Daihatsu Charade/Mira/Cuore L251 Engine overhaul - Part 1

This one's a slow burner, but we've finally started on trying to stop our 2006 Daihatsu Charade/Mira/Cuore from smoking like a sick Trabant. Seized brakes delayed us somewhat, but we began by removing the front bumper and eventually finding out how the cam cover/air filter base comes off. It took a while...
It is one year since we bought this car, and two since I bought the DJI Osmo Action camera I use for filming.
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[@ebutuoyYT]

HubNut is like classic Top Gear, one moment it’s all Mercs in Monaco, next it’s Maestros in Macclesfield, gotta love it.

[@markleworthy8617]

I think the appeal of watching Hubnut do this sort of work reminds us older farts having to work on cars of our youth where we had no choice but to this sort of thing ourselves. Viz a viz rusted jubilee clips destroying hoses; plastic disintegrating on human contact; wires falling to pieces after being given a cross look. Such fun! Tip my hat to you sir for persevering.

[@IntrospectorGeneral]

Of course we had the advantage of specialised tools that are unobtainable today. Bent sixpence (Whitworth), spanner probably from pre-war Jaguar (unknown specs, possibly cubits), surgical locking Kelly clamp forceps (borrowed from your mate's Doctor dad who needs them back before Monday), etc.

[@richardhaywoodh]

@@IntrospectorGeneral I will forever be grateful to a passing old school mechanic who seing me struggling to get a Rover P5 drop arm off said wack it with 2 hammers one either side, first blows drop arm came off beautifully.

[@moneyprofessional]

Yes I totally agree. Reminds me of keeping my first cars going, learning as I went! And he even has some of the same cars I've had over the years.

[@philtowle4683]

@Alfred Wedmore But you know, we were happy in those days, though we were poor

[@richardhaywoodh]

Working with an assistant really helps even if it's just for the interaction and for bouncing fix ideas off

[@StevesMachines]

I didnt think this build would get started, well done 👏 With the smoke and light through the slats it was like an eighties disco 🤣

[@North49191]

you have to allow for tea breaks and planning

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

When you said there might be a horrible banging noise, I thought for a minute you were putting radio one on

[@TheMentalblockrock]

I have a horrible feeling that all those parts coming off the Daihatsu will NEVER go back on again.

[@milksheihk]

The scissor gear is spring loaded, it's to stop backlash & gear chatter, the gears are manufactured with a bit of play in them, the scissor gear takes up that play.

[@HowardLeVert]

You used to see smaller versions of these in the tuning controls of some radio sets to avoid backlash - the two halves had a spring between them to take up the slack.

[@richardbaron7106]

@Alfred Wedmore - it's more for noise control as straight-cut teeth are noisier. A side benefit is there's more contact area as a result, because they're a little longer than if straight-cut. Being an interference head design, these are designed for longevity, and being machined and balanced, aren't as cheap as you think.

[@garage6346]

Even worthless things can be priceless ;-)) Love to see you both do the tinkering together

[@MapleMarmite]

A good start made! I hope you’re able to make a regular time slot in your busy schedule to keep the momentum going on this project. Speaking for myself, the longer it goes between bouts of work, the harder it is to get back into it. I’m sure Miss HubNut will keep things moving along. I think the manual may be as big as the engine block on this one!

[@josephjardine32]

This is gonna be a good series, as a professional mechanic, I would check the head for warping, it shouldn't be, but since the head off always check it out of good practice

[@raygale4198]

The piece of foam has a quite important function in hot climates, when driving it stops air spill over the top of the radiator helping to develop an air pressure drop across the core (it also stops hot engine air recirculating back to the front face of the rad when stopped in traffic) the missing under tray also is critical for this as well. Ensuring the maximum amount of air makes it through the radiator getting the most out of that teeny tiny core. It could be replaced with a soft rubber strip if needed. Probably not an issue in Wales where any temperature with a + in front is considered warm, but quite important in Australia where that same cooling package has to work in 40 C plus temperatures. Asian cars in general are fun to work on, if you have to force anything you are doing something wrong or it's rusted. One thing to remember is they have smaller hands so some access can be painfully tight.

