What are you working on today?

I've closed shop every day this week besides Tuesday to avoid the heat. I did a thorough cleaning of the bathroom Monday. Tuesday I took a 2004 Toyota Highlander in to turn front brake rotors, replace front pads, and do an oil change and replaced the air filter. Yesterday I tightened up the loose faucet in the kitchen and pulled the refrigerator away from the wall to clean behind it. Today I went to look at a possible job to take into the shop. 1969 Chevelle that needs the rear end pulled out to replace the trailing arm bushings. While it's out, if the customer and I agree on it, I'll put in new axle seals, a new pinion seal, and probably some new wheel cylinders. We haven't come to an agreement yet on it.
 
AutoMechanic said:
I’ve done some oil changes and stuff so far. Lots of Subaru stuff lol. Also done a few Mitsubishi which I don’t mind as they don’t make me angry like domestic stuff does lol.

I’m just happy because I got a raise. $2 an hour more and if I pass my state inspection test next week I get $2 more dollars. They let me know how much they appreciate everything I do for them like staying late and never ever calling in or missing and always being there when no one else has been and that I let the whole shop use my box when I don’t have too. And he said that even though I’m still young that I’m a great mentor to the younger people and he sees a natural technician in me. Let’s just say I was scared like heck when the boss tapped me on the shoulder saying step into my office. I thought I had messed something up lol. He did tell me yesterday I want to talk to you tomorrow which frightened me then too lol 😂. I respect him very much but now even more. He did give me some advice to just speed up a little bit because I am slow but I acknowledge that and I will work in anyway I can to be more efficient. My main issue is tracking down my stuff because everyone is always using it. So I’ve had my mind on that all day lol. Being happy and now thinking of how I can speed up.
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Another $4/hr potentially.....your Snappy driver can book that Caribbean vacation
 
AutoMechanic said:
I’ve done some oil changes and stuff so far. Lots of Subaru stuff lol. Also done a few Mitsubishi which I don’t mind as they don’t make me angry like domestic stuff does lol.

I’m just happy because I got a raise. $2 an hour more and if I pass my state inspection test next week I get $2 more dollars. They let me know how much they appreciate everything I do for them like staying late and never ever calling in or missing and always being there when no one else has been and that I let the whole shop use my box when I don’t have too. And he said that even though I’m still young that I’m a great mentor to the younger people and he sees a natural technician in me. Let’s just say I was scared like heck when the boss tapped me on the shoulder saying step into my office. I thought I had messed something up lol. He did tell me yesterday I want to talk to you tomorrow which frightened me then too lol 😂. I respect him very much but now even more. He did give me some advice to just speed up a little bit because I am slow but I acknowledge that and I will work in anyway I can to be more efficient. My main issue is tracking down my stuff because everyone is always using it. So I’ve had my mind on that all day lol. Being happy and now thinking of how I can speed up.
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Well done Blake! Keep up the good work!
 
supton said:
Picked up a new HF trailer during the Memorial day sale. Started putting together today with my dad, who I haven't seen in like 3 years. Tossing the folding parts. Did an axle flip but am finding the fenders now rub the wheels. Oops. Will get the floor and sides on first then figure out fenders. Not sure if I should toss the extra leaves, came across a few people indicating that it's oversprung, but since that requires cutting a rivet I might leave alone (for now anyhow).

I'm not sure the blue goop in the wheel bearings is actually grease (sure makes a mess like grease though!) but it will stay there for a year or so I think, seems like I usually get water in there anyhow so it's not like they were going to live long anyhow.

View attachment 103667
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Flipping the axle makes the fenders sit too close to the fender, oops. Flip bracket over and a pair of carriage bolts to the rescue. Hack but maybe it'll work ok. Have to get a jack for the tongue and will call it done for now, wait for the PT to dry out a bit, then think about treating it.

trailer1.jpg

trailer2.jpg


trailer3.jpg
 
meep said:
At todays prices, you may have more invested in that plywood than you do the trailer!
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It’s crazy. Local lumber place had PT 2x4’s for like $8 per, but premium 2x4 studs had dropped from $12 to $11. !!!

Not sure but it was around $300 in wood and bits on top of $375 for the trailer. At the end of the project I wondered about the wisdom of it, but it was kinda fun to build, got to spend some time with my dad, and TBH I’m not sure you can buy something this cheap—well, you can certainly get cheap, but usually this level of quality costs a lot more.

I went for the lighter duty trailer as I still have my older one, and they can trade parts.
 
Friday I replaced a driver's side outer tie rod end on a 1990 Ford Econoline E350 box van, replaced front pads and rotors on a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500, and diagnosed a bad pitman arm on a 1996 Chevy Silverado 1500 2wd. This morning I replaced the pitman arm on the Chevy.
 
Fixed the front belt retractor on the '89 K2500 crackhead Chevy.

It wouldn't always retract and it turned out to be the "convenience" catch they allowed you back in those days when you could slack the shoulder belt off your chest a bit.

After cleaning and copious lube did nothing I simply disabled it by prying it out of the way. The inertia weight is unaffected (separate catch) so I do not believe safety is compromised in the least.
 
