Worst part of a car to work on?

"Berang" (berang) 07/17/2015 at 02:13 • Filed to: I hate brakes

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I was supposed to be replacing a wheel bearing tonight, but since I don’t have the giant C spanner necessary I turned my attention elsewhere.

I decided to tackle rebuilding the passenger side brake calliper - oh I hate working on brakes. Brakes are the worst. Every terrible thing about working on a machine is found in brakes. Springs, fluids, and lots of f’n dirty shit. Rebuilding callipers is awful. The dirty shit is awful. Brake parts cleaner is awful. Brake fluid is awful. Springs are awful. Removing old petrified rubber bits is awful. Putting new rubber bits in is awful. I think brakes are the worst part of a car to work on.

What do you think the worst part of a car to work on is?

georgechristensen > Berang 07/17/2015 at 02:19

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I still smell of gearbox oil.

tromoly > Berang 07/17/2015 at 02:26

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Interiors.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > georgechristensen 07/17/2015 at 02:27

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THIS

DrJohannVegas > georgechristensen 07/17/2015 at 02:28

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I see your gearbox and raise you electrohydraulic clutch/differential lubricant. Thanks, Haldex.

ly2v8-Brian > Berang 07/17/2015 at 02:39

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nothing. I enjoy it all.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > tromoly 07/17/2015 at 02:39

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Filled with snot, rhinestones and lady juice?

(TG reference)

Alex from Toronto > Berang 07/17/2015 at 03:35

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Oil filters when they are right beside a hot exhaust manifold/pipe.

samssun > Berang 07/17/2015 at 05:20

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I’m thinking body or paint.

twochevrons > Berang 07/17/2015 at 07:47

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Definitely brakes. But Bosch K-Jetronic comes a very close second. The fuel pressures involved are stupidly high, and pretty much impossible to bleed off before maintenance, so you always end up with a gusher of fuel once you crack one of the lines open. The fuel lines terminate in banjo fittings that need to be done up inhumanly tight for them to seal, and woe betide you if you forget to replace the single-use crush washer that each of them has. And then there’s the fact that it’s just as complicated as an electronic injection system, but it’s entirely mechanical and doesn’t have any capacity for self-diagnosis. From an engineering perspective, it’s incredible, and it’s usually trouble-free, but if, like mine, it’s had bad fuel put through it, or somebody’s messed with it, it can be no end of trouble.

I replaced the gas tank on my VW Scirocco a few weeks ago, and had to deal with both brakes (the rear axle had to come out) and K-Jetronic. I smelled like stale fuel and brake fluid for days, and my fingerprints are only just coming back. And then, I found out that the tank that I bought is defective, and has a massive leak, so I get to do it all again!

Axial > Berang 07/17/2015 at 08:06

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Electricals.

Troubleshooting them is hard because there are so many reasons you could be having a specific electrical problem. That means the process of elimination becomes tedious because the list is long. Actually getting to the electricals is also a pain in the butt, especially if it is a component behind the dash and your car is newer than 1982. Bring a machete, you’ll need it.

Alternatively, head maintenance. Pretty much all the same problems as brakes, with the added fun of belts/chains and associated pulleys and tensioners.

BigBlock440 > Berang 07/17/2015 at 08:54

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I really don’t like getting brake fluid on my hands, but pretty much anywhere in the engine bay of a transverse V6 car I think takes it. Actually, a transverse V8 would be worse still, but I’ve never seen/worked on one.

MonkeePuzzle > Berang 07/17/2015 at 09:43

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poorly placed oil filters. sure there are harder jobs, but the frequency with which I have to reach around and under my intake plenum to get to my oil filter drives me nuts. just dumb location

thar she be, on the backside, so its under the intake which is on the firewall side of the engine.

wkiernan > Berang 07/21/2015 at 07:46

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Did you ever play the video game “Doom”? There are parts where your character has to wade through radioactive green slime-water, while his health level plummets. I was reminded of this when one day I went out to my Miata to go to lunch and found an inch of light green anti-freeze in the driver’s side footwell, because the heater core had sprung a leak. I did some research to find out how difficult it was going to be to get to the heater to replace it; the answer is “basically impossible.” So I decided that, since I’m living in Florida, I don’t really need a heater after all, and I installed a 12 inch long bypass tube to cut it out of the cooling system.