Please list some things that can leave you stranded, and solutions

[KFunk]

Yeah, in case you missed it, I did drive mine from San Francisco to Ohio in '06.  That did include one autocross in Sacramento, and driving across Death Valley at noon in August, amongst other things while I zig-zagged North and South to hit Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Telluride, Texas panhandle, Kansas City, Indianapolis, etc.  I had a few minor issues, but no big deal.  

That was 9 years ago when I was far more stupid, though.  I'm a little less stupid now, but still stupid enough.  

[TobyB]

 

Considering all the above problems, are these cars reliable enough to venture farther than a couple blocks from home?

Dear God, NO!!!  Call me, I'll come trailer away these dangerous old heaps and save your lives!

 

I never travel more than a continent away from home in one, myself...

 

hee

 

t

['76mintgrün'02]

"The ashtray, the paddle game and this remote control.  And that's all I need... and these matches... and this lamp. That's all I need, for sure!"  

 

I think this topic leads into where to keep all the stuff that makes you 'feel secure', but that is probably a topic for another thread.

 

Another tangent would be 'roadtripping in the 2002' or 'stowage solutions'.

[m-tuner]

hose clamps,roll mechanics wire, roll duct tape, roll electrical tape, fuses, fuel pump ,water pump new, hammer,vise grips,extra nuts and bolts,wrenches,sockets, a real jack, block of wood, I have a jumper,air pump.light, all in one, belts, that will  go in a small tool box, except jack and jump box. 

[skipsfcr]

Don't forget the tendency for axle (C/V joint) bolts to all mysteriously unfasten themselves without a sound. Leaving you coasting silently to the side of the road. Or, in Kaptanoglu's case, ring gear bolts falling out inside the diff!! That was a new one for me!

[jgerock]

I've packed my trunk with tools and spare parts on long trips, never needing anything major for my car.   Be a friendly 2002 owner and help those less fortunate when they break down.  Pay it forward.

 

Oddly, there was a run of broken exhausts during the 2010 MidAmerica Fest.  The Sunday when everyone was leaving, Bo Black was asking for help at breakfast (for others) and ended up getting some large tin cans from the host hotel kitchen and they were cut into pieces and clamped to broken exhausts.

 

As mentioned above, a thorough nut and bolt check will save you hassles down the road.

Edited July 4, 2015 by jgerock

[jimk]

I see now why people put bigger tires on, the OEM size are not rated for the overload!

[bobthomas]

Almost to the Vintage this year when a brake caliper bolt came out.  Found a replacement & thought I was good, but the caliper was cracked too.  Also ruined the wheel.   Brake caliper bolt is not large nor heavy, might be good to carry as spare.  By the way, does anyone  have a decent Panasport 15x7 with 20 mm offset for sale?   Sorry for the underlines, don't know why there're here.

['76mintgrün'02]

I don't have a wheel, but I think if you click on the U above the text, it will turn the underline option off.  Or highlight everything that is underlined and then click the U and it will undo it.

[KFunk]

Almost to the Vintage this year when a brake caliper bolt came out.  Found a replacement & thought I was good, but the caliper was cracked too.  Also ruined the wheel.   Brake caliper bolt is not large nor heavy, might be good to carry as spare.  By the way, does anyone  have a decent Panasport 15x7 with 20 mm offset for sale?   Sorry for the underlines, don't know why there're here.

 

 

Ah, I know the symptoms of a loose caliper bolt (or mine, for a lower caliper bolt).  At first you here a clunk every time you lightly apply the brakes.  That should tell you to get under there and check that bolt.  If you don't get it soon, then it works its way all the way out.  Then when you hit the brakes, it stops HARD and makes horrible grinding noises, as the caliper swings outward and hits the wheel each time you brake.  If it were the top bolt, then you're probably more screwed, as in grinding to a stop until you can get to the side of the road.

I now use red loc-tite and torque them hell out of them. 

[KFunk]

I see now why people put bigger tires on, the OEM size are not rated for the overload!

 

I agree that carrying many of the large tools and spares is a tad unreasonable.  I'm not going to carry all the huge stuff, or spend money on lots of new parts just to carry as spares.

That's why I wanted to focus on real likely scenarios and fixes in this thread, and not just the listing of stuff to carry like past threads.

 

I should've specified extra points for quick roadside fixes that require no special tools or parts.

A few less extra points for using tools/parts that are commonly available at gas stations, or at least local parts stores.

 

Sure, I have a spare floor jack thats pretty compact and jack stands, but I don't think I'm going to take them to NC with me.  My factory jack fits nicely in the trunk and factory jack points are pretty strong, and concrete blocks, wood blocks, bricks, logs, , etc. can double as jackstands, and can probably be sourced near most roadsides.  You can also slide the extra tire under the car as a safety stop for falling.  

Also, if you need to get under the car without taking the wheels off, well you can drive up a curb or ramp so one side of the car is off the ground, and then slide under.  Done it a few times.

Edited July 5, 2015 by KFunk

[pmg]

I've had to turn the hazards on 6 times in two years in this car. Other stuff not mentioned previously:

 

0) Nitrile gloves in a ziplock baggy. 

 

1) Spare fuel. My fuel gauge feels positively biased (bad ground?) - on some days it works fine - on others when it skims the white line above the red one I'm completely empty. It's the inconstancy that does me in. This embarrasses the pilot.

 

2) Two sticks of Radiator/Fuel tank epoxy putty from NAPA. It's like the old Mission Impossible bubble gum - mix the two sides together and stick in place before it gets too hot to handle. The new kind has some coppery additive to adhere to fuel-ly surfaces.

 

3) Zip ties

 

4) Length of 18ga purple wire, electrical tape, and wire strippers/cutters. Once had the front subframe crack. This moved the engine enough to shear one of the small wires off the dizzy. Obviously had bigger problems, but it wouldn't even start until the dizzy was set up again. Another time my driving lights went out when an inline fuse got a bit too hot and melted their plastic holder enough to stretch one of ends free enough to break contact. This prevented the fuse from close the circuit. Stuff some stripped wire in there and we're back in business.

 

5) Plus, Minus screwdrivers and a crescent wrench. No need to go overboard.

 

6) Water.

[bruno615]

Zip ties belong in every toolbox

[TobyB]

Heck, zip ties belong in every GLOVEbox.  The E36 would fall apart where it sits without them...

 

I wish I'd taken a picture- the Hill brothers have an entire tool kit full of different colors and sizes ot zip ties

 

t

[KFunk]

OK, so when considering all the possible heavy spares getting beat around in the trunk, I'm thinking of stuffing them under the backseat and padding them a bit to prevent rattles.

My trunk will be full of camping gear, scuba gear, clothes, beach gear, etc.  A spare water pump or something would just get beat to death when stuff gets taken in and out regularly, and/or take up too much space. 

Just the stuff that you're likely to never use can go under seat (water pump, dwell meter, starter?, other major parts, etc.), but it is there.  I'll just put it in there before my long trip, and probably remove all stuff before I go back to regular daily driving and autocross.  In my car it's just one 10mm bolt and a couple clips to access it.

All normal hand tools and small bits can still go in the tool bag in the trunk.

 

I smuggled a bunch of my tools this way when I shipped my car from Hawaii to SF.  The shipper says the car has to be empty, but I wasn't about to carry that many cheap tools on my flight, nor was I going to buy new ones when I got there.

Edited July 27, 2015 by KFunk