need a site for self repair. Does it exist?

[Alexander Pozhitkov]

Dear All,
I am a sort of auto-enthusiast and I need to repair/experiment with my car.
But I don't have a garage of course. I was wondering if there was a site
where I could do things with my car. Some sort of garage for rent or free
space, I don't know. Does such thing exist? I recently moved to the US from
Germany and live near Seattle, sorry if my question is stupid. :-)
Alex.

[Al Bundy]

Shell and others tried it about 30 years ago. I don't know of anything
national that exists now. You will need to cultivate something locally
for your own needs. You can still do lots of jobs outside with proper
planning.

[N8N]

Alexander Pozhitkov wrote:
> Dear All,
> I am a sort of auto-enthusiast and I need to repair/experiment with my car.
> But I don't have a garage of course. I was wondering if there was a site
> where I could do things with my car. Some sort of garage for rent or free
> space, I don't know. Does such thing exist? I recently moved to the US from
> Germany and live near Seattle, sorry if my question is stupid. :-)
> Alex.

I know places like this USED to exist, but due to liability I doubt any
of them are left. My friend was just explaining to me the other day
just how much legal s**t he'd be in if I hurt myself working on my car
at his place (I still do, but still...) so I can only imagine the
liabilities involved in a place where the sole purpose for its
existence is so that people can work on their own cars.

That said, this sounds like a great idea for a car club in an urban
area where garage space is at a premium....

nate

(I cut my finger on a sharp pointy piece of metal, I'm gonna sue!)

"N8N" > wrote in message
ups.com...

> That said, this sounds like a great idea for a car club in an urban
> area where garage space is at a premium....
>
> nate

I think you're right. It is a shame that our system and thought processes
have become so greedy that a rental workshop would be a legal liability.

[Al Bundy]

I'm not sure if it was liability or lack of interest that ended it.
Liability insurance can be purchased for anything almost. If it's not
an economically viable plan, then it goes under. The number of folks
that work on their own vehicles may have diminished too. Kids don't
seem as interested in cars as computers these days. It takes lots of
tools and some knowledge. Corner gas stations that repair vehicles are
nearly extinct.

[Alexander Pozhitkov]

"Al Bundy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I'm not sure if it was liability or lack of interest that ended it.
> Liability insurance can be purchased for anything almost. If it's not
> an economically viable plan, then it goes under. The number of folks
> that work on their own vehicles may have diminished too. Kids don't
> seem as interested in cars as computers these days. It takes lots of
> tools and some knowledge. Corner gas stations that repair vehicles are
> nearly extinct.
>

Hmmmm,
Too bad. Recently I think I was cheated by "specialists" in a local garage.
I had a coolant leak and those guys told me I had a fuel intake manifold
gasket problem. I didn't check myself and trusted them. They "repaired" for
1K but the leak persisted. I figured out that just a hose going to the
radiator became loose. Well, they fixed for free. In 2 months the camshaft
broke.My friend told me that on his Malibu, that has the same engine as I
have, exactly the same situation happened: the "specialists" worked on his
engine and camshaft broke. I am wondering if they did some crap work that
destroyed the engine finally. I'd repair all that stuff myself if I had a
garage.
Alex.

"Al Bundy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I'm not sure if it was liability or lack of interest that ended it.
> Liability insurance can be purchased for anything almost. If it's not
> an economically viable plan, then it goes under. The number of folks
> that work on their own vehicles may have diminished too. Kids don't
> seem as interested in cars as computers these days. It takes lots of
> tools and some knowledge. Corner gas stations that repair vehicles are
> nearly extinct.

What you say is exactly true..Kids and adults today know little else than
to put gas in the cars and point them down the road. The complication of
the electrical systems now, with so much computerization, can make it hard
to work on them anyway.

If gasoline gets much higher, I wonder if we will see a change in buying
and driving habits here.

I went back to Norway a couple of weeks ago for a wedding, and gas
there runs about $8.00 per gallon now. Fill up a 30 gallon tank with THAT!

[aarcuda69062]

In article >,
"Alexander Pozhitkov" > wrote:

> Hmmmm,
> Too bad. Recently I think I was cheated by "specialists" in a local garage.
> I had a coolant leak and those guys told me I had a fuel intake manifold
> gasket problem.

Common failure on the GM 3100 engine.

> I didn't check myself and trusted them. They "repaired" for
> 1K but the leak persisted. I figured out that just a hose going to the
> radiator became loose.

Or; that became the next weak spot to spring a leak once the
manifold gaskets were corrected. If it were just a radiator hose
leak, you'd have seen a puddle -before- you authorized the
manifold gasket repair.

