Nice to see you here too Mr. Fiero. Lol I am so excited for the next episode I’ve been watching since episode one and can’t wait to see the content you come up with after the fiero
I remember how one guy came up with a beefy solenoid and made a trunk popper. This was during early 90's, car was from early 80's. He gathered a group to witness his success, and when everyone was watching, he very theatrically manner pressed the button, and the beefy solenoid crumpled the lid cover. We watched for a moment, applauded and proceeded doing whatever we were doing.
In my auto tech class there was a nissan altima that the auto body class had skinned. We found out that the trunk lid was a lot lighter without any body work on it. And the spring was the same strength. It made for a very dangerous catapult. Since there was no battery, it was a manual release by reaching in through the body to release the trunk. Good for launching hub caps.
You have two options on the front wheel bearings. That exact bearing has multiple part numbers, one of which is for a bearing WITH side seals and one without side seals. Obviously, you received the one without side seals. Option Two is to order side seals and install them. Yes, you can order side seals for bearings and install them after the fact. Check with Grainger.
@@tarstarkusz They definitely have the benefit of being old cars, a lot of people had a lot of time to figure out all of it's problems and document them.
@@jjpark98 Even the old books are really good. Every single thing, step by step including the body, electrical and all kinds of miscellaneous stuff. Getting such a good book on this car is going to be impossible.
Yep. I was going to suggest exactly this, the "Z" or "ZZ" variant of the bearing if that's how sealing and/or shielding work on the double roller type.
Broken door handle, wheel bearings, trunk popper & dashboard problems, on a car with only 1000 miles on it! Is it possible that the quality is even worse than a Wheego?
@@oddball_the_blue How can Richard and Nik only have 367 k subs in six years- I run into them all over the car sites, even the fringy ones! Although I'm sure Nik could have painted Binky with a pad on his favorite grinder, I was stunned at how over complicated and awesome he made the "simple white with black roof " paint job!
Never, ever, break large amounts of torque with a torque wrench or power ratchet. Even manual socket wrenches are sketchy for breaking torques over 250 foot pounds. Invest in a breaker bar!
@@thehandlesticks66 He said while trying to break something loose the tool slipped and sent him knee first into the concrete. So my solution to that problem is that we don't make shop floors out of concrete anymore and instead make them out of nerf foam so when the tool slips next time he doesn't get hurt
Honestly I don't think so, most advertizer only glance at the video; so first, Royobi may never see the part where it breaks, and second,a s people pointed out, Robert used the tool improperly and the comments shows that peopel are aware that Robert, not the tools, are at fault.
Fun fact: The chinese car the Coda is based off of traces its lineage to a Mitsubishi sedan from the 90's. Hafei bought the designs from Mitsubishi, cheapened up a few things, and voila, the Coda platform. Also, since Mitsu and Chrysler were co-developing vehicles with each other, if you ever need replacement parts for some of the Coda suspension components, there are some bolt-on replacements from the Jeep Compass parts bin.
What you need next in the EV collection is a historic EV commercial vehicle from the UK which used to deliver milk to households. Honestly you would love a UK milk float delivery truck.
This is so great! having just bought a coda with 50k miles, your timing could not be any better! im surprised your low mileage one has so many issues. Guess driving a car a little is important to keep it healthy..
Just a tip for Robert, the "extra grease" on the bearings could have the opposite effect because it can increase the amount of dust that is collected and gunked to the area
Ha - the vent tubes for the battery are to vent the hydrogen gas produced when the battery is charging. Even "sealed" batteries will still vent some hydrogen. Since the battery is in an enclosed space and highly combustable gasses in an enclosed space are also known as bombs... well, let's just say those little tubes are fairly important 😎 Love the series!
If two months ago you’d told me that I’d be VERY invested in watching a guy replace the wheel bearings on an old car I would have been shocked. That said: watching things get fixed is nice. 😊 ESPECIALLY the trunk popper. The second hand endorphins just ✨✨✨✨
14:45 yes you do. Check the running surfaces of the old bearing races. If they are shiny, they didn't fail from dirt, if they're dull grey, or even visibly rough and scratched, they did.
whewn you take out a ball joint or tie rod end. to break the taper free you whack the knuckle where the taper goes through. you dont smack the object you are trying to remove!!! you smack the object it goes into! the shock will pop it right out the taper, no damage to threads or anything else.
Without any formal automotive training you're brain works like a tech with years of experience. You are right in worrying about the bearings, measure them up and install a set of sealed bearings which I'm sure you'll be able to match up to. Great job.
