300zx Injector Replacement

I love fuel injection.  Though my first car was carbureted, and I still use a few carbureted engines (motorcycle, snow blower), the workings of a carburetor lie in the realm of black magic.  A fuel injection system  uses a couple of sensors, pumps, fuel squirters and a computer.  That is easy for this 21st century digital boy to understand. 

My Z is now close to being 22 years old.  Though often described as "fiendishly complicated" the massive cult following of this car has made trouble shooting rather easy.  99% of the issues that might arise has already been dealt with and well documented within the on-line Z community.  Here is my repair story for diagnosing and repairing a failed fuel injector. 

Problem, symptoms, diagnostics, theory, confirmation, parts/tools, and repair.  These are the basic steps to any repair. 

I jump in my trusty Z after work one afternoon to run a few errands on my way home.  Fire her up and immediately feel that something was wrong.  The engine was running very rough.  After a few stops the check engine light appears (not flashing).  It seems like I got a problem.  I drive home before I dig into this any deeper.

The car ran rough (symptom) and felt like it was only running on five of the six cylinders.  I now needed to find the possible dead cylinder.  Engines need three major things (then there is a fat list of minor things) to run: Fuel, compression, and spark; removing any of the three would stop the combustion process.   In order to find the dead cylinder I would kill off one cylinder at a time, by removing the spark.  This is accomplished by unplugging the spark plug (coil pack to be specific for this car).  When doing so I would listen to the engine.  When you kill off a good running cylinder the engine will stumble and the idle will drop.  The engine would also struggle to run as now it was only running on four cylinders.  However when you pulled the spark to the dead cylinder no change would take place.  Performing this test, I soon discover that my #2 cylinder was not running.  This test is called a balance test. 

For starters I am going to rule out low/no compression as a source of my troubles.  I took a compression reading last year on the engine and all cylinders were good.  I have not have had excessive wear or overheating issues that might change my compression significantly. 

I had mentioned earlier that while driving with my symptom I had a check engine light.  This means that the computer is trying to tell you something is wrong.  Since the car is a 1990 it is before the days of ODBII computer systems.  I use to like ODB1 systems because you can read the trouble code by counting the long and short flashes of light in the diagnostic window on the ECU itself; no need for a reader.  However you need to get to the ECU, which is more difficult than simply plugging in a reader from a port under the dash and reading the display.  Counting the flashing lights on the ECU tells me that I have a code 51.  Checking a reference I see that I have a bad injector circuit.

I now know that I have a dead #2 cylinder.  I also have a bad fuel injector circuit error code reading by my ECU.  Sounds like I have a dead number 2 fuel injector.  This could be the reason why the cylinder is not firing as the fuel component was removed from the holy combustion trinity.  However I still need a run a few test to confirm. 

Z32's use side feed injectors.  Fuel enters the side of the injector through the mess screen.  A signal is send from the ECU to the electrical connector telling it to fire.  Fuel then squirts out the bottom of the injector into the cylinder.  A properly working injector will have a resistance reading between 10-14 ohms.  This a taken across the two pins of the electrical connection.  #2 injector showed an open circuit.  Testing another injector that I know is working, #3, I get 12 ohms.  At this point I am fairly certain that I have a dead #2 fuel injector.  I should have gone further and tested for spark on the #2 cylinder just to rule it out, but I skipped it. 

One of then reasons I am so confident that it is the injectors is because I have read many cases that were similar to mine.  The early year Z32's use a pintle style injector.  These types of injectors are susceptible to failure caused by ethanol in gas. Since most of the gas sold in the US  has ethanol mixed in, pintle injector failure is fairly common.  Though I am not sure the exact details and failure mode, it has something to do with corrosion caused by ethanol absorption of atmospheric moisture. 

This diagnostics went pretty smoothly and has taken about an hour to perform.  This initial time investment is well worth it, and much less time consuming than changing out the wrong part would have taken.  Since I now have a confirmed failure mode, I only have two more steps before having the Z on the road again.  A few quick keystrokes on my favorite Z part vendors website and second to last step is accomplished, as a new injector was being shipped to me.  The cost of a single new injector: about $100. 

The Z32 is built with a tuned length intake runners.  The basic V6 engine block is built: valve covers, fuel rails and injectors, lower intake manifold all installed, then the upper intake plenum sits on top of everything like a six legged aluminum spider.  Though great for performance the upper plenum makes working on the stuff underneath a bear.  Removing the plenum is also quite a chore as almost every fuel line, vacuum line, and half the coolant hoses are intertwined in the spiders web.  If all six injectors are to be replaced the removal of the plenum might be a good idea.  But if only one needs replacing it is better to use the "Dremel method".  The injectors for the most part are exposed between the legs of the plenum.  However not all of the screw are accessible.  The method involves taking a dremel with a carbide bit and cutting access notches in the plenum.  Though this might seem like a hack job, the process is widely accepted by Z mechanics.  The plenum itself is a cast aluminum piece with "extra" material.  I have even heard of people cutting injector screw access notches in plenums that are off the car and being polished.  These polished plenums will often have extra castings ground down as well prior to being installed on a built engine.  The pre-notched plenum  makes future injector changes a snap. 

For this job I used my dremel with a flex line attachment.  This allows me to get into the tight space a little easier.  I used two different carbide cutters.  A new cylindercal one with a flat bottom and later on a pointy one.  When cutting aluminum with a carbide bit, it is best to go slow.  Both in the spinning speed of the cutter and the amount of material you remove.  Spinning the cutter at high speeds will load up the cutter surface.  Though there is extra casting material that can be removed with no harm, it is not unheard of for a zelouse shade tree mechanics cutting holes in their plenum. 

