LeGOATski Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 1 minute ago, RochesterRob said: With doing your own oil change you have the satisfaction (hopefully) of knowing the drain plug and filter were mounted correctly and tight. As opposed to the kid who is in a hurry at the lube shop and strips out the plug or does not tighten the plug with catastrophic failure of the engine looming. Even if the shop covers the loss there is still the inconvenience of a down vehicle. I always go to the dealership. The Toyota shop near me has oil change/full inspection deal of 3 for $100. Well worth it. They're more professional and well-versed on my vehicle make/model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 11 minutes ago, RochesterRob said: With doing your own oil change you have the satisfaction (hopefully) of knowing the drain plug and filter were mounted correctly and tight. As opposed to the kid who is in a hurry at the lube shop and strips out the plug or does not tighten the plug with catastrophic failure of the engine looming. Even if the shop covers the loss there is still the inconvenience of a down vehicle. I did a timing belt on the wife's car in the parking lot at Sear's. Their "mechanics" would not touch it and I had to get the wife's car up and going. Luckily, common sense is what I needed to perform the work. All in all a job I would rather hand off to someone else even if not pressed for time. This was in a 94 Chevy S10. It wasn't that bad. Just a lot of work to get to something rather simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBills808 Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 Good job. I believe folks should know how to work on the machine they rely on, at least on a basic level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpberr Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, GoBills808 said: Good job. I believe folks should know how to work on the machine they rely on, at least on a basic level. Amen. It's a dying art. Many schools don't teach shop or home ec anymore. Home Depot had to assemble instructional videos on how to properly use a hammer. The guys here are already more mechanically inclined than say 70% of the population under the age of 40. Looking back, they were probably the two most important classes I ever took in school. Shop taught me fundamentals about tools and repair, which included a section on vehicles. I remember learning how to change wipers, use a jack, what the oil numbers mean, etc. Home Economics taught me basics about cooking, laundry and how a checkbook works. Edited October 9, 2018 by dpberr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 On 10/6/2018 at 5:37 PM, Boyst62 said: Done this. Replaced a timing chain. Spark plugs. Core heater. Transmission filter. Hydraulic pump. Spark plugs. I don't work on the f350. I'm too big to fit into that tiny engine compartment Did You do water pump when You were in there doing timing chain. Highly recommended! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Today's vehicles are getting harder and harder to work on yourself, everything is tied to a computer, and they jam so much stuff into such a tiny space you have to take half the vehicle apart to get to something simple. My sister and her husband have a Dodge Journey, a few weeks ago I brought my battery charger over cause their battery died while they were away for the weekend and it sat (they bluetooth thing for the phone connection was malfunctioning and drained it apparently). There are only connection points for boosting or connecting to the battery up top in the engine compartment, the battery is down below under a bunch of things and takes a bit of time removing stuff just to get to the battery ro swap a new one in. One of the things I loved about my jeep was all the room around the motor. I could see the ground below when I looked in the engine bay. On 10/7/2018 at 11:59 PM, CookieG said: I'm like that too. I wouldn't rip an engine or a tranny apart, too much precision work. But changing a starter, an alternator, water pump, stuff like that, I can usually do. The parts that can kill you if not done right, like brakes and suspension parts that make me most nervous. but that has its good side, you just end up being more careful to do it right. Engines arent that bad, rebuilt the 2.8l engine in my old s15 Jimmy in high school when the bearings spun. It seems daunting but it's not that bad, I found it fun. Automatic transmissions on the other hand seem like they would be much more difficult to do, I have thought about taking one of the scrap ones I still have apart for fun..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said: Did You do water pump when You were in there doing timing chain. Highly recommended! Probably if you're supposed to but... I can't remember I've done some thermostats. Placement suuucks for those bitches. Done shocks, too. Rewired some ****. I probably can't think of all I've done and forgot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 12 hours ago, Boyst62 said: Probably if you're supposed to but... I can't remember I've done some thermostats. Placement suuucks for those bitches. Done shocks, too. Rewired some ****. I probably can't think of all I've done and forgot. Dont you love it when you have to replace something that is a normal maintenance type item and they put it somewhere in a place that is not easily accessible and involves spending more time removing other parts and items to get to it then to replace the part? I had a '99 Ford Explorer for a few months that I bought and had a ticking noise coming from the motor. Bought it at a used car dealer 'As Is' because of it, was told they had a Ford dealer look at it and said sticky lifters. Bought it anyway cause it wasnt that bad. 2 months later while driving to play ball hockey, engine stalls and never starts again. Ford designed these motors with multiple timing chains, with one being located at the back of the motor. This chain also had a plastic guide that would become brittle and break, causing the chain to fail and destroy the internals of the engine. It wasn't