It is oddly satisfying watching someone 'work a problem' (your boot latch) and see the successful result. Judging by the smile on your face when showing off the result I think you agree. The paint restoration makes your car look like it came strait from the factory. Very nice work.
For the truck opener - you could have made a new plastic part with a 3d printer. I've had pretty good success making plastic parts for all kinds of things using Fusion 360.
You are one of the better car youtubers, right up there with regularcarreviews and doug. You make really unique and hilarious content with the strangest unknown cars, never stop!
13:30 when ordering bearings the suffix tells you what you are ordering 2 RS - Bearing with rubber seal on both sides. RS provides a better seal but more rolling friction than 2Z. RS - Bearing with rubber seal on one side, one side open. 2 Z / ZZ - Bearing with a metal seal on both sides. Z - Bearing with a metal seal on one side, one side open.
It hurt when we drilled out the metal pin on the door panel and scratched the plastic door panel with the drill bit. Robert I beg you please keep the coda nice after you killed the wheego!! Cool video its nice to see the Coda getting all cleaned up.
Good times, watching people do things I have no ability to do myself. Mostly due to a lack of parts, tools, and interest. Still, in these dark times(winter mostly) good to see people fixing their own cars.
Always a good day when you post a video. For future reference always undo the fill point before draining abs fluids. If you can’t undo it at least the fluid is still there.
Absolutely classic "Aging Wheels"! Maybe even the most enjoyable vicarious car repair experience since the Trabant engine rebuild... I really mean it! I fact, I've decided to go back and binge-watch the entire Trabant saga. I've said it before. I'll say it again. NOBODY does what you do (I mean, why would they?). Thank you again Robert.
Having recently discovered your excellent channel I've been binge-watching. Thanks for another episode. PS Would it be unfair for me to assume that any car liked by the presenter should be considered a dog only worthy of shooting by anyone else?
As someone else said, those bearings likely have a variant that has seals, and you just got given the unsealed ones. Though at the same time they look identical to Mazda Miata front wheel bearings, which are sealed for sure. So I'm wondering if those could work as a replacement if you have trouble getting sealed ones following part numbers. As long as the dimensions are the same it would be fine.
I absolutely love the intro how he talks about the past videos as if he already posted them, even tho he hadn't even fixed the car yet. This man is a genius haha
I really enjoy your repair videos. Your reviews are good, but the repairs are where it’s at. Don’t know how economical it would be to do more repair videos but that’d be amazing.
Normally wheel bearings like those will have lip seals on both sides to seal against hubs and CV. It looks like the uprights/spindles have spots for lip seals to be install but they are missing.
The Soviet stuff breaks into nice sturdy chunks so you can hack them back together. Damn nice job on the solenoid popper, will last forever. You are correct !! No shielding equals no lubricant. It's a huge issue. Have used the bearing & seal cross working as a Parts Manager. It explains the number change. There can be 4 different part numbers, one for each type seal plus none. If you got down to about 400 grit, clear paint will work on headlights.
BTW the bearing you changed was a tapered bearing, and it sometimes requires another preloading after its first miles. The job is tightening the nut holding it on :D, or it will have a lot of play. There are many videos on youtube how to do it but basically tighten the nut until there is a little resistance rolling the wheel and then a quarter turn back. Great video anyways, good luck keeping her on the road.
I was also impressed! But I wonder if the electronics that originally were meant to power a little 130 size electric motor can handle an inductive load of that size. The problem is when you turn off the power to the solenoid, you can get a massive voltage spike. The typical fix is to put a diode in parallel to the coil, so the current has a way to dissipate. Then again, if the motor was controlled through an old-fashioned relay, it can likely handle the spikes (it seems to work so far!)
@@foogoid8682 I would say, having repaired and fitted aftermarket ready made security and popper systems that the back emf protection diode, (to which you refer) is likely built in on the controller output. The output itself is likely to be able to handle a large current pulse, likely to be 10 amps for a brief duration. This is also likely to be close to the original popper's motor stall current. I like using the word likely. 😉
Gearbox oilchange tip: you might wanna try removing the top plug first, and only drain the oil after you know you can fill it up after. If for some reason, the refill plug is shut, which happened to me once, the car at least remains mobile until you come up with a solution :D
Those bearings look like pretty regular bearings. Usually that stuff is normed. You can usually buy fitting replacements from any hardware store that carries them. Just take the old ones with you and get fitting ones with their highest carry capacity and appropriate sealing.
