Considering P5

[Maroon]

$500 is a good deal.

When it comes to rust repair, you have to cut out all the rust. Don't just cover it because it will come right back in a matter of months.

At 220,000 km it shouldn't need another timing belt. Isn't the recommendation every 177,000 km (for US that's 110,000 miles)?

You will find that most places won't sell just the ball joint, and instead that they want you to buy the entire lower control arm. However, I found an online place to buy just the ball joints and have had them in for 40-50,000 miles. Can't recall the place, and don't have time to look it up. I think I posted it here, do a search. You'll save a bundle.

 

[StevieB]

a lot of good responses, but I think I have something to add.

RF wheel bearing on my 03 P5 has been a pain. I am on the third bearing and second bearing carrier ("knuckle") as the carrier wears and the bearing then gets cocked in the carrier and wears prematurely. The first bearing carrier I bought from a wrecking yard had the axle shaft frozen to the bearing- something crazy like fifteen tons of pressure in a press would not dislodge it, had to return it and get another. The bearing carrier is the same for 5-lug and 4-lug cars, but you won't have a usable, spare drive shaft assembly if you go with the 4-lug part. Normally the drive shaft can be pushed out of the bearing with a BFH ("big f--king hammer") but a press is needed to remove the bearing from the carrier. The shaft assembly outer end is tapered a bit, so a drift should not be necessary- you can hammer directly on the end; it probably will not mushroom and getting the nut back on should be easy. Don't forget to stake the big nut back onto the shaft with the locking ring, using a smaller hammer and punch, the original locking ring can be reused.

Whew! Do I sound like the voice of experience, or what?

This may sound like heresy, but the timing belt can go well more than 100K miles, and this is a non-interference engine, so if it does break, little or no collateral damage will result. Yeah, I know- not recommended, but I have gone 188K miles on the original belt- tempted to see if I can go 200K, just 'cause, but I am going to change it this month.

Having lived in the south most of my life, I have trouble wrapping my head around extensive rust damage.

Oh, and my first car? 1957 Ford Fairlane 500.

 

[The_big_dill]

a lot of good responses, but I think I have something to add.

RF wheel bearing on my 03 P5 has been a pain. I am on the third bearing and second bearing carrier ("knuckle") as the carrier wears and the bearing then gets cocked in the carrier and wears prematurely. The first bearing carrier I bought from a wrecking yard had the axle shaft frozen to the bearing- something crazy like fifteen tons of pressure in a press would not dislodge it, had to return it and get another. The bearing carrier is the same for 5-lug and 4-lug cars, but you won't have a usable, spare drive shaft assembly if you go with the 4-lug part. Normally the drive shaft can be pushed out of the bearing with a BFH ("big f--king hammer") but a press is needed to remove the bearing from the carrier. The shaft assembly outer end is tapered a bit, so a drift should not be necessary- you can hammer directly on the end; it probably will not mushroom and getting the nut back on should be easy. Don't forget to stake the big nut back onto the shaft with the locking ring, using a smaller hammer and punch, the original locking ring can be reused.

Whew! Do I sound like the voice of experience, or what?

This may sound like heresy, but the timing belt can go well more than 100K miles, and this is a non-interference engine, so if it does break, little or no collateral damage will result. Yeah, I know- not recommended, but I have gone 188K miles on the original belt- tempted to see if I can go 200K, just 'cause, but I am going to change it this month.

Having lived in the south most of my life, I have trouble wrapping my head around extensive rust damage.

Oh, and my first car? 1957 Ford Fairlane 500.

Thanks for all the replies, this community is great!

Regarding the engine, I am pretty sure this is an interference engine, the piston head gives it away.

I had one concern about the steering, this car, had a squeeking noise when turning the steering wheel, is there something wrong with the rack or is it power steering?

 

[kms1990]

can you tell where the squeak is coming from? is it in engine bay or outside? mine squeaks on hard left handers after pulling cv axles and putting everything back together, a dust cap is rubbing, and i know it, but just dont want to pull it all apart to do fix it. is it a screech/whine or a squeak?

 

[The_big_dill]

can you tell where the squeak is coming from? is it in engine bay or outside? mine squeaks on hard left handers after pulling cv axles and putting everything back together, a dust cap is rubbing, and i know it, but just dont want to pull it all apart to do fix it. is it a screech/whine or a squeak?

Sounds like a continuous whine as you turn the steering wheel and is coming from right behind the steering wheel or the steering column.

 

[lowlevel]

$500 is a good deal.

When it comes to rust repair, you have to cut out all the rust. Don't just cover it because it will come right back in a matter of months.

At 220,000 km it shouldn't need another timing belt. Isn't the recommendation every 177,000 km (for US that's 110,000 miles)?

You will find that most places won't sell just the ball joint, and instead that they want you to buy the entire lower control arm. However, I found an online place to buy just the ball joints and have had them in for 40-50,000 miles. Can't recall the place, and don't have time to look it up. I think I posted it here, do a search. You'll save a bundle.

I got ball joints at Napa for a '97 mazda 626 when I replaced my bushings ... if I could do it over again though, I'de just buy the control arms.

 

[CTt3P5]

Thanks for all the replies, this community is great!

Regarding the engine, I am pretty sure this is an interference engine, the piston head gives it away.

