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Mechanical Maintenance (Oil, Fluids, Break-In, Servicing) Everything related to the mechanical maintenance of the FR-S and BRZ


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Old 12-09-2016, 06:49 PM   #1
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Help with essential basics

So I don't see any threads with this type of stuff, probably because it is obvious to most. But I've never really done my own maintenance on my car and have no real idea of where to start.

Basically I want to be able to change my own oil, rotate my tires, etc, start with the simple stuff, but I need the tools. I have a set of basic tools, aka wrenches, hammer, measuring tape.

I have a dirt with some gravel driveway, so I don't trust the jack that came with the car, and I know there are all sorts of different ways to raise the car for both oil changes and changing tires, what are the easiest and least expensive tools for someone getting started?

What other basic type of stuff do I need to buy that a beginner wouldn't even think of?

I obviously need a good jack, stands or something to keep the car off the ground, a good torque wrench for the wheels,etc. I've seen special wrenches for oil filters, but is that really necessary?

What type of containers do people use to drain the oil into, where do I get them, and what do I do with the used oil?

What else would be handy and what other basic maintenance would a beginner be able to do without too much hassle? I know I have the ability to do this type of stuff, I just don't have any clue about how or where to begin and I am looking for help.
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Old 12-09-2016, 07:16 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by why? View Post

What other basic type of stuff do I need to buy that a beginner wouldn't even think of?

I obviously need a good jack, stands or something to keep the car off the ground, a good torque wrench for the wheels,etc. I've seen special wrenches for oil filters, but is that really necessary?

What type of containers do people use to drain the oil into, where do I get them, and what do I do with the used oil?

What else would be handy and what other basic maintenance would a beginner be able to do without too much hassle? I know I have the ability to do this type of stuff, I just don't have any clue about how or where to begin and I am looking for help.
You don't need the oil filter wrench, good grip/gloves/belt works.
Oil container you can get at the auto parts store, the same place where you dump the oil.
Torque wrench/jack stands/jack. I wouldn't trust gravel as there is too much chance of slippage or not being level.
If you are working under the car, you must use jack stands for safety.
Torque wrench, put it back to 0 after you are done using it.
Jack, you need it to have it around 5 inches height to fit it under the car.
Look in the manual for the jacking points.

Look for videos on youtube or diy guides on here. Start with oil changes and tire rotation and then eventually move up to trans/diff fluids, brake pad swap, brake fluid bleed.

Other things- gloves, eye protection, jack pad/jack stand pad to protect paint, take pics before you take stuff apart, magnetic tray to hold screws etc, untorque/torque wheels on the ground, but remove them off the ground. Take your time and make sure the tool is on the fastener so you don't strip stuff. And take your time threading the fasteners so you don't cross thread. Good luck, have fun.
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Old 12-09-2016, 07:22 PM   #3
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Old 12-09-2016, 07:34 PM   #4
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why?
why not?
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Old 12-09-2016, 07:41 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by why? View Post
So I don't see any threads with this type of stuff, probably because it is obvious to most. But I've never really done my own maintenance on my car and have no real idea of where to start.

Basically I want to be able to change my own oil, rotate my tires, etc, start with the simple stuff, but I need the tools. I have a set of basic tools, aka wrenches, hammer, measuring tape.
People here will bash me for this but...
For a beginner on a budget the tools from harbor freight or home depot will serve many years hard labor sitting (mostly) safe in the tool box. (youre not wrenching daily).
You can get a 130 piece set on sale for $40 this weekend at HF.
Then if you want to spend more for quality take it up a notch for craftsman (these days not too much better than HF) or really spendy for Mac or Snap-On.
You want better quality in a set of open/box end wrenches, sockets, & racthets.

I use the floor jacks from HF and never had a problem.
I never use a creeper even on concrete, it has just never been more benefit than the hassle.
For jackstands I use mostly the 'ratcheting style' from sears, but the telescopic kind with the pins are supposed to be safer.
I have one set of those, & two sets of the ratcheting style.

If you are really on a budget have lumber laying around, and room to store shit, you can make blocks from wood by basically stacking a bunch of 4X4s like Jenga and screwing them together. ( Do NOT use cinder blocks)

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I have a dirt with some gravel driveway, so I don't trust the jack that came with the car, and I know there are all sorts of different ways to raise the car for both oil changes and changing tires, what are the easiest and least expensive tools for someone getting started?
You cannot use a floor jack on a gravel or dirt surface.
That is the #1 cause of accidents with floor jacks.
They MUST be allowed to move freely.

So for a gravel driveway situation, you can use the jack that came with the car, or a bottle jack.
Put a wheel chock to keep the car from moving either way.
If you are going to remove the wheels, crack the lugnuts BEFORE lifting the car (bust them loose then retighten to 'hand tight').

If you are forced to use the OEM jack or a bottle jack, just lift each corner enough to get a jackstand under in its lowest setting, then do all 4 corners.
You might have to take more than one time around the car raising it a little more to lift the wheels off the ground.
Once you set all 4 jackstands, I go around and hit each one with a deadblow hammer to settle them (and check them).
You will usually find one jackstand that is loose a little because our cars are so stiff. thats OK, just make sure it cant get knocked out by accident.
Sometimes I just use a shop towel between the jackstand and the car to take up that gap.

If you have a flat surface and a floor jack, you jack the rear up by the center of the differential and it lifts the whole rear of the car at once.
The front is similar with a crossmember.
Look in the owners manual it has picture of the jack points.
Do the front first as it is easier to get the jack in the back after elevating the front first.

Then you can remove each wheel if you are doing that kind of maintenance.
Store the wheels under the car, it has saved lives when jackstands failed or the car shifted.
The wheels make a big enough buffer that you dont get flattened.