[@scottlp2323]

I think Miss Hubnut's teacher logic and temperament is going to pay dividends in this epic project. :)

[@anthonystevens8683]

I remember doing very similar things like taking engines and stuff apart many years ago in what I vaguely recall as being in my youth. It wasn't long before I got slightly better organised like Miss HubNut and set up different boxes for different 'layers' of dismantlement so I had a little more than 1/3rd of a chance of putting it all back together without a few 'spare' parts. Taking motorcycles apart was even more fun, built like a swiss watch but you almost had to dismantle the whole bike before you could get at the spark plugs let alone anything else. Fun days they were. Not quite so much fun when a 'friend' pops over and puts a random bolt in one of the boxes and grins while you hunt for where the thing came from. Keep up the great content Ian.

[@shepshepherd]

I'm really happy that you're making a start on fixing this car; it looked so forlorn in the background on your previous videos. Here's hoping that everything goes as smoothly as possible.

[@Witheredgoogie]

The bets on in what video you lose patience and it gets taken to a garage LOL

[@commentmachine1]

The garage won’t wanna know as soon as they realise the customer thinks they know better and tried to do it first. Bane of my existence.

[@roxieloot]

I get worried, every time I see a video title saying you are doing any type of mechanical repairs. Good luck.

[@GIXXERUKX]

🤣🤣👍

[@doosanengineer7659]

Paint pen is good to have. Mark everything, and I mean EVERYTHING 😉

[@123mememe7]

Ha Ha when Miss Hubnut walking in with the big red book .............Mr Hubnut this is your life

[@JamesG75]

It's great to see Miss HubNut back at the unit again for what I reckon will be a really interesting project. Can't wait for the next instalment!

[@Strike86]

While the car's in pieces, strip the radiator support and bash bars off the front and send them off to be blasted and powder coated. Trust me, you'll save a ton of time and effort and finish with a better, more rust-resistant result.

[@HubNut]

Cheers, but I'm not a fan of powder coating car stuff. It always seems to crack, trap moisture and then rot out behind. May well remove and paint.

[@domenicogaldo6065]

Lovely. A great example of Hubnut bodgery where Mr Hubnut simply doesn´t need to refer to ´the manual ´ or label any items when undertaking repair work. Well done.

[@darthvirago]

Very brave doing it in mid winter, I would have left it till spring. Hope it goes well and she gives up her smoking habit.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

Top tinkering! I enjoyed that immensely- you two work together very well! Thanks 🙏

[@MattBrownbill]

With a car of this mileage, I would replace the entire PCV system, hoses, filter/traps etc. Oh, and fully clean the inlet, otgerwise you will still be burning oil, and won't notice any improvement. Great to see you getting on with the repairs. 👍😊

[@HubNut]

As I mentioned in the video, I'm not sure there is a typical PCV system - I think it's just baffles in the cam cover (I think the Toyota 2JZ is the same).

[@MattBrownbill]

@@HubNut lol, didn't think a 2J would be mentioned in relation to Chemmy!

[@ajc498]

Good to see Miss Hubnut back!

[@bentullett6068]

It's great your not giving up on Chemmy (at the moment). I think repairing cars is much better for the environment than building a new car. By the way Ian don't watch the new Grand Tour episode a poor Charleston 2CV gets destroyed along with a few other French classics.

[@HubNut]

Thanks. I have no desire to watch GT...

[@cardiffgiant9406]

@@HubNut Glad someone else thinks it's pants.

