The Pitstop - 2017-02-01

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12:40 AM

Well, there's an issue. The ground wire to the firewall wasn't fully tightened down. It didn't solve the primary issue of why won't the Accessport connect but it wasn't helping!

3 hours later…

3:58 AM

Does anyone know the name of the part that is the hard brake line on a solid rear axle?

2 hours later…

5:36 AM

I think it's just called a "brake line". They are easy to make, with some patience. Ford use to wrap theirs with a coil of metal (zinc?) which was supposed to make them last longer, but IMO just collected water, dirt and salt which rotted them out even quicker.

@BobCross I have the other one - omniport or whatever it's called that hooks to a laptop so you can use the open source software. BUT ... You may need to short BOTH two-pin diagnostic connectors under the dash in order to flash. One allows a read, but both are required to flash.

You'll know that you are ready because it turns the electric radiator fan on, for some ludicrous reason... I guess as a signal it's ready. That's a car/ECU specific requirement to flash, so I doubt it matters if you have an Accessport or some other flashing arrangement. There's no way I know of to flash only by plugging into to the OBD2 port alone.

5 hours later…

10:19 AM

@SteveRacer yes that's the frustrating part. I'm in test mode (green connectors attached and translucent connector shorted). This worked with the v2 Accessport back in the day. This v3 is not doing the thing though.

10:32 AM

@anonymous2 Congratulations! I have seen your stuff over on IoT. I am trying to come up with questions that work there, but most of mine are security-based (obviously) so they would be appropriate on Sec.SE

I have heard that sometimes the little connector that Cobb ships sometimes doesn't make the connection on the "other connector" (the non green test mode). I'll ask them if that's the issue.

2 hours later…

12:30 PM

@RoryAlsop Some security questions are particularly on-topic on IoT, though you're right, there is some overlap with sec.SE.

@Rory In fact, our current bi-weekly challenge is "Keeping my gadget private" meaning that we're looking basically for questions that relate to the security of our Internet of Things devices. In other words, Post away! :)

@anonymous2 I did see that, and am looking at a couple of ideas. That said, far more of my day job focus on IoT is around protecting others from compromised IoT gadgets :-/

@RoryAlsop Lol.

@RoryAlsop And btw, feel free to drop a line over on sec.SE if you feel there is anyone over there who might be interested. As you know better than I, good material and publicity is coveted at this stage.

@anonymous2 good call! Will do that

@RoryAlsop Thanks!

@Rory And feel free to make the reverse call, too. :) In other words, if you see a site that could use a bit of publicity, drop a line.

12:53 PM

@anonymous2 cheers

2 hours later…

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

2:58 PM

Hey all.

@NiallC. - Whatever happened to the question in question?

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

greetings emperor

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Hola @DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

How you doing?

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

ah slammed. just wanted to see whats been new on SE..

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

It's all new, right? If it isn't new it should be closed.

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

lol, ya. Came to SE to get away from politics and I see it full force on meta.se =/

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

3:06 PM

Really? As in the big Meta?

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

no so.meta

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I'll have to check it out. Not that I'm a glutton for punishment, but now you've got me curious.

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

well.. the founder of SE decided to release his political view point and it appears the counter to it is deleted and silenced. I just don't think politics fit on SE unless in politics.se but that is me. Much controversy towards it and the founder hasn't come back to answer any comments. here

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 anyways. thanks for answering my question!

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Well, I don't necessarily mind politics.

What I don't like is if countering view points are silenced. Everyone is entitled to their opinions.

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 that is my issue and I think this should be a blog post not a meta Q&A.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

3:19 PM

At this point, I tend to agree with you.

@DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ I was reading through it. Seems people weren't really getting the gist of the Meta question from the comments.

3:32 PM

Well, you're welcome to diagnose my Accessport frustrations as a distraction!

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ - I'm sorry to say, Joel is clueless about what is constitutional and what is not. Lots of emotion, which is understandable, but really Meta.SO really isn't the place for such a rant.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 i agree with you, but really can't fathom how so many people have got so up in arms about this. If I see a post I can't be bothered with I move on. Done. I never need to read it again.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@BobCross wish I could come help you. Not that I would be a big assist, but it would be fun to help.

Admittedly in this case I read it a few times, as Trump is already having an impact on my work and life so I have a vested interest

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop that's amazing. If I can ask, how is he or his presidency affecting things for you?

And is that impact positive or negative.

