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Fixed. Turns out my rear rotors needed replacement, and I was feeling it in the steering wheel. I know it is crazy, but the problem was 70% reduced changing my front rotors. Now it is 95% better+ after changing the rear rotors, too. At this point, I am over $440 into brakes, but I am satisfied with the results; I think.
One of my friends at a car dealership told me the G37 suffers from brake hammer. If a rear rotor on the left is warped it sends a pulse of brake fluid to the front right, and the rear right will send a pulse to the front left. Apparently it is something with the proportioning valves but the fluid cannot back up into the reservoir when you are putting your foot on the brake.
Regardless, the shakes appear gone.
I have done the front brakes before; more specifically, I merely turned the rotors and kept the same pads the summer before last to get rid of a pulsation.
I then cleaned the existing pads washing them in soapy water and spraying brake cleaner followed by sanding the “business end” by doing figure eights with some sandpaper on a flat sheet of glass… Back then the pads had about 7mm on them.
I cleaned the caliper pins and srrubbed everything down with a small brass brush and some Brake Cleaner. I hung the caliper on some zip ties, and cleaned the caliper bracket too.
Finally, I lubed everything that is expected to move with some Sil-Glyde and a dab of the Permetex Purple stuff behind the pads…
Then a break-in procedure… they still feel great!
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This last summer, I changed the rear pads, which had 3 mm of meat left on them. I had to buy a special tool to turn in and compress the rear calipers. Either way, it was more work than the fronts.
Both times, I looked up the torque sects for both the caliper brackets and caliper slide pins. I think the slide pins were measured in inch pounds!
Of course, I always put the metal clip springs back as well as the rubber plugs to keep dirt and debris out.
Right now, the rear has 8mm and the front has 5mm. Everything is silent, smooth, and quiet, so I see no reason to touch it… or rush into it. Maybe next summer, when it is warm outside, I will do a pad slap of OEM pads (why change the type when they are quiet) AFTER first measuring the rotors’ thicknesses.
I need to double-check the spects, but I believe 25mm is new, and 23mm = remove from service immediately (for the front rotors). I believe you need 23.8 mm or more when putting new pads on per factory spec (otherwise, the rotors might not last at least as long as the pads).
I have done the front brakes before; more specifically, I merely turned the rotors and kept the same pads the summer before last to get rid of a pulsation.
I then cleaned the existing pads washing them in soapy water and spraying brake cleaner followed by sanding the “business end” by doing figure eights with some sandpaper on a flat sheet of glass… Back then the pads had about 7mm on them.
I cleaned the caliper pins and srrubbed everything down with a small brass brush and some Brake Cleaner. I hung the caliper on some zip ties, and cleaned the caliper bracket too.
Finally, I lubed everything that is expected to move with some Sil-Glyde and a dab of the Permetex Purple stuff behind the pads…
Then a break-in procedure… they still feel great!
****************
This last summer, I changed the rear pads, which had 3 mm of meat left on them. I had to buy a special tool to turn in and compress the rear calipers. Either way, it was more work than the fronts.
Both times, I looked up the torque sects for both the caliper brackets and caliper slide pins. I think the slide pins were measured in inch pounds!
Of course, I always put the metal clip springs back as well as the rubber plugs to keep dirt and debris out.
Right now, the rear has 8mm and the front has 5mm. Everything is silent, smooth, and quiet, so I see no reason to touch it… or rush into it. Maybe next summer, when it is warm outside, I will do a pad slap of OEM pads (why change the type when they are quiet) AFTER first measuring the rotors’ thicknesses.
I need to double-check the spects, but I believe 25mm is new, and 23mm = remove from service immediately (for the front rotors). I believe you need 23.8 mm or more when putting new pads on per factory spec (otherwise, the rotors might not last at least as long as the pads).
[quote=”higgimonster” post=118038]Did an inspection on a guys car. his front pads were a 7, rears were probably a 5. The car was fine. A brake flush was suggested along with some other maintenance. He declined and brought the car elsewhere for a second opinion.
Forward a few days…
Boss pulls us together to ream us out. Apparently we had let a customer pass inspection. Then when he brought it to the next shop they told him he needed a bunch of work. They put some brake fluid on the caliper and convinced him he needed both front calipers pads and rotors. The customer had called to complain to my boss that we had passed his inspection even though his car was “dangerous” to drive and he would only be going to this new shop from now on.
I couldn’t even handle it. The three techs in the shop all figured it out. Our boss didn’t care, he figured we fucked up.[/quote]
This one is especially sad… that anybody would flat out lie to a customer about bad caliper…
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[quote=”higgimonster” post=118038]Did an inspection on a guys car. his front pads were a 7, rears were probably a 5. The car was fine. A brake flush was suggested along with some other maintenance. He declined and brought the car elsewhere for a second opinion.
