What are you working on today?

[D60]

Don't buy gates products if you have other options. Gates is terrible now. Junk.

My ex-FIL used to be an engineer for Gates Rubber. Back then -- say, the 1990s -- they were still mostly US-based and considered a premier manufacturer of belts and hoses, ie rubber products. I think they also owned or made the cases for Optima batts?

Now, like everyone else, production has shifted overseas, and my experience has been "meh." In an attempt to exploit the name (IMO) the present owners (Blackstone, maybe?) are badging things like belt tensioners as Gates. But there's zero reason to think Gates knows how to build bearings for an idler or springs for a tensioner -- and of course it's just all rebadged.

Used to be if a hose was supposed to have an expansion spring, Gates would absolutely have it, ie SBF Windsor-based truck apps on the lower rad hose. Now, it's anyone's guess but the last one I saw lacked the spring. I imagine in mass production it saves quite a bit to not cram a curved spring into a curved hose (honestly, I have no idea exactly how they're built/assembled).

Anyway, all my evidence is weak but I consider Gates to be lower-to-middle of the pack. OK for a beater or a flipper or a basic parts runner, but I wouldn't run it on my mission-critical family truckster. YMMV

 

[zhaarnak02]

That's exactly why I'm not sending it back as a core. The replacement is a reman. I don't know if the pump I pulled was factory or not. Once it's a bit warmer and less wet going to clean it and rebuild it. I've seen a few videos rebuilding the saginaw and doesn't look difficult.

MOST excellent!! I would bet that your odds are pretty good that the old pump is the original. I have one that I rebuilt sitting in my spare parts storage. Fair warning though, the most difficult thing that I have found in rebuilding a Saginaw pump was getting the pump body separated from the pump reservoir. What a fight that was! I wish that I had picked up a 90s GM 5.7 TBI unit to rebuild and have on hand before the local wrecking yards had started yanking ALL of them for certain individuals before the vehicle even made it out to the yard, leaving not a single one for those of us "lil people" The units used to be plentiful (like walking through a cow pasture with your eyes closed, you were going to step on something soft every other step), and pretty dang inexpensive as well. I truly miss the old days.....

 

[zhaarnak02]

Don't buy gates products if you have other options. Gates is terrible now. Junk.

Reminds me of the "Quality" of Car done.....oops, I meant to say Cardone parts. Silly me. Must be getting senile. Oh, who here remembers the fine attention to detail of the Tomco line of "Remnufaktured" carburetors? I will never forget the odd sound one of those carburetors (Quadrajet) made when I was removing it from the box. During investigation, I removed the bowl cover to find the jets and more concerning the float retaining pin just thrown in the bottom of the bowl.

 

[zhaarnak02]

I've had to replace their idler pulleys on both the Express and Dakota with hardly any miles, chirping on both. Don't know his reasoning but I won't be buying gates going forward.

I totally agree. I rebuild my idler pulleys by pressing new, high quality bearings into the pulley if at all possible. Luckily, all my rigs have idler pulleys that have a steel pulley, NOT a plastic one.

 

[BrianF]

@zzyzzx I should have specified, we personally did not buy the vehicle. My wife's boss did and its used as the company run about.

 

[zzyzzx]

Don't buy gates products if you have other options. Gates is terrible now. Junk.

Sometimes Gates serpentine belt tensioners are rebadged Litens sold at a discount. They even use the same picture. I would buy those with confidence. Not sure if you were Gates belts and hoses, which should be as good an anyone else's. I suspect that you were referring to Gates water pumps and maybe timing belt components as items made by Gates that should be avoided.

 

[BrianF]

I installed the new 3amp battery tender in the Ford Flex. Seeing as I was tying in the block heater I had to reroute the cord. Not sure if its a factory location but it was hanging from the just above the air dam. Well, ok, so Ford, I'll give you some credit. The cord end unplug using a slip fit connector. I easily ran the cord where I needed and it was close to the quickest install out of the 6 or 7 I have done. Works great. Stupid Ford's

 

[tah8436]

Replaced the “unserviceable” exterior transmission filter on the 2003 Honda Odyssey. It’s a bit of a pain to get to.

Replaced with a Wix and the thread quality on the Wix filter wasn’t great, gave a touch of resistance while spinning it on despite not being cross threaded. Oh well, no leaks, job done.

 

[CleanSump]

Removed, cleaned, and oiled a sticky trunk latch on a Mercedes. There's so much to remove and unplug in the trunk; entire lid liner, lights, electric emergency release, push button closing switch, the license plate holder, the back up camera, and even a body panel. If you DIY a Mercedes or BMW you understand why the dealer charges so much for labor.

 

[BigBear4583]

2006 Explorer 4.0v6
220k mi

- New PCV
- sway bar bushings
- Repositioned the weatherstripping and siliconed it for a quieter ride
- 12v light on the shifter
- replaced the microguard filter after 1k miles (liked the last two I’ve cut open, sent one to Whip City Wrencher for a video and he said it had a tear so I pulled off the MG on there and plugged in an ST2. 1500 more miles and we’ll do a full change with something better)
- Motorcraft plugs and wires. Looks like she’s running lean?

View attachment 326564

Bracket with bushing is back on, after a drill out (bye bye all my bits), retap, bigger bolt, and a 1/3 JB weld speed stick.

“That’s not going anywhere.”

