Mechanic Stuff

Started by Eye of the Tiger, October 14, 2016, 03:00:10 PM

giant_mtb

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on April 27, 2020, 12:15:40 PM
On the flip side, I did a timing belt job for a guy who very OCD, and also liked to watch. But he was so impressed with my work that he slipped me some extra under the table.

Isn't it technically illegal for customers to be in the Danger Zone of the shop?  Because safety and liability and stuff?  Or is that just a sign they put over the door to keep nosy people from wandering around in the shop?

Soup DeVille

Quote from: giant_mtb on April 27, 2020, 01:46:03 PM
Isn't it technically illegal for customers to be in the Danger Zone of the shop?  Because safety and liability and stuff?  Or is that just a sign they put over the door to keep nosy people from wandering around in the shop?

Nobody's ever stopped me; most mechanics tell me to come over and "look at this" (mostly because something be fucky).

Its mostly an insurance thing. Car falls on me, they say "can'tchu reed?"
Maybe we need to start off small. I mean, they don't let you fuck the glumpers at Glumpees without a level 4 FuckPass, do they?

1975 Honda CB750, 1986 Rebel Rascal (sailing dinghy), 2015 Mini Cooper, 2020 Winnebago 31H (E450), 2021 Toyota 4Runner, 2022 Lincoln Aviator

giant_mtb


CaminoRacer

I generally kept an eye on my El Camino the few times it's been in a shop.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

giant_mtb

I used to freshly detail my A4 before I took it in for service so that whoever worked on it might take a bit of extra care with it. And I also always insisted they not wash it because it was already clean af and I didn't want some kid with a bucket of dirty wash water and a soiled brush fucking up my perfect black paint. :devil:

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: shp4man on April 27, 2020, 12:20:49 PM
We had some dude in a heavily accessorized F150 Raptor wannabe that mounted some shitty front lower brush guard that made access to the oil filter almost impossible. It took a 3 foot extension, a wobbly and on of those spider leg grabber things to get it off.  :lol:
Did the fucked up service writer DARE try to charge him more labor? Oh, hell, no.  ;)

Oh, don't even get me started.
Every alignment I get is written up as "standard", but at least half of them should me "Independent Suspension", which costs more and pays more because there are ... get this ... MORE adjustments.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: CaminoRacer on April 27, 2020, 02:08:53 PM
I generally kept an eye on my El Camino the few times it's been in a shop.

I usually don't mind if someone wants to come into the shop and talk to me. I fixed some guy's hanging bumper for free today because he asked me nicely. But douchebag McShittruck can fuck himself
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

CaminoRacer

I had to explain that more shims = more camber to an alignment guy one time. He was a good alignment guy but was getting his geometry confused that day.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: CaminoRacer on April 27, 2020, 03:15:45 PM
I had to explain that more shims = more camber to an alignment guy one time. He was a good alignment guy but was getting his geometry confused that day.

I don't do shims on anything unless it's really bad.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

CaminoRacer

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on April 27, 2020, 04:09:45 PM
I don't do shims on anything unless it's really bad.

My upper control arms have Max shims to get hella camber and caster
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: CaminoRacer on April 27, 2020, 04:26:35 PM
My upper control arms have Max shims to get hella camber and caster

You might need shims on your spindles.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Eye of the Tiger

I "need" a welding table.
Should I go to a metal store and buy a bunch of metal to weld together, or buy a cheesy galvanized welding table on Amazon?
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

RomanChariot

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on April 27, 2020, 06:37:11 PM
I "need" a welding table.
Should I go to a metal store and buy a bunch of metal to weld together, or buy a cheesy galvanized welding table on Amazon?

I thought it was a right of passage that welders make their own welding tables.

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: RomanChariot on April 28, 2020, 09:36:30 AM
I thought it was a right of passage that welders make their own welding tables.

I'm not a welder, I'm a mechanic that welds kind of sticks metal together.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

RomanChariot

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on April 28, 2020, 12:13:58 PM
I'm not a welder, I'm a mechanic that welds kind of sticks metal together.

In that case, feel free to go cheap and easy.

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: RomanChariot on April 28, 2020, 03:45:42 PM
In that case, feel free to go cheap and easy.

But I like making stuff. :lol:
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

RomanChariot

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on April 28, 2020, 04:00:53 PM
But I like making stuff. :lol:

Which is often cheaper though not always easier. If C>E then C. If E>C then E. However, FUNNER>C or E unless TIME=0.