And I'm just wondering about the anecdotal facts. I'm not trying to get into a political discussion here. Sorry if it seems that way.

3:43 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 if I were to name the headline categories, he has already negatively impacted: mobility; financial security; intelligence feeds; uncertainty around legal and regulatory aspects of my job would be the top ones

and all impacted negatively

Combine it with Brexit nonsense, and my industry as a whole has been hit hard, and will continue to be constrained further

Even hiring is an issue

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Gotcha. We'll, that definitely sucks for your industry.

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ah, but emotion and abuse can somewhat fall under the same boat. As stated and shut down by many if this was from another member it would be shut down. that Q&A has been closed and re-opened, I think, like 20 times?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

The uncertainty portion should settle out soon enough. I'm sure there is a lot of turmoil to occur whenever a leadership at this level changes. When everyone figures what they are about, then everything will come together for the better.

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

@RoryAlsop that could be, but this is politics brought into an area where it shouldnt go.

@DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ I agree, but still can't understand why people care so much about a post

it's not like someone standing in front of you bawling it through a megaphone

it's a page on teh interwebs

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

3:50 PM

@RoryAlsop passion man and frustration, why should only one's view be expressed and others shut down?

@DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ well. It isn't. There are billions of websites. Anyone can post whatever they like anywhere

pretty much

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop If things have happened as @DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ suggested, where opposing views were deleted arbitrarily, it could have a huge black eye within the community.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 that's what I'm saying - I just can't care about this at all. The owner wrote a post (that should have been on a blog) stating his perspective. If I disagreed I could post an answer as many did, but meh

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

@RoryAlsop actually this logic is incorrect. I thought as a dedicated SE member that certain politically, religious and any views should be omitted unless intended for that community / SE site. Plus blacking out and removing any counter to ones view, as stated, does deem a black hole and frustration.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop fair enough and agree with you. I think we all have more important things to do than worry about Joel's political bent.

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

3:54 PM

@RoryAlsop but again, those disagreed answers and other questions, some have indicated were deleted.

on the other topic! When is a lift too much

@DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ I don't see any that were deleted that were polite and reasoned

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 I'd rather worry about when I need to replace my wife's car

or more accurately, wish I didn't need to worry about it

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

is a 4" lift noticeable or damaging to other elements of the vehicle?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ - If done correctly, there shouldnt be any issues.

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 Ive gone down mostly, like air ride and lowering. thinking of doing a lift, like 4-6 inches

but Im soooo lost in what to buy for my next vehicle next month

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

The better kits for lifts take into account any issues which may occur. If you get one from a good manufacturer you should worry about it.

4" isn't a huge lift anyway.

@RoryAlsop - Thanks for answering my questions. Hopefully things will be getting better soon.

4:01 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 my hope is that things will settle down at some point. And in the grand scheme of things 4 years isn't much. That said, I am in a pool with some colleagues - my bet is impeachment within the year, but some have bet on assassination earlier than that :-)

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop They said the same thing for Pres. Obama as well. Don't get your hopes up ;-)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 lol

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop I'm also sure there were pools for Pres. Obama, too.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 well, Obama was good for the wider world - a very positive impact on how the world perceived the US, which helps my industry a fair bit. Most of my US friends reckoned he was good for the US too, but a couple disagreed. Trump is a very different beast. To the outside world he's bat**** crazy, but entertaining - until you realise what he controls...then he is a bit terrifying

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop - I would be of the dissenting opinion on our former Pres.

4:10 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 He certainly wasn't as forceful or effective at making changes as Trump

I'm unsure how much was senate opposition and how much was him

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I won't get into it just to save your eyes, but needless to say I could rant for hours.

So, I'm glad our new Pres. is at least entertaining :o)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 to be fair, I think if you are in charge of a country, everything you do will benefit some and disadvantage others. How well you do has in the past been written by the people in power. Social media now can amplify minority voices

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop - What are you leaning towards? Is it a dire event to get it replaced?

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 no - it's a son reaching legal driving age. The Honda Jazz will be an ideal starter car for him - less than 100bhp, simple, cheap to fix etc. The downside is that Claire will need a new one :-)

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop I'm sure that just really upsets her.

I am on the lookout to get something for my daughter.

I'm actually looking for a Subie, like a Forester.

