What are you working on today?

[mattd]

Edit to my previous post. Didn’t mean to post doubles, the second post should have had these. These are the photos of the inaccessible area, the fuel tank is against those spots. Removed all the loose stuff and sprayed with the noxudol, I’ll let the corrosion inhibitors it has do their thing. It’s all surface rust, does not penetrate. I considered grinding it down and painting but decided the noxudol is designed to treat this and will penetrate what little rust is there and significantly slow/stop progression. The other issue was a time constraint allowing paint to dry/cure.

 

[wings&wheels]

Refinish the slightly faded rear spoiler grille on the new to me 993. Both FLAPS near me were out of the DupliColor Trim & Bumper paint in black so I opted for the VHT version. If anyone is ever in the same situation, wait for the DupliColor.... The finish on the VHT is a bit too textured and a bit more challenging to get a good, consistent finish. It is good enough, but I am a perfectionist. The DupliColor is almost idiot proof and dries to a nice, more OE look.

 

[clinebarger]

Doing a heavy duty 4L65E build. Built a Sonnax Smart Tech Input Drum for it today.....Don't get to build these drums very often as they're $1,000.

It got 7 Borg Warner Hi Energy .080" 3/4 clutches & 6 .106" Kolene steels.

 

[meep]

New front brake hydraulics (calipers, rubber hoses and lines.) Cleaned and regreased brake pad backing plates and contact areas. Then to later find oil leaking from the bottom of the Bilstein 5100 shocks.

It's the second time where the bottom mount failed on Bilstein shocks. This is the second pair after the Toyota OEM Bilstein shocks I had to replace due to the rubber bushing failing.

View attachment 130305

I’ve been questioned by some… but I had a set of 5100 rear shocks lose their rebound control in my f150… around 30,000 miles of use, to include some towing. They weren’t strong in rebound control to begin with, but became pogo-stick action, floating up and down, up and down, as we went down the interstate. I did a lot of reading - seems there are a few negative reviews out there for recent bilstein shocks, so I went with fox instead. It rides a bit stiff, especially at first, but once they loosen up over 1000 miles or so aren’t too bad. There may be a softer fox shock, maybe the ford rousch line, I could try, but these are fine and control the tail well.

 

[meep]

Refinish the slightly faded rear spoiler grille on the new to me 993. Both FLAPS near me were out of the DupliColor Trim & Bumper paint in black so I opted for the VHT version. If anyone is ever in the same situation, wait for the DupliColor.... The finish on the VHT is a bit too textured and a bit more challenging to get a good, consistent finish. It is good enough, but I am a perfectionist. The DupliColor is almost idiot proof and dries to a nice, more OE look.

View attachment 130407

Agree. Odd that they are the same company. The duplicolor paints just have a smoother, richer finish to them.

 

[michaelluscher]

This is part of my technique to keep sunroof drains clean and clear
Dawn cuts grease and grime quite well, without being harsh, and it's $1 a bottle
Pour some into the water management part of a sunroof mechanism, before hosing the car down, running through a carwash, or several days of rain
It will be washed through the tray, ports, and hoses lightly cleaning along the way
It won't unclog a clogged hose, or a blocked drain nipple, but it will keep a clean system just that little bit cleaner
Making sure it can flow as much water as possible, and to keep you dry

 

[Doc8404]

2018 Polaris Sportsman 850 touring.
Rad removal for deep clean.
Installed four heavy duty suspensions springs...only to find out the manufacturer (Highlifter) was wrong, they don't fit this machine.

OK, to be more accurate, installed 3, by then I reached out to the company.

 

[D60]

GMT400 door mechanism work. Found that a hood prop works pretty darn well to keep the glass up

 

[14Accent]

I wasn't looking forward to my Monday, given my 8am appointment was a rack & pinion on a 2015 Grand Cherokee 3.6. 8 hour job by the book, requiring supporting the engine from the top and removing the subframe/cradle. To heck with that. For anyone tasked with this particular job, I'll make it REALLY easy for you:

Remove the steering shaft from the rack
Remove lines from rack
Unbolt line brackets from subframe
Unplug and unbolt the electric PS pump motor from it's bracket (you can dangle it from the hoses)
Remove outer tie rods from knuckle and inner tie rods
Remove both inner tie rod boots and tie rods

Unbolt and rotate the rack towards you and slide it to the right, then forward and out. To install, just remove the inner tie rods from the replacement rack and reverse the procedure. Be sure to put a dab of red Loctite on the threads of the inner tie rods before reinstallation.