Forward a few days…
Boss pulls us together to ream us out. Apparently we had let a customer pass inspection. Then when he brought it to the next shop they told him he needed a bunch of work. They put some brake fluid on the caliper and convinced him he needed both front calipers pads and rotors. The customer had called to complain to my boss that we had passed his inspection even though his car was “dangerous” to drive and he would only be going to this new shop from now on.
I couldn’t even handle it. The three techs in the shop all figured it out. Our boss didn’t care, he figured we fucked up.[/quote]
This one is especially sad… that anybody would flat out lie to a customer about bad caliper…
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Use the oil it says to use…
If it consumes oil, try a “High Millage” … if there is a leak, fix it.
Personally, I have been lucky, but I have had several high-millage vehicles 75000+ that consumed zero(0) oil and did not leak a drop!
Literally, you could drive 5,000 miles and check the dipstick, and it would still be on the full mark!
Use the oil it says to use…
If it consumes oil, try a “High Millage” … if there is a leak, fix it.
Personally, I have been lucky, but I have had several high-millage vehicles 75000+ that consumed zero(0) oil and did not leak a drop!
Literally, you could drive 5,000 miles and check the dipstick, and it would still be on the full mark!
What if you have someone bring in factory parts?
i.e. You are contracted to do a front break job on a Honda, and some guy brings you two, new/appropriate genuine Honda Rotors and a box of OEM Honda Pads…
Presumably this is no problem right?
Instead of being stupid, I guess what I am really asking is, “don’t these customers come to you AFTER they have already purchased the parts?”
In other words, don’t you know what they want to accomplish and with what parts based on what they bring in?
In the above example of the guy bringing in factory parts, obviously, you aren’t expecting any fitment issues…
What if you have someone bring in factory parts?
i.e. You are contracted to do a front break job on a Honda, and some guy brings you two, new/appropriate genuine Honda Rotors and a box of OEM Honda Pads…
Presumably this is no problem right?
Instead of being stupid, I guess what I am really asking is, “don’t these customers come to you AFTER they have already purchased the parts?”
In other words, don’t you know what they want to accomplish and with what parts based on what they bring in?
In the above example of the guy bringing in factory parts, obviously, you aren’t expecting any fitment issues…
[quote=”boda777″ post=90126]Were do you get 0w-30 I never seen it for sale.[/quote]
Pretty much any auto-parts store will have it (for about $35/jug)
Personally, I really like Mobile 1 and hate Walmart, which is where I buy oil because they sell it cheap ($25)!
[IMG]http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/07/19/24/44/0007192444874_500X500.jpg[/IMG]
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-0W-30-Advanced-Fuel-Economy-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-5qt/17034369
^^^ That literally works out to only $5/quart, and it is a quality brand you can trust && synthetic!
[quote=”boda777″ post=90126]Were do you get 0w-30 I never seen it for sale.[/quote]
Pretty much any auto-parts store will have it (for about $35/jug)
Personally, I really like Mobile 1 and hate Walmart, which is where I buy oil because they sell it cheap ($25)!
[IMG]http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/07/19/24/44/0007192444874_500X500.jpg[/IMG]
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-1-0W-30-Advanced-Fuel-Economy-Full-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-5qt/17034369
^^^ That literally works out to only $5/quart, and it is a quality brand you can trust && synthetic!
[quote=”vlasktom” post=69024]My car, a 1990 Buick Century 3.3L V6, calls for 10W-30. If I use 0W-20 would that be a problem?
My old mechanic, who I don’t go to anymore, said for me to protect the engine best, use 85W-150 gear oil. I said hell no and left.[/quote]
Not going to discuss using 85w-150 in your crank case – this is just too ridiculous to even talk about.
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In my opinion, 0W-20 in your 1990 Buick Regal would be a poor choice though it probably wouldn’t necessarily ruin your engine (at least not right away).
Reasoning, is this car originally called for 10w-30, which was surely Dino/Conventional in 1990! (Yes, you could get Mobile 1 or Ams Synthetic back then, but that was about it, and it was not in many markets.)
The 10w-30 (probably API SL) was just the norm of the day before 5w-30 became prolific. Keep in mind 5w-30 first came out for general use around 1985 and it really wasn’t the go-to oil of choice until the mid to late 90’s. Not to mention conventional/dino surely sheered quite a bit quicker than today’s oils. A 10W-30 can only sheer back to 10, though that is highly unlikely. A 5W-30 sheers easier, but after a fresh oil change is just as thick as 10W-30 at operating temperature.
A fresh oil change with 5w-20 is going to be thinner than a fresh oil change with 5W-30 at operating temperature… That said, it is well within the realm of possibility of 5W-30 sheering all the way back to 5W-20 by the end of an oil change. Some people report their oil consumption goes WAY up toward the end of their oil change – this is surely the reason why.