4:17 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 Forester or Outback. They can cope with everything - kerbs are not an issue. Panels are cheap to fix. I have friends who have taken them across deserts and through forests

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Yup. Which is why I'm looking at them.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 mechanically, you know they are simple, and if you avoid the highly tuned ones, the engine block and transmission are bomb proof

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I'm hoping to find one with a few miles on it and possibly a blown engine ... think cheap

(my 400bhp one only has issues becuase the gaskets maybe don't cope quite as well with that high compression as hoped...)

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Oh, that is true with any High Performance application. It works really well while it works. As has been said before, a candle which burns at both ends burns twice as bright, but only lasts half as long.

4:23 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 and it did burn so very bright

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Sounds like someone has watched Bladerunner

:-)

Hi guys

won't be in for long, going soon

I'm still using it as a weekend driver, knowing it will go completely at some point, but I think the value of it as scrap doesn't offset the fun I still have (even if I don't go near the red line any more)

It's still the best car I have ever driven

@Myself Hi there

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop That is high endorsement

4:26 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 It is faster than any Ferrari, Porsche or Lambo I have driven (although its acceleration after 100mph is nowhere near as good, obviously)

It has the most precise steering and feel for the road of anything bigger than an Atom or Caterham

It is supremely comfortable

It sounds lovely (although if you prefer a big V6 it isn't quite the same...)

And I have been as happy long distance cruising, as commuting, as track ragghing it

If they still made them I'd buy another

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I had considered buying a used Audi S3 Avant. It was a blast to drive. AWD, twin turbo 6-cylinder, over 300hp ... Lots of fun.

After witnessing a near miss collision today I am inclined to never bring a costly car on the road :)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 they are really nice. I always wished they could be a little bit lighter - do away with some of the soundproofing/padding

they are nice and zippy on corners

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Yah, that's what impressed me.

@Myself quite often safer cars are costly

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

4:29 PM

Yes they are.

@Myself I have a neighbour who really really loves his car. Claybar every night sort of thing. I pointed out to him that I just strip and powdercoat the wheels each year as I scuff them so much from going sideways in gravel. He thinks I'm a monster :-)

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop tell him to get over it.

@RoryAlsop That's a valid point. However there must be a compromise between a secure car and an affordable car

@Myself Secure, safe, affordable are orthogonal

I like to choose cars in this order: fun, safety, cost

Performance cars are safe - much better brakes and steering than a tiny city car, for example

Secure is a bit different - any modern car is secure compared to older cars

@RoryAlsop But also lighter -> Less impact resistance

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

4:33 PM

@RoryAlsop what do you use to strip powder coated wheels?

@Myself not necessarily

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 I take them to a shop that sandblasts them then recoats them - 5 wheels, same day service, £500

@Myself design is everything. Crumple zones are what make passenger compartments safe

again, a town car is much less safe than a race car. A race car has a driver capsule that is incredibly strong, and yet surrounded by bits that will crumple or snap off

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop I had an oil pan I had powder coated. The guy who did it had screwed up the first application and had to strip it. It was a PITB for him, but final product was awesome.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 yeah, don't think I'd want to try it myself - seems like a lot that you need to get right

@RoryAlsop I guess I will follow your example..

I like the fact I can have black anthracite wheels on my black forester with blacked out windows :-)

very pimped :-)

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

4:37 PM

Sounds like it.

@Myself really safe cars include: Renault, Saab, Volvo. But most new ones are incredibly safe compared to any 30 years ago. Check out the Euro NCAP test results:

euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/latest-safety-ratings

DᴀʀᴛʜVᴀᴅᴇʀ

ah bummer, you can only ask five questions in a site proposal.

Heh - just seen this years 3 cars. Volvo V90 and S90 - 5 star ratings. Ford Mustang - 2 star

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I'm sure the Camaros are no different than the Mustang.

