2023 a new year of Spyder maintenance and enjoyment. What are your plans for maintenance this year.

The Teflon in PST does change the relationship between torque and thread loading.  I would lower the torque by at least 10% when using PSt on the threads.

Posted by: @dblotii

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The Teflon in PST does change the relationship between torque and thread loading.  I would lower the torque by at least 10% when using PSt on the threads.

 

I added the correction in the post. The washer was flattened when I did not use a torque wrench the last time which ruined it by over tightening it. 

 This time I used a torque wrench set to factory specs which is 29ftlb. I know that oil and wetness can change those specs but I think it's factored in even if I did not use the sealant because it would have oil on the threads anyway so its not exactly bone dry to be practical and I am sure there is some forgiveness in the value but if one were to do it by feel I guaranty it would be over tightened to feel right which would crush the washer too much. 

 

 

 

 

 

 I finished up yesterday taking my time over a period of three days. The thread sealant for the drain plug needs 72 hours to cure fully but it would have been fine if I added oil after 24 hours. 

 Another rant about why advice from car forums suck and why you need a service manual.  

On the C60 transmission there are appears to be what looks like two fill holes. One is a 10mm hex and the other is a 17mm bolt. There are many all over the internet and as recently on SC that have said that the 10mm hex bolt is the fill. It is not, it's the 17mm bolt and the difference is nearly almost a half quart of fluid.  I made that mistake last time trusting the internet. I had to look up pages from the service manual to know for sure.

Car forums are a great place for information but it can also be a hazard that will mess up your car if you are dumb enough to trust people that are clueless. As much as I like to preach I also fall victim and should be smart enough to verify by doing my own research. There is a lot of value in buying an un molested car and I strongly believe peoples mechanical troubles most likely not bad luck and completely preventable. 

 

 

 

 

Yep.  It's a surprisingly small amount of torque for the transmission fill and drain plugs.  I try to keep a few extra gaskets on hand for when I do fluid changes, but forget to order more gaskets.  That way, I can be more spontaneous too.  🙂

I checked the bolt today and its dry.  Yesterday I taken the car for its maiden voyage and I noticed a rattle on the passenger door going over bumps which annoyed me. I thought it was the window that came loose and I would have to tear into the door. It turns out it was the seatbelt snag where it was touching the door skin. Once it was moved out of the way it was noise free.  

 BTW sorry LT, I tried my best to save the antenna so I could use your stubby antenna which I think was one of my first mods for this car. Unfortunately the antenna deteriorated and was the source of vibrations every time the car decelerated.  Sad to see it go since I wore it with pride all of these years. 

 

 

 

I forgot to mention one other thing I did which I did not think there would be much of any difference. 

I have the Speedsource brass shifter bushings which I like because they reduce the compliance from the stock rubber ones. 

Last year I helped a local owner install the Frankenstein motorworks shifter bushings that has an articulating teflon race unlike the previous bearing bushings that people had. He was having difficulty going into reverse with his Euro transmission and now that problem his solved. 

I could only fit one of the bushings because it was a very tight fit that kept getting jammed on the cable end. I probably need to sand the surface but did not have the time so we put it off until this year. 

I was curious so I swapped out one of my brass bushings to see if makes a difference and it did. The shifting is still tight but feels much better like a Miata. I decided to buy the kit and install the other one.  I highly recommend these. 

 

 

 

Posted by: @dev

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 BTW sorry LT, I tried my best to save the antenna so I could use your stubby antenna which I think was one of my first mods for this car. Unfortunately the antenna deteriorated and was the source of vibrations every time the car decelerated.  Sad to see it go since I wore it with pride all of these years. 

 

The antenna deteriorated?  That thing is nearly 20 years old by now.  hahaha.  I can send you a replacement.  I have both gloss and matte black now.  If your rubber grommet is all gone, I have those as well.

 

Posted by: @lordtakuban

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Posted by: @dev

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 BTW sorry LT, I tried my best to save the antenna so I could use your stubby antenna which I think was one of my first mods for this car. Unfortunately the antenna deteriorated and was the source of vibrations every time the car decelerated.  Sad to see it go since I wore it with pride all of these years. 

 

The antenna deteriorated?  That thing is nearly 20 years old by now.  hahaha.  I can send you a replacement.  I have both gloss and matte black now.  If your rubber grommet is all gone, I have those as well.

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding and I got your PM that I will answer publicly. . Your antenna is fine and has always looks great. It is the antenna mast that is vibrating due to the rubber that has deteriorated, and the point where it clamps on the tube is no longer holding. 
I fixed it around five years ago by tightening the large Phillips screw, but now it’s beyond repair because the metal is fatigued. 
I would need a new mast and the little harness bar that attaches to the body and clamps on to the mast. So I had no choice but to cut the antenna wire and pull it out.
 
