7

7/5/2008 1:09:24 AM

New timing and oil pump chains/sprockets on a 2AZ-FE yesterday. I need to button it all back up today with new water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, addressing some oil leaks, etc.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RXXb6pK5gvsd8u3J8

8/31/2026 7:33:23 AM

Finished up that timing chain job, but discovered that it needs a radiator. Got that removed and waiting on parts now. Also decided to replace the belt tensioner as it's cooked.

8/31/2026 7:34:05 PM

Diagnosed an AC system. Changed my own flat tire on the way to pick up an engine hoist.

9/1/2026 10:02:42 PM

Replaced a starter on an Altima in a hot ass parking lot.

9/2/2026 9:36:22 PM

Thought I got the Camry finished up, but it still won't start. I think it kissed some valves when it jumped timing. I checked for that with a borescope camera and didn't see any damage, but I think they're just barely bent. Pushed it back out of the shop. I've got a couple other jobs to get done before I can jump back on it, assuming they want to dump some more money in it.

Also replaced an AC compressor clutch on a Honda Fit.

9/3/2026 7:59:14 PM

Yesterday I tore a 3.5L Cyclone in an Explorer down to the water pump. Putting it back together with new timing chains and tensioners today. Those cam phaser bolts were something. Got them smoking hot with my induction heater and broke them loose with a 26" ratchet. No room for an impact.

9/5/2026 7:40:36 AM

Got the Ford 3.5L water pump and timing job all back together and out. Replaced a throttle body on an Escape. Replaced an APP sensor on an Acura TL.

9/5/2026 6:41:52 PM

Called to look at a no crank. Shifter was in reverse. 3rd gen TL came for electrical diag. Nothing on the center stack was operable. Dozens of codes. A fuse was missing. The Escape came back with a CEL and a new CMDTC in the PCM for NVRAM fault. Never really figured it out. I ran self tests, cleared codes, drove it about 20 miles and it never came back. Started pulling the heads off a J30 in an Accord with bent valves.

[Edited on September 6, 2026 at 9:27 PM. Reason : and the TL with the new APP sensor from yesterday rear ended someone last night]

9/6/2026 9:25:41 PM

Got the heads off the Accord, stripped them down, bagged them for the machine shop.

9/7/2026 9:10:34 PM

Heads to the machine shop. Checked out a 3.5L Ecoboost with a cold start VCT code. Heard the cold start rattle. Recommended the full timing job with new phasers and solenoids.

9/8/2026 8:39:35 PM

Checked out an old Sentra that is missing. Running on 2 cylinders. Needs plugs and coils.

9/9/2026 8:18:44 PM

wasn't today, but in the last couple weeks I pulled the gearbox that decided to drop reverse in between 3rd and 4th.. put in the new box, a new slightly larger gear oil cooler, spun/wore in all the spherical bearings in the front suspension, polished all the hardware for a better slip fit, polished and lubed all the steering components, and repacked the tripods.

a couple months ago i pulled the heads and put in new springs and retainers

9/10/2026 9:59:14 AM

Yesterday I picked up the heads and installed the cams and rockers. All the valves ended up being bent, so they got 24 new ones. I installed them today, put it back in time, set the valve lash, put everything back together, and charged the AC. Done and dusted.

9/11/2026 8:39:46 PM

Resealed the valve covers on a 3.5L ecoboost in a Transit van. What a trash engine. Leaks everywhere.

9/12/2026 4:34:36 PM

4 rotors, 2 rear shocks, and brake fluid flush on a Honda Odyssey. Went and threw the plugs and coils in the Sentra. Runs good.

9/13/2026 8:49:08 PM

Restored some headlights. Pushed the Camry back in to pull the head off.

9/14/2026 7:39:22 PM

Person must really love that camry

9/14/2026 8:45:27 PM

I'm doing the work on that one pro bono, so that makes it a little easier to dump parts money in it.

9/15/2026 12:16:51 PM

Welp, pulled the head off and they've cut a notch in the cylinder wall from driving around with a blown head gasket for god knows how long.

Maybe they'll want to throw an engine in it.

9/15/2026 2:11:35 PM

Didn't think that was possible with a honda or toyota with regular upkeep, how many miles?