All the Subarus have 5 stars except the Impreza on 4 and the 2002 Legacy Outback on 4

4:46 PM

@RoryAlsop I am not an expert but I've heard that the NCAP is only partial useful. For example: When a car does not have the eCall or other comparable system they miss a star

@Myself I don't think that can be correct. eCall is really not common in europe

@RoryAlsop Darn, you are right.

and many of the 5 star cars on the list have no eCall

just checked

For 4 stars you need ESP and seat belt warnings and another assistance system.
For 5 stars you need two additional assistance systems.
That was 2014
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=de&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.handelsblatt.com%2Fauto%2Fnachrichten%2Feuro-ncap-crashtests-die-sterne-haengen-hoeher%2F11037246.html

I wonder if something changed between that article being published and where we currently are. For example no new cars I looked at last month (Ford, Renault, Volkswagen/Audi, Subaru and Honda) had eCall, and many didn't have it even as an option

Driver assistance systems includes- AEB, Seat Belt Reminders, Speed assist, Lane Detection/Support

5:02 PM

@RoryAlsop Perhaps my initial post was a bit misleading: I intended all sort of assistance system. Pointing out the eCall as the "worst" example. Ofc other assistance systems are quite useful

need to go, mother in law is cooking
Have a nice evening

@Myself you too

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

For anyone who might care: I'm sitting at the hospital with the daughter in surgery. She'll be in there for the next 1.5 hours at least. I'll let you all know when I figure something out as to how she's doing.

We'll also see how this lappy is going to operate ... It's a bit old and I've not used it for quite some time. I think it's begging for a replacement.

Anyway ... I'll keep you informed as I know something.

5:19 PM

Good luck

@SteveRacer at this point, the Accessport is a disappointment. It tries to be an all in one but it doesn't provide enough information when the situation goes off script. What should I do to fix this? Dunno!

5:41 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 oh man what is she havin surgery for? and what is a Lappy?

@BobCross My money is on take it out

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - Lappy=laptop

She is having part of her thyroid removed. She has a couple of cysts and has hyperthyroidism.

6:00 PM

dam dude. I can't imagine what that must feel like for you

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

6:28 PM

@Zshoulders - Thanks, but really, it's not bothering me too badly.

She's been having a lot of issues over the past several years. We think this may solve a lot of them. If it does, this little stint in surgery and recovery will be well worth it. She's been to specialists getting poked/prodded over the past couple of years without any resolution other than live with it. Finally she had some swelling in her throat and it sent us down another path which made a whole bunch of sense for her other issues.

oh alright, thats pretty good news then.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

6:44 PM

Yah. She's probably close to being done. Shouldn't be long, anyway.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 man - hope it all goes fine. I just read up on it and it sounds like a straightforward resolution

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop - It is for the most part. The biggest concern are the nerves which control the voice box. While she doesn't sing professionally, it's a concern. The main never isn't an issue as it's usually easily seen and protected. The secondary one is smaller and it's the one which controls pitch. If that gets screwed up, things could be ugly.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 all my thoughts going your way right now then dude!

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

The doc who is doing the surgery is very competent. He has never had an issue with other than expected results.

@RoryAlsop - The message board says she's out of the OR. She should be in recovery soon and I'll be headed back to see her.

IOW: Status just changed. Waiting for the doc to come out and let us know what's going on.

7:10 PM

so I might go scoop an RX-8 that doesn't run cuz its SUPER cheap. like cheap enough that I'm asking for the VIN to make sure it ain't stolen. Anybody know how hard is it to find somebody that will machine a rotary engine?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - You can machine a rotary engine?

DAUGHTER UPDATE; I just talked with the doctor. Daughter is out of surgery and all looks good.

schweeeeet

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 I don't know if you can or not, what do you do if it blows up?

get a new engine?

honestly as long as it aint stolen, I'm probably gonna scoop it just cuz it'd be cool to take apart.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - I believe you just rebuild them. Put new seals on them and such. Or, get a different engine. You should look on YouTube to see how they are rebuilt. A lot different than working on a piston engine, but really it seems pretty straight forward.

I've watched a few rebuild videos on them ... it's just different, but not overly difficult.

@Zshoulders - Hah! My wife suggested I look at an RX8 as my daughter's first car (she found one on Craig's List). I was like, Um, not no, but HECK no!

Not because they are bad cars, but because they can get you in trouble QUICK!

double heck no.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Rotary engined vehicles are deceptively quick/fast. You do not realize how fast you are going or how quick you got there.

They are a blast to drive, though.

7:20 PM

oh yea, from what I know a lot of people race these things. 1.3L sounds small but that was the whole reason Mazda put them in the RX-s' in the first place

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

A lot of people build a three lobed engine for racing (or even four). It's about the only way to get more out of them after a certain point. You can turbo charge them, but there's only so much you can stuff into them before they start spitting unburnt fuel out the exhaust.

from what I've seen of friend's kid's, Crash resistance and tiny engines are the 2 most important factors

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 looks good for a track day drifter

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 awesome!