 

[D60]

2013 Highlander Hybrid:
-replace clock spring to restore horn function

-new CAPA cert headlamp LF (this was much more hassle than the clock spring)

 

[Strumpan_]

Did a front wheel bearing on my A4 today. Got help with heating and using the chisel to get it unstuck from all the corrosion due to the tons and tons of salt they pour on the roads here. Hate the salt.

 

[BrianF]

Finally replaced the oxygen sensor on the 2019 Yamaha Wolverine x2. The check engine light has been on for a while and found it was code 71 for heater circuit. Old sensor popped right out and was quite black with carbon. The heater circuit showed 5.2 ohms while the new OE is 9.3. And just like that the code is gone. Literally a 15 minute job, including testing the sensors.

 

[cptbarkey]

My truck has developed a consistent miss, but no check engine light. I am the 2nd owner since 2007 and put about 25k miles on it during that long duration, its sitting at a lazy 134k on the odo. It’s given me only age related problems. I started the parts cannon today with an OEM fuel filter. No change in behavior, but it was notable that the filter wasn’t original, being a Fram. The inner cartridge on the Fram was loose which didn’t inspire confidence. I did replace the spark plug wires with AC Delo Professional wires about 12 months ago, only as a maintenance activity. I can’t remember if I had a miss this badly before the change.

I don’t have an OBD2 scanner, so one is on order. Will try to diagnose vs parts cannon from now on for this repair, I’d like to do some heavier towing sometime in the next 2-3 years to eventually invest in a 3 ton excavator.

 

[D60]

'09 Taco 2.7, 270k miles.
-replaced leaking plastic coolant bypass. I used an inexpensive metal unit and build quality seemed good but fit (of course) was marginal. The vacuum hose on the rear of the intake really frustrated me -- definitely not built with service in mind

 

[KE7JFF]

My ex-FIL used to be an engineer for Gates Rubber. Back then -- say, the 1990s -- they were still mostly US-based and considered a premier manufacturer of belts and hoses, ie rubber products. I think they also owned or made the cases for Optima batts?

Now, like everyone else, production has shifted overseas, and my experience has been "meh." In an attempt to exploit the name (IMO) the present owners (Blackstone, maybe?) are badging things like belt tensioners as Gates. But there's zero reason to think Gates knows how to build bearings for an idler or springs for a tensioner -- and of course it's just all rebadged.

Used to be if a hose was supposed to have an expansion spring, Gates would absolutely have it, ie SBF Windsor-based truck apps on the lower rad hose. Now, it's anyone's guess but the last one I saw lacked the spring. I imagine in mass production it saves quite a bit to not cram a curved spring into a curved hose (honestly, I have no idea exactly how they're built/assembled).

Anyway, all my evidence is weak but I consider Gates to be lower-to-middle of the pack. OK for a beater or a flipper or a basic parts runner, but I wouldn't run it on my mission-critical family truckster. YMMV

In my travels in a previous job, I had a customer who his day job at Freightliner who I can't remember the exact title, but he was basically the gopher for their production engineering crew when they wanted to see there was an off the shelf part before they had go do it in house. He told me when Gates first started manufacturing in Mexico, that was good plant that DID match the quality as the US/Canada plants. The reason why with those plants, they did a proper localization of their training program which did help. However, as you noted now there is Gates products made overseas, which as he understands are all contracted plants which quality is not measured on site. So a lot of times, they didn't know of this issue until they would go bring this up to their supplier relations people.

 

[stormgol]

changed the coolant on my 2024 Mazda CX-5 Signature. Mazda say to change at 192 000 Kilometers, but i did it at 93 000. should have done it sooner. overall temperature of my heating increased so much i have to stay at 16 degré temperature control. before it was 22-23 to be comfortable at -20 Celcius. i bought 3 jugs of the Mazda FL22 coolant at the dealership. next week i will do entire transmission drain and cleanup and refill. and after that drain and fill my 2 diffs. next time i will do shorter intervals. no more than 80 000 kilometers.

 

[4wd]

My ex-FIL used to be an engineer for Gates Rubber. Back then -- say, the 1990s -- they were still mostly US-based and considered a premier manufacturer of belts and hoses, ie rubber products. I think they also owned or made the cases for Optima batts?

Now, like everyone else, production has shifted overseas, and my experience has been "meh." In an attempt to exploit the name (IMO) the present owners (Blackstone, maybe?) are badging things like belt tensioners as Gates. But there's zero reason to think Gates knows how to build bearings for an idler or springs for a tensioner -- and of course it's just all rebadged.

Used to be if a hose was supposed to have an expansion spring, Gates would absolutely have it, ie SBF Windsor-based truck apps on the lower rad hose. Now, it's anyone's guess but the last one I saw lacked the spring. I imagine in mass production it saves quite a bit to not cram a curved spring into a curved hose (honestly, I have no idea exactly how they're built/assembled).

Anyway, all my evidence is weak but I consider Gates to be lower-to-middle of the pack. OK for a beater or a flipper or a basic parts runner, but I wouldn't run it on my mission-critical family truckster. YMMV

Been buying ATF coolers for years - they never came with name brand hoses - so I’d buy Gates and keep the other hose for emergency use. My new cooler has Gates in the box.
Now I see …
What about ENERGY hoses ?

 

[CleanSump]

Gosh, Gates used to be the higher quality aftermarket. Last belt I bought was a Continental though. There's just no guessing from year to year now. Tensioners have all been German for German cars and OE for American.

 

[melk]

CRV maintenance continues. Yesterday was headlight restore kit + Cerakote black trim wipes. Both worked awesome imho. Today will be a 2nd drain and fill of ATF.