Originally Posted By: hypervish
If spark plugs are a pain to change, buy a Ford. It'll spit them out by itself.
If spark plugs are a pain to change, buy a Ford. It'll spit them out by itself.
Rant: I hate GM sometimes (at least 90's-2000's)
- Thread starter tinmanSC
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Originally Posted By: hypervish
If spark plugs are a pain to change, buy a Ford. It'll spit them out by itself.
Does anyone here remember the 351 Windsor/Cleveland? If you do...enough said.
My father, a Class A Mechanic of 39 years with 18, yes 18, licenses, and I were actually talking about the old 351's two (2) weekends ago and we could not believe how bad it was for the Mustangs with the 351 to change the spark plugs...which needed to be changed every year of service. A 7.3Hr job on a POS Ford...LOL. Those were the days...oh wait...they still are. I have the standard times for any Ford work if anyone wants to know - ALLData and Mitchell.
If spark plugs are a pain to change, buy a Ford. It'll spit them out by itself.
Does anyone here remember the 351 Windsor/Cleveland? If you do...enough said.
My father, a Class A Mechanic of 39 years with 18, yes 18, licenses, and I were actually talking about the old 351's two (2) weekends ago and we could not believe how bad it was for the Mustangs with the 351 to change the spark plugs...which needed to be changed every year of service. A 7.3Hr job on a POS Ford...LOL. Those were the days...oh wait...they still are. I have the standard times for any Ford work if anyone wants to know - ALLData and Mitchell.
Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
Oh, and the clip to remove the lower hose? Yeah, you can't access it. It's wedged between the body and the hose. there isn't enough room to get a pair of pliers in there. It's literally in the most inconvenient orientation imaginable. Had to cut it off.
You need the Mayhew 28650 for that.
Oh, and the clip to remove the lower hose? Yeah, you can't access it. It's wedged between the body and the hose. there isn't enough room to get a pair of pliers in there. It's literally in the most inconvenient orientation imaginable. Had to cut it off.
You need the Mayhew 28650 for that.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
Oh, and the clip to remove the lower hose? Yeah, you can't access it. It's wedged between the body and the hose. there isn't enough room to get a pair of pliers in there. It's literally in the most inconvenient orientation imaginable. Had to cut it off.
You need the Mayhew 28650 for that.
I agree. I even bought one of those clamp-changers (under the S&K brand) at a fire sale and kept it in its wrapper for several years, thinking I didn't have any clamps I could use it with. Last time I changed my radiator and hoses I dug it out and used it. Man, talk about making life a lot easier.
You can use it on those tiny transmission line cooler hose spring clamps too.
Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
Oh, and the clip to remove the lower hose? Yeah, you can't access it. It's wedged between the body and the hose. there isn't enough room to get a pair of pliers in there. It's literally in the most inconvenient orientation imaginable. Had to cut it off.
You need the Mayhew 28650 for that.
I agree. I even bought one of those clamp-changers (under the S&K brand) at a fire sale and kept it in its wrapper for several years, thinking I didn't have any clamps I could use it with. Last time I changed my radiator and hoses I dug it out and used it. Man, talk about making life a lot easier.
You can use it on those tiny transmission line cooler hose spring clamps too.
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Nor am I, I had a Honda. I can't remember that last time I had to do a timing belt on any of GM cars. Which on the Accord was a PITA compared to anything I have done on all the GM stuff I own now.
If you had to do one, you would remember;
The 60° DOHC V6 had a timing chain and a timing belt. Everything is a hassle on that engine. Everything. (look up the labor to replace the o-ring on the dummy distributor shaft.
)
The 54° V6 is a pain in the Catera (best car name ever: CateraCTS - CATERACTS!) and worse in the Saturn L300. Plus, the tensioner is defective.
By comparison, a SOHC V6 Accord is a joy.
Nor am I, I had a Honda. I can't remember that last time I had to do a timing belt on any of GM cars. Which on the Accord was a PITA compared to anything I have done on all the GM stuff I own now.
