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LEXIE

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Everything posted by LEXIE

  1. jimbostar--thanks for your very thorough reply. probably a good idea to change the tensioner bearing in the process. I have used the old trick of tapping on a socket that matches the OD of the bearing and it works well if you take your time. I usually lay a piece of wood across the top of the socket to get more even pressure on the outer race when tapping it in. Thx again for your ans. L
  2. What is the easiest way for one person to remove and replace a serpentine fan belt. It would appear difficult for one person to manipulate the tensioner pulley and thread the belt at the same time. How should the tension pulley be moved (pried) to reduce tension. Where is the leverage point?? '93 SC400
  3. I finally found the source of my power steering leak. With the aid of a mirror and strong light I was able to see a collection of fluid at the junction point where the high pressure line enters the pressure port to the pump. There is a hex-headed brass fitting that secures the high pressure line to the pump and as shown by a detailed schematic ( someone furnished on this forum) this brass pressure-port fitting accepts an "O" ring which I suspect has gone bad. Does anyone know whether this fitting can be removed w/o having to go thru the routine of removing the air filter, p/s fluid reservoir, coolant tank, etc. i.e., take the car apart just to get to the pump. I think the fitting is accessible from the underside of the car when on the rack. If so, it looks like an hour job at most by any competent auto mech... remove hex fitting, install new "o"ring. Or.... I can just hear the moans from you purist... should I try adding 12 oz of Lucas power steering stop-leak to swell the "o" ring. I'm not into adding junk additives to my car but I read a lot of success stories about the efficiency of this additive in stopping leaks and enhancing overall p/s performance. Comments would be appreciated
  4. What is the easiest way for one person to remove and replace a new serpentine fan belt. It would appear difficult for one person to manipulate the tensioner pulley and thread the belt at the same time. How should the tension pulley be moved (pried) to reduce tension. Where is the leverage point?? '93 SC400
  5. I guess you could say I'm partial since I own one, but the $42K I put out for my '93 SC400 was money well spent..I to this day don't see much of anything better with regards to style, performance, and reliability.
  6. monarch-- amen to lack of use. I am the original owner of a 1965. 289 Mustang with only 98K actual miles and have had to replace the rear transmission seal 3 times because of lack of driving. In the SC400's case, it is driven several times weekly and I guess I just had bad luck with the valve. I still like the route of going to a non-halogen refrig and if you go into depth on this subject, billions of $ in energy costs could be saved in the US if the standards were reduced. A lot of hanging on to the refrigs we use here is highly political. Enuf of this subject, lets go on to things that are more important to the other forum members.
  7. Blower fan was at max and I was only a few minutes into the checkout and felt satisfied because the cabin temp was very cool. Outside temp was around 90 so car was hot..typical Florida. R12 may be the refrig of choice but it apparently resulted in deterioration of the rubber diaphram in the POA valve and caused my problem to begin with. I also replaced two 'O' rings which were suspect. The corrosivity of R-12a is nil compare to halogen containing refrigs which just are not friendly to rubber components such as 'O' rings, diaphrams and gaskets over the long haul. Can't really comment about ester oils vs the mentioned Suniso/Denso oils but the vendors claim total compatability of their precharged oil cans with both mineral and synthetics. Of course they are selling the product so maybe that is what you would expect them to say. Compressor runs the same on the low side but about 15psi less on the high side which equates to around 3hp less load. Not sure what this does for gas milage but I wouldn't be supprised if an improvement of 1 mi/gal might not result. May be sorry down the way but so far satisfied with the change. Thx for your comments.
