[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

Nice to see an update on this thread, I was starting to wonder if all was well with GG . Regarding the HSRP, personally not a big fan of them, but I guess we have to follow the rules.

Haha, Yes everything is fine, just wasn't taking GG out due to rains. However not for long. The day began with post of ACI with hashtag #ThrowbackThursday.

Then came Sirish Chandran's video on Evo India, and that was it, I had to take GG out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIUzMzXzyxs

Immediately left for home, took GG out and left on a quick drive along with a friend, thus giving a nice workout to the mechanicals.

Regarding the HSRP, personally not a big fan of them, but I guess we have to follow the rules.

True, they have messed up the front look completely, will have to get the plates moved down a bit. See how weird it's looking from front:

Nevertheless, GG is healthy as ever and it's always a fun to take her out on roads, the raw feel and the sharp throttle response is unmatched!

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Coolant change and switch to HOAT Long Life Coolant: GG's last coolant change was done in 2019, and after that running remained pretty low. Anyways as per Maruti's change interval of 2 years/20k km, it was time for the change. Came across this video by famous mechanic Scotty Kilmer where he opines that change to HOAT Long life coolant is fine as long as we don't mix old and new coolant types. Intense flushing was the key. Also I've been in touch with our immensely learned DBHPian Vigsom, who has been using this coolant in his Grand Vitara without any issue for years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYX4kRaOvTM

Ordered Toyota's Genuine Pink coolant(TGC) from Boodmo during their recent sale. I had the other required spares like thermostat gaskets in stock. Steps of flushing was pretty simple:

1. Removed the coolant container and drained it, cleaned the hose with running water. The coolant reservoir had turned yellow and was cheap, so altogether replaced it. It's cap also leaked some coolant and while cap/gasket is available separately, I went for the unit change.

2. Removed Radiator and cleaned it with running water, including internals.

3. Removed the thermostat and its cap and used the opening to flush the coolant galleries with Distilled water. Kept pouring in till clean colorless water came out.

4. Using blower, forced all water out. A significant amount came out. The system was as clean as it could be to accept fresh new coolant.

5. Installed back all components including radiator, gaskets for thermostat housing etc.

6. Poured 3L of TGC inside. Once thermostat opened, it took in quite a lot of fluid from the reservoir tank.

My reason for this switch:

1. Change every 2 years feels tiring and wasteful. I intend to make this switch even in the XL6 once it's warranty gets over.

2. Dilution with DW triggers my OCD. I prefer premixes any day.

3. Longer change interval=Environment Friendly. I intend to follow change interval of at least 5-6 years with this one.

4. Toyota uses this in all their cars which have aluminum/iron-aluminum constructions, hence should be fine in my 800 which has a cast iron block.

5. Parts sharing=Lesser hassle of stocking. With all my cars running on this stuff, one bottle for top-up will suffice.

Some pics:

TGC:

Flushing with DW, notice the clear water pouring from lower metallic hose:

Forcing the remaining water out:

Having a ready stock of spares at home helps:

Replaced the coolant reservoir too:

Lovely pink shade:

Regards,
Shashi

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Then came Sirish Chandran's video on Evo India, and that was it, I had to take GG out!

The 5-speed is yours truly.

Will be coming up with an ownership report soon.

Cheers

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

The 5-speed is yours truly.

Yes I was able to take a guess, there were some obvious hints. You had mentioned on your Red 800's thread about procuring a 2001 5 Speed, the MB Silver featured in Evo's Video had similar Free flow exhaust and Nelly Auto's sticker.

Will be coming up with an ownership report soon.

Looking forward.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

A long standing flaw, finally fixed!

History: When GG was new, dealer had put MGA's full floor rubber mat. In the process, he had covered both seat belt buckles, since in those days seat belt was considered useless.

It remained buried under that weight for many years. Now 800 came with two types of buckle, one is a spindly metal type, while DX cars usually got a premium looking plastic encased buckle. The plastic covering in my case had cracked. So while the buckle itself was functional, as the fabric inside was intact, the plastic casing which provided it strength to stay erect had broken. Thus the buckles would always lie on the floor.

My attempt to fix it: I tried scouting for the buckles in scrap market, but their red button was faded. Triggered my OCD so didn't pick them. Tried plastic welding myself and applied electrical tapes to hide the imperfections on joints, and this is how it remained for all these years.

I did order all types of seat belts available from Maruti's end, but all of them were thin spindly type which I never liked.

Thankfully, didn't lose any money in this hit and trial due to Boodmo's return policy. Finally, while casually browsing through Boodmo, I came across another part number which I hadn't ordered till date. And this time I turned lucky. The buckle was exactly the stuff I was looking for.

Replaced both of them and the long wait finally came to an end. Some pics:

New vs old LH side, notice the jugaad I had done to fix the crack:

Vendor, old and new:

Exactly same:

LH replaced, notice how RH buckle is lying low while LH is perfectly positioned:

Both old parts out of GG:

Perfect:

Part Numbers ordered: 84901M84400 and 84902M84400. Note, the name on Boodmo says Non retracting type but the belts which actually come against this part number are proper ELR belts.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

DIY Catalytic Converter Cleaning: Taking inspiration from a video where renowned mechanic Scotty Kilmer recommended flushing/soaking catcon to remove deposits of soot and unclog it, I decided to remove the cat. Also offlate I was noticing some reduced flow. Of course I could be wrong, but since I had prepared stuff for soaking, decided to soak the CAT as well.