Once enough material has been removed it is time to tackle the screws.  In all of their infinite wisdom, Nissan engineers opted to use #2 Phillips head screws on the injectors.  Stripping the screws is super easy.  Prior to any attempt to remove the screws, it is best to soak the area down with a penetrating oil.  WD-40, PB blaster, what ever your favorite is, hose it down and let it soak.  Over night is best.  The best tool to use on these screws is an impact driver.  An impact driver is different than an impact wrench/gun.  A impact driver is a hand tool that turns an eighth of a turn or so every time the back end is hit with a hammer.  When set to turn counter clockwise, this tool is great for removing Phillips head screws, as it applies both the downward force necessary to resist stripping, and turning force to unscrew the bolt.  Since I have a larger 1/2" drive impact wrench, I had to string together several adaptors in order to get it down to a 1/4" phillips bit.  Also note that a 4" long phillips bit is needed to clear plenum. 

Though a healthy portion of material can be removed in order to access the screw, the screw driver bit does not sit on the phillips screw at a 90 degree angle.  I think that removing the necessary material to do so will surely cut a hole in the plenum.  In the picture one of the phillips screw has been replaced with a socket head screw.  This is a nice upgrade, and will reduce headaches in the future.  However the socket head portion of the screw has a much higher profile, and has trouble fitting under the plenum.  I opted to keep the stock phillips in the left hole, rather than grind down more material. 

Once the screws are removed and all the aluminum shavings cleaned up it is time to finally remove the injector.  Lift off the injector cap, keeping track of all the rubber insulator below.  The injector sits in the fuel rail and is only held in place by a friction fit provided by two o-rings.  Do not under estimate the holding power of these two rings.  I have read of people using pliers, vice grips and even sinking a screw into the injector to pull it out.  Since it was a dead injector I was ready to do anything.  The soaking in oil helps this part too.  A combination of twisting and pulling works the best.  Of all the plier like tools I had, I found the 45 degree long needle nose pilers work the best.  With it you are able to grab the connector portion of the injector right below the locking tabs, providing a solid purchase.  The angle also allows for both twisting and pulling.  A few grunts and injector pops out. 

From here on it is a simple, "installation is the reverse of removal."  Once the new injector is in place and everything is buttoned up, I gave her a crank.  After a few cranks and the fuel system repressurizes she fires up and and runs perfect again. 

Ahh I love it when a plan comes together. 

Here is one of the tutorial that I followed.

Subaru Outback O2 Sensor - PO130

Driving along you look down at the dash board and notice that the little check engine light is on.  What a sure way to spoil your day.  Immediately dollars signs flash as you wonder how much this is going to cost you.  If you do the work yourself and are careful with your diagnostics, not very much.  In my case it cost 62 dollars and a 6 pack of beer.  Our Subi is a 2000 Legacy Outback 2.5 Auto with 150k.

A few weeks ago I had such an event occur.  Since the car is newer than 96, it has an OBD II (On Board Diagnostic) system.  I drive home and plug it into my code reader , and out pops a PO130 code.  Cross references an on-line manual which states that I have a Front Oxygen Sensor circuit malfunction.  From some on-line reading on Subaru Fourms, circuit malfunction often means a short in the circuit, usually caused by water in the plug connection. Well that makes sense as right before the code was thrown I was getting the family truckster sideways in an parking lot with 3 inches of  slush on the ground.  So I cleared the message and waited for the car to dry out.  One thing to mention is that when the check engine light came on, it was steady and did not blink.  This means that you have an error message you should get it checked out.  If it was flashing it means that you are doing damage to the car, stop driving. 

A few days later the car develops a stumble.  Press on the gas and it barely runs.  Pull over and take a look at the engine.  Yep it looks like an engine.  Rev it a few times and everything is back to normal.  The check engine light never came back.  Over the next couple of days this stumbling issue happens a few more time.  It feels like the engine isn't getting gas.  I check the basics around the engine.  Gas in the tank, air intake not obstructed, fuel injectors ticking, spark plugs sparking, spark plugs look good, O2 sensor plug dry and secure, all oil levels full, no blown fuses  Over the next few days it also has several more stumbling episodes, and it throws another PO130 code which I clear out.  The last few instances was really rough,  engine even made popping sounds typical of super lean (low fuel) conditions, like the sputtering right before you run out of gas.  Somehow I must not be getting gas. 

I got a fuel pressure gauge and "T" it into the fuel line just down stream of the fuel filter.  Before unhooking any fuel lines you want to bleed off the pressure to minimize the amount of fuel you spray.  Leaving the car over night usually does it.  But pulling the fuel pump fuse or relay and cranking the engine till it dies is much quicker.  Unknown to many is that behind the knee panel compartment is a fuse bank. I removed the whole panel, but all that is required to be removed is the little flip out compartment. Locate and remove the 15 amp fuse at the top left.

The greatest diagnostic tool ever made is the Internet.  So I hit all the usual Subi Forums asking for advice.  Fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, mass air sensor, coolant temp sensor, transmission temp sensor, and bad gas were allsuggestion.  At this point I had a bad O2 sensor codes appear twice now.  Why didn't I just change out the O2 sensor.  Well I was under the impression that other codes told you you had a bad O2 sensor (sensor reading out of range), and if the circuit was really bad, it would constantly have the check engine light on, not occasionally (every150 miles).

