Repair 7

Vance & Hines makes aftermarket replacement and performance exhausts for several motorcycle brands. The companys "Straight Shots "appear at a glance to be old-fashioned straight pipes, but the exhausts actually measure 1-3/4 inches in diameter by the engine and 2-1/4 inches at the tail. Baffles are a component in automobile and motorcycle exhausts that restrict how easily engine exhaust gases can escape. Engines need some exhaust back pressure to work efficiently, but baffles also restrict the potential power that can be realized in any motorcycle engine. All Vance & Hines exhausts come with replaceable baffles.

Instructions

1

Loosen the worm clamp screws on the heat shields on both exhaust pipes with a flat head screwdriver. Heat shields partially insulate riders and passengers from very hot exhaust pipes. Worm clamps are simple devices that are tightened or loosened by turning a screw.

2

Remove the heat shields. Some Vance & Hines exhausts allow baffle replacement by just loosening and turning the heat shields, but the shape of Straight Shot heat shields prevents them from turning.

3

Lay on your back and locate the two Allen head screws on the bottom of the exhaust, in rear of the seam where the header pipes and tailpipes connect. The rear screw is called the baffle screw.

4

Remove both baffle screws using an Allen wrench and save them.

5

Stick the jaws of a pair of pliers about one inch into the rear of each pipe. Close the jaws and pull the baffle out of each pipe.

The front spindle nut on a 1995 Honda Accord is a single-use nut. This nut contains an outer flange that must be staked into a groove on the end of the axle shaft. The staking procedure prevents the nut from loosening when the vehicle is driven, but necessitates the replacement of the nut when its removed. In order to remove the 36 mm axle nut, the staked portion of the nut must be pounded out of the axle shaft to allow the nut to spin freely.

Instructions

Removal

1

Break the front lug nuts loose with a lug nut socket and a t-handle breaker bar.

2

Lift the front of the vehicle with a jack and set it down on jack stands

3

Remove the lug nuts and wheel. Locate the axle nut in the center of the rotor, on the end of the axle shaft. Align a steel punch with the staked-in portion of the axle nut, then use a hammer to drive the punch into the staked-in portion to undo the staking.

4

Place a 36 mm socket on the end of a t-handle breaker bar and place the socket over the axle nut. Ask an assistant to hold a large pry in-between the wheel studs; this holds the hub still so the axle and transmission arent damaged.

5

Loosen and remove the axle nut, then discard it.

Installation

6

Install a new axle nut onto the axle shaft, and have an assistant hold the pry bar between the wheel studs again.

7

Tighten the nut and torque it to 181 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

8

Align a steel punch with the channel on the axle shaft, then strike the punch with a hammer to stake the new nut into place.

9

Reinstall the wheel and lug nuts, then lower the vehicle back to the ground. Torque the lug nuts to 80 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

The spark plug is a vital component in the operation of an internal combustion engine. As the name implies, the spark plug creates a spark that ignites gasoline inside a combustion chamber. This creates the energy to force the piston downward. The movement of the pistons gives the engine its power. To make sure that the engine operates as smoothly and efficiently as possible, it needs to be tuned up on a regular basis. An important part of that tune-up is removing and replacing the spark plugs, a process thats fairly straightforward.

Instructions

1

Make sure the engine is cool. The spark plugs are one of the hottest components of an engine.

2

Clean any dirt or debris from around the base of the plug to keep dirt from falling into the combustion chamber. Use compressed air to blow debris away if it is available.

3

Use your owners manual to find the spark plugs. Most engines have spark plugs wires that lead to the spark plugs. Newer engines may have individual ignition coils mounted over the spark plugs.

4

Remove the spark plug wire from the spark plug by pulling on the rubber boot. Do not pull on the wire itself. If equipped with ignition coils, remove the ignition coil mounting bolt to remove the coil and reveal the spark plug.

5

Install the spark plug socket on the socket wrench. You may need to use a swivel joint or a socket wrench extension to reach spark plugs in the back of the engine.

