I always look forward to see some tinkering posts in your thread pappi.
There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches
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OP
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If some of you can remember, quite a while back, a few months, myself and my shop owner friend put a Ford crate 5.4 engine in my across the street neighbor's 2006 F150 4x4. He loves the truck and is paid off and he was gonna retire in about a year and I told him if he loved the truck and was gonna keep it till it fell over dead, do a crate Ford transmission, too. The transmission line was severely backed up so we went with a well known and well trusted local transmission specialty shop and bother were installed and the truck is coming up on 9k miles since the new engine and transmission. We have been changing the oil every 3k miles and using 7 quarts of Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5w-20 and a Motorcraft FL820S filter each time.
Monday, cold engine, I am pulling a sample bottle of the existing oil, using a brand new hand pump and tubing that fits down the dipstick tube. It will be sent to Lake Speed Jr''s company for analysis at SPEEDiagnostix. We will be doing the exact same sample method for 2 times after that, 3k miles apart and using the same filter and oil.
We will also be taking the old filter to the shop owner friend 's shop and cutting the filter open for inspection. This too will be done the next 2 times and intermittently after that.
I will post the analysis and cut open filter results here.
Monday, cold engine, I am pulling a sample bottle of the existing oil, using a brand new hand pump and tubing that fits down the dipstick tube. It will be sent to Lake Speed Jr''s company for analysis at SPEEDiagnostix. We will be doing the exact same sample method for 2 times after that, 3k miles apart and using the same filter and oil.
We will also be taking the old filter to the shop owner friend 's shop and cutting the filter open for inspection. This too will be done the next 2 times and intermittently after that.
I will post the analysis and cut open filter results here.
OP
OP
I truly wish all I ever worked on were all GMT800 GM vehicles and the same years TrailBlazers. But that is not the case. I have either worked just once on or multiple times on, according to my vehicle work files, an assortment of over 40 vehicles.
I look all the time for a shop, love to get a 2 bay shop. Perfect would be living quarters on same property and a little ways out of town, no more than 15-20 miles. hard to find though.
More adventures to come. May be slowed down if a hernia surgery is on the horizon but still plan to get use of my tools after that.
Do a new build to your own specs, make it your own. And start a thread on here with progress.
OP
OP
Are you financing it?Do a new build to your own specs, make it your own. And start a thread on here with progress.
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Do a new build to your own specs, make it your own. And start a thread on here with progress.
Like a pole barn, basic and cheap. It could be dressed up at his leisure.
My bud just had a 60 x 40 metal shop built. To save money, he omitted all plumbing; none coming in, none going out.
As a house..., er, shop warming gift, I got him a 5 gal bucket with a toilet seat.
joe
OP
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I rent. I love the neighborhood. I love the neighbors. If I would move, it would have to be a perfect set up. I don't have unreal expectations and think I can get a bigger shop and open a business and and and....Just a 2 bay shop with someplace for me and my girl to lay our heads.
To tell you the truth, I have been thinking about getting a hitch type trailer that me and my girl can travel around with and live out of it wherever we stop. Plenty of places to see and people to visit. But all that may be wishful thinking. I know the new to us 2004 Silverado K2500HD 6.0 can handle the job.
To tell you the truth, I have been thinking about getting a hitch type trailer that me and my girl can travel around with and live out of it wherever we stop. Plenty of places to see and people to visit. But all that may be wishful thinking. I know the new to us 2004 Silverado K2500HD 6.0 can handle the job.
Too risky of an investment.
OP
OP
I concur.
OP
OP
If you look back to May of 2024, that is when I was at my friend's shop and we were putting a new engine and transmission in his truck. A 2006 Ford F150 5.4L 4x4.
I have done 2 oil changes on it and it has just a bit over 9k miles and runs great, as per the owner. My across the street neighbor. This past week I did an oil change again and took an oil sample and sent in to Lake Speed Jr. at Speediagnostix. Tonight we cut the oil filter open at the shop. Here is an almost 8 minute video of all the oil filter inspection:
rumble.com
I have done 2 oil changes on it and it has just a bit over 9k miles and runs great, as per the owner. My across the street neighbor. This past week I did an oil change again and took an oil sample and sent in to Lake Speed Jr. at Speediagnostix. Tonight we cut the oil filter open at the shop. Here is an almost 8 minute video of all the oil filter inspection:
Jordan 2006 F150 Oil Filter
Live video of cutting Jordan's F150 5.4 engine oil filter open and inspection. Results after 3 oil changes and 9k miles
rumble.com
OP
OP
Helped out an American Legion member friend of mine yesterday. He is 90 years old and likes his very base model 2021 Wrangler. Only has 10k miles on it. I installed new side steps on it for him and his girlfriend.
OP
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I know I have talked about my shop owner friend that I help at the shop sometimes. He is on instagram and is at "autotech.life". If you are interested, please check it out.
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Several months back, my shop owner friend and I did a Ford crate engine and local transmission build on my neighbor's 2006 Ford F150 5.4. Here are the first oil analysis results from Speediagnostix which is a company owned by Lake Speed Jr. and he is all over you tube.
