wolfwings

Just installed class-5 synthetic Amsoil into the transmission fluid (75W-110 extreme-duty racing spec), engine oil (0W-20 extreme-duty spec), and for engine oil filter (25k miles commercial-fleet-duty spec), and ended up buying a set of impact-driver bits for the job because nobody... and I mean nobody, not Wal-Mart, not Auto-Zone, not any mechanic shop I went to today had a 24mm socket except as part of a $30 or more set, or as a metric-only impact-driver set... also for $30. If I'm gonna spend $30 either way, I'd rather get the impact-driver-rated 6-sided-sockets all in sizes I'll actually use, than a 40-piece with wierd sizes I won't.

It's also heavier than the 40-piece set, despite only having a tenth as many pieces. No chrome here, just that dull-black gunmetal-like finish most actual autoshop sockets have. And all (from 10mm up to 24mm) are both deep-socket AND 1/2" Drive, so they fit right onto the 2-foot-bar-style torque wrench I picked up on sale for $30.

I'm still amazed at the Yaris from a self-service perspective, honestly. I didn't need to jack up the car at all to reach the transmission drain, transmission fill, or engine drain plugs, and the engine oil filter is oriented so it acts like a 'cup' with a very slight tilt to it, so it's mostly an 'unscrew quickly and drop it, no dribbles' affair.

And the first test drive? Much quieter engine, much smoother transmission shifting, and from feeling the transmission housing after driving it firmly it's running cooler. Normally the transmission gets 'slightly warm' from being driven around, it was basically ambient-temperature after driving it a little firmly to test things. Downside... I now have much less engine braking. As in hills that I could engine-brake in 2nd on and keep my speed around 30 now let me roll up to 40mph. Far easier to roll along slowly in gear in parking lots though.

Now... next weekend I'll flush the brake fluid to Amsoil synthetic as well, and I hope to get some cheap rims and mount some tires on them before April 13th so I can make it to the first Autocross day fully kitted out. =^.^=