Before I go any further let us talk about O2 sensors and what they do.  Your car needs a mixture of fuel and air to burn.  Back in the carburetor days the carburetor mixed the fuel and air.  Since carbs only mixes the fuel and air to one ratio without consideration for varing conditions, fuel injection was developed.  The amount of fuel the injectors spewed is based on the amount of pressure in the line and the duration the spray nozzles are open.  Input signals from the Mass Air Flow/Pressure sensor determines the duration of the spray.  The O2 sensors read how much fuel is left unburnt in the exhaust and fine tune the mixture.  When one of the sensors is not working it sends the fuel map into a safety mode, erroring on the side of burning more gas than is needed (rich).  Running rich is safer cause the car will still run and you do not run the risk of detonation (blowing up your motor with a too lean of a mixture-this is a whole other topic).  This is why it waste gas when you have a check engine light on.  This is also why I figured a known O2 sensor issue will simply cause the car the run rich and not generate such a shortage of fuel condition, and thus not a result of the PO130 error message. 

Often times cars have two O2 sensors or more.  This can add a bit of confusion, as some are desginated as bank one and two and others as front and back.   In some "V" configured engines an O2 sensor might be present to monitor the left bank of cyclinders and the right.  In newer cars there is often O2 sensors located before and after the catalitic converter, its purpose is to monitor the condition of the cataletic converter.  I assume that it is possible to have a combination of such sensors and have four seperate O2 sensors for your car.  Our Subi has two sensors to monitor the condition of the cats, and does not have sensors to monitor the left and right bank.

The problem with my stumbling problem was that it was intermittent.  This makes diagnosing the issue difficult as it would not do in the comfort of my garage, only on the open road.  If it was my fuel pump or fuel pressure regulator I wanted to confirm it before I replaced it.  Nothing worse than replacing a part only to find that it was fine and not related to the issue.  This I call the "machine gun" way of repair; fire a bunch of bullets and hope to hit the right thing.  A working fuel pump will generate a constant and adequate fuel pressure.  If the pump is dying I would be able to tell with a gauge. 

With the fuel pressure gauge hooked up I drove it around the neighborhood for 30 minutes and no issue.  Dang.  The next day I drove it to work and finally the car started to stumble.  The fuel pressure was higher than spec and steady.  The fuel pressure regulator's job is to lower the fuel pressure to the specified amount. A vacuum actuate diaphragm restricts the amount of fuel which passes.  This is also how the FPR varies its regulated pressure.  As you stomp on the gas, less vacuum is available in the intake manifold, thus reducing the amount of fuel pressure reduction.  To check the FPR, pull the vac line.  The pressure should rise.  There should also be no fuel dripping out of the vacuum port, as that would indicate a ruptured FPR diaphragm membrane. 

I was now at a loss?  Do I start checking other sensors like the forum members suggested.  While driving home from work the car developed a stumble again.  Pull over and the check engine light comes on and the stumble went away.   The code read PO130, and  I did not clear it. I then proceed to drive the car for 50+ miles with out a hiccup.  I think I finally figured it out.  PO130 means that the ECU has received a grossly out of range signal from the O2 sensor for a steady duration of time.  Though often it means something is awry with the circuit, it could also mean that the sensor is completely dead.  An error message is then generated and the ECU no longer looks to the sensor for fuel mixture tuning.  When the error code was deleted the ECU still considered the sensor input (though grossly wrong) to mix the fuel, and did so incorrectly, causing a stumble.  The car sensing that it was not running properly, reverted back to a preset safety fuel mixture. 

Ok now that I concluded the source of my error, I needed to do some actual repair.  First I sourced the part.  Bosch has been known to make quality OEM replacement parts.  Bosch oxygen sensors are often times specified by the auto manufacture and used as original equipment.  I found a direct replacement part at the local Napa Auto parts store for about $60.  There are other cheaper versions of the sensor which require you to cut and splice your original plug connector.  No thanks. 

Now to remove the sensor.  First locate the connector plug on the passenger side of the engine. It has a light grey colored safety clip on it. Remember how the clip is attached cause it is tricky to get back on correctly.  Undo the clip and pull apart the connector.  Undo the wire keeper tab that is located a bit further down.

Most O2 sensor are a standard size, 7/8".  However it is not something that you can remove using a standard socket.  Due to the wire you need to use a tool similar to a flared nut tool.  I guess for removing the old sensor you can simple cut the wire off and use a deep socket.  Using a open end wrench only grabs the hex in two points and easily rounds out the hex.  The idea is to clear the wire but to engage more than two of the hex points. 

Though the subi uses a boxer engine with two separate banks, it uses only one O2 sensor for it fuel mixture reading.  The sensor is located at the "Y" portion of the exhaust as the two header pipes meet.  Because of the location I was not able to get my O2 sensor socket in.  Maybe if I had a crows foot type socket I could wiggle it in place.  But I did not so it was time to drop the exhaust. 

Of course in order to drop the exhaust the first thing that needed to be done was to drop the skid plate.  Next I undid the six exhaust header nuts.  The exhaust comes down but not quite far enough. I needed to go to the next exhaust hanger and undo the bolt.  Once the bolt is removed the hanger has a lip which the exhaust mounting bracket hangs from.  Lift the exhaust up past the lip and to the side to fully release the exhaust.  Be sure to have something support the exhaust.  The flex joint located downstream is not capable of support to forward section of the exhaust.  There is also the wires from

 the rear O2 sensor that will snap if required to hold the weight of the front exhaust portion.  Gently wiggle the exhaust when you lower it onto your support as the O2 sensor and wire stick through a heat shield and gets hung up.  As you can see in the picture I supported the exhaust on the catalytic converter with a block of wood on a floor jack.

Once you get to this point the rest is easy.  Undo the bad front O2 sensor and replace. Once removed it was obvious that the O2 sensor was toast, as it rattled with a broken part inside.  In the picture you can see the small threaded hole, or bung, that the O2 sensor fit in right at the "Y" portion of the exhaust.

Put the car back together again,  clear the error code, and be happy once again.   This is the part where you drink the six pack of beer to celebrate.

