Accad . Toyota L Engine Guide

Brake Pad Clips

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Accad

Never underestimate the importance of the brake pad clips or brake pad springs. These are tiny things but they play significantly in the disc brake system.

Brake Pad Clips-pad clips

One day when I was driving to my church work going to the Worshiping Congregation which is about 10 kilometers away from the Mother Church. The spindle axle got loose threads and the spindle bearings were crushed. As a result, the tire is no longer on its normal position so the rotor or the disc forced the brake pad to break from the normal position. Because the clip can no longer hold the brake pads it was removed from its proper place and it was gone.

Brake Pad Clips-Restored spindle axle

Brake Pad Clips-Restored spindle axle threads

To cut the story short everything was fixed except for the clip which was not replaced because it’s out of stock in the market. The truth of the fact is that anyone is discouraged to drive a vehicle without this little thing, the brake pad clip. Everything is no longer normal when not fixed or replaced as in the original part.

Functions

Brake pad clips or brake pad springs are the ones that clamp the brake pads to the caliper. Clips or springs hold the pads so they will not move if pressed on the spinning rotor.

Brake Pad Clips-clip

If it happens that the brake pad clips loosen and disentangled, the brake pad will move as it is pressed to the rotating rotor. If the the brake pads have already worn and has enough space inside the caliper it might be forced to break and may cause the breakage of the caliper.

Brake Pad Clips-clip

There are a lot of clips different in forms depending on the car model you have or spindle assembly. The older models may be difficult to find such springs and clips if they are lost. Especially producer company may no longer have the interest to have it after how many decades.

Brake Pad Clips-clips

Though these are tiny compared to the whole body of the car you own, however, if you lose these until it has not been replaced your car will stay in your garage or in the shop for a long time. It’s better not to take the risk in driving than to have the courage and be regretful for either yourself or others be the victim of such a consequential accident.

Brake Rotors and Pads

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Accad

What is a Brake Rotor?

A brake rotor is popularly known as a brake disc. It is a shape or surface that is round and flat in appearance. As it is shown in the image below that fine flat surface is the disc. This rotor or disc spins with the wheel as the car moves forward and backward.

Function of a Disc

Brake rotors are necessary component in the braking system that stops the vehicle. Brake rotors are what the vehicle’s brake pads clamp down on to stop the wheels from spinning. Brake rotors are just as important to stopping the vehicle as the brake pads are.

Brake disc

In a disc brake system most vehicles have disc brakes only on the front wheels, though newer vehicles may have disc brakes on all four wheels. A disc brake is a type of brake that uses calipers. As it is shown above, the caliper is the one attached to the side of the disc. It is in the caliper that the brake pads are attached and the disc will be in between the pads. The caliper will squeeze the pair of pads against a disc or “rotor” to create friction.

How is it done? With disc brakes, the fluid from the master cylinder forces into a caliper where it presses against a piston. The piston squeezes two brake pads on a disc rotor attached to the wheel. This forces the wheel to slow down and stop.

The Brake Pads

Brake Rotors and Pads-pads

These pads are installed by pairs in the caliper. In between the pads is the brake disc. When the inner pad is pushed by the piston both the pads will squeeze the disc to halt the car.

You can have different pad models that fit your car here

Caliper with pads

Brake Calipers

Caliper with pistons

Brake Rotors and Pads-caliper

Looking for parts that fit your car, it’s just around your corner you can find it through the websites and this is just one of them. Find here.

Thank you for reading this short and simple post. I found a helpful video and you can enjoy understanding how the disc system parts work together. You can watch it here.

Defective Link Shaft Symptoms

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Accad

What is a Link Shaft?

So, today, we will talk about one particular shaft, and this is the upper suspension arm link shaft.

This part is the one that links the upper suspension arm to the body of the car.

It is a part of the steering suspension that turns up and down as the wheels move.

As you can see in the left image you have the upper suspension arm and the link shaft disassembled.

The link shaft has the bushing detached from the link shaft. That single link shaft has bushings on both ends. those will serve as the nuts that will be tightened to secure the upper suspension arm.

As the car moves, the wheels bump up and down the link shaft turns up and down too. A time comes that the thread between the link shaft bushing and nut and the link shaft thread will be worn and it will not be fitted to each other.

When the threads are worn the link shaft will loosely move and produces a sound you will never believe that comes from that part.

In different brands, the bushing is a rubber, other than the threaded which serves as a nut. You can see in the image below.

Defective Link Shaft Symptoms-Upper Suspension Arm When that rubber bushing is deformed due to time and use of the car it should be replaced.