Eye of the Tiger

-Get a car in for rough running motor.
-Figure out it just needs a tune-up.
-Plugs/wires/cap/rotor.
-Purrs like a kitten, easy money.
-Take it on a test drive just to make sure.
-Steering is crazy loose, can't drive in a straight line.
-Put it back on the lift, and find the rack and pinion just flopping around, bushings are totally gone, bolts are falling out.
-Spend 3 hours drilling/tapping holes in the frame for new bolts
-Filled bushing holes with epoxy
-Customer basically refused the steering repair, but I refused to let them drive it away like that.
-Let's see how this goes.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Eye of the Tiger

Epoxying a broken transaxle case, because customer doesn't want to pay for a new transaxle.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

giant_mtb

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on May 02, 2020, 09:24:49 AM
Epoxying a broken transaxle case, because customer doesn't want to pay for a new transaxle.

What a transphobic idiot.

Eye of the Tiger

And now I am lengthing the stub end of a shifter by cutting it and welding in more metal. Because shifter is wrong and parts are hard to find.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

Eye of the Tiger

Quick comparo:

'10 WRX STI
vs.
'07 Mazdaspeed3

Did major work to both cars that required brief test drives with WOT and full boost.

WRX: Turbo takes a while to spool up, then it goes fast briefly, and it's time to shift. Boxer noise sounds good at first, but ends up feeling monotone and is never exciting. Is fun, but not as fun as expected. Drives like a ... Subaru. Interior is well trimmed, but ergonomically shitty. Working under the hood is annoying as hell.

Mazdaspeed3: Engine wants to rev and turbo spools fast. Takes off like a bat out of hell without much effort, despite the front tires struggling for traction. Has almost instant power after shifting into the next gear. Typical turbo-four sound track, but in a good way. Drives like a fun, happy puppy. Interior is roomy and comfortable. Working under the hood is no picnic, but I'll take it over the Scoobaroo, any day.


Mazda wins.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

AutobahnSHO

Did I ever tell y'all I successfully changed valve cover gaskets on 03 Odyssey? In the driveway even. It's going to become the kids' car. (middle is 15 now, youngest is a year behind him).

Took me about an hour and a half or so to disassemble intake, different afternoon with good weather and motivation got front cover done. Man it was FILTHY. Took another afternoon to get rear done, and about an hour and a half to put intake etc... back on.

I am super proud of my work there- I don't do mechanical stuff well.
Will

CaminoRacer

Quote from: AutobahnSHO on May 09, 2020, 03:49:42 PM
Did I ever tell y'all I successfully changed valve cover gaskets on 03 Odyssey? In the driveway even. It's going to become the kids' car. (middle is 15 now, youngest is a year behind him).

Took me about an hour and a half or so to disassemble intake, different afternoon with good weather and motivation got front cover done. Man it was FILTHY. Took another afternoon to get rear done, and about an hour and a half to put intake etc... back on.

I am super proud of my work there- I don't do mechanical stuff well.

:rockon:
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CALL_911

Quote from: AutobahnSHO on May 09, 2020, 03:49:42 PM
Did I ever tell y'all I successfully changed valve cover gaskets on 03 Odyssey? In the driveway even. It's going to become the kids' car. (middle is 15 now, youngest is a year behind him).

Took me about an hour and a half or so to disassemble intake, different afternoon with good weather and motivation got front cover done. Man it was FILTHY. Took another afternoon to get rear done, and about an hour and a half to put intake etc... back on.

I am super proud of my work there- I don't do mechanical stuff well.

U sure U wanna give a kid a minivan?


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: CALL_911 on May 10, 2020, 06:38:28 PM
U sure U wanna give a kid a minivan?

A smrt kid would realize how fast a Honda van is. 240 horeselowrs.
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)


Eye of the Tiger

2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

shp4man

Stabbin' Cabin. Gen X version.  :lol:

Eye of the Tiger

Here is today's order of operations on a Chebby truck with 300K

1. Customer wants me to replace transmission. Done. Good to go.
2. Won't start because battery is dead dead and the cables are junk. Replace batt and cable ends.
3. Fuel line starts leaking. Fix that.
4. Rad hose starts leaking. Fixed.
5. Finally take for test drive. Previously suspected sloppy U-joint is definitely junk. Replaced that.
6. Oh, and the shifter cable fell off on the test drive, and it won't stay on. Replacing that requires taking apart half of the interior. Okay, fine.
7. While trying to snap the new cable on, the cast aluminum shifter mechanism just breaks apart.
8. What's next? Any guesses?
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)