[primejo07]

So, my mate drowned my sierra about two weeks ago. took water into the motor and had to take all the spark plugs out and crank the water out. as soon as i got home, i changed the oil and did a spark plug change. she drove like a dream for a week, but then it all changed. just out of the blue, she wouldnt idle. she would just start up and die. when it did idle, it would constantly fluctuate the revs by itself. now when im driving, unless its in gear with revs up, the motor just dies. as soon as i push the clutch in or put it in neutral, the revs drop rapidly and the engine dies.

I took her down to Auto masters, and they gave her a look over. Theres water everywhere. In the diffs, the engine oil sump, the gear box is noisy because its full of water, wax-pellet driven flap in the carby is stuffed. left hand cv housing is water contaminated. all the wheel bearings need to be replaced.

so i was wondering if any of you guys could help me decide what to do... should i try and do as much as i can myself, and then pay for what i stuggle to do? i have a mate who is an apprencice mechanic so he could help me a lot. if you think thats an option then could you tell me some basics on how to do what i want?

should i pay a mechanic to do it, although this option will apparently cost about $3-4k. which i really dont have.

then theres my most dredded option... which is to scrap my suzuki. i really really dont want to do this but if i have to, then i have to.

i know its a big ask for me to ask you all this, but i really am a bit of a noob when it comes to this kind of stuff :p cheers heaps, i really appreciate the auszookers community

[Jackson]

Gday mate,

Nothing on a car is really that hard to do it just takes time and effort. My first ever job was to replace a snapped timing belt which while it took me a week was a great learning curve. Now ive atleast had a crack at every job that needs to be done and so far never had to pay labour, WIN!!!

So get yourself a workshop manual from repco or something, gregorys, Haynes, whatever. Won't cost you to much and will give you good explanations and pictures.

I don't know what the wax pellet flap thing is but that's aside the hardest task you got infront of you is probably the wheel bearings. Really it'll depend on whether the water was in there long enough to do some permanent damage.

But to start with drop all your oils and replace them do your wheel bearings and regrease your cv's (you might as well do both seeing your doing the wheel bearings)

Some of the things on your list I have been meaning to get around to so if you get stuck I can take some pictures for you.

[atari4x4]

manuals are available for download from here

www.suzukiinfo.com

sierra manuals: http://www.suzukiinfo.com/sierra/

[primejo07]

Thanks so much - you have given me hope! Ill get the work shop manual and get straight on to it. Ive actually done a wheel bearing myself before, so i have the general jist of it, it just takes ages! Do you think its worth going to the wreckers and seeing what i can find? thanks heaps for the advice, i am so relieved :p

[Ben_Sierra]

Also mate, if you need a hand with anything we have a strong AZ perth crew...

If you put on beers and BBQ you'd have a whole heap of guys rock up to lend a hand

[primejo07]

Sounds like a plan! would be quite a good day actually you guys go out for wheels very often?

[Reubs]

primejo07 wrote:

should i pay a mechanic to do it, although this option will apparently cost about $3-4k. which i really dont have.

IMO you'd be better off buying about $300 worth of tools and another $300 worth of beer/wine/spirits and then inviting a heap of AZers to your house to show you how easy Suzukis are to work on and consume all your beer.

You probably already had stuffed wheel bearings and needed your gear oil changed. Everything in the front hubs was probably worn and needed to be cleaned/replaced/rebuilt anyway.

As for harder tasks, like rear wheel bearings or diagnosing carby problems I'd go to a Suzuki shop - and not bother with AutoMasters - they'll rip you off like any other mechanical chain...

Unless you learn to service the car yourself then it's gonna cost you about $3-4K per year on routine maintenance if you go wheeling often. A heavily wheeled Sierra will need the gear oil dropped at least quarterly and the front hubs and bearings rebuilt at least every 2 years IMO.

[mightymouse]

Everything in life is a learning curve, and there is a lot more difficult than mechanical devices. I second the idea of the manual and tools and go for it.

[joe5701]

Reubs wrote:

primejo07 wrote:

should i pay a mechanic to do it, although this option will apparently cost about $3-4k. which i really dont have.

IMO you'd be better off buying about $300 worth of tools and another $300 worth of beer/wine/spirits and then inviting a heap of AZers to your house to show you how easy Suzukis are to work on and consume all your beer.

