I got another to add... When laying on your back, and working on the Z, do not wear a singlet. I have two grease spots on back that I can't for the life of me reach!
Engine after a engine install, connecting the washer bottle pipe to the plenum, it looks like a vac hose but when connected, manifold vac will suck water up and hydraulic the motor. After sump removal , installing sump with dipstick fitted can trap it and cannot be removed without dropping the sump back off. cranking or running the motor with no front balancer and timing covers, the belt can wander off the front and damage pistons and valves. Mixing up 02 sensor and VTC plugs. Forgetting about rags in intake and turbo pipes. Installing a FMIC with piping identical on both sides. Mistaking 10mm hex bungs in heads for headbolts. Not marking cam caps and mixing them up. Forgetting about the 10mm head small bolts when trying to remove heads not realising 2 of the headbolts are shorter than the rest. Leaving the little screw in the auto tensioner for the timing belt. Damaging shafts and housings when changing lip seals. missing the keyway pin on intake cams that locate intake sprocket. On an auto there is a ring in the back of the crank that locates the torque converter, make sure u dont have one stuck to the converter and one in the crank Failing to clean the oil out of the top of head bolts means the tool wont go all the way in, and can strip the heads Suspension The bolt on the hub end of the rear top arms are longer compared to the rest of the bolts in the rear suspension, PITA when you put it all back together with one being wrong. Don't forget the shim plates on the front suspension when using shocks and springs. Otherwise the shock shafts will damage the bonnet. Make sure you brace the drive shaft when you remove the last bolt....it can knock you out __________________
dunno if this is worthwhile for the add. When working under a Zed perticually when removing sump. make sure you have some clean clear glasses. cant count how many times they have saved my eye from oily dirt and oil dropping into them.
While you've got a million things to do on the car, remember to set your workspace up safely first. I was lucky - the pin wasn't pushed through the other side correctly (not by myself). Heard a groan, pop and car shifted but luckily stayed up.
When rebuilding an engine, the correct order for 2 parts is: 1) drivers side "block to tranny bracket" 2) oil filter boss cos the bolts that hold item #1 in place are too long to fit if you have already put item #2 onto the block
Ok ...... I'll add to the list ........ 1/ DO NOT place sockets / small spanners etc on or in the enginebay between uses when working on the engine or other items within the bay...... they WILL fall down into the depths of unknown places and retrevial WILL be imposiable untill engine removeal is done..... BADZX's enginebay still holds 1x 8mm socket and 1x 10mm ring spanner. even with the magnetic pickup stick I cant retreive these 2 tools. 2/ Keep an eye out for 'exotic' tools at swap meets / garage sales. I have several medical clamps and other surgical tools that have been invaluable when working on the zed. Add one of those dentist's mirrors......... ( gods gift to the zed mechanic) & strange pointy nosed pliers, this includes angled tipped, bent nose (yes they differ), long handled bent nose and extra long nose bent nose (my longest pair are 400mm long) 3/ ALWAYS grab that elcheapo on sale set of wafong wacing spanners, its far better to oxy heat and bend them to a desired shape or cut n weld as required than doing likewise to your tresured and EXPENSIVE tool set componets..... A $15 set of spanners if far cheaper than replacing that one 18mm ringy from the sidchrome etc tool chest 4/ Hammers and chisels are only for building pymirids 5/ shifters are a poormans micrometer :rofl: :br:
Not just that. I had a 10mm socket drop onto the engine fan. found it embedded in the radiator when i was looking for my new coolant leak
Pick and scribe set makes removing spring clamps on injector connectors a breeze- this job surely is the longest part of a plenum pull :zlove:
When changing your power steering belt, don't undo the whole pivot bolt because it can suck putting it back in and dont use a hammer when you get angry
One that caught me out once - removing old oil filter and not noticing that O-ring stayed in place on the engine block. Then put on the new filter complete with new glued-on O-ring. Got just up the road and blew both o-rings out, dumped 4.5 Lt of new oil in the road. Lucky for me home was downhill and I rolled home. What a mess 5lt of oil makes.
This. The number of times the spanners slid off the top cover and bounced off the fan and into the shroud. I now have a knack to removing them without major surgery. Had me stumped the first time it happened. Found it in the end.
I lost my only key within the first few days of owning my car... Unlocked car, popped hood to show a mate, open said hood with the key between my teeth (cause you need both hands to open it right??) and next thing I know the key has slipped out and into the depths of the engine bay... Luckily it was in my garage at the time! Found the key eventually by going in from underneath, but my mate lost one of his contacts down there in the process! Contact eventually came out too with a stocking over the end of a vaccum cleaner... Good times!
Wow you managed to find a contact lens. :rofl: How about wearing eye protection when changing the fuel filter, petrol in your eyes hurts!