[@Kai-Peter.Schellhase]

Ah yes, I've been waiting for this video. Great to see you and Carly joining forces on this project. I'm sure Chemmy will be sorted and on the road again soon!👍

[@alansimpson835]

Yay well done for starting Chemmy. I know myself starting any big project is always tough and it's so easy to fiddle about getting little things out of the way to avoid starting something big. Great to see Miss Hubnut tinkering again too and some, ahem, compromise concerning instructions. I think Chemmy sums up what so many of us think about cars too. They grow on you and are sometimes worth far more than the sum of their parts so worth saving. As you say, a great learning experience and one I'm looking forward to following :)

[@smoothmicra]

As a complete amateur myself, I've no interest in taking on such an ambitious project. If I did however, I would take loads of pictures as I dismantled the engine to remind me later where everything went. I would also label every single part and put the nuts and bolts in labelled tubs. Why? Cos I know myself well enough that I WILL forget or misremember as I reassemble the engine. I think the reassembly stage is where most people go wrong, the car doesn't run right because a part is misaligned or maybe in the wrong place. The glorious age of instant photos you can take and drop into a file for each stage of the project is a tool as valuable as the Haynes manual. Good luck.👍

[@eggy1962]

I am also not able when it came to engine internals, i just used to swap out complete units, much easier on home diy, it is what i would have done here, two day job on unfamiliar car

[@stippolyte]

Digital cameras/mobiles do make a magnificent addition to a Haynes book of wonder and a magnetic screw tray when spannering, especially as the memory isn't what i wish it was.

[@North49191]

@@eggy1962 that would be easier but not as much fun

[@North49191]

Thats what I used to think but when my mechanic wanted $1600 to do the head gasket on my Yaris, I figured I might as well give it a try. I had the tech data and labelled everything. I found by doing it alone, I knew where everything went to put it all back together. Is was a big scary just lifting the two cams out because that is when you realize that you are past the point of no return lol. It all worked out fine and would not hestite to do it again and saved $1400 . Clutch is next, I can't wait.

[@eggy1962]

@@North49191 i dunno i had plenty of satisfaction in getting the engine and gearbox swaps done on several mini metros in 6 hours mostly on my own and then being able to drive the car around. Far more satisfaction than welding the same cars..urgh

[@jmurray01]

Access seems better than I was expecting, and having two pairs of eyes makes a difference! Look forward to the future instalments.

[@MrButtonpresser]

The family that bodges together, stays together. Thought it seems Miss HubNut is the brains of the operation.

[@mehrzahl2219]

Ian, I applaud you for taking on this job. Nothing is impossible!

[@grahamparks6088]

Loving watching you and Mrs Hubnut working together, good luck and hope all goes well with chemmy's engine rebuild.

[@Driven247]

Loving the two of you together in a video again and will look forward to seeing more progress.

[@ghobby6143]

Back to basics Mr & Mrs Hubnut. Keep these videos rolling!

[@RobertHayes-tu5fp]

Hi Hub! I enjoyed the vid as I've just acquired a lovely 1983 Charade G10 w ith v low mileage and it's in lovely condition.A VERY CHARMIMG CAR!

[@WouterB76]

Can I just say, mrs Hubnut is really adorable!

[@matleics]

😂 The giggle when you mentioned the word "lube" 🤣

[@jorgefernandez-mv8hu]

Great going on this project. This car is valuable to your other half and it is perfect for what she needs. There is nothing wrong with fixing it and getting another lease on life for it.

[@tristanpage6805]

Love the longer tinkering content.

[@marktrenfield]

Ian, I strongly suggest just removing the foam strip on the bonnet. Did that on both my Nippa and Mira and it stopped the rot from getting any worse!

[@VDPEFi]

I just helped a mate of mine change the clutch on a Suzuki swift, now I don't have much experience with Japanese or Korean cars but it was a total pita compared to European cars, weird size bolts that are all different, 5 things coming off to get to the bit you need, crammed in to a tiny space, if we ever needed to do it again I would drop the engine! Give me a ford any day haha! I admire the effort, it will be a brilliant little car when done, it's all about keeping the old ones alive and kicking.

[@HubNut]

I think we've only used two different spanner sizes so far!

[@jaggass]

Miss Hunbut is slowly learning.

