper motor mount, which has 3, 4" bolts about 1/2" from the shock tower, so you have to jack the motor up until the bolts can clear.

Then you must remove exhaust manifold, you have to do this to remove the water pump, which is bolted to the timing cover. Then you have to remove the alternator and crank pulley. After this its time for the oil pan (yes oil pan) as bolts go through the cover and into the pan.

The chain itself is painless and has to be the easiest to set the timing on i've ever seen....oh the irony.

pain in the ass, yes, but not a "bad" design to work on

[Fastam]

Originally posted by sixthgear
Not sure I would say that is a bad design. Realistically how often would you have to change or mess with the timing chain. It is also good to replace the majority of the components you have to remove (such as the water pump and crank pully (if it has a rubber isolator in it)).

That is a good point, i only replaced the timing chain on mine, because i was doing the headgasket .All of the mentiond parts have to come off anyway.

[Splinter]

Originally posted by aspect
It takes me about an hour to change my spark plugs.

Remove air box
Unbolt engine mounts
Jack up engine
Remove coils
Remove plugs
Insert plugs
Have a forty five minute coffee break
Install coils
Lower engine
Engine mounts back in
Install air box
Enjoy new plugs

[TurboRay]

as much as i hate my tbird i can stand in the engine bay

do a timing belt in 30 min,
spark plugs in 5
swap turbos in 20
swap a headgasket in 45 min (by myself)
swap front springs in 20 min (way more with hand tools)

Still the car hates being worked on.

[Splinter]

Originally posted by TurboRay
as much as i hate my tbird i can stand in the engine bay

do a timing belt in 30 min,
spark plugs in 5
swap turbos in 20
swap a headgasket in 45 min (by myself)
swap front springs in 20 min (way more with hand tools)

Still the car hates being worked on.

I think you misunderstand the purpose of this thread

We're looking for cars that are shitty to work on, not shitty cars that you have worked on.

[TurboRay]

lol my car is shitty to work on. Its so simple in concept but fights you every step of the way. Matt and i have done so much shit to 2.3's and no matter what i takes 4x longer on my car. The engine bay is twice as big too. My car justs hates anyone. Everyone knows cars like that.

[MidnightMechanic]

Originally posted by TurboRay
Pathfinder, drain oil completly, extra 10 min required for filter to be empty during removal. Taking it off you can do from the top you just need practice (ahhh the lube shop days)


Just did the oil on my Pathfinder. The filter is accessable from the top, but I have really long arms. And yes, cool down time is mandatory because of the oil pours onto the exhaust manifold when you take the filter off.

[Benny95TA]

Originally posted by Gigarange
Mid '90s Camaro's with a 350
Changing the spark plugs...
Took Dave and I something like 6+hrs to change 4, and a shop another several hours to change the other 4, and it involved taking out the alternator, Y-pipe and a few other things to do it.

LOL... did he have manifolds or headers at that point?

[Avery]

MR-2

[Splinter]

Originally posted by Avery
MR-2

Fiero

[Gigarange]

Originally posted by Benny95TA
LOL... did he have manifolds or headers at that point?

still had manifolds at that point, it was before he really started modifying it.

He got headers shortly afterwards though...always joked with him that he only got them so he could change his spark plugs lol

[Victoria SiR]

Originally posted by Splinter
Fiero

Originally posted by Avery
MR-2

Elise

[KickMeInTheJunk]

Originally posted by Gigarange
Mid '90s Camaro's with a 350
Changing the spark plugs...
Took Dave and I something like 6+hrs to change 4, and a shop another several hours to change the other 4, and it involved taking out the alternator, Y-pipe and a few other things to do it.

That was a fucking nightmare!

Originally posted by Benny95TA
LOL... did he have manifolds or headers at that point?

It was easier for 7 of them with headers, but fucking number 2 didn't get changed the whole time I had that car! Son of a bitch! :mad:

:)

[T2Small]

Like the Camaro, both the 87 and 93 C4 Vettes I have changed spark plugs on were a complete pain in the ass.

One one we actually somehow did 7, and took the last one to a dealer that had the special tool that can extract the last spark plug. The other we monkeyed around for about about two hours and did them all.