Harken Camper Shell Hoist

Those with pickup trucks usually fall into two categories; the ones that run a camper shell and the ones that don't.  Both have their benefits, both have their draw backs.  For many years I had a pickup truck with an open bed.  The ability to simply toss large items in the bed was one of the major draws of owning a truck.  But once you have a shell , it is hard to go back. The secure storage, shelter from the elements, and the ability to over load the bed without worrying about things flying out is nice.  However the shell does get in the way when you really need to transport large items in the bed.  Such a dilemma.

Camper shells however are not permanent installations.  They can be removed when you need to carry something that is too large for the capacity of the cap.  Though typically not to heavy, 100lbs or so, the large dimensions of the shell make it nearly impossible to remove and install by yourself.  Even with two people it can be awkward. 

A friend suggested that I buy a hoist system for my camper shell so that it would be easy to take on and off.  Taking the shell on and off was happening more often, now that transporting motorcycles became a regular thing.  Me, being the "do-it-yourselfer" of course looked into a homemade hoist system.  However once I found the Harken Hoister I knew that this was one of those things best left to the professionals.  From my years of sail boat racing the brand name Harken was synonymous to quality.  At a price of under $150 dollars, I knew that there was no way I could put together a system as good or as cheap as the one Harken made.  So I bought it.  At the heart of the system is the 8 to 1 block and tackle pulley.  This mechanical advantage device not only has all of the pulley nestled within itself, it also has a line lock, similar to that found on your mini blinds.  Of the many hoist systems Harken makes, the 200lb rated version was designated as the "camper shell" hoist. 

Prior to getting the hoist it is key to find a place where the hoist can pull the camper shell out of the way.  Carefully measure out the location as some spots which might look like it will work simply won't  As seen in the first picture my camper shell fits snugly between the back wall of the garage and the garage door opener.  It also sits high enough so that the back door of the garage can be opened without interference. 

The installation was pretty straight forward.  Though upon initial unpacking, the parts and lines are a bit over whelming.  The detailed instructions clearly lays out the steps required.  In addition to the parts included, you need to provide some 2x6s and some lag bolts.  It is recommend that two people do installation.   The most tricky part was to insure that cross member was bolted to the joist.  This isn't one of those things that will hold if bolted to the dry wall alone; you must sink ALL the lags into solid joist. 

Once installed the system perform flawlessly.  If you plan on leaving the shell in its hoisted position for any amount of time, it is a good idea to provide a safety back up.  Two fixed length of rope under the shell in case the buckles let go, and to securely tie off the primary hoist line in case the line lock gives.  Though I write this precaution, I have yet to add such safety back ups and had not had an issue. 

With this hoist I can now go from camper shell to open bed in less than 15 minuets.  A great addition to any truck owner debating a shell.  Now you can have the best of both worlds; thanks Harken.

Tire Chains, duallies and trailers

For most of the nation tire chains are as common as Yetis. Even those that live in snow country often do not know about these traction devices. I guess when roads get icy people just slide around and play bumper cars. This is not true however for one group of highway users: commercial truckers. These guys are required to chain up anytime the roads are covered with the white stuff and there are hills. Though most of us are not commercial truckers, at times almost anyone can fall into this category. For example if you are driving a moving truck across the country and towing a car trailer; bam- you are now a commercial trucker.

Chain control laws might seem straight forward. If there is chain control and you have a two wheel drive car you need chains. But there are a few details that might not seem so apparent. First let me state that this is California chain control laws , which I am covering. Most other states do not have as strict of laws, especially pertaining to passenger vehicles.

Three levels of chain control exist R1,2 and 3.

-R1 states that any vehicles over 6000lbs must have chains on. If you are towing a trailer you must have chains on. If your trailer has brakes you must have chains on the trailer.

-R2-all vehicles except 4 wheel drives need chains. 4wd's need to carry chains (though this is not usually enforced, I have been stopped once and turned around cause I was not carrying chains in an AWD car).

-R3-All Vehicles need chains.

Usually the road is closed before R3 control statuses are reached.

Because of durability, traction and cost, most large commercial trucks run ladder type chains . In fact cables are not allowed on large trucks and trailer. In most cases chains are only required on the outside tire of a dual tire (4) axle, or dually. A common trick used by truckers is to drive the inside tires up on a set of blocks. This puts the outside tire off the ground, making chain installation much easier.

So next time you are driving in the snow and you can not stop, get stuck, or spin out, just know that there are traction aides available.

Ken Block - Gymkhana 3

Ken Blocks Gymkhana videos have been one of the most viewed clips on Youtube. The much anticipated Gymkhana 3 did not fail to live up to its hype. You might notice that I never posted a link about GymK 2. That's cause it SUCKED. Don't even bother looking it up. This is the first Gymkhana that Ken's does his thing in his new Ford Focus. To the die hard Subi fans this is quite a heart break. But this new video has some tire squealing action that any motor sport enthusiast is sure to love. This video is titled "part2". Part 1 is a music video by the Cool Kids about Ken; Stupid, again not worth viewing. Ok enough of my editorializing: ON WITH THE SHOW!

Lexus's Carbon Fiber Weaving Loom

I has been rumored for years that Lexus was going to build a new sports car. A super car: The LFA. In the last year details of this $370K car has slowly been released to the public. Most recently this video was released. At first it was taken off of youtube for fear that competitors would steal their new technology. But then they allowed youtube to host it again. This video made my skin tingle as I watched it. Here is Lexus's new carbon weaving loom.

A guide to Tire Chains

Growing up in Southern California, it is hard to imagine that winter means snow for over 50% of the country. I however was not totally oblivious to the idea of snow, for the surrounding mountains are high enough to receive their share of the cold white stuff. Since almost no Southern California vehicle is 4wd, a visit to the snow almost always meant chains. As a child, my father was smart enough to avoid snow country during a snow storm. However as I grew up and visited the mountains in the winter, I did not share his good sense. Owning a 2wd truck, I soon became an expert on tire chains.