You probably already had stuffed wheel bearings and needed your gear oil changed. Everything in the front hubs was probably worn and needed to be cleaned/replaced/rebuilt anyway.

As for harder tasks, like rear wheel bearings or diagnosing carby problems I'd go to a Suzuki shop - and not bother with AutoMasters - they'll rip you off like any other mechanical chain...

Unless you learn to service the car yourself then it's gonna cost you about $3-4K per year on routine maintenance if you go wheeling often. A heavily wheeled Sierra will need the gear oil dropped at least quarterly and the front hubs and bearings rebuilt at least every 2 years IMO.

dont know what to think of you QLD zookers

[primejo07]

Reubs, thanks for the info, you guys have really got me keen to get the suzi back on the road spent the arvo trying to sort out the diffs, didnt have the right tool to change the oil though, thats the only problem i had. I downloaded and printed out the service manual, so thats really got me keen too!

i think beers and a bbq sound like a good idea... even if i fix the car myself! haha! :p

Cheers for the info guys

[atari4x4]

here is the first Suzuki Special tool that you can buy & keep for ever

10mm Square Socket for the diff & gearbox plugs

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/8mm-10mm-Squ ... 53e9329b42

[Microwire]

A little off the beer and BBQ topic, but how's your alternator? Revs could be something electrical check the usual suspects, Battery, Alternator, Dizzy for water and dirty contacts.

Also if you took on water, maybe a good blow out of the carby would be a good idea.

[Mike57]

Thanks Atari. I have been looking for one of these for ages. I made up one with 10 mm key steel but a socket lets me use the torque wrench. Well spotted.

[atari4x4]

Yeah they're hard to find, I have bought the exact ones from the same seller, shipping was a bit slow but still got here in a reasonable time.

[masterA]

What most of the guys said above.....buy some tools and you'll never look back. Sierra's are a real simple vehicle to fix and modify so it will be a great learning curve.

Put on a BBQ and you'll have a few people turn up to give advice, a helping hand and a few will watch and have a laugh hahaha

Seriously though....most of the stuff is easily fixed....just need to get some new oils etc.
Engine will be your biggest problem but if you have an apprentice mechanic im sure he will be able to quickly disassemble the engine and put it back together.

Good luck and let us know how you go and what you decide

[BlueSuzy]

While your at it, Run some longer breathers for the diffs/gbox/transfer, so it doesnt happen again.

Never let mates borrow your car. They drive it, you have to fix it..

How many k's have you done between the water and now?

[primejo07]

BlueSuzy wrote:

While your at it, Run some longer breathers for the diffs/gbox/transfer, so it doesnt happen again.

Never let mates borrow your car. They drive it, you have to fix it..

How many k's have you done between the water and now?

Thanks atari, that should help me a lot!

Microwire - electrics are all good, got my mate who is a auto sparky to check it out

MasterA- yep! You guys have made me decide to give it a crack, and I'm actually really keen to get in there and get dirty! :p

Bluesuzy - I learnt that the hard way haha! But yeah, he's sorting it out.. I've only done like 30 km's all up aftr the drowning so I hope that didn't cause too much damage :s

My next problem is someone has ruined the diff plugs in an attempt to get them out using the wrong tool. so I have no idea how to get them out now... Any ideas ?

[TryHard]

quite a few ways i found it easy using easy outs

others say to weld a bolt on the end and undo it that way

How rounded is it ? photo ? and as everyone said learning your self is the best way when i started i knew nothing about cars at all but after a year im already putting lockers in diffs transfer case gears in changing clutch's servicing wheel bearings etc hubs

i think zookys are great car to work on and learn with as the others said u need a hand just ask few beers wouldnt go down well 2

[Reubs]

primejo07 wrote:

My next problem is someone has ruined the diff plugs in an attempt to get them out using the wrong tool. so I have no idea how to get them out now... Any ideas ?

Buy an 11mm sq. plug tool and grind down 2 sides of the tool until you can hammer the tool into the worn plug with a snug fit. when done, get new plugs and grind down the tool further to about 10mm to suit new plugs.

Afterwards DO NOT use a 3/8" (9mm) adapter to undo the plugs - use a proper 10mm sq. tool.

[TryHard]

Reubs wrote:

primejo07 wrote:

My next problem is someone has ruined the diff plugs in an attempt to get them out using the wrong tool. so I have no idea how to get them out now... Any ideas ?