  8. I had a POA valve (back pressure control valve on a/c system) go out on me and the a/c repair shop wanted about $800 to correct the problem. Around $400for a new OEM valve replacement, over $100 to replace 36 oz of R12 refrig ('93 SC400 had this refrig) and the rest in labor. I said BS and decided to tackle the job myself. I found a OEM replacement valve, brand new, for $145. It was a bit of a struggle to get the new valve in but I managed without a lift rack which would have helped a lot. Now, the replacement refrigerant. I did not want to convert my system to R-134a because of its poor cooling efficiency so I elected to go with R-12a (bear with me before you call me a complete idiot). After pulling an almost perfect vacuum on the system I first added 4oz of ester oil from a can precharged with R-12a followed by the additon of another 10oz of R-12a for a total charge of 12oz of refrigerant as opposed to the 36 recommended charge of R-12... probably about $150 even if I could get it as an unlicensed user). So, my total cost for the job was about $185 bucks including the rental charge for a vacuum pump. R-12a runs about $7/6oz can. On checking out the system on the road, the temp exiting the center air vent was 48 degs F and the cabin was as cold as I have ever experienced in just a short period of time. This stuff has awsome cooling properties and you can hardly tell the compressor is on. Before I plowed into the venture I researched the s--t out of R-12a on the net. I have a a BS in Chem Engr so it's not like I am oblivious to understanding physical and chemical properties of materials. In summary, the findings reveal that basically the whole world is using the equivalent to R-12a in all the refrigeration uses such as cars, refrigerators, commercial buildings, chemical processes, ect. The net savings in energy costs are phenomenal...it has much more cooling efficientcy due to its molecular structure and requires significantly less horsepower during the compression cycle. The refrigerant is fundamentally methane and yes, it is more flammable than R-12 and R-134a because it does not contain a halide( chlorine or fluorine). Its auto ignition temp is much higher than 134 and it is totally environmentally safe and thus goes by the trade name ES -12a. Because of the flammablity properties the US has not sanctioned its use here yet but just like our strict drug policy it will change with time. There are no legal restrictions with regard to purchasing and using the product. Rather than me trying to cover all the ramifications of the product/safety issue, I have listed two web addresses below if anyone is interested in learning more. It's corrosive properties are nil and thus a complete changeover from std 12 or 134a would be very easy..all explained in second site below. http://www.macfreeze.com/referfacts.htm --- safety issues discussed http://autorefrigerants.com/co00033.htm...pruchase and specification information PS-- If this topic has been discussed before forgive me for the long winded post. I could not find any past discussion except maybe one referring to Freeze 12.
  9. blake---thx for the info. Sounds pretty simple and I will probably check mine out for "peace of mind". BTW, I had a squealing problem which was due to the external serpentine drive belt. I could make it stop for short periods of time by using a steel brush to clean out the pulley grooves but eventually I changed the belt out even tho it didnt look worn and the noise stopped and the car now runs smooth as a baby's a**.
  10. blake--- how difficult is it to to remove cover to inspect belt??
  11. Comments would be appreciated re the following: My '93 SC400 is 11 yrs old. It is garage kept, not driven harshly and only has 61k miles. Would it be safe to wait for the normal changeout milage of 90k??
  12. joedoc--- thats exactly what I keep telling my wife that a few bucks maintenance cost is nothing compared to going new. And, as I said in an earlier post, my absolute total expenditures on this car since I bought it in late '92 is $2250 for all maint items including a new set of tires. Except for some minor crack lines on the front seat leather, my interior is spotless and looks just like I drove it out of the showroom. Dont you just love the elegant look of a black car.
  13. Thx guys for all your comments. I will go the dry route just to be safe.
  14. 99-- You have a very valid point about the new fluid causing the p/s leak. I had wondered about that myself because I had inspected the whole area for a sign of a leak when the whinning first started and there wasn't a drop of fluid to be seen. Only shortly after the changeout did it show up. I used a water clear product made by Havoline which may have been a mistake but it was supposed to have great lube properties for reducing noise level which was my concern at the time. But, it also stated not to be used on Honda products which may well have applied to Lexus also since most Japaneese parts seem similar in nature. It definitely is not nonesense in my opinion.
