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

Posted by: @dev

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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.  

 

  Wow!  I know when I would clay my car, I could feel and sometimes even hear the contaminants coming out of the paint and into the clay bar.  I seems, based on what I read in your post that you pretty much get that same experience using the mitt or the wash cloth?!  Wow!  I gotta give that a try.  My spyder is due for a claying session.  Thanks for the product info.  Amazon, here I come. 🙂

 

One of the things I did not like about using a clay bar was only being able to work a small area and then you use a microfiber cloth to clean up. 

With the mitt and a hose it is quicker. you can cover a large area and the water will wash away the contaminants as you work around the car. 

Another product I am going to try is a new quick detailer that is able to reduce the static so that dust does not get attracted to the finish. This is a big problem with black cars after wax is applied. 

 

 

Nice pic from the other day

Not a maintenance item but something I wanted to do for a long time. As you all know I have made and sold soft touch push button start kits. Probably my greatest achievement because it was very hard to get right and be reliable. 

 There was nothing wrong with the Lexus button I used but it just did not match the aesthetic of the interior and it looked unexciting. I almost spent a fortune to buy the TRD button but stoped myself because it was unreasonable to spend that much money just for a red button. 

It appears that the Chinese are selling replaceable buttons and they are cheap.  So many different styles including the TRD but I decided against it because I now feel it looks tacky and overplayed so I got this one instead.  It was a pain to remove and the tool they provided broke in two so I used a pick to fish it out. Now I am waiting for the matte gray bezel I ordered to replace the chrome so that it matches the interior. 

 I know its Rice but I think it matches the interior better. 

Looks nice.  Push Button start kit is something I've wanted to do in the car as well.  But I know it will involve either 1. also having the key and using it PLUS the push button.  or 2. Having some sort of steering column release solution like a partial key that is in the cylinder but hidden. ... basically, I never settled on something that I thought would work well for me.  I can't wait to see pics of this installed in the car.

Posted by: @lordtakuban

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Looks nice.  Push Button start kit is something I've wanted to do in the car as well.  But I know it will involve either 1. also having the key and using it PLUS the push button.  or 2. Having some sort of steering column release solution like a partial key that is in the cylinder but hidden. ... basically, I never settled on something that I thought would work well for me.  I can't wait to see pics of this installed in the car.

Thanks. This was the cherry on a completed car. 

 When I designed the push button I originally wanted it to be like the  Lexus with keyless entry and disabling the steering lock but I had some concerns with what if the unit failed or malfunctioned so I made it fool proof by not going that direction. If the unit stoped working you can still start the car normally.  The button is near the steering column so it's not a stretch to insert the key in the on position and press the button with your index finger in one motion that feels natural. The soft touch feature cranks the engine and cuts off immediately once it catches just like the Lexus which is probably easier on the starter.  It feels closest to the real deal then other aftermarket push button starts. 

This was from a long time ago. I have since 3D printed a mounting plate as you see I the picture. I will have a picture for you soon.  

 

 

 

 

Posted by: @dev

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Posted by: @lordtakuban

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  The problem with these boy racers is advising things like a larger aluminum sump and other things.  The reason why we had to remove the oil is "the sump manufacture specified the amount of oil needed" and the owner informed the mechanic to add the listed amount which then leaked out the  rear main seal a week later in a large quantity.  When I looked at it the oil was still over full on the dip stick.

Now "we believe the rear main seal is compromised as a result from over pressurization" and might need to be replaced. 

 

I thought I'd read this, but couldn't remember where it was posted...I found it.

What manufacturer? I looked on one manufacturer's site, and it was stated "X qt capacity", not "X qts needed".

Did you check to see if the PCV sys was operating correctly? The PCV sys relieves the pressure in the crankcase which is "caused" by blow by'...

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&tbm=vid&q=pcv+system&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjD9uiN3dL-AhVZlmoFHVeCBPcQ8ccDegQIMxAJ&biw=1536&bih=778&dpr=1.25#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:67948de3,vid:FZYnn_49rOE

 

I don’t know the manufacture of the sump just what the owner conveyed to me and the instruction he gave to the mechanic based on the information from where he bought it. I know it’s not a Moroso but that’s all I know but he was adamant on having it because of all of the alarmist fear of spinning a bearing for just regular street driving. The mechanic should have dismissed the owners instructions and checked the oil level and let him know it can’t take anymore oil. It came to me with a suspected oil leak that spilled over his driveway which he thought was leaking from the drain bolt. When I went under the car it was a mess and I found the oil leaking from the junction where the transmission meets the engine on close inspection.
I then checked the oil level and it was over filled by at least 2 1/2 quarts after we removed the excess using a pump. 
I did not check the PCV only because the problem was obvious that it was over filled with a lot of oil and that was the issue. 
The correct oil level solved the problem in that moment but I told him that the rear main seal is damaged and it will leak in time which It did. He already planed to take it to a good mechanic that he trusts to get it professionally diagnosed on a lift and repaired.  I will find out this week what the situation is. 

