Oh you must have stories, I want to hear them
Last time I saw any notable coverage on the Amphicar, it was the OG Wheeler Dealers restoring one
What are you working on today?
- Thread starter Amkeer
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Last time I saw any notable coverage on the Amphicar, it was the OG Wheeler Dealers restoring one
Oh, you really don't want to hear my stories. From the positive ground wiring system, to the ridiculous oil change procedure, to the constant brake shoe adjustments (4 wheel manual drums with NO automatic adjustment mechanism), to the complete lack of replacement part availability. Those cars had the power to make even the most seasoned mechanic throw in the towel.
Thank god Disney World opened a water-based restaurant attraction and bought almost every running example they could.
Quick back story: a few 6-7 years ago, Disney decided to build a restaurant in the middle of one of their lakes, accessed by the use of a fleet of Amphicar's which would ferry patron's from shore to the island and back. Solid idea, terrible execution.
Disney quickly learned how utterly unreliable the cars proved to be in "marine mode". To the extent that, as the story goes, they built an underwater conveyor belt on which the cars traveled in order to reliably get people to and from.
Back to the topic at hand: I did have the misfortune of replacing the water outlet/thermostat/upper radiator hose assembly on an '03 Jaguar X-Type 2.5 today:
Jaguar radiator hose assembly
Leave it to the British to take a perfectly solid, American made engine and completely butcher it. Sure... at it's core the AJ-V6 is basically the Mazda version of the Ford Duratec V6. However, Jaguar did their worst when putting their unique spin on said engine.
In my particular situation, the plastic tee joining the two halves of the upper radiator hose developed a crack. The only way to get said part requires a call to the local JLR dealer, who will happily sell the part for the relatively reasonable price of $250.
As anticipated, the existing upper hose put up a fight. I couldn't get the bolt securing the plastic crossover pipe free, so I decided to separate the pieces of the new part and build my own solution. It took a couple hours and a few busted knuckles, but I got it all sealed up and back on the road.
Jaguar radiator hose assembly
Leave it to the British to take a perfectly solid, American made engine and completely butcher it. Sure... at it's core the AJ-V6 is basically the Mazda version of the Ford Duratec V6. However, Jaguar did their worst when putting their unique spin on said engine.
In my particular situation, the plastic tee joining the two halves of the upper radiator hose developed a crack. The only way to get said part requires a call to the local JLR dealer, who will happily sell the part for the relatively reasonable price of $250.
As anticipated, the existing upper hose put up a fight. I couldn't get the bolt securing the plastic crossover pipe free, so I decided to separate the pieces of the new part and build my own solution. It took a couple hours and a few busted knuckles, but I got it all sealed up and back on the road.
No disrespect intended, but there's still shops out there that replace just the compressor clutch? As a technician, I understand the reasoning but I fail to see the economic benefit.
No. I wouldn’t do it if I was in a shop still. It would get the AC compressor, receiver drier and a flush. That’s the only way to give a warranty on the job.
This is an “in my driveway” job and the clutch hub rubber has just deteriorated. That will fix it but it gets the tail light warranty. The price difference is pretty significant between the two repairs! $40 part for just the clutch hub and a 10 minute install. $600 for the AC kit and probably in the neighborhood of 4 hours shop time considering it’s 1.5-2 just for an evac and recharge.
Yesterday figured out why the RV's battery went dead real quick. The new Boss radio is pulling .7 amps when it's turned off manually. Pulled the fuse and draw drops below the range of the meter, so 0.00x. Had the old Dual wired up similar and didn't have any issues. The Express uses a data bus for the switched leg on the stock radio and back when didn't care to spend another $50 so just hardwired the red and yellow together. It's in the RV so would leave it on sometimes and not a DD so wasn't hard to turn on/off. Guess I'll try hooking it to a switched source tonight and see if it actually goes to sleep. Ugh can't win.. taking the dash apart isn't easy.
Tonight installing 4 Rockford Fosgate's R165x3 and figuring out that amp draw.
Tonight installing 4 Rockford Fosgate's R165x3 and figuring out that amp draw.
