My Maintenance Schedule has stripped a gear...

[jgillott]

Quick update. The new Interstate AGM went in today. Spins that little diesel better than ever.

Ended up running a battery tender across the terminals before disconnecting them. Was able to save the radio presets and keep the radio from requiring the security code. Worked perfect.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

My father in law was convinced his transmission was going. I drove with him and asked when did you last have a tuneup? He said about 50K miles ago and no way could it need it already.

I told him if a tuneup didn't fix it, he got it for free.

hmmm - I think I found the problem - works great now! I bet the coil pack is much happier too.

99 Buick Centry 3.1L

 

[TFucili]

Looks like one of those JC Whitney "fires in oil" spark plugs

 

[jgillott]

My father in law was convinced his transmission was going. I drove with him and asked when did you last have a tuneup? He said about 50K miles ago and no way could it need it already.

I told him if a tuneup didn't fix it, he got it for free.

hmmm - I think I found the problem - works great now! I bet the coil pack is much happier too.

99 Buick Centry 3.1LView attachment 111387

Oh, the 2.8L/3.1L GM V6. What a wonderful engine. It certainly brings back memories.

My father had a 1985 S10 Blazer with that amazing 2.8L. It was so bad that we used to keep a rebuilt one on a stand in the garage so that we could swap it out when the current one blew. He had some spectacular failures with it too. Once it tossed a rod though the block, one spun a bearing and sent the front of the crank and the pulley out through the radiator. I got so good at swapping it out that I could have it done in about 4 hours start to finish.

 

[TFucili]

Man, I put a bunch of them together at the machine shop. Intake leaks coolant into the oil, etc.

 

[Wayne M.]

I don’t do many tune ups nowadays, but I’m midway through a Ford E van 5.4 that has 70k on the clock and probably double that in idle hours (no meter) it came in with a busted fuel tank but it had a MIL and a chug, so I sold em a tune up they said they didn’t need. These are the original Motorcraft Plats

 

[Dan_69GTX]

They don't need it! Those plugs have plenty of life left!!

Regarding the Father-in-law's car. It sounds like it is getting an exhaust leak. Haven't looked at it yet, but I'm betting some of the exh studs have broken. Not sure how common that is, but it is too common for me. I REALLY hate doing those!

 

[TFucili]

Did you put those plugs in the blaster and re-gap them, Wayne?

 

[Dan_69GTX]

And how many folks know about such things!

Makes me think of my neighbor. Kid - mid 20's - working out of his garage as a "mechanic" (as his main job). Keeps asking me questions about things. The type of questions shows he has no clue. The best was the mid 70's Chevy truck, not running right, he just replaced the carb with an aftermarket AFB style. I said sure bring it over. I asked about vacuum, what he did, what he checked, etc. Basically just replace the carb and expect it to run right. I look at it and said I see you also replaced plugs and wires, are you sure they are correct? He said he didn't replace them, the owner did. I said he needed to check firing order, he didn't know what it was, so I told him 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. He looks at me surprised. I then said he needs to check the points too. He asked "what are they"? sigh, after a brief description and showing him the "window" on the side of the distributor I wished him well. Oh yea, he also has no manuals or access to them. Doesn't own a scanner, etc. Wow, this is a "mechanic".....

The worst part of that, I've not used my dwell meters in 5 years or so (last was my 57 plym). I dug them out and on 2 of them the wires were all bad - the insulation was brittle and falling off them. Luckily the MAC engine analyzer had better wires and all were still just fine. Sorry, didn't offer them to him, This is the same guy who used a torch to try and remove a stuck lug nut from a jeep with an aluminum rim.

 

[JR]

They don't need it! Those plugs have plenty of life left!!

Regarding the Father-in-law's car. It sounds like it is getting an exhaust leak. Haven't looked at it yet, but I'm betting some of the exh studs have broken. Not sure how common that is, but it is too common for me. I REALLY hate doing those!

Dan I'm sure you have seen em but Lisle among others make a manifold drill template to aid in drilling studs in the vehicle.

I bought this one when I had to do the wifes car

https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/manifold-drill-template-ford

Its more of a homeowner's grade, theyve got professional sets that are much better quality and $$$

It was worth its weight in gold!

 

[Dan_69GTX]

JR, Thanks! I've seen them, but never used them. So far I've been lucky when doing manifolds is the bolts are snapped, but not frozen too bad in the head. Glad to hear the templates work well. Nowadays turning wrenches isn't my day job so I can, and do, refuse to work on anything I don't wanna do. The part that gets me in trouble is when I don't do what I need to do - like rebuild the trans in the Civic so I can sell the bloody thing! Easy enough to do, once I start doing it. But that is why it has been sitting in the field for a year - along with 8 other cars.....sigh....

