[R2D2]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Is it this way? I was of the thought that the coolant always flows through the heater core irrespective of the knob position and what the knob changes is the hot air/cold air mixture.

As Sunnyboi has explained, the flap/valve controls the flow of coolant from the radiator circuit to the heater core. It makes no sense to only control the flow of air. The source of heat has to be shut off as a warm/hot heater core inside the cabin will only add to the load on the AC.

Of course, removal of the heater core is a tedious task. What I can think of is to remove the hoses routing to the heater from the engine bay and send low pressurised air to remove the old coolant.

Removing the core is a pain for sure but if your car doesn't have a cabin filter, which IIRC the M800 doesn't, the internal heat exchangers (AC and heater) do tend to get clogged with dirt and debris.

You'll find a pair of coolant hoses passing through the car's firewall. Disconnecting the hoses and passing low pressure air is a more practical method. What you can do is pour DW + radiator cleaner into the heater core directly via the hoses.

However, what I would do is pour in the cleaner + DW solution into the complete cooling circuit via the radiator and expansion bottle, simply set the temp setting on 'Hot' (fan off, 'recirculate air' flap set to off so fresh air intake is possible if you're driving) and take the car for a spin, letting the water pump do all the hard work.

Just make sure you drain the DW + cleaner mixture out of the core and the rest of the cooling system as thoroughly as possible.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by R2D2

As Sunnyboi has explained, the flap/valve controls the flow of coolant from the radiator circuit to the heater core. It makes no sense to only control the flow of air. The source of heat has to be shut off as a warm/hot heater core inside the cabin will only add to the load on the AC.

Yes, indeed the heat build up in the heater core will be there in case the coolant permanently flows into it. But as long as it is well insulated, the heat shouldnt leak into the cabin. So after this thing came up, I was curious to know what is the method followed. After searching for the diagrams in oriparts, this is what I observed:

• The 800 has a water valve to control the coolant flow into the heater core.
• The newer cars like Swift, Ertiga, SX4, Ciaz do not have any controlling mechanism for the heater core. The coolant always flows into it.
• For cars with Automatic climate control, there is again no control on coolant flow, and only the hot air mixture is controlled. Verified this from service manuals.

Maybe this is specific to Maruti and could be inefficient. But the AC chills well though

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Not sure if GG has a heating element inside the cabin.

The heater was removed in 2015, because when we changed to the R134 system using the conversion kit, the AC pipe was coming in the route of the heater pipes. So we removed it altogether, as I don't remember using it ever.

The entire heater element with all pipes was cleaned and kept in my spare parts room.

Too much of a bother frankly for the rest of us but for chaps like you & Sunnyboi it would be a piece of cake

Honestly sir, I am not even 1% of what Sunnyboi is capable of. He is like my guru and I maintain a proper document with tips I get from his posts(whatever I can understand, as half his posts are like bouncers for me, but still love reading them)

Originally Posted by audioholic

The 800 has a water valve to control the coolant flow into the heater core.[*]The newer cars like Swift, Ertiga, SX4, Ciaz do not have any controlling mechanism for the heater core. The coolant always flows into it.[*]For cars with Automatic climate control, there is again no control on coolant flow, and only the hot air mixture is controlled. Verified this from service manuals.[/list]Maybe this is specific to Maruti and could be inefficient. But the AC chills well though

Thanks for this info.

Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Update: Got the gear link rods bushes and associated plastic parts replaced. As such I had absolutely no issues with the gearshift, but decided to get them replaced as they were never changed in all these 17 years.

There was a remarkable difference in the shifting quality, and is now at par with any other new car in the market. One gets used to the gradual wear and tear, and only the sudden changes are perceivable.

Didn't take many pics as I too was busy getting my hands dirty with the mechanic.



Be careful to wrap that gearknob or it can get scratched. In my case, we replaced the knob with an old cracked one before proceeding.



These parts were changed. These are all plastic and rubber parts, and are shared with Zen(exactly same), Alto, WagonR etc.



Since a lot of F8B aka 4 Speed owners follow this thread too, posting the part numbers which they need to change.



Total bill was Rs. 350 including labour and time involved was close to an hour.