Symptom

The symptom is just a sound. You will usually notice it when you drive on a rough road. When the car bounces up and down particularly the front wheels, you will hear a loud knock sound under your car. This is more obvious in the kind of shaft above, which the bushing is the nut itself.

Bad Effect

This is not so much a consequential accident but when the defect is severe maybe you cannot tolerate it as you go along your way because it’s noisy and will hear that even in a smooth road.

Shaft Replacement

Bring your car to the shop and be inspected. When the mechanic will tell you that it should be replaced, it should be replaced. Unless you enjoy hearing the noise as you go every day on your journey.

There are brands which we can choose from. In my country, we have the 555 brand and the GMB brand. They are both from Japan. For other brands, you can find them from any manufacturer and dealers.

It is the upper suspension arm that moves up and down as the wheels bump along the road.

Defective Link Shaft Symptoms-Upper Suspension Arm Link Shaft Defective Link Shaft Symptoms-Lower Suspension Arm Link Shaft

The link shaft holds an important role in the suspension steering system. The link shaft rod, the bushing. They may be a rubber or steel they both have a time limit of use. When that time comes they will complain and you will hear that through a sound.

When you can still ignore it then no problem but if you can no longer ignore find a time for them to be replaced.

Defective Ball Joint Symptoms

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Accad

What is a Ball Joint?

A ball joint is a component of your car’s suspension and steering. It is that connects the upper and lower arm suspension to the steering knuckle.

The function of a ball joint is to serve as the pivot of the steering knuckles where the wheels are attached through the spindle.

Ball Joint

The steering knuckles are where the spindle is attached shown in the image below. That flat round part is the spindle where the four studs are inserted.

Steering Knuckle with the protruding part

The ball joint is inserted into that protruding part of the steering knuckle.

Spindle attached to the Steering Knuckle

Ball Joint

Defective Ball Joint Symptom

Have you experienced that your front wheels move more than what your steering control does?

When you feel there is more movement than what you can control over your front wheels especially when you turn right and left along the road. There is somewhat a sudden sway of your front wheels more than your steering wheels can hold, that is a defective ball joint symptom.

When just one of the front wheels’ ball joints is defective it is not obvious. The other wheel can hold the movement coming from the other wheel. But when both left and right ball joints are no longer working normally, definitely it will be obviously felt and you may wonder why as if your car wants to dance as you proceed along the road.

In slow speed, you can control whatever circumstance it may bring but when more speed is exerted the riskier your situation inside your car will be. It is not a thing that you should ignore but it is a thing that you should fix immediately.

The Result of a Defective Ball Joint (s)

Because you cannot determine when the extra movement of front wheels come, and you cannot control it, this will cause an accident not only to you but even to other motorists that will coincidentally be on the counter lane.

That little movement from the ball joints will enormously bring a derailment of the car from its proper lane and may hit another car coming from the other lane.

Or when either the ball joints can no longer serve the purpose the wheels will freely flip.

Defective Ball Joint Symptoms-defective ball joint accident

Life is Precious

So why ignore it when you have already noticed something beyond what your steering wheel controls. It is better to be cautious than to be regretful. The safer the better and you can save not only your life but your money that would be used for hospitalization.

Replace your ball joints with the proper brands that will endure the road challenges. The better brand the more secure, the calmer you are.

You can go online and see different suppliers for different brands of what you need. Explore the cheapest one but a brand that you can rely on.

555 Brand

Defective Ball Joint Symptoms-555 brand

OTHER Brands

GMB Ball Joint

The 555 brand is the number 1 brand in my location and the GMB brand is the next one. The price differs with a great discrepancy. You may have better brands in your own location. All these brands come from Japan.

I hope I’ve helped you by my experience, let’s save lives.

Please leave a comment or an idea that will help our online readers. The comment box is always ready to accept what you will write in it.

Thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed reading.

VYC-America’s Largest & Most Trusted Used Tire Store

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Accad

For those who are opting for used tires there are a lot of superior ones to avail of in America’s Largest and Most Trust Used Tires Store.

Buy here

Best Used Tires-America

You want to know what the buyers say about these used tire store, read here.

Overheating Engine-Freewheeling Radiator Fan

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Accad

Have you seen a freewheeling radiator fan?

Radiator fan or cooling fan is a part of the cooling system of an engine. It is attached to the front of the engine facing the radiator to cool it whenever the engine starts and the car is used on a trip or a journey.