9/15/2026 5:45:52 PM

280k miles. The radiator had a huge hole in it, too. They probably overheated it, warped the head, gasket failed, then tried to start it with a cylinder full of coolant and jumped timing.

Carnage: https://photos.fife.usercontent.google.com/pw/AP1GczMzI_oWA4gx3cskiE0q9mOh4gurwIQGQbiYB7zmwEgFUgxZ5O37OQJlvg=w1294-h970-s-no-gm?authuser=0

Also replaced a condenser fan and did some AC leak detection. Needs an evaporator. Thankfully it's an old Civic and not too hard to get to.

[Edited on September 15, 2026 at 8:08 PM. Reason : adfs]

9/15/2026 8:02:21 PM

Bummer this is what shows up for me

9/15/2026 9:26:24 PM

try this https://photos.app.goo.gl/hqpyNdFnC27jNr8A9

9/15/2026 9:49:21 PM

Oh damn

9/15/2026 10:01:13 PM

Went and picked up an engine. Yanked out what was left of the old one. Put the new one in and got it bolted to the transmission. Still need to finish the accessories, intake, exhaust, coolant hoses, wiring harnesses, fill the coolant, charge the AC.

9/17/2026 3:44:25 AM

Is this person kinda a guinea pig for you to get experience etc?

9/17/2026 8:20:40 AM

^^what is your wait time on machine shops these days?

My VG30ET has been at the machine shop for 5 months now wtf. The only reason I haven't pushed hard yet is because I don't want to do shit in the summer.

9/17/2026 3:41:30 PM

My dude in Gibsonville turned around those J30 heads in 3 days, including getting new valves. I dropped them off on Tuesday morning at opening and picked them up just before closing on Thursday afternoon. I did tell him I was under some time pressure, but he had no problem with that time frame. That included grinding the new valves, resurfacing, installing valve seals.

[Edited on September 17, 2026 at 3:52 PM. Reason : ^^^I started offering pay-what-you-can auto work. Something about being the change or some shit idk]



[Edited on September 17, 2026 at 4:00 PM. Reason : The Camry is all done and running good. No dash lights or anything.]

9/17/2026 3:51:19 PM

Also inspected brakes on a Mazda CX5. Recommended pads and rotors.

9/17/2026 4:57:22 PM

Went and pulled a hood, fender, radiator support, horns, etc from a junkyard for the TL that rear-ended someone. That radiator support structure is all spot welded to the frame. I sawzalled it out and will have to cut the spot welds and weld it in. That should be fun.

9/18/2026 1:22:55 PM

That actually does sound really fun

9/18/2026 3:26:31 PM

Maybe when it isn't 95 degrees in the shop. I prefer to do my welding projects in the colder months.

9/18/2026 5:42:08 PM

Ever thought about getting a swamp cooler or something?

9/18/2026 6:49:22 PM

don't want all my shit to rust. Really want to build a tall enough shop for a lift, insulate it, and climate control it.

[Edited on September 18, 2026 at 7:01 PM. Reason : fd]

9/18/2026 7:00:15 PM

Rode my mtb in the mountains today, but still managed to squeeze in an AC diag and charge this evening. The guy installed a brand new Denso compressor, but it wouldn't engage. Found the compressor clutch electrical connector was pinned wrong, or at least not pinned to match his car, which was pinned correctly according to the manufacturer's diagram. Swapped the pins around on the compressor side of the connector and charged it up.

9/19/2026 8:41:38 PM

Man i bet a lot of shops would have charged that dude an arm and a leg too

[Edited on September 19, 2026 at 9:28 PM. Reason : Or chick]

9/19/2026 9:27:40 PM

Probably about $300 at a shop. I charged $100. He gave me $120.

9/19/2026 10:14:40 PM

If you had a shop i'd try to get hired to do oil changes and shit

9/20/2026 10:52:05 AM

The automotive industry is completely fucked up. No way I'd get into it full time. I like keeping good 20 year old cars alive and giving people an option when their car is no longer worth repairing at regular shop rates. New cars are a total scam.

