What are you working on today?

Putting in simple 12" square grey pavers along side the drive just to the front of my truck. I park close to the edge to make room on the other side for the wife's vehicle and so our doors do not hit each other when open. The grass would not grow due to shade trees so I figured simple pavers would work. Plus, when I take my daughter on rides her wheel chair will no longer be in the dirt. I'm going only 3 pavers wide and just down far enough so I can get onto the main driveway with her wheel chair.

I had 811 come out to mark utilities but even though I was careful I still nicked the internet line. So that will be a nice fix it bill from Spectrum. Live and learn.

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2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Replaced fuel pump, checked front end and brakes. Needs outer left tie rod and front pads and rotors. Will do that tomorrow along with an oil change.

1992 Buick LeSabre
Replaced radiator, upper/lower radiator hoses, changed oil
 
'89 K2500 - new rear shocks. Bled brakes and new left rear wheel cylinder.

I will say, there's so little room between the backing plate(s) and leaf packs that this wheel cylinder replacement takes way longer than it needs to.

If I have to do this job again I'm almost inclined to order new u-bolts and drop the axle off the leaf pack :) Would provide the opportunity to clean out the bass ackwards spring plates at the same time!
 
Kennedy01 said:
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Replaced fuel pump, checked front end and brakes. Needs outer left tie rod and front pads and rotors. Will do that tomorrow along with an oil change.

1992 Buick LeSabre
Replaced radiator, upper/lower radiator hoses, changed oil
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My 2002 Silverado 1500 had 200k miles on the original front pads. The rear I had to replace because the calipers froze and wore the pads down. There is a TSB out to put a splash shield up in front of the rear tires to prevent debris from collecting on the calipers.
 
Today I'm going to haul a load of old parts to the county transfer station to recycle them. Shocks, brake rotors, calipers, etc., plus a 5 gallon bucket full of used oil filters and a lot of used coolant. The county cancelled a recycling program so our FLAPS stopped taking filters and coolant a while a go.
 
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In a prior lifetime I had a small trucking company. I drove one myself. I had a W900 40' expediting truck. I got pulled in for a level one inspection. I had about 107,000 miles on my truck. I sat and read my book and after a half hour the guy came over and said it passed and asked why I had new brakes already. I said I didn't. He said yes I did. I said nobody else drives it and unless someone snuck under and replaced them when I was asleep I didn't. He said they had to be as they weren't worn enough for 100k miles. I said I know how to drive, how to follow at an appropriate distance to lift and coast without braking most of the time, had the deluxe 3 position engine brake, was a better driver than almost anyone he was used to and they were factory original brakes. I don't think he believed me but whatever. I drove a million miles without new brakes on that truck.
 
(Two days ago) I installed new NGK Laser iridium spark plugs in the ‘03 Corolla, as well as a new PCV valve. Old plugs were NGK iridium and had about 90K on them. They looked pretty worn, and one had a bunch of oil on (bad/pinched coil seal?). Hopefully that takes care of my p0420 code. The PCV hose came loose, so I’m glad I decided to take care of that.
 
OVERKILL said:
Coaching my son through doing maintenance work on the Danger Ranger (2003 Ford Ranger).

Walked him through changing the front shocks (lending a hand where needed):
View attachment 182420

Then changing the oil.

We are waiting on the new leaf springs for the rear, then it's springs and shocks in the back.

Tomorrow will be door pins (driver's door is pretty saggy) and seeing if we can solve the interior light switch issue, which seems to be associated with the driver-side door.
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Got the door pins done, that was an adventure! The new bushings (Dorman) do NOT fit in the stock holes, and there are no instructions/indications that you need to make the holes larger. A quick google determined that this was indeed necessary, and rather than using the method employed on the Ranger forum (dremel) I found an appropriately sized drill bit and resized them. Door sits perfectly now, and functions like it is supposed to.
 
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Replaced front brake rotors and pads, replaced left outer tie rod, changed oil

2003 Ford F-150 Lightning
Replaced pcv hose and changed oil
 
1997 GMC truck. Trying to remove the seats and seat belts out of it to replace the carpet with a rubber floor. The seat belt retractor takes a T50 Torx bit. I stripped out two Lisle torx bits and I'm at a standstill. Got the bolt out on the driver's side about half way out and it won't come out any more. I used heat on the bolt from underneath the truck with no luck. I have not even tried the passenger side yet.

I got one bolt out and one half way out for the seat on the driver's side before calling it quits. Not sure what to do now. This truck only has 75,000 miles on it and is not rusty underneath.
 
ripcord said:
Soak it in penetrant for a few days and then work it down and then back out as far as it will go, repeating until it comes loose.
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I soaked it several times today as well as using a wire brush on all of the bolt ends for the seats and seat belt retractors. I will spray some more on it tomorrow. I'm almost afraid to try screwing the seat belt bolt back in. I ordered a couple of more bits since I don't have any of that size left. I stripped the one I did have and went to the store and bought another one and stripped it on the first try after heating the bolt red hot. The inside of the bolt looks a little damaged as well so I'm not sure if I can get it out anyway.
 
wtd said:
1997 GMC truck. Trying to remove the seats and seat belts out of it to replace the carpet with a rubber floor. The seat belt retractor takes a T50 Torx bit. I stripped out two Lisle torx bits and I'm at a standstill. Got the bolt out on the driver's side about half way out and it won't come out any more. I used heat on the bolt from underneath the truck with no luck. I have not even tried the passenger side yet.