The radiator fan blade is not fixed like other fans such as electric fans. It’s neither like the processor fan of a computer that is too loose. The story below tells you more about this for you to understand in case you still don’t, why a radiator fan is designed in such a way that it can turn left and right but not too loose.

It was far from my own belief that this situation has been the long-lurking issue of engine overheating since the engine was overhauled.

Nobody of us noticed that this radiator fan is no longer working efficiently and posed us to wonder for several months.

Until just this week we happened to discover because we were trying to analyze if the water pump is working. As we were contemplating my assistant happens to touch and move the radiator fan, and there it’s freewheeling. Please see the video below.

In normal condition, the radiator fan should not rotate freely. It should hold the fan blades quite stiff but not permanently. It should rotate both clockwise and counter-clockwise but not too loose.

Because this radiator fan is freely turning left and right when the engine runs the radiator fan blades will not rotate to the maximum speed to cool the radiator. The result would be engine overheating even in highways and smooth roads. The more the engine overheats when rev is exerted to climb uphill.

That was the case so we have to restore this failing radiator fan. Please watch how it was disassembled.

So it was disassembled and cleaned and refilled with silicon oil. It is not so complicated it is easy to disassemble and clean.

What tools and materials you need to restore this model are a 10 mm socket wrench, a Philip screwdriver, an impact driver, and a silicon oil-four pieces of the size shown in the picture.

Overheating Engine-Free Wheeling Radiator Fan-10mm socket

Overheating Engine-Free Wheeling Radiator Fan-Philip Screw Driver

Overheating Engine-Free Wheeling Radiator Fan-Silicon oil

As you see it in the video the fan blades are no longer freewheeling. The silicon oil holds it but not so firmly and not too loose so that when the engine runs the cooling fan rotates.

Why is the Cooling Fan Not Fixated?

The purpose of that design is to give flexibility to the fan blades so that when something hard is accidentally inserted when the engine is running it will not be forcibly broken.

As the hard object is still there and the engine continues to run the fan blades will stop without being broken and you will have the time to remove that hard object.

No engine breakage, no cooling fan breakage too and the journey continue.

If you are sure your cooling fan cannot be rebuilt go to the alternative ones. Have them here.

Stiff Brake But Not Working, Check Valve Defective

Posted on August 24, 2018 by Accad

Have you experienced along your way that your brake has made you so nervous? Your brake pedal was so hard to press and yet your brake doesn’t grip the brake disk and your vehicle continues to advance. Before anyone starts the journey at least he must have inspected the brake system, meaning the brake fluid level, the brake pads by testing how it grips the brake disks a day before the travel and I usually do this. But one day I got so nervous that the brakes were not working normally. I assured myself that everything was fine because brake fluid was full, no brake fluid leaks, brake disks were fine. I went on to the whole journey with a very cautious driving thinking what has been causing the problem. Thankfully I got home safely. The following day I tried to look into the problem without any knowledge of how a power brake works. I know what a power brake vacuum booster is but I don’t understand why it is connected to the alternator. As I look into the tube connected to the power brake booster and onto the alternator I noticed a certain part that joined the two, and it is this small thing below called check valve.

Stiff Brake But Not Working, Check Valve Defective -Check Valve

Stiff Brake But Not Working, Check Valve Defective-power booster vacuum

This is the power brake vacuum booster wherein the host in the image below is attached.

Stiff Brake But Not Working, Check Valve Defective-vacuum tube

This is the power brake vacuum booster hose connected to the alternator.

Stiff Brake But Not Working, Check Valve Defective-alternator

This is the alternator that charges the battery when the engine is running.

Stiff Brake But Not Working, Check Valve Defective-brake booster check valve

This power brake check valve connects the power booster and alternator through a hose. In between the hoses, this check valve is inserted.

On the images above the check valve is near the power booster but in my car, it is near the alternator. I noticed that this thing has been over the exhaust manifold and it was melted so it cannot function normally.

Stiff Brake But Not Working, Check Valve Defective-Melted check valve

The check valve used here in this car model is simple, it looks not like a booster check valve. You can find different images and see what is used in your car because there are a lot. Check it here. That made everything about brake system problematic which anyone cannot immediately determine. It’s good I accidentally noticed it and I learned a lot and that learning is worth-sharing.

