[Shotimes] 60,000 mile check -- tools and supplies

[George Fourchy]

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 09:19:36 -0600, Donald Mallinson wrote:

>The 60k mantra is pretty well known, but we don't want to 
>get some incorrect information out there.

I totally agree.  Every car is different.

>We know from long experience that valves CAN get out of 
>adjustment before 100,000 miles.  Also shims can wear.

Absolutely.

>If you DO replace the cam belt, it is a good idea to 
>consider replacing the crank sensor and water pump. 
>....................snipped..... but if you have the 
>front of the motor apart anyway for a belt, that is the 
>bigger part of the labor involved with changing the other 
>two. 

No doubt about that.  If I have to go in for one thing, they all come out.

>  The best advice, is that if the 
>valves are quiet, chances are you are in good shape.  
>The shims DO wear out, sometimes even with regular obsessive 
>oil changes on cars driven easy.  Probably because of poor 
>heat treating or metal on a few shims, it happens.
>
>If a shim goes, it can take a cam lobe out in short order, 
>so that is the reason for regular checks.
>
>It isn't a good idea to take the attitude "if it isn't broke, 
>don't fix it"  For those that haven't 
>done it, Josh's 60k video is a good investment.

All of this is true.  I agree with it.  The thing that I do is _LISTEN_ to my
engine, ALL the time.  Every time it starts, and every time I shut it down, I listen
to it.  Were there any unusual sounds or vibrations?  How did it sound while it was
cranking?  Lots of information is available from the sound of an engine cranking. 
When I started off in first gear, did it lug down smoothly, or did it shake or was
it uneven.  Did it ping?  With me, it's automatic to listen to these things.  I
don't turn the radio or tunes on until I'm well underway.  It drives me crazy when I
get into a friend's car (or my daughter's!!) for some reason and turn the key on,
and I get blown away by the stereo.  

When I first heard the knocking of the crank cancer, it was 6 months before it would
be fixed.  I could only hear it when the car was parked next to a wall, otherwise
the VERY faint knocking would be lost in the rest of the idle noise.  Over time it
would get worse and worse.  Because of that, I often listen, with the window down as
I go (slowly) by a retaining wall or center divider to the noise the car makes as it
is rolling.  I can find squeaking brakes that way, suspension rattles, and engine or
tranny noises that are not discernable when the car is stopped.

The bottom line is....Pay Attention, All The Time.  If one does, the car will last a
long time, at least it will if you respond to its symptoms.

George