> Well, they fixed for free.

Stupid them.

> In 2 months the camshaft
> broke.My friend told me that on his Malibu, that has the same engine as I
> have, exactly the same situation happened: the "specialists" worked on his
> engine and camshaft broke. I am wondering if they did some crap work that
> destroyed the engine finally.


No, coolant leaking inside the engine and mixing with the
lubricating oil is what caused the camshaft to break.
(the reason for the original manifold gasket repair)
Engine coolant makes a lousy lubricant.
Your ignoring the coolant usage is what took out the engine, not
"some crap work," along with making poor choices when selecting a
vehicle.

> I'd repair all that stuff myself if I had a
> garage.

You'd need more than just a garage.

[« Paul »]

Alexander Pozhitkov wrote:
>
> "Al Bundy" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > I'm not sure if it was liability or lack of interest that ended it.
> > Liability insurance can be purchased for anything almost. If it's not
> > an economically viable plan, then it goes under. The number of folks
> > that work on their own vehicles may have diminished too. Kids don't
> > seem as interested in cars as computers these days. It takes lots of
> > tools and some knowledge. Corner gas stations that repair vehicles are
> > nearly extinct.
> >
>
> Hmmmm,
> Too bad. Recently I think I was cheated by "specialists" in a local garage.
> I had a coolant leak and those guys told me I had a fuel intake manifold
> gasket problem. I didn't check myself and trusted them. They "repaired" for
> 1K but the leak persisted. I figured out that just a hose going to the
> radiator became loose. Well, they fixed for free. In 2 months the camshaft
> broke.My friend told me that on his Malibu, that has the same engine as I
> have, exactly the same situation happened: the "specialists" worked on his
> engine and camshaft broke. I am wondering if they did some crap work that
> destroyed the engine finally. I'd repair all that stuff myself if I had a
> garage.
> Alex.

Camshafts break on the 60 degree engines due to leaking intake manifolds
letting coolant into the crankcase, mixing with the oil, and wiping
out bearings. Sounds to me like the techs did exactly what was called
for. There is no way to tell if a bearing has been wiped without
tearing down the engine at a cost you would not want to pay just to see
if something may or may not have occurred.
You and your friend really should learn more about auto maintenance.

[Alexander Pozhitkov]

"aarcuda69062" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Alexander Pozhitkov" > wrote:
>
> > Hmmmm,
> > Too bad. Recently I think I was cheated by "specialists" in a local
garage.
> > I had a coolant leak and those guys told me I had a fuel intake manifold
> > gasket problem.
>
> Common failure on the GM 3100 engine.
>
> > I didn't check myself and trusted them. They "repaired" for
> > 1K but the leak persisted. I figured out that just a hose going to the
> > radiator became loose.
>
> Or; that became the next weak spot to spring a leak once the
> manifold gaskets were corrected. If it were just a radiator hose
> leak, you'd have seen a puddle -before- you authorized the
> manifold gasket repair.
>
> > Well, they fixed for free.
>
> Stupid them.
>
> > In 2 months the camshaft
> > broke.My friend told me that on his Malibu, that has the same engine as
I
> > have, exactly the same situation happened: the "specialists" worked on
his
> > engine and camshaft broke. I am wondering if they did some crap work
that
> > destroyed the engine finally.
>
>
> No, coolant leaking inside the engine and mixing with the
> lubricating oil is what caused the camshaft to break.
> (the reason for the original manifold gasket repair)
> Engine coolant makes a lousy lubricant.
> Your ignoring the coolant usage is what took out the engine, not
> "some crap work," along with making poor choices when selecting a
> vehicle.
>
> > I'd repair all that stuff myself if I had a
> > garage.
>
> You'd need more than just a garage.

Thanks for detailed comments, but I would disagree. I could not see the
puddle of the coolant at the beginning because I was driving for a long time
and discovered loss of the cooland at gas the station looking under the
hood. Before that incident, tech's told me that my gasket was worn off but
there was no significant leakage of the coolant into the engine. Can you
imagine if all my coolant was in the engine? I'd have white smoke and
specific smell, wouldn't I? Obviously the coolant leaked thru the loose hose
and tech's sort of decided to make a repair that was not the main problem,
but rather potentially helping in the future. After fixing the gasket they
changed oil and all that stuff, so the engine was clean.
Another evidence of crap work was that after they fixed the gasked my engine
lost power because sticky lifters. They repared this for free as well.
When I asked them about the reason why this camshaft broke they kept
changing versions like I didn't have enough oil power, it was like 5 psi,
then they said it was 20 psi. And many other ridiculous comments. When I
asked them why the lamp of the low oil pressure was not on, they told me it
was broken. Am I stupid? It always passes bulb-test!
Anyway, my impression is that disassembling and assembling of the engine
might have been done with mistakes or they missed other problems.