an easy fix to replace the guide with the engine in place and usually involved removing the motor. Cost me a couple grand to have a mechanic replace the motor with one from a wrecker. Would have done it myself but it was February and I had no garage and working full time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieG Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 13 hours ago, apuszczalowski said: Engines arent that bad, rebuilt the 2.8l engine in my old s15 Jimmy in high school when the bearings spun. It seems daunting but it's not that bad, I found it fun. Automatic transmissions on the other hand seem like they would be much more difficult to do, I have thought about taking one of the scrap ones I still have apart for fun..... Well, I sort of did, years ago, but that was with help. We broke a timing belt on one of our cars and of course, some valves were bent. It was older and we were going to dump it, but a friend looked at me and said, "I bet we can fix it." So we towed it up to his place. Of course, he had nearly a full mechanic shop at his place (had a side business fixing small engines) and he actually had a valve grinding machine. i did most of the tear down and putting back together, he did the precision work, the grinding, lapping and making sure the guides were still good. In that area, there was lots I wouldn't have known how to do or what to check. But the tearing down was a task and a half. Its like you said, its the things you need to take off just to get to what you need to replace. It was so far beyond just the exhaust and intake manifolds and the timing belt. It was, among other things, 2 engine mounts, AC compressor, PS tank, air cleaner housing, alternator, throttle body, etc. Its like a house of cards, you have to start from the top and work your way down. But for $200 in parts ($150 of which was the gasket kit, I think there were around a dozen gaskets) and a few evenings, we got it going again. Yeah, it was an experience, and there's definitely a feeling of satisfaction when the engine fires. The motor was always good, but after that work, it was very good. It had more power than a motor with 150K+ should have. So I think we did it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I look at it as a much bigger, heavier and more expensive jigsaw puzzle. And it's more fun cause at the end you have something useful instead of just a picture you are going to break back apart and put back in a box! There are some fine detailing that needs to be done, even more so if you want to make it better then stock. Some of that work is best to bring the parts somewhere and have a pro do that work. I almost made a dangerous mistake when I rebuilt my motor. I guess while the motor was out of the truck, the shift linkage for the tranny had been moved and when I put it back together, the tranny was in drive bit the shifter said park. It gave a little jerk forward when I tried to turn it over. Then when I got it together and running I found that I forgot to install a rear gasket on a plate that went over the back of the cam. I notice the oil leak and was lucky that I got it in without having to pull everything apart, just disconnected the tranny and pushed it back a little. Had just enough room for my arm and a wrench to get to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Popinski Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Tire had a screw in it, i thought it was a wheel bearing because of the whining noise but glad it was not. Getting it patched as we speak. Would have done it myself but seriously, it's 15 bucks and I don't have to get dirty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUFFALOKIE Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 LAMP! I was quoted $1550.00 for front end suspension on my 09 Maxima! I have a four day weekend so I shopped around for parts and found THE MAN at Advance Auto Parts!!! He got me strut assemblies and control arm assemblies for 400 less than list price!. (Cool ass heavy metal manager!) I have one side done so far. When I am done, and pay for an alignment my total will be 700ish. I saved almost $900!!! Admittedly, I am out of practice...couldn't find my 1/2 inch ratchet, and I am missing a my 20mm wrench, but I made due with a big crescent, lol. These cars are engineered so well nowadays that repairs like this are pretty easy if you have the time and desire. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Popinski Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 my truck ended up having a bad ring and pinion in it, and with it being 1600 just for parts, i got an entire axle from a salvage yard for a grand, i'm going to pay someone to install it rather than muck it up myself. It's heavy as hell and i just don't want to mess with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted October 19, 2018 Author Share Posted October 19, 2018 37 minutes ago, Soda Popinski said: my truck ended up having a bad ring and pinion in it, and with it being 1600 just for parts, i got an entire axle from a salvage yard for a grand, i'm going to pay someone to install it rather than muck it up myself. It's heavy as hell and i just don't want to mess with it. Yeah man, that's a serious job. Happy to report the brakes are solid. Love it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boater Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 On 10/6/2018 at 4:33 PM, joesixpack said: Highly recommended, as it saved me about two hundred bucks at the cost of two hours time spent. Congratulations. Where else can you make $100 an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted October 20, 2018 Author Share Posted October 20, 2018 Just now, boater said: Congratulations. Where else can you make $100 an hour. Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Popinski Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 On 10/20/2018 at 5:22 PM, boater said: Congratulations. Where else can you make $100 an hour. Boat mechanics make a ton per hour too. 100 is the starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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