Ohio Canadian 2005 Fortwo Passion cdi - Work Begins

[Chopper 263]

On 20/12/2019 at 1:47 AM, marinersk said:

Thanks again to all for the tips and info.

 

Um.  I'm sensing a pattern here.  Is leaky doors and windows a thing with Smarts?  Or at least the old 450cdi types?

 

Everything has arrived except for the PL-6000 oil suction pump.  Not that it matters.  Round I is to just get the thing started.  I can't drive it until I fix the transmission problem, which I seriously doubt has self-repaired whilst sitting in a nearly-abandoned state for 5 years.

 

Back to thinking about license plates for the thing.  I like Y PANTS for the double-entendre, but I suspect too many folks will get the decoy joke and not the real one.  PUTT X2 is a contender.

Indeed, the 450 can leak.

 

Common points are the rear/side windows on the coupe.  Removing, cleaning, and re bonding with a suitable ungent cures that.

 

Door seals, or more correctly door welts.  New seals or remove the old seals and clean and refit carefully, and put gaffa tape over the mirror mounting screw heads.

 

Windscreens can leak.  Use a fine nozzle to inject PU adhesive into the affected areas. This is the leak that can kill Sam's as water runs down the rear of the dash and gets them damp and corroded.

 

There are other sources, but the above are the main ones.

[Willys 527]

If you own a sunroof, may as well not close it, imho...I simply sliconed mine shut.....lol....it's a beater so doesn't matter to me....but I second all of Chopper's suggestions for sure. 

 

[Leadwing 484]

Putting the key on the back instead of the roof will help with the aerodynamics

[BWM 87]

6 hours ago, Leadwing said:

Putting the key on the back instead of the roof will help with the aerodynamics

Mounting it there would get a ticket from the popo for blocking the license plate light or under lighted plate as it's been moved down out of the coverage area.

With it up on top I can normally find mine in the parking lot quickly just scaring the lot looking for the key.

All bets are off on that though if a SUV, van or P/U blocks the view.

[Leadwing 484]

8 hours ago, BWM said:

Mounting it there would get a ticket from the popo for blocking the license plate light

 

The lights for the license plate are on either side .... approximately above the "W" and the "P" on the pictured plate

[marinersk 5]

LOL That's awesome!

 

[marinersk 5]

Okay.

 

I saw a picture somewhere (probably here) of a Smart sitting on some metal... boxes... which effectively lifted the vehicle off the ground.

I have been searching all over for car stands, car rails, car lifts, drive on stands, etc. -- not finding anything with the elegant simplicity of what I saw in that picture.

 

What on earth would they be called?  Two metal boxes long enough that you basically drive the car onto them and voila!  More space underneath before you bang your head on something anyway.

 

What should I be searching for???  My Google Fu is weak!

 

Edited December 27, 2019 by marinersk

[tolsen 594]

Invest in a pair of ramps and axle stands. If you have enough space, buy a two post car lift. 

[LooseLugNuts 399]

make some out of wood

 

 

http://clubsmartcar.com/index.php?/topic/20060-what-did-you-do-to-your-smart-today/&page=181#comment-356866

 

[Willys 527]

50 minutes ago, LooseLugNuts said:

make some out of wood

 

 

http://clubsmartcar.com/index.php?/topic/20060-what-did-you-do-to-your-smart-today/&page=181#comment-356866

 

Hmmmm.......looks familiar.....lol

  Although it's home to the steam green machine now in complete bits.....and has it's own work bench added to the rear end of it.....which is where the sub frame is now residing....stripped to the bone!  Blasted and painted awaiting rebuilt engine etc.

 

 

[Henry 29]

Happy New Year.

I have been following your thread on and off for a while now and have resisted posting, as other members have generated outstanding advice.  

First thing I would do is Take the belt off the alternator,  either by going through the loosen the alternator and pulling it the property or just cutting it off.  Charge the battery and try to start the engine.  I would just add fresh diesel, as diesel does not age anywhere nearly as fast as gas. If it starts and runs which it will (very positive thinking here) start down the road to getting it road worthy.

Alan

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by Henry
spell check changed my words

[marinersk 5]

On 1/1/2020 at 1:04 PM, Henry said:

Happy New Year.

I have been following your thread on and off for a while now and have resisted posting, as other members have generated outstanding advice.  

First thing I would do is Take the belt off the alternator,  either by going through the loosen the alternator and pulling it the property or just cutting it off.  Charge the battery and try to start the engine.  I would just add fresh diesel, as diesel does not age anywhere nearly as fast as gas. If it starts and runs which it will (very positive thinking here) start down the road to getting it road worthy.

Alan

 

 

Thanks for the input!

 

I originally did replace the battery and started it; technically, it did start, but it didn't stay running for long; the suspicion is seized alternator.  It also has never successfully started since; hence the suspicion about bad diesel.  The short chain hydrocarbons in diesel evaporate relatively quickly, and those are the "easy" ignition chains.  It sat 4 years (now 5).

 

However, it's in the garage now. I'm positively giddy with delight at finally starting this project (for realz this time).