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In your Buick, a SAE 20 weight oil (i.e. 5W-20 or 0W-20) is really too thin especially given its age. Parts (like journal bearings) have a LOT of miles on them and are obviously a bit more worn than a brand, new engine. Hence, the overall oil pressure has surely dropped a little since the car was new. Using a 20 weight oil will drop the oil pressure even more and might not really have adequate film strength on the lubricated parts.
Do I think the engine will explode if you make the switch??? NO! However, I would wager it would start burning/consuming (or leaking) more oil.
I would personally stick with what the oil cap says 10W-30. However, if you are bound and determined to change it, please take baby steps.. Plain, Conventional Vanilla 5W-30 would be the logical, inexpensive choice if you are determined to not follow Buick’s recommendations. It will certainly flow a little better in the winter and be certainly be right on spec at operating temperature.
It isn’t likely to be too thin at start-up either because it is still going to be thicker than when the engine is up to temperature (and it’s fine then)… any oil is ALWAYS thicker when cold and thinner when hot…
Theoretically, 0W-30 would be fine, too… but I wouldn’t go there and cross that bridge (unless I had the vehicle stored outdoors in an Alaskan winter). banana:
[quote=”vlasktom” post=69024]My car, a 1990 Buick Century 3.3L V6, calls for 10W-30. If I use 0W-20 would that be a problem?
My old mechanic, who I don’t go to anymore, said for me to protect the engine best, use 85W-150 gear oil. I said hell no and left.[/quote]
Not going to discuss using 85w-150 in your crank case – this is just too ridiculous to even talk about.
*********************
In my opinion, 0W-20 in your 1990 Buick Regal would be a poor choice though it probably wouldn’t necessarily ruin your engine (at least not right away).
Reasoning, is this car originally called for 10w-30, which was surely Dino/Conventional in 1990! (Yes, you could get Mobile 1 or Ams Synthetic back then, but that was about it, and it was not in many markets.)
The 10w-30 (probably API SL) was just the norm of the day before 5w-30 became prolific. Keep in mind 5w-30 first came out for general use around 1985 and it really wasn’t the go-to oil of choice until the mid to late 90’s. Not to mention conventional/dino surely sheered quite a bit quicker than today’s oils. A 10W-30 can only sheer back to 10, though that is highly unlikely. A 5W-30 sheers easier, but after a fresh oil change is just as thick as 10W-30 at operating temperature.
A fresh oil change with 5w-20 is going to be thinner than a fresh oil change with 5W-30 at operating temperature… That said, it is well within the realm of possibility of 5W-30 sheering all the way back to 5W-20 by the end of an oil change. Some people report their oil consumption goes WAY up toward the end of their oil change – this is surely the reason why.
******************
In your Buick, a SAE 20 weight oil (i.e. 5W-20 or 0W-20) is really too thin especially given its age. Parts (like journal bearings) have a LOT of miles on them and are obviously a bit more worn than a brand, new engine. Hence, the overall oil pressure has surely dropped a little since the car was new. Using a 20 weight oil will drop the oil pressure even more and might not really have adequate film strength on the lubricated parts.
Do I think the engine will explode if you make the switch??? NO! However, I would wager it would start burning/consuming (or leaking) more oil.
I would personally stick with what the oil cap says 10W-30. However, if you are bound and determined to change it, please take baby steps.. Plain, Conventional Vanilla 5W-30 would be the logical, inexpensive choice if you are determined to not follow Buick’s recommendations. It will certainly flow a little better in the winter and be certainly be right on spec at operating temperature.
It isn’t likely to be too thin at start-up either because it is still going to be thicker than when the engine is up to temperature (and it’s fine then)… any oil is ALWAYS thicker when cold and thinner when hot…
Theoretically, 0W-30 would be fine, too… but I wouldn’t go there and cross that bridge (unless I had the vehicle stored outdoors in an Alaskan winter). banana:
No, you have absolutely nothing to worry about provided:
1. You work on it in a heated garage. (i.e. -40C will make the plastic more brittle)
2. You use the proper Mazda/Ford Filter wrench. Do NOT try to use something generic as you will likely break the cartridge.
3. Use hand tools only. The filter socket is 1/2″ drive, but I wouldn’t put it on an impact.
***************
No part store is going to have another plastic filter cartridge… That is a dealer only, proprietary item, so just don’t break it.
Being you are so far up north where it is so cold:
1. I would park the car in the heated garage overnight.
2. I would run the engine at idle for probably 10 minutes to get the oil somewhat thin without making it so hot it burns you.
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In those terrible Canadian temps, I strongly believe you would be best served with a quality 0W-20 Synthetic as it will be much more likely to be liquid at startup vs. a honey that won’t flow!