PS: Note that this cleaning will work only if your substrate is intact in one piece.

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

Great job Shashi. Have you noticed any change in exhaust note and engine performance after the catcon clean? How did you paint the catcon and the fuel tank?

Update: If Government testing agency and equipment is to be believed, and they do it pretty strictly since this particular center is located barely 200m from CM residence, GG's Hydrocarbon emissions have decreased a lot(579 vs 136) after that cleaning last year. It may be due to BS6 fuel too. But there is a decrease for sure.

HC Reading, before cleaning, this is from March 2020:

HC Reading, latest, December 2021:

My BS6 XL6's reading, at the same center:

Thus if these reports are to be believed, a well maintained BS2 car is as good as BS6 car in terms of HC emissions. Obviously CO emissions are more in BS2 GG.

At the PUC center:

Random evening at Ranchi:

Regards,
Shashi

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

A long standing flaw, finally fixed!

History: When GG was new, dealer had put MGA's full floor rubber mat. In the process, he had covered both seat belt buckles, since in those days seat belt was considered useless.


And this time I turned lucky. The buckle was exactly the stuff I was looking for.


Part Numbers ordered: 84901M84400 and 84902M84400. Note, the name on Boodmo says Non retracting type but the belts which actually come against this part number are proper ELR belts.

Awesome Shashi, that's one long pending issue (albeit very small) fixed. Never knew that M800 also got this type of seat-belt buckle, always thought it was the spindly type. Our 99 Omni has the spindly type, I also think that my ex 01 Zen VXi got the spindly type only. This plastic one looks a bit more upmarket (a bit old school as well in my personal opinion) than the thin spindly type.

Part Numbers ordered: 84901M84400 and 84902M84400. Note, the name on Boodmo says Non retracting type but the belts which actually come against this part number are proper ELR belts.

After a bit of brainstorming I recalled that I have seen these kind of seat belt buckle in a few T1 Omnis. Of course in T1 Omni, it was the non ELR type.

Sharing a few photos of the same, the Omni in question is of 94 vintage & belongs to fellow car enthusiast Shrijit:

[Sanidhya mukund]

Hello Leoshashi, does GG's AC use R12 gas? If yes, then how do you manage to top up? Is R12 or an alternative easily available in Jharkhand?

I have a 1995 Esteem which takes in R12 gas, but the mechanic says that using R134 would not be a problem, but I am sure it would damage the compressor.
I came to know that there are conversion kits available but that would involve quite a bit of expenditure.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Hello Leoshashi, does GG's AC use R12 gas? If yes, then how do you manage to top up? Is R12 or an alternative easily available in Jharkhand?

I have a 1995 Esteem which takes in R12 gas, but the mechanic says that using R134 would not be a problem, but I am sure it would damage the compressor.
I came to know that there are conversion kits available but that would involve quite a bit of expenditure.

Hello, IIRC in 2014, I got the conversion kit from MGP for R134 done, and it's been going great so far. Total cost including the kit was around 7k. Details posted on first page of this review, quoting it for you:

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

4. Installation details of the AC R134 conversion kit-A brief review

AC Conversion Kit-R12 to R134
Part Number- 95999M84R10
Price-Rs.5,198
Kit contents-
RD Bottle
2 Connecting Pipes
Some seals
Compressor Oil

What was done-
Old compressor oil drained out
Compressor Flushed, oil seals replaced
Pipes and RD bottle changed
Condenser and Radiator cleaned
Leakage check done by Nitrogen
R134 Gas refilled

Result- Have been using the AC since almost a year, and the performance of the AC has been excellent post replacement. BHPian sumitsinha0280 once requested to turn off the AC,at about 3PM in peak summer, as it had become too chilly for him. Now this is something which the M800's AC isn't known for.
I had to remove the heater, as the new pipes were somewhat different in shape, and the installer was finding it difficult to install it properly.

There used to be a Dupont Alternative, Mo49 if memory serves me right which I used for sometime before availability became an issue. Another option was using unknown gas in a black round bottle, which AC shops used to call R12, and apparently it was illegally smuggled(this was the story I was told) from Bangladesh, and thus used to cost a princely sum of Rs. 2000 per refill. It never gave the cooling which AC should, thus I decided to get the retrofit done. Was an expensive but one time investment since the system hasn't given me any trouble.

This year, I got the system checked for leaks and got the compressor oil changed at my preferred place, and the mechanic declared system as quite healthy. It managed a good vacuum figure and when recharged with new gas and oil, also attained a chilly temperature of 2.3 degrees at the vent before cutting off:

Vacuum achieved:

Got this cap changed since they had cracked:

For Esteem, these were the part numbers for retrofit kits:

95999M60R00: R134A R-KIT (ESTEEM W/O PS) [for cars without Power Steering]
95999M60R10: R134A R-KIT (ESTEEM WITH PS) [for cars with Power Steering)

I believe they are still orderable, in case you don't find them, feel free to ping me.

