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Philh,
I doubt you damaged a good bearing by beating on it. A bearing would only get damaged if the force of the hammer blow moved the rotor in and out against its designed movement axis. It can only do this if there is ‘play’ in and out on the wheel. If there was play in the wheel then the bearing was already bad. Bearings are made of steel pressed into a harder steel case (rotors). They are by default the ‘weak link’ in the axle; but are designed to take a tremendous amount of in and out force applied to the wheel. Force you can not generate with a hammer.
Do the math of a 1500 # car going into a turn traveling at highway speed. While rubber deformation absorbs some of that force, the force applied to the cross axis of the bearing is considerable. As long as the wheel has no play, the force is absorbed by the bearing case supported by the snug fit in the rotor. It would take a really big hammer to exceed that design limit by hand.
If it were not so, then bearings would wear out much faster than they do with all the force applied to them in the process of daily driving. If I am wrong, I would very much like someone to explain how.
If it has been installed, then likely you won’t be able to return it. However, if you can and your old one has been cleaned, by all means return it.
Eric has stated in a video that he normally replaces that part rather than cleaning it, but only because his experience at a dealership. Dealers make money on installing new parts more than cleaning old ones. If the part is returnable, go for it.
Sounds like a fuel pressure issue. The way it is behaving I would suspect the fuel filter and not the fuel pump. For that car they are about $20. If it has not been changed in recent memory or he does not know the vehicles maintenance history, I would say replace it and see if that does not fix the problem.
Be careful assuming that it is related to the recent head work. I might not necessarily be related. Without heating up the engine (block cold) start it up and let it die. before doing anything to it, loosen the banjo bolt at the fuel rail. Does gas spew? Does it trickle? It sounds like the car is shutting down for lack of fuel pressure. Injectors won’t fire below a certain pressure, so there may be some, but not enough.
edit: Sorry I see he has recently changed the fuel filter, as well as the pump. Still acts like a pressure problem. I don’t believe they had Schreader valves on the ’94’s, so one can not put a gauge on it, but you can measure volume or a specific time to test for pressure. 7.5 oz of fuel over a 30 second period if memory serves. I believe Eric gives the specifics in a video, but it has been a while.
Have you reset the ECU by unplugging the battery for a few minutes? It sounds like the engine is ‘hunting’. This could be Electronic or Mechanical.
Unplug the battery for a few minutes. Then restart and let idle a few times for it to ‘re-learn’ where it needs to be.
Next to try would be the Fast Idle Thermal valve. It is another one of those common Honda valves that needs to be cleaned and tightened (plastic housing supporting valve seat inside.) Commonly referred to as FITV. Eric has a video on where it is, how to clean, and how tight to adjust.
A long shot would be your TPS or Throttle Position Sensor. If it is not giving the ECU a good reading of the plate in closed position, then it would tell the computer to compensate (causing a hunt cycle) when not necessary.
Wow. Brand choice aside, 18% is RAPE. They are not doing students any favors. At 18% your debt doubles every four years. So in 4 years you pay twice the price the tools cost. Of course they can give them to you for ‘1/2 price’.
It is bad enough students come out with student loans debt. Throw in another $6,000 doubling in 4 years to $12,000; and you have a guy busting hump just to get out of debt much less live or raise a family. If they wanted brand loyalty, they should charge a reasonable interest rate for their product.
I am sure Snap-On is not the only one to charge these rates, so not raining on your parade. Just hate to see people go into debt. Hell, one can get a good set of of Craftsman on sale for less then $400 and pay cash. When one gets their student loans paid off, go out and splurge on top end tools. Snap-On or whatever lifts your skirt. Just stay out of debt, especially when going to school.
/rant
Let’s try the electrical system now. I am NOT an expert by any means. I will try to be comprehensive; and the more experienced can fact check me and add as necessary.
Again, this is step by step troubleshooting. If you are running down a problem, one has to be methodical.
Go to the end of the system. Do you have spark in the cylinder? One can use a spark tester (light or gap) in line with each cylinder to confirm current. Also pull the plugs. Are they gap correctly? What is the condition of the plug? Is it carbonized, is it black, any hairline cracks in the insulator portion? In the absence of a tester, one can ground the plug wire to the engine to test spark; but I am going to refer you to Eric’s videos for a more comprehensive discussion or that technique, because you can damage electrical components if not done correctly.
If no spark or weak spark, start at the top of the electrical system. Battery. How is the charge? Can you put a load tester on it?
Inspect battery cables. Are the connections tight? Is there corrosion on the terminals? Has some furry woodland creature or your neighbor’s cat been chewing on the wires?
Without going through the starting and charging systems, skip to the delivery of charge. Distributor (with cap and rotor.) Visually inspect the cap. Look for cracks or heat blemishes. Is it dry? Does it have oil residue? Are the posts shiny? Is the rotor worn or cracked? Does it sit tight on the post or does it have play? Is the contactor good and bright? Does the distributor body have oil in it?
Next you will need to test the coil and igniter inside the distributor. For this you will need a voltage meter and/or a test light. You need to confirm these components in the distributor are good. Eric has detailed videos of what and where to check. I will refer you to those, as electrical testing is not my strong suit.
