What are you working on today?
- Thread starter Amkeer
- Start date
Started on pre-fab of a truck tray to mount accessory gear. The photo shows provisions for a Dodge Charger, but it’s similar for the larger trunk on the Chevy SS Sedan. I‘m hoping to avoid drilling new holes with threaded inserts, but finding existing bolted brackets are few and far. 
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- Joined
- Nov 20, 2021
- Messages
- 2,210
1975 Chevrolet Malibu
Replaced front brake rotors, pads, calipers, hoses, wheel bearings, replaced rear brake hose. Inspected rear brakes, hardware is nearly new but wheel cylinders are leaking. News ones coming tomorrow. Pulled the radiator for replacement and started replacing the belts. Got called off it to go boost off a work truck. Alternator quit charging on a 2004 Ford F-150, so I'll have that to do tomorrow.
Replaced front brake rotors, pads, calipers, hoses, wheel bearings, replaced rear brake hose. Inspected rear brakes, hardware is nearly new but wheel cylinders are leaking. News ones coming tomorrow. Pulled the radiator for replacement and started replacing the belts. Got called off it to go boost off a work truck. Alternator quit charging on a 2004 Ford F-150, so I'll have that to do tomorrow.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Slow day today. Had a 2005 Corolla towed in that Walmart done a flat repair on and they left the wheel loose. Customer drove it back to Walmart and their response was well it’s an old car so it’s going to make noise they wouldn’t even pull it back into the shop to check it. When it came in on the tow truck you could tell the wheel was sitting crooked. It’s a shame someone would let that go then blow it off with an excuse of it’s an old car. No it’s a car you just worked on and forgot something so you need to correct it. I made sure the customer didn’t pay anything I felt sorry for her. I understand mistakes happen or you forget something but you need to make it right.
Then done diagnose on a Tacoma a test drive told me the wheel bearing was bad. Got the work approved and waiting on parts customer requested OEM bearing so that’s what I am going to put in for them tomorrow morning. It’s the RF. 2017 Tacoma with 140,000. That’s work today.
At home I finished the valve cover gasket replacement on my 94 Camry. Then changed the spark plugs and tube seals too and replaced the front right signal bulb and front left headlight bulb. This weekend will be changing the oil and then changing the transmission fluid and filter and going to check the shift solenoids when I drop the pan. All the old timers at work said these were notorious for problems usually needing solenoids or transmissions.
Then done diagnose on a Tacoma a test drive told me the wheel bearing was bad. Got the work approved and waiting on parts customer requested OEM bearing so that’s what I am going to put in for them tomorrow morning. It’s the RF. 2017 Tacoma with 140,000. That’s work today.
At home I finished the valve cover gasket replacement on my 94 Camry. Then changed the spark plugs and tube seals too and replaced the front right signal bulb and front left headlight bulb. This weekend will be changing the oil and then changing the transmission fluid and filter and going to check the shift solenoids when I drop the pan. All the old timers at work said these were notorious for problems usually needing solenoids or transmissions.
I saw you mentioned troubles with the A140E in your Camry.......Is Reverse the only thing missing?
If so.....Get it up to around 25-30MPH, Let off the throttle, Manually move the shifter down into Low/1st, You should have Engine Braking (Engine RPM will come up & the car will slow down)
If you have no engine braking....The car just coasts?....There's an issue with the First & Reverse Brake (B3) Clutch.
Don't waste time/money replacing Solenoids or doing any maintenance! The 2 Shift Solenoids only control forward shift timing!
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Great tips. Yes reverse is the only thing it won’t do. Otherwise it’s smooth. When you put it in reverse it lunges foward very lightly and then just doesn’t do anything. I tried revving a little bit in reverse it does nothing at all.
If the B3 Clutch isn't holding.....It'll will want to rock forward because the C2 (Direct) Clutch also comes on in Reverse. The B3 Clutch is what forces the output to turn the opposite direction (Counter Clockwise) than the Input which is Clockwise, The C2 Clutch is just a means of driving the Front Planetary & Sun Gear.
Got a little more done yesterday . Got the lines and wiring from the outdoor unit to the branch box, ran 1” conduit from the breaker panel to disconnect box w/ surge protection, and ran wiring/conduit to outdoor unit from disconnect box. 6/2 Romex from the breaker panel to outdoor unit, 16/2 for the communication wire and 14/2 for the branch box power supply. It’s very tough finding time while watching 2 kids that constantly want to kill each other 
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Wheel cleaning…
Give the kids a case of beer......Got a little more done yesterday . Got the lines and wiring from the outdoor unit to the branch box, ran 1” conduit from the breaker panel to disconnect box w/ surge protection, and ran wiring/conduit to outdoor unit from disconnect box. 6/2 Romex from the breaker panel to outdoor unit, 16/2 for the communication wire and 14/2 for the branch box power supply. It’s very tough finding time while watching 2 kids that constantly want to kill each other
hmm, probably good I'm not a parent.....
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Today drug on at work lol. Guess where we have been slow. We were all celebrating cause the boss will be gone tomorrow and all next week. He hasn’t been too good to us hourly guys here lately. Hopefully I’ll be getting out of the Toyota shop soon over to the Subaru one as I was promised. I have had it with Toyota. My coworker brought in beer for everyone cause this week has been terribly slow and stressful. They are on us for standing around but there is no work to do and we have cleaned so much that we can’t do it anymore. If I was at Subaru it would not be like this. My coworker went and bought a case of beer at lunch and handed it out to everyone lol. Definitely will be drinking it tomorrow if I can. I don’t care for Michelob all that well lol. Just haven’t tried this particular one it’s the Gold Label. Hopefully tomorrow and all next week will be peaceful lol.