[aarcuda69062]

In article >,
"Alexander Pozhitkov" > wrote:

> Thanks for detailed comments, but I would disagree. I could not see the
> puddle of the coolant at the beginning because I was driving for a long time
> and discovered loss of the cooland at gas the station looking under the
> hood.

So, it took a long drive before the second leak showed up.

> Before that incident, tech's told me that my gasket was worn off but
> there was no significant leakage of the coolant into the engine.

It can't leak anywhere -but- inside the engine.

> Can you
> imagine if all my coolant was in the engine?

Where do you come up with "all?"

> I'd have white smoke and
> specific smell, wouldn't I?

No, you wouldn't necessarily unless you're capable of running
behind your car with your nose close enough to the tailpipe to
smell it, while driving.

> Obviously the coolant leaked thru the loose hose
> and tech's sort of decided to make a repair that was not the main problem,
> but rather potentially helping in the future.

Except that what you have previously described is a known pattern
failure.

.. After fixing the gasket they
> changed oil and all that stuff, so the engine was clean.

Clean oil has nothing to do with damage that has already occurred.
Does sound like they were thorough in their repairs.

> Another evidence of crap work was that after they fixed the gasked my engine
> lost power because sticky lifters.

Again, caused by ethylene glycol mixing in with the lubricating
oil. Known pattern failure.

> They repared this for free as well.

Stupid them.

> When I asked them about the reason why this camshaft broke they kept
> changing versions like I didn't have enough oil power, it was like 5 psi,
> then they said it was 20 psi.

Maybe it was both, as in; 5 psi at idle and 20 psi at speed.
The camshaft broke because it seized in the cam bearings, a KNOWN
pattern failure traceable to coolant entering the engine thru
leaking intake manifold gaskets. If Ian McLeod is reading this,
maybe he'd be kind enough to post a pointer to the pictures he's
offered here before documenting such common occurrences.

>And many other ridiculous comments. When I
> asked them why the lamp of the low oil pressure was not on, they told me it
> was broken. Am I stupid? It always passes bulb-test!

Bulb test has nothing to do with whether or not the oil sending
unit/oil switch is working correctly, so I guess you answered
your own question.

> Anyway, my impression is that disassembling and assembling of the engine
> might have been done with mistakes or they missed other problems.

Or; you drove and ignored a coolant loss problem for long enough
to cause extensive engine damage. An apt description of most GM
3100, 3800, 4.3, 5.0 and 5.7 engines out there.

The ethylene glycol contamination will cause a thickening of the
old oil masking the lifter wear and noise that you subsequently
experienced.
The only thing I see done wrong by the mechanics you're
assassinating here is that they -should- have done the oil change
first, before doing the manifold gasket repair there-by revealing
all or most of the maladies you mention here, at which point,
they can present you with the options for repair and allow you to
decide on which avenue to pursue.

[will350@eskimo.com]

> Camshafts break on the 60 degree engines due to leaking intake manifolds
> letting coolant into the crankcase, mixing with the oil, and wiping
> out bearings. Sounds to me like the techs did exactly what was called
> for. There is no way to tell if a bearing has been wiped without
> tearing down the engine at a cost you would not want to pay just to see
> if something may or may not have occurred.
>
I have had "sort of" the same experience , Except .........
My 83 2.8 contaminates the radiator resevior with oil . The first set
of manifold gaskets had been "cut" to ease the install . Coolant in the
oil so I "complained" ( vigoruosly ) and they did it over.
SOSDD ! When I decided I'd better DIM , I found they had CUT them
AGAIN . It's been 2 years since then with no coolant in the oil but at
oil changes there's 4 oz. + - in the recovery tank .
I've long since given up trying to figure it out ( oil gallery crack
,pressure differential ? ) or repair it .
It doesn't burn oil or leak copious amounts ( maybe 1/2 qt. in 6 months
which , at least 1/2 is in the tank ) so I'm driving the crap out of
it just to see how long it will last then we'll see just what else will
fit in the hole .
With the price of fuel maybe a wood fired boiler in the bed or a
giant rubber band with a crank handle on the front . I guess I
shouldn't whine too much , $200 initial cost and closing in on 500,000
K ( Maybe a bed full of batteries and a 25 hp. Briggs , I could have a
Hybred (?) Will