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DIY Intake Manifold Gasket Change (among many other things)


Comage
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2 hours ago, Mkl22 said:

How much did all the parts cost in the end? I would have just replaced the intake gasket and be done. Since it is just another year or so. 

All the parts mentioned above cost < S$50, inclusive of shipping.

There's no basis of comparison against local stockists, since things like the sheared bolt was something that they never even ever stock (very exasperating!).

Obviously for me, there is still a concern to replace the parts (to get rid of the error code) so that my vehicle will still run to the last day without any breakdowns or hiccups. Plus I am the "do it once, do it good" kind of guy - so I see no point in saving the money or the time to do a quick job and skip the rest of it, only for it to fail a few months down the road because I had "disturbed that part by dismantling it, and re-assembling it".

Although as I will admit, and as you rightfully say, no point to try to replace the valves to solve the blow-by problem now, since longevity of this vehicle is not the main focus already. I'll just keep up the oil changes at a 6-mth interval at the very least.

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But this is also something very puzzling (or sometimes can be annoying) when it comes to the mentality of vehicle servicing of the general car owner and workshops alike - everybody's first question is "COE left how long more?". And then if the answer is "still very long" - then a proper solution will be recommended. Otherwise, the solution will be "bear with the problem lah!", or at best, a very quick-and-dirty solution will be shoved down your throat, even if you are willing to pay for the "proper solution".

Why so?

Perhaps I am one of the very few who treats my vehicle as part of my "family" - since there are a lot of meaningful memories created when I use it to drive my family  members around. So when shit happens to it, and regardless of how many years it's got left, I will still pump in the money to sustain it and repair it until it's final days before I drive it to the scrapyard.

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Supercharged
2 minutes ago, Comage said:

But this is also something very puzzling (or sometimes can be annoying) when it comes to the mentality of vehicle servicing of the general car owner and workshops alike - everybody's first question is "COE left how long more?". And then if the answer is "still very long" - then a proper solution will be recommended. Otherwise, the solution will be "bear with the problem lah!", or at best, a very quick-and-dirty solution will be shoved down your throat, even if you are willing to pay for the "proper solution".

Why so?

Perhaps I am one of the very few who treats my vehicle as part of my "family" - since there are a lot of meaningful memories created when I use it to drive my family  members around. So when shit happens to it, and regardless of how many years it's got left, I will still pump in the money to sustain it and repair it until it's final days before I drive it to the scrapyard.

doctors in the hospital also do the same thing

if the patient is too old, say 90 years old, they may recommend not to treat it at all, a 20 years old having the same problem will get a different recommendations

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5 hours ago, Colin03 said:

U are great bro, a DIY man

Appreciate on your brief job done

is a 100% satisfaction for u I believe 

Yes the satisfaction of getting the job done correctly and properly is there for sure - which I know the workshops here will *never* go to, even if you are willing to pay x10 the labour costs.

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2 hours ago, Volvobrick said:

How did you extract the broken bolt? 

 

2 hours ago, mersaylee said:

...and it was sheared instead...not to ask but am curious too...😁

At first, I had bought a set of cheap (< S$10) bolt extraction set to try to drill the bolt out:

20220315_075416.jpg.dd74c8a1cda9a66fdf71a8b743a8b718.jpg

But fortunately, I never got to use it, because when I wiggled the intake manifold out after removing all the bolts, there it was - just that bit of a remaining bolt protruding from the cylinder block.

Sorry I did not take pictures of that exact moment because I was too happy to see that protruding bit, which I simply extracted using a needle-nose plier, and forgot to take a picture before I got to work on it.

And yes, also the oily/grubby fingers from the work that prohibited me from operating my camera (even though I used gloves).

 

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9 minutes ago, Phang said:

doctors in the hospital also do the same thing

if the patient is too old, say 90 years old, they may recommend not to treat it at all, a 20 years old having the same problem will get a different recommendations

If the patient were my family member, and treatment would guarantee a 100% cure - I would go for it. Anything just to have another day with my family member. That's how I see things.

And also for hospitals, despite doctor's advice against cost-prohibitive treatments - if you can pay - you can pay. They will do it.

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But for workshops, even if you can pay - they still won't do it. That's the thing that pisses me off the most when I visit workshops with my automotive problems.

And that's what drove me to look into DIY for my own vehicle's problems.

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Twincharged
1 minute ago, Comage said:

If the patient were my family member, and treatment would guarantee a 100% cure - I would go for it. Anything just to have another day with my family member. That's how I see things.

And also for hospitals, despite doctor's advice against cost-prohibitive treatments - if you can pay - you can pay. They will do it.

