And the reason why posting pictures is hard is I have a [censored] computer with a bad usb port as well as a [censored] phone. So I have to email the pictire to me so I can download it on my computer rather than using a usb directly. Then I have to uplpad onto tinypic and then post a link for each picture. Ive taken like 20 pics but am busy and that'd take way too long to do 20 times given the other things I have to do.
Struggling with 2003 Camry update
- Thread starter engineer20
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Cotter pins will work if they fit in the hole and is the right grade. In a pinch you can use a paperclip while driving to Kragen to get the $3 for 12 stuff they have in stock (don't drive with paperclip for more than a few hours just to be safe).
Seriously, you should understand why and how before you shop for parts and tools. The right procedure and parts matter more than the brand. I think the phrase "great landing, wrong airport" should apply here.
Seriously, you should understand why and how before you shop for parts and tools. The right procedure and parts matter more than the brand. I think the phrase "great landing, wrong airport" should apply here.
Folks over on Toyota Nation got tired of seeing his endless posts so here he on BITOG asking the same inane questions which anyone with a lick of mechanical ability should know. As one of my instructors once said on the subject of cotter pins, 'cram the biggest one that will fit, bend if over and forget it'. JUST CRAM THE BIGGEST ONE IN THERE THAT WILL FIT. That sucker isn't going to the MOON, MARS or even 15,000 feet .
Originally Posted By: engineer20
I googled it. There are metric cotter pins and ebay sells them. I'm thrifty, which is why I wondered if sae cotter pins would work.
I got the water pump done and at last the ball joint done after I failed the first time. But slowly, I've been doing the repairs. The cotter pin just holds the castle nut in place but I don't know much else about them but if the nut is metric, shouldn't the cotter pin, which im just logically deducing? Why the discouragement and hate? Why not encouragement and help?
I will give you the benefit of doubt and offer a deadly serious answer. If you are really unsure about metric vs SAE cotter pins, then stop working on your car. You are endangering your life and the lives of innocent people. Why would I want to encourage you? I participate on many DIY forums and sometimes the experts' best advice is to step aside and let a professional do the work. There is no freaking way you should be doing brake and front-end suspension work.
I googled it. There are metric cotter pins and ebay sells them. I'm thrifty, which is why I wondered if sae cotter pins would work.
I got the water pump done and at last the ball joint done after I failed the first time. But slowly, I've been doing the repairs. The cotter pin just holds the castle nut in place but I don't know much else about them but if the nut is metric, shouldn't the cotter pin, which im just logically deducing? Why the discouragement and hate? Why not encouragement and help?
I will give you the benefit of doubt and offer a deadly serious answer. If you are really unsure about metric vs SAE cotter pins, then stop working on your car. You are endangering your life and the lives of innocent people. Why would I want to encourage you? I participate on many DIY forums and sometimes the experts' best advice is to step aside and let a professional do the work. There is no freaking way you should be doing brake and front-end suspension work.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
Why the discouragement and hate? Why not encouragement and help?
Since you asked...
Your stream-of-consciousness writing style is really hard to follow, and is not well suited for the web forum format.
Your constant changing of subject leads one to believe there's no way you can focus on the task at hand, finish the job, and do a safe job. You write as if you're the poster child for ADHD. Some people really shouldn't take on safety critical jobs. You sound like one of those people.
Your questions go beyond silly. If you really do have zero mechanical intuition and ability, a forum like this is the worst place to address it. Take a some continuing ed classes at a local vo-tech or community college.
Why the discouragement and hate? Why not encouragement and help?
Since you asked...
Your stream-of-consciousness writing style is really hard to follow, and is not well suited for the web forum format.
Your constant changing of subject leads one to believe there's no way you can focus on the task at hand, finish the job, and do a safe job. You write as if you're the poster child for ADHD. Some people really shouldn't take on safety critical jobs. You sound like one of those people.
Your questions go beyond silly. If you really do have zero mechanical intuition and ability, a forum like this is the worst place to address it. Take a some continuing ed classes at a local vo-tech or community college.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: ddrumman2004
I hope he has a metric hammer while working on that Camry.