Edit: forgot to add what I did today.
Nothing except a set of tires. And then at the very last minute the old old bosses daughter brought her Chevy in for an oil change. Drained maybe 2 quarts of oil out of it. Was knocking like nobody’s business. But worth it cause I need the overtime. Also had a family friend bring his Tacoma in for oil change and tire rotation. He brought some some tools from when he was a diesel mechanic so that made the day better lol.
Edit: forgot to add what I did today.
Nothing except a set of tires. And then at the very last minute the old old bosses daughter brought her Chevy in for an oil change. Drained maybe 2 quarts of oil out of it. Was knocking like nobody’s business. But worth it cause I need the overtime. Also had a family friend bring his Tacoma in for oil change and tire rotation. He brought some some tools from when he was a diesel mechanic so that made the day better lol.
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sharp
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2021
- Messages
- 2,210
Yesterday got the wheel cylinders installed on the Malibu. Replaced the drive belts, radiator and radiator hoses. Changed the engine oil. Also did a pan drop/filter change on the transmission.
Replaced the alternator and drive belt on the 04 F-150 as well
Taking the day off today
Replaced the alternator and drive belt on the 04 F-150 as well
Taking the day off today
'15 Forester: oil change, swapped snows for summer rubber, polished clouded headlamp housings, cleaned battery terminals and applied NOCO corrosion goop
'08 F150: the wife decided to play Death Match 3000 with her tailgate and a tree on our property. So, new (used) tailgate. I think '04-08 kinda sucks in this regard because it's a relatively short run as body styles go
'08 F150: the wife decided to play Death Match 3000 with her tailgate and a tree on our property. So, new (used) tailgate. I think '04-08 kinda sucks in this regard because it's a relatively short run as body styles go
Finally got around to installing the sunshade on the camper. Of course, there's a story behind it, when isn't there when it comes to my projects.
First off. I ordered a 15-foot shade, which is a standard size. My awning is 14 feet. Whether that is a C19 effect or not, I don't know, but the sales brochure says it is supposed to be a 15-foot. Maybe to the absolute outside edges of it. No matter, they don't make a 14' shade anyways. Solution, send the zipper portion to my upholsterer uncle to trim to 14 feet and make a nice edge on it. Leave the bottom section alone since it doesn't really matter and will just hang off the end.
Second. Used to be that the aluminum tubing that the factory awning rolls up on is supposed to have channels cast into the extrusion to allow you to slide things like shades into. Not with the 'new' style awnings (cheaper no doubt). The solution...velcro. Well, velcro and small metal grommets. Currently, the velcro is all that is holding the velcro to the tube, but I have installed a pile of small grommets into the velcro that I will run rivets into for when the adhesive of the velcro lets go, I just haven't had the time or the weather to do it. While the upper part was getting trimmed, I had my uncle sew on the fuzzy side of the velcro to the upper portion.
For those that have never seen one, the shade comes in 2 parts. The smaller, shorter part rolls up in the awning and the larger section zips to the smaller section. You wouldn't be able to roll the whole thing up in the awning if you tried to.
First off. I ordered a 15-foot shade, which is a standard size. My awning is 14 feet. Whether that is a C19 effect or not, I don't know, but the sales brochure says it is supposed to be a 15-foot. Maybe to the absolute outside edges of it. No matter, they don't make a 14' shade anyways. Solution, send the zipper portion to my upholsterer uncle to trim to 14 feet and make a nice edge on it. Leave the bottom section alone since it doesn't really matter and will just hang off the end.
Second. Used to be that the aluminum tubing that the factory awning rolls up on is supposed to have channels cast into the extrusion to allow you to slide things like shades into. Not with the 'new' style awnings (cheaper no doubt). The solution...velcro. Well, velcro and small metal grommets. Currently, the velcro is all that is holding the velcro to the tube, but I have installed a pile of small grommets into the velcro that I will run rivets into for when the adhesive of the velcro lets go, I just haven't had the time or the weather to do it. While the upper part was getting trimmed, I had my uncle sew on the fuzzy side of the velcro to the upper portion.
For those that have never seen one, the shade comes in 2 parts. The smaller, shorter part rolls up in the awning and the larger section zips to the smaller section. You wouldn't be able to roll the whole thing up in the awning if you tried to.
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1995 Volvo 850 sedan level zero maintenance update:
Cooling system flushed with Liqui-Moly radiator flush, new hoses, clamps, thermostat, Pentosin coolant with distilled water, OE expansion tank and level sensor. Thermostat housing neck cleaned of scale.
New vacuum purge/filler worked well. Big burp after a minute of vacuum.
Cooling system flushed with Liqui-Moly radiator flush, new hoses, clamps, thermostat, Pentosin coolant with distilled water, OE expansion tank and level sensor. Thermostat housing neck cleaned of scale.
New vacuum purge/filler worked well. Big burp after a minute of vacuum.
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I wasn’t completely thrilled with the last clear coat spray, as I thought it lacked some luster/shine/gloss, whatever you want to call it. So I sanded down the fenders and resprayed, just to see if that would make any difference. I used 3 more coats, and I think the difference is pretty stark. I think I’m much happier with this, though even if I wasn’t, I’m not sure it would be worth the price of admission to get it much better.
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