Thankfully working on bikes is cleaner!

[mr blackstock]

Am replacing the head gaskets on my Holden VX, and thanking my lucky stars I did not complete my automotive apprenticeship years ago, working on such filthy motors!?  Bike motors are comparatively beautiful, even when dirty..

[aviationfred]

Car/truck motors can be crammed and shoe horned into vehicles with no respect for ease of maintenance or aesthetics because they are hidden behind sheets of metal and plastic.

Much can be said of some modern motorcycles. My understanding is that an FJR has so much plumbing and equipment surrounding the engine, that a DIY valve adjustment is an all day endeavor.


Fred

[FJ_Hooligan]

I recently bought my youngest daughter a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 180+Kmiles on it.  She picked it out despite my objections that she get something newer since I knew I would be working on it every weekend.

The second day of ownership, the radiator tank started leaking from a crack (it's plastic).  New radiator, serpentine belt, and hoses in the first week.  Then replaced the leaking valve cover gasket, the rear transmission seal, new plugs (I think they were the original plugs gap was 3X what it was supposed to be).  But enough of that.

The first couple of times I tried to degrease the motor with spray engine cleaner, the #1 plug would misfire and the oil pressure sending unit would throw an error code.  I gave up on the engine cleaner spray after finding a novel way to degrease the motor.  It's really easy, first I transfer the grease to my hands while working on something and then go over to the hose and use hand cleaner to rinse the grease onto my grass.  I never thought I would finish that 2 gallon jug of hand cleaner in my lifetime but over the last few weeks it's beginning to scrape the bottom.  At least the hand cleaner is cheaper than the package of nitrile gloves; however, I think I've scrubbed off several layers of skin and I could use the residual grease under my fingernails to oil my FJ chain.

[Pat Conlon]

A Jeep? Good God David, you poor bastard......

At least she didn't come home with a MGB like my kid did...."Hey dad, you used to have one of these...right? Can you help me figure out why the headlight fuse keeps blowing?"

[FJ1100mjk]

My understanding is that an FJR has so much plumbing and equipment surrounding the engine, that a DIY valve adjustment is an all day endeavor.

Fred

I never owned one. However, it appears that their procedure is more involved than an FJ, but is doable by a competent owner. It's stated that their valve adjustment intervals are 26,600 miles. Pretty good.

I guess that it's all relative. How often are the valve checks and adjustments done for an FJ?

[red]

I recently bought my youngest daughter a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 180+Kmiles on it.  She picked it out despite my objections that she get something newer since I knew I would be working on it every weekend.
I think I've scrubbed off several layers of skin and I could use the residual grease under my fingernails to oil my FJ chain.

FJ_Hooligan,

Somebody told me recently what the word Jeep means:
Just
Empty
Every
Pocket.
      
You can save a few layers of skin, with a tried-and-true method from the last century:
Before you start in on a greasy job, first wash your hands with a lot of soap.  Work up a good lather, then shut off the water.  Do not rinse off the soap.  Let your hands air-dry.  You can use the hand-washing motions again to speed things up.  In a few minutes, your hands will look like normal, and then you are ready to work.  After you get done working, wash your hands again to get clean.  Use an older washcloth for the hand-washing, because the washcloth may not come too clean later.  Dawn dishwashing soap (just a drop) will really help, here.

Lately I saw a product classed as "chemical gloves" that did the same stuff as the soap, for a lot more money.  Your call, there.  This deal works by putting a layer of soap into the pores and creases of your hands, and around fingernails.  Working any jobs with water and antifreeze can remove some of the soap from your hands, but this deal is good for most greasy jobs.  One guy complained that his hands would dry out, if he did this.  I told him to use his lady's cold-cream soap for the base, instead of regular soap.  No problem.

[ribbert]

I recently bought my youngest daughter a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport ..... 

Stop there Hooli, it has nothing to do with age or mileage, you nailed it right up front. "I bought a Jeep"

Jeep is a relatively recent introduction to Australia. They are hugely popular because they are loaded and are cheap new . What followed shortly after was a quickly developed reputation, you can't give them away, even late model ones.
The bar for reliability here is fairly high because of the predominance of Japanese and European cars, our local cars weren't too bad either (talk about selling ice to the Eskimos, we even exported them to the US)

Jeep created a category of unreliability in the motoring world not seen since the 70's. Car yards are reluctant to trade them (some refuse to) because by law they have to re sell them with a warranty, and they've all been burnt.

That said, all fathers of daughters here know the real problem, we are suckers for them and butter in their hands!

Noel

[ribbert]

........ thanking my lucky stars I did not complete my automotive apprenticeship years ago......

Smart man Gareth!

You know what they say, the best way to spoil a hobby is to turn it into a job (particularly being a mechanic)

Noel

[chiz]

A buddy of mine had a Torana GTRXU1 in Barbados of all places it was like he needed to have a gas station of his own to keep that dam thing in fuel......off topic sorry
Chiz 

[Motofun]

Did the valve job on Nancy's FJR once.  Not particularly hard, the real problem is the shim UNDER bucket design Typical of most new engines).  After you measure the gap you have to pull the cam shafts to get to the shims.  The first time you do this you have no idea what was originally installed.  Then you have to go buy the replacements and wait for delivery.  Upon receipt you install, put the cam shafts back in (don't screw up the cam chain!) and remeasure the gaps....only to find the gap is wrong. ....redo!  HINT, while the cams are out, measure and note all the shims so next time you can skip the first pulling of the cam shaft.

[fj1289]

A Jeep? Good God David, you poor bastard......

At least she didn't come home with a MGB like my kid did...."Hey dad, you used to have one of these...right? Can you help me figure out why the headlight fuse keeps blowing?"

Pat - did you name your kid Lucas?!

[Pat Conlon]

I'm not that cruel to name my kid after the prince of darkness....

[fj1289]

Might have been a fitting nick name after bringing an MGB home!

[Pat Conlon]

Believe me, I've paid my dues to Joe Lucas, the inventor of first intermittent wiper and self dimming headlights.

I love the Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."

[CutterBill]

Why do the British drink warm beer?
Because they have Lucas refrigerators.

Sorry, old joke...