Ask a Mechanic anything
Its been a while since ive done this
Whenever I do these it gets a bit hectic so just know I will try and get back as soon as possible
>>685553637
i have a stuck spindle nut on my infiniti. I've torched it and broke 2 breaker bars. am i fucked?
Thoughts on the reliability and snow capabilities of an '06 330xi? I'm purchasing something to go out to North Dakota with and I'm making sure to do all of my research.
>>685553920
What is the spindle nut on?
>>685553949
BMW is really nice with performance and reliability. Snow really depends on the driver though and sometimes the tire. However, if things break on it, have some money set aside. They get spendy
>>685554489
the spindle nut's on an 03 m45 driver rear axle
>>685554728
Have you tried oxyacetylene?
>>685554930
nope, just the propane garbage. I have no idea where to get that stuff or how much it costs.
>>685553920
grind a notch in it and crack it with a chisel
>>685555054
Rust laughs at propane bro
why am i too lazy to synch the new sensors on my jeep by finding TDC and adjusting my OPDA?
Where can I get a radiator for a 1964 Volkswagen bettle?
>>685554728
Lol, not op but...
Does that car have a reverse thread on one side?
Some manufactures have reverse thread on driver side so it tightens instead of loosen in forward rotation.
whats your credit card info
>>685555054
Id find out and go for that. It is very high temp burning and can cut through things if needed.
>>685555094
Yes and no. If you notch it and hit it up a bunch and it doesnt move, good luck getting a wrench/socket back on there
>>685555255
Why do I not fix the bearings in my steering column on a 1992 f150? No fucking idea.
>>685555359
Google it. Or CarID.com
>>685555389
Some can do that yes. It Is so fucking dumb. The last people to do that was dodge.......in the 70s......
>>685555835
4567fuckoffmyshit
>>685555389
I'll try that, thanks mate. if not OP's solution will hopefully work
Lol he didn't catch the Volkswagen joke...lame
>>685556143
Nope. Not at all. What am I missing?
Volkswagen didn't have radiators in those years they were air cooled
>>685556365
Ah. I deal with domestics mainly so that is where I am getting confused. (I work for chevy)
God damn. These threads usually light the fuck up....
>>685556777
Saturday night.
Adults are at the bar, kids are asleep.
All that's left is basement dwellers that don't drive.
>>685554489
Noted. I grew up in New England. With the right car, snow is my bitch.
>>685553637
So you're just a mechanic, not an Automotive Technician?
What do you think about a vf commodore ute and a fg falcon ute? Any major problems with these cars that you see
I raised my traction bars half way for some extra front end clearance, I've always been told not to run them to high...what's your opinion on raising them?
Torscion*
>>685557890
>Traction bars for front end clearance
Eh wut? Do you mean Torsion bars?
Yeah,fucking auto correct.
97 Grand Marquis. Leaking intake manifold led to code p0430 (low cat efficiency). Will it burn off or should I try cleaning the cat before replacing?
>>685557512
Same thing. One is just easier to say
>>685557543
Seems like it would have some uneven weight distribution, like a truck. Low ground clearance, and, personally, I think they look awful. However, I see them being like the old school el caminos in that they won't have too rough of a ride. Just expect there to be recalls. No way that it is perfectly fine as is.
>>685557890
Don't move them too much. They are there to maintain weight. Not adjust ride height. What vehicle is it?
Is 167k miles too many to buy a 1996 Tacoma with?
>>685558574
A Mechanic is NOT an Automotive Technician.
>>685558632
Not at all, if the vehicle is properly maintained
I'm doing a rebuild of an AMC 242 engine and after I install the pistons I put some oil in the cylinders and let it sit overnight hoping it won't leak (testing the seal). It leaks every time. How do i get this to stop? The machine shop mic'd everything and it's standard size, and so are my pistons and rings
1999 Ford explorer sport 4x4 ,oh yeah and after a couple of miles my overdrive turns off...I thought the automatic 4x4 might have ducked with something
>>685553637
race fag here with money to blow. And i need a new project i have a few questions
>1
Im planning on loading a 572 crate engine in a seville, this exact looking one
Would i need to widen the engine house?
>2
If i had a fully driveable 572ci seville, what would you rate this sleeper status
>paint
Battleship grey
>wheels
Rust stock
>tires
Deep as fuck to the inside, im looking at making the back wheels conceled yet wide as hell....like viper wide
>3
is this too much power for a stock frame seville? Would i need to strengthen the frame?