Lastly is wires. Are spark plug wires in good shape? Nicks in the insulation, or cracks in the boots? Heat blemishes?
Finally, since we are being thorough; how is the ground straps on the battery and engine? Is the loop of current necessary to fire the plugs being interrupted by a lose wire or corroded connector?
If you can run down the known good parts/systems, we can be much more help to you making a diagnosis by isolating the problem area. It could be one of many many things that is causing your stall.
Follow up and let us know what you find.
Probably because most automotive fluids contain toxic chemicals or known carcinogens; and long term exposure to these expose career mechanics to things that make them not live to see their kids grow up?
While a weekend wrench spinner like myself may accept the risk of infrequent exposure, soaking in it daily is known to be very bad for humans.
My thoughts are this. There is a whole lot of electrical under that dashboard. It tends to not like moisture or being soaked if the flood gates open. You may make it through the winter (hey, it is Texas); but since you are going to end up doing it anyway, why take the risk of creating more problems? An ounce of prevention > pound of cure approach.
Good comment on confirming connections and hoses. All under the dash work is a PIA. I feel for you on that one. I have zero experience with Dodge, but hope it sits low on the firewall for ya’.
I doubt it would hurt your engine, but I would not be so sure about your starter. It would be the weak link. I also would not want to be anywhere near that breaker bar if you have the rotation wrong or something slips.
Check under the tool tab for a tool specifically designed for this job. The tool is under $30. A hell of a lot cheaper than a starter. Yes, you will have to provide the muscle, but at least you have control.
Let’s take it step by step. First the fuel system since you started there. Go step by steps and don’t make any assumptions.
Gas in tank? (it happens. Confirm.)
Is the fuel pump turning? When you turn the key on do you hear it spinning for 2-3 seconds? You can open the gas cap and listen in the tank if necessary.
Is the pump providing pressure? Loosen the bolt on the fuel filter. Use caution disconnect battery, cold engine, no smoking, etc…
Is it enough pressure? Without a fuel pressure tester, one has to measure how much fuel comes out of a period of time, and look up the number.
Is the fuel reaching the cylinder? Pull all the spark plugs. Key on pump gas pedal. Do you smell and hear fuel?
Final consideration is the fuel in the tank good? Has it sat for a prolong period. Did the car start running rough (water in fuel.) If you confirmed all points positive, then it is not a fuel promblem. It is time to go to the electrical. If you got a negative report it back here for further rundown of problem, but isolate it first.
Two words for you Dreamer: Briggs & Stratton. You will never hunt for parts again.
I have not used this site, but they have kits.
http://www.psep.biz/store/lawn-boy%20rebuild_kits.htm
Also try Jack’s Engine Repair, for general parts.
One can find a digital contact or photo (non conact) tachometer from 20 to 100 bucks, depending on where you shop. Here is a link for a $24 dollar one from Sears
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 … ckType=G21
A timing light that does RPM is a better option but they are pricey and you already have a working light.
Another option is to put an after market tach under the hood as opposed to on your dash where you can’t see it anyway while making adjustments. Aftermarket gauges are cheap and any auto parts house carries them. The pick up wire goes to the coil and counts current pulses.
One another note, as to what to keep for yourself… Mechanics tools are essentially small. Even if you don’t think you will need it, how much space would it really take to stick it in a box? A few small boxes in a closet is not a major inconvience. In the future you may be in a different situation and wish you had not let them go.
Case in point, when I did the valve gassket job on my honda the other day, the car was still at my father’s house. Since I had the valve cover off, I asked if he still had a feeler gauge around. He is almost 70 and gave up on working on cars many many years ago. I searched through a box and pulled out the gauge set that I had played with as a kid. (I remember threats of bodily harm if I bent any of the gauges.) I was able to perform the valve maintenance with a tool that was older than I am, and has a history in my family. That adds something special to the satisfaction of doing the job.
Maybe I am too sentimental. But tools have history. Connections to our people and the past (even though he was not your grandfather) adds value to our lives. Don’t be too quick to discount that. You can always give them away; but you will never get them back.
Nice catch! Glad things did not go sideways for you.
Just for perspective and not to defend the dealership, consider this. They are an independant company. They buy their cars from Toyota. If the truck is out of warranty, they do not get paid for their time and labor. Your beef would be with the factory/company itself. Dealers do have some responsibility to the Marque; but if Toyota is not going to pay them, why should they work for free? A smart service manager might give you a break to earn your business or engender some loyalty. However, as a private company the dealership’s owners might not agree. One never knows.
I think you are making the right decision to find a local shop, especially if it is non warranty related work. Vote with your feet.
Beefy,
What a kind and generous individual you are. What a deal! C:P I have been looking for some swamp land in Florida. Can you hook me up?
Dancoig,
As a suggestion try your local Radio Shack. They will not have the connector that Eric made, but they show them the service port and they will come up with something that does the job quick and easy. When I had a fuel gauge on an old jeep (very hard to find NOS parts), I did not know a resistor from a capacitor. When I told the guy I need to increase the resistance in a dead wire by a certain ohm level, it took him about 5 minutes to set me up with a few penny parts to solder together. Job done!
As for me, I will stick with the thin gauge hobby wire. I might go fancy and put a flat blade male connector on it someday. Paper clips have not worked so well for me.