That DIY trunk popper is a thing of beauty. Fantastic work as always
well isn't this an epic video where he held it back after the other 2 videos came out hes such a tease
Nice to see you here too Mr. Fiero. Lol I am so excited for the next episode I’ve been watching since episode one and can’t wait to see the content you come up with after the fiero
I always geek out a little when I realize (stupidly) that RUclipsrs I like watch RUclipsrs I like
I remember how one guy came up with a beefy solenoid and made a trunk popper. This was during early 90's, car was from early 80's. He gathered a group to witness his success, and when everyone was watching, he very theatrically manner pressed the button, and the beefy solenoid crumpled the lid cover. We watched for a moment, applauded and proceeded doing whatever we were doing.
In my auto tech class there was a nissan altima that the auto body class had skinned. We found out that the trunk lid was a lot lighter without any body work on it. And the spring was the same strength. It made for a very dangerous catapult. Since there was no battery, it was a manual release by reaching in through the body to release the trunk. Good for launching hub caps.
You have two options on the front wheel bearings. That exact bearing has multiple part numbers, one of which is for a bearing WITH side seals and one without side seals. Obviously, you received the one without side seals. Option Two is to order side seals and install them. Yes, you can order side seals for bearings and install them after the fact. Check with Grainger.
This is a problem of not having good documentation of the car. You might be amazed at how well documented older cars are.
Never knew you could order bearing seal kits, that's going to be helpful...
@@tarstarkusz They definitely have the benefit of being old cars, a lot of people had a lot of time to figure out all of it's problems and document them.
@@jjpark98 Even the old books are really good. Every single thing, step by step including the body, electrical and all kinds of miscellaneous stuff.
Getting such a good book on this car is going to be impossible.
Yep. I was going to suggest exactly this, the "Z" or "ZZ" variant of the bearing if that's how sealing and/or shielding work on the double roller type.
"gather my bearings" Best. Joke. Ever.
I think “I didn’t give two Don Rickles about it” is a good contender.
He's gonna destroy the child with dad jokes in the future.
This would be relaxing work... if you were a psychopath.
Good ol’ Chinese general purpose bearings ….
The pride on that trunk popper job is tangible.
And well deserved, that's a great fix.
"More cracks in them than a Detroit sidewalk"
Broken door handle, wheel bearings, trunk popper & dashboard problems, on a car with only 1000 miles on it!
Is it possible that the quality is even worse than a Wheego?
Well it was made in China what did you expect?
@@Revo2Evo made in China and the US, same as the Wheego
This thing makes the Yugo build quality look first rate.
@Javier N Ha! It's not even up to Yugo quality.
Yet it still works unlike the Wheego.
So, how old is Robert? He's one of those guys that could either be a really old looking 25 year old or a really young looking 50 year old.
I think he's 26, mentioned in a video at some point.
26-27
@@parkerfiskar3589 -2?
WHAT? Do you want to date him or something? Jeez.
@@iSketchy I'm 26 and he doesn't look like he's my age at all either lol
"My two previous videos..." "...filmed in the future."
Mind. Blown.
Fantastic video, even wihtout the time travel.
Careful, BOM is going to come looking for their CAD licensing fees 😉
I can hear the sound of Nik's heavy breathing from here over that bracket (along with mutters over how it didn't involve nearly enough welding.)
Honestly, I missed the funk-on
IDK, Robert threw down some pretty strong anti BOM juju with the rivnuts- Nik hates rivnits, really!
@@fredericrike5974 that's true. Though a captive nut was involved (at least until he fixed the door handle and boot release....)
@@oddball_the_blue How can Richard and Nik only have 367 k subs in six years- I run into them all over the car sites, even the fringy ones! Although I'm sure Nik could have painted Binky with a pad on his favorite grinder, I was stunned at how over complicated and awesome he made the "simple white with black roof " paint job!
Never, ever, break large amounts of torque with a torque wrench or power ratchet. Even manual socket wrenches are sketchy for breaking torques over 250 foot pounds.
Invest in a breaker bar!
I've had one slip. Knee straight into the concrete.
@@Zipppyart So what I hear you saying is that instead of concrete, we should make shop floors out of nerf?
@@ram89572 what?
@@thehandlesticks66 He said while trying to break something loose the tool slipped and sent him knee first into the concrete. So my solution to that problem is that we don't make shop floors out of concrete anymore and instead make them out of nerf foam so when the tool slips next time he doesn't get hurt
@@DashCamSerbia pardon, meant foot pounds.
