Problem #7 - Failed Inspection #3

[knochgoon24]

Yep, it failed again. The list this time:

• Bad front passenger wheel bearing
• Bad tie rod end
• Bad lower ball joints (control arms)
• Exhaust leak

I knew from before that the axle would not come out of the hub. I had tried to get it out when I pulled the engine. So, I got everything ordered again. I had broken a exhaust mani to turbo bolt, so I ordered a new set of ARP ones.

I ended up breaking a rotor trying to get it off, so I ended up needing new rotors and pads too.

So, after getting that all back on, I drove it to the shop. They did an alignment on it (about time) and told me that it still failed. Yep. FAILED INSPECTION #4!!! WTF

They said it still had and exhaust leak and wouldn't put a sticker on it. I told them that I had new gaskets at home, and if they'd just put a sticker on it, I'd stop back in a few weeks and they could check it again. They said no...

So, I put new gaskets on. Still could hear the exhaust leak. I looked closer at my exhaust manifold. It had 2 nice cracks in it. Great. So I ordered a used one of ebay.

It gets here, turns out it's a 1g. Oh well, I just need to get it inspected. They guy said it had a high temp coating on it. Ran the car for 30 min, and it smoked and blistered off. Turns out, the coating was hiding a crack . Fail again. He said he bought it with the coating and never used it.

While I worked on it last time, I replaced the throttle shaft seals. I now hold 20 inHg instead of 18 inHg... woot!

So at this point, my car STILL isn't inspected. I'm stuck with a cracked 1g manifold. Until I can go home and get all new gaskets (the only one I didn't replace the first time was the turbo to o2 gasket) and weld my 2g manifold back up, I'm just driving my car minimally.

Oh how I love my DSM. Sitting at 217k miles...

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

Just hang in there man, just think of all times you spool up the turbo and then get thrown into the back of your seat...

 

[PatriotY2K]

With his luck so far, he'd break his seat back and pull off the steering
wheel on his way there. .

Seriously, good luck on your next inspection.

 

[twicks69]

Have you thought of purchasing a bit more reliable car? Your problem list is getting long and expensive -- all that for a 1G is NOT worth it in my opinion.

Either way, I wish you luck, because you need it man.

 

[RT-AWD]

it goes to show when you go cheap you take risks that goes for any car.
i see your in pa try another shop, a less established shop we'll say... because i took my 1g to get inspected with a massive exhaust leak, a cracked manifold and passed this year. now with my test pipe i might have to find someone to just slap on a sticker.