-----

But for workshops, even if you can pay - they still won't do it. That's the thing that pisses me off the most when I visit workshops with my automotive problems.

And that's what drove me to look into DIY for my own vehicle's problems.

 

14 minutes ago, Phang said:

doctors in the hospital also do the same thing

if the patient is too old, say 90 years old, they may recommend not to treat it at all, a 20 years old having the same problem will get a different recommendations

Agree that at 90, heck care Liao. Eat what they want and do what they want to live out the rest of their days. 
@Comage you need to understand that there are always risk to every operation and treatment. If I can live till 90, who cares about treating cancer with surgery or chemo. Make oneself suffer only. 

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(edited)
22 minutes ago, Mkl22 said:

 

Agree that at 90, heck care Liao. Eat what they want and do what they want to live out the rest of their days. 
@Comage you need to understand that there are always risk to every operation and treatment. If I can live till 90, who cares about treating cancer with surgery or chemo. Make oneself suffer only. 

Yeah I know that. Like I said, if the treatment promises a 100% cure - not a smaller or uncertain chance, I would go for it for sure. 

Like if I'm down to my last 6 months of COE and my aircon compressor blows, and I ask for a new compressor, give it to me.

Yes I know that compressor will easily last 2-3 years or more, but just don't tell me to go look for a recon unit or take a gamble with a scrapyard unit that maybe lasts only 1-3 months, and then I am going to appear in front of your face again 3 months later asking you - "what now?" when that recon compressor blows out again... 

Edited by Comage
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@Comage Thanks for the feedback. I got to say this is a great project of yours which have crossed my mind to do a cleaning to the intake manifold as well. I have been thinking if this cleaning would have helped because my ride is 13 years old, sort of doing such cleaning to bring the intake perform like it was new. It looked like quite a labourious work and consideration needed whilst uninstalling the components because of aging parts which could broke. Thanks for sharing this great work in the forum. I have learnt alot through here.

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12 minutes ago, Heartbreakid said:

@Comage Thanks for the feedback. I got to say this is a great project of yours which have crossed my mind to do a cleaning to the intake manifold as well. I have been thinking if this cleaning would have helped because my ride is 13 years old, sort of doing such cleaning to bring the intake perform like it was new. It looked like quite a labourious work and consideration needed whilst uninstalling the components because of aging parts which could broke. Thanks for sharing this great work in the forum. I have learnt alot through here.

I do have to caution you that cleaning the engine parts like I did won't give you that +bhp boost - and even the improvement in the fuel economy (if any) may only be marginal at best - because it's all still subject to the condition of the engine, i.e. the moving parts inside the cylinder block.

If the state of the engine is in poor condition like mine, don't expect things to become "like new" after completing the job, because it doesn't happen that way. For my P0171 error code, I was also experiencing high idle RPMs upon cold start of the engine (i.e. the RPMs would rev up to 2k+ and stay there until the engine became warm.)

For me, I know I am still lacking an engine rebuild job - but that probably will come in my next vehicle since I will not have ample time to "enjoy the fruits of my labour" per se.

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14 hours ago, Beehive3783 said:

@Comage do you DIY your own oil changes?

Yes, because I got fed up with workshops not using proper crush washers, and instead resorting to "white tape" to wrap around the drain plug bolt before "overtightening" the bolt back.

And then when 2 days later you find a leak from the drain plug and go back to the workshop - they shrug you off saying "Boss, it's like that one lar! It's OK - I fix for you" - and they proceed to:

- Drain the oil into a non-sterile oil pain or used engine oil jug

- Take out the drain pan bolt and wrap it with MORE white tape (!!!)

- Tighten the drain pan bolt back in place by using their body weight (!!!)

- Attempt to pour the drained-out engine oil back into your engine - and if you stop them they will say "eh hello Boss, you want new one, it's gonna be another $128 hor!"

When in the first place, they were the ones who did that shitty job of an oil change that resulted in leaks from the drain pan bolt...

 

Eh sorry I went off in a tangent there, but yes, I DIY my own oil change. No white tape, torque wrench at the ready, torqued-to-spec, no more, no less. No mess, no leaks.

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31 minutes ago, Comage said:

Yes, because I got fed up with workshops not using proper crush washers, and instead resorting to "white tape" to wrap around the drain plug bolt before "overtightening" the bolt back.

And then when 2 days later you find a leak from the drain plug and go back to the workshop - they shrug you off saying "Boss, it's like that one lar! It's OK - I fix for you" - and they proceed to:

- Drain the oil into a non-sterile oil pain or used engine oil jug

- Take out the drain pan bolt and wrap it with MORE white tape (!!!)