I had the entire job done in about an hour and a half, including filling and bleeding. I used Pentosin CHF11S fluid as called for by Jeep. Performed and alignment and it was good to go. The same truck also got a new thermostat and a few other small repairs. Fun fact: called the dealer for the 'stat, as I've found aftermarket units don't work well in Mopar products. I was told that there were 49,000 on backorder with no ETA.... Great!

I instead ordered a Mahle unit from WorldPac, which upon inspection was 100% an OEM part with the Mopar PN and logo ground off. Cheaper, too! They had over 100 in stock, no clue as to why Mopar can't seem to get their hands on any!

 

[D60]

I wasn't looking forward to my Monday, given my 8am appointment was a rack & pinion on a 2015 Grand Cherokee 3.6. 8 hour job by the book, requiring supporting the engine from the top and removing the subframe/cradle. To heck with that. For anyone tasked with this particular job, I'll make it REALLY easy for you:

Remove the steering shaft from the rack
Remove lines from rack
Unbolt line brackets from subframe
Unplug and unbolt the electric PS pump motor from it's bracket (you can dangle it from the hoses)
Remove outer tie rods from knuckle and inner tie rods
Remove both inner tie rod boots and tie rods

Unbolt and rotate the rack towards you and slide it to the right, then forward and out. To install, just remove the inner tie rods from the replacement rack and reverse the procedure. Be sure to put a dab of red Loctite on the threads of the inner tie rods before reinstallation.

I had the entire job done in about an hour and a half, including filling and bleeding. I used Pentosin CHF11S fluid as called for by Jeep. Performed and alignment and it was good to go. The same truck also got a new thermostat and a few other small repairs. Fun fact: called the dealer for the 'stat, as I've found aftermarket units don't work well in Mopar products. I was told that there were 49,000 on backorder with no ETA.... Great!

I instead ordered a Mahle unit from WorldPac, which upon inspection was 100% an OEM part with the Mopar PN and logo ground off. Cheaper, too! They had over 100 in stock, no clue as to why Mopar can't seem to get their hands on any!

^^^^someone somewhere was saying Motorad-builds are beginning to show up at Dodge/Chrysler/whatever dealers now....kinda terrifying if Motorad is building OEM-level stuff unless they're truly using a different factory/line to do it.

 

[14Accent]

^^^^someone somewhere was saying Motorad-builds are beginning to show up at Dodge/Chrysler/whatever dealers now....kinda terrifying if Motorad is building OEM-level stuff unless they're truly using a different factory/line to do it.

Looking on RA, all of the thermostat's aside from the Dorman appear to have the Behr logo on them, which means they all come from Mahle. Again, I can't figure out why Mopar is having trouble sourcing these, as from what I can see Mahle has NO problem building enough for the aftermarket INCLUDING reboxes.

I stole this pic from an Amazon review, but this is exactly what the Mahle part I received looked like. The long strip on the left is where the OE part # was originally, and the square on the right was the Pentastar logo. You can't tell me that these aren't the same units that are shipped to dealers, other than some poor worker at the end of the production line spending their days grinding.

 

[D60]

More GMT400 door work. Finally had an excuse to unbox and assemble my door holder.

 

[clinebarger]

PCM replacement & program on a 2005 1500 Silverado 5.3L/4L60E.
Fuel Pump Relay bypass on a 2008 2500HD Silverado 6.0L/6L90E, Using a remote mount relay.
EVAP codes on a 2011 Toyota Corolla, Needs a EVAP cannister, Customer declined repair as I'm too expensive.


Back on the 4L65E build.....

Dura-Bond HP coated Bushings throughout
Sonnax Smart Shell

 

[AutoMechanic]

Today was pretty chill at work for a Tuesday anyway. I mostly done my usual role of helping as I am the leader. I helped one of my techs do some brakes he was struggling badly with the twist back calipers.
I hate them as much as he does but it’s what we have to deal with these days. The boots kept getting caught as we tried to push them back. But finally got them. We also had a new Camry come in with a power seat that won’t do anything well got in the car verified complaint and she was right won’t do anything won’t go fowards, backwards and the heated seat didn’t work and the front seats have been changed to aftermarket so we told the lady to take it back to where she had it done and they can fix it because we weren’t digging into someone’s handy work. The wiring is junk someone was electrical tape happy. I will be glad when I get back to Subaru. Toyota customers and cars are too much drama lol. And Subaru is so much easier to work on lol. An advisor asked for my help explaining to a customer why he needs 4 tires in order for his 4WD to not malfunction and so we tried explaining but he wasn’t having it. So we let him get just one tire but told him we would not guarantee the alignment or tire or his 4WD if he has problems in the future he said ok. Toyota says 3/32 difference in front a rear Subaru says 2/32 difference personally I agree more with the 2/32. This guy was 5/32 difference and that will definitely screw his truck up. Oh well it was noted and he is on his own. He had 7 in the rear and 2 in the front and the new tire he got has 12/32. He isn’t the only customer we have had this problem with but they will learn one day.