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@RoryAlsop - Absolutely!

The rotary is such a quick revving engine. There's a lot of fun to be had with them, no doubt.

I'm pining for a bit of a "make something that goes really fast" project. And this would be perfect as long as Turbo's for them aren't too expensive. Just gotta figure out where to park it

turbos for Rx-8 aren't that expensive

Just gotta wait on craigslist dude to hit me back

7:36 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 great news!

@Zshoulders it's definitely on my mind. I did prompt me to check electrical and grounds. I found that the firewall ground was basically dangling from an untightened screw. So that didn't help things (but tightening it down didn't make the Accessport happy).

@BobCross This is on a WRX or something else?

8:29 PM

Alrighty so lets assume the rest of this goes off without a hitch, where can I park this damn thing? I don't have the garage space for it nor do I have a side yard. Project car in the street probs won't go over great with the neighborhood

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

You don't have a driveway?

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 So here is the story about that: A.) I'm only 24, I live with some buddies at one of their houses, B.) there is a 79 foot long '89 F350 with no engine taking up one half the driveway. 2 car garage with 1 car and 1 empty area to work on stuff, then we usually park 2 cars in the driveway next to the pickup and still have to park 2 in the very skinny street.

also the driveway is SUPER steep. like I would never feel comfortable lifting a car on this kind of grade

we're actually picking up the new engine for the truck from the machine shop today, so hopefully within a few months it will be able to... ya know... move under its own power?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

8:49 PM

@Zshoulders - If you saw the Impreza in my garage, you'd know I have no clue what that means.

hahahaha. I think i'm gonna ask my friend's uncle if I can park it there. He's like a 10 minute walk from the house and he's got a lot of driveway/garage/dirt

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - That sounds like a plan. Can you give any particulars of the car/deal?

I know you said an RX8 ... wondering what year, what exactly is wrong with it, how much you might end up buying it for, etc. Sorry, trying to live vicariously through others.

9:07 PM

2007 RX-8, guy wants 1800. 47K miles. Its got a salvage title (and I don't have the VIN yet to see if its stolen or not, but its been listed for a while so I assume it certainly hasn't been stolen RECENTLY). Dude claims it doesn't run because it is "leaking coolant." Not sure if that means it doesn't start or if he just doesn't want to run it. The pics look good

Obviously I need to see it in person

all the body lines in the photos line up really well, so it doesn't look like frame damage. need to see if its sitting right though

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - Obviously :o) Also, if it's been listed for a while, low ball him a little ... never hurts to try. Even at 1800, getting it for 1500 is a good thing. Means another 300 for parts!

All they can do is say "no"

And you are no worse off than you were before.

But, yes, 1800 for a 10yo RX8 is a steal as long as everything lines up (title, etc).

oh yea, I love haggling on cars. especially for something like this, you know the dudes wife is giving him a hard time about it.

what does suck is: it doesn't look like Rock Auto is super well stocked on Rx-8 parts :(

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Might be too new ... RockAuto is the goto for me as well.

I haven't had much problem getting parts for newer cars than this... maybe because it is a niche foreign car?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Probably. I'm looking at a site which is supposed to be supporting the RX8 ... I don't see much in the way of "regular" parts for it. Just performance, suspension, body, the like. Not much in the way of a spark plug or a thermostat right off the bat. Hopefully it's not a hard thing to find parts for, but probably good to know going in if it is.

9:20 PM

yea, I went on "mazdaparts.net" and they redirected me to Ebay motors

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

autopartswarehouse.com/vehicle/2007/mazda/rx-8/base/…

That seems a little more comprehensive.

I would not go to the Mazda dealer, that's for sure, lol.

Pay through the nose.

still haven't found a place that has those internal engine seals though

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

And that site seems a little flaky ... as in, why the heck would they be offering a universal camshaft for a rotary engine? Makes no sense, lol! To my knowledge, a rotary doesn't have a camshaft.

This is a fine point. And no, it appears that they do not

found a site selling a full rebuild kit for 2.5K (!). Surely, some seals aren't THAT expensive.... right?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

atkinsrotary.com/store/…

9:26 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 My thoughts are with you and your daughter. I wish her all the best

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Depending on the engine. There seems there might be three different engine types.

from what I found there is 2 in the RX-8, the one that hooks up the manual and the one that hooks up to the automatic

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Myself - Thank you, kind sir. She's doing well. Resting, though the pain is pretty bad right now (8/10 last checked). She was having a hard time swallowing, but I think the pain has overcome the need for not wanting to swallow.

either way, good find

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - The kit has the apex and side seals, which are the main seals for the rotary.

