Rogue Oil Change

 On November 26, 2022 the oil was changed on the Rogue.

Cube Oil Change

 On October 1, 2022 the oil was changed on the Cube.

Rogue Oil Change

 On January 30, 2022 the oil was changed on the Rogue.

280z Oil Change

On September 4, 2021 the oil was changed on the 280z.  As with all of my older engines, I split the oil filter open and checked for any metal particles on the filer media.  Thankfully there were none.

Rogue Oil Change

 On June 17th, 2021 the oil was changed on the Rogue.

Cube Oil Change

In June of 2021 the oil was changed on the Cube.  What makes this one different is that the boy helped maintain his own car!

Fuel Rail and Injectors

I noticed that the hose connecting the sections of the fuel rail was starting to crack.  The previous owner had replaced the injectors although I wasn't sure about the seals so I used this as an opportunity to inspect, clean up and replace the rubber on the fuel delivery components in the engine bay.

Removal of the components was pretty straightforward, although it is noteworthy that care must be taken with the fuel rail so that you don't bend or otherwise damage the tubing.  OE fuel rails aren't impossible to find although they aren't exactly inexpensive.  Each side of the fuel rail is removed after loosening the hose clamps on the rails and injectors then gently pulling the rail away from the injectors while pivoting the rail at the hose connecting the rails. There are a lot of wires and other hoses that might be in the way, so remove what you can and work around what you don't.

Once all the components were removed, I performed the usual wire brushing and prepping for paint.

After testing the injectors I returned them along with new injector seals.  New injector clamps were used on all hoses since this part of the system is pressurized.  Since these hoses and tubes are very visible this work made the engine bay look so much better!

Rogue Oil Change

 On December 20, 2020 the Rogue received an oil change.

Restoring Misc Cooling Bits

Many brackets and tubes in the engine bay are showing their age.  In April of 2020 I took the opportunity to address the heater hose brackets, auxiliary air valve water block and the coolant passages that feed the water block.  As a bonus, I also cleaned up the engine lift bracket as well.  For all the metal pieces I used a wire brush to take them to bare metal then used Rustoleum Metallic Paint & Primer in a champaign mist color to coat the parts.  I've found that this paint both closely matches the cadmium zinc plating on the original parts but also holds up well in the engine bay.

Engine hoist bracket and water outlet

Water block tubing

Water Block

I also replaced the rubber hose that feeds the water block.  I often use my garage door to cure painted parts in the sun!

To finish things off I also used OE-like hose clamps to attach the heater hose.

As an added bonus, I also performed the same treatment to the alternator wire harness bracket.

Dealing with the Isolation

With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping us at home (and working from home) I find myself busier with work than when I was actually in the office.  To keep my sanity during this busy time I find myself retreating to the garage for brief periods of mechanical delight.  For tonight's installment I found myself rummaging through a box of parts I had acquired from ZCarDepot and found sets of hood and tailgate bumpers that I had never installed.  These made for perfect short distractions!

Removing the old bumpers was easy.  As you can see they were the original units and the rubber was hard and cracked.

Using stainless fasteners and a little 3M Dielectric Silicone Paste for protection and lubrication, I installed the new units.

 

While the replacement of these bumpers was not critical for the function of the car itself, they were critical in keeping my sanity...