 

[clinebarger]

Today was pretty chill at work for a Tuesday anyway. I mostly done my usual role of helping as I am the leader. I helped one of my techs do some brakes he was struggling badly with the twist back calipers.
I hate them as much as he does but it’s what we have to deal with these days. The boots kept getting caught as we tried to push them back. But finally got them. We also had a new Camry come in with a power seat that won’t do anything well got in the car verified complaint and she was right won’t do anything won’t go fowards, backwards and the heated seat didn’t work and the front seats have been changed to aftermarket so we told the lady to take it back to where she had it done and they can fix it because we weren’t digging into someone’s handy work. The wiring is junk someone was electrical tape happy. I will be glad when I get back to Subaru. Toyota customers and cars are too much drama lol. And Subaru is so much easier to work on lol. An advisor asked for my help explaining to a customer why he needs 4 tires in order for his 4WD to not malfunction and so we tried explaining but he wasn’t having it. So we let him get just one tire but told him we would not guarantee the alignment or tire or his 4WD if he has problems in the future he said ok. Toyota says 3/32 difference in front a rear Subaru says 2/32 difference personally I agree more with the 2/32. This guy was 5/32 difference and that will definitely screw his truck up. Oh well it was noted and he is on his own. He had 7 in the rear and 2 in the front and the new tire he got has 12/32. He isn’t the only customer we have had this problem with but they will learn one day.

Carefully peal the boot back with a awl & use some Hydraulic Brake Cylinder Assembly Fluid all the way round the the caliper piston, The boot will no longer stick to the caliper piston as you rotate it.

Carlson 9440 is what I use.....A little goes a long way!, My bottle is old as you

 

[D60]

Custom railing in a "tiny home" at my favorite non-profit for whom I volunteer all my fab and mechanical ability -- such as it is. Since they're not paying, they don't complain

 

[14Accent]

Custom railing in a "tiny home" at my favorite non-profit for whom I volunteer all my fab and mechanical ability -- such as it is. Since they're not paying, they don't complain View attachment 130810View attachment 130811

Um... I'd hope someone other than you at least paid for materials? Bah-humbug in me aside: that's absolutely gorgeous work my friend. The world is severely lacking your kind... those who possess a skill and cherish it regardless of personal gain.

 

[14Accent]

Wednesday 12/14: This is a terrible time of year for the auto repair industry. Brake pads take a (pun intended) back seat to Christmas gifts and holiday expenses in general.

I did have one new job this morning, however: radiator replacement on a 2015 BMW X1 xDrive28i 2.0 (I have no clue if that's what it's actually called... it was an AWD 2.0 X1).

The labor guide only called for 1.2, which blew my mind as I have plenty of experience with European cars and their cooling systems. Low and behold... it was a joy of a process! Maybe a dozen screws total, cooling fan pops out, air box pops out, bam there's your radiator.

I installed an OEM Mahle/BEHR unit from WorldPac, fit like a glove. It was nice to see a Euro vehicle use some common sense when it came to serviceability.

 

[Pablo]

Replaced motor and element on convection part of our oven. Technically easy. Cuts on wrist and body permanently bent in an odd position

 

[clinebarger]

Got back to the 4L65E....

Pump built, Blueprinted using new OE parts (Rotor, Slide, & Vanes), Got a Sonnax .490" boost valve & O-ringed Sleeve, TransGo PR Spring & Bumper Spring.

Stock Borg Warner 2/4 Band, Aftermarket "Corvette" 2nd Servo with TransGo SK Cushion Springs, Sonnax Super Hold 4th Servo, And a Sonnax extra long Apply Pin that you grind to set Band Clearance, I like .040" with a Borg Hi-Energy.

Using a early 4L60E 2nd Accumulator Housing & Springs with a Long Shank aftermarket Piston.