It better be a Japanese metric...
JIS hammers aren't everywhere, but Engineer20's search for one should be entertaining.
I've got $10 which says that E20 hasn't invested $2 in books that would help get him up to speed on auto repairs.
Originally Posted By: ddrumman2004
I hope he has a metric hammer while working on that Camry.
It better be a Japanese metric...
JIS hammers aren't everywhere, but Engineer20's search for one should be entertaining.
I've got $10 which says that E20 hasn't invested $2 in books that would help get him up to speed on auto repairs.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
And the reason why posting pictures is hard is I have a [censored] computer with a bad usb port as well as a [censored] phone. So I have to email the pictire to me so I can download it on my computer rather than using a usb directly. Then I have to uplpad onto tinypic and then post a link for each picture. Ive taken like 20 pics but am busy and that'd take way too long to do 20 times given the other things I have to do.
Normally, this is where I would reply, and point out that you claim to be a "Computer Engineer", and that you should be perfectly capable of fixing a simple usb port.
But then, I thought to myself, how does any computer made in the past 20 years only have 1 usb port on it? He should have another usb port (or 4) available to use, to download pictures. Or, he could get a usb hub, so that he could hook up multiple devices to the same only last remaining usb port on his computer that his keyboard/mouse is currently plugged into.
But then, I thought again, and realized that if a failed usb port on his computer is the only thing keeping him from posting a thousand pictures on our forum like some other un-named poster does, then thank god that this "Computer Engineer" is a complete and utter failure at being able to reasonably think through any rudimentary level problems that crop up in his life.
And then, I thought one last thing:
Who is the rat basterd on Toyota Nation that told engineer20 to come here in the first place? What the heck did we ever do to that guy, that he felt it necessary to infect us with engineer20?
I know KitaCam apologized for this guy's existence, but I don't believe KitaCam actually sent him here.
Maybe we should get to the root of the problem, and figure out who sent engineer20 to us in the first place.
BC.
And the reason why posting pictures is hard is I have a [censored] computer with a bad usb port as well as a [censored] phone. So I have to email the pictire to me so I can download it on my computer rather than using a usb directly. Then I have to uplpad onto tinypic and then post a link for each picture. Ive taken like 20 pics but am busy and that'd take way too long to do 20 times given the other things I have to do.
Normally, this is where I would reply, and point out that you claim to be a "Computer Engineer", and that you should be perfectly capable of fixing a simple usb port.
But then, I thought to myself, how does any computer made in the past 20 years only have 1 usb port on it? He should have another usb port (or 4) available to use, to download pictures. Or, he could get a usb hub, so that he could hook up multiple devices to the same only last remaining usb port on his computer that his keyboard/mouse is currently plugged into.
But then, I thought again, and realized that if a failed usb port on his computer is the only thing keeping him from posting a thousand pictures on our forum like some other un-named poster does, then thank god that this "Computer Engineer" is a complete and utter failure at being able to reasonably think through any rudimentary level problems that crop up in his life.
And then, I thought one last thing:
Who is the rat basterd on Toyota Nation that told engineer20 to come here in the first place? What the heck did we ever do to that guy, that he felt it necessary to infect us with engineer20?
I know KitaCam apologized for this guy's existence, but I don't believe KitaCam actually sent him here.
Maybe we should get to the root of the problem, and figure out who sent engineer20 to us in the first place.
BC.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I keep in the 3rd & 4th gen Camry section of ToyotaNation, I haven't dared click on the 5th gen Camry section on there yet, I'm sure his posts are all over.
And fine, I'm feeling like a nice guy today, I'll answer some questions.
If a cotter pin fits, it'll work. That's all that's necessary.
Quit worrying so much about brands with tools and car parts, just buy something that has a name brand on it and be done! I bought new serpentine belts for my Camry, they were Dayco. I didn't spend a month researching for one that's $1 cheaper or might go 100 more miles before squeaking. They worked, so I went with it. Quit obsessing.
And fine, I'm feeling like a nice guy today, I'll answer some questions.