- Tighten the drain pan bolt back in place by using their body weight (!!!)

- Attempt to pour the drained-out engine oil back into your engine - and if you stop them they will say "eh hello Boss, you want new one, it's gonna be another $128 hor!"

When in the first place, they were the ones who did that shitty job of an oil change that resulted in leaks from the drain pan bolt...

 

Eh sorry I went off in a tangent there, but yes, I DIY my own oil change. No white tape, torque wrench at the ready, torqued-to-spec, no more, no less. No mess, no leaks.

White tape used by those uneducated old mechs. I hate it too. 
Always haolian  their experience. experience my foot! All shitty hacks from them only. 

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(edited)
13 hours ago, Mkl22 said:

White tape used by those uneducated old mechs. I hate it too. 
Always haolian  their experience. experience my foot! All shitty hacks from them only. 

Ya, I follow quite a few mechanic YouTubers... And none of them mention using tape or sealant on top of the bolts.. 

Everyone's just saying "crush washer" + bolt for the engine pan. Torqued to spec, or hand-tighten + 1/4 turn at most if you don't have a torque wrench. Oh, and don't reuse the crush washer. It's only $1-2 for a packet of 10pc...

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If you can find a shop in Singapore keeping a box of  this assorted drain plug washers - chances lucky start is shining on you

WS869 .jpg

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@Yeobh On the contrary I have to say such generic sets of washers come as a "best-fit" for *most* major car brands. It works, but the measurements may be 1mm or 0.1mm off... in the long run this again will lead to leaks.

On another note, apart from such washer kits, I have also tried kits that offer "instant", "at-the-ready" assorted plastic retainer clips, meant for the brand of car I currently own. And the truth is, the retaining clips are *mostly* ill-fitting, loose and simply don't hold the part it is meant to hold in place (e.g. bumper retaining clips don't work at all for the bumper).

Of course, the best solution is to buy the *exact* part number as issued by the vehicle manufacturer - but again this poses a problem because while certain small, expendable items like crush washers are OK to buy 10pc for $1-2, stuff like bumper retaining clips are sold at 50cents - $1 apiece, and for a simple thing like a front bumper, it can easily set you back by $10 already. If you buy in bulk, they usually sell in bags of 50pc or 100pc for $5-$10, and then you use up that 10 pieces, and the remaining 90 pieces are left to sit there wasting away because you're probably never gonna need them again for the lifetime of the car...

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@Comage Able to PM me where did you get the rare items such as vapour hose?  I am interested to keep a contact when I am looking other non stock items?

Good to know there are still hands on ppl around 👍

Edited by Boxster
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On 10/22/2022 at 2:24 PM, Comage said:

Ya, I follow quite a few mechanic YouTubers... And none of them mention using tape or sealant on top of the bolts.. 

Everyone's just saying "crush washer" + bolt for the engine pan. Torqued to spec, or hand-tighten + 1/4 turn at most if you don't have a torque wrench. Oh, and don't reuse the crush washer. It's only $1-2 for a packet of 10pc...

Actually where did you get the space or location to perform your repairs?

And how did you dispose your used oil?

I am also a basic DIYer but only dare to do easy stuff like change spark plugs etc

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21 hours ago, Boxster said:

@Comage Able to PM me where did you get the rare items such as vapour hose?  I am interested to keep a contact when I am looking other non stock items?

Good to know there are still hands on ppl around 👍

Got it from Japanese online stockists - order and fly the part in from Japan. 

It's really frustrating that for some strange reason, local stockists do not stock parts like rubber hoses. Perhaps someone familiar with the inside, can comment on why this is so. 

Whenever I ask the stockist if they have this and this bolt or rubber hose - they will stare at me like I am alien... Lol. 

20 hours ago, t0y0ta said:

Actually where did you get the space or location to perform your repairs?

And how did you dispose your used oil?

I am also a basic DIYer but only dare to do easy stuff like change spark plugs etc

Several available options:

1. Find a friend living in a private housing with a sheltered driveway. 

2. Find a quiet car park that is sheltered and has very little foot traffic from prying eyes. 

3. There's a workshop somewhere in Kaki Bukit that allows you to rent their car hoist for DIY repairs. 

Whichever option you choose, just make sure you are quiet and clean up before you leave. Like everything else, if you are considerate, people will mostly close one eye and let it go. But if you generate a lot of noise with the tools and create a lot of trash after your job, or block the driveway from passing motorists with your scattered parts, then just be prepared to pay the penalty. 

As for the used oil, I just keep it in quart bottles and bring it back to my mechanic during the next major maintenance job. 

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