What Did You Do To Your Smart Today?

[Willys 747]

Yesterday I covered myself and the beater  in RustCheck.....ooooooo what a feeling...lol.   No need for hair gel...lol
Well today it's still dripping all over, not too bad now but dripping, which means it's crawling everywhere!  Great!  I just did the home style job, 5 cans sprayed everywhere i could get the spray hose into. That'll be just fine. I also sprayed under all the carpets as the beater has some rusting on the floor boards from years ago.    I'll just get a no smoking sticker to place on dash so it doesn't go up in flames...lol.

The other issue was....DO NOT buy a cheap ass-ed radio off Amazon as you will get what you paid for...IMHO...lol.  Yep I risked $29 on the junk and got junk!    So next will be spending far more and buying a radio that actually puts out sound not tinny squeaking sound.  My stupid mistake. Lesson learned...lol  But the new antena works which is a bonus...lol  No more strange sized plug in and also a better signal and mounting bracket. 

[Willys 747]

As for a radio, I just spent 10 times what that crap radio cost me on a good radio and 4 good speakers.........the thing that shocked me was.....and it didn't accure to me that modern cars vehicles come with such a sound system or basically a computer for a radio, that these after market radios are almost extinct!  I had to go to 3 places before I could find a proper radio and speakers like the old days.  So, I will be seeing if I can install two new 4" speakers under the dash and then a pair of 5 1/4 in the rear tail gate. I do not really need the rears but for the price why not?  I don't listen to the radio that loud any more so these should do just fine. I didn't want to get the typical 6X9's and make boxes or build out the area anywhere they could fit, that's why I stayed smallish.  The car is basically a shoe box, how loud do I need it to be......yeh I know.....for some classics, earth shattering...lol.

[Willys 747]

Well after a trip to the local wreckers and buying two new to me sound boxes for cheap and happened to find a good usable non busted front fender for another member I now have enough to finish the radio job.  Well lets just say I'm now in the last stages of it as a few guys came over and took me away from the task at hand.....AUGH!!!!!    I also learned that these boxes take a 5 1/4" speaker not the mouse sized one in the cheaper cars. So I now can save some funds and return the smaller ones and still have reasonable sound using just two speakers.....excellent! I also didn't use the stock speaker wires, ran some good old heavy duty speaker wire.  Not sure what I'll use the other 46 feet of it....lol.   But I now have extra....lol
I also cleaned the inner edge of the windshield and cage, then applied the good stuff to maybe slow down the drip....drip I get driving in a good hard rain storm!  May as well when the dash was out......see my brain isn't completely fried!   lol.  A few hours tomorrow and it'll all be buttoned back up like new....or better than new.

 

The other exciting thing I did this morning was.....now some will think me mental for this but...I've been looking at this all summer!  And it bothered me!   I happened to look up in one of my trees a while back only to notice a basket ball if not bigger sized hornet's hive hanging in the tree...!   Normally it has a very busy opening in it as they fly in and out like crazy....this morning i noticed it had slowed down a bit.....just a bit...but enough I thought for this OLD FART to throw a shovel up at it and hopefully hit it and knock it out of the tree....Hmmmm....?  Well, lets say it still had wasps in it and they just required a reason to get organized!  I managed to slice a good sized slice from bottom to top. That opened it up well, they no longer needed to wait to get out and find out who did the damage! They swarmed the shovel on the ground  and as they did I slowly backtracked away!  Only a few noticed me slinking away and came after me to see if it was me who they should punish!  I must have horseshoes planted somewhere as they went back to the shovel.....tonight they are settled down and mostly gone but a few are hanging around....it's too cool for them so I expect they have a den somewhere underground near by!  Yep....an exciting day...lol

[Chopper 264]

Today my 450 passed its MOT, the annual government mandated safety check.  A clean pass with no advisory notices, so I'm very, very happy.

[Willys 747]

Well finally swapped out the oil pan on the beater today, now have a drain plug and can say good bye to the sucker!   lol....