Regards,
Shashi

[sumeethaldankar]

I remember having the bushes changed on my 800. I had a after market gear lock wherein the gear lever had to be squeezed towards the driver side to fit the lock. I believe this caused the bushes to wear out faster. A sign of bad bushes is that the gear lever would feel limp and shaky.

[Leoshashi]

Update: Realised the importance of DIY. During the radiator flush, I noticed something unusual. The front crossmember has two holes, on either side, which is covered by a film. The film on the LH side was missing, and I saw some major rust inside. A peek into the member with my trusted endoscope worsened my fears. The whole crossmember had become hollow from inside and was filled with rust flakes.

I took GG to MASS, and the mechanic inspected everything, and as the crossmember was pretty solid from outside, he said it's still good and I shouldn't worry about the rust inside.

Still, what I had seen through endoscope was disturbing me, and I asked my SA to open a jobcard and give me a new crossmember for a day or two. I wasn't impressed with the rust proofing on the member, and wanted to provide it some additional layer of coating. My plan was: We'll remove the member from the car, if its fine, we'll install the new coated one and refurbish the old one for future.

I brought the member home, and prepped it for coating. That's when I see the internals of the member showing some surface rust and dirt. Took out my endoscope again, and scanned the internals. The surface rust wasn't major and was only at some places. Endoscope gives a nice idea about the things hidden from naked eye, and that ensures proper planning and execution.

My treatment included:

1. Washing the member and internals with pressurised water to remove all dust inside. Drying it.

2. Since the rust wasn't a major one, I used Rust converter to stabilise it, before painting.

3. External treatment: Wipe down the surface with Rapid Cleaner. Close the two holes by sticking the OEM film, and Spray two layers of Zinc. Then a layer of 3M Body Schutz, and finally a layer of bitumen(aka Rock Guard). The rock guard specially is a very thick, rough coating with rubbery texture.

4. Interal treatment: Rust converter-2 Layers of Zinc sprayed using air gun(what painters use)-Cavity Wax.

The whole process needed 5 days, as I used to carry these jobs only after office hours, and that allowed sufficient time to each layer for curing.

The SA was very happy on seeing the final product.

Another headache was that most MASS remove the engine and gearbox from the chassis to change the front crossmember, as the engine member rests directly on it, and one of the three mounts is also connected to the member. I asked my SA if its possible to change the member without removing the engine, and he said YES!!

But as soon as we removed the bumper, I was shocked!! The coolant was leaking. I was sure I had damaged the radiator while cleaning, and was mentally calculating the additional cost of radiator. But my SA was quick to identify the source of the leak even without removing the radiator, and he was damn right. The clamp of the lower radiator hose was hitting the member causing the hose to bend a bit. Experience counts!!

Time for some pics.

The new crossmember. Part No: 71100M84010. This particular member is recommended only for 5S 800, although other cars can use it too. Difference: As 5 Speed 800 has a radiator drain plug, this member has an extra hole for that.



Liqui Moly Rapid Cleaner for cleaning the surface before painting



Cleaned



Surface rust inside the new member due to lack of protection



Rust Converter



Internals liberally coated with rust converter



Externals receive a layer of Zinc



Liqui Moly Zinc-Alu Spray



Products used





Conversion done. Treated with Zinc too



Coolant leak



Mechanic still not convinced if the member needs replacement



The way they avoided removal of engine and gearbox





Loads of rust flakes which came out of the old member. The mechanic is shocked!



Some more flakes visible



New Vs Old. Notice the rough finish which rockguard provides.



More flakes. The mechanic was eventually happy we changed the member, as it had become hollow from inside.



Y5A: This was the internal R&D code for 5 Speed 800.



GG receives a well deserved foam wash



Regards,
Shashi

[Leoshashi]

Only the best stuff for my baby: Permatex Caliper grease





Most recent click



Regards,
Shashi

[Tanveer02]

There were certain versions of popular cars by Maruti that were an actual delight to own like the 5 speed 800, Alto 1.1 and even the two door Zen. Had a 2001 make 5S 800 and sold it in 2007 as I was just a 4th standard kid back then to understand the real value of this car. That body line, those lights and the shiny 5 speed 12 valve mpi sticker is enough to send 90's kids like me back to nostalgia of my childhood days

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

[b]Only the best stuff for my baby

Shashi, where did you buy this from? I've been looking for some good quality caliper grease for my car's upcoming brake pad replacement.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Tanveer02