Like most things in life, it is better to be prepared. Have some chains with you and know how to put them on. However if you don't feel like being prepared, don't worry this is America, with a little bit of money you'll be taken care of. Most chain control areas have people that will install chains, cost is between $20 and $30. Many chain control areas are located near stores or gas stations that will also sell you chains, cost between $30-$150. Do not however bank on this. Many of the smaller chain control check points do not have such luxuries. Often times you need chains simple because you are stuck on an icy hill where there is no one around to help you out.

So you are going to the mountains this weekend to ski. There is a snow forcasted. What chains should I get? The term "chains" is generic. It refers to a traction deceive mounted on the drive tires of an automobile. In fact chains can either be comprised of chain links, or cables. The general rule of thumb is that you run cables for vehicles with limited clearance between the tires and wheel wells or smaller cars. You run chains when there is a decent amount of clearance or for larger vehicles. Basic tire chains have a ladder type constructions. Two long length of chain which wrap around the tire make up the uprights of the ladder. The cross links which go across the tread of the tire are the ones that are driven on, make up the rungs of the ladder. These types of chains are the most common, cost the least, and when they are made of actual chain material are the most serviceable/repairable.

If you are trying to decide between basic chains or cables, my preference is chains. They provide much better grip, and last longer. The downside is that they require a little more wheel well clearance. Might cost a slight bit more. Might not be as user friendly because they can get twisted up. And if you happen to break a cross link, and decide not to stop to fix it, can do more damage to the inside fender liner.

My biggest fault with cable type "chains" are the rollers. If you look closely at the pictures cable type chains, you will notice that the cross links have small rollers fished through the cable. Sometimes these rollers are not solid and made of a spring like cylinder. Why rollers, two reasons. One-increased diameter. The diameter of the cables are very small, and do not provide much grip. Adding the rollers increase the amount of bite into the snow. The second reason is to actually decrease traction. Cables are easy to break. If you drove on something that gave you solid contact such as a bumpy dry road, and hit the gas; the cross link of the cables can easily snap.

Basic ladder type chains are often the only thing available for purchase when you need them. They work, but are not without their problems. Three main problems exist with this type of chains that will make you consider buying a fancier set of chains. 1-installation. They are difficult to install. Most will need you to drive over a section of the cross link, and you also need to get behind the tire. 2-rough ride. Since you will only be on one chain cross link at a time and intermittently, ladder style chains yield a bumpy and loud ride. 3-poor traction. Again, since you are on the chains only for a fraction of the time, and your tires the rest of the time, you do not get the full benefit of running chains.

Z Cables and Alpine/Euro Chains If any product is titled "basic", you as the reader surely knew that a "fancy" was coming up next. These two types of chains have the benefit of easy installation and better contact patch. The contact patch improves both smoothness and traction.

In my opinion the Alpine Sport chains are the best on the market. They go by many different names, including: Alpine Premium, and Euro Chains. They have a split design which allows you to install the chains without needing to drive over them. The chains do not use standard ladder type cross links, but are diamond patterned. The diamond pattern insure that most of the time you have a section of chain between your tire and the ground. This also give a very smooth ride. The chain links are a square profile, and give good grip. They are also low profile, and should work for most vehicles, even those with limited wheel well clearance. As a bonus most of of these type of chains have a built in tensioner. These chains do cost more and is not always available at your corner store or gas station. If I was to recommend a set of tire chains these would be the one.

Finally there are the Z chains. I sometimes refer to these as the Highway Patrol chains, since these are the ones that the cops run on their cruisers. Z chains are in fact cables. I am not a huge fan of these chains, but they are a step above regular ladder style cables and are worth mentioning. These chains are available more often then the alpine sport ones. These chains have two major advantages. One is the diagonal contact which increases the duration of contact between the tire and the ground. The diagonal orientations also provides some lateral traction for cornering. Most Z chains also have a split design which makes installing a breeze. The split refers to the fact the cross link array have a break. Therefor you can attach the rear hoop, then pull the two "halves" around the tire and connect the two attachment points. Z chains also use spring coils instead of solid rollers which provides a bit more traction. My greatest fault with the Z chains is that they rely heavily on the rubber tensioner to keep the chains tight. There is limited static adjusted. Though these are slightly lower profile than the Alpine sport chains, due to the fact that they are held on by elastic tensioners, they tend to fling out at higher speeds and negate their low profile advantage.

This article barely scratches the surface of the topic of chains. More can be discussed on installation, tensioning, chain link variation... However this is enough to get most people started. Good luck and enjoy the mountains!

Tread Wright Retread Tires - Sentinels w/ Kedge Grip

Have I ever told you that I love tires. This year I needed some new winter tires for the truck. I have been hearing a lot about this company that makes retread tires; Tread Wright. So I decided to give them a shot.

Tread Wright has several of there own tread patterns but the three most popular are the knock offs; BFG AT, old Goodyear MTR, and the Bridgestone Dueler Revo.

For my previous set of winter tires I was running a studded classic mud terrain pattern. They worked in the deep unlowed snow, but was a nightmare on ice. Mudders are NOT good snow tires. Even though the look aggressive, don't be fooled. There is no way the 8 big lugs, which make up your contact patch, can provide much grip. Even with the carbide studs. Even after I hand grooved and sipped the lugs, they still suck.

Since it is commonly considered that the Revo pattern is one of the best snow treads of any all terrain tire without a winter compound, I figure Revo's with a winter rubber mix would be awesome; I was right. The top picture is the Revo the bottom is of the the Sentinels, notice the very slight differences. Kedge grip is Tread Wright's own winter formula. It is mix of glass and walnut shells. The glass, which is basically sand, make the rubber gritty. The walnut shells are designed to fall out leaving little pits which act like additional sipes. This compound is basically the same as Toyo's winter compound.

