Help in San Francisco

911pcars · 10-16-2011, 10:11 PM

I made a detour to visit daughter in S.F. after Rennsport. Driving after dinner, discovered a clicking sound from the rear or drivetrain and getting progressively louder, but not imminent failure loud. Would like to check it out before the 400 mile trip back to L.A. Will flatbed it via AAA for fear of potential breakdown on the way (e.g. CV joint or equivalent).

Need some suggestions for a reliable shop to take a look. I'm in the Fillmore area.

Thanks,
Sherwood

aigel · aigel's Garage

Sherwood,

Where do you look for a shop? In SF or in LA? I am unclear on this. Fillmore is in LA, right?

Thanks,

George

aigel · aigel's Garage

Ok - it dawned on me that you are in the Fillmore district in SF. If it isn't to far, SCARGO will be able to help in San Rafael. It is about 15 miles from SF.

533 Irwin Street
San Rafael, CA 94901-3914
(415) 485-6026
scargoracing.com‎

George

911pcars · 10-16-2011, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aigel

Sherwood,

Where do you look for a shop? In SF or in LA? I am unclear on this. Fillmore is in LA, right?

Thanks,

George

George,
Yes, SF. Hope they're not too busy on Monday. Will call and see.

Another suggested shop is Performance Option in Emeryville, but I hear they're usually booked.

Thanks much,
S

911pcars · 10-16-2011, 10:46 PM

Google found Aldo's Performance. They're about 2 miles from my location. Any info on these guys? Might be worth a limp over there.

Sherwood

donporfi · 10-17-2011, 12:20 AM

Check
Pacific Motors
265 10th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

tobluforu · tobluforu's Garage

Don't forget the stable in SF, if you drive across the bridge, hi-tech auto which is very close to scargo (Rob cut his teeth at hi-tech) and is right off the freeway in San Rafael. Going into the Eastbay on Monday can be a nightmare.

dyusem · dyusem's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911pcars

Google found Aldo's Performance. They're about 2 miles from my location. Any info on these guys? Might be worth a limp over there.

Sherwood

When I first purchased my SC and worked in SF, Aldo maintained the vehicle to perfection. While the other shops in San Rafael are great (although I prefer to use Peter Wilms at Peter and Wolf in San Rafael), I'd "limp" over to Aldo (factory trained) who will be able to diagnose the problem.

Please report back what you find...and say hi to Aldo from David Yusem!

911pcars · 10-17-2011, 07:45 AM

Gentlemen,
All suggestions very much appreciated. I'm going to try Aldo's first (Thanks Dave) since they're the closest, then play it by ear.

BTW, boy, some of the roads in town are rough. E.g. the road bumps to reduce speeds are shaped like radical high lift cam lobes; devoid of gradual entry and exit ramps. But I digress. .....

S

tobluforu · tobluforu's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911pcars

Gentlemen,
All suggestions very much appreciated. I'm going to try Aldo's first (Thanks Dave) since they're the closest, then play it by ear.

BTW, boy, some of the roads in town are rough. E.g. the road bumps to reduce speeds are shaped like radical high lift cam lobes; devoid of gradual entry and exit ramps. But I digress. .....

S

That's SF for ya. If you get it figured out and all is ok, go across the GGB and head for MT tam which is about 5 miles after the bridge. Take a drive up MT and have a blast. That was my back yard for 12 years and is an awesome road for spirited driving.

MT also has amazing views of the BA.

wevoid · wevoid's Garage

Sherwood,

You can also try The Stable, corner of Pine and Franklin in the city.
Alan may not be there, but George will help you, at least through diagnosis, they can store your car if you need to make arrangements.
Good luck.

Hayden

911pcars · 10-17-2011, 11:47 AM

Well, this is getting interesting.

Like you guys said, Aldo was available, but his new shop wasn't. He's in the process of setting up a new shop, new location. Epoxy shop floor expected today and his shop equipment was in a stack. He suggested The Stable a few blocks away.

The Stable
Nice shop. Lot's of equipment. I met George who told me the owner was recuperating from a stroke. Didn't matter. George was on it. I was hoping for a loose or even worn CV joint. Instead, we found a worn (not loose) RR wheel bearing. Okay. Let's install a new bearing. However, the car owner (me) left the locking lug nut key on the workbench at home (only 400 miles away). That's a big DUH for me. Instead of attempting the "Remove-the-locking-lug-nut-from-the-Fuchs" trick w/assorted cutting instruments, I've decided to drive home at scenic speed. If it gets too loud, I'll ask AAA to flatbed it from whatever milepost marker I decide to end the journey. 100 miles free range is what I have. If I can make it to within 300 miles, it should be okay. If not, it's only a pricey lift home for the magic lug key. My fuel mileage will automatically increase won't it?

As for SF repair shops, Aldo was more than willing, but he had a full plate with his new location/setting up and customers calling for service. George, at The Stable, was more than gracious and willing to assist as well until we discovered the Fuchs that wouldn't budge scenario.

Oh, BTW, I mentioned the SF road contours earlier in this thread. During the car lift, as the suspension swung downward, a fountain of Koni Sport hydraulic fluid cascaded onto the floor. Yup, broken shock seal. Maybe it was time? Nah, only 25K on them, but that's on ordinary city streets and the least of my worries. Ride height doesn't seem to be affected much if at all.

I imagine more road adventures await me. Stay tuned.

Bye for now and thanks for the all the efforts to assist.

Sherwood

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

Good Luck, Sherwood!

tenrunr · 10-17-2011, 01:02 PM

I'm ****ing petered out from reading about your scenic excursion.....Did you, at least, have chinese food in Chinatown ?? St. Christopher is waiting to assist you on the "Road". Safe journey home.

JH

dyusem · dyusem's Garage

Thanks for the update and I hope that you have an uneventful trip home...

911pcars · 10-18-2011, 12:09 AM

Hopefully, here's the final chapter of today's episode.

Here's George removing the cotter pin to see if the axle nut was loose. He torqued it to spec, but it was already there.

I could live with a worn wheel bearing on the road as long as it didn't sound like imminent failure. It didn't and was just fine all the way home, but I checked the wheel temp. a couple of times to see if the hub was overheating. It wasn't.

An afterthought - if I even had a flat tire, I'd be SOL w/o the lug nut key. If you have wheel locks, don't leave home w/o the key. Obvious huh?

For those in the bay area, I'd recommend both Aldo and The Stable; Aldo for taking time to temporarily close up and road test it with me despite having a full plate this morning. He also recommended The Stable once he determined he couldn't bend his schedule.

And George @ The Stable for a thorough look see and confirmation - it was very nominal. Had a nice chat too.

A view of the car before limping out of/leaving SF:

There are a few things to fix back home. This Forum is great. Thanks all.

Sherwood