What are you working on today?

I am going to be making and shipping parts all day today. I can never grasp why but yesterday I offered a 10% promo code and went from nothing happening to a complete overload.

It amazes me and I am very thankful but at the same time perplexed.
This time of year stinks for me going way back to the early 80s.
 
Tinkering, somewhat. Checking fluid levels on the Ford.

The coolant was overfull from the shop.

Almost impossible to see, but level was just below that hose on the front...
20230709_073348.jpg
20230709_073755.jpg


So I removed enough to make it to the top of the Full Cold mark...
20230709_074028.jpg

Not sure I should even bother cleaning the outside of that tank.

Here is how the coolant looked (G-05)

20230709_074418.jpg
20230709_074429.jpg


Should I add a small amount of RMI-25?
20230709_075201.jpg

Here is the oil level and how it looked

20230709_074344.jpg


Keeping battery level as topped off as possible on CTEK MXS 5.0

20230709_074635.jpg

And tried one more time to put A nut in there rather than NO nut. Wants to sit off to the side. (Nothing holding the thread on the back but I wonder if it will stay for the tension of the tank wanting to sit to the side.)

20230709_075244.jpg

Also exchanged out one quart ATF. Same amount put in as what was taken out via funnel.

20230709_084549.webp
 
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Swapped out wiper blades on the Mini… put Valeos on it all around.

Cleaned and Rain-X treated the windshield, back window and sides and cleaned the insides. Amazing how even my 16 year old car still out gasses and coats the inside of the windshield.

Replaced my faulty windshield washer fluid level sensor. I replaced the washer reservoir a couple of months back but reused the sensor since it was working then. I replaced the pump since that old one was a tad weak. Not sure what happened to the sensor afterward since it kept giving a low fluid warning on the dash. Pulled it out, quickly put the new one in and lost only a little fluid 😁.

Lights off on the dash now, but I still need to do a TPMS reset.

Last thing outstanding on this car is the parking brake cables. I snipped them when they were hanging up last Fall, and since it’s an automatic I didn’t need the parking brake. But I will put it back because I prefer to have it anyway.

Then it’s maintenance and driving it. I use it more than my other cars, as even the Jeep I’ve had for 18 months has a mere 7100 miles on it. 🤷‍♂️. The Charger? I’ll need to swap lifter and cam due to the “tick”.
 
Big week (July 1 to July 7) - removed engine from the Impala, replaced the rear main seal, oil pan (original had a stripped plug) and pan gasket. Installed heavy duty oil pump drive shaft with steel retainer. Replaced flexplate. Also did the torque converter seal, rear output shaft seal and a transmission service. New exhaust donuts, fresh coolant, fresh oil (no filter change).
 
The wife's '08 F150 3V abomination:
-oil change
-kinda sorta rebuilt the alternator (long story)
-new ball joints and UCA bushings in the Icon kit which was already on the truck when we purchased it:

Old parts, new parts. The ball joints have allegedly been updated from "uni-ball" to "Delta joints":
20230709_113550.webp

I could pull each BJ up/down at least 1/4". This was entering unsafe pull-apart territory. Note air gap in shadows:
20230709_113638.webp

Using my ball joint press on actual ball joints instead of u-joints....weird
20230709_113609.webp

Icon claims you need a special driver to install these. Nonsense -- any piece of pipe or whatever that's long enough to accommodate the stud will work. This just happens to be the CTA BJ puller tool for Subarus, but only because it was in my box and works:
20230709_113505.webp

Freshly greased (yes, I wiped off the excess after photo) and finished:
20230709_111745.webp
 
D60 said:
The wife's '08 F150 3V abomination:
-oil change
-kinda sorta rebuilt the alternator (long story)
-new ball joints and UCA bushings in the Icon kit which was already on the truck when we purchased it:

Old parts, new parts. The ball joints have allegedly been updated from "uni-ball" to "Delta joints":View attachment 165892
I could pull each BJ up/down at least 1/4". This was entering unsafe pull-apart territory. Note air gap in shadows:View attachment 165893
Using my ball joint press on actual ball joints instead of u-joints....weird
View attachment 165894
Icon claims you need a special driver to install these. Nonsense -- any piece of pipe or whatever that's long enough to accommodate the stud will work. This just happens to be the CTA BJ puller tool for Subarus, but only because it was in my box and works:View attachment 165896
Freshly greased (yes, I wiped off the excess after photo) and finished:View attachment 165895
Click to expand...
How do you like the ikon suspension? What’s it like to drive?
 
meep said:
How do you like the ikon suspension? What’s it like to drive?
Click to expand...
When it works it's Cadillac-esque. But like most aftermarket it doesn't hold up like OEM. At least one front strut is blown and one rear shock is definitely blown.

For the rear I'm just going with Bilstein. For the front I'd like to have them rebuilt. I can pull them and ship them, just not sure who to use.

The ball joints and bushings had a TON of play. Between both I could grab a wheel at 12 and 6 and rock it an alarming amount. Camber had to be all over the place.

In their defense I never noticed the bushings were greaseable-- the zerks are kinda hidden on the underside. However the PO had also installed the bushings with a center ring that blocks the zerk hole, so greasing may not have done much.

Best I could tell if you want them greaseable you should leave the center bushing ring out. This allows a cavity where you can pump grease. My theory is on their billet Al arms maybe greaseable is an option. There was a lot of rust in my bores, so it would seem the grease is perhaps important to combat rust.

Anyway we run 315/70/17 on aftermarket alloys, so the bigger rubber perhaps places some additional strain on the bj's and bushings, but it just sees normal truck duty. We don't wheel it or drive it hard or try to pretend to be prerunners.

If I start greasing both the bushings and ball joints every oil change hopefully I'll see greater longevity. But it's not like OEM install-it-and-forget-it. Neither style of bj appears well-sealed, so I think they're relying on frequent PM
 
Zee09 said:
I am going to be making and shipping parts all day today. I can never grasp why but yesterday I offered a 10% promo code and went from nothing happening to a complete overload.

It amazes me and I am very thankful but at the same time perplexed.
This time of year stinks for me going way back to the early 80s.
Click to expand...


I wasn't aware that you had a parts business...very cool.
May I ask what you sell?
 
Pablo said:
Slacking Sunday day of rest

Got Monday’s parts shipments ready then ordered some hardware for rerigging my mobile stand jacking casters
Click to expand...
I like working Sunday as it makes the hectic Monday's easier. That said my shippers software was updated but corrupt. Had to use ship station via Paypal...horribly slow but I was happy to have it today.
 
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