[Edited on September 20, 2026 at 4:10 PM. Reason : but if I had a real shop, there's no way I could do this stuff this cheap]

oh, I looked at an overheating Lincoln MKS this morning. Small coolant leak from the radiator. Wasn't low on coolant, but it's keeping it from building pressure and allowing it to boil, I think.

The Lincoln MKS is not one of the old reliable vehicles I like to keep alive. It is a total piece of shit. The transmission is slipping and I've told him to start shopping for something else. Trying my best to get him to buy a K24 Accord.


[Edited on September 20, 2026 at 4:15 PM. Reason : a]

9/20/2026 4:09:19 PM

Changed the oil and rotated the tires on my Element. Tried to diagnose a noise on a 2012 Corolla, but I didn't really hear anything besides some noisy tires. A rollback brought the wrecked TL for front end reconstruction.

9/21/2026 8:30:43 PM

Got all the broken shit off the TL and cut out the radiator support. Welded in the one from the junkyard. Installed condenser, power steering cooler, fenders, headlights, hood, etc. Could've had it back running today, but they sent a radiator for the manual transmission version. I sat it in the hole and thankfully noticed there were no trans cooler lines before I started hooking up stuff and mounting fans. So all that's left is bumper cover, grille, fog lights, radiator, fans, fluids, AC charge.

9/22/2026 8:35:56 PM

Got the bumper cover and fog lights on the TL and looped the trans cooler lines so I could pull it out while I wait on the radiator. Guy dropped off a Buick with a 3800 for intake and valve cover gaskets.

9/23/2026 8:08:54 PM

Knocked out the Buick.

9/24/2026 6:34:51 PM

Here are some before and after pics of the TL: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1hCrbmQaBc5GAvFL6

and here's a look under the skirt of the venerable GM 3800 Series III: https://photos.app.goo.gl/68XeYzSA5kbQXAsKA

9/24/2026 7:50:26 PM

Replaced three rear suspension links on both sides of the TL with adjustable versions so he can get the toe and camber right to eliminate a pretty terrible tire wear pattern. Looked at a bunch of DTCs for module comm issues. Put a good charge on the battery and they all cleared. Might need a battery. Definitely need to disconnect the hands free link bluetooth module if it isn't already. Pretty much just waiting on the radiator now.

Buick came back with a check engine light for running lean. Thought for sure I'd fucked up and had a leak on the intake somewhere, but my work all checked out. Did a smoke test and found a pretty big vacuum leak on the brake booster. Verified it was the issue by plugging the brake booster vac line and watching fuel trims come down. Recommended a brake booster.

Took a jack to a guy with a flat tire in a parking lot. Had a spare, but no jack.

9/25/2026 10:08:34 PM

How'd you do the smoke test? Got one of those smoke machines?

9/26/2026 10:00:59 AM

Yeah, a cheap Autoline brand off Amazon. Works great.

9/26/2026 2:38:06 PM

Verified the bluetooth module in the TL was already disconnected. Correct radiator was delivered. Hope to have it wrapped up tomorrow. Ready to move on from it.

Mopped the shop floor. It was grimy.

A good friend brought his girlfriend's 2006 Mercury Montego with the 3.0L Duratec. Super clean and low miles for its age. It had lean codes on both banks, a #2 misfire code, EGR flow low code, and a code for small evap leak after refueling. Misfire was intermittent and worse under load, not a dead miss. Smoke test found a broken vacuum line going to the EGR valve and no gasket between the EGR valve and manifold. I think those vac leaks may be causing all of it (except maybe the evap leak). I'm going to go ahead and replace spark plugs while I have the intake off, swap the #2 coil with one on the front bank that doesn't require intake removal, patch up the vac line, put a gasket on the EGR, and see how it runs. Waiting on parts.

9/26/2026 9:26:18 PM

Radiator and fans in the TL. Filled the coolant and charged the AC. It has a noisy serpentine belt tensioner pulley, so I recommended that, or whole a tensioner and idler pulley kit. He's gonna pick it up for alignment.

Evaporator and TXV in a 2003 Civic. Also resealed the VTEC solenoid, cam plug, and valve cover. Checked the valve clearance while I was in there and they were all good.

Picked up an engine for that Equinox with the blown head gasket.

9/27/2026 5:50:36 PM