You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Accad

At first, I noticed the first gear is so stiff to engage but I ignored it for quite a long time. Then comes the next the fourth gear became so obvious. Then after how many weeks the shifting is so abnormal that engaging the first gear goes to the third gear and from first gear to the second gear it shifts to the fourth gear. The position is normal and you feel it engages until when you press the acceleration that you will notice it’s not on the desired gear to engage with. I’m so sad about this thing because I was thinking that there will be no other way to fix the problem rather than to overhaul the transmission and that is quite a hard task and a lot of money for the expenses of a mechanic and the parts to be replaced. So I called on the mechanic that I will be seeing him for consultation. He, however, is in the province for a vacation and they will be coming back home that week. So for the meantime, I was curious to see what I can do out on the issue at hand. By removing the shift booth, I inspected the shifting handle, and I saw all the screws are all in place. Nevertheless, I removed the screws to see what may be defective of the shifting handle. I saw the perforations and I thought I found the problem to be addressed, it’s the shifting handle.

Two Things to Fix on this Issue The shift handle and the shift handle tip bushing. Please refer to the image below. You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-Defective Shifting Handle

You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-Defective Shifting Handle

You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-Perforated Shifting Handle Bushing

I brought that thing to the auto supply center to buy for a new one. But the salesman said the shifting handle is not the problem. It’s not even the obvious perforations on it, instead, he brought out a plastic to be placed over the tip of the shifting handle and that will resolve everything.

You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-Shifting Handle Bushing

Shift Handle Bushing So I was so happy to know that the salesman is knowledgeable. I do not need to replace the shifting handle I do not need a mechanic to overhaul the transmission to see the mechanical defects inside the shifting system. I only need a small plastic, in other words, the shifting handle tip bushing which is just worth 40 pesos in our currency and I can drive again my vehicle normally.

You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-with Shifting Handle Bushing

Shift Handle

Before I can see my friend mechanic I consulted another mechanic and he said that the shifting handle should be replaced. Who is more knowledgeable, the mechanic or the salesman? If I was not curious enough to work and to discover what is really the cause of the problem, surely, I would not be saved from a thousand pesos for a mechanical fee and for unnecessary part replacement. However, I took the initiative and took the thing to the Machine Shop for restoration. If I decided to buy a new shifting handle it would cost from three to four thousand pesos and that is too much for me. In the Machine Shop, almost everything has a solution. They know what to do and they will tell you if they cannot restore a thing. For the restoration of the shift handle, it cost me three hundred pesos only. You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-Restored Shifting Handle

You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-Restored Shifting Handle

You Need Not Overhaul Transmission-Problematic Shifting-New Shifting Handle Bushing

Sometimes we need the guts to learn and be free from the time and budget burdens. However, if you have replaced that bushing and it will not stay long and be perforated again it will lead you to examine other related matters. What idea can you share with our readers? Please don’t hesitate to discuss it here, your experience might be a great help to others.

Clutch Master Cylinder Replacement

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Accad

This is the repair kit that contains the seals in restoring your clutch master cylinder. For a year I replaced the seals twice and on the third time, I cannot ignore it. Maybe it’s time to replace the clutch master cylinder, the whole thing. Clutch Master Assembly Replacement-Repair Kit

Clutch Master Assembly Replacement-Repair Kit

There will always come a time that even you want to save parts of your car and opt for repair kits but it’s inevitable to replace the whole thing. Just like this clutch master cylinder, I have thrice changed the seal but it did not take long and it leaked again. Sometimes the leak is indeterminable or unnoticeable and the only indication that its leaking is when you see the fluid is under the indicator level. Clutch Master Assembly Replacement-Clutch Master Assembly

Clutch Master Assembly Replacement-Clutch Master Assembly

Maybe there is something inside that when pressed it hurts the rubber seal forcing to destroy against the pressure. It’s a little bit complicated to understand how it happens but it’s a fact seal are being perforated and it gives way to fluid leak. You will see this in the video below. My patience in determining what causes the problem has reached its limit and the best way to solve the lurking problem is to replace the whole assembly and that is what I deed. Clutch Master Assembly Replacement-Clutch Master Assembly Replaced

Clutch Master Assembly Replacement-Clutch Master Assembly Replaced

This time I can travel putting aside my thoughts on the same thing, leaking clutch master cylinder. If something noticeable problem related to shifting when the clutch master cylinder is fine it will be from other parts of the system and should be diagnosed as early as possible to be safe along your way and travel without delay. Thank you for reading this short story of my experience and I hope I have shared with you valuable thing that can help you get rid of the same dilemma.

Clutch Disk-Use and Function

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Accad

This is a clutch disk of Toyota L engine. It is not noticeable that this has already a defect upon driving but since the engine was overhauled and is obviously thin it should be replaced to minimize time and work.

Clutch Disk-Use and Function-Replaced Clutch Disk side A