9:28 PM

although they suggest there is 2 auto ones.

yea I saw that. and it isn't 2500 dollars

yay!

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

atkinsrotary.com/store/which-rx8-engine-do-i-have.html

that link shows which are which.

Maybe you saw that.

The upper end (priced) kits are expensive, but not $2500

They have kits for both the 6-port and 4-port design. Does the car you're looking at have a stick or auto?

stick

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Then it's a 6-port engine. Makes that easy.

Better performance as well.

K so get VIN, see car, check VIN, see if I can park it at Friend's Uncle's house while I get it fixed up, buy car

if it runs enough to move I have a few more options availible of where I could put it

@Zshoulders so you're restoring it?

(At least you're planning to?)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 I wish her a speedy recovery

(No pun intended, lol)

9:43 PM

honestly it doesn't look like it needs that much restoring. paint looks great, interior is clean, just need to get it to run. All of this pending real life inspection of course

What does the seller say about the car? Is it not running right?

Oh, leaking coolant

you got it. now obviously that doesn't prevent a car from moving at all

maybe from moving very far but...

What's the mileage on it?

47000

That's low

For a 10 year car

9:47 PM

salvage title, Don't know why.

yet

but yea like I was saying, it APPEARS to be in good shape

What's your long term plan for it?

Flip or keep?

keep probably. I'm not too big into flipping things, I fall in love with them too easily

Tell me about it, lol

I'm terrible at selling

^ the Lumina :)

:)

Believe it or not I have had offers while working on it

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

9:50 PM

You wanna talk about the fix/flip? I've got a car been sitting in my driveway for 2years which was supposed to fall into that category.

Plus I need to get as many vehicles as I can before a lady comes along and doesn't let me buy anymore :(

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - Doesn't matter ... she'll make you sell them.

but she can only make me sell so many!

@Zshoulders I got the lady first.. ymmv

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

She'll say: SELL IT! ... you'll say Yes, dear.....

@Zshoulders - Oh, don't count on it.

9:51 PM

oh man :(

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 2 years is a while

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

She'll say "I don't want my yard looking like it's in West Virginia!

@Zshoulders - Um, yes it is.

Not so much fixing ... not so much flipping.

the Impreza or something else?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I've done some work on it, but I've tried not to break the bank doing it.

It's an 86 IROC-Z

@Zaid fingers are crossed

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I think I'm going to go get something to eat while the wife is here. It's going to be a while before I get a chance to eat again.

9:53 PM

what does it still need? My dad had one of those when I was little. think it was an 89 or maybe a 90's model. Mom made him sell it........

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

lol

cool, catch you later

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I'm here for a minute

I think we need a question for this common affliction...

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I want to pull the engine and reseal it. It was leaking some oil from the driver's side valve cover (after I had replaced the gasket).

@Zaid - What, the lady making you sell your projects ~~question~~ affliction?

9:54 PM

@Zshoulders WRX - it's a 2004 so the electrics do have some years on them but I'm really not detecting the sort of problems that would prevent communication. The Cobb guy on the phone was saying that their version 3s are also very sensitive to battery voltage.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 How can I ensure my car project gets done ?

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 leaking or very slowly turning things damp? does it run?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zaid - Wow, I'd have to close it ... fraught with opinion! :o)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 that is too localized :)

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - Pretty good leak. I'd bet the gasket slipped inside when I was putting it back together.

9:56 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 "opinion" is a strong word... how about "advice" instead?

;)

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I'm good with "advice" :o)

It will probably end up sounding like writing a book ... Do a little bit every day.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 looks like you need some of that advice :)

yuck. not super familiar with that engine bay, could you just yank the top half of the engine off and re-do the gasket?

@BobCross hmmm. wouldn't you want your product to NOT be very sensitive to battery voltage?

I'm going to ask it...

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@Zshoulders - Nah. I'd like to pull the engine and put all new "external" gaskets/seals on it. Like down to the intake manifold and oil pan. Water pump gaskets, front main seal.

9:58 PM

@Zaid I'll upvote it

@Zshoulders it's not my product but, yeah, I would expect that there would at least be some warning of "this unit is failing because XYZ, you should ABC to fix"

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@BobCross - Can you put some kind of voltage regulator/surge protector on it?

