shavenYak

What about vans? Do they fit the criteria?

Yeah that's the first thing I thought, but yeah it's in a completely different spot. I think it's just damage of some sort..?

cheers! here's the new plan: except I'm thinking of incorporating some blue somewhere... maybe on the sides under/over the bodyline? Imagination time!

So after a long winter of sitting idle and serving as a drinks lounge for the band, I am getting the van ready for Labour weekend in Napier. This will include: [*:1tutq3b1]Replacing fuel pump. Original one starts rattling like it's sucking air, but I'm pretty sure it's not. Already have a replacement so just gotta plug it in and mount it really. [*:1tutq3b1]Getting charging sorted. CHG light won't go out - got a cheap reco alternator, no change. Replaced external regulator, no change. The alternator IS charging, so I figure it's just a bad connection to the charge lamp. Not too worried about this. [*:1tutq3b1]Getting engine running properly. Currently doesn't want to idle and hesitates when accelerating. Accel. pump is working, but suspect idle circuit? Will have a look at timing and possible vacuum leaks this weekend. [*:1tutq3b1]Better sounds. Installed 4" speakers in the walls but they're pretty cruddy and I'll need a bit more volume to counter the song of the pushrods. Which brings me to: [*:1tutq3b1]Carpet / Sound Deadening. Probably just whack some carpet cutoffs in the front. Looking at getting a new carpet set from that place (forget the name). [*:1tutq3b1]Fix leaks. Not that I'm expecting rain, but it pays to be prepared. Put a newish rubber seal around the tailgate but it still seems to leak, so may have to bung some silicone in there somewhere. [*:1tutq3b1]Fixing rust and painting. Plan is some sort of slick two tone ensemble. Can't quite decide but it will either be grey, white, or tan and maybe some sort of red. Will probably just do the rust part and leave the paint till later. Will rock primer/bare metal for labour weekend. last weekends efforts with the wire cup grinder: what is this? Strange indent in the side above the rear wheel.

I'm hoping to get the van wof'd and ready and sleep in the back of that. Vans rule.

Saw him driving around in it the other day (few months ago now)

Good meet! (but shit weather) Nice to meet some new faces, Bon voyage Uncle Silvia, and Alistair, you can keep my NKOTB tape, but I might need it back for summer cruising in the Hiace.

You'll be there tonight! YESSIR!!

umm.. band practice is cancelled so I could do wednesday now, but I guess it's a bit late?

tuesday would be the BEES KNEES

Wednesday is band practice night. back to tuesday next time plz.

Yeah I think you just cracked it Phil, probably should have mentioned that I may have got a bit of oil on it while I was installing it.. I wiped it off best I could but kinda just hoped it would still seal. Live and learn I guess. Anyone going to/coming back from aussie soon like to stop in at Supercheap and pick up another head gasket for me?

yeah for it to be leaking that much it must be that, right? It wouldn't leak that fast if it was just a case of the head being warped? - don't see why it would warp really since it didn't overheat. my words coming back to haunt me.. spose I'll take the head off and have a closer look at what doesn't line up properly. Chances of reusing headgasket?

So made up a new intake gasket, put it on last night and this morning I poured some nice black oil back into the engine. Started leaking from the head straight away, before I even started the car - so that's a pretty decent leak.. So I guess the next step is to get hold of another head gasket, get the head machined and reassemble? Plan B: SCRAP IT!!! Plan C: Anyone want to make an offer on a nice little car? One small oil leak. Mods: This thread could be merged with my discussion thread really. viewtopic.php?f=18&t=20792

Yeah I'm really hoping it is, that would save me a lot of "head"ache. lolpun PCV... don't think it has one, just the rocker cover vent. Will double check that though.

Nah it's OHC, and those two galleries are for oil, but the manifold just serves to blank them off, which is weird. The square hole above the intake tract is for coolant. The oil pressure inside the head would be quite low wouldn't it? I guess it's quite unlikely that this is the source of the leak, since it only started happening (I think) after I changed the H.G. I was thinking that maybe the B.H.G symptoms were infact not the head gasket at all, but the intake gasket letting water in to the intake? Kinda grasping at straws but I'm just really reluctant to take the head off again.

Started pulling the manifolds off the head before taking the head off, and realised it might be the intake gasket that's leaking? here's a view of the back of the head (intake) where you can see the pool of oil on the block, and the intake port. I wish I had of thought of this earlier so I could have felt around just under the oil galleries (?) to see if that's where it was dripping from. Intake manifold: So I guess I'll hunt around for a gasket, or get some paper and make one up myself. Should probably try that first before taking the head off, cause no doubt I won't be able to reuse the head gasket.

yeah.. not your conventional subaru engine exactly. I've tried everywhere in NZ, no one can get me a gasket, but supercheap auto in aussie can for around $80 plus shipping.

So a while back I got a new head gasket for the Subaru to replace the blown one. I never checked the head for flatness since I didn't think it got that hot and also because the heads only like 8 inches long (2 cylinder) and I didn't think it would warp easily. After scraping the block and the head clean and fitting the new gasket and torquing down as per manual, after starting it leaks oil from the rear of the head. I torqued down a little more and it improved slightly, but still leaks pretty heavily when the engine's on. It's been sitting like that now for a few months and today I was going to pull the head off again and take it in to be machined. Would it be possible to reuse the head gasket? It's not a metal one, it's the grey papery shit, so I guess it depends on if it comes off cleanly and doesn't crack? I really don't want to have to get another one sent over from aussie, but I need this car going so I can sell it and get something else!! any suggestions or ideas?

I have a question - when do flares/spoilers etc need certing? For example, hypothetically if I was to do this to my car: ??

that's ok man I've got access to 12mm ones, but just wasn't sure exactly how to go about redrilling and if it was ok?

as above. Need to decide what to do regarding my new wheels - got some new white ones to... go with the red ones! The wheel studs on the suzuki are 10mm x 1.25 and the nuts are too small for the rims - the hex part of the nut starts to dig into the taper just as it gets tight. Figure I should check a fastening shop for bigger ones with 10mm hole, but what are the legals of wheel nuts? would obviously need to be a certain strength? Other option is I drill out the car's existing stud holes, I'm thinking this might be the best option. Is this ok to do myself on a drill press? Simon, your alto must have this issue as well with certain wheels?

It's all to do with the earth's rotation

suzuki swift SA / holden barina? Got one in the shed - leaf spring, solid axle though.