Murphy Strikes Again!

[luvmy40]

My youngest daughter's Honda Pilot threw a VVT, Bank 2 code. It persisted after a crank case flush and oil change. So, I ordered the Bank 2 VVT solenoid block and scheduled the morning for the repair.

As with most repairs these days, there is more time involved getting all the ancillary stuff out of the way than the repair takes. This job was not so bad in comparison to some. I just had to undo a dozen electrical connections, pop the plastic wire race off the mount and unbolt the race mount from the front rocker cover to get the whole shebang out of the way to get to the mounting bolts for the VVT solenoid block. Getting at some of the electrical connectors was the hardest part. Extended reach hose pliers were required.

After that, it was five minutes work to remove the three mounting bolts, pop the solenoid block off and remove the old gasket and divider plate. Five more minutes to put it back together finger tight and 20 seconds with a ratchet to snap one of the NEW mounting bolts off flush with the head. 

Of course, I don't have an easy out small enough, so off to AutoZone. I took it slow and, very carefully center punched the bolt, drilled it out about 1/2" deep and chucked my new 1/8-1/4" Easy Out up in the cordless. For a welcome change, the bolt turned right out, no problem. I cleaned everything up with a magnet and paper towels, and used the old bolts to put it back together. It's running right and sounds good.

The whole job would have been under an hour if that NEW bolt hadn't snapped with less than 2 ft. pounds of torque.

Edited April 28 by luvmy40

[Motorcycle Mike]

I feel your pain.

It seems no mater what the job is, something is gona go wrong and take me twice as long as it should.

Shirley seldom askes how long its going to take any more. If she does I say "I don't know".

[ragtop69gs]

That's usually how it goes! Can't wait to see what curve balls my 09 jeep throws my way when I drop the gas tank to replace the left rear upper control arm. I'm going  to fill the flame wrench tanks before I even get started.

[Marcarl]

If Marca asks me how long it's going to be, we both laugh, because no matter to answer it's always longer than it seemed it should have been.

[Woody]

When I was working in the cotton mill I discovered left handed drill bits, so you drill the hole for your easy out with the left handed bit and about 50 percent of the time the screw comes out while your drilling. 

[bpate4home]

Must've been a weekend curse.  A while back my sone hit a raccoon with his Kia Optima.  It busted the radiator and the AC condenser.  We replaced the radiator right away but he went all summer last year without AC.  100 degrees + for most of it.  He saved and got the replacement condenser, compressor motor and lines.  He did the work this weekend to install it and still no AC. I was working on fixing some pool lines that had a small leak and what should have been 30 minutes turned into 6 hours. Just finding small leaks. On the last one no one had the right gaskets (The filter housing is from 2005) so I ended up buying a rubber tool mat and making them.