6

Place the socket over the spark plug and turn the socket wrench counterclockwise to loosen the spark plug. Use steady force to remove a stubborn plug. Too much force can shear off the top of a spark plug or strip the threads.

7

Continue to turn the wrench until the spark plug comes out of the hole. Once loosened, you should be able to remove it by hand.

The BMW 320I was the base six-cylinder model of the 3 Series cars. The 3 Series were based on the rear-wheel drive E36 platform and were made from 1991 to 1998. The driveline is the axle that transfers power from the transmission to the rear differential. The axle uses continuous velocity joints to allow the rear axle to float on its suspension and move independently of the transmission. If the axle becomes warped or damaged then it needs to be removed for replacement. Do not attempt to repair the axle, because the torque will shatter any weld you make.

Instructions

1

Park the 320 somewhere flat and out of traffic. Make sure the emergency brake is pulled before you turn the car off. Jack up all the front end, and then lower the front end onto jack stands. Then, jack up the rear end, and support it on jack stands, as well.

2

Go underneath the 320 and find the driveline. Look for a metal tube that runs between the transmission rear and the rear differential. The tube will have two rubber boots over the continuous velocity joints. The metal flange on the bottom of the boots is what anchors the driveline to the other powertrain components.

3

Slide the car jack under the car and jack it up so it touches the transmission side of the driveline. Then, unbolt the six bolts that secure the driveline to the transmission. Do not lay directly under the driveline in case it falls off the car jack. It is heavier than it looks. Lower that end of the driveline down with the car jack and then go to the differential side.

4

Raise the car jack up so that it supports the differential end of the driveline. Then unbolt he six bolts that secure the driveline to the rear differential. Use the car jack to lower the driveline down. Pull the driveline out from under the 320. You can lower the 320 off the stands at this point but it will not be drivable until the driveline is replaced. You can push the car around if you disengage the emergency brake, though.

Cotter pins slide into a hole and hold two parts together. After you slide a cotter pin into a hole, you pull one or both of the pins legs on an angle to retain it in the hole. When the parts held in place with the cotter pin are used, the pin receives damage along its legs. This makes the pin difficult to remove when you need to make a repair on one or both of the parts.

Instructions

1

Straighten the bent leg(s) of the difficult cotter pin with a pair of needle nose pliers.

2

Open the jaws of the pliers. Slide the lower jaw into the eyelet opposite the straightened legs. Squeeze the handles of the pliers to close the jaws. Pull straight toward you. Twist the handles of the pliers clockwise while you pull if the cotter pin uses to release from its hole. Remove the lower jaw of the needle nose pliers from the eyelet if it will not release after twisting the handles.

3

Insert the tapered end of a cotter pin extraction tool into the eyelet. Push the handle of the tool away from you to force the cotter pin from its hole. Slide the tool further into the eyelet as the pin pulls from the hole.

4

Tap the back of the cotter pin removal tool with a hammer to persuade extremely difficult cotter pins from their hole.

Nissan Motors is an auto maker headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. The company has been in business since 1933 and exports vehicles all over the world. You might want to remove the Nissan emblem from your car as part of your own customizations, or if you are replacing a damaged emblem with a new one. Nissan emblems are not intended for removal and the job might require some persistence. Allow roughly 20 minutes to complete the task.

Instructions

1

Put on protective gloves and plug in the hair dryer.

2

Switch the hair dryer to its highest setting and turn it on. Point and hold it at the emblem for 10 to 15 minutes. The sustained heat will melt the glue behind the badge.

3

Turn the hair dryer off. Slide the fishing line behind the top of the badge and pull down, cutting the glue.

4

Switch the hair dryer back on and warm up the remaining glue. Scrape the rest of the glue off with your glove. If the glue cools it will be harder to remove. Apply extra heat if necessary.

5

Thoroughly wash the area when you are finished. No glue should be left behind.

You can remove the windshield from your 1995 Honda from your home garage and save yourself a little money. You may choose to remove the windshield if it has any cracks or chips in it. You should definitely remove the windshield if it has any cracks longer than six inches in length. To leave a damaged windshield in place is to compromise the safety of the passengers. It is a fairly simple task to remove a windshield, requiring a few inexpensive tools that can be purchased from any auto parts store.

