Dropped a rod in our Mazda... (Page 3/3)
Khw OCT 05, 07:22 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

Although granted there are some newer 4-door vehicles that are kind of sporty right from the factory, 4-door sedans from the 60's, 70's, 80's etc do not look sexy... no matter what size rear spoiler's been added. You've got far better taste in cars than your old man.

I was curious about the Chevelle because years ago I had a '67 ChevelleSS396. Oooo, that was a fun car.



Thank you .

I can "kind of" understand where my father was coming from I guess. In 72 he was a family man with 3 young children so 4 doors was probably a desire at that point in his life. I was only a year old at that point after all. Besides trucks and the Camaro I can only recall one other car they had while I was growing up that was a 2 door model not including the car they bought for my sisters to drive when they were in high school. That one was a 70's Maverick and I don't recall my parents ever driving it except when they brought it home for them. He already had a 2 door muscle car with the Camaro so I guess the number of doors wasn't real important to him with the Chevelle. Still, if it was me I'd have wanted a 2 door model at the very least.
Khw OCT 12, 12:34 AM
My Mom and Pop took her out to a show today and brought a trophy home with her .



With as much as they are doing with it right now and the number of pics they've been sending me about it, I'm pretty sure it's coming home with us in February. My Dads health has taken a turn for the worse and it looks like he'll be on a oxygen tank and getting chemo. His blood counts are down really low. Of course dialysis will be part of that regimen also. February can't get here fast enough for me. I really want to spend more time with my Dad.
Khw OCT 20, 10:47 PM
Started a new thread for it.

[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 10-28-2015).]

Khw OCT 21, 10:58 PM
Started a new thread for it.

[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 10-28-2015).]

Khw FEB 24, 07:23 PM
Next!

Ugh, seriously ugh. Went on vacation and the car ran great. Aside from the ladder in the middle of the freeway as I was coming down the Cajon Pass in southern Cali (yes I hit it, I changed lanes to have it be right there but luckily I was able to swerve out of the way enough that I just bumped it with the front bumper cover on the passengers side leaving a little bit of scraping on the under side of the bumper cover corner). Other than that and another ladder on the freeway when we went to Disneyland and I was driving my parents car (no that one I did not hit, it was in the lane next to me) the trip was pretty uneventful vehicle wise. However, upon arriving home I had to do my emissions and safety for registration. Emissions it passed with flying colors. Safety it failed but not really in a bad way, I thought. The rear pads were low and needed replaced. No biggy, that's a 1/2-3/4 hour job.

The other thing it failed on? The front drivers side wheel bearing is going out. $30.00 for a bearing, it should be no big deal, I've done them on other cars before. NOPE! I got the bearing and went to disassemble it. Axle shaft is seized in the hub . 3 jaw puller, stripped out. Rented hub puller, I stopped just short of stripping it out. Torch to heat it up, nope. Penetrating oil, even the acetone trans fluid mix, nope still nada. So I thought "well I'll just go to a pick-a-part and get a used knuckle, change the bearing in it and cut the old one of the axle shaft". Okay, I get there and they have a Protege of the appropriate year but it's not a Protege5 so it has the 4 lug hub instead of the 5 lug and I need the 5 lug that's stuck to the axle shaft. Wait, here's a 626 right next to it, same knuckle from the looks of it and 5 lug. Look a little closer, looks the same just a little beefier than the one on the Protege next to it. Maybe when they swapped to the 5 lug they used the 626 parts? I figured it was worth a shot so I took it off and bought it. At the very least I'll need the 5 lug hub if I have to cut my old one of. If the knuckle is much different I'll just come back and get the one on the Protege with 4 lugs...

Dang! It fits.... well... but the strut arm is 1/2" shorter than the one on the Protege5. I went back and got the knuckle from the Protege. I just want to say here that I love the pick-a-part I go to. Most I've been to have a "no returns policy" and this one isn't really different. However, the guy at the register asked if I had the knuckle I got yesterday in the car, his intent was to just swap them out and me not have to pay for a second one. I needed the 5 lug hub though so I kept it. I brought it home and knocked the 5 lug hub out of the 626 unit and then I knocked the 4 lug hub out of the Protege unit. I popped the rest of the wheel bearing out on the Protege knuckle and put the new bearing in. I went to put the 5 lug hub in from the 626, /sigh it's bearing surface is 2mm larger in diameter than the Protege hub.

So now I've got a dilemma.

I can order another hub or check other pick-a-parts in the area and see if I can find one.

It's a plan, but it means buying yet another part.

My other option is to cut the old knuckle off. Cut the outer wheel bearing race off. Cut the bearing cages off. score the inner races if at all possible and chisel crack them on opposite sides and take them off. The use one of my other 3 jaw pullers with the torch and penetrating oil, and pry to God that I can get the hub off the axle shaft with all the other stuff removed so I can use it in the Protege knuckle that has the new bearing in it.

The last option, pay a shop to do it but that will run up there in cost with the stuck hub and all.

How likely do any of you think would be the chance of me getting the hub off the axle without all the other stuff in the way where I can direct the heat onto the hub much more directly?
Tstang429 FEB 25, 06:57 PM
I have had to drive the axle in with an air hammer to get them free. just make sure there's a nut on the axle do you dont slip and hit the threads. Even once took entire knuckle with an axle lined knuckle on a vise letting axle free hand and drove the axle out.
Khw FEB 27, 08:08 PM

quote
Originally posted by Tstang429:

I have had to drive the axle in with an air hammer to get them free. just make sure there's a nut on the axle do you dont slip and hit the threads. Even once took entire knuckle with an axle lined knuckle on a vise letting axle free hand and drove the axle out.



Well, I opted for going and picking up another knuckle with the 5 lug hub from another pick-a-part. I couldn't get the axle nut off at the yard because... well, I didn't bring the breaker bar with me. So I just removed the knuckle and hub with the axle still in it and brought it all home. Decided otw that I'd just put that knuckle and axle in the car and mess with getting the axle and hub out of the old knuckle when I have time to waist. Unfortunately, it was a 03 Protege5 and they appered to have changed the stub shaft diameter on the inner CV joint between 02 and 03. Luckily they didn't change the axle diameter, length and spline count so I took the inner CV joint off of my old one and swapped it onto the other one. Put them in the car, took it up to get the safety signed off. The guy there at the shop told me I could pay my registration there and he could get me the sticker. I showed him my paperwork showing I already paid my registration fee's and he said, well then let's get you your sticker. Sweet! I don't have to go back over to the DMV!