c/auto-mechanics

Finally compared impact sockets to chrome sockets after 6 years on the job

I always used chrome sockets on my 1/2 inch impact gun cause they were cheaper and I had them lying around. Last Tuesday I finally picked up a set of impact sockets from the parts store for like 40 bucks. The difference in how they grip the bolt heads is honestly night and day, no more slipping or rounding off edges even on rusty suspension bolts. I feel kinda dumb for waiting so long, especially after I had to extract a stuck caliper bracket bolt that took me an extra 30 minutes with the chrome ones. Has anyone else noticed a big jump in work quality just from using the right tool for the job?

Hit 80 diagnostic scans this week and nailed every one

I was at a shop in Phoenix last Thursday and this older Ford was stumping everyone. I pulled out my old oscilloscope instead of guessing like usual and found a bad crank sensor in 10 minutes. Anyone else ever have a specific tool just click for you on a rough day?

That job on a 1998 F-150 in Flagstaff changed how I do timing chains forever

Back in 2018 I was working on a buddy's 4.6L in his driveway outside Flagstaff. The chain guides were completely shattered and I didn't have the special cam holding tool. Ended up using a pair of cheap vise grips and some zip ties to keep everything aligned while I got the new chain on. Man that was a sketchy three hours. Has anyone else had to MacGyver a timing job without the right tools?

Rant: Found out most 'new' alternators are just rebuilt junk

I was swapping an alternator on a 2015 F-150 last week and got curious why the store warranty was so short. Looked up the actual failure stats from a parts distributor blog and found out over 70% of remanufactured alternators fail within 18 months. That blew my mind since I've been buying these things for years without a second thought. Now I'm checking every box for a genuine manufacture date sticker before I even take it to the counter. Has anyone else noticed a huge difference in reliability between new and reman alternators?

Been torquing lug nuts by feel for 10 years until a wheel came off on the highway last June

After that tire shop in Phoenix lost a wheel off a customer's sedan and I realized I'd never once looked up the actual spec for my own truck, what made you finally bust out the torque wrench and stop guessing?

The before and after on a 2012 F-150 I just did is wild

Picked up a job last week on a 2012 F-150, guy said it was running rough and eating gas. Before picture: spark plugs were so crusted over they looked like they'd been sitting in a swamp for 3 years. After I swapped all 8 plugs and did a coil pack on cylinder 5 that was cracked, truck runs smooth as hell now. Owner said he's been dealing with a rough idle for like 6 months and just thought it was getting old. I told him straight up, that's neglect not age. Has anyone else seen that kind of jump in performance just from basic tune up parts? I swear people forget plugs are a thing.

Why does nobody talk about how much time you save with a cordless ratchet?

I finally picked up a cordless ratchet last week at the Harbor Freight near my shop after years of using a manual one. Three years ago I would have laughed at spending $80 on one, but now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. I was swapping out a starter on a 2015 F-150 and it cut the job from 45 minutes down to maybe 20 because I didn't have to break the bolt loose by hand each time. The tight spot near the bell housing was a nightmare before, but the ratchet just zipped through it. Has anyone else made the switch and found a job it really shined on?

Got schooled on starter failures by a 30 year old Tercel

So I'm working on this customer's 1993 Tercel, thing is a rust bucket but it runs forever right. I'm trying to figure out why it cranks slow sometimes but other times fires right up. I've been doing this 8 years and always assumed slow crank = battery or bad ground, easy fix. Checked the battery, it's fine, cleaned all the terminals, still happening. Then I actually looked up the test data for the exact starter motor model, and I found out that Toyota used smaller gauge windings in that year that just degrade over time, loses like 30% torque after 100k miles. Never knew there was a specific failure curve for those starters, I always thought it was just wear and tear across the board. Found the info on a Toyota specific forum from a guy who used to work at a remanufacturing plant in Ohio. Blew my mind because now I'm second guessing every slow crank diagnosis I've done on older Toyotas. Has anyone else seen this where a specific component just has a built in lifespan like that?

I finally figured out why my brakes were pulsing after 10 years of turning rotors

Been doing brake jobs for about 15 years now and always just threw rotors on the lathe if they looked okay. Last month I did a pad swap on my buddy's 2012 Civic and the pulsing came back after maybe 500 miles. Turns out I wasn't measuring the runout with a dial indicator before mounting. Grabbed a cheap one from Harbor Freight for like 30 bucks and found one rotor was off by 0.008 inches. Slapped on new rotors instead of turning them and the pedal feels perfect now. What do you guys use to check runout or do you just replace them every time?

Finally ditched the impact driver for a ratchet on rusty bolts. Night and day.

Used to just hammer away at brake caliper bolts with my impact and cross my fingers. Switched to a long-handled ratchet with some penetrating oil and they came loose without stripping a single one. Anyone else made the switch and noticed the difference on older cars?

Tried a vacuum bleeder instead of the old two-person brake bleed method

I've always done brake bleeds the old fashioned way with my wife pumping the pedal, but last weekend I grabbed a $35 vacuum bleeder from Harbor Freight for my '97 F-150. It took me less than 20 minutes to do all four corners by myself with no air bubbles. Has anyone else switched over to one of these and found it worth the money?

