10-13-2015, 12:48 AM
Cont'd from above... i'm not really sure why it didn't post all my text. maybe i wrote too much. maybe the iphone is whacky...
anyway
I knew I wanted a vehicle with 4x4. I was sick of having to find someone to ride with to go kayaking where access to the river requires a higher clearance vehicle... Or having to put, mufflers/bumpers in the car for the ride home after they were forcibly separated from the vehicle.
Somehow I came across the sidekick located a few hours east... Near where I grew up. I met up with the seller who was asking $1900. Took it for a test drive... Made sure the 4x4 worked and offered $1600. The speedo/odometer doesn't work... Not since 164,xxx miles. It came with 30x10.5x15 super swamped tsls on it. They rub I the back the the suspension is really flexing.
Here's a list of what I've done so far:
When I got it it didn't have an air filter... So I put a cheap short ram intake on it.
After. Few hundred miles of driving #2 spark plug shot out while I was driving. I got a tow back to the house. Upon removal I found gapless spark plugs which were nearly all loose. I installed new plugs and wires. It sounds a lot better now.
A few weeks later we were on a rough dirt road and the front gas tank mount broke off leaving my tank barely holding on by the rear mounts. I strapped it back up for the rest of the trip with a cam strap and welded a beefy 1/4" strap that bolts on to the threaded holes in the frame when I got home.
Since then I've pulled the carpet (which had about a quart of great oil soaked in by the looks of it), patched 8 holes through the tub and Herculined the whole tub after.
I work at a sewing factory so I made myself a set of waterproof 3mm neoprene waterproof seat covers for the front seats. I leave the rear seat out. When we have company I put it back in or just throw a climbing crash pad in the back.
I noticed the temp gauge is always on the cold side so I replaced the stock thermostat with the Stant 192 degree. It's gotten a little warmer but is still always on the cold side especially down a big hill.
My exhaust was about to fall of last week so I just ordered a new cat and silencer section. Should have that on this week.
I've been hearing a troubling noise intermittently coming from the fan area. Sounds like a ball bearing is now a dice cube somewhere in the accessory belt mix. It only happens sometimes but the intermittent noise has been happening more frequently. I suspect the water pump because the surrounding belts have been a little wet after I've heard the noise and gotten out to inspect. It looks like it's been weeping and there's a little hydraulic groaning noise that's hard to pinpoint... I had originally thought the power steering pump from the noise.
Just ordered a water pump and timing belt parts so hopefully that takes care of the problem.
Should I also take a look at the fan clutch. I'm not really able to figure out how to test that?
I really love the sidekick. It's a cool little capable vehicle. So far I've really only changed the oil. Next I'd like to replace all the gear oils. Anything else to check?
Thanks,
Todd
anyway
I knew I wanted a vehicle with 4x4. I was sick of having to find someone to ride with to go kayaking where access to the river requires a higher clearance vehicle... Or having to put, mufflers/bumpers in the car for the ride home after they were forcibly separated from the vehicle.
Somehow I came across the sidekick located a few hours east... Near where I grew up. I met up with the seller who was asking $1900. Took it for a test drive... Made sure the 4x4 worked and offered $1600. The speedo/odometer doesn't work... Not since 164,xxx miles. It came with 30x10.5x15 super swamped tsls on it. They rub I the back the the suspension is really flexing.
Here's a list of what I've done so far:
When I got it it didn't have an air filter... So I put a cheap short ram intake on it.
After. Few hundred miles of driving #2 spark plug shot out while I was driving. I got a tow back to the house. Upon removal I found gapless spark plugs which were nearly all loose. I installed new plugs and wires. It sounds a lot better now.
A few weeks later we were on a rough dirt road and the front gas tank mount broke off leaving my tank barely holding on by the rear mounts. I strapped it back up for the rest of the trip with a cam strap and welded a beefy 1/4" strap that bolts on to the threaded holes in the frame when I got home.
Since then I've pulled the carpet (which had about a quart of great oil soaked in by the looks of it), patched 8 holes through the tub and Herculined the whole tub after.
I work at a sewing factory so I made myself a set of waterproof 3mm neoprene waterproof seat covers for the front seats. I leave the rear seat out. When we have company I put it back in or just throw a climbing crash pad in the back.
I noticed the temp gauge is always on the cold side so I replaced the stock thermostat with the Stant 192 degree. It's gotten a little warmer but is still always on the cold side especially down a big hill.
My exhaust was about to fall of last week so I just ordered a new cat and silencer section. Should have that on this week.
I've been hearing a troubling noise intermittently coming from the fan area. Sounds like a ball bearing is now a dice cube somewhere in the accessory belt mix. It only happens sometimes but the intermittent noise has been happening more frequently. I suspect the water pump because the surrounding belts have been a little wet after I've heard the noise and gotten out to inspect. It looks like it's been weeping and there's a little hydraulic groaning noise that's hard to pinpoint... I had originally thought the power steering pump from the noise.
Just ordered a water pump and timing belt parts so hopefully that takes care of the problem.
Should I also take a look at the fan clutch. I'm not really able to figure out how to test that?
I really love the sidekick. It's a cool little capable vehicle. So far I've really only changed the oil. Next I'd like to replace all the gear oils. Anything else to check?
Thanks,
Todd