I had these tires mounted at Stone's Tire in Truckee (NEVER go there, worst tire shop I have ever been to). They balanced out ok. One tire was a little heavy but not too bad. I had brought the tire and wheels in to the shop off the truck and finally got them on the truck right before the monster Thanksgiving storm. Did not drive them till 3 days into the storm when the roads were a total sheet of ice. How did they do? They SUCKed. I was so disappointed. But then I remembered that new tires are greasy. This is well known fact in the motorcycle world. Do not try to get crazy on a new pair of tires till you break them in. Because of the mold release agent used, new tires are literally greasy.

After I got about 100 miles on them they started to stick. And boy do they stick now. I can drive into my neighborhood in 2wd, where before there was absolutely no way. I also rarely ever activate the ABS. Before it was every stop when the roads where snow covered. It is truly amazing the performance these tire provide. I have taken them up to 80mph with out any noticeable wobble.

The tires cost me $95 each. Shipping was about $25 each. And mounting and balancing was $25 each (I would have paid $15 but that is one of the reason's I will never go back to Stone's). So "out the door" I paid about $150 each. Not quite 1/2 the cost as they claim but ok. Not bad for a tire that uses 1/3 the petro and energy to make, and comes with a fat warranty.

Since this is the tire buying season, they are really low on stock for most of the popular tires and sizes. There is a couple of week back order. I got mine a few months ago, and I got them within a week of ordering them.

Based on my experience with these tires so far, I would not hesitate to buy them again. In fact when I am in need of new summer tires, I will surely go Tread Wright.

Update: Now that I have had these tires on for several months I am able to give a more long term review. I seem to have developed a slight imbalance, and feel a vibration between 50 and 60mph. I believe it is due to that single tire which took more weight to balance out than the rest of them. At speeds above and before the zone, the tires are vibration free. Though I initially raved about the snow/ice performance, I do not think that these tires perform as well as one which is labeled "studless winter". Namely when compared to a fresh set of Bridgestone Blizzaks with Microcell tech. On one particular icy snow storm, on one particularly steep hill, I was not able to stop and slid though the intersection with the ABS system pulsing to the max. Sure I was driving a little fast, and it was the worst condition possible, but our subi with blizzaks have never experienced such an event. Sure this is not an apple to apple comparison since my truck has the worse brakes and most sensitive ABS system. A set of blizzaks on my truck might have fared the same in the given situation, however I thought that it is my job to report the event. I must note that I believe the blizaks wear faster and the mirco cell tech is only incorporated into half of the thread life/depth. Given these updates, I would still buy another set of Tread Wright tires, as they are a good compromise of price, performance, and eco friendliness.

Eurovan's Transmission Woes

It has been called the Achilles heel of the euro van; the 01p 4 speed automatic transmission. Our EuroVan Camper is on its second transmission. The first one failed at approximately 35,000 miles. It was replaced by VW under warranty with a remanufactured unit. So far the transmission is still chugging along, but care must be taken beyond what VW recommends, to insure that the transmission continues to do so.

The typical failure mode of the 01P transmission is due to overheating of the Automatic Transmission Fluid. The EVC comes equipped with a unique ATF cooler. Rather than being a fluid to air heat exchanger, it is a fluid to fluid unit. The cooler uses the engines cooling fluid and primary radiator to provide cooling to the ATF. Though a fluid to fluid cooler is typically more efficient, this particular unit does not provide enough of a temperature drop to prevent the ATF from over heating. The engine's coolant runs at a consistent 190 degree Ferlinghetti, and the small cooler certainly does not remove enough heat. As the AFT is over heated, it breaks down and oxidizes and loses its properties. An article from Go Westy suggest that transmission failures are hit or miss, based on build quality. This might be a contributing factor, but overheating, in my opinion, is still the primary reason. VW recommends the ATF be changed every 40,000 miles, however Go Westy suggest it to be changed every 15,000.

The first time tranny failed it would show signs of it by getting stuck in a low gear, and fail to upshift until the AFT had a chance to cool down. The situation would go like so: Drive the van for a few hours towards the mountains. Begin to climb a long steep grade and the transmission would downshift into 3rd or 2nd gear. At the top of the grade when one would expect the transmission to upshift, it does not, and it stays in whatever gear you climbed the hill in. Pull the van over and attempt to start off from 1st gear. The EV then does not upshift out of 1st gear. Pull over again, and kill the engine. Wait 5 minutes, start the van and drive off like nothing happened. This scenario would happen more and more often, until one day the transmission makes a loud clunk upshifting and EV comes to a lurching halt. Oil pouring out the bottom of the van and smoke bellowing out from underneath. The Death of a Transmission.

This most recent time I took possession of the EVC, I had a similar experience. After 5 hours of driving I make my way up the hill from Bishop to Mammoth. From 4th gear to 3rd gear. Climb the hill, and at the top it would not shift back to 4th. Ohh Shit, this is the start of a 3000 mile trip I have planned with my family, I do not want to worry about an exploding transmission.

I did not have the time or supplies to change out the ATF at the time, but I did start to look into the problem. Based on two separate write ups, Garreett and Baldy's , I knew that I needed some tranny specific parts to do the ATF change, and that I would not be able to get them before I departed for the long leg of my trip. However in my reading, it mentioned that the fluid level of the transmission was very important. I decided that I had to at least check this.