Buy an 11mm sq. plug tool and grind down 2 sides of the tool until you can hammer the tool into the worn plug with a snug fit. when done, get new plugs and grind down the tool further to about 10mm to suit new plugs.

Afterwards DO NOT use a 3/8" (9mm) adapter to undo the plugs - use a proper 10mm sq. tool.

that does work but depending on how rounded it is

[steve]

If it's running rough, it might pay to remove the petrol tank and give it a clean out while you're there, then new fuel filters and clean the lines. I drowned mine once and the tank had dirty water/dirt in it...

Then clean the jets out in the carby !

[primejo07]

TryHard wrote:

others say to weld a bolt on the end and undo it that way

Welding on a diff filled with oil? would that be a problem?

[sogone]

Not at all. Gear oil isn't flammable.

[TryHard]

primejo07 wrote:

TryHard wrote:

others say to weld a bolt on the end and undo it that way

Welding on a diff filled with oil? would that be a problem?

nope wont be your only welding a nut to the end of the burred plug but i dont suggest this method unless your a good welder try what the other guys suggested and get a 11 mil Square socket and grind it down make it fit ..
but if its to rounded of doing that could be hard i had great success with drilling small hole in the plug and using a big easy out but the problem you might face is braking the easy out make sure u use a strong easy out not some tiny stupid one take a photo of the damaged plug

[primejo07]

Reubs wrote:

primejo07 wrote:

My next problem is someone has ruined the diff plugs in an attempt to get them out using the wrong tool. so I have no idea how to get them out now... Any ideas ?

Buy an 11mm sq. plug tool and grind down 2 sides of the tool until you can hammer the tool into the worn plug with a snug fit. when done, get new plugs and grind down the tool further to about 10mm to suit new plugs.

Afterwards DO NOT use a 3/8" (9mm) adapter to undo the plugs - use a proper 10mm sq. tool.

I will try that, but it is reallly really rounded haha so ill have to see how i go. so far the welding option seems like my best bet. a bit worried the weld will break though, as the plugs are pretty snug in there. :p

[TryHard]

primejo07 wrote:

Reubs wrote:

primejo07 wrote:

My next problem is someone has ruined the diff plugs in an attempt to get them out using the wrong tool. so I have no idea how to get them out now... Any ideas ?

Buy an 11mm sq. plug tool and grind down 2 sides of the tool until you can hammer the tool into the worn plug with a snug fit. when done, get new plugs and grind down the tool further to about 10mm to suit new plugs.

Afterwards DO NOT use a 3/8" (9mm) adapter to undo the plugs - use a proper 10mm sq. tool.

I will try that, but it is reallly really rounded haha so ill have to see how i go. so far the welding option seems like my best bet. a bit worried the weld will break though, as the plugs are pretty snug in there. :p

maby try easy out and heating the diff just in the area the plug is in then try wrench on it might come lose people often do the plugs to tight then use wrong tool iv done this my self haha anther way is hammer and chisels if its the filler plug or vice grips its the drain plug though inst it

[primejo07]

TryHard wrote:

primejo07 wrote:

Reubs wrote:

primejo07 wrote:

My next problem is someone has ruined the diff plugs in an attempt to get them out using the wrong tool. so I have no idea how to get them out now... Any ideas ?

Buy an 11mm sq. plug tool and grind down 2 sides of the tool until you can hammer the tool into the worn plug with a snug fit. when done, get new plugs and grind down the tool further to about 10mm to suit new plugs.

Afterwards DO NOT use a 3/8" (9mm) adapter to undo the plugs - use a proper 10mm sq. tool.

I will try that, but it is reallly really rounded haha so ill have to see how i go. so far the welding option seems like my best bet. a bit worried the weld will break though, as the plugs are pretty snug in there. :p

maby try easy out and heating the diff just in the area the plug is in then try wrench on it might come lose people often do the plugs to tight then use wrong tool iv done this my self haha anther way is hammer and chisels if its the filler plug or vice grips its the drain plug though inst it

alright, ill try all of your suggestions and see how i go haha, cheers heaps for all the info ill put up some photos of the job soon

[TryHard]

have fun i know how shitty i got trying to get dam plug out

[primejo07]

haha yes, im sure there will be lots of f-bombs dropped this arvo

[Hybrid]

Haven't done it on the diff specifically but chisel and hammer on the edge to rotate it anti-clockwise like mentioned above has worked for me elsewhere. Plug will be stuffed though so have a replacement ready.