So on Sunday I drove my car to my mechanic's shop so that I could do my clutch install myself in his garage using his tools, since I no longer have any tools because they got stolen. This was the same mechanic who did my swap, but I had no intention of having him touch the car. Well it turns out that I'm 100% completely mechanically retarded...at the end of the day I didn't even have both axles out of the car. >>

And since it was in the shop's main bay and my mechanic had to have it out of there and I had to work, I couldn't continue on it and had to pay him to do my clutch installation. So I got my car back today and took it for a drive...it is now so screwed up it's ridiculous. Now I have to hold the wheel ten degrees or so clockwise to drive straight! >>

I also have a new paint chip on the side of my door from my mechanic hitting the door with something, and my front brakes squeal when I come to a stop. It's so ridiculously sick how retarded my mechanic is. My car was fine except for a bad throwout bearing due to my mechanic being a retard and using the wrong one on my tranny. Now it doesn't drive straight and my brakes squeal. >>

I just don't even know what to do anymore...my car used to be nice...now look at it...it's a piece of garbage...I don't even think I could sell this car anymore. >>

damn coomer .. yea that sucks... i wish we lived in the same state i would take the car apart for you and rebuild it one weekend..


i say we all send coomer some money so he can but tools and all the tpypta repair mauals so he doesn't even have to go back to a shop..

are you sure you're breaks are'nt wated already? Cause you don't disassemble the breaks to take out the axles. Maybe your breaks are just worn out.

As for the stearing wheel not being straight, it's not a big deal, it's an easy fix.

Sphinx, my mechanic told me to remove the calipers so that we could pull the axles out. So I took off the calipers and the two bottom bolts for the strut and then the brake assembly swung out so I could remove the axles...I take it this isn't the right way to do it? And I don't think the brakes are worn out...I've never heard any noises from them ever prior to taking it to my mechanic's shop.

And how should I go about fixing the steering wheel issue?

And Mac, Thanks! But there's no need to send me any money. I wouldn't be able to buy tools with it anyway, as I'm already in debt to my parents still. >>

to take off the axles, you just take off the wheels, the 2 bolts that hold the hub and the strut together, and then the main NUT that holds the axle in place with the hub. I believe the 2 bolts on the strut are 17MM and the one on the axle/hub is a 24MM

As for the strearing wheel, my buddy here knows how to fix that. I've never had that problem, but he says it real easy. I'll ask him how to do it

-sphinx+Sep 2, 2004 - 1:48 PM

An Air bubble in your power steering won't cause your steering to be off by that much. He must have screwed something up with your alignment. As for fixing all of this stuff man if you could get down here, me and my friends would be more than happy to get that thing going smooth for you. We just finished putting my friends '91 Eclipse GSt back together from a tranny swap. I'm itching to do something on SOMEONES car. As for the removal of the axles, sphinx is right all you have to do is remove those two nuts and the big'n thats holding the axle to the hub assembly. Then you just have to muscle them out of the transmission. If you decide to put the clutch assembly bavk on yourself make sure that you put all of the pressure plate bolts back on correctly and in the right fassion otherwise you could seriously screw stuff up and your clutch won't entirely dissengage. Is there anything wrong with the clutch itself? Is it not dissengaging? And not to be rude or anything but y did you take it back to the guy that screwed you over in the first place? Reading what you said it sounds like you didn't really have an option but I'm sure that someone in your neighborhood has the tools needed. Let me know if there is anything that I can do Coom. My friends mom lives in Goldendale, so we could road trip up there. Just say the word and I will see what I can do.

This post has been edited by Anub1s: Sep 2, 2004 - 4:47 PM

Thanks Anub...I wouldn't have ever taken it there to get work done on it by him, but I needed to use his tools to do it myself, and none of my friends have the tools or anything required. Most of my friends are into drinking rather than cars, and the rest are mostly ricers who don't even change their own oil, so I had a hard time finding a place to do the work. >>

And yeah, an air bubble doesn't seem like it'd cause that...if I can find the right part number then I'll pick up a belt tonight and put that on and see if it helps any.

My gut feeling is that my mechanic took my car out for a test drive to make sure the clutch was working and hit something like a curb or something. >> He's retarded like that.

its ridiculous that you go back to that mechanic....even if u just wanted to use his tools. ridiculous.

-Celicaca+Sep 2, 2004 - 3:56 PM

wow coomer you need to move man. It really sucks that you can't find a descent mechanic in your area. I'd say pick up a manual, buy some tools (when you can) and hunker down and work on the biotch.

damn man i be feeling bad for you

-Coomer+Sep 2, 2004 - 11:08 PM

-Celicaca+Sep 2, 2004 - 4:26 PM

Coomer! i told u once and ill tell you again..u need tools or someone to work on the car come over here! theres no use on working on ur car when u dont have the tools or having someone work on it over in Yakima! bring it to the seattle area!


Natalie

Your clutch is one of the most important parts of the drive train. If something goes wrong there, lots of bad things can happen. My freinds '91 Eclipse's tranny ate itself because there was something wrong with the clutch assembly, it wasn't dissengaging all the way. 600+ dollars later we have it back together and running, then it blew a seal in the differential casing and we have to replace that now. grrrr. Sometimes I hate cars but they are fun to work on with friends.