In order to check the fluid level one must first drop the belly pan. Though having a belly pan makes working on the van harder, it is a great item to protect vital engine parts from road debris and damage. The belly pan however is made of light gauge steel and should not be expected to act as a skid plate. Anyways the oil pan itself is not protected by the belly pan. The pan itself is well designed for serviceability. After removing the four 13mm hex head bolts, and the 10mm safety nut, the pan is still held in place by a release clip and and the pivoting hangers. This makes unassisted one man removal and installation easy. Once the pan is off you can see the engine and the transmission. The transmission fluid pan does not have a drain plug. The 5mm allen wrench bolt you see is actually a fluid overflow drain. The allen bolt is attached to a tube inside the oil pan that drains fluid which is excessive to the proper level. (drain picture not mine) The proper level is also dependant on three key points. One-the vehicle should be parked on a level surface. Two- the engine needs to be running, and Three-the AFT should be at the proper temperature.

Leveling the van is a bit tricky. Since the van sits with the nose lower than the tail, even if the van is parked on a level surface the floor is not level. Is this considered level? I used a four foot level that I set on the floor o the van, and based the level on that. However I do not think that it is super critical to get the the van perfectly level; close enough is good enough.

It doesn't seems logical that the ATF level requires the engine to be running when checking the fluid level. After all any other fluid: engine oil, coolant, manual transmission fluid, is all checked with the engine stopped. However checking the ATF when the engine is running is standard operating procedure. The torque converter and pumps needs the engine to be spinning in order to be filled and thus yeilding the proper fill amount.

The proper fluid temperature is the third key point when checking the fluid level. According to Baldy's write up, the AFT should be 130 degrees F. This is not the steady state operating temperature of the ATF. Per the factory service manual, the vehicle should be attached to a VW computer scan tool to read the temperature. However most shop mechanics just wait till the transmission pan is warm to the the touch.

Paying attention to these three key points I check the level of the ATF, and guess what: the fluid level is almost a pint overfilled. Draining this extra fluid seemed to make the transmission run smoother, however over heating symptoms would still persist on our long journey. When I returned home, I purchased the supplies required for the ATF change: fluid, filter, gasket, locking cap. I decided to go with VW approved Pentosin however I think any synthetic Dex II III, ATF would have been fine. The filter is a must, the gasket I am not sure. I think one can reuse the old gasket. And my filler was missing the red locking cap.

I will not go into detail of the actual fluid change since it is covered in great detail by the two previously linked write ups. I will, just touch up on a few finer points. The first is a series of pictures of the ATF. From top to bottom, this first picture is old AFT with 25,000 miles on it. The second brand new fluid. And the third overflow fluid, which is new fluid that has been mixed with old. You can barely tell that it is "cleaner".

The filler lock cap is released by pushing a pin into the release hole. The filler cap is simply pressed into place, with resistance provided by two o-rings. There is not mechanism to release in order to remove the cap. Just use force, however do not tweak the filler tube.

An finally how to fill the transmission with fresh fluid. The write ups will have you either buying a long tube so that you can fill from the engine bay, or buy the special filler neck with the spout. If you have beeb up to speed on your "Bill in Tahoe" readings you will know that there is a much better gear oil pump .

VW Eurovan Camper- The drive

Several months ago you might have remembered a post about me trying to sell the families 2002 VW Eurovan Camper. We got as far as finding a buyer, and was about to make the deal. However my entire family fell into a depression when the idea of not having the mini camper was soon to become a reality. So the day before the deal was to happen, I pulled it from the table. Sucks, but my fathers happiness was more important. My dad did take the potential buyer out to lunch to apologize, and they are current still in contact with each other and friends. The potential buyer soon became an owner of a VW Eurovan Camper as well.

I would have titled this post "first drive impressions" but that would not have been accurate since I have driven the camper many many miles already. In fact I lived in it for three months once. Regardless, how a vehicle drives is one of the most important attributes of a review.


Stepping into the Eurovan one immediately gets the feeling they are entering a work van. The built in step, "A" pillar grab bar, upright captain's chair. The swinging motion into the drivers seat is a very big rig like, quite different than the typical ingress to a passenger car. The location of the driver relative to the vehicle is also unique. Though the driver is not perched directly above the front left tire, one is placed just behind. In fact the hump of the wheel well acts as a dead pedal of sorts. This however follows the VW bus lineage, where due to the rear engine configuration placed the driver right in the very front of the van. In fact drivers of older VW buses found them selves seated in front of the front wheels.



The controls are laid out in a very simple utilitarian fashion. The dash board follows the contours of the windshield without extra protrusions for ergo, or that fighter jet cockpit feel. Many of the knobs, buttons, and instrumentation are standard VW parts shared with Jettas and Passats of the same era. There is nothing wrong with this at all. Why make different defrost buttons for each car when one will do. Though basic, if seen from a old school VW buser's eye, the dashboard and instrumentation has a very modern feel. One of the first things to catch my attention is the aftermarket Sony Explode CD stereo, and the blank button pop outs. I hate blank pop outs. It makes you feel like you are missing out on some great factory gizmo. The stereo is basic with no aux in, ipod connection, or MP3 format disk capability, after all this is 2002. The stereo does have good sound, and higher than average output (52 watts x4). The flip down face of the Explode unit however is less than desirable.


Adjusting the mirrors, you might or might not notice that the two rear view mirrors are different sizes and shapes. The driver side is rectangular and wide, the passenger's is taller. It took me a little bit to realize they were different and even longer to understand why. My guess for the asymmetric mirrors are because the blind spot on the driver side is larger. This is due to the fact that sitting on the left side of the vehicle allows for a greater field of view to the right. This blind spot is made worse when the EV is a camper. When the basic EV is configured to be a camper, the rear driver side window is not cutout and thus lacking windows to look through. Once properly situated the three rear views mirrors provide a great rear field of view, giving the driver the feeling that they are commanding a much smaller vehicle than the EV actually is. With the headrest of the rear bench seat removed there are no blind spots even with the entire rear passenger side of the van paneled out.