Name? The SS. Landcruiser
>4
Your thoughts on this purposefully weird project?
>>685558784
That being said, as a person reasonably inexperienced with working on cars, what should I look for or check before and after test drive?
The only things I've done are change oil, change a fuel filter, and change a main fuel relay.
>>685558523
Don't bother to clean the cat. If it is bad, replace it. If the intake is leaking, assuming it is air intake, then that should have little effect on that converter.
>>685558632
FUCK NO!!! but, keep in mind, a low miles old vehicle can have problems. Like leaking hoses and bad bushings because rubber falls apart over time, not use. Along with internal rubber seals to the engine. Be mindful.
>>685558784
Than fine. Im a tech.
>>685558785
There should be specs on clearance for those things. Try and find them.
>>685558933
Like it downshifts? If it does, then 4x4 is not the issue. It goes to a transfer case when in 4x4 to supply power to the front wheels. It shouldnt downshift.
Bump for seville sleeper
Or an Eldorado not sure which would be better for sleeper status
>>685559392
It was leaking coolant into the cylinder. It was at the thermostat/crossover gasket area and getting sucked into the engine.
Lol forgot about the transfer case...but the overdrive kicks off...I turn it off and it kicks right back in then off after a couple miles...didn't sound like the trans, electrical maybe?
>>685560063
Not op... I had overdrive issues that went away after changing the trans filter.
Thanks I'll check that out
>>685559093
1. That is something you need to mock up when it comes in. Mixing and matching parts and cars never goes simple. You may need to cut and grind a bit.
2. 5/10 to be expected from an older car but completely out of the blue
Don't like the gray. Too bland.
3. Id say if the ride height of the vehicle falls down drastically while it is just sitting still, id do some adjustments. Otherwise, as long as it is secure to the frame, it could work. Id be careful with frame twist though. No idea how to prevent that.
4. A great project. I have one myself. Restoring a 69 stingray.
>>685559821
Old cars people come to see as highly tunable so when I hear a loud old car come by, i expect it to have some wild shit under the hood.
>>685559846
You have tried a new gasket? and torqued it down evenly?
>>685560063
So im assuming this is going from 5th gear to 4th gear. Could be electrical to one of the shift solenoids and something telling it to downshift because [this this and this] matched up to a downshift scenario. When does this happen? at what RPM?
>>685559093
Fucking heresy
>>685559174
check the oil, look at everything underneath for rust, listen for any weird noises on the test drive, and then check the tranny fluid after the test drive if it's an auto, obviously you'd know if something feels wrong on the test drive
I have a 2012 dodge durango citadel and sometime when I hit the start button it will start, and then a few seconds later die. If I hit the button again it dosnt start at all. I have to turn it back off completely and then try again. Any idea why?
>>685553637
Sometimes the clutch gets stuck so i have to push it again...why could it be?
>>685560685
69 Stingray? Fuckin noice m8. I'm working on a 68 Lincoln Continental right now
>>685559174
Does anything make noise around turns, on bumps, how much does the vehicle bounce on every bump, is there a vibration at slow, cruising, or highway speed, does the vehicle pull to one side, etc. Each one of these things means something could be wrong. This isnt something I can really teach over 4chan with just typing, unfortunately
>>685553637
Im kind of looking into buying a pickup truck.
Any you would recomend? Prefereably reliable ones?
>>685560685
The intake is fine now. But the cat code keeps coming back. So I know the cat was contaminated with coolant. Is this something that will burn off or did it kill the cat?
>>685553637
How can i get a pro mechanic to take a side job from me? Like he works in my garage on a weekend for a few hours, i buy the parts, and pay him triple whatever he makes at his garage hourly?
>>685558933
Cat converter. Also recommend flushing transmission and replacing trans cooler(not expensive).
>>685553949
Not the mechanic, but minnesotan here. Snow capability is winter tires on heavy steelies first, narrowest tires and highest sidewall your car can take second, and AWD third. All three of those and youre unstoppable. But the first two together are way better than AWD.