Instructions

1

Put on protective goggles and thick work gloves.

2

Use the pry tool to pry up the seal around the entire perimeter of the Hondas windshield. Pull the seal off of the windshield with your hands and discard it.

3

Run a windshield wire knife tool around the entire edge of the windshield to cut the glass from the urethane glue.

4

Sit inside the Honda and push the windshield out. Go outside the car and remove the windshield and set it aside.

5

Scrape off the remaining urethane from the windshield opening with a utility knife.

Key lock inserts use evenly spaced metal "keys" to lock the insert in material. The "keys" bind to the base material when set with a specified tool. Threading a tap into a key locked insert will not fix damaged threads. Correctly removing the damaged insert will keep the threads in the base material intact, reducing the time required to install a new key lock insert.

Instructions

1

Find the size of the key lock threaded insert on a key lock chart. Move across the chart to determine the drill bit size required to remove the insert.

2

Secure the proper drill bit in a drill motor chuck. Cover the drill bit with cutting fluid.

3

Drill into the threaded insert to the depth specified on the key lock chart.

4

Slide a flathead screwdriver into the threaded insert. Align the tip of the screwdriver with one of the key locks. Pry the remaining portion of each key lock toward the center of the insert.

5

Secure a spiral bolt extractor into the drill motor chuck. Set the drill to reverse. Insert the extractor into the opening of the threaded insert. Push the drill toward the threaded insert while pulling the drill trigger to remove the insert from the threaded base material.

You can remove the airbags from your Chevy S-10 right from your garage. Although most people consider airbags to be an essential safety feature, some people per to have them removed to prevent freak accidents caused by the airbag deployment. Disengaging the airbags is a fairly easy procedure, but make sure you follow the steps properly to prevent injury.

Instructions

1

Pop up the hood of the S-10 and remove the battery cables from the battery terminal, using the socket wrench set. Wait 30 minutes for the residual charge to drain.

2

Consult your vehicle owners manual to find the fuse location for the airbags. Once found, open the fuse panel cover, which is located on the drivers side dashboard. Use the fuse puller to remove the appropriate fuses.

3

Look on the back of the steering wheel and find two screws that hold the airbag in place. Remove the screws with a screwdriver. Make sure to keep your face and body away from airbag as you do this.

4

Remove the airbag caully from the middle of the steering wheel and cut the wires with wire cutters.

5

Store the airbag in a safe location away from kids and pets.

6

Open the glove box and remove the straps that hold it open. Unscrew the glove box and pull it out of the dashboard. Caully unbolt the airbag with the socket wrench. Unhook the power cable on the back of the airbag. Keep your body away from the airbag. Remove the airbag from the compartment.

7

Put the glove box back, screw it in and reattach the straps. Close the glove box.

8

Put the airbag fuses back in the fuse panel and close the fuse panel cover. Reconnect the battery cables.

Chrysler introduced the retro-look hatchback PT Cruiser in 1999. Whether you wish to remove the Cruisers rear seat to haul an oversized item or for re-covering, you can do so at home. You dont need any tools to complete this task, and it will take you about 15 minutes.

Instructions

1

Pull the front seats as far forward as possible and open both rear doors.

2

Look for the button near the rear passengers headrest and press it. Push down on the seat back.

3

Press on the lever near the rear passengers seat cushion. Lift up on the rear seat to roll it forward.

4

Open the hatchback. Push down on the lever that can be accessed from the rear of the vehicle. Slide the rear seat from the back of the vehicle and out the back.

The sway bar on the front of your 1997 Jeep Wrangler helps to stabilize the front pf the Wrangler during cornering. The sway bar bolts to the frame and connects the outboard ends of the axle. Removing the sway bar will adversely affect the on-road handling of the Jeep, but removal of the sway bar increases axle articulation and wheel travel, making it a popular DIY modification for people who use their Wranglers exclusively off-road. If youve damaged a sway bar, you can replace it yourself, too. Get a replacement sway bar from any Jeep dealer.