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What other basic type of stuff do I need to buy that a beginner wouldn't even think of?

I obviously need a good jack, stands or something to keep the car off the ground, a good torque wrench for the wheels,etc. I've seen special wrenches for oil filters, but is that really necessary?
Craftsman torque wrenches are my choice, but Im no pro that uses them every day.
I have three for the various ranges you need.
in-lbs for things like tranny internals or pan bolts, etc
20-75 ft-lbs for most things
100-250 ft-lbs for things like wheels, hubs, flywheels, etc.

I have never needed a wrench to get an oil filter off.
I would just grip the filter with sandpaper and have almost always been able to get them off.
For the odd time that didnt work, you just pound a screwdriver through the filter to wrench it off.
As I get older I find that I cannot rely on my grip strength like I could, so depending on your age...

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What type of containers do people use to drain the oil into, where do I get them, and what do I do with the used oil?
Harbor freight or your FLAPS will have the oil drain pans that you can close up for transport, but they are always a mess to transport.
So I bought an extra oil collection jug that is ~10 quarts that I use to take the old oil to a local FLAPS (Oreilys, pep-bros, advance, NAPA, etc.)

Of course they appreciate it when you buy the new oil from them when you drop off old, but not required.

Quote:
Originally Posted by why? View Post
What else would be handy and what other basic maintenance would a beginner be able to do without too much hassle? I know I have the ability to do this type of stuff, I just don't have any clue about how or where to begin and I am looking for help.
My greatest tool lately is the internet.
Almost every single automotive task I have needed to do recently, I could just find a guy showing us how to do it on youtube.
You will find plenty of 'dont do it that way' moments as well, but there are a few where you can save HOURS and a lot of headache when a seasoned mechanic shows you - "but instead of removing ALL THAT, you can just reach behind here and do THIS" it will have been time well spent
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Old 12-09-2016, 07:51 PM   #6
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My primary concern is jacking the car safely. You need a solid, stable platform on which to both jack and support the car. Dirt and gravel doesn't cut it.

If your work area is flat you can get away with a few pieces of plywood no less than 1"x24"x24"

Make damn sure the jackstands are perpendicular to the ground.

Give the car a good shake to prove to yourself that it is stable before getting under it.
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Old 12-09-2016, 09:47 PM   #7
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why?
Actually, IMHO, that is a pretty good question.

@why? , if you don't have a paved or concrete driveway or a garage with a concrete floor, I wouldn't recommend trying to jack up a car, let alone get underneath it.

You have to (usually) jack up a car, to change the oil in the crankcase, transmission and differential or rotate the tires.

By the time you buy the tools and equipment and the fluids and considering your time, you can have several fluid changes performed at a reasonable cost.

However, back-in-the-day, on a gravel lane, jacking a car up with a bumper jack (now THAT was a killer) using old rusted hand tools and no torque wrench ....... I changed many of fluids and tires.

Yes, it was cold and snowing out, and I had to wear my grandpa's old work shoes, and gloves that had holes in them, and used a kerosene lantern for light because it was dark outside.

Hey, go for it young grasshopper .........


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Old 12-09-2016, 09:52 PM   #8
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There is zero I can add to this other than to say the responses to this point are all spot on and sum things up perfectly.
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Old 12-10-2016, 12:12 AM   #9
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There is zero I can add to this other than to say the responses to this point are all spot on and sum things up perfectly.
Well, since ol @Tcoat isn't going to add anything ....... I'll tell a story.

It was a hot evening in San Jose, back in the 60s. I was walking down the street in our subdivision and noticed our neighbor girls garage door open.

I glanced in and saw her (a mighty fine looking young lady) sort of ducking around the front of her car. Thinking she may be in trouble, I approached her. She was dressed in a white nightgown with blotches of oil all over it. Her hands were greasy and she had smears of oil on her face.

I thought to myself that maybe she was into the ol Wesson oil, saran wrap and tarp game. She mentioned that her husband was out of town ....... so, I thought maybe she needed a playmate ......

When I ask her what she was doing, she replied that she was changing the oil in her car. She was doing it while he was out of town because he wouldn't allow her to do it. She was wearing that old nightgown so she could hide it away from her husband so he wouldn't notice any oil and grease on her clothes.

Yep, my kind of woman ....... and ....... she had a cute figure ......


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Old 12-10-2016, 12:19 AM   #10
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Well, since ol @Tcoat isn't going to add anything ....... I'll tell a story.

It was a hot evening in San Jose, back in the 60s. I was walking down the street in our subdivision and noticed our neighbor girls garage door open.

I glanced in and saw her (a mighty fine looking young lady) sort of ducking around the front of her car. Thinking she may be in trouble, I approached her. She was dressed in a white nightgown with blotches of oil all over it. Her hands were greasy and she had smears of oil on her face.

I thought to myself that maybe she was into the ol Wesson oil, saran wrap and tarp game. She mentioned that her husband was out of town ....... so, I thought maybe she needed a playmate ......

When I ask her what she was doing, she replied that she was changing the oil in her car. She was doing it while he was out of town because he wouldn't allow her to do it. She was wearing that old nightgown so she could hide it away from her husband so he wouldn't notice any oil and grease on her clothes.

Yep, my kind of woman ....... and ....... she had a cute figure ......


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Old 12-10-2016, 12:33 AM   #11
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Well, actually, she looked more like this (after I cleaned her up) ......
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Old 12-10-2016, 12:46 AM   #12
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Well, actually, she looked more like this (after I cleaned her up) ......
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Old 12-10-2016, 12:53 AM   #13
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That makes me hungry ......


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Old 12-10-2016, 01:18 AM   #14
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That makes me hungry ......
Nobody likes the tuna here.
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