[marinersk 5]

Well, the project has officially started again.  She's in the garage and I have nearly everything I need to proceed.

 

I was going to build the tire/body cribs tonight, but got sidetracked with stuff around the house when my wife got home so we'll try to get the lumber tomorrow.

 

She's packed in tightly, but everything around her can be moved easily except the wood up against the wall on the passenger side.

 

 

[Leadwing 484]

That looks like my garage!  A small two car garage that has three cars in it.  LOL

[marinersk 5]

Yeah, my wife and I measured it -- a few inches short of being able to put two Smarts front to back given our use of the front wall.

But she was completely enamoured with the thought of two of them parked front-to-back in the garage.

 

If this project goes well and I don't come home every day smelling like diesel, I can see her requesting I find a second one for her.

Actually, if she doesn't wind up using diesel, she's expressed an interest in an electric. 

Which means I need to start donating blood like yesterday, because if she's not going old school, my pride won't let me do anything but get her a new one.

 

I think they still cost less than the house...

 

[marinersk 5]

My disappointing discovery of the day is that the 82/83 MPG rating is UK MPG, which translates to something like 69 MPG US.  :: pout ::

 

Worse, Disesel has been more expensive than gasoline since shortly after I bought my first diesel truck in 1997 or so.  Which means even if I do my level best and get this thing into tip-top shape (hey, I can dream), I'm dealing with the cost equivalent of a gasoline car that gets 46 MPG. 

 

This is not as impressive as I would have liked.

 

And I am likely to get to smell like diesel for my troubles.

 

But hey, it's a cute car and a marvel of engineering.  That should be enough for this geek.

 

 

[Leadwing 484]

6 minutes ago, marinersk said:

My disappointing discovery of the day is that the 82/83 MPG rating is UK MPG, which translates to something like 69 MPG US.  :: pout ::

 

Worse, Disesel has been more expensive than gasoline since shortly after I bought my first diesel truck in 1997 or so.  Which means even if I do my level best and get this thing into tip-top shape (hey, I can dream), I'm dealing with the cost equivalent of a gasoline car that gets 46 MPG. 

 

60 MPG is still way better than gas models (except for hybrids) 

Fuel stations "generally" charge more for diesel in the winter, because long distance truckers let their trucks all night to keep heat in the cab.  Here, in Ontario, this seems to be the case.  As soon as the warmer weather comes along, diesel prices drop.  Right now, gas us about $1.09 per liter ( about $4.09 per US gallon) and diesel is about $1.25 per liter ( about $4.69 per US gallon )

 

21 minutes ago, marinersk said:

Yeah, my wife and I measured it -- a few inches short of being able to put two Smarts front to back given our use of the front wall.

But she was completely enamoured with the thought of two of them parked front-to-back in the garage.

 

If this project goes well and I don't come home every day smelling like diesel, I can see her requesting I find a second one for her.

Actually, if she doesn't wind up using diesel, she's expressed an interest in an electric. 

Which means I need to start donating blood like yesterday, because if she's not going old school, my pride won't let me do anything but get her a new one.

 

I think they still cost less than the house...

 

 

See attached photo of my garage with three cars, E-bike and snow blower all jammed in there ( snow blower is between silver smart and white Honda ).

The electrics DO cost a bit less than a house so far, but the gap is slowly closing. 

[marinersk 5]

Awesome pics!!  I love the four Smarts taking less space than one truck.

 

[Willys 527]

There is nothing on the road that will get better milage numbers but the Tesla and Chevy Bolt......for range as well.  I can easily get 80 MPGs now it has been cleaned out internally and new nozzles on the injectors, removed the EGR......and some sort of tune, I think it's a Glenn tune?   I used to hate the smell of diesel as well but after a year or so, I don't notice it as much now unless spill some on my fingers while filling.  Oh I also removed the CAT from the exhaust.....and I use Diesel Klean every other tank full 50ml./tank.

I also drive very close to the speed limit and drive watching mileage ratings......that will grow on you also. I use a ScanGuageII to see what it doing.  I shift manually  as well...So I do not know why I get such great gas consumption rates but that is all I have done to my car.  It has 190,000kms on it now.   sorry deduct 20,000 which the used speedo added to it.  so 170,000kms   Doesn't burn oil.

So to think you can get another vehicle to get better mileage numbers I would be surprised.   You have to fix and tinker with all vehicles until you get them right and then take care of them as you own them or you won't get the best you can get from your vehicle.  Just saying....I love the little bugger of a car.   Slow but fun.

 

[marinersk 5]

The weather has been very uncooperative.  Each time I set a day aside to dedicate to the Smart, it's snowed heavily enough to eat up most of the day's time budget.

 

That said, a few more tools, some digging around in the cargo area, and I now have 7 oil filters, a fuel filter, and I forced time today to *finally* get her off the floor.

 

Realizing I would need to remove the right rear tire to get at the alternator, I took the wheel cribs I'd built and converted them into body cribs.

 

Pics are a smidge larger than the site allows, so I'll try to get those up tomorrow.

 

But she's in the air.  FINALLY.

 

Next up: Oil filter, fuel filter, alternator.