Instructions

1

Raise the front of your Jeep off the ground with a jack. Position a set of jack stands under the frame to support the Jeep. Then remove the front wheels, using a lug wrench to remove the lug nuts. Set the wheels and tires aside for now.

2

Locate the sway bar end links that attach to the sway bar end above the steering knuckle. Remove the nuts on the top of the end link with a socket and ratchet, then slide the steel washer and rubber isolator off the end link. Move to the opposite side of the Jeep and repeat the process.

3

Move to the front of the Jeep and locate the U-shaped brackets that bolt to the frame and run over the sway bar. Remove the two bolts from the brackets with a socket and ratchet.

4

Lift the brackets off the frame and set them aside. Lift the sway bar ends off the end links near the axle, then slide the entire sway bar off the front of the Jeep.

When an oxygen sensor (also called an O2 sensor) is malfunctioning on a truck, the engine control unit isnt getting the proper information it needs to run the engine; as a result, the car may run poorly. The fix is to replace the sensor, and its a lot easier to do than one might think. This job should take about 30 minutes to do, depending on the year, make and number of O2 sensors on the truck.

Instructions

1

Lift up the vehicle using the jack and place it on jack stands. Make sure the vehicle is secure before you crawl underneath it.

2

Crawl underneath the truck and find the oxygen sensors. These are little metal tubes that stick out perpendicular to the exhaust tubing, typically near the catalytic converters. They also have two wires coming out of the ends, making it the only thing with wiring leading into the exhaust. Unplug the wiring to the O2 sensor using your hands.

3

Place the O2 sensor socket on the 3/8-inch ratchet and put the socket on the sensor so that the wiring is running out of the slot in the socket body. Unbolt the sensor and place it to the side. Repeat this process for any other O2 sensors that you want to remove.

The steering wheel in a 2002 Pontiac Firebird is held to the steering column with a non-reusable nut. The drivers side airbag unit covers the nut and also contains the horn pad. In order to access the nut, you must disable the air bag system and caully remove the airbag unit from the steering wheel. Removing the steering wheel is a common step in many repair procedures, such as removing the dashboard and replacing the vehicles heater core.

Instructions

Removal

1

Rotate the steering wheel so the front wheels are pointing straight ahead, then turn off the ignition switch and take out the key.

2

Open the drivers side door and remove the left instrument panel fuse block door. Remove the 15-amp airbag fuse and set it aside. Remove the screws holding the drivers side lower dashboard cover to the dashboard with a metric nut driver, then remove the cover. Disconnect the yellow airbag electrical connector at the base of the steering column.

3

Disconnect the negative battery terminal with an 8 mm wrench. Tilt the steering wheel to its maximum downward position. Remove the screws on the back side of the airbag unit with a T-30 Torx bit and a ratchet.

4

Pull the airbag unit off of the steering wheel and disconnect its electrical connector by gently raising the locking tab with a small flat-head screwdriver, then removing the connector from the airbag unit. Remove the airbag unit from the vehicle.

5

Remove the steering wheel lock nut with a ratchet and a metric socket. Push the horn ground lead inward and rotate it counterclockwise to disengage its locking tab, then pull it out of the steering wheel.

6

Attach a steering wheel puller to the steering wheel. Tighten the center bolt on the steering wheel puller with a ratchet and socket until the wheel is free from the steering shaft. Remove the wheel from the vehicle.

Installation

7

Set the steering wheel into position on the steering shaft and thread a new nut onto the steering shaft spindle. Tighten the nut and watch while it draws the steering wheel down to the bottom of the spindle shaft. Torque the nut to 32 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and verify that the wheel is fully-seated.

8

Insert the horn lead back into its mounting hole and rotate the connector clockwise until it locks into position.

9

Reconnect the airbags electrical connector and reinstall the Torx screws holding the bag unit to the wheel. Torque the bag retaining screws to 25 inch-pounds.