At 3:07 I thought "I'm pretty sure that tool isn't made to be used like that"
At 15:58 "called it"
It should be able to handle being used like a normal ratchet :/
@@jonwally2002 He was using it like a breaker bar though.
You don't break bolts with an electric ratchet.
2:30 Robert has amazing editorial rhythm! Love the attention to detail.
Top Tip: Always undo the top drain plug first because then if it gets stuck and doesn't come out you at least still have oil in there.
A bracket? Get the funk out.
I'll... Get the kettle on.
Make the noise...
This makes me happy.
"Get - the - funk - outta my face"
"Get - the - funk - outta my face"
Anyone know this reference? 😁
I never thought I'd enjoy a video of a guy doing mundane tasks on an unknown Chinese EV, but here we are. Keep it up!
“A Bracket “ Bad Obsession Motorsport is so proud
quite an ambitious plan, film a pair of videos in the future, then travel back in time to fix the car so you can prevent TIME SPACE COLLAPSING
Wait, what'd I miss? When did he install the flux capacitor?
@@tree_carcass_mangler No use, it will never reach 88 miles per hour.
The last time I was this early this was a Saab channel.
Lol an oldie sub
Last time I was this early Saab wasn't making death machines
I just re-watched the Saab 96 saga this morning.
@@soldadoryanbr7776 That would presumably be before that particular Swedish defence contractor was established, then.
and a Porsche (944)
You need a proper circlip tool, those things are worth their weight in gold.
What he said, invest in snap ring pliers.
Robert, are you sponsored by Ryobi ? ;) LOL :)
no he isnt
Nope, he's not. Wish he was tho, has a million tools from them.
@@bishn97 we all break tools, we should not hide from that reality….it’s not good for one’s psychology…..
He should be
Fancy seeing you here!
That was a great video but I fear that you might have lowered your chances with Ryobi for a sponsorship by showing things aren't perfect.
I think Ryobi should just thank him for properly stress-testing their tools, and discovering where exactly they break :D
@@ArniVidar Now there is the perfect reply. That's the answer.
@@WayneMoyer was this a test?
Honestly I don't think so, most advertizer only glance at the video; so first, Royobi may never see the part where it breaks, and second,a s people pointed out, Robert used the tool improperly and the comments shows that peopel are aware that Robert, not the tools, are at fault.
The kind of channel where you hope the video is loooooong. :D
Fun fact: The chinese car the Coda is based off of traces its lineage to a Mitsubishi sedan from the 90's. Hafei bought the designs from Mitsubishi, cheapened up a few things, and voila, the Coda platform. Also, since Mitsu and Chrysler were co-developing vehicles with each other, if you ever need replacement parts for some of the Coda suspension components, there are some bolt-on replacements from the Jeep Compass parts bin.
What you need next in the EV collection is a historic EV commercial vehicle from the UK which used to deliver milk to households. Honestly you would love a UK milk float delivery truck.
This is so great! having just bought a coda with 50k miles, your timing could not be any better!
im surprised your low mileage one has so many issues. Guess driving a car a little is important to keep it healthy..
That trunk pop at the end was absolutely poetic *chef's kiss*
He was very impressed with himself when he made his own boot opener and, in fairness, I would be too if I had managed to do that 😂
Best line ever! "This would be relaxing work...if you were a physocopath." Tshirt slogan of the year. Pretty much could work in any scenario. 👏
9:52 this is absolutely golden
What a fun repair/restoration video! I'm really curious to see how long those new front bearings hold up.
Just a tip for Robert, the "extra grease" on the bearings could have the opposite effect because it can increase the amount of dust that is collected and gunked to the area
Robert carries two pictures in his wallet. One of his child, and one of his DIY trunk-opening mechanism.
Robert Dunn 🤝 Quentin Tarantino
"Masters of non-linear storytelling"
Ha - the vent tubes for the battery are to vent the hydrogen gas produced when the battery is charging. Even "sealed" batteries will still vent some hydrogen. Since the battery is in an enclosed space and highly combustable gasses in an enclosed space are also known as bombs... well, let's just say those little tubes are fairly important 😎
Love the series!
i am learning so much about how to work on a car that I'll never work on ! thanks!
The doorhandles, this is where 3D printing comes in!
literally scrolled to find a comment like this after seeing that part of the video
I think I would go with cast from aluminum then polished. Then add a clear coat of uv resistant paint.