This is what I would personally use (have used this 0W-20 when I couldn’t get 5w-20 for the engine on my Mazda 3):
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_1_0W-20.aspxBeing it is so cold, 0W-20 is better in your area vs. 5W-20 in my area… In your temps the 5W-20 probably would pour very slow!
1. I really like Mobil, Ams, and Royal Purple… (Mobile is the least expensive and still a great synthetic)
2. Mobil recommends their 0W-20 for all engines calling for 5W-20 and 0W-20 specifically stating: “Mobil 1™ 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy synthetic oil is engineered to help improve fuel economy in vehicles where SAE 0W-20 or 5W-20 motor oil is recommended.”
It meets/exceeds:
ACEA A1/B1
API SN, SM, SL, SJ
ILSAC GF-5
Ford WSS-M2C945-A
Approvals:
General Motors Service Fill
dexos1™
Following Quality Levels:
Ford WSS-M2C930-A
General Motors GM 6094M
API CFIn those Canadian temps, other than parking it in a heated garage, there is nothing you could do that is better than using a Synthetic Winter oil that will stay liquid in the freezing cold.
If I were you I would also check your engine coolant’s specific gravity to ensure its freezing point is reasonable with regards to your weather. If there is a problem, you will want to buy some new coolant an drain/re-fill it. Personally, I always used Mazda’s FL22 (Pre-Mixed Green), but refer to the stickers under your hood and be aware there ARE plenty of great parts-store coolants if you need one. Also check that the coolant you use is appropriate for your climate. The coolant in my area doesn’t need to withstand such harsh cold temperatures being it gets to be below freezing maybe 36 hours all year.
If you do change the coolant, you don’t want to be messing around diluting it… best just to buy one professionally mixed at the factory with quality, laboratory-grade water vs. hard-water, minerals, etc. Whatever you do, phosphors and silicates are BAD news… Also don’t even consider using DexCool… Just get something that is compatible with what is already in the car, so you don’t have to flush every last drop of the old stuff out.
No, you have absolutely nothing to worry about provided:
1. You work on it in a heated garage. (i.e. -40C will make the plastic more brittle)
2. You use the proper Mazda/Ford Filter wrench. Do NOT try to use something generic as you will likely break the cartridge.
3. Use hand tools only. The filter socket is 1/2″ drive, but I wouldn’t put it on an impact.
***************
No part store is going to have another plastic filter cartridge… That is a dealer only, proprietary item, so just don’t break it.
Being you are so far up north where it is so cold:
1. I would park the car in the heated garage overnight.
2. I would run the engine at idle for probably 10 minutes to get the oil somewhat thin without making it so hot it burns you.
**********************
In those terrible Canadian temps, I strongly believe you would be best served with a quality 0W-20 Synthetic as it will be much more likely to be liquid at startup vs. a honey that won’t flow!
This is what I would personally use (have used this 0W-20 when I couldn’t get 5w-20 for the engine on my Mazda 3):
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_1_0W-20.aspxBeing it is so cold, 0W-20 is better in your area vs. 5W-20 in my area… In your temps the 5W-20 probably would pour very slow!
1. I really like Mobil, Ams, and Royal Purple… (Mobile is the least expensive and still a great synthetic)
2. Mobil recommends their 0W-20 for all engines calling for 5W-20 and 0W-20 specifically stating: “Mobil 1™ 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy synthetic oil is engineered to help improve fuel economy in vehicles where SAE 0W-20 or 5W-20 motor oil is recommended.”
It meets/exceeds:
ACEA A1/B1
API SN, SM, SL, SJ
ILSAC GF-5
Ford WSS-M2C945-A
Approvals:
General Motors Service Fill
dexos1™
Following Quality Levels:
Ford WSS-M2C930-A
General Motors GM 6094M
API CFIn those Canadian temps, other than parking it in a heated garage, there is nothing you could do that is better than using a Synthetic Winter oil that will stay liquid in the freezing cold.
If I were you I would also check your engine coolant’s specific gravity to ensure its freezing point is reasonable with regards to your weather. If there is a problem, you will want to buy some new coolant an drain/re-fill it. Personally, I always used Mazda’s FL22 (Pre-Mixed Green), but refer to the stickers under your hood and be aware there ARE plenty of great parts-store coolants if you need one. Also check that the coolant you use is appropriate for your climate. The coolant in my area doesn’t need to withstand such harsh cold temperatures being it gets to be below freezing maybe 36 hours all year.
If you do change the coolant, you don’t want to be messing around diluting it… best just to buy one professionally mixed at the factory with quality, laboratory-grade water vs. hard-water, minerals, etc. Whatever you do, phosphors and silicates are BAD news… Also don’t even consider using DexCool… Just get something that is compatible with what is already in the car, so you don’t have to flush every last drop of the old stuff out.