I had one concern about the steering, this car, had a squeeking noise when turning the steering wheel, is there something wrong with the rack or is it power steering?

Skimmed through here and can't see pics but for $500 I don't think you can go wrong. Your first car and sounds like you want to get some experience, so it seems a good fit.

Regarding the engine, it's supposedly non-interference and by many who have torn these engines down and re-built them. But in my case my tb broke at ~165K stranding me, my son and his friend in CT (3hrs from home). My fault for pushing it (should have known it wouldn't happen during my 20 mile commute lol) but it went and took two cylinders with it. Bought a used engine with 60K for $795 and paid my mechanic ~$2500 to install it along with replacing a lot of parts (tb, wp, had to replace alt since mine froze up, j-pipe as the mounting points on mine were rusted to $hit, trans and rear mounts, fluids, etc). Thought I'd throw out my experience...it can be pushed but don't push it too far.

PS and where it's coming from would help. Could be the PS pump?

 

[lowlevel]

I had one concern about the steering, this car, had a squeeking noise when turning the steering wheel, is there something wrong with the rack or is it power steering?

I did some googling, and apparently there is a rubber seal on the steering column where it passes through the firewall that needs to be 'lubed' periodically...
I'de find some kind of rubber/vinyl lube at crappy tire and see if that helps...

 

[CTt3P5]

I got ball joints at Napa for a '97 mazda 626 when I replaced my bushings ... if I could do it over again though, I'de just buy the control arms.

Unless you are upgrading to the 626 ball joints and have access to a press, just buy LCAs and call it a day. I don't have a press and by the time I would have bought the ball joints and had them pressed in, I would have paid just as much for the LCAs. Here's a link to a thread I started....maybe it can help? http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123835282-Lower-Control-Arms-Dos-and-Donts&highlight=

 

[lowlevel]

Unless you are upgrading to the 626 ball joints and have access to a press, just buy LCAs and call it a day. I don't have a press and by the time I would have bought the ball joints and had them pressed in, I would have paid just as much for the LCAs. Here's a link to a thread I started....maybe it can help? http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123835282-Lower-Control-Arms-Dos-and-Donts&highlight=

I don't think the 626 balljoint is any kind of upgrade... it was just something that could be ordered easily and fit. The problem I ran into is the rear most control arm bushing is slotted, and it matters which way it goes in... The factory service manual shows a specific positioning tool to be used to press that rear most bushing in, but none of the Mazda dealers around here bought the tool or has ever bothered with bushings or ball joints on these cars.. they just replace the control arm, and for that reason yeah, it's better to just buy the control arm especially if you already pressed your bushing out and can't remember what position the slot was in.

 

[CTt3P5]

626 are an upgrade in that they are bigger and greasable. Your bushing issues are exactly why I went with replacing the entire part...wasn't going to fight with it. If I had been upgrading then yeah, but not "stock" for "stock" bushings.

 

[lowlevel]

626 are an upgrade in that they are bigger and greasable. Your bushing issues are exactly why I went with replacing the entire part...wasn't going to fight with it. If I had been upgrading then yeah, but not "stock" for "stock" bushings.

I upgraded to the premium ball joints (stupid.) which for some reason are not greasable.. while yeah the cheaper ones were.
Again, total waste of effort/time, just buy the control arms if anyone else is thinking about trying to save a buck, and reading this.

 

[CTt3P5]

Well that just seems ass-backwards?! Common sense to me would be that the premiums are greasable....therefore the 'premium' name. lol

 

[lowlevel]

Well that just seems ass-backwards?! Common sense to me would be that the premiums are greasable....therefore the 'premium' name. lol

Yeah, I thought it was strange too... the other thing that was strange, is I bought two of them with the same part number, but one of them was slightly different. One came with a snap ring and a groove on it to hold it in once installed(wouldn't do any good anyway on protege5 control arms), and the other didn't.. *shrug*

 

[The_big_dill]

I did some googling, and apparently there is a rubber seal on the steering column where it passes through the firewall that needs to be 'lubed' periodically...
I'de find some kind of rubber/vinyl lube at crappy tire and see if that helps...

Thanks for that, I hope its something simple like that.

I would probably change the control arm, I was just contemplating on whether the price of shipping for such a heavy piece is worth it. But I guess its worth my time.

I will take pics when I get the car, I am figuring out a method to transport it because I don't need insurance right now and Ontarios laws are terrible, I can only get insurance for 6 or 12 months... Will resort to dealer plates or tow.

 

[Maroon]

In many cases premium ball joints/TRE's etc are non greaseable while the cheaper ones are. Yeah, it seems odd.

I'm only suggesting replacing the just ball joints if you have no intention to replace the control arm bushings. It is easy to press the ball joints out. You only need the free rental tool from Autozone. The Control arm does not need to be removed. I replaced mine 40-50,000 miles ago at a considerably cheaper price than the full control arms so, in my opinion, it was worth it.

 

[CTt3P5]

I can see your logic in just replacing the ball joints but in my situation the car had over 170K miles and bushings were also OEM. With my luck I'd swap out the ball joints and then the bushings would go a few thousand miles later. lol Given the mileage of the car the OP is buying I'd want to replace all, if it were me.