The Final Title, Done.
This job is done! The new clutch went on easy and putting the tran back on the engine was heavy work but not hard work. I replaced the timing belt while the engine was out. It was so easy compared to doing it with the engine in the car that I might take the engine out the next time the timing belt needs to be replaced. Not!
Getting the engine back in the car was Duck Soup because it is just the reverse of taking it out so I already knew what I needed to do next.
My wife, who is not driving my truck now, said, “wow, this is better than ever.”
The Post of Many Titles.
There are so many good titles for this post that I have to list them all:
Why you should never start a job without a manual.
Harbor Freight Rocks!
Don’t Try This at Home!
The down side to 4 wheel drive.
Toyota makes a good clutch.
I still have all my fingers and toes.
My wife’s ‘99 Toyota Rav 4 needs a new clutch. After 170,000 miles I can’t complain to much and I don’t want to wait till she gets stuck somewhere. After crawling around under the car I decided I can drop the tran and change the clutch no problem.
So I start the job. The rear engine mount really gives me a hard time, almost like you can’t remove it with the engine in the way. After a few hours, OK, half a day I call my wife and ask her to pick up a service manual on the way home. She is driving my truck.
The manual informs me that with 4 wheel drive Rav 4’s not only must you remove the engine and tran from the car as an assembly if you want to replace the clutch. But also that the job should not be attempted in your drive way because it’s unsafe to raise the car high enough on jack stands to remove the engine from under the car because it won’t fit out the top. You really should take it to a shop with a lift to raise the car up after you lower the engine/tran to the ground.
We thought about putting it back together and selling it. But that would mean admitting defeat and the car will be paid off in October of this year. On line at the Harbor Freight web site, folding engine hoists are on sale, I wanted one anyway, and the wife makes a stop to pick one up. She is driving my truck.
It rained all day yesterday so I worked on Wendy’s R-6 and Michael’s D-Bug mini bike.
Today I went after the engine. I disconnected all the wires and hoses. Checked again that all the wires and hoses were disconnected. Placed the front of the car on Harbor Freight jack stands using my Harbor Freight floor jack. Connected my new hoist to the engine with chains that the wife picked up for me, in my truck. Removed the sub frame that holds the wheels and stuff. Lowered the engine/tran onto the legs of my hoist. Placed a six foot long 4×4 on top of a 6×8 block of wood under the car where the sub frame was and jacked the car up till I could roll the engine/tran out from underneath.
By the way. My dog Cix thought we were going for a ride when I started working on her car and went bonkers until I let her get in. She slept in the back seat all day as I was working.
I rolled the engine/tran into my shop and removed the tran from the engine. How I’m going to lift and line everything up to put it back together is a problem for tomorrow.
Yes, there are tarps on the floor under the car and in my shop under the engine. Cars are dirty and I don’t want my shop to get dirty too.
The clutch friction plate is truly worn out but the fly wheel looks like new, I’m impressed.
Tomorrow with be the same as today was but in reverse. After my wife picks up the parts. You guessed it, in my truck.
Pit Set Up
Check out my pit set up. The trailer awning is 20×11 feet. Two bikes fit nicely under the awning and three would be fine. I also have a 10×10 EZ Up.
The trailer is set up to haul three bikes plus wheels, riding gear and all the other stuff you need at the track. Four bikes and stuff fix with a little extra work and five bikes and all the stuff is the record for this trailer.
At the track the trailer makes a nice changing room. All of this is included when you hire EDventure Racing.
Ninja Invasion
Tony, Niccole, Andrew, Dennis & Wendy joined EDventure Racing at Streets of Willow this past weekend for the February round of WSMC racing.
The Streets course is just about as different from Big Willow as you can get so most of our efforts went into coaching. We worked hard on lines and techniques with lots of talking, drawing, hand gestures, watching others on track and track walks.
As you can see by this picture the 250 Ninja field has taken off, 25 bikes showed up this weekend with most racing in the Novice class. Small light bikes are by far the best way to start racing. They cost less to buy and operate. They give you a chance to learn with less penalty for mistakes and without extra power to help you go fast even when you ride poorly.
