Toyota Corolla reliability?

[AutoshiteBoy]

Proper engineering, designed to be serviceable

[Whatever]

The Corolla had its MOT on Saturday and ..... passed ! .
I was expecting a fail on emissions because of its oil burning habit but it flew through the check , the tester commenting on the low numbers , clean running . Maybe he was standing on the test pipe I don’t know .
It needs a cv joint when it’s warmer and a service .
I’m happy it’s going to make it to twenty years old next year/mot , fingers crossed it makes it and passes the emission again .

[fried onions]

Smokey oil burner exhaust seems to be a thing with these old Japs, usually with an Asian gentleman behind the wheel.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

RACIST HATE CRIME.

[fried onions]

OH SHIT.

[Whatever]

Smokey oil burner exhaust seems to be a thing with these old Japs, usually with an Asian gentleman behind the wheel.

She nearly fits the typical stereotype but she’s half Sri Lankan but drives like a crazy Italian!

[Whatever]

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The weather has been good so I treated the Corolla to a new drive shaft and two new front wheel bearings , my friend has got a hydraulic press I can use and everything came apart easily and the bearings pressed out and in nice .
Total cost for the job :
Drive shaft £79
Bearings. £54
Total = £133
Happy with that , it has stopped the horrible droning noise at 30 mph
Fingers crossed for another 12months trouble free , twenty years old next year , if the mrs doesn’t kill it .

[Whatever]

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I forgot about last weekends little job , rocker cover gasket dripping so changed that , no cost as I had it in a head gasket set from a few years ago .
I should have changed it when I done the head gasket but it looked ok and didn’t leak for a few years . Lesson learnt .

[AutoshiteBoy]

My experience of Japanese rocker cover gaskets is that while the look good, they never go back.

[Whatever]

The Corolla is still being reliable, mot next month , half the amount of miles done this year the mrs has been working from home quite a bit . Jacked it up , shook the wheels , all looks ok except for a loose corner on a exhaust heat shield . Big washer and pop rivets fixed that .
Fingers crossed for 20 year old mot pass
Other car/van fiddling was checking the brakes on my work van and lubing the locks hinges and sliders on the doors , brakes only Half worn so looking ok for an mot pass next month at 14 years old .
Well I had some time on my hands with no repairs to do so decided to clean inside the van wheels as they were off.

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They looked like this inside after a scrub down with a sponge and washing up liquid , the black stuff baked hard and rough , not shifting with scraping or scouring pad . My friend told me it’s brake pad and disc fillings cooked on and to try Auto finesse Iron out from Halfords £11 . Following his instructions it worked great at getting it clean , very light spray on a dry wheel and leave for half an hour on a cold day (do not let dry ) hose off scrub with washing up liquid. Leave the wheel to dry for a couple of hours so the fillings rust a bit and do it again .really light spray done 4 wheels 5 times , I’m really happy how clean they came up and how little corrosion there was under the dirt .

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