What have you done to your Festiva today!?

[Tommychu]

Re: What have you done to your Festiva today!?

The color of your oil doesn't necessarily tell you anything. There are compounds in oils that 'burn' faster than others, etc and will darken despite the oil being clean and maintaining decent lubricity. You really should send a sample to Blackwell and have it analyzed.

The main reason oil turns black is usually not that it's coking or burning. It's absorbing particulates from the blowby gases. So the color of the oil will tell you how hard the detergents have been working, and if they get depleted you're in just as much trouble as you would if your oil has broken down.
Used oil analysis is a very handy thing though.

[200KGPGTP]

Oh well, anyways I changed the oil with Supertech 5w30 with a Purolator Classic filter.

That's the combo I use!

Yeah, was just saying if it hadn't already, it would be cheaper and easier to just replace the boot, lots of people have hell of a time trying to get the axles out of these Festies.

I was dreading it for the last couple of weeks, and finally tried yesterday. They both just popped right out. I sung hymns. I think I also shed a tear.

I got the fubared b3 and trans out yesterday... Today I'm going to do some little stuff like see if I can lift the front of the car sans powertrain, swap over some accessories to the b6, clean the engine bay, remove the subframe for powdercoating, etc etc.....



What front suspension stuff should I be doing while it's all apart? Like what's the best knucke swap or whatever that I keep hearing about? I dunno if I'll do it immediately but I minimum need new axles, new control arms, new sway bar bushings.....

[DrMaxwellEdison]

The engine going in and the tach cluster came from the same car that I'm swapping my father's old blown tranny and this locked up 284k engine into and scrapping after I finish pulling the aspire swapped stuff off it and give the bearings and such an once over. 284k are all original to my knowledge, my mom originally bought the car back in 04 with 176k on it and drove we drove it till 282k when mom sold it to my room mate. now I'm swapping my good stuff for that crap stuff.

[200KGPGTP]

When separating b3 and 5-speed, do they just pull apart after unbolting?

[bp71monte]

Clean your firewall!

That would be 'undercoating' from the previous owner, then the oil leak mixed with it so it's like a layer of sludge.

[Americanclassicg]

Several weeks ago, I went to harbor freight for one thing. It ended up being one of their sales, and I walked out with a few quick clamps, flashlights, a headlight cleaning kit, and what I actually went there for. Haha.

Anyways, I got around to using the headlight cleaning kit today. Well worth the $8.

Before: This actually looks better than they were.


After:


I also rotated my tires from the front to the back. For some reason the PO put new tires on the back, and left the worn-out, mismatched tires on the front. Hopefully this will help the shimmy I get at 60+. Everything felt tight, so I assume it was the balance.

[LittleHoe]

Cut out a bunch of extra wiring, soldered some connections and put heat shrink on everything that was snipped or soldered... and then taped and loomed and relocated a few bits and pieces to try to clean up the engine bay a bit... I wish it was warmer out then I could clean and paint the engine bay but I guess I will just have to work around the engine this summer... lol

[valelotax]

Messed around the Festiva. Cleaned it with the pressure washer, vacuumed, Armour alled it, and did one little "rice" move. I took one windshield wiper OFF and adjusted the passenger wiper where it'll wipe in the middle/driver side. Awaiting my bigger wiper blade. It actually works really well. I don't think it'll be staying like that, but for now its for show, lol.

[Oren09]

^ I may have to adjust my wipers like that to have a useable driver's side one.
The wiper mount metal in the cowl is pretty much trashed. There is tons of play and it feels like it will break loose soon.
I can't use my wipers at anything over 40MPH or the driver's side won't go all the way down the windshield. And at highway speed the wiper will get pushed too far and wrap around the A pillar then get stuck.

In an effort to try to get working wipers I picked up some new arms at the yard today.
Everyone has been saying early 90s Nissan Sentra. I tried every Sentra I could find and the mounting hole was way to large to fit a Festiva.
HOWEVER, a 1987 Nissan STANZA has perfect wiper arms. The mount hole is the right size and the arm length and reach are spot on. I do recommend using two driver's side Stanza arms as the passenger side one is a bit longer.

Unfortunately, the spring tension of these arms must not like my mounts or wiper blades as they made the blades arc and the middle had a large gap between rubber and glass. I put the stock arms back on. If I get around to it, I'll try the arms on my Aqua car as it's wiper mount is solid.

Today I also replaced the alternator belt. The squealing every time I hit a puddle or when slightly cold was getting very annoying.
And I installed and wired the electric door lock actuator for the hatch.

[valelotax]

Yeah, both of my wipers work, I just did it for looks really. I don't know how legal it is around her, but the cops here don't care too much on what modifications you do to your car as long as the lights work and you aren't a complete idiot. I may say, they look really cool, but two wipers is safer than one at a different angle. I'll get a picture of it tomorrow and post it either here, or the Facebook page.

[Oren09]

I'll try it for functionality. I keep a coat of Rain X on my window so highway speed wipers aren't critical but it would be nice.
I don't have the metal fab skills or a welder to do the fix involving a plate in the cowl.
Maybe someone at Madness this year could help with that?

[Tommychu]

When separating b3 and 5-speed, do they just pull apart after unbolting?

If you're asking this question then you're probably hung up on the block plate. 2 or 3 bolts, 10mm hex, bolting the plate to the tranny. If you got those, then yes they should pull apart very easily.

[200KGPGTP]

Thank you! Progress continues tomorrow if the weather holds out.

I have a box full of assorted mounts and crapola ready for powdercoat. Also going to do the subframe, sway bar, sway bar mounts.... etc

[greywolf200]

Yeah, was just saying if it hadn't already, it would be cheaper and easier to just replace the boot, lots of people have hell of a time trying to get the axles out of these Festies.

Tell me about it, I've just bought a new transmission in case they break mine getting the axle out.

[Twistiva]

Saturday (6 April) - Tried to pick up my Festiva at the painter's. BUT!...he painted the hood (which looked AWESOME! :tongue separate from the grille and the stripes from the grille didn't line up with the stripes on the hood. :thumbs_down: Plus, the driver's side door had some subtle sanding marks/arcs in it. :thumbs_down: :thumbs_down:

So, I told him to re-do the grille (which he agreed to) and he said he'd buff the door out. I already paid him earlier last week and he has proven to have a "the customer is always right" attitude.

Plan on posting pix when I pick it up. Taking foreverrrrrrrrrr........

Today (Monday) - Gonna leave work, go home and order a 5th wheel to match 4 others I bought about 6 weeks ago so I'll have a spare in case of future curb rash.