[@robames1293]

This is real HubNut, well done. Not since Roxanne had her engine worked on have we seen such fun. Best wishes

[@LITTLEMANADVENTURSES]

Good to see chemmy is getting some love

[@jasondear8440]

great to see you both tinkering! personally I would also purchase a hose pack and remove rad! whilst its all apart i would give all the inlet a good clean, mark up them cams carefully but im sure you know what your doing with Mrs Hubnut over your shoulder! wishing this project every success!

[@Ragnar8504]

Great to see you working together again, pure comedy gold!

[@paultaylor9652]

Lovely Jubbly Mr/Miss HubNut, really nice to see you working together again.

[@benjaminmarriott6742]

Hurrah for little chemmers, her journey to holding in steady amounts of lubricant begins! Anything is worth keeping if it has sentimental value, small economical motors more than ever! Good luck with your beautiful blue Daihatsu 💙

[@timbre7999]

Lovely to see you with Miss HubNut and work on the Daihatsu Myrtle still the coolest looking Matiz ever I think, in that gorgeous BMW M-ish blue

[@tonymaries1652]

I like your comment about reading instructions which nobody reads. I make my living writing instructions ... and I am not absolutely sure that people always read them. The people I write for don't just need to know that it is an 11 mm spanner, they need to know the recommended manufacturer and part number and a whole lot more besides!

[@s.gossett5966]

I'll be honest, Ian. If you are getting to the point of honing cylinders it may be easier in the long run to pull the entire motor. It sounds harder, but too often I have found taking the time to pull the motor makes all the subsequent steps easier. In any case, good luck. I am looking forward to you two getting the Charade back on the road.

[@HubNut]

I get it, but given I don't really have anywhere to work on the engine, having it bolted into the car isn't such a bad plan I don't think.

[@daanvanderspek]

@Alfred Wedmore They're not gonna leave the crankshaft in. There's no way you can hone the bores with the crank still in.

[@ralphhowes]

@@HubNut Buy an engine stand.

[@s.gossett5966]

@@HubNut I definitely understand the struggles for good working space. I have a similarly packed shop space. I hope you can do the work in place since it does make some things easier.

[@ianbird4737]

I'd replace the foam strip along the bottom edge of the bonnet. A lot of foam is what is called open cell - it's like a sponge with all the small holes connected and it holds water in itself. You want foam with individual cells that doesn't absorb water. Get some closed cell pipe insulation (the black coloured stuff) from a proper plumbers merchant, cut it into strips and glue it into place. This should reduce the tendancy to rot that top brace.

[@borisborisov195]

Trabants are smoking when in good health :) If doesn't smoke you probably forgot to put the oil in it :) Glad to see Mrs. HubNut back into projects. That dual microphone setup is nice.

[@patrickstevens7786]

That's one helluva shop manual!!!!!!!!

[@bombakdik]

Good luck Ian! Excited about this one. Will make for lovely series. Can you do it enough in dept? That would add to how interesting it will be. Lovely! Streaming as we speak on telly. Cheers from cold Belgium. Always disconnect one lead. Does a lot in keeping batteries more stable. Always good to degrease and clean around the bits you are removing. Especially when it is a valve cover.

[@langerstrains9460]

I've enjoyed watching the first episode of the joint engine overhaul and looking forward to seeing how you both get on with it. I think its always exciting looking into the depths of engines and interesting to find out why there is so much smoke. Mind you I will miss the smokey Charade when its fixed 😄

[@shieldaigbencher]

Hubnut goes to Ambition Island and looks like saving the day. Good job so far.

[@richardmatthews711]

Best of luck with the engine rebuild. I have never done anything that complicated in my life.

[@EdgyNumber1]

Strange. I'd have looked around for a replacement engine or a donor car. Btw, that foam, try to find a polypropylene substitute from a DIY place. It'll do the same job but shouldn't hold any water.

[@eddiejones.redvees]

This is going to be fun Series to watch good luck with the rebuild

[@stippolyte]

I've always wondered what %age of tinkerers read manuals VS those that 'experiment'. I watch your technical videos as a lesson in how NOT to do it 😁 but that's the fascinating thing about HUBNUTery, learning what not to do, I wear my tools T with pride. Seriously though good luck getting Miss Hubnut on the road, hope that's a great Christmas pressie. 👍🏼

[@pipcherello85]

Love the teamwork here. Adds more life to the story, good work!