  15. How do you clean the engine compartment; i.e., motor, firewall, etc. without causing a potential problem with the electrical and computer systems. Should it be steamed out or can you spray engine cleaner in the more dirty areas and rinse off with water. On my Honda CRV I filled a garden sprayer hooked to a hose with concentrated soap and used hot-pressurized water from my house hot water heater to prewash and then followed with just plain hot water. I made sure the car had run to heat up before the wash to soften the dirt and grease. I'm reluctant to try this on the Lexus. Any thoughts on this topic??
  16. CUMan-- I just joined the forum yesterday because I am having p/s problems myself. If you prefer to get a new oem pump you may want to try Spartan Motor Mall out of Lansing Mich. They are considerably less than any other vendors especially the dealers. Ask for Gary if you want to get a quote. Re using remanufactured parts, I guess it is a toss of the coin. My friend had his p/s pump replaced, exact same car as yours- 93 LS400 with abt same miles, and he used a remanf and it just did not work. So he had to replace with oem new and it worked fine but of course he was out double on labor charge. About six months before my system developed the current leak I had whinning problems about a year ago and did the draw out- refill of the resevoir as mentioned by 99|sguy 15 times and the noise stopped completely and the fluid was crystal clear whereas before it contained lots of debris. I am still in the process of determining if it is my pump or the hi press hose that is leaking. Good luck
  17. rich21 and lextech --Thank you for your replys. rich21, it occurred to me that it could be the pump leaking down the hose and the fluid is just collecting at the place where the hose fitting is. I have wiped it several times but can't seem to detect if it is leaking there or at the pump. Maybe if I secure something above the fitting to absorb the fluid, I might be able to determine if it is coming from the pump, which I suspect it is. I even had my wife turn the steering wheel while I observed the fitting but it is only after a few miles of driving before it shows up. lextech, can you install the reseal kit by just removing the pulley or do you have to completely remove the pump..i.e. is it a shaft seal?? Wirh regards to the seal kit, I'm supprised Lexus gives you a cheap way out rather than having to buy the whole unit. When my POA (pilot operated actuator or sometimes called back pressure controller) valve blew on my a/c system, it was just a simple rubber diaphram that had failed but you had no option other than buying a whole new unit. Fortunately I found a new oem unit for $185 vs the $450 the local Lexus dealership wanted. I wasn't clear on the fogged lens...it is condensate inside and I read a forum post describing how to remedy this which seems pretty long and drawn out but beats the $700+ ea for a new unit. Thx again guys.
  18. 1993 SC400, 60K MILES -- Best car I have ever owned in my 68 yrs of existence except for my 65 Mustang 289 of which I am the orig owner..98K actual miles, pony interior, factory air, etc. My dilema: I love my Lexus but my wife has a hard time driving it mainly parking and driving at nite...poor low beam lighting. I just had an a/c problem which I corrected myself--replaced the POA valve-- and now I have an apparent leak in my power steering system. I think it is the high pressure hose because I see fluid at the junction just where the line has the crimped fitting at the exit of the p/s pump. I priced both the pump and hose for a repair job that I really do not want to tackle and was astonished to find the hose price just as high as the pump cost.. incidently Spartan Motors out of Lansing Mi has the best prices I have been able to find...for ex: p/s pump $358 vs $509 at a supplier in Texas. So, with me looking at a potential $1000 repair bill I can just feel the wrath my other half is going to inflict on me with much pressure to trade my beloved prize in for some piece of crap that will not even come close to the quality of Lexus. Do most of you guys out there agree with me that this is a great machine? I know guys with Mercedes and BMW's that constantly b'tch about having them in the shop all the time and I can honestly say I bought my Lexus based on its great rep re low maintenance and until these recent probs, I can't complain one bit. My total expenditures for the last 11 years which includes all oil changes, trans fluid, air filters, new tires, POA valve replacement, etc, is only $2250. I also have the much discussed problems with a fogged-up headlight and a couple of dim lights on the dash but these are not what I consider major issues. I guess I am looking for some positive feedback as to keeping the car vs looking for something new which I doubt would be as good...even the current Lexus GS series would not compare. Any comments would be appreciated. New Member, Lexie
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