If two months ago you’d told me that I’d be VERY invested in watching a guy replace the wheel bearings on an old car I would have been shocked.
That said: watching things get fixed is nice. 😊 ESPECIALLY the trunk popper. The second hand endorphins just ✨✨✨✨
2:14 you can see the 2nd robert behind the car fading away instead of disappearing instantly..
this man puts so much effort into his videos
Thank Robert, always a bit of joy when any video pops up in my feed.
wait till the video on what it took to get the wheego going again comes out yes that video is a coming
This channel just keeps getting better every day
14:45 yes you do.
Check the running surfaces of the old bearing races.
If they are shiny, they didn't fail from dirt,
if they're dull grey, or even visibly rough and scratched, they did.
whewn you take out a ball joint or tie rod end. to break the taper free you whack the knuckle where the taper goes through. you dont smack the object you are trying to remove!!! you smack the object it goes into! the shock will pop it right out the taper, no damage to threads or anything else.
the timeline of your videos is more needlessly complicated than the fast and furious one, i love it and thanks for the brilliant content!!!
The homemade trunk popper was very satisfying. You should be proud of crafting something that nice and functional!
My heart sank at 2:15 when the not-so-smooth transition showed it falling off !
Without any formal automotive training you're brain works like a tech with years of experience. You are right in worrying about the bearings, measure them up and install a set of sealed bearings which I'm sure you'll be able to match up to. Great job.
Just bought my first power ratchet yesterday. Now I know not to use it as a breaker bar. Educational video right here!
As always, entertaining video!
It is oddly satisfying watching someone 'work a problem' (your boot latch) and see the successful result. Judging by the smile on your face when showing off the result I think you agree.
The paint restoration makes your car look like it came strait from the factory. Very nice work.
In an older car, you'd start with unscrewing the top oil plug on the gearbox, to make sure you can refill it before draining.
Great job on the trunk popper, clean execution.
I admire your forethought and video production skills sir.
Im going to say, I love the Dry and "Dad" Humor of your videos! Great Job!
I appreciate all the little edits you put into these vids, especially the before and after towards the end.
For the truck opener - you could have made a new plastic part with a 3d printer. I've had pretty good success making plastic parts for all kinds of things using Fusion 360.
You are one of the better car youtubers, right up there with regularcarreviews and doug. You make really unique and hilarious content with the strangest unknown cars, never stop!
That trunk fix is very clever, Robert! Nicely done!
13:30 when ordering bearings the suffix tells you what you are ordering
2 RS - Bearing with rubber seal on both sides. RS provides a better seal but more rolling friction than 2Z.
RS - Bearing with rubber seal on one side, one side open.
2 Z / ZZ - Bearing with a metal seal on both sides.
Z - Bearing with a metal seal on one side, one side open.
It hurt when we drilled out the metal pin on the door panel and scratched the plastic door panel with the drill bit. Robert I beg you please keep the coda nice after you killed the wheego!! Cool video its nice to see the Coda getting all cleaned up.
The panel replacement was edited like a HowToBasic video.
I appreciate this.
Good times, watching people do things I have no ability to do myself. Mostly due to a lack of parts, tools, and interest. Still, in these dark times(winter mostly) good to see people fixing their own cars.
That cool guy is back again. 👍👍
That dirty / clean car transition was absolutely flawless! Hat's off, especially for that!
Thanks man. You are the best "annoying voice home builder and car fixer" available on the RUclipss. I always enjoy your films.
A bracket, CAD, MODIFICATIONS?
Binky would be proud.
So thankful seeing this channel succeed. We need aging wheels on RUclips!!!
Always a good day when you post a video. For future reference always undo the fill point before draining abs fluids. If you can’t undo it at least the fluid is still there.
Watching your videos has pushed me to go and get my dad's old 88 mustang running, thanks Rob.
9:56 Is like every backyard mechanic out there in a nutshell.
You're a brave soul, emptying the gear box before making the sure fill hole opens!
This is better than most ASMR videos. So soothing to watch.
The stupid look on your face at the end cracks me up. Good job :)
Absolutely classic "Aging Wheels"! Maybe even the most enjoyable vicarious car repair experience since the Trabant engine rebuild... I really mean it! I fact, I've decided to go back and binge-watch the entire Trabant saga. I've said it before. I'll say it again. NOBODY does what you do (I mean, why would they?). Thank you again Robert.
I love the planned releasing of the videos and the gag you could do because of it. I've never seen a youtube channel do something like that.
As a resident of Michigan I concur on the Detroit sidewalk thing. Worked in that city for six years.