If a cotter pin fits, it'll work. That's all that's necessary.
Quit worrying so much about brands with tools and car parts, just buy something that has a name brand on it and be done! I bought new serpentine belts for my Camry, they were Dayco. I didn't spend a month researching for one that's $1 cheaper or might go 100 more miles before squeaking. They worked, so I went with it. Quit obsessing.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
And the reason why posting pictures is hard is I have a [censored] computer with a bad usb port
"A" bad USB port? Just ONE? I can't remember the last time I saw a computer with just ONE USB port.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
as well as a [censored] phone.
The pics you posted in your original Camry thread contained personal data. Among that data was the model of phone used to take the photos, which happened to be an iPhone 6 Plus.
Your story has almost as many holes in it as Leonardo DiCaprio's head.
And the reason why posting pictures is hard is I have a [censored] computer with a bad usb port
"A" bad USB port? Just ONE? I can't remember the last time I saw a computer with just ONE USB port.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
as well as a [censored] phone.
The pics you posted in your original Camry thread contained personal data. Among that data was the model of phone used to take the photos, which happened to be an iPhone 6 Plus.
Your story has almost as many holes in it as Leonardo DiCaprio's head.
I understand yall think I'm a little crazy and clueless, but the fact of the matter is, yall doubted my abilities, but I got the water pump and ball joint done on the camry as well as the caliper on the taurus, after I put the reman, the taurus's caliper isn't leaking ,the place that remmaned it for me didn't do it right, so buying the reman worked.
I had to do that job 3 times, reinstalling the caliper, and i had to do the ball joint twice, the water pump, thankfully once, but I struggled along the way and that cost me my entire christmas break.
Also, i did the starter twice a few months ago since the first time, I got the wrong part (2 types of starters for this camry, i got the one that looked like mine from a junkyard, later, was cheaper to oand lifetime warranty)
So though you may doubt my abilities, the fact is the matter is that I got these jobs DONE, even if I struggled along the way, and even though it was imperfect, or I had to repeat a job, so why do you discourage me, if the end result, through lots of time, pain and hurt, successful? Isn't that wha'ts important? I had to go to college for way longer than normal since I had to retake classes i failed or did poorly in the first time. they told me to give up and study liberal arts, but i persevered and finished an engineering degree, and eventually I was able to become an engineer, but it took a while, and took a lot of money, the loans, which i'm still paying to this day, which is why I want to diy and save money.
I had to do that job 3 times, reinstalling the caliper, and i had to do the ball joint twice, the water pump, thankfully once, but I struggled along the way and that cost me my entire christmas break.
Also, i did the starter twice a few months ago since the first time, I got the wrong part (2 types of starters for this camry, i got the one that looked like mine from a junkyard, later, was cheaper to oand lifetime warranty)
So though you may doubt my abilities, the fact is the matter is that I got these jobs DONE, even if I struggled along the way, and even though it was imperfect, or I had to repeat a job, so why do you discourage me, if the end result, through lots of time, pain and hurt, successful? Isn't that wha'ts important? I had to go to college for way longer than normal since I had to retake classes i failed or did poorly in the first time. they told me to give up and study liberal arts, but i persevered and finished an engineering degree, and eventually I was able to become an engineer, but it took a while, and took a lot of money, the loans, which i'm still paying to this day, which is why I want to diy and save money.
Originally Posted By: Tegger
Originally Posted By: engineer20
And the reason why posting pictures is hard is I have a [censored] computer with a bad usb port
"A" bad USB port? Just ONE? I can't remember the last time I saw a computer with just ONE USB port.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
as well as a [censored] phone.
The pics you posted in your original Camry thread contained personal data. Among that data was the model of phone used to take the photos, which happened to be an iPhone 6 Plus.
Your story has almost as many holes in it as Leonardo DiCaprio's head.
Exactly, because I BORROWED a family member's phone since it was near the time of the holidays and I was seeing family, but my regular phone is NOT an iphone 6 plus, my regular phone is a [censored] samsung.