But what a job!!    I hammered the socket onto each stud before trying to undo them, all but two came off easily, ok lets say without stripping .....lol. One stripped but I was able to pound another socket onto it to get it to break loose, but the last one basically crumbled. In the end I was forced to weld a but onto it, then I welded a bolt to the nut as it took plenty of weld to get it to finally stick. I bought a new set for the summer car's new engine build so had a new set to install. Needless to say I now am sporting the latest in fashion......burned forearms as the welding splatter rolled down my sleeves!  I'm used to gritting my teeth and waiting for the sizzling to stop. I welded for a living for years, I have scars in many places. Best one is a crater on the top of y foot the size of a toonie!  Anyway, it took a couple of hours of lying under car outside but it's done, she's all ready for winter now!
I will admit, I'm not liking the way that drain plug sits down just waiting to be snagged by a good rock or something sitting on the road!  I may build a skid pate for it next time I get it on my ramp system.  It won't happen in the driveway that's for sure!

[Chopper 264]

Cleaned, waxed, rolled into the garage to see out winter.  I'll leave it a day or two to ensure its properly dry and then I'll slip the tailored cover on.

Edited December 1, 2019 by Chopper

[Willys 747]

Hmmmm.....had to order a set of rear wheel bearings for the beater today, sure glad I found out about German auto parts.....significantly cheaper than any local parts places...damn!!!
Now I wait impatiently for them to get here.........they here yet.....?????   Tic tic......now...?   

We are forecasting a few days of warm weather in the next while so am hoping they get here before that.....it has to be done outside.....augfh!!!!!

 

I'll be right back,,,just going to check mailbox....

[Willys 747]

So an update on this also.....OK, I can't believe how fast German Auto Parts can get stuff to you after they read your order. It got here in a day!  OK, it took them thursday and most of friday to get it read, but at 4:45pm it was read on friday and picked up that same day!  I was hoping it would get here for me to me able to do the work while we had 2 warmer days as I am forced to work semi-outside due to my other Smart taking up the workable space in my garage. Today and tomorrow the temps are supposed to get close to plus 4-6.....that is a far cry above the minus 10 it has been lately. So I was hoping to get the wheel bearings before today...fingers crossed.   I had given up last night around supper time of that happening. We were watching TV last night at 10:30 ish when the door bell rang....we live far enough out of the way we do not ever get visitors that late normally. So it's either something pressing in one direction or another for it to happen.  I rush upstairs to see a Purolator delivery man standing with a box at my door!!!!    The first thing he said was I'm sorry for the hour......hope you forgive me..!!!   In today's world....you hear this from a delivery driver...WOW...!  I thanked him profusely and he left.....I couldn't/can't believe they wouldn't have waited until what their schedule stated as a delivery for monday....WOW....!  And on a saturday night, not even a week day night....damn!

I will be sending German Auto Parts a letter as well as Purolator  thanking them both for their service!    Amazing!

 

So, now I'm warming the garage ready to get to it. Plus the outside temps aren't yet above zero, but you can feel them rising.   Let the games begin......Installation of both rear wheel bearings....!

[Willys 747]

Well after getting the garage in workable condition, meaning no wind and warmish, the first bearing was easily changed in less than an hour.....I know...I just jinxed myself for the second.....lunch is over.....back at it we go......fingers crossed the second is as easy.  Yes it did take heat and an impact hammer, but it was far easier than I was expecting.
Back in a few....

 

[Willys 747]

HA...!!!   less than 30 minutes, seems I got these things figured out now....took longer to get the rear bodywork back on than it did change the bearing.......nice and quiet now....what a dream...lol.   Yes it did surprise me how well it turned out...thankfully.

 

The trick to it is to slightly loosen the bolts for the bearing maybe 1/4" then beat them inwards after releasing the driveshaft and moving it out of the way, but not removing it. I used a lump hammer and the torx socket and a 6" extention  and simply smacked it a few times with force.....I should have done this with the first one as I went after it with air hammer etc etc and it just beat the bearing to bits and slightly deformed the edge making it harder once it was free to get it out of the backing plate. The bearings simply slide out, slide new ones in place with some never seize around backing plate to help with the next time and also on bolts then torque it down. I soaked the bodywork in rust check just for giggles and away we went. Done deal.