I got one bolt out and one half way out for the seat on the driver's side before calling it quits. Not sure what to do now. This truck only has 75,000 miles on it and is not rusty underneath.
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You're not the only one apparently
https://www.gmt400.com/threads/bolt-removal-help.2076/#post-33112

I was wondering if these were actually Torx Plus, but apparently not. However I found a thread on a GMT355 forum that says they're actually T47 and while T50 fits, it's more likely to damage the head. Not sure if that's also true in your case
 
D60 said:
You're not the only one apparently
https://www.gmt400.com/threads/bolt-removal-help.2076/#post-33112

I was wondering if these were actually Torx Plus, but apparently not. However I found a thread on a GMT355 forum that says they're actually T47 and while T50 fits, it's more likely to damage the head. Not sure if that's also true in your case
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T47 is smaller than the T50 and the T50 fits pretty snug so I don't think the 47 would work. I don't have one to try.

I did get all of the seat bolts out and got the seats removed as well as the carpet. I just cut the carpet out around the seat belt retractors. I tried putting some vice grips on the head of the bolt on the driver's side and got the bolt to move some, but it got to the point where it wouldn't move any more. I finally gave up. I did try the passenger side and it won't budge either. I will just cut the new flooring around the seat belts and leave it at that. It's not worth the hassle anymore. I do need to tighten the driver's side seat belt back down and hopefully I can because the inside of the bolt looks damaged so I don't think I can use the Torx bit on it. I will probably have to use some vice grips.
 
wtd said:
T47 is smaller than the T50 and the T50 fits pretty snug so I don't think the 47 would work. I don't have one to try.

I did get all of the seat bolts out and got the seats removed as well as the carpet. I just cut the carpet out around the seat belt retractors. I tried putting some vice grips on the head of the bolt on the driver's side and got the bolt to move some, but it got to the point where it wouldn't move any more. I finally gave up. I did try the passenger side and it won't budge either. I will just cut the new flooring around the seat belts and leave it at that. It's not worth the hassle anymore. I do need to tighten the driver's side seat belt back down and hopefully I can because the inside of the bolt looks damaged so I don't think I can use the Torx bit on it. I will probably have to use some vice grips.
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Further research for me online continues to indicate they're intended to be T47. Just because a larger tool "fits snug" doesn't mean it's engaging as well as the proper size. That said, I think you're at a point of scorched earth, or leave them be. I see you've chosen the latter and that's fine if it works for you.
 
I’ve been pretty busy with the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan I picked up for my niece.

Whoever worked on this before should never, ever, pick up a wrench again. The lug nuts were over tightened and rounded off, and the front right wheel had only three nuts on it. My torch, removal tools, and even my 3/4 drive breaker failed. On the front, I just removed the knuckle and brake assembly as a unit. The tire and wheel are scrap anyway.

The same story on the left rear. In that case, with the wheel already damaged and my MAP Oxy torch having trouble remaining lit, my brother took my 7” grinder and cut the wheel around the damaged lug nut, and then sliced it up until it fell off.

I replaced the brakes and rear shocks, and installed new lug studs since the same ******* who worked on it prior also damaged the studs. The wheel bearings were fine.

The Grand Caravan got all new brakes, calipers, front bearings, knuckles (salvage parts but serviceable), brake hoses, struts, shocks, control arms and new tires on salvage wheels. I’m into this van for $2200 all in, so it’s still way less than a different used van. And, since it’s a 2011, it has a non-ticking Pentastar.

I’m finishing up with an engine service and fixing a couple items (damaged door harness).

It’s been a long, hard road with this one. 🥵
 
D60 said:
Further research for me online continues to indicate they're intended to be T47. Just because a larger tool "fits snug" doesn't mean it's engaging as well as the proper size. That said, I think you're at a point of scorched earth, or leave them be. I see you've chosen the latter and that's fine if it works for you.
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Worked on it more today. I got the rubber floor in but when I went to tighten the seat belt bolt down it would only go so far and then no more. I backed it out and then it would only go so far and now it just spins in place and won't come out.

My fiancé's dad came over and he cut off the top of the bolt and we tried putting a jack on the bolt from underneath the truck to put pressure on it and it still just spins in place and basically is stuck in one spot. Now it's going to have to be drilled out.

I don't have any drill bits that will drill out hardened bolts. Anyone have any suggestions on what kind of drill bits to get?

As far as the Torx size, I don't know. In this case, it wouldn't have mattered because this bolt wasn't going to come out with any torx bit. I'm tired of messing with this thing and it's not even my truck. It never fails. Any time I work on something these days, something always goes wrong.
 
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