-BlackCelicaGT94+Sep 2, 2004 - 4:40 PM

I know, I know...had I known that I wouldn't be able to finish the car, there is no way that I would've taken it there...I just didn't know...I guess that's what I get for trying to work on something myself though. >>

Are you kidding? Thats the only way to learn. And if you are going to have a car as hot as yours, you are going to have to do some work on it sometime. Coomer you have so many people on this site that can give you advice and tips on this its not even funny. Man if you need help I'm sure that anyone on here would be more than happy to help just ask.

taking out the axels should mess up anything in your steering. seems to me like your mechanic messed with the tierods (the steeing arms, or whaever they are officially called). if you payed a mechanic to do the job right, then you should ask for a refund when he did the job wrong, at least engough to cover the cost of getting your car back to normal.

just take your car to any tire and wheel place, describe your problem, and ask them to do an alight ment for youl. that should fix your issues.

after doing my swap, i have yet to take my car in for an alignment. for the most part it drives 100% normal because i didnt mess with those steering arms. i only get slight vibration of the wheel at high speeds.

do you not have an autozone by you coomer? you pay a deposit and you can borrow tools.

take your car down to cali. we have car shops at every corner

Dude Coomer... sometimes I really wish I could help you out... a clutch job for me is a couple of hours at most... with a lot of sitting and drinking... and for you... I'd do it dirt cheap man...

Hope it all works out... I also replied to your topic on club4ag...

Coomer, option 1, hook up with another member or members to get your car right again. Option 2, bring your car to one of their trusted mechanics. Stop screwing around.

You have a world of information and help on this board, use it.

I admit it's entertaining reading how every week you have a new mishap or problem or disaster but it's getting painful now.

just my $.02

Alright... I re-read the topic and am not happy... =/

Here's what you need to do Coomer:

Aside from beating the crap out of your mechanic...
Check the axles. It's possible that they may not be seated well either in the tranny or on the hubs (if the tranny, check for fluid leakage... if the hubs, check the pins at the end). Either or can cause the car to tilt and pull strongly to the side. If not that, all I can suggest is an alignent... As for the brakes... you mentioned he had to remove the calipers... if you removed them from the lines, you may just need a bleed job (bubbles can sometimes cause pulsations in the piston, causing the pads to squeak). If not, then get some more squeak-stop gunk and re-apply to your pads.

I really wish I can help you out... and please feel free to ask me anything related to fixing a car... I always answer (or try to). I just wrote up last night a long step-by-step list of instructions for another member on how to do his clutch. It's no problem for me (in fact, I kinda enjoy it)... so always, anyone, if you have questions like that, you can ask.

This post has been edited by Kwanza26: Sep 3, 2004 - 12:04 AM

Thanks for all the support everyone. I love you all.

But owning a Celica is coming to an end for me. My mom just officially kicked me out of the house, and is dropping me from insurance, and promises that she'll never help me out with college funding again. She thinks I'm on drugs because I'm angry about the situation, and all she ever says is how cars completely ruin my life.

Apparently now it's my fault that my mechanic's retarded, it's my fault that my tools got stolen so I couldn't do it myself, everything is my fault, and I'm just trying to be a good kid. I don't steal, I don't hurt people, I don't do drugs, I'm just trying to have fun with a car, but now it's over. I'm in tears right now writing this, but there's just no way I'll be able to pay for insurance, especially since I'll have to live on my own now. And my car, I don't even know what to do...I'd love to keep it and slowly work on it, but it just can't happen. I just hate my parents, or at least my mom. For the last couple months, all she's done is hate me...everything's my fault...I'm the bad kid...I don't deserve any help from them because I have a job...I must be on drugs because I get angry when my car gets destroyed...etc. I HATE IT! Everything seems to go wrong with my life, and it seems like there's nothing I can do....now I'm in tears, gonna be without a Celica, gonna be without the love from my mom, my friends are doing cocaine, I'm constantly stressed/bitter/angry/pissed/depressed/sad/etc., life just sucks.

-Coomer+Sep 3, 2004 - 5:26 AM

coomer I sympathize with your situation; it hurts me to see you put in this position.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that you've made a lot of sacrifices for this community and if there is ANYTHING we can do for you please don't hesitate to mention it.

I'm sorry that you are going through the crap you're having to go through coomer. About your steering being off, I've seen many people on this board and other boards always say "your alignment should be fine" after lowering,axles pulls,etc. If the bolts on that strut are loosened to do work such as pulling an axle and changing springs. The steering problems that you described are alignment and camber related. Granted you can get it close enough yourself for it not to be that noticable<but>it is still out of alignment! Get it aligned as soon as possible coomer, cause yourtires will be so far gone that you will have to buy new ones. If an alignment doesn't fix the steering problem I will pay the cost of your alignment. I just don't want you or anybody else on this board to have been given misleading information which will in turn cost more money in the long run. I hope things start going good for you soon coomer.

there's a guy on the 1320stangs.com forums who got screwed over by AMP Phoenix and there were people all over the net from as many as 40 different car forums who showed him support. People from the rx7 community , mr2, eclipse, civic and the even the bmw community. you should sign up and check it out. I was astonished by how the net could unite people like that. If you post in the forum, your mechanic will need to find a new job.