Besides plugs, those vettes aren't that bad to access pretty much anything else. Opti-Spark and rain is fun though. ;)

[Splinter]

Originally posted by Super WOP
Elise

So basically any rear-engine transverse mount? lol

[Disillusion]

Chrysler Intrepid.
You have to remove the passanger side wheel, wheel well lining and the air intake box to replace the battery. That and they built the car around the motor, and you can't get at anything without removing body panels.

[Benny95TA]

Originally posted by KickMeInTheJunk
but fucking number 2 didn't get changed the whole time I had that car! Son of a bitch! :mad:

Hahahah... shitty. I have changed my number 2 plug a few times. :p

I find it odd that you can swap injectors in like 5 minutes, but plugs are an all day afair on these cars.

[mr_baboon]

SUPRAS.


Heater hose behind the head, starter bolts and the EGR cooler plate.


All three can fuck off. You need some mad azn hands to be able to get at some of that stuff.


Other than that no complaints, Plugs = 5 mins, turbo swap = 2 hours, Hell, I can have the intake manifold and injectors out in 10 minutes tops

[Victoria SiR]

Originally posted by Splinter
So basically any rear-engine transverse mount? lol

I thought we were playing a game!

[immorality]

Originally posted by Avery
MR-2


Celica Alltrac Turbo!

[OffroadZuki]

Mercury Mistique V6...that flippin' engine is shoehorned in there...

the aforementioned Quad4...changing something as simple as the crank-position sensor was an absolute whore...

sparkplugs in most later-model domestic V8s

[Renthal]

4Runner 6 cyl. 5vz ughh.. waterpumps, headgaskets, torque converters and spark plugs!

the 4cyl 22re is by far the easiest motor to work on hands down.

[Hondatech]

'91-'05 Acura NSX :cry:

[gracefallen]

I hate 16v VWs. End of story.

I've also shed enough blood under the hood of my own car to call it family, but it's still not rocket science to fix it, and it doesn't require re-inventing the wheel to get it all back together.

As far as the rest of the VAG family goes, and my experience with them:
You have to take the front clip of pretty much any audi to do pretty much anything. I helped a tech do a transmission recall on a Cayenne and decided it wasn't even worth the $40+ /hr he makes to do it. It took 16 hrs to lay the truck out on a special lift, take the exhaust and front cross member off, and pull the trans out just to change some stupid little switch. Ridiculous. Oh that and the fact that you actually need 2 ppl to change the starter/wiring that is faulty in the early V6 Touaregs. I wouldn't work on a Touareg for less than $100/hr. Even then I can think of things I'd rather be doing...

[NashMan]

i worked on so many cars and all of them will have it's littel white lab coat fuck up

frist gen mr2's are a pain starter to exhuast mafold to igntor

secound gen is not so bad as the frist gen


all honds are cake walk cetp some of the older honda and the alt being is the gay spot



talons and there cv joint sezing up

pretty much all sab's can die

all old westy's useing plipese bolt under side of car

proces are there dumb as transalxes tube that allw asy sezies up

there so much stuff i have delt wiht that i really can not remmber all fo them


subraues are all cake wal as well cetp i herd the boxer 6 was a pian but never worked on one


i have ot labled out


german/sweed
think back words then think to you self why and that is how it comes off

japan/ china
cars think smart and and simple way of doing wheil still being right thats how it comes off

usa cars
ummm think cheep and you will under stand how it comes off use a big f#$%en hamer and watch it fall apart

[Super Dipper]

Originally posted by NashMan
german/sweed
think back words then think to you self why

thats we end up doing to read you posts.....STILL after all these years....

[stevo911_]

:lol

[NashMan]

what can i say ..... cetp time can not change this masterpiece

[Fastam]

I spent a good 5 min on reading that extreme run on sentence, and i still wish i had a rosetta stone.

[h0tSX]

that actually made perfect sense. Dire spelling and grammar, but what do you expect?

