What are you working on today?

Well it turns out that one of my heads has a crack in it and of course it is the one that had all the exhaust bolts cleanly removed. Seems there is a crack that runs about 3/16" below the valve seat, up over the top and then down into the spark plug hole. Learned this on Dec. 14th and went out to Asia on the 16th leaving the shop to see if he could locate another FE CA7E or CA8E head. Back and checked on the 4th and the shop had no luck. So now I am looking for a cylinder head

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I know it's across the country but might be worth an email
 
Showed a new repair tech the shop and how we make repair orders and such. Came from a Volvo dealership. I said I’m sorry right off bay as we had Volvos years ago and nothing but trouble. He’s a ASE master tech and will gladly help me study for few more ASE’s


Fixed a “screw up” from lazy, ignorant, and incompetent PM tech last night. 21’ Cadillac SUV with 3.0 turbo. Oil change and he never tightened oil filter. 🤬🤬🤬🤬

Why god, just why?!
 
Thursday
1985 Chevrolet C10
Replaced front brake pads, turned rotors, repacked wheel bearings and changed oil

2007 Toyota Camry
Replaced radiator and upper/lower radiator hoses
 
Finished up a rear differential/viscous coupling/CV axle repair on a '17 Hyundai Santa Fe. 104k miles, customer was in town visiting from Omaha (I'm in the Twin Cities) when it let go. I didn't get much back story, only that the customer heard a loud bang, followed by a burning smell, followed by a rotational noise any time the vehicle was in motion.

As soon as I opened the door, I could smell burnt gear oil. Upon inspection, I found the rear differential case quite literally cracked in half. Not just part of it, the entire housing was split in two. Hyundai didn't want the core, so I tore down the failed unit expecting to find bits of the spider gears everywhere. Not so....

The ring gear and side gears all looked perfect. It was the pinion gear that self-destructed. I saw no evidence which would indicate a prior leak or lack of maintenance, I can only assume that the owner got caught on a slippery surface and as the rear wheels were flying they suddenly found a dry patch to bite into sending a shockwave of torque bind back through the drivetrain.

Another possible contributing factor: the thing was wearing badly worn Kumho tires on arrival. Extreme inner shoulder wear on the rears (I'm talking cords on the inner 1/3, 6/32nds on the outer 1/3rd). I found no glaring issues with the suspension during my inspection, and an alignment needed to be performed following the differential repair regardless. In case anyone is curious, these are the rear end angles I was presented with:

L/R camber: -2.1/-1.0
L/R toe: -1.2/-0.7

I got everything as close as I could: ended at -1.1/-0.7 camber, +0.5/+0.5 toe.

TLDR: 2017 Santa Fe, 100k, $5,500 for 4 new 19" tires, rear differential, viscous coupling, CV shafts, and 4 wheel alignment.
 
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Just bought a nice used 1 owner, 2020 Toyota Rav 4 XLE AWD with only 26,000 miles.
The service manager at the Toyota dealer bought it new. It's in pristine condition.
So, I'm working on changing motor oil, differential(s), and transmission fluid all over to
Amsoil. I done my 2002 Ford F 1-50 FX4 the same way. Changed everything over to
Amsoil and, it's never ran better or smoother. And I bought it used in 2005 with only 29,000
on it at the time.
A year ago, I wouldn't have even considered Amsoil but, after many many hrs of reading, videos, and reviews, I decided to try it myself. I am hooked now. Will never use any other oil of gear oil, transmission fluid again.
 
Finished up a rear differential/viscous coupling/CV axle repair on a '17 Hyundai Santa Fe. 104k miles, customer was in town visiting from Omaha (I'm in the Twin Cities) when it let go. I didn't get much back story, only that the customer heard a loud bang, followed by a burning smell, followed by a rotational noise any time the vehicle was in motion.

As soon as I opened the door, I could smell burnt gear oil. Upon inspection, I found the rear differential case quite literally cracked in half. Not just part of it, the entire housing was split in two. Hyundai didn't want the core, so I tore down the failed unit expecting to find bits of the spider gears everywhere. Not so....

The ring gear and side gears all looked perfect. It was the pinion gear that self-destructed. I saw no evidence which would indicate a prior leak or lack of maintenance, I can only assume that the owner got caught on a slippery surface and as the rear wheels were flying they suddenly found a dry patch to bite into sending a shockwave of torque bind back through the drivetrain.

Another possible contributing factor: the thing was wearing badly worn Kumho tires on arrival. Extreme inner shoulder wear on the rears (I'm talking cords on the inner 1/3, 6/32nds on the outer 1/3rd). I found no glaring issues with the suspension during my inspection, and an alignment needed to be performed following the differential repair regardless. In case anyone is curious, these are the rear end angles I was presented with:

L/R camber: -2.1/-1.0
L/R toe: -1.2/-0.7

I got everything as close as I could: ended at -1.1/-0.7 camber, +0.5/+0.5 toe.

TLDR: 2017 Santa Fe, 100k, $5,500 for 4 new 19" tires, rear differential, viscous coupling, CV shafts, and 4 wheel alignment.
Are 19" wheels stock on these? Seems oddball? Or maybe I'm just sheltered in the world of full-size trucks where it's 17, 18 or 20.....?
 
Friday
2013 Chevrolet Express 1500 V6
Replaced spark plugs and plug wires, changed oil
Taking the rest of the day off to do some housework.
 
Replaced the thermal bypass valve on my Silverado’s 6L80E. I previously replaced the innards with the Superior Transmission bypass, but it wasn’t heating up quick enough around town with the bypass always open. I put the revised 70C bypass from GM in it today. Took it for a spin, and the air temp is in the 60’s here and it was running between 145-150 and shifting good (as good as a 6L80E can!).

There is a service bulletin, but by the time I drive there and wait for them, I can spend the $50 and 15 minutes and do it myself!
 
Worked on a friend's 2015 Equinox. Was rough running and throwing P0010 and P0011. He ordered up an OE GM cam position solenoid for the intake. 15 minutes and it was in. One of rhe easiest repairs I ever got myself into. Cleared rhe code and vehicle runs great.
 
Worked on a friend's 2015 Equinox. Was rough running and throwing P0010 and P0011. He ordered up an OE GM cam position solenoid for the intake. 15 minutes and it was in. One of rhe easiest repairs I ever got myself into. Cleared rhe code and vehicle runs great.
Did the old one have any debris in it? I've come across that before.
 
Started 3.7L engine build.
 

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Changed the oil on the Mack today and got it all greased up. Also had a couple cracks in the subframe for the cylinder mount so I ground them out and repaired them and shot some new paint over it. That gallon of Schaeffer 132 in the engine oil really makes things a slippery mess when you go to drain it. The stuff literally sticks to you.

Tonight we went and looked at a fence clearing job that will start tomorrow. I’ll move what I can with the skidsteer, grapple, and tree puller tomorrow and move the track loader in to finish what little the skidsteer won’t be able to do.
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Replaced the crankcase breather element in my 1989 Mazda B2200. Also replaced the air filter too. Had a hard time finding an air filter. Had to be shipped from 4 towns over to my work. Already had the crankcase breather element I bought 10 of them on RockAuto about 4 years ago down to 4 now.
 
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