I was worried about privacy data, apparently, you guys were able to see personal data from my pictures, which is what I worry about, but that was actually a family member's phone, not mine, I borrowed it because of the clarity and becasue they let me borrow it, but it actually wasn't mine.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
And the reason why posting pictures is hard is I have a [censored] computer with a bad usb port
"A" bad USB port? Just ONE? I can't remember the last time I saw a computer with just ONE USB port.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
as well as a [censored] phone.
The pics you posted in your original Camry thread contained personal data. Among that data was the model of phone used to take the photos, which happened to be an iPhone 6 Plus.
Your story has almost as many holes in it as Leonardo DiCaprio's head.
Exactly, because I BORROWED a family member's phone since it was near the time of the holidays and I was seeing family, but my regular phone is NOT an iphone 6 plus, my regular phone is a [censored] samsung.
I was worried about privacy data, apparently, you guys were able to see personal data from my pictures, which is what I worry about, but that was actually a family member's phone, not mine, I borrowed it because of the clarity and becasue they let me borrow it, but it actually wasn't mine.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
but i persevered and finished an engineering degree, and eventually I was able to become an engineer
Great. Which university and exactly what field of engineering? Are you now employed as an engineer?
but i persevered and finished an engineering degree, and eventually I was able to become an engineer
Great. Which university and exactly what field of engineering? Are you now employed as an engineer?
I didn't use a cotter pin on the nylock nut. Also, my job and where I went to school has no bearing whatsoever. I did struggle thru school and had to retake failed classes, causing me to shell out extra money, which is why I'm trying to save money.
I'm asking about cotter pins since I saw the tie rod, and pretty much every other suspension component uses it. The old moog design had a cotter pin and castle nut, but this one I have, uses a nylock, but who knows what the next one will use. I'm considereing buying the h freight 555 pc cotter pin set for 4.99 with a 20% off coupon this weekend, but what if it's not worth it, and as I said, they are SAE, so that's why I asked, to see if it's worth buying or no. At advanced auto, etc, you get only a few for 2.49, a much worse value.
I'm asking about cotter pins since I saw the tie rod, and pretty much every other suspension component uses it. The old moog design had a cotter pin and castle nut, but this one I have, uses a nylock, but who knows what the next one will use. I'm considereing buying the h freight 555 pc cotter pin set for 4.99 with a 20% off coupon this weekend, but what if it's not worth it, and as I said, they are SAE, so that's why I asked, to see if it's worth buying or no. At advanced auto, etc, you get only a few for 2.49, a much worse value.
also, how should I addreess the timing chain cover leak? what neesd to be replaced? I heard I have a valve cover leak again, that I know, just pull the cover and change the gasket (can I use FIPG/rtv gasket like I did for the oil pan, or use a real gasket?)
So if the timing chain cover is leaking (witnessed by the mess around the oil filter part near the oil pan on the old oil pan, oil pan was changed due to a stripped drain plug, got from a junkyard, a scion tc, has 4.2 rather than 4 qt capacity, i discussed this on toyotnation, and the aftermarkets are 4.5 quarts, i opted for a used 50 dollar scion tc with 4.2, but would 4.5 quarts be bad or no?)
The aftermarkets are dorman or spectra and this cheap ebay 30 dollar made in china one.
apparently, spectra is better than dorman for oil pans as it costs more, is that right or are they the same? and why was it 4.5 quarts? if the timing chain cover is leaking, what do I replace/do to deal with it?
when I did drop my oil pan, I was able to see part of the timing chain, I felt it and it seemed good,and my oil pan was spotless and clean on the inside, just the drain plug was messed up, whereas the used one had some rust towards the side. i'll try to poast a picture later, but how to address the timing chain cover leak? Thansk.
So if the timing chain cover is leaking (witnessed by the mess around the oil filter part near the oil pan on the old oil pan, oil pan was changed due to a stripped drain plug, got from a junkyard, a scion tc, has 4.2 rather than 4 qt capacity, i discussed this on toyotnation, and the aftermarkets are 4.5 quarts, i opted for a used 50 dollar scion tc with 4.2, but would 4.5 quarts be bad or no?)
