Nice work!
My bet is this engine had the cylinder head replaced under warranty since it is an early 3.6, and the person doing the work didn't torque the cam cap bolts correctly.
Of course, but that could be said even about young people driving newer cars today with infotainment screens. A lot of the technology in newer cars requires you to look at the screen even if only briefly to interact with it while driving.
It all depends on what fits your lifestyle. I drove full-sized trucks for a farm I worked on during high school. I personally couldn't imagine driving around an empty truck bed 99% of the time and having to park that thing in the college campus/city areas where I work. My Jeep with a 5x8...
I will say that while the added technology in my grandparents' new Rav4 adds to their safety in certain respects, it greatly detracts in other areas where they get confused on how to use it. After working in car insurance dealing exclusively with AARP clients for a few years, I can't imagine...
Turbos themselves are reliable, but it's usually all the supporting things (plastic intercooler and coolant pipes, direct injection vs. direct and port injection, etc) that you must do research on to see whether or not the vehicle you are looking at has weaknesses there.
I would use the PureOne. I haven't seen any recent torn PureOnes, and they are a good filter for the price. My issue is finding them. They are no longer at my local WalMart (not sure if they are just no longer sold at WalMart?) and the only places near me that carry anything Purolator are...
Becoming a viable option for consumers is completely different than becoming a widely accepted better option to an existing technology. EVs are the first one.
It's still too cold here and not quite mowing season for me to dig mine out, but once I do I'll add pics to this thread.
Main mower:
1998 Exmark Metro 48" belt-drive walk-behind. 14hp FC420V Kawasaki, stand on single wheel sulky. Love this setup as standing is more comfortable for my back...
Starters are a weak point on B&S engines, especially the V-Twins and Opposed Twins. Not sure why. I've replaced a ton of them, and not many Kohlers, Kawasaki, or Honda starters. A few on the Chonda snowblower engines.
I think there is a difference between adding on money as a "fee" to help someone vs. taking advantage of them. Most of the public wants everything done for free. People's time is valuable. For my side business I mark-up my parts a little bit. Why? Because I spend time looking them up...
Like most things, sometimes the idea and concept itself is great but the actual execution of it is horrible.
Backup cameras are generally good. I find them useful for lining up a trailer hitch. Blind spot monitoring can definitely be helpful, and on most vehicles isn't intrusive or annoying...