10

Reconnect the airbag connector at the base of the steering shaft and reinstall the lower dashboard cover.

11

Replace the 15-amp airbag fuse and reinstall the left instrument panel cover. Reconnect the negative battery terminal.

Modern gasoline powered internal combustion engines operate by using a spark plug to detonate a fuel/air mixture in the cylinders. However, the 12 volt system that most vehicles use doesnt provide enough energy to create a sufficient charge to power the spark plug. Theore, an ignition coil is required to transform the 12 volt charge into a charge of up to 30,000 volts or more. If the vehicle begins to lose power or run badly, one possible cause is a faulty coil.

Instructions

1

Use a 4mm allen wrench to remove the four bolts securing the engine cover to the engine.

2

Use a socket wrench and 8mm socket to remove the two bolts that secure the coil pack to the engine.

3

Pull the coil off the spark plug by pulling it straight off, using a twisting motion.

4

Disconnect the wire from the coil by pushing in on the green tab on the coil, and then pulling the wire off the coil pack.

Spray-in bed liners are designed to stick to the bed of your truck for a lifetime. But if the need arises to remove the liner, there are a few options. Accomplishing the task by hand is tedious and messy, but can be less expensive. Having the liner professionally removed is often the best bet to get the refinishing you desire while minimizing risk.

Instructions

1

Use your hand grinder -- with a very rough tip -- to manually grind away to bed liner. This method will create a lot of dust, so wear a dust mask. Be cautious, because grinding can take several hours of hard labor and might damage the body of the vehicle.

2

Use the hammer and chisel to remove pieces of bed liner that the grinder couldnt get. Wear safety goggles and a dust mask to avoid injury. This is often a time consuming step as well.

3

Apply chemical stripper to the bed if the above methods dont work for you. Most strippers come in 2-3 foot square sheets and must be applied overnight or longer. You may need to apply it more than once, while scraping off pieces of bed liner between applications. Note that the stripping material usually has disposal regulations clearly marked on the side of the packaging.

4

Repaint your truck bed (if necessary) to match the rest of the vehicle once all the bed liner has been stripped off.

5

Contact a local dealer that provides "soda blasting" and painting services if the by-hand methods did not work or are unattractive to you. Professional soda blasting gently wears off the bed liner, decreasing the need for body work and minimizing possible paint damage.

Removing the battery from your PT Cruiser requires removal of the air cleaner assembly before you can access the retaining bolt on the battery-retaining bracket. The air cleaner and the battery sit on the drivers side of the engine compartment, one behind the other. Removing the old battery may be necessary if the battery is not holding a charge and it needs to be tested or if you need to access parts or components below the battery and battery tray.

Instructions

1

Locate the air cleaner housing just behind the battery on the drivers side of the engine compartment. Unsnap the two clips that secure the top to the bottom of the assembly and lift the top off. Set it aside for now.

2

Lift the air cleaner element out of the lower portion of the air cleaner assembly. Set it aside, then grasp the side of the lower assembly, pull it straight up and remove it from the engine compartment.

3

Disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery terminal, using a wrench to loosen the clamp bolt on the cable end, and lift it off the terminal. Isolate it from the battery terminals, then remove the positive cable in the same way.

4

Locate the retaining bolt on the upper-rear of the battery. Remove the bolt with a wrench, then lift the retaining bracket off the battery. Lift the battery out of the car.

The crankshaft---a piece of a vehicle that is often called simply the "crank"---is a part of your Honda Civic that converts the reciprocating motion of your vehicles pistons into a rotating motion. Connected to the crank is a pulley that is used to transfer the motion of the crank into other parts of the car. A center bolt or screw holds this pulley in its proper location inside of your Honda Civics engine compartment. In order to replace or troubleshoot the crank pulley, you will need to remove this screw before you will be able to take off the pulley.

Instructions

1

Remove the battery cable from the negative---black---car battery terminal, using the proper size wrench for your vehicle.

2

Jack the car up and place jack stands under sections of the frame to securely support the Honda Civic off the ground.