The only reason why I kept the antenna was mainly a reminder of our friendship for so many years because I only play Flac files. The little antenna stub will now occupy my glove box as a memento. 

I am touched by your generous offer but its not needed sadly.

Here are the remains. 

 

Ahh Yes.  You would basically need the full kit.  And if you never listen to the radio, it's not worth it at all.  I had no idea the mast would break apart like that.  I think there is someone that makes a blank out plate (3D printed) for the antenna hole in the body.  I had considered designing something like this as well, but with the curves and everything, it would be not that simple to print and have it look nice too.

What are your plans for that antenna hole now?

Posted by: @lordtakuban

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Ahh Yes.  You would basically need the full kit.  And if you never listen to the radio, it's not worth it at all.  I had no idea the mast would break apart like that.  I think there is someone that makes a blank out plate (3D printed) for the antenna hole in the body.  I had considered designing something like this as well, but with the curves and everything, it would be not that simple to print and have it look nice too.

What are your plans for that antenna hole now?

 

I think it would have held up if I did not use the passenger poly mount. The car would vibrate though a frequency range until it settled down. It wasn't so much a hard frequency but it was at the right frequency to shake the arm like a tuning fork to where the mast started to slip. I  tightening the bolt as I mentioned which helped but now its out of range to clamp but in hindsight I could have used a shim around the mast so it has more clamping force. 

I have seen some of the options of using a blank which someone in Europe was selling but stopped.  For now I have a tire patch fastened on the inside until I find a solution. 

Years ago the Scion community reached out to me to make a cover for their rear jet nozzle for the xB. The solution I came up with is painted vinyl sticker which camouflaged it nicely. 

I experimented until I found the right adhesion promotor and primer to lay down some paint which worked well and was an exact match.  Although it was a small round circle I think if I make one that is oval over the hole, the line of demarcation will not be as noticeable unless you are looking for it up close.  It will require a plate to be position underneath for support but I think it should work. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The last part of my 2023 maintenance is the detail. 

This time I decided to invest into a new Rotary polisher which has a lot more control and its cordless.  This was not possible before because you need a good amount of power and torque not to mention the run time.  Thanks to brushless motors and lithium ion evolution in tool batteries it's now possible.

I only machine polish every three of four years and the rest is just appalling sealant every year.  

I don't need any major correction or oxidation removal so I am going to try a new product that is an all in one polish and sealant in one step. This should save me a lot of time.  Also I bought a clay mitt which I can use while washing the car instead of having to make a day of it with detailer. 

Should be fun. 

 

Just swapped my summer wheels on and regreased all my brakes.

Next up: replacing the caliper with a seized slide that I discovered. Does anyone have a set of used toyota rear pads that still have some life? Im replacing the caliper but the pad is smoked haha. I put them on like 10k ago.

After I get that settled, I need to hunt down a mysterious rattle. Im also planning on upgrading all my lights other than headlight to led, but I need to find good leds first.

@ria You might want to check with Haloruler 64 as he is probably the most knowledgeable about all things LED when it comes to the Spyder.  He is a member of this community.

Posted by: @dev

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The last part of my 2023 maintenance is the detail. 

This time I decided to invest into a new Rotary polisher which has a lot more control and its cordless.  This was not possible before because you need a good amount of power and torque not to mention the run time.  Thanks to brushless motors and lithium ion evolution in tool batteries it's now possible.

I only machine polish every three of four years and the rest is just appalling sealant every year.  

I don't need any major correction or oxidation removal so I am going to try a new product that is an all in one polish and sealant in one step. This should save me a lot of time.  Also I bought a clay mitt which I can use while washing the car instead of having to make a day of it with detailer. 

Should be fun. 

 

I would be real interested to hear about your experiences with the clay mitt as I do appreciate the time and effort to clay the car with a bar after washing.  By the way . . . great picture of your new gear.  Always the consummate photographer!

 

Sure UM and thanks for the kind words on the photography.    

 As you know the traditional way to clay a car which is using detailer and flipping over the clay.

 This new method comes in both wash mitts and wash cloths that has a thin layer of clay attached to one side. You can find these all over Amazon and they are cheap to buy.

After washing the car to get off all the grime you can take your hose and spray panels with water  as a lubricant while you are rubbing the mitt over it back and forth like a mix between washing your car and using a clay bar. As you do this you can feel the some roughness as the clay is working to pick up imbedded contaminants until it is smooth.

 It's that simple and very fast.  Clay bar step is usually tiresome but this method is easy.