Starting the EV with the silly key fob is more difficult than it should be. The body of the fob does not provide a good grip to deliver the twisting motion needed. When you finally get the key turned, the engine winds to life with a very "German" wirl. The gear selector and the e-brake are located on the floor to the right. The gear selector requires the driver to hold the brake pedal down and the depress a release button to shift out of drive; this is pretty normal. What is not normal is the need to push the release button to go from R to N and from N to drive. What is even worse is shifting from D to 3. The fact that you must push the button is not bad, it is that you DO NOT need to push the button to go from 3 to 2. Downshifting from D to 3 should be done carefully. It is very easy to overshoot 3 and go to 2, while downshifting. This could cause to engine and transmission to rev at extremely unsafe RPMs.






Starting in 2001 VW EV's were equipped with a 2.8 liter, 201 horse power, 24 valve V6- the VR6. The VR6 is interseting in the fact that the two rows of cylinders are offset by only 15 degrees instead of the typical 45 degree offset. This gives this particular V6 engine a very narrow block like an in-line type motor, easily suited for many front wheel drive applications. The 24 valve VR6 is the most powerful engine every installed in a VW van from the factory, and you can tell. Stomping on the gas from a stop the EV accelerates at a rate one would not expect from a VW van. Even though the van weighs approximately 5000lbs, the low gearing optimizes the 201 hp. The low gearing is noticed as the 4 speed automatic transmission allows the van to humm along at 65mph while spinning the engine at 3000 RPM's.



The car feel of the EV is apparent even when you drive. It maneuvers easily and is narrow enough that you feel comfortable with it's dimensions. The power steering is heavy for a passenger car, but not so much that it a hindrance. The front suspension has plenty of caster built in that you never get the wandering feeling many large vans have. The major complaint of the drive is that the ride is woefully soft. Not only is the suspension soft, but the chassis lacks rigidity. A soft ride is expected since this is a camper van and not a sports car, but the EVC drives like a cooked noodle. Soft shocks and small sway bar gives the van a very sailboat like roll in corners. The large hole cut in the roof for the pop top does not help the overall rigidity, as the van groans and creeks over driveway cutouts. The car like feel of the van is lost when subjected to winding roads or off pavement conditions.


VW did the the EV van right by matching the powerful motor with equally powerful brakes. The 12" disk brakes have never felt inadequate. Fuel efficiency is good for a vehicle of its size. 20mpg can easily be obtained when road tripping, and 16 mpg is returned if you do alot of hotrodding. Not going into camper features, two other functions are good and worth mentioning. The front windows have both one touch up and down features for both driver and passenger side windows. Most of today's cars still don't have the dual one touches on both windows. The rear defrost is also unique. At the base where the windshield wipers sit there are some extra passes of the defrost element. This is to prevent snow and ice build up below the wiper, and to help prevent it from freezing to the rear windshield.


The first time I had interest in VW campers was in the early 80's when my dad and I went to a VW showroom. Many years later my father bought one, and once I am taking possession of to use for a road trip. I have a few days between driving it to my house and departing for a trip. Those few days were busily spent prepping the camper for my adventure with it.

Nissan Frontier - Exhaust "Y" Pipe Mod

The first steps in modifying a car for performance often lie in the intake and exhaust systems. My 06 Nissan Frontier Truck is no different. However with 265 stock horse power, I did not find a need to gain more power. Last fall however I was out four wheeling and got the truck stuck on a large rock. The truck was dragged over the rock, and in the process a section of exhaust pipe was crushed. The decrease in exhaust pipe diameter was not very bad so I did not do anything about it. However after many hundreds of miles of driving it, I did notice that things were a little off. The idle was rougher, the MPGs took a slight hit, but the main thing that got my attention was the smell of rotting eggs after a hard pull. Since the crushed section of exhaust was on one bank of the V6, I suspected that those three cylinders were running richer the other three. This was made worse with my air intake modification. More available air would mean more gas into the system; and if one side was not running as efficiently as the other, excess unburnt gas was being pushed into the catalytic converter: the most common reason for the rotten eggs smell. Not counting hotsprings and skinky roommates.

My truck is V6 with a single exhaust. This means that somewhere in the system the exhaust pipes from the two separate engine banks need to be combined. This truck does so with a "Y" pipe. The factory Y pipe is constructed by crimping two circular exhaust tubes into a half circle and jamming them into a third pipe. The result is a very restrictive junction. As we know the more free flowing the exhaust system the better the engine runs. Lets not start an argument about back pressure now. This is an excellent place for a little performance modification. As some of you know I, like many other people, suffer from WYAIT (while you are in there), so while I was getting my crushed exhaust repaired, I might as well address the bad Y junction WIWIT.

Since blending two tubes to make a smooth "Y" junction is not very easy to do, I decided to buy a pre fabricated "Y" pipe. I found that Magnaflow made one that suited my purpose. I took some measurements and decided that the 2" in and 2.5" out was the perfect pipe. I then source the part online for $26.83 from autoanything.com. Perfect.

http://www.autoanything.com/exhausts-mufflers/69A2680A0A0.aspx

Shawn's Muffler and Welding in Tahoe City is a local muffler shop. There might better and cheaper muffler shops, and I am sure there are worse and more expensive ones too. However he is close to my work and does pretty good work. He bent and welded in a new section of exhaust pipe as well as the new "Y" section. He charged me one hour for his time and the materials used.

Preliminary result show a return of my MPG and a little more pep. No additional exhaust volume, maybe a deeper tone. Throttle response is a quicker and ass dyno estimates a 5hp gain.

Vroom vroom!!