>>685560685
The paintjob for the seville is battleship blue grey, and i have a guy who can paint detailed rivets to look like an old b52 bomber side. Twist frame is what i am worried about. Also with the 572 the stock is just sick, my father is going to custom make some exhaust for the project and i want it to either be side port, or back where i can switch from 1. Muffled to hell silence...to 2. Open...full open with a switch
The sides of the back will conceal the wide as hell tires im loading in. The name isnt landcruiser its going to be the german landcruiser tank name but i forgot what its called. Headlights are glass with sheilding, interior is leather black and blue grey. It is supposed to be simplistic for that ultimate sleeper status, if this project goes well im going to try and work with a miata and a 383 stoker....god help us
>>685561009
define stuck...
>>685560904
Sounds like fuel sending could be an issue. It also could be some fouled spark plugs. Try pulling out one of the spark plugs and seeing if it is building up anything gross to a real gross amount.
>>685561200
Anything past year 2000. Earlier trucks have loads of problems and problems to come. I would go for chevy, but that is just me and also I work for them. They are real easy to fix.
>>685561033
I like it
>>685561266
It killed it. No way anything post-cylinder is going to burn off. It is fried. Sorry!
>>685561398
I dont know why, but that whole statement confused the shit out of me
>>685561781
Now way! Im a minnesotan too!
>>685561885
Oh lord....I want your money......or your job....
>>685561885
And the miata is going to look so damn stock its gross....original wheels and baby blue faded paint. Maybe even put a shitty ricer wing for added kek
>>685560904
Wrong key
>>685562339
No. Wrong key would mean that the vehicle wouldn't even flinch. Unless Christler is getting worse..
>>685562238
So any silverado after 2000 should be good?
Also, hows maintainance on them? Not too expensive, is it?
>>685561398
>>685562238
Sorry for confusing the shit out of you. I'm also the minnesotan.
I cant afford to pay the dealership $110 an hour for four BOOK hours plus $500 for a $100 part.
Id rather buy the $100 part, and pay a mechanic $100 an hour cash for the two ACTUAL hours (not book) it will take him to do the job.
But i dont know how to find a mechanic willing to do work for me outside of his day job.
>>685553637
I have a Holden commodore and it makes a high pitched rattle when I accelerate sometimes what might it be?
>>685561200
Tacoma
>>685562717
Yes. Silverados after 2000. Maintenance is to be expected. Oil, tires, and such. If something ever seems off, just lift the truck up on a jack or something and wiggle shit. lose shit is really easy to find on them. Even DTCs are easy. GM does a great job with them.
>>685562939
This industry is all about who you know. If you don't know another guy who knows about cars, make friends with a tech at a dealer or ask the guy to teach you a little bit. Otherwise it is a struggle to find someone who knows jack shit about cars. Id say ask him to teach you. Never a bad idea to know how your car works.
>>685563191
Could be the rockers clicking and oil-starved for a little bit, but that is unlikely. One of the components that the belt spins could also be a suspect. Like an A/C Compressor
>>685562515
Chrysler sucks ass.
valet key?
Why is the hemi the best fucking engine?
>>685564635
Which one? The modern one by Dodge (cough chrysler)? or the one from the 70s?
My grandfather has that exact same truck OP. He's the only one he knows that can actually drive it without grinding the gears
>>685564857
Yea....Double clutching and matching RPMs for days!!!!
>>685564635
Not OP, but I thought fords flat plane v8 was better.
I've a 09 fusion. Sometimes it won't start. When i check between obd pin 6-14 there is 76 ohm. Is that ok?
>>685562939
>
Id rather buy the $100 part, and pay a mechanic $100 an hour cash for the two ACTUAL hours (not book) it will take him to do the job
I use to be the body man at a shop (Now a field adjuster for insurance company), and this mentality of book vs actual frustrates me. Because the book says 4 hours for a repair and I do it in 2 hours because of my experience and have built up my personal tools doesn't mean you get to pay me less. I still deserve the 4 hours of pay. I actually had anywhere from 130-150 hours of work a week on my ticket.
The book is for average tools, average technician and is fair for the tech and customer.
Now what you can do is, most mechanics or bodymen get about HALF the labor rate. If you would like to pay me 60-75% in cash and bring your own part that I'll bite.
>>685566104
Yes. CAN-Bus systems have those kinds of readings around 60-70 ohms
>>685566118
yea i understand what you are saying
>>685564036
What are DTC's?
>>685566916
If Can bus circuit is above 63 ohm you have a problem.
>>685567313
Diagnostic Trouble Codes. They are basically the vehicle's way of telling you what is wrong. They are the entire reason the "check engine" light comes on.