[@sammytheseal2307]

I would like to suggest that the oil in the air intake is caused by the underlying cause of the smoke... Oil is usually let in the intake via the PCV system (crankcase breather) due to excess oil pressure. The excess pressure could be caused by a blockage somewhere, and the excess pressure could have caused some seals to blow within the engine, allowing oil to burn 👍 Alongside the work you are doing, an oil flush and checking oil galleries wouldn't go amiss 👍

[@HubNut]

The only 'breather' is baffles in the cam cover it seems. There is no valve.

[@gryfandjane]

I’ve been looking forward to this operation ever since I first saw the Charade emitting smoke. As a DIY mechanic myself, I want to see if reality matches my diagnosis. ;-)

[@daniellee9015]

Brilliant video Ian 👍 if any one can do the engine you can

[@richardhaywoodh]

Now that is a proper workshop manual. Last time I saw anything any where near that was a Rover P5b which had a large P5 3 litre manual plus a thinner P5b supplement manual. I was able to change the steering box & pas pipes without jacking the car up just by working in a dip in the drive!

[@Mercmad]

Demonstrating the power of a Daihatsu with a burnout in the shed....

[@rhys_thomss7013]

Can’t wait for part 2

[@cappaculla]

I for one can't wait for the new "Violence works every time" t-shirts , hoodies mugs and stickers.

[@North49191]

I would recommend you check the VVT actuator you took out next to the air box. Put power to the terminals and make sure it goes in and out smoothly. If it fails the car will barely drive. There is usually a bolt under the actuator that holds a small screen oil filter. You may already know this but a lot of people who have VVT engines never check that actuator or filter. If you did this live you could have hundreds of people giving you advice,lol. With the manual and Miss Hubnut , this job is a breeze as long as you have the time, don't loose any parts, drop anything into the engine and get the timing right. lol. Looking forward to the next one. You should have more subs than Cleetus, he never teaches anyone anything.

[@spriggy40]

another fun vid ian and carly 👍👍👍👍👍

[@whitemoor66]

I know what instructions I haven't read🤣! Hilarious, true and oh so relatable!! Looking forward to seeing how this develops.

[@saxon-mt5by]

The Workshop Manual is always the last port of call - look at it first and you never start the work!

[@philw4625]

Proper hubnutting! ( but with a welcome addition of ‘RTFM’, courtesy of Ms Hubnut!)

[@waynekerrgoodstyle]

Ian, It's way too cold to be working on a car in an unheated garage, I don't envy You & Miss HubNut. Best of Luck! 🙂

[@North49191]

It's so could here already, I brought the tools inside for the winter. The car didn't fit .

[@alasdair4161]

Good effort. I would suggest scraping that foam cushion strip off and replacing it with closed cell foam, which does not absorb or hold water. Another option would be adhesive rubber cushion strip, similar to car door seals and made with an open tube profile allowing it to contour and squash where needed, but again water resistant. Both will seal and prevent rattles probably better than open cell foam. Cheers from Tassie.

[@benday1218]

Intriguing head/cover arrangement. Good luck!

[@jaggass]

Good to see Chemmy being worked on again.

[@johnnorth9355]

Makes you appreciate the pure genius of the Mini with it's A series gearbox in the sump power train :-) .

[@HubNut]

I think that layout causes enough issues, given it didn't become the default for everyone. Clever packaging, but ultimately not the best solution.

[@johnnorth9355]

@@HubNut yes but with practice I learnt to replace the whole drive train in 4 hours. I kept the local scrap yard busy - it was almost like renting them : -) .

[@disleyade5470]

I think the scissor gear is there to control the backlash between the two camshaft gears so it's important to set it correctly to minimise the noise. I may be wrong and maybe some proper engineers can give a definitive view.

[@stephenstokes8318]

I would put paint on those rusty bits as well as waxoil

[@HubNut]

Yes, I think we will. Rust converter first of all.