OP
OP
May 1, today, met at 3:30 with my Primary Care Physician at the VA. I do have a double Inguinal hernia and right side is the worst of the two but there is nothing showing "coming thru" and even the right one was very hard to find. So, they said that if I keep doing "strenuous" mechanical work, I will need surgery. I may need surgery anyway, eventually, but I may be able to just go about the rest of my life and never have to have the operation. Basically, I can still do mechanical work that is not strenuous, like oil changes and changing spark plugs but stay away from doing water pumps and brake work, where I would have to handle taking tire and wheel assemblies off and back on. These are just examples and I will just have to learn to be picky and keep on doing what I want to do.
Also, I do have arthritis in my right hip and that will limit some of my movement.
I also have a prostrate problem and they are going to do a "consult" with a urologist. I gotta go in when they set up the time.
At this point, it looks like I can decide to have double hernia operation and 2-3 months recovery later, I may be ok to go back and work on what I want but will still be limited with the right hip. That can mean hip surgery and that will mean that I will still be limited after that surgery.
At this point I am going to talk it over with my girl and I may be selling my big Snap On box and lots of some tools and specialty tools. I would be keeping my US General roll around cart and some basic tools for light duty work.
Just thinking out loud at this point. It may take some time before I make any solid decisions but I am just putting it out there.
Also, I do have arthritis in my right hip and that will limit some of my movement.
I also have a prostrate problem and they are going to do a "consult" with a urologist. I gotta go in when they set up the time.
At this point, it looks like I can decide to have double hernia operation and 2-3 months recovery later, I may be ok to go back and work on what I want but will still be limited with the right hip. That can mean hip surgery and that will mean that I will still be limited after that surgery.
At this point I am going to talk it over with my girl and I may be selling my big Snap On box and lots of some tools and specialty tools. I would be keeping my US General roll around cart and some basic tools for light duty work.
Just thinking out loud at this point. It may take some time before I make any solid decisions but I am just putting it out there.
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OP
OP
Well, I did just talk to my friend that owns the shop just outside of town in Junction City, Or. He wants me to come work for him on a part time or daily basis and he will initially talk to customers and collect their money but needs me to do all the rest of the in between stuff.
Take his info he gets up front and what his diagnosis is and build the work order, look up and price out all the parts and labor and fees and keep up with the flow of work order info as it works thru the repair process and eventually get the ticket ready for him to collect and talk to customer at the end. I can do most of this at home. I will call parts houses and arrange for parts delivery. If I need to fill in a little on a mechanical job, he is aware of my limits. Any of my existing customers that I bring in to the shop, I will get a percentage of the ticket on top of my other wages.
If I need a week or so off for a trip with my girl, no problem at all.
Take his info he gets up front and what his diagnosis is and build the work order, look up and price out all the parts and labor and fees and keep up with the flow of work order info as it works thru the repair process and eventually get the ticket ready for him to collect and talk to customer at the end. I can do most of this at home. I will call parts houses and arrange for parts delivery. If I need to fill in a little on a mechanical job, he is aware of my limits. Any of my existing customers that I bring in to the shop, I will get a percentage of the ticket on top of my other wages.
If I need a week or so off for a trip with my girl, no problem at all.
OP
OP
Landlord's 2018 Suburban LT needed front pads and rotors. Pretty bad pulsation. Took apart and found both inner pads were wearing at an angle. Took a long breaker bar to break loose the bolts that bolt the caliper brackets to the hub. All fixed and is now smooth. Pics are of the new rotors after I cleaned the coating off with brake clean, caliper slide pins cleaned and lubed, new pad hardware...
Nice.
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Just in case some one else does brakes on those series trucks, be aware that, in the hardware pics you can see the long spring fingers on the inner area of the hardware. When you load the pads in, from the outside, those fingers are designed to lay/push against the pad ear from the inside and those fingers, at top and bottom, are designed to push the pad away from the rotor after brake pedal is released. They are not designed to ride under the pad ear. Also, be aware that there is an inner pad and an outer pad. They are different.
It will be important to lube the hardware where the pad ear rides to allow those spring fingers to do their job of the many miles of use.
OP
OP
As it turns out I would be selling all of it, including the US General roll around.
You can view it all at CL.
https://eugene.craigslist.org/tls/d/eugene-snap-on-mac-matco-sk-proto/7846558791.html
eugene.craigslist.org
You can view it all at CL.
https://eugene.craigslist.org/tls/d/eugene-snap-on-mac-matco-sk-proto/7846558791.html
Snap On, Mac, Matco, SK, OTC, Gearwrench, OEM-add on pics - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist
Since I am limited to only 24 pics of what tools I have to sell, I am adding this to the other post and this gives you pics of specialty tools and cases that go along with the other CL ad of my...
Tonyv__
Full Access Member
Them spring tabs got me the first time I did my brakes on the 2015 Yukon. Don’t know how I missed it , but on both sides, the springs were wedged between the pad and the rotor.
