It's official: I no longer like working on cars

[UTRacerX9]

...And I'm not even talking about my Stealth, although I guess this is where this is headed. My gf's car is a Hyundai Tiburon, still with the factory warranty. However, to actually be approved for warranty work in case something happens, you have to have documentation that all oil changes/maintenance have been performed according to the service specs. And so, for that reason, we take her car in for oil changes and what not as they provide a receipt for work and the date and mileage.

We take the car into NTB for an alignment, tire rotation, and oil change. Of course, they also look over the car and point out things that also need to be done ($$$) like rear brake pads, which I was already aware of. They quote us $260 for pads and labor. I never had any intention of paying those prices, as pads cost $20 and changing them SHOULD be an easy job. Well, Murphy's Law...

Both calipers are seized. I actually broke a 6" C clamp trying to compress the piston back into the caliper. I can only imagine how much NTB would have charged at this point, since they had no idea both calipers were shot. Anyway, long story short, the car now has new rear pads and non sticking calipers, and my back is killing me from working under the car. Also had to mop up a small lake of oil from the car, as NTB didn't bother to tighten the drain plug, and it was just barely threaded in. If I hadn't caught it, it's not the sort of thing my gf would probably even notice until it was too late and her engine seized.

So after all the work and cleanup was done, I started thinking whether it was worth it to save a couple hundred dollars by doing the work myself, and to be honest... I'm not sure. I find that I dislike doing maintenance and such on cars these days, even performance upgrades. I have a 300M output shaft that's been sitting for 3 years now, and a billet TC that I haven't bothered to install either. Same goes with the fixed headlights that I didn't get around to painting and installing permanently either, and several other parts gathering dust.

Maybe I'm in a funk or something, but the thought of working on cars these days is just completely unappealing to me. I don't know if I'm ever going to like it again either, and that doesn't bode well for owning a 20+ year old modded car.

[FeaRpb]

I love it some days, hate it others.

[IronmanTT]

Everything no matter how enjoyable at one time get OLD and I do mean OLD ... take a LONG break from it and maybe the passion for it may return..

[UTRacerX9]

Everything no matter how enjoyable at one time get OLD and I do mean OLD ... take a LONG break from it and maybe the passion for it may return..

That's just it... I haven't really worked on cars at all for the past 4 years, as we only had a 1 car garage. Now we have a 3, and I just don't feel that passion for it at all, even though I assumed it would come back (hell, that's why we got a house with a 3 car garage!)

[Valhallaz]

Uh... On a Tiburon, the rear caliper pistons have to be screwed back into place, takes a special tool.
They won't just compress.

[UTRacerX9]

Uh... On a Tiburon, the rear caliper pistons have to be screwed back into place, takes a special tool.
They won't just compress.

That's true... if you don't bleed the brakes. If you bleed the brakes and then use a clamp, as you compress them it turns the piston as it pushes it back in. Didn't want to go buy the tool, easier to just bleed the brakes.

[Valhallaz]

That's true... if you don't bleed the brakes. If you bleed the brakes and then use a clamp, as you compress them it turns the piston as it pushes it back in. Didn't want to go buy the tool, easier to just bleed the brakes.

I've had a couple Mazda's that had similar setups. Had nothing to do with fluid pressure, it was the way the emergency brake mechanically tensioned. On the Mazda's, there was no possibility of forcing the caliper back into place even without any pressure being built in the lines. Bleeding the brakes made no difference.

I suspect the Tiburon rears are the same way, and that it's the emergency brake system that prevented compression.

[Iron Mike]

I've had a couple Mazda's that had similar setups. Had nothing to do with fluid pressure, it was the way the emergency brake mechanically tensioned. On the Mazda's, there was no possibility of forcing the caliper back into place even without any pressure being built in the lines. Bleeding the brakes made no difference.

I suspect the Tiburon rears are the same way, and that it's the emergency brake system that prevented compression.

Look up Eric The Mechanic on youtube. He does a good job with showing how different jobs are done. I watched his rear disc brake change not knowing that the 3000GT has a different setup than the car he was working on. The car he was working on has the parking break setup like what you mention. I made sure to double check mine after seeing the video to make sure they weren't the same. I spend a couple hours watching his videos. Even if he isn't working on a Mitsu there are common things you can learn from.

I stopped working on cars for years until I got my 300GT and now I'm looking forward to getting it all in good shape. Like everything, you need to take a break from things and then find something else for a while.

[sethduncan]

I had a bad experience at NTB as well. I'm not sure there's any shop that's globally bad, but NTB sure seems to focus enough on commission and turnaround time that they don't do a good job. I'm pretty sure when I took my Stealth in for the 1-year re-alignment they just held it for a few hours and sent it back to me without looking at it.

[MADMarc]

Just like he said, sometimes there are aspects that make you want to pull your hair out...I'm sure we have all been there. At least you don't have to touch those brakes for a little bit? After you sit on it for a little you'll NEED to get back into it.