>>685567377
You know, I completely missed that. Maybe you should work for me hahaha
>>685553637
My steering wheel shakes a bit while I'm driving around 65mph. I've had my tires rotated and aligned and it continues. What do? (I had a flat tire that day overnight before it happened if that helps)
>>685566118
So, half the labor rate of like $110/hour? Holy shitsnacks, thats a lot of dough.
I cant afford the stealerships book time, and part cost inflation. Seriously, i know that timing belt kit is $100, not $350. I can buy it from the parts supplier, that exact part number!
And i know its a pain in the ass to replace, but it does not take 10 hours! Fuckers.
How much does a mechanic at a dealership make a month?
>>685567737
Balance the tires? Or balance the driveshaft if it is RWD?
>>685568066
Around 1500 for me. Give or take a few hundred here or there
I just changed the hood release cable earlier this evening in my M3.
I've done the fuel pump, VANOS overhaul, cooling system, disassembled the intake manifold down to the throttle bodies, adjusted valves and did my own subframe reinforcement and can say, today was the hardest and most pain in the ass job I've ever done on my car in 5 years.
>>685568270
You mean $1500 per paycheck or per week; per month would be only $18k.
This happened to my wife at highway speeds. Should I have cut the brakes instead?
>>685566118
I would snap 3-5 drill bits a day, worth 10-20 bucks a pop. I needed to buy a new electric power drill every month at about 60 bucks a pop.
So yes the labor rate seems a lot, but its not your tools that break.
Sometimes their are things that take longer than the book - cowl panel repairs for sure. In body work there are also a lot of time deductions for working on adjacent parts.
>>685569375
18k a month is almost out of my league. I don't make that much
>>685570289
Is that a ball joint?
>>685571290
Yeah. It went 2 days after I had ordered the new ones, they came in the next day. I was pissed.
>>685571290
18k per year. You said you make 1500 per month. Thats 18,000 annually.
>>685571732
oh. I thought you meant monthly. no. I make 1500 a check
>>685571646
Well yea. They do that. Can't get mad at things because they have been broken.
>>685571646
Was lucky. The only other thing it took with it was the tire.
>>685556249
A radiator
>>685572059
Do you take this thing to dealerships for oil changes and what not?
What was 685555555 get?
>>685572048
I was mad at the timing. Wished it could have held out a couple more days. Guess it was my fault for waiting too long to replace the ball joints.
>>685572273
But this shit is all about learning. now you know to order the lose stuff right away so this doesnt happen
>>685572200
Nah. I do it. Not going to take 19 year old car to the dealer.
>>685553637
Nice k10 dude. Greatest fucking truck ever.
>>685557543
Ozfag here. Ford's are shit !
youre a faggot fucking nigger
>>685572394
Yeah. Went ahead and did all 4 balls, idler/pitman arms and drop links.
>>685572492
Good idea. I would say if you did to yell at them because they should have included a vehicle inspection in the line along with whatever they would be doing.
>>685572501
Not mine. I got a shitty ford. I hate it.
>>685555359
Air cooled my nigga, funny joke though.
>only volks know
>>685572744
I like how you just enter without anything constructive to say. You are like all the quickservice guys at my dealership.
>>685572783
Good idea. I bet you had fun with the pitman arm :)
>>685572865
I just put off doing the ball joints too long. Knew it was going to be a pain pressing them out and in in my driveway. Wasn't as bad as I thought.
>>685573001
Yeah. Broke the first puller. Used a pickle fork when the second started to go. Thankfully I didn't hurt the steering box.
>>685560904
when you turn the power on in an injected car it sqyirts gas in the cylinders. and when u started it, that gas burns. however theres some problem with the fuel delivering and therefore it doesnt pump gas to it
>>685574482
probably a fuel filter or fuel pump going to shit
>>685566118
>The book is for average tools, average technician and is fair for the tech and customer.
The book also assumes that you will occasionally have a nightmare job come in where nothing goes right, the parts guy takes 3 times longer than usual and you have the shits from your wifes cooking and take twice as many hours and only get the flat rate for wasting half a day too.
Doesn't happen often for good mechanics but everyone has that kind of day sometimes.
>>685575349
So, if a plumber has a terrible time at another jobsite where he underbid by 50% and had the shits, he can tell his next client that their job took twice as long as it did so he can make up from client #2 what he lost on client #1?
Its a complete racket, and only mechanics and their ilk cant see it for what it is.