The aftermarkets are dorman or spectra and this cheap ebay 30 dollar made in china one.
apparently, spectra is better than dorman for oil pans as it costs more, is that right or are they the same? and why was it 4.5 quarts? if the timing chain cover is leaking, what do I replace/do to deal with it?
when I did drop my oil pan, I was able to see part of the timing chain, I felt it and it seemed good,and my oil pan was spotless and clean on the inside, just the drain plug was messed up, whereas the used one had some rust towards the side. i'll try to poast a picture later, but how to address the timing chain cover leak? Thansk.
Originally Posted By: engineer20
I'm considereing buying the h freight 555 pc cotter pin set for 4.99 with a 20% off coupon this weekend, but what if it's not worth it, and as I said, they are SAE, so that's why I asked, to see if it's worth buying or no. At advanced auto, etc, you get only a few for 2.49, a much worse value.
You are wise to give this major purchase careful consideration. You can save 99.8 cents with your HF coupon which will go a long way towards paying off your student loans. However, you will still be paying $3.99 at HF vs. only $2.49 at AA. That means you are paying an additional $1.50. Will you ever use those extra pins in your lifetime? If not, maybe you can sell them on eBay or claim they are defective and demand your money back. That way you will get the one cotter pin you need for free. Also, don't forget to factor in mileage costs which could have a substantial impact on your financial analysis. Is HF closer or farther away than AA?
I'm considereing buying the h freight 555 pc cotter pin set for 4.99 with a 20% off coupon this weekend, but what if it's not worth it, and as I said, they are SAE, so that's why I asked, to see if it's worth buying or no. At advanced auto, etc, you get only a few for 2.49, a much worse value.
You are wise to give this major purchase careful consideration. You can save 99.8 cents with your HF coupon which will go a long way towards paying off your student loans. However, you will still be paying $3.99 at HF vs. only $2.49 at AA. That means you are paying an additional $1.50. Will you ever use those extra pins in your lifetime? If not, maybe you can sell them on eBay or claim they are defective and demand your money back. That way you will get the one cotter pin you need for free. Also, don't forget to factor in mileage costs which could have a substantial impact on your financial analysis. Is HF closer or farther away than AA?
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hf is further away, but I pass by both on the way to work and it's not significantly further away
gas in my area is only 1 something a gallon now! so gas is cheap and it's not that big of a deal like it was years back, when it was nearing 4 dollars a gallon!
and harbor freight is close to this produce place I go to on the weekends to buy cheap produce.
but it is 555 pieces, way more than like the 10-20 or something you get from advance auto. I'll be doing lots of suspension work, and I"m still a young guy, so I'll have plenty of time to use them,though I honestly doubt I'll need that many, but maybe by the time I'm retiring or something and when social security wont' be around (highly likely), I can sell these cotter pins, for like 50 dollars (inflation) and use that to support myself in my retirement, hahaha.
gas in my area is only 1 something a gallon now! so gas is cheap and it's not that big of a deal like it was years back, when it was nearing 4 dollars a gallon!
and harbor freight is close to this produce place I go to on the weekends to buy cheap produce.
but it is 555 pieces, way more than like the 10-20 or something you get from advance auto. I'll be doing lots of suspension work, and I"m still a young guy, so I'll have plenty of time to use them,though I honestly doubt I'll need that many, but maybe by the time I'm retiring or something and when social security wont' be around (highly likely), I can sell these cotter pins, for like 50 dollars (inflation) and use that to support myself in my retirement, hahaha.
here are some pictures i posted onto toyotanation, as evidence, during my ball joint job, not taken with the family mmeber's iphone , which I borowed during christmas time, when I was visiting them.
Stabilizer Link, I beleive I may need to replace, I rounded he hex part of it, the aftermarkets don't have the hex, but have a back nut you can grab, so it wont' round.
Stabilizer Link, I beleive I may need to replace, I rounded he hex part of it, the aftermarkets don't have the hex, but have a back nut you can grab, so it wont' round.
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