What have you done to your Festiva today!?

[Chobobulous]

I was at the exhaust shop today and was totally impressed. I went to get a hole welded closed and a bung put on for the wide band. He said he would do it for 30 bucks or he would fab a whole new downpipe for 40.

I don't know if you all remember the sawzall action from my downpipe but a new one was probably the best way to go. Anyways. He cut it off at about the back of the drivers seat. It fell to the ground he looked at it, looked at the bottom of the car and ran off to the shop. He came back out with a pipe almost perfectly bent to match. It was an inch or so too long. He went back fixed that and welded it up for me.

I don't think 40 bucks was terrible at all for that much exhaust pipe and the fact he didn't look toward the middle of the car

[TorqueEffect]

Got back yesterday morning from a 600+ mile journey to Chicago and then back.

On the way there, in the city, and about 50 mile back out of the city, with the a/c on I scored 39.5 MPG on 93 Octane on my goofy timing that I can't seem to get right. But for the return trip I put in 87 octane in just for comparison, haven't filled it up to check the mpg difference. I think it did worse just by looking at the gauge, even though I didn't use a/c on the return trip since it was at night.

Also this isn't the first time I have noticed this, but it seems like if the engine has run for extended period of time, like a long drive, after I shut it down then start it the next day it will start up with a bad lifter tick. But small short trips everyday don't cause any lifter ticks but on rare occasions. Just a weird thing I noticed after this trip, and after Ohiostiva. Today's tick lasted a long time though, lasted a good few minutes.

[1990new]

Put all the AC components back on Bessie, Except for Accumulator Dryer. Had the wrong one so I'll have to wait until next week to complete the job.
I posted the one I had in the For Sale Section.

[DrMaxwellEdison]

Drove it some more. Hoping to get around to an oil change on Saturday if I'm lucky. I'd LOVE to get this Converter to quit leaking.... it's irritating in the worst way....

[Spike]

Went up to Indy PaP for a used '89 alt yesterday, was a nice car. Looked cared for - re-upholstered interior, re-done door panels, newish carpet, new radiator (I know because it had the auto trans tubes on the bottom - was a 4spd car). Seems they had a Meineke repair quote of about $1000 for tie rods, ball joints, and rear bearings (SERIOUSLY?). According to the paperwork in the car, it was traded in at a dealer for an '04 Windstar; the dealer immediately sent it off to die. What a waste of a nice car.

Anyway! Installed used alternator (it said 9/2010 on the rebuild sticker) and it worked great; removed the new one for return. Replaced front brake pads (they were so close to scoring rotors), and added a half quart of oil.

-Joe

[iriegnome]

Blew a fuseable link today on my 1992 Festie Loaner vehicle. I am using my Father-In-Laws until the parts come in for mine :-). Anyway, blew the main fuse link. I used a PAL fuse in it's place. Don't know if it is a proper fix, but the car started and worked, so I guess it was a success!!

[Flyin4stroke]

^sweet.

[Chobobulous]

"Dropped" the new-to-me B6-ME in today.

Didn't expect so much aggravation from it. Really blew my mind. Hoping the B3 ECU and fuel injectors and VAF will keep it happy-ish till I can get a more permanent solution installed.

I will NEVER, EVER, EVER attempt to install the engine with the trans in the car again. I know people say it's no big deal, but I just can't do it, and I wasted 1/2 a day trying. So...

Ha ha ha I feel the same way! It was so much easier to pull the trans. Hardest part, lining up the bolt on the rear trans mount.

[sketchman]

"Dropped" the new-to-me B6-ME in today.

Didn't expect so much aggravation from it. Really blew my mind. Hoping the B3 ECU and fuel injectors and VAF will keep it happy-ish till I can get a more permanent solution installed.

I will NEVER, EVER, EVER attempt to install the engine with the trans in the car again. I know people say it's no big deal, but I just can't do it, and I wasted 1/2 a day trying. So...

[MTec007]

Never. Heck, how many cars made in the past 20 years can go a mile without an alternator?

My wife's 02 protege 5 went probably a half a mile with a missing alternator belt. Granted I had to shut the car off several times and wait because the same belt drives the water pump and the car got hot pretty fast. But two weeks later the battery was dead.

[Spike]

Buying a new car?

Never. Heck, how many cars made in the past 20 years can go a mile without an alternator?

[TorqueEffect]

Noticed a bad leak at the fitting on the passenger rear wheel cylinder. =/

Didn't know anything was wrong till my brake light turned on during the drive home, and looked under and the whole inside of the rear passenger wheel was soaked in brake fluid. Great, and Wednesday it is going on a 500 mile trip....

I just hope the fitting came loose and I just need to tighten it up.

[bravekozak]

Buying a new car?

[Spike]

Replaced alternator with new about 3 months ago.. tonight the main power wire decided to turn to ash. I had everything necessary to re-wire it on me, so figured it would take me a few minutes and back on the road. Got my 10mm socket, barely touched the bolt, and it snapped right off!$#@!

Thus, I got someone to jump me up to a full battery, made sure all the lights were off, and planned on breaking down on the way home.
55 miles and 67 minutes later, here I am. Gotta love Festiva power; didn't miss a beat. I did notice my turn signals were incredibly dim, and my brake lights likely weren't visible when being used. Battery read 9.57V according to my tester. I would figure the Weber and lack of ECU helped a good bit.

So any guess what I'm doing tomorrow?

-Joe

[drddan]

Good mileage! Was that with the BP?