[darkVR6]

Originally posted by rental_metard
yup. MK5 oil changes: Take off oil filter remove tiny little oil filter inside (while getting dirty) replace tiny filter and you have to use some oil extraction tool so I'm told. Reading that on the forums has scared me enough to go to the dealership for oil changes:rofl:

If you change your suspension in these cars you need a specific strut spreader tool to release the strut knuckle. Speedway didn't have one, they phoned vw canada the tool was $40 and $100 to ship it. I'll let you take that in for a min. I asked around on the local vw boards if anyone had one I could borrow luckily someone did, the part is only the size of a drill bit or a pen cap its small as hell. $140 for one of those? I would have flipped.

Ya just gotta improvise, a flat head screw driver bit (#1) works great for the strut spreader tool..and it's only $5!

The timing chains in the VR6 engine are a real PITA I can attest to that!

But nothing comes close to changing the water pump in a Chrysler Lebaron!

[darkVR6]

And yes, I like to Yell! haha

[Buster]

Originally posted by aspect
I can take my alternator out in less than 30 seconds if I have an air ratchet.

It takes me about an hour to change my spark plugs.

*shrug*

Yeah, and no one wants to touch doing the plugs on our cars.

[Big Zee]

Originally posted by Fleemer
i hear elcipe/eagle talon tsis are nightmares... I was offered one for free, asked my mechanic about them, he said he turns them away :P

haha theyre easy to work on, hard to figure out the vaccum lines once theyre all burnt though haha

any 4x4 clutch job ( eg exploders ) took me 4 days to get the fucker done, all the undercar stuff ( minus the feul tank ) had to come out, the slave is IN the trans so all the clutch assemby had to be removed form cab and firewall...

short of tourching the truck andclaiming theft it was easy lol

[Internet]

daihatsu hi-jet mini truck

1.spend 35-40 mins to locate the "problem"
2. decide best course of action is through the top
3. remove ac line support brackets and gently persuade ac lines out of the way.
4. get 1/4 drive ratchet and 10mm socket elbow deep and undo a 2" long bolt 1/16 of a turn at time to remove overflow bottle
5.repeat step 4. on the second bolt
6. place jack under radiator and support while removing rad support bracket to get overflow bottle out of the way.
7. fight at connector to remove from push on style on floor board.
8. remove main fuse

2 hour job to replace the fucking 50 amp main power fuse!

ballz!

[rabidhamsterfab]

Originally posted by Big Zee
haha theyre easy to work on, hard to figure out the vaccum lines once theyre all burnt though haha

any 4x4 clutch job ( eg exploders ) took me 4 days to get the fucker done, all the undercar stuff ( minus the feul tank ) had to come out, the slave is IN the trans so all the clutch assemby had to be removed form cab and firewall...

short of tourching the truck andclaiming theft it was easy lol

actually if I remeber correctly ( though I may be wrong) there is a pin on the top pf the trans where teh hose goes in.. you pull the pin and you don't have to rip all the other crap out ;)

as for the honda and axle thing.. I had to do that today! except the guy I was working with was freaking out about taking out the axle .. he ran off to phone the boss... I got it out under the manifold to the other side of the engine bay and between a cable (shifter I think.. I never looked) and a heater core hose LOL ... he came back going on about how we might be able to get the extra time from the customer and I just shruged "I'm done already "

this ofcourse was after the womans Boyfriend called the shop told us we were totally wrong, the alternator couldn't be the issue etyc etc etc..

the CARS are fine.. the CUSTOMERS are the PITA!!!!! ;)

[dubzz24]

Originally posted by OffroadZuki
Mercury Mistique V6...that flippin' engine is shoehorned in there...

QFT.

Had to replace the padiator in my friend's after she rear-ended a truck and got a trailer hitch through her grille. Worst rad job I've EVER had to do. Took almost 3 hours in and out. Compare that to the 5-10 minutes it takes on your typical Honda.

[Prolowtone]

Oil pan gasket on a 1982 Celica Supra. Damn oil pan only sits about 1/4 inch from the steering rack.

Trans filter on the new ford escapes. Just... bad lol

[Big Zee]

you understand that you have bumped a 4 year old thread right ?

[impreza_scott]

you understand that you have bumped a 4 year old thread right ?
and if he made a new thread you would have told him to go search noob?

[Nightwalker]

One day when I have a project car that isn't a Stealth twin turbo, everything will seem so damn easy.