If you had to do one, you would remember;
The 60° DOHC V6 had a timing chain and a timing belt. Everything is a hassle on that engine. Everything. (look up the labor to replace the o-ring on the dummy distributor shaft.
The 54° V6 is a pain in the Catera (best car name ever: CateraCTS - CATERACTS!) and worse in the Saturn L300. Plus, the tensioner is defective.
By comparison, a SOHC V6 Accord is a joy.
I have one of these cars (the Oldsmobile version of it).
Changing the serpentine belt is a pain, the first time you have to do it. I do hate removing that motor mount. Don't even try to use a wrench on the serpentine belt tensioner. I use a ratcheting serpentine belt tool. Specifically the Lisle 59000, and I love it. It's made in USA, and you really do want a ratcheting serpentine belt tool. I have used it many times as a close quarters long arm ratchet, and it's worth having just for that. I bought it to use when I replaced the LIM gasket on this car.
In so far as replacing the water pump, it does look easy on this car. If they had the 4 cylinder version you don't want to know how hard that would be to change out!!!
Changing the serpentine belt is a pain, the first time you have to do it. I do hate removing that motor mount. Don't even try to use a wrench on the serpentine belt tensioner. I use a ratcheting serpentine belt tool. Specifically the Lisle 59000, and I love it. It's made in USA, and you really do want a ratcheting serpentine belt tool. I have used it many times as a close quarters long arm ratchet, and it's worth having just for that. I bought it to use when I replaced the LIM gasket on this car.
In so far as replacing the water pump, it does look easy on this car. If they had the 4 cylinder version you don't want to know how hard that would be to change out!!!
I'm not looking forward to replacing my belt in the Grand Am. Replacing the A/C compressor was fun enough, though straight forward. Replacing the 24x crank sensor behind the crank pulley was even more fun. It was a pain to get the the 3rd bolt onto the hub to pull it...
I remember way back when, a friend decided to work on my Grand Am ('03) for an oil and filter change.
The guy never cursed but as soon as he started working on the undercavity I heard the worst running slur directed at "GM". I said what's the problem, he said oh...I can change your oil, it just might take awhile. Whoever designs these cars plays jokes on the shadetree. It happens every time, they make it so you will WANT to take it to a dealer!
Ha...
The guy never cursed but as soon as he started working on the undercavity I heard the worst running slur directed at "GM". I said what's the problem, he said oh...I can change your oil, it just might take awhile. Whoever designs these cars plays jokes on the shadetree. It happens every time, they make it so you will WANT to take it to a dealer!
Ha...
I find GM cars to be very easy to work on.
Every model has its quirks, and anytime you try and stuff a transverse mid-size V6 into a small FWD car you're going to have items that are difficult to work on. Be lucky you don't have the DOHC 3400, or 90 degree DOHC heads.
Or try working on something like an '04-05 Bonneville with a DOHC Northstar V8 stuffed in sideways. You will quickly learn to appreciate the extra room in an OHV [pushrod] configuration, even though some things are still a chore to get at; at least it's do-able!
Every model has its quirks, and anytime you try and stuff a transverse mid-size V6 into a small FWD car you're going to have items that are difficult to work on. Be lucky you don't have the DOHC 3400, or 90 degree DOHC heads.
Or try working on something like an '04-05 Bonneville with a DOHC Northstar V8 stuffed in sideways. You will quickly learn to appreciate the extra room in an OHV [pushrod] configuration, even though some things are still a chore to get at; at least it's do-able!
Our local shop owner Tim just had the heads off his 6.0 Ford diesel.
He had to remove the CAB!!! Add to that the heads he removed had raw casting in the gasket crush zones! This is just one of the worst stories, this truck is a bad example.
Wonder why they failed?
He had to remove the CAB!!! Add to that the heads he removed had raw casting in the gasket crush zones! This is just one of the worst stories, this truck is a bad example.
Wonder why they failed?
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