ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
You gotta pump those numbers up...1-800-USA-Navy. That was half a week for me when I was 19 and on sea duty.
Completely lost interest in DIY maintenance...
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ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
I should have never lowered the WS6...
Once you retire and unless you want to play internet mahjong all day you'll get it back. Kinda like automotive Viagra;
Depending on the specific job, I'm with ya there. Especially in the dead of winter (for those of us with that).
Thing is, with the vehicles in my sig, I can do an oil change on them in a matter of minutes. I don't need to raise them off the ground and the only tools I need is a wrench for the drain plug, drain pan and funnel. I put the used oil in the empty new oil jug, then take the waste oil to work. Just to get to a shop would take me more time, then wait there or get a ride home, then back, etc.
I try to keep jugs of oil on hand and I buy filters by the dozen.
I totally understand. That’s why we work. I have no issue paying someone else so I can enjoy family time.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Tribol Leaders must add this to the agenda - hope it’s not for the worst 
Unfortunately I can't trust anyone else to even properly diagnose problems let alone fix them. Hard to find good mechanics these days. Tires and alignments are the only thing I don't do myself for obvious reasons. If I can do it and it doesn't require expensive specialized equipment, I will.
Prices are also nuts where I live. A simple job that costs me $70 in parts and an hour of (leisurely) time like a single axle brake job runs $450+. Just did both lower control arms and it cost me about $160, a shop would have charged me over $1k easily. Parts markup is crazy too. I've paid too shelf prices for bottom of the barrel parts, a National wheel bearing, for example, cost me $100 in parts alone from Firestone, same exact part on rock auto goes for $20. Don't even get me started on $100 full synthetic oil changes when "conventional" costs $25 despite the two being nearly identical identical in price. No thanks.
Prices are also nuts where I live. A simple job that costs me $70 in parts and an hour of (leisurely) time like a single axle brake job runs $450+. Just did both lower control arms and it cost me about $160, a shop would have charged me over $1k easily. Parts markup is crazy too. I've paid too shelf prices for bottom of the barrel parts, a National wheel bearing, for example, cost me $100 in parts alone from Firestone, same exact part on rock auto goes for $20. Don't even get me started on $100 full synthetic oil changes when "conventional" costs $25 despite the two being nearly identical identical in price. No thanks.
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Interesting timing on this thread. My youngest daughter is off to college and now we have a empty nest. I'm totally over house maintenance/projects and the wife is not taking it well. She bought a flat screen TV to be mounted on the wall so I called a guy to take care of it she is barking about the cost but I have no problem paying I'm over the house slavery. She wants a new bathroom makeover that I only did 8 years ago I told her get some quotes. I'm in my late 50s I don't have the patience or strength to deal with it anymore I want to relax now on my down time or do some traveling or chill with friends or family. She's used to paying zero for labor it's time to pony up I'm checked out.
I’ve been kicked out of way nicer places...
Don't worry OP, after one horribly botched job by you local "Firestone" shop on what should have been a simple procedure, you'll be back....they always come back.
We'll make sure to keep a spot open for ya.
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Surprised in this thread but understand. Ipick and choose who does what these days. For instance the cam in my 454 in the 77 in my sig will be replaced/repaired by myself depending on what becomes available first. Crane cam lost several lobes which disappointed me greatly as it got careful maintenance.
I do like knowing that a job was done correctly when I get finished doing it.
But not having a heated garage, work on my CR-V is limited to when the weather is good, and when my back is up to it. I did 3 CVT trany drain and fills using the correct Honda fluid, an oil and filter change using PUP and a Fram Ultra filter, including installing a Fumoto valve where I had to grind a 1/4 inch or so from a corner of an exhaust flange to get the valve to turn, flushed the brake fluid and installed Bosch ES-16 fluid, disassembled and cleaned front brakes and lubed pins and pad contact areas with proper lubes, and rotated tires and adjusted air pressure including spare. I wish I had disassembled cleaned and lubed the back brakes including parking brakes and parking cables, but ran out of the good combinations of weather and time and good back days and just being up to doing it before the weather turned too cold. Still for the jobs that I did, I know that each was done correctly and all bolts and nuts were properly torqued. It is a royal pain to try to change a flat when someone over used an air gun or went ape on the lugnuts.
Unfortunately, the good local independent shop that is ran by an honest and very good mechanic also uses helpers that come and go and the quality of the helpers is hit or miss. So, DIY is often the best way to ensure a job gets done right.
But not having a heated garage, work on my CR-V is limited to when the weather is good, and when my back is up to it. I did 3 CVT trany drain and fills using the correct Honda fluid, an oil and filter change using PUP and a Fram Ultra filter, including installing a Fumoto valve where I had to grind a 1/4 inch or so from a corner of an exhaust flange to get the valve to turn, flushed the brake fluid and installed Bosch ES-16 fluid, disassembled and cleaned front brakes and lubed pins and pad contact areas with proper lubes, and rotated tires and adjusted air pressure including spare. I wish I had disassembled cleaned and lubed the back brakes including parking brakes and parking cables, but ran out of the good combinations of weather and time and good back days and just being up to doing it before the weather turned too cold. Still for the jobs that I did, I know that each was done correctly and all bolts and nuts were properly torqued. It is a royal pain to try to change a flat when someone over used an air gun or went ape on the lugnuts.
Unfortunately, the good local independent shop that is ran by an honest and very good mechanic also uses helpers that come and go and the quality of the helpers is hit or miss. So, DIY is often the best way to ensure a job gets done right.
I can’t bring myself to pay for things I can do. Life is not as busy now with a 20 & 19 year old but I always found time when they were younger.
I cut a tree down for the neighbor today because the tree service wanted $500+. I did it for the wood (apple) and I’m betting he’ll surprise me with a few beverages.
Just my $0.02
I cut a tree down for the neighbor today because the tree service wanted $500+. I did it for the wood (apple) and I’m betting he’ll surprise me with a few beverages.
Just my $0.02
I can't say I'm as excited to work on a car as I used to be, but I'll keep doing it as long as I can. The cost to get a car repaired is out of this world nowadays, and you can never be sure the job is done right. Just today I was changing a radiator out on my '07 Pacifica. part cost $99 for a Denso on Rockauto. Would have easily cost $400-500 had I taken it somewhere. 2 hour job and that was working casually drinking some cold beverages. While I was changing the radiator, I noticed the last "reputable" shop that replaced my A/C condensor a couple years ago (didn't have A/C tools at the time) cut every corner he could. Missing bolts where they were hard to get to, zip ties in place of the correct plastic fasteners (you know, the ones that break all the time and cost $0.01 per piece, readily available on Amazon). I hadn't noticed it before because you have to remove the radiator to get a good look at the A/C condenser. Every job I've ever taken to a mechanic, they find some way to screw it up.
Gotta botched job back in the service. It wasn’t that bad; she was gentle yet firm.Don't worry OP, after one horribly botched job by you local "Firestone" shop on what should have been a simple procedure, you'll be back....they always come back.
We'll make sure to keep a spot open for ya.
Understandable, but I thought oil changes were good for your mental health. Just think of that black stuff flowing out and the new amber nectar flowing into the engine. If you want to save a bit of effort buy a good filter and run it for two changes so you don't have to get down and dirty with the filter every time.
I still like DIY if I have plenty of time. If I know the job will be messy and I will have to stop and clean up even I'm not finished, I avoid it. If I know I won't have time to finish if one small problem comes up, I'll probably wait until another time.
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