Okay, I'm going to try this one more time: completely remove new radio from the dash (I've gotten really good at it!), attach battery charger on 2 amps and try one more reflash. Optimism is not present in this house.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@BobCross - You know what Einstein said about "The definition of insanity" right?

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 makes sense for something that old. every single thing on that F350 was leaking once we got that engine out. and thats 3 years younger

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

10:01 PM

- The Z28 ran the last time I tried it. I have to date done the following:
2x fuel pumps
Windshield
Tune Up
Removed several non-needed parts
Oil change/filter
Valve cover gaskets (not successful)
Other stuff

@BobCross good luck

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I still need to put in new t-top seals (going to do a complete weather stripping)

It also needs a new hood liner.

And struts for the rear hatch

General clean-up.

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 What is the definition of a tune-up? I've seem a lot of people say that and I don't rightly know what exactly (or approximately) what that entails

seen*

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I think I have the money now to do it, but I've been putting my spare time into the Impreza. I need to get it done so my son can have it back.

whats he driving in the meantime?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

10:03 PM

@Zshoulders - Plugs and wires. I don't think I put O2s on it.

@Zshoulders - He has a 2005 Silverado

ugggggg I want one of those so bad but I can't find one at a reasonable price with the big diesel and the Allison trans

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

But he needs the car back so his wife can drive the truck. They only have one running car between the two of them. With him being in the Army, makes for a lot of running around, wasted fuel, kids up way too early, etc, etc, etc.

@Zshoulders - You won't find a Duramax/Allison Silverado at a decent price ...

oh yea that ain't a great situation. you've got a blog for the Impreza right? how much is left?

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

At least something you can afford.

I found one for 5 grand

380,000 Miles

got sold before I got there

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

10:05 PM

That's not a bad price, even with that amount of miles.

I've got a bit more to do with the Impreza, but it's coming together.

I agree completely

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

I just bought some relays and inline fuse holders. I'm going to start working on getting it running. I had it running but it decided to not run any more. I need to figure out why. I think the grounds are the issue. I've been so disgustipated with it deciding not to run, I quit trying to make it run and have been working on other things.

Just a lot of little things left.

Alright ... I'm headed to dinner. I'll be back in a while.

GL, see you later

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

Danke :o)

@Zaid I've been watching newest, I haven't seen that Q yet

10:16 PM

@Zshoulders almost done

:D

@Zshoulders done

0

Q: Effectively planning and seeing a DIY project through to completion

I've been burnt by poor planning and project execution badly in the past on several occasions and am afraid of repeating the same mistakes with my Lumina engine/transmission damage assessment project. I'm looking for generic advice from both a project-management perspective and the automotive-DI...

I got some ish to work on tonight, might not get around to my answer till tomorrow. great question

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

10:32 PM

Okay, hospital cafeteria food still sucks.

@Zshoulders - I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got to say on the subject. Hoping I can learn something from it and get some projects done!! :o)

10:58 PM

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 No this was a case of making sure that all variables are properly allowed for. I removed the entire radio (no splices, so that's not the problem). I put the battery on a charger and it was within the recommended voltage. I connected all the shorting connectors as per directions. "Cannot communicate with vehicle." Okay, that's it!

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

@BobCross - Is there a separate connection to communicate the tune to the vehicle, versus just getting the data (like direct connection to the ECU versus contacting it through the CANBus)?

And I'm sure if between you and the tech, you couldn't come up with anything, it's probably all over but the crying.

@BobCross I'm slightly confused, did this thing ever connect properly or did it used to work? or is it brand new?

@Zshoulders I had a version 2 and flashed the ECU years ago. Recently, I had my ECU replaced and decided to upgrade the Accesport to v3 at the same time. For whatever reason, the bits are no longer talking. As this upgrade cost money, I want the money back and I'm packing it up for a return.

ahhh. Yea seems reasonable

@SteveRacer was suggesting the OpenPort flasher earlier today. That sounds interesting since it is associated with an open source flashing / monitoring package. Maybe it would give me more diagnostic / troubleshooting than "uh, it didn't go" :-p

Since I write software for a living, I get all bent out of shape with non-useful error conditions.

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

11:17 PM

@BobCross - The error which says, "I'm an error. Suck it up, buttercup."

My interns write better diagnostics than I'm seeing here

Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2

lol

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