Regards,
Shashi

PS: Using R134 directly on R12 can be done and it won't damage the compressor if old oil is flushed thoroughly and new gas and oil is filled in. Problem will arise in case of seals, R134 leaks easily there. Also Nozzle for R134 is plug type while R12 uses screw type nozzle. So not every shop will be able to top it up for you if needed. GG's compressor is the original one which came from factory 22 years ago, and its still healthy as ever with no abnormal noise. It's been on R134 since past 8 years.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

A long standing flaw, finally fixed!

Update: Driver side seatbelt, due to wear and tear had lost it's chroming on the tongue, and was looking very bad. So replaced the belt too on the RH side. Left the LH side as it is since they are absolutely fine.

Details of the original belt:

Worn out tongue:

Radiator fan motor: The fan motor was sometimes making weird groaning sounds while slowing down. It's speed hasn't decreased till now, nor is it malfunctioning yet. But since the fan motor isn't available in MGP for 5 Speed 800(the regular 120W fan motor doesn't fit in original shroud), I opted for Denso's Motor since the original motor was also Denso make.

Original motor details:

New Motor:

Compression tested: Since the engine is already 22 years old, and has done over 3.4 lac kms, I was curious to know how the compression is. Also called in my trusted mechanic Arjun to ensure we follow all process to the T.

After multiple readings and taking an average to eliminate errors/other factors, here are the readings:

Cylinder 1: 14 kg/cm²
Cylinder 2: 14 kg/cm²
Cylinder 3: 14.1 kg/cm²

What's shocking is that the values measured are superior to what Maruti recommends[10-13.5 kg/cm²] for a healthy engine(perhaps due to carbon buildup on piston tops). Proves the engine still is very healthy and has a good life. The consistent values prove even the valve seals and head gasket are in good shape!

Cylinder 1:

Cylinder 2:

Cylinder 3:

Screenshot from Service manual for 5 Speed 800:

Regards,
Shashi

[humbleroadster]

This is such a brilliant journey of the car over the years! I absolutely love your thread and it is for this reason I believe this forum is the best place to document the journey of a car through its life.

Quick question, how is the aircon performance after all these years? Is it affecting the overall performance of the car if you’re, let’s say, using it continuously?

[Phantom 510]

The best ever variant of the entire maruti 800 range no doubt about it. I've had fond memories of driving one, it's really surprising how rapid this little car can be. It's one of the few cars in our market that crosses the max speed on the speedo fairly easy if the road is long enough and in the process shocking many bigger cars. What a car!!!

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by humbleroadster

Quick question, how is the aircon performance after all these years? Is it affecting the overall performance of the car if you’re, let’s say, using it continuously?

AC performance is excellent, considering almost every hardware is stock(except the pipes and RD bottle which were changed for R134 conversion). Compressor, condenser, evaporator everything is factory original stuff.

But performance of car with AC on is nothing great, the compressor does sap out significant performance. It's not bad on highways while maintaining constant speed, but is an irritant in stop and go city traffic. Alto 800 today manages its AC far better.

Also, the newer breed of compressors of R134 system somehow put far less load on the engine and I intend to upgrade the entire system whenever any component fails.

Originally Posted by Phantom 510

The best ever variant of the entire maruti 800 range no doubt about it. I've had fond memories of driving one, it's really surprising how rapid this little car can be. It's one of the few cars in our market that crosses the max speed on the speedo fairly easy if the road is long enough and in the process shocking many bigger cars. What a car!!!

True, the raw and immediate acceleration one gets(obviously without AC) is something I love even today.

Signing off with a click taken during last drive:

Regards,
Shashi

[humbleroadster]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

But performance of car with AC on is nothing great, the compressor does sap out significant performance..

I’m just glad to see your car maintained so well over the years. Since almost all of us have been with padminis and marutis at some point in our lives, your thread makes me wish I had retained and maintained at least one of them so far!

[Leoshashi]

Oil Change, 2022: GG had not seen much use in past 2 years, as it's role has been limited to that of a weekend drive. During this life of retirement, it had barely seen 2400km of running, in 1 year and 7 months since last oil change.

The oil change was due in June 2021, but because of COVID 2nd wave, low running and then lack of time, I was postponing the oil change, even though I had procured 3 cans of Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 in July 2021. One main reason was that the oil change isn't that easy like say my XL6. In 800, I have to take out the front bumper to be able to cleanly do the job, or there should be a lift or pit access to easily take the filter out.

I was regularly checking the oil quality visually on dipstick, but that didn't give the true picture. Somehow, the oil was turning thick, may be due to age or long periods of being idle. When I drained the oil, the oil in sump had become very thick, when compared to new oil. Lesson learnt, oil changes are not to be delayed even if the running is negligible. I guess with low running, one needs to be even more proactive.

Some pics:

New oil and Spare parts:

Front wheel needs to be slightly raised:

Drained glutinous oil:

Some recent clicks of GG:

Regards,
Shashi