 

[TFucili]

And how many folks know about such things!

Makes me think of my neighbor. Kid - mid 20's - working out of his garage as a "mechanic" (as his main job). Keeps asking me questions about things. The type of questions shows he has no clue. The best was the mid 70's Chevy truck, not running right, he just replaced the carb with an aftermarket AFB style. I said sure bring it over. I asked about vacuum, what he did, what he checked, etc. Basically just replace the carb and expect it to run right. I look at it and said I see you also replaced plugs and wires, are you sure they are correct? He said he didn't replace them, the owner did. I said he needed to check firing order, he didn't know what it was, so I told him 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. He looks at me surprised. I then said he needs to check the points too. He asked "what are they"? sigh, after a brief description and showing him the "window" on the side of the distributor I wished him well. Oh yea, he also has no manuals or access to them. Doesn't own a scanner, etc. Wow, this is a "mechanic".....

The worst part of that, I've not used my dwell meters in 5 years or so (last was my 57 plym). I dug them out and on 2 of them the wires were all bad - the insulation was brittle and falling off them. Luckily the MAC engine analyzer had better wires and all were still just fine. Sorry, didn't offer them to him, This is the same guy who used a torch to try and remove a stuck lug nut from a jeep with an aluminum rim.

You know, everybody has to start somehere, and I tore up my share of stuff when I was young and dumb(now I am old and dumb), but I can't understand people who don't have the self-respect to be good at what they have chosen to do. Get trained, read up, learn fundamentals, be an authority on what you do. I confess to being a C.O.B., but to me the word "mechanic" really means something.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

I totally agree, you gotta start somewhere! I did, everyone did! The thing that irks me is just what you stated - he doesn't have common sense, and refuses to tool up and knowledge up to be good. It was MANY YEARS before I ever took one class on auto anything. But I read, read, and read. I understood how things worked. I bought tools, etc. I bought cars just to take them apart (not fix). Mom was amazed when I finally brought a car home that ran!

When my boys were growing up and they wanted help fixing something I'd ask them....Do you know how it is supposed to work? If not, you can't fix it! Then I'd explain how it was supposed to work (or let them figure it out) and then work them through a troubleshooting process to figure out what to do.

When they were in Jr High/highschool, we renovated a shed for them to use however they wanted. I taught them drywall, wiring, flooring, painting, etc.

When my son's work was being renovated he was layed off for a few weeks. He went to a camp to hang out with a friend. He told me he got to do some drywall patching cause no one else knew how to do it. Made me proud of him!

 

[mwilson]

One of my favorite complaints is when someone buys a vehicle that I simply would not own because they are so wretched to work on and I advised against the purchase....then they try to con me into working on it afterwards......that brings my blood pressure up a bit....

 

[Dan_69GTX]

One of my favorite complaints is when someone buys a vehicle that I simply would not own because they are so wretched to work on and I advised against the purchase....then they try to con me into working on it afterwards......that brings my blood pressure up a bit....

Oh, that is so TRUE!!!

 

[JR]

JR, Thanks! I've seen them, but never used them. So far I've been lucky when doing manifolds is the bolts are snapped, but not frozen too bad in the head. Glad to hear the templates work well. Nowadays turning wrenches isn't my day job so I can, and do, refuse to work on anything I don't wanna do. The part that gets me in trouble is when I don't do what I need to do - like rebuild the trans in the Civic so I can sell the bloody thing! Easy enough to do, once I start doing it. But that is why it has been sitting in the field for a year - along with 8 other cars.....sigh....

If there is enough stud sticking out I will slip a nut over the stud and tack weld it, the heat generally breaks it loose and it will turn right out. On my wife's car 2 studs popped (on their own) and were actually recessed in the block. This is where the template comes in really handy.

 

[jgillott]

If there is enough stud sticking out I will slip a nut over the stud and tack weld it, the heat generally breaks it loose and it will turn right out. On my wife's car 2 studs popped (on their own) and were actually recessed in the block. This is where the template comes in really handy.

That's what I did when I was working on that Dakota last fall, only I didn't use a nut. But that is what I will do next time.

It works great. Just drop a little bead on the end of that stud and turn it out.

 

[Wayne M.]

That’s how we get broken truck studs out of the Webb spokes.

 

[jhenderson]

Did you put those plugs in the blaster and re-gap them, Wayne?

With plugs so cheap and ignitions so strong the only blaster I’ve seen in 20 years is in the hanger at my airport. Aircraft plugs start at $25 each and go to $90 for fine wire iridium. Remember, there’s 2 per cyl.

 

[JR]

Remember, there’s 2 per cyl.

I just had a horrible flashback of a certain 2.3L Ford engine...

And....Anyone ever change the plugs on a 5.7 Hemi?
That's alot of plugs.