3

Take off the splash shield located underneath the engine compartment by removing all necessary bolts. Ensure that the shield is well supported before you remove the last few bolts to keep the shield from falling on you or the ground.

4

Remove the drive belt from the Civics engine compartment.

5

Locate the crankshaft and crank pulley. Use a strap wrench wrapped in a shop towel or other soft cloth to lock the crank pulley in position.

6

Find the bolt in the center of the pulley and determine the proper size socket that should be used to turn the screw. Place the proper size socket on a breaker bar and turn the bolt counterclockwise to break it free.

7

Attach a ratchet to the socket or use a wrench to continue turning the crank pulley bolt until is is removed from its position.

The Madza RX-7 is a two-seater sports car made by Mazda. The RX-7 is unique in that, unlike almost every other car on the market, the RX-7 uses a rotary engine instead of a piston engine to make its power. This is practically unheard of in the automotive world. The 2-rotor engine, also called a Wankel engine after its inventor, Felix Wankel, has up to 40% fewer parts than a piston engine and is able to create a tremendous amount of power with a lightweight, simple design. With that said, the Mazda RX-7 does have a traditional exhaust system, which includes a catalytic converter. Over time, as in piston engines, these converters eventually burn out and need to be replaced.

Instructions

1

Jack up the front of the RX-7. Place the jack under the front jack point of the RX-7. This is located behind radiator.

2

Place jack stands under the frame of the vehicle and lower the RX-7 onto the jack stands.

3

Unplug the electrical wiring running to the O2 sensor on the catalytic converter.

4

Remove the catalytic converter to exhaust tubing bolts with a socket wrench.

5

Remove the catalytic converter to manifold bolts with a socket wrench.

6

Separate the catalytic converter from both sides of the exhaust. You may need to use a flat head screwdriver to pry the mating surfaces apart.

The automatic transmission shifter in the Jeep Cherokee is located on the transmission hump, between the front seats. The handle on the top of the shifter is made of plastic and has a button on the right end, which the driver must depress to shift the transmission out of "Park." Removal of the transmission from the truck required you to remove the handle from the shifter, in order to allow the transmission to be lowered out of the truck. The shifter handle will also need to be removed if you are removing the console from the truck.

Instructions

1

Place a set of wheel chocks or wooden blocks in front and behind the tires of your Jeep Cherokee, so that it will not roll. Turn the ignition key to the "Unlock" position, but do not turn it on.

2

Depress the brake pedal with your foot, depress the button on the shifter, then pull the shifter into the "Neutral" position. While you can leave the shifter in "Park," if you do, there will be very limited clearance around it.

3

Place your hands under the shifter handle, palms facing up. Pull straight up on the shifter handle. The handle will pop off the shaft very unexpectedly, so do not lean over the handle while you are pulling on it.

Even if you have never heard the words "instrument cluster," you look at it every time you drive your 2001 Honda Civic. The instrument cluster includes the gas gauge, the speedometer, check engine lights and more. All of these gauges are part of a unit; so if any of the gauges are broken or the lights are burnt out, there is no removing that single component. The whole instrument cluster must be removed.

Instructions

1

Verify that both front tires are pointing straight ahead. Pop the Civics hood and remove the negative battery cable from the negative terminal with a wrench. Wait two to three minutes for any lingering or remaining power to deplete itself. This is a safety precaution to disarm the Civics airbag system.

2

Move the steering wheel to the lowest possible position if you own a Civic hatchback. Coupes and sedans do not have an adjustable steering wheel, unless one was installed as an aftermarket upgrade.

3

Remove any retaining screws from the steering wheel cover with a screwdriver then remove the steering wheel cover.

4

Push the instrument cover bezel back to disengage it from its retaining clips then pull the bezel forward. This trim panel is only a molded plastic covering that fits around and over the instrument cluster.

5

Remove the three retaining screws around the cluster. There will be one at the top and two at the bottom.

6

Pull the instrument cluster forward to expose the wiring behind it. There should be two wiring connectors. Undo these connectors then pull the instrument cluster out of the dashboard.