What is going on @ 365?
3/10/09
Stop the presses! (Or at least your xB!)
Yep we are doing brake lines!
Custom Stainless Steel Braided Line Sets for 2004 - 2009 Scion xB's! That is a 4-line front and rear set for a '04-07 Gen 1 shown above and there is also a 6-line set for the 08-09 Gen 2 xB. The SS has a cool smoked cover over the top and is DOT Approved! Read more about the 2004-2007 xB Brake Lines or 2008-2009 xB Brake Lines.
3/10/09
New Logo!
After four years we finally had a new logo for the 365 Motorwerks site done! Thanks go out to Chris and the team at Studio Rhoad for doing a great job on this project and I hope everybody else likes it as much as we do! If anybody needs some design work done the folks at Studio Rhoad were great to work with, nailed the design and delivered on time can't say enough good things about the experience!
1/16/09
Just how do you "clock" a turbo and what does that mean anyways?
Here is a quick little video that walks you through the reasoning and how to preform the elusive turbo clock move yourself! Basically you are positioning the oil drain on the turbo to allow for a nice gravity assited flow back into the oil pan, this makes for happy bearings and a longer turbo life!
How to clock your turbo from Zack G on Vimeo.
1/2/09
New Tial 38mm Wastegate Coming Soon!
TiAL will be replacing the F38 wastegate with the new MV-S wastegate. Small was on our mind when we developed this new ultra compact wastegate. It stands only 3.7" in height vs the current F38 which is 4.85" Other features include 3 bottom pressure ports for easy install and a top mount pressure port that can be rotated 6 different ways. No more bolts or gaskets and all configurations are leaded fuel safe. We also altered the way the diaphragm sits so it is virtually impossible to pinch. - Good stuff we are looking forward to this design here at 365!
10/13/08
10 Car Care Tips
I wanted to put this out there as a friendly reminder to all of you guys (and gals!) to not overlook the small stuff and properly maintain your rides! Especially now with the holiday season coming up and the fluctuating gas prices, spending more money is not a top priority if it can be avoided but stretching out maintenance can cost you big in the end! I am here to help and with over 209,000 miles on my 2004 xB I have done plenty of preventative mainance to my own car and would like to share some of the basics that need to be addressed. As all internet info goes take this as you may but this is how I do it. The list was kept to 10 items even though I snuck a few others in!
1. Oil and Oil Filter Change
Every 3500 miles if using a mineral based oil or use a quality synthetic like Motul and stretch it to 7500 but still replace the filter at 3500 and top off the oil level at that time. As a note I gained 2mpg when switching to synthetic and my idle seems smoother!
2. Air Filter
Change or clean if you have a reusable filter (AEM Dryflow is a great open element CAI solution as you don’t need to oil it!) Remove the filter and inspect for cleanliness as depending on your driving conditions will dictate when it needs attention. I normally service every second oil change.
3. Brake Pads and Rotors
Don’t wait until they are grinding to fix them: ridges, grooves as well as vibration or surging all point to wear but you can have a local shop look at them to make sure. When it comes time to replace use a high quality pad like Axis Deluxe or Axis Ultimate paired with a Stoptech or PowerSlot Rotor.
4. Tires
Ensure you have the correct tire pressure in all tires and rotate the tires every 5000 miles. On the tires check with the manufacturer on correct pressure and rotation order but most performance tires will just change front to back on the same side due to the tread pattern and rim design. Don’t forget to check the tires for abnormal wear as well. Worn shock / struts, incorrect pressure, and bad alignment all play factors here. While you are at it check the pressure in your spare tire and torque your wheel lugs!
5. Battery
Take care of any corrosion around your battery terminals with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and baking soda use a metal brush to scrub both terminals and cable ends then flush the mix off with clean water. Hint when disconnecting the battery always remove the negative lead first and replace last and use some gloves while scrubbing the mix. *Don’t get the build up or mix on you as it is a chemical*
6. Spark Plugs
I recommend NGK Iridium IX and I change them around 30,000 miles. Install is fairly easy gap a set of new plugs to what is in your owner’s manual take out the old and put in the new (use a little anti-seize on the threads) you can check out a basic YouTube clip of a Scion xB spark plug install on my xB here.
7. Transmission Fluid
Fluid (and filter on automatic) change at 50,000 miles. I know the book usually says something way different but it doesn’t cost that much and my car always seems to shift nicer after it’s done! On the automatic you may want aout shop to do it as the pan has to be dropped usually resulting in a big mess!
8. Spit Shine
Clean your car! Let’s overlook the fact that your car will look nice and shiny and focus on the maintenance aspect. While washing look for paint chips that you can fill with touchup to prevent rust, look for cracking weather stripping, loose items and worn wiper blades. All this gives you a moment to connect with your car! Take a moment to clean the interior windows as well to give clear visibility and vacuuming the fries out from under the seats as well as dropping in a new air freshener is always a hit with the passengers!
9. Brake and Lights
Test headlight high and low beam operation, turn signals front and rear, rear running lights while headlights are on, hazard lights and horn as well as the brake and backup lights. The last two can be done easy enough if you can park where you can see your cars reflection like in a store window.
10. Fluid Check
Oil, coolant, power steering and windshield, the transmission was number 7 but you can also check it every once and a while, unless there is a leak you don’t have to look at it as often as the other fluids though. All the info is in the manual as to proper levels and how to check but you should also look under the car after checking the dipsticks and levels for any leaks and correct if they spring up to.
Hopefully this helps out, I know a bunch of you already do the above and more but some people might need some good hints on areas to check out to keep their cars running well and for a long time!
9/29/08
Energy Suspension Swaybar Endlink Swap
Swapped the front OE Scion sway bar endlinks with new Energy Suspension Hyper-Flex Polyurethane Scion xB endlinksunits and man what a change!
The stock bushings have been showing signs of wear for some time now but have slipped under the maintenance radar for a while, the time had come! No more worn parts would live here! Armed with nothing more than a few assorted wrenches both the socket and open ended variety and a trusty hammer for good luck it was time. Removing both front wheels and un-bolting the original endlinks was first up followed by a quick read of the Energy Suspension instructions and it was zero hour! Installed by turning the wheel to full lock to gain clearance then placed the new bushing in place with the nut on the lower side and loosely bolted together before doing the other side. Tightened up both sides and went for a test drive! Results were no more wandering while attempting to go straight down the freeway and no more VSC light coming on at ordinary corners! Overall this has tightened up the feel of the car Energy Suspensions rocks!