That body line, those lights and the shiny 5 speed 12 valve mpi sticker is enough to send 90's kids like me back to nostalgia of my childhood days

So true buddy!! A funny incident: When this car came home in March 2000, I was a Class 2 kid. And understanding "5 Speed" was too much for my little brain. I still remember my bestie had a White 800 STD model(4 Speed Carb) , and when I saw the 5 Speed decal on my car's boot, I got the shock of my life. I thought it's top speed was 5kmph, and I immediately ran upto the speedometer and was relieved to see the 140kmph mark on the speedo, Still, my friends used to taunt me by saying that my car won't go any more than 5kmph.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Shashi, where did you buy this from? I've been looking for some good quality caliper grease for my car's upcoming brake pad replacement.

My friend got me this from US. I don't think it's available in India. If its possible, I am ready to share it with you. I can put it in some smaller container and ship it across to you. If it's not urgent, you can also ask your friends if they can bring it from US/UK.

Regards,
Shashi

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Still, my friends used to taunt me by saying that my car won't go any more than 5kmph.

LOL!

My friend got me this from US. I don't think it's available in India. If its possible, I am ready to share it with you. I can put it in some smaller container and ship it across to you. If it's not urgent, you can also ask your friends if they can bring it from US/UK.

Thanks and very kind of you to offer. I'll have it brought from overseas possibly from the ME as my brother is there.

Hats off to you man, the dedication and love you have for GG is really inspiring even for an OCD driven car crazy ol' coot like me.

[Leoshashi]

Indulged myself in some cleaning this weekend. I love clean engine bays, and wasn't being able to clean mine since some time.

Here are the results:



After some tweaks



Found this bodyshell lying beside the Ranchi Patratu highway, and I was shocked to learn that this car once belonged to my dad's bestie. He sold this car in 2002 and was spotted today after some 15 years.



Ready for a drag??





Enough of nostalgia: Time to move on!!



Regards,
Shashi

[saket77]

I envy that clean look of your engine bay. Free of all dirt and grim. I run out of patience even while washing the car.

By the way, you changed the cross member. Any alignment issues post this?

Regards,
Saket

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by saket77

By the way, you changed the cross member. Any alignment issues post this?

Regards,
Saket

The car did pull to left initially. Also while driving, I had a feeling that the car is dog tracking. Funnily, my mechanic called me two days later and asked me if the car is driving abnormally. I told him what I felt, and he replaced the engine mounts and the engine member cushion and the car was fine again.

Ideally they should be changed together, but since they appeared new, he took a chance and decided to work as per my feedback.

Regards,
Shashi

[pedrolourenco]

What an amazing thread. I must have read it twice. This has got to be one of the best 800's. Another being Varun's. I love the part about the businessman from Gujarat copying every single thing you did. I know it's asking a bit too much, but could you list out all the mods/upgrades you have done with links to the relevant posts and part numbers?
Where did you get the LHD parts catalogue from. Do you have the part number and can we order it from any MGP dealer?

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Found this bodyshell lying beside the Ranchi Patratu highway, and I was shocked to learn that this car once belonged to my dad's bestie. He sold this car in 2002 and was spotted today after some 15 years.

You should buy it and keep it for spares.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

The Exhaust story: While going through some Japanese forums, I had once seen that the F8D Alto they got, had the option of going with some mild performance exhaust. Basically it was a part of the Genuine accessories for them.

I casually asked my friend Vikas Mahatre who is in Merchant Navy to check the part for me when he visits Japan. All I had was an image, no part number, nothing. Almost a year later, he surprises me with the exhaust delivered to my place.

Initial impressions:

What I liked:

• Typical Japanese build quality, the Indian made exhaust feels poorly made.
• Designed by Suzuki for F8D cars, so no chance of harming the engine. Absolutely legal mod.
• Sporty Exhaust Note. Sounds like some of the bigger cars we know.
• A substantial increase in the low end grunt. GG feels a bit free now.

What I didn't:

• No idea about its price, it was a gift from him

Did you manage to get the part number?

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Not sure if the KYB is actually worth it or price is inflated being an import.

Didn't the first Maruti 800 (SS80) come with Koni Shocks?