That master tech at my shop in Phoenix told me I was using too much torque on oil drain plugs and I've been chasing stripped pans for 5 years

He said hand tight is enough once the gasket seats, so I tried it on a 2015 F-150 last week and the filter gasket didn't even leak, has anyone else been overtightening stuff without realizing it?

TIL a 20 year tech changed how I think about oil filters

Had a chat with an old timer at the shop last week, name's Rick. He told me he always pre-fills the oil filter before installing it, even on sideways mounts. I used to think that was just wasting oil, but he showed me how it saves the engine from a dry start. Now I do it every time, has anyone else changed a habit after someone older called them out on it?

Stopped by a shop in Tucson last week that still uses a 1970s alignment rack

I was picking up parts at a small shop near Speedway and saw this old Bear alignment rack still in daily use. The guy running it said he's had it since '78 and it just keeps going. Made me wonder how many shops still run equipment that old or if most places upgrade every 10 years like the dealerships I work with. Anyone else see ancient gear holding up better than the new stuff?

Swapped out an old timing chain on a 2012 Kia Soul last weekend, night and day difference

I picked up this Kia Soul from a customer who said it had a rough idle and would stall at stoplights. I figured it was the timing chain since it had 140k miles and no record of it being done. When I finally got the cover off, the chain had almost two inches of slack in it... I was surprised it even ran. After I put the new one in with a proper tensioner kit, the engine went from sounding like a box of rocks to purring like a kitten. Started right up on the first crank with no more rattle. The customer texted me a video of their commute the next day saying it felt like a new car. Has anyone else dealt with a chain that far gone without it actually jumping time?

Old timer at the shop told me to stop using impact guns on oil drain plugs after I saw him helicoil a pan for 2 hours.

I used to zing them on there with my Milwaukee until he pulled me aside and showed me the mangled threads on a Honda Accord from last Tuesday has anyone else had a teacher check your torque by feel like that?

Had a 20 year old kid teach me something about transmissions last Friday

I was at the shop complaining about a 4L60E rebuild that kept slipping, and this young apprentice from across the bay just said 'you ever check the bore clearance on the pump?' I laughed it off at first cause he's been wrenching maybe 2 years. But he showed me the numbers on his caliper and sure enough I was .003 off. Stung a bit admitting he was right. Anyone else had a younger guy school them on something basic?

Tried a local salvage yard for the first time last week

I needed a window regulator for a 2010 Camry and the dealer wanted $280. Found one at Pick-N-Pull on Route 9 for $18 after 45 minutes of pulling bolts. Anyone else find parts cheaper at junkyards than online?

Switched my stance on tire age after seeing a 7-year-old set crack open on the highway

Watched a 2016 set of Michelins separate at the tread on a buddy's F-150 last month, and now I'm running date codes before any used car leaves my bay; anyone else start checking rubber age after a close call?

Took me 3 years to admit that penetrating oil is mostly hype

I used to swear by the big name penetrating oils. PB Blaster, Kroil, all that. Thought they were magic. Then I started working on a 1987 F-150 from a farm near Amarillo. Everything was rust welded. I tried every spray on the shelf. Nothing broke loose. My old timer boss walked over, grabbed a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF he keeps in a jelly jar, and had that manifold bolt out in 10 minutes. I was pissed. Now I make my own batch for about $3 a quart. It works way better than the $15 cans. Anyone else finally ditch the fancy stuff for a shop mix? Don't care if it smells like a transmission shop.

Spent 45 minutes trying to diagnose a misfire, turned out the spark plug wire was just sitting next to the terminal not on it

Shoutout to the $20 junkyard torque wrench that saved my rebuild

Grabbed a used Snap-On from a pick-n-pull near Dayton for $20 and it clicked perfectly through a whole head gasket job. Anyone else ever get lucky on a junkyard tool that actually worked?

Watched a customer's 2015 Subaru engine seize on the test drive after I missed a quart low on oil during the check-in.

I was at the shop in Denver last Thursday, cruising down Federal with a regular who just wanted a "quick look" before a road trip, and two blocks in the knocking started so loud even he heard it over the radio, so has anyone else had a simple oversight snowball into a total engine failure?

My favorite snap-on ratchet from the 90s finally gave out yesterday

I was pulling the oil pan on a 2003 F-150 at my shop in Akron last week when the pawl just snapped clean off. That ratchet had been with me since my first year at Lincoln Tech back in '97. I remember paying $180 for it out of my first real paycheck, which felt like a fortune back then. The new one I bought yesterday is alright I guess, but the handle feels different and the head is bulkier. Anyone else feel like the new tools just don't have the same weight or feel as the old stuff?

Took me 4 hours to find a vacuum leak that was just a cracked hose fitting

I was chasing a rough idle on a 2005 Civic for what felt like forever. Smoke tested it twice, sprayed brake cleaner everywhere, nothing. Finally decided to pull the intake manifold for a closer look and found a hairline crack on the PCV hose fitting where it meets the valve cover. 4 hours of my life gone because of a $6 piece of plastic. Anyone else ever waste a whole afternoon on something that simple?