All of this weekends clients are in this picture and all were racing. They all got faster and learned much. Look for them to go faster next month back at Big Willow when they put their new skills to work on a track they know well.
You can join us too, 250 Ninja not required, I’ll work with any rider with any skill level on any bike and make both faster, better and stronger.
WSMC Streets Deal
WSMC is racing at Streets in February. There is a Motoyard track Day on Friday the 19th, practice on Saturday the 20th and races on Sunday the 21st. I’ll set up on Thursday afternoon so I’m ready first thing on Friday.
We’re doing the group deal for this event. $100 per person per day for up to five people. Each person will get all the coaching they want and as much work as time allows. So you will have to pour your own gas and take care of your warmers but I’ll help with set up changes and big jobs.
First come first serve and I already have three spots filled.
Project 3797
Yesterday I had a gig installing phone/internet cable in a house, or should I say under a house. I got to crawl/slither around on my belly for about five hours in the dirt sometimes digging out a space so I could wiggle under a joist. By the time the job was done I was as dirty as I’ve ever been and I got paid.
I’m posting about this because of the cool thank you letter I got from the Network Engineer on this project. Turns out I do good work on all my gigs.
This is the letter:
Ed:
Thanks for the invoice.
The care and attention to detail you demonstrated together with your spot-on suggestions in the interests of efficient production made a huge difference in the ultimate success of the operation today. Please consider this a letter of commendation for outstanding job performance under very difficult work conditions.
The attached maps of the cable layout are for your records. You may be interested to know that you pulled a total of 412 feet of cable today.
Thanks again for your help with today’s project.
Chuck
Network Engineer
Project 3797
Race Prep
The Tony Challenge Report
Tony’s hooked!
It happens every time someone lets anyone else ride a GP bike. I still remember my first ride on my ’90 TZ and I’m sure Tony will always remember his. We weren’t sure how well this enterprise would go so we laid off the new body work and paint, just got the bike running and tuned it soft. Now that we know Tony is crazy enough we’ll start making it faster and better looking.
Some parts are on order and my old set up notes have been found. Stay tunned for “As the TZ Turns.”
By the way, Tony did 140 miles on his first day and won the Novice 250 GP race. Not many people can say they won their first race on a GP bike.
Tony’s racing, what are you doing?
Forgotten Bike Found
Sean Wray was checking out my list of bikes I’ve raced, he noticed something missing and sent me this photo as proof. Seems I’ve raced so many bikes I can’t remember them all. My apologies Sean, and thank you for the picture. There is a great story to go along with it:
Back at our pit I realized that I didn’t have enough time to replace the crank and make the race. Sean offered to lone me his ’96 TZ and after swapping some parts we were off to the races. The picture shows me, #6 on Sean’s bike after my practice lap, also know as the warm up lap and Sean, #62 on the grid for the start of the AMA 250 GP race. Sean has my black upper and lower and my front end is on Sean’s bike.
Snow Day!
It’s winter time here and we’ve had a week of stormy weather, rain at the house and snow up in the hills. Today it was clear and time to go riding! I can ride my XR100 out of my shop, down my street and up into the hills. After gaining about 1000 feet in elevation on a fire road I started to get into deep enough snow that my tires did not make it down down to the dirt. I was able to keep going up for about three miles in the snow. In a few spots I had to help the bike by pushing, finally when the rear tire was packed with wet snow it was time to head down.
Down hill in the snow it crazy fun! The snow slows you down like deep sand so you have to give it full bunny to go anywhere. The straights are not very, mostly long weaves where you gain speed. The curves are a blast, you have to go in at full speed without backing off because you will be slowed down by the deep snow. Sometimes you get a nice long slide with the rear hung out and sometimes the front pushes. The goal is to keep both feet up and not back off. Crashing is no problem because the snow is soft.
Todays ride was a good one and I can prove it. I got home with a flat front tire and my rear fender was carried back inside my jacket. After making repairs I’m planning to take my friend Lenny with me tomorrow. When you see Lenny you can ask him how I broke his finger on one of these rides.