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Not a whole lot at work today. Just done some 20K services and 30K services. We haven’t had a lot going on most days so we take what we can get. I got my butt chewed by a manager because an advisor made a mistake and wrote down 30K service and meant to only put 25K service so I done an oil change on it because that’s part of the 30K service and he comes up to me what are you doing giving away free oil changes now? I’m like what do you mean? He said this is a 25K service not a 30K did you not look at the paperwork? I said yeah I did can’t you see it says 30K service? He said yeah but this car only has 28,000 on it so why would it be a 30K? I’m like because they go by time or mileage and that’s what the paper says. Why would it be a 25K if it has 28,000 on it. He said well the paper is wrong you should know that. The advisor made the mistake not me but him and her are buddy buddies. He told me this better not happen again I just didn’t say anything after that. My manager got transferred to a different position in the company so now it is the service lane manager who is in charge of everybody now and we don’t like him that well to start with but that made me angry. I mean we all make mistakes had it been my fault I’d have said yeah I goofed up but this was not my mistake so I have a right to be angry about it. That just made the day suck. I think he has a lot more stress on him now but still you can’t go off on someone for someone else’s mistake. I hope i can get back to Subaru soon I hate working on Toyota and hate dealing with people like that. I need to have a meeting with the big boss and see when this Subaru building is getting built I absolutely hate working on Toyota stuff and am tired of the management at Toyota and tired of representing a brand that won’t give good support to customers when they have a problem. Subaru will Toyota will not give you good warranty support at all. I haven’t complained to the big boss yet cause they let a bunch load of people go because of budget cuts and I don’t want them to tell me to go too if I go off.
Installing a Strange S60 (Dana 60) in a '56 Chevy, Thought about rattle canning it black.....But I had a half quart of Ford Tuxedo Black that's fixing to go bad if I don't use it....Cleaned the housing & brake drums up, Shot them with some primer.....Man cast iron really soaks up primer! Had to do two coats.
But the base & clear laid down real well. I'm NOT a painter, In fact I won't paint body panels for customers....But I will paint mirror housings, door handles, engine parts, core supports etc to keep from relying on body shops to screw stuff up.....I can screw stuff up all by myself
I don't know exactly what's in this paint....But you can't see the "metallic" without shining a light directly on it??
But the base & clear laid down real well. I'm NOT a painter, In fact I won't paint body panels for customers....But I will paint mirror housings, door handles, engine parts, core supports etc to keep from relying on body shops to screw stuff up.....I can screw stuff up all by myself
I don't know exactly what's in this paint....But you can't see the "metallic" without shining a light directly on it??
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Rear brakes on wife's '08 F150. New pads, shoes, rotors, hardware, calipers, hoses. Oil change.
All the brake parts were pieced together via AWD so it was a very inexpensive brake job.
Working under a glacier. I wish I had had the brains to thaw it out before starting the work.
I feel like parking brakes work better if the shoe lining is still attached to its metal backer?
All the brake parts were pieced together via AWD so it was a very inexpensive brake job.
Working under a glacier. I wish I had had the brains to thaw it out before starting the work.
I feel like parking brakes work better if the shoe lining is still attached to its metal backer?
Recently installed S-VCM on our 2009 Pilot. It's nice not to have those vibrations anymore. MPG did not suffer noticeably. Now just gotta get around to replacing the motor mounts that VCM killed while it was alive...
Wired the boss headunit up to a switched source. Amp draw is now normal, or at least below 0.00x. Not sure if I like it though. It's only on in the run position not the accessory so everything engine wise is running. I might just put a switch in instead.
Put up a plug-in strip... I got asked if we need that many plugins lol. This should solve the plug-in fight charging phones or whatever.
Put up a plug-in strip... I got asked if we need that many plugins lol. This should solve the plug-in fight charging phones or whatever.
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Today finally got the serpentine belt back on dads car. Took almost 6 months. After months of fighting with it the genuine Toyota belt was a success. Made by Mitsubishi. It still took a fight but with a radiator pick and serpentine belt tool and dad bumping the engine I finally got it on and bumped the engine again and it went on fully. Now to just get tires, struts for the back and a state inspection and it can cruise again. My fingers and arms and back are killing me now but it’s fixed so I don’t have to hear anyone complaining about their car being used or their car not being fixed lol.
Had the twins out building fence today. Used a skidsteer with post auger to drill the holes. Waiting for concrete to set up and I’ll pull the bottom wire tight and start driving T posts. Also ordered tires for the trailer behind the 1025R. They’re beyond may-pops now. This is a cross fence on our 270 acres.
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Re-clocked a wiper arm on a '19 Rebel for a friend that inexplicably came loose. She stopped at an O'Reilly on the road and they snugged it down but put it halfway up the windshield at rest. Who does that?!?!?
The nut is hidden by the hood when closed and they barely give you enough Z-space to use a puller when the hood is open.
I actually really like this inexpensive wiper puller I got thru Amazon awhile back. Comes with 2 sets of arms
The nut is hidden by the hood when closed and they barely give you enough Z-space to use a puller when the hood is open.
I actually really like this inexpensive wiper puller I got thru Amazon awhile back. Comes with 2 sets of arms
Toyotacare has been around for what, 12 years now? Wouldn't it have been your responsibility to check the service history to see if the last service included a LOF?
If parts handed you the wrong fluid, would you still install it? Or would you check the service information first? Come on...