When you say "2 1/2 qts over filled", just what was the specific amount "needed"?  People need to be sure to get the "facts" before doing "stuff". I've been in the Spyder community for over 12 years, and don't remember reading street driving caused bearing failure due to oil volume...it was autocrossing and tracking. Oh well, I hope their engine isn't damaged, other than a possibly/probably leaking crank seal... much better than a seized engine.

Posted by: @galo

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When you say "2 1/2 qts over filled", just what was the specific amount "needed"?  People need to be sure to get the "facts" before doing "stuff". I've been in the Spyder community for over 12 years, and don't remember reading street driving caused bearing failure due to oil volume...it was autocrossing and tracking. Oh well, I hope their engine isn't damaged, other than a possibly/probably leaking crank seal... much better than a seized engine.

 I don't know exactly, if I recall he gave the mechanic the oil based on the information for the capacity of the sump which he might have confused with dry capacity and thought that his how much oil is required. Even then the oil level is the oil level regardless of sump since its the proximity to the crank.  When I taken an oil reading it was so high up on the cable I was in disbelief. I told him it was overfilled but since I was in disbelief I thought maybe I was having a difficult time reading the dipstick since the oil was very clear. It was only when we removed the oil I could see the level where it should be on the full portion of the dipstick. 

 There were people recommending sumps for people that don't need them since they become available and I know some people that don't race that bought into it because it was reported by a few that spun a bearing on the street but that is probably due to an oil burning engine and neglect of checking the oil level. Performance modifications carry risks as well as using non OEM part substitutions where it counts. People unfortunately do not get their facts or at least the downsides only the upsides promoted by people that don't know. As an example people were promoting under drive pulleys and other things that damage engines long ago assuring them that they are safe but over time it came to light and now they are frowned upon.  This local owner is very dear to me and I warned him on certain modifications but he keeps falling for that trap from what he reads on SC which has cost him dearly. This might be the 2nd time the transmission has to come out and his mechanic is not cheap but does very good work. The first time was a failure of a lightweight flywheel which I warned him about. The reason why I warned him about the sump is if it gets hit it will get badly damaged and could rupture but I had no idea it would be overfilled.

There are some other gems on SC like substituting the 1ZZ oil pan for the 2ZZ and wondering why Toyota did not add a baffle for the 2ZZ pan.  The one that got me is filling transmission fluid in the wrong hole for the C60 transmission. Buying cheap coilovers that are too stiff for the street with poor damping making the car skittish for street driving. I suppose it is opinion based but some people have the wrong ones. Thankfully My car runs and drives well compared to what I see out there. 

 I will keep you updated on what the mechanic finds once I get more information. I only hope I am wrong and it is leaking from the pan. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I contacted the owner and found out the particulars. It is a Sector gpan 3.  

 I think I know what might have happened. I checked the website and it lists almost a 6 liter capacity. The owner gave the mechanic the oil which should not cause the overfilling. What we suspect happened is the mechanic used one of the return plugs that sits higher than the drain plug to drain the oil which left oil in the pan and he blindly added the oil the owner gave him without checking the dipstick. This is why the oil was over filled by a lot. 

 It still has not gone for a diagnosis yet.  I am hoping it is leaking from the the pan mating surfaces rather than the main seal.

Regarding the alarmist attitude that would worry someone enough to buy the pan when they don't need one  is very clear. It is predicated on the premise that the ZZ engines has a flawed oiling system. This is not true and Toyota engineers did not make a mistake. The engines oiling was designed well within its limits for a street car even driving spiritedly and from what read on some technical paper it was 1G. Like most cars if you race aggressively on a track with tires that exceed summer tires then the oiling system has to be upgraded but for street driving for the way the car was designed there should be no issues.  The same goes for 2zz oil pump gears. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here it is installed.  I am still waiting for the matte gray bezel. This is a better match for the interior compared to the Lexus button. 

Looks great!

Thanks LT. It feels like the cherry on top even if its rice.   

 

There is something about that "Start" button...it looks good! It'd be cool if the key didn't have to be inserted/turned. My '11 Beeemer has the button, but I have to insert and push the FOB to turn on the electrics, then push the button...so much work 😉 😉 

On the oil pan over filling; That's a real possibility. Sector gpan 3...interesting...looks just like my Moroso, hmmmmm 😮  Again, I hope his engine isn't wrecked!