I put 4 tires on my brother in laws car yesterday. Today done a misfire diagnosis he has the same V6 that I do. His cylinder 2 was misfiring it’s the coil that’s bad. So we are going to do 6 coils and 6 plugs on Wednesday when the parts arrive since the back requires a good amount of disassembly. We got NGK coils because that’s what he could afford and Autolite plugs because I will only run Autolite or Motorcraft in a Ford. I put Autolite in my Escape last year so far no isssues. I got him the double platinum the OE is platinum. The reason for my choices despite what others may believe but I’ve not had any luck putting anything other than Motorcraft or Autolite in a Ford and Double Platinum because you don’t want to go too low or too high it will cause issues like it did in our Jeep. I know some members may not believe that but I’ve done enough plugs in my life to know what to use and not to use from past issues with various brands.
 
AutoMechanic said:
The reason for my choices despite what others may believe but I’ve not had any luck putting anything other than Motorcraft or Autolite in a Ford
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I'm the same way with Chrysler products, if it needs to be replaced, it has to be a MOPAR part. I replaced the rear mode door actuator in a 2012 Chrysler T/C with cheap DORMAN parts from Advance twice before ordering the part from Superior Dodge. The actuator was actually working, it would change from the ceiling vents to the floor vents on command once the A/C eventually turned on, but the control head would have the rear defrost light blinking continuously for several minutes before eventually kicking the A/C on. The scan tool showed that the configuration failed even though it was working once it actually turned on.
The computer just wasn't jiving with the DORMAN parts, but once the MOPAR part was installed, the system configured itself and kicked on immediately after every start from there on. The people that purchased the van are still happy and say that it hasn't acted that way since.
Now I have installed a lot of DORMAN parts that actually worked, but I believe that O.E. is always the way to go if possible.
Aftermarket stuff is just so hit or miss.
 
HemiBenny said:
I'm the same way with Chrysler products, if it needs to be replaced, it has to be a MOPAR part. I replaced the rear mode door actuator in a 2012 Chrysler T/C with cheap DORMAN parts from Advance twice before ordering the part from Superior Dodge. The actuator was actually working, it would change from the ceiling vents to the floor vents on command once the A/C eventually turned on, but the control head would have the rear defrost light blinking continuously for several minutes before eventually kicking the A/C on. The scan tool showed that the configuration failed even though it was working once it actually turned on.
The computer just wasn't jiving with the DORMAN parts, but once the MOPAR part was installed, the system configured itself and kicked on immediately after every start from there on. The people that purchased the van are still happy and say that it hasn't acted that way since.
Now I have installed a lot of DORMAN parts that actually worked, but I believe that O.E. is always the way to go if possible.
Aftermarket stuff is just so hit or miss.
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I definitely agree. Personally I try to avoid most Dorman things. I put a Dorman ABS tone ring on my Escape because it’s the only brand that appeared to make it lol. We tried to use some NGK copper plugs in our Jeep once it wasn’t taking them it wanted to OEM copper Champion plugs. Run like absolute crap after the NGK plugs were installed couldn’t return so had to buy the Champion. I’ve had a lot of bad luck with aftermarket things here recently. I wanted to get OEM coils for his car but he just couldn’t afford them and he didn’t want just the bad one replaced. If Dorman had coils I’d run from them LOL.
 
AutoMechanic said:
I put 4 tires on my brother in laws car yesterday. Today done a misfire diagnosis he has the same V6 that I do. His cylinder 2 was misfiring it’s the coil that’s bad. So we are going to do 6 coils and 6 plugs on Wednesday when the parts arrive since the back requires a good amount of disassembly. We got NGK coils because that’s what he could afford and Autolite plugs because I will only run Autolite or Motorcraft in a Ford. I put Autolite in my Escape last year so far no isssues. I got him the double platinum the OE is platinum. The reason for my choices despite what others may believe but I’ve not had any luck putting anything other than Motorcraft or Autolite in a Ford and Double Platinum because you don’t want to go too low or too high it will cause issues like it did in our Jeep. I know some members may not believe that but I’ve done enough plugs in my life to know what to use and not to use from past issues with various brands.
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Save those 5 still good coils to swap out with those generic ones when they start to die.
 
ripcord said:
Save those 5 still good coils to swap out with those generic ones when they start to die.
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NGK is name brand but yeah I get what you are saying lol. I wanted to get the OEM but he just couldn’t afford it. $90 a coil. Got the 6 for $130. I certainly can’t afford it either since I had to buy him 4 tires.
 
AutoMechanic said:
NGK is name brand but yeah I get what you are saying lol. I wanted to get the OEM but he just couldn’t afford it. $90 a coil. Got the 6 for $130. I certainly can’t afford it either since I had to buy him 4 tires.
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I'd leave the other 5 coils before I put NGK coils in anything. Aftermarket engine management parts are far too risky IMO
 
Checked the VANOS check valves/screens on the X3 N52. Expected to see some crud collecting on them from the HPL Cleaner Oil dissolving depostis into the oil.
Pleasant surprise: they are spotless.
The dark color is just the camera dealing with the bright reflections in the morning Sun. They are actually silver.

Vanos Check Valve.jpg
 
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