[@oojimmyflip]

speaking of industrial noise, I put in a 6.5kw diesel generator and I built a floating floor with reliant engine mounts and loft insulation to take away the diesel thud of the 350cc single cylinder diesel engine, then my neighbour puts in a new 10ft square shed right opposite my back door and installs a tumble drier, it makes more noise than our generator does, we call it the war drums it sounds like the comanche war drums in old US cowboy and Indian movies .....lol.

[@williamtether6462]

IAN!!! The screw for the MAFS fell out when Miss Hubnut was taking it away as she pulled it out the car. I just don’t want you to lose it.

[@HubNut]

Cheers but the MAF was just push fit.

[@trevorparker6803]

Good work. It might be sensible to completely remove the piece of foam from under the bonnet. These materials degrade quite a lot over time and also are not best suited to our damp climate either (as you have pointed out). A good replacement would be some sort of tubular rubber/polyurethane item (similar to door-seals on classic cars) and you should be able to find a self-adhesive one of the correct thickness to compress slightly and fill the gap.

[@nothingmuch.3014]

With the front number plate off, there should be a hole in the bumper, to allow access to the oil filter

[@martinburgess4814]

Great to see you back I have had phone die on me, and heart monitor fitted internal, so back now, but bored

[@HubNut]

All the best!

[@markbrocklehurst6129]

At last full steam ahead keep it up. You make a great team

[@SimonAgterhuis]

Yes finally! I am really excited to see this

[@paulbennell3313]

This is the only way cars like this can be cost-effective, by doing fairly major jobs yourself. She'll be a little belter when she's finished though!

[@35dononeill]

I liked the line. "Why work on the car" "Because I like my Girlfriend." Perhaps you should add a whiplash sound at this point. 😳

[@GIXXERUKX]

This is going to be very interesting.. your biggest project yet .. I’ll get the kettle on, no doubt this will require multiple gaskets, seals and tea bags 👍

[@HubNut]

Cheers. I did do a head gasket on a Nissan Bluebird five years ago, but I'm hoping costs don't spiral like they did on that job...

[@GIXXERUKX]

@@HubNut Ian spiralling costs are inevitable.. you know that from experience 😂 Fingers crossed buddy 👍 I would try and get it further back in the garage.. bloody windy here in Abergele today, not a good time of year to start a big job .. December Great project, brilliant watch, thank you 👍

[@GeeenJ]

good to see progress on miss hubnuts car with miss hubnut in charge all should go well lol do'nt forget to mark the bigend caps and keep them in order of each cylinder don't want to end up doing a bigend bearing or locking the engine up

[@davidlawrence-turner4379]

Good to see some real tinkering. Well done

[@delukxy]

Replace the sponge with a few small rubber "buffers" as fitted to many other cars.

[@stevek3036]

I sincerely hope it solves the problem but I cant help repeating what I said previously. It might well be due to the crankcase/engine breather system. I will watch closely during this rebuild

[@Sid3300]

Daihatsu Gang 👊

[@tony-yp6qk]

Another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts

[@frothe42]

Brilliant Mr and Miss HubNut! I see this project is going to take a while, I hope all works out well! The other vehicles need a workout. Well, I wonder which vehicle is next after Chemie?

[@ralphhowes]

With the amount of work planned for this engine, you'd be better off pulling it and mounting it in an engine stand. You'll have easy access to properly go through the engine. Your issue seems to be mainly exhaust smoke, so the likely culprit is the valve stem seals. If you don't want to drop the engine, why not just do the valve stem seals before replacing the piston rings and rod bearings? Replacing the valve stem seals may be all you need.

[@ralphhowes]

No? No heart, no comment? OK

[@twocvbloke]

"On the drums, Mr. HubNut and his hammers!!!" :P On the plus side, at least it's easier to take apart than most other modern cars which are basically a computer network with an engine somewhere in there... :P

[@HowardLeVert]

See also: modern TV sets, smart phones - where the actual function is peripheral to the computer within...