 

I bet with a hoist it could be done in an hour with the right tools at hand.  And a bit of heat for the stubborn ones.

 

One big job done.  Both rear bearings were shot, the right side far worse than the left.....so it should be almost silent driving from now on.

 

[tolsen 630]

I splashed out and bought my Smart Cabrio a Chinese washer pump. The existing pump failed recently due to its seal leaking washer fluid into the motor. Cost of new pump £7.49 inclusive of delivery. 

[LooseLugNuts 557]

On 12/8/2019 at 10:06 AM, Willys said:

I can't believe how fast German Auto Parts can get stuff to you after they read your order

 

thats exactly why i dont mind suggesting them when people ask for part sources

 

 

they were always super fast at filling orders and sending them out...

[Willys 747]

3 hours ago, tolsen said:

I splashed out and bought my Smart Cabrio a Chinese washer pump. The existing pump failed recently due to its seal leaking washer fluid into the motor. Cost of new pump £7.49 inclusive of delivery. 

Without me tearing into my beater during the winter deep freeze, is there a separate washer motor for the rear window washer or is it somehow the same one as the front windshield..?   My stupid nipple broke again seeing as some idiot forgot to flush out the summer water solution , doh!   I think I see it leaking into the inside when i spray the rear window. Or leaking from the roof panel..?

 

[Sydney 218]

10 hours ago, Willys said:

Without me tearing into my beater during the winter deep freeze, is there a separate washer motor for the rear window washer or is it somehow the same one as the front windshield..?   My stupid nipple broke again seeing as some idiot forgot to flush out the summer water solution , doh!   I think I see it leaking into the inside when i spray the rear window. Or leaking from the roof panel..?

 

it is the same washer motor as the front.

[Willys 747]

35 minutes ago, Sydney said:

it is the same washer motor as the front.

OK, so I just need to stop the flow going to the back, thanks.   OR simply plug it off at the back at the most easiest location to get to during the winter months.....where ever that is without having to dismantle too much....I had to warm the body panels when i took the rear off so as not to damage the clips etc because of them being brittle....worked great, but I do not want to make a skating rink on my driveway every time I need to remove a piece of bodywork. That is why I'm asking...lol.    Again I should have done this while it was warmer...doh!

 

[jwight 117]

13 hours ago, LooseLugNuts said:

 

thats exactly why i dont mind suggesting them when people ask for part sources

 

 

they were always super fast at filling orders and sending them out...

Which German Auto Parts site are you using?

[Willys 747]

Just now, jwight said:

Which German Auto Parts site are you using?

I think it was simply Germanparts.ca

 

[jwight 117]

Thanks!

[LooseLugNuts 557]

yep...theyre in Toronto...super fast and prices are usually ok...plus they occasionally have discount codes

 

i dont know if they ship to U.S.

[smartzuuk 167]

I'm *thinking* about my next smart, given that all the 451 and 453 will be dumped by Car2go in Vancouver in the New Year..... should make for some good deals if you want a car over-driven by thousands of other people.....  

 

There have been a dozen cdi listed this year for parts....pries in Vancouver getting as low as $500-650 for a whole car

[timtim 0]

New Tires for my trip from Raleigh NC to Pensacola FL on Wednesday

Kumo's 195 50 15 on all for corners, 

[stickman007 309]

Put insurance and registration in RedPxl yesterday...back on the road in the little beast.

[Willys 747]

Painted the underneath all around the engine bay and wheel wells after sandblasting the loose rust off, down to bare steel. One more thing to go, take rusty old fuel filter bracket off and get it looking like the rest and reinstall. Then I'll roll sub frame back underneath.   Thank god the warm weather is finally here....working with garage door open is far more pleasant.....lol.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Willys

[Leadwing 565]

Took 'Silverwing' for a top-down drive today.  Not a huge trip but it was one of the nicest days available to me in a long time.  Making the trek to Messysoggy tomorrow (Saturday) to pick up some needed bits for my e-bike.

[stickman007 309]

Changed alternator today on the C1 - swapped the overrunning pulley from the old alternator. Running strong again at 122232km!