I love how you repaired the trunk latch!
Having recently discovered your excellent channel I've been binge-watching. Thanks for another episode.
PS
Would it be unfair for me to assume that any car liked by the presenter should be considered a dog only worthy of shooting by anyone else?
The trunk release fix is genius! I bet it will outlast the rest of the car
I am gratified by how tickled you are at your trunk popper solution. Good job!
Good fix on that trunk-popper, Robert ! You're right, a different solenoid popper is the correct fix.
You made a bracket? Nik at Bad Obsession Motorsport would be proud of you!
"This piece of plastic has broken,"
Oh, is he going to 3D print a new one?
"...So I have this solenoid!"
I thought the same thing!
*CLUNK*
look at how proud he is of his trunk latch. what a happy mans
As someone else said, those bearings likely have a variant that has seals, and you just got given the unsealed ones. Though at the same time they look identical to Mazda Miata front wheel bearings, which are sealed for sure. So I'm wondering if those could work as a replacement if you have trouble getting sealed ones following part numbers. As long as the dimensions are the same it would be fine.
This has to be my favorite automotive youtube channel. Keep up the awesome vids.
I absolutely love the intro how he talks about the past videos as if he already posted them, even tho he hadn't even fixed the car yet. This man is a genius haha
I really enjoy your repair videos. Your reviews are good, but the repairs are where it’s at. Don’t know how economical it would be to do more repair videos but that’d be amazing.
Normally wheel bearings like those will have lip seals on both sides to seal against hubs and CV. It looks like the uprights/spindles have spots for lip seals to be install but they are missing.
Top tip, make sure you can undo the fill port on a transmission before opening the drain plug 👍
The Soviet stuff breaks into nice sturdy chunks so you can hack them back together. Damn nice job on the solenoid popper, will last forever.
You are correct !! No shielding equals no lubricant. It's a huge issue. Have used the bearing & seal cross working as a Parts Manager. It explains the number change. There can be 4 different part numbers, one for each type seal plus none. If you got down to about 400 grit, clear paint will work on headlights.
I'm glad you can now make those videos that you've already made. I'll have liked them.
BTW the bearing you changed was a tapered bearing, and it sometimes requires another preloading after its first miles. The job is tightening the nut holding it on :D, or it will have a lot of play. There are many videos on youtube how to do it but basically tighten the nut until there is a little resistance rolling the wheel and then a quarter turn back.
Great video anyways, good luck keeping her on the road.
It’s a good day when Doug DeMuro, Big Car, and Aging Wheels uploading within ten minutes of each other
Big Car fans exist? I'm glad...
I didnt know i would ever find a guy who follows same people
Any people here that also follow M539 Restorations? Same kind of awesome editing 👌🏼
First the BX story and now Coda! Great day!!
@@bodibmf exactly I feel like I'm not worthy for their upload times but I am so glad
The most satisfying boot lid popper ever! That's a great fix.
I was also impressed! But I wonder if the electronics that originally were meant to power a little 130 size electric motor can handle an inductive load of that size. The problem is when you turn off the power to the solenoid, you can get a massive voltage spike. The typical fix is to put a diode in parallel to the coil, so the current has a way to dissipate.
Then again, if the motor was controlled through an old-fashioned relay, it can likely handle the spikes (it seems to work so far!)
@@foogoid8682 I would say, having repaired and fitted aftermarket ready made security and popper systems that the back emf protection diode, (to which you refer) is likely built in on the controller output. The output itself is likely to be able to handle a large current pulse, likely to be 10 amps for a brief duration. This is also likely to be close to the original popper's motor stall current.
I like using the word likely. 😉
I love how you'd have to open the trunk from the inside of the trunk at that point grab whatever you need from the trunk and leave
I personally would love a video on your headlight-restoring process! I have always wanted to do that with my car but been afraid to mess them up
Can't wait to see your new yugo
Getting that trunk popper working... I understand your level of pride.
My ryobi electric ratchet just broke in the same way, I called them and they're sending me a new ratcheting head to install
Gearbox oilchange tip: you might wanna try removing the top plug first, and only drain the oil after you know you can fill it up after. If for some reason, the refill plug is shut, which happened to me once, the car at least remains mobile until you come up with a solution :D
Those bearings look like pretty regular bearings. Usually that stuff is normed.
You can usually buy fitting replacements from any hardware store that carries them.
Just take the old ones with you and get fitting ones with their highest carry capacity and appropriate sealing.