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What did you do to your car today? Vol 2.0

Changed oil and filter on the 455 yesterday. Oil filters are $10.50 now and the break in lube pint is more than the oil. Dumbfounded as always but the car helps with sanity preservation and thats a big job!
 


Got my blue silicone hoses in and the Zzp oversized aluminum radiator. Gotta definitely clean up my engine bay.
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Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk
 
That seems like a normal price to me on the filter. The Wix I run on all my 3.8's is 10.49 ea. and has been for a while. The Motorcraft for my 03 CV Sport is around the same. I don't mind paying a little more for a good filter. I've had people bring me oil/filters to use to change the oil on their cars and they bought the cheapest chinesium filter possible. The normal excuse I hear is "Well, the car takes synthetic oil and that's expensive so I wanted to save money." I've thrown several in the trash before even taking them out of the box, lol.. Then I go and get a good filter and call it a day. Never had anyone come back with an oiling issue or engine failure.

I just don't understand how someone can pay so much for a newer car and then cheap out on the parts/maint portion of it. Do people just like burning money because they think that the $3 they saved will make up for the increased wear on the internals or other parts? I guess maybe I'm in the minority that I plan to keep a car longer than 3 years and don't like to keep replacing the same part repeatedly. But I guess that's the reason I still make some money on side work here and there.
 
FordMan77 said:
That seems like a normal price to me on the filter. The Wix I run on all my 3.8's is 10.49 ea. and has been for a while. The Motorcraft for my 03 CV Sport is around the same. I don't mind paying a little more for a good filter. I've had people bring me oil/filters to use to change the oil on their cars and they bought the cheapest chinesium filter possible. The normal excuse I hear is "Well, the car takes synthetic oil and that's expensive so I wanted to save money." I've thrown several in the trash before even taking them out of the box, lol.. Then I go and get a good filter and call it a day. Never had anyone come back with an oiling issue or engine failure.

I just don't understand how someone can pay so much for a newer car and then cheap out on the parts/maint portion of it. Do people just like burning money because they think that the $3 they saved will make up for the increased wear on the internals or other parts? I guess maybe I'm in the minority that I plan to keep a car longer than 3 years and don't like to keep replacing the same part repeatedly. But I guess that's the reason I still make some money on side work here and there.
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Well if you work on anything that takes a 51258, Butler sells them for $7.50.

I think part of your answer lies in that an individual can have natural inclinations in a trade and succeed never having studied, but another less naturally inclined individual who has more talent at being a student may also be just as successful in that trade. For example, an oil filter becomes a non stocked item and guy with that car pulls his hair out trying to find answers. Another guy has no questions and for a quick debunk of whether he wants to accept an unfamiliar side job repair for example, he simply extracts all relevant data from the web instantly and knows. Some things one can tell by looking at in the store, some things you'd have to be deeply embedded in that online community to know... which of the five rockauto choices is the quality part that community won't scold you about. In many cases, you'd need real time data and to have a finger on the pulse of the manufacturing industry in China. I concluded that whetner something on a newer car is expensive or not, the answer is always throw away buy new. Hell new is a bad word to me for that reason. Just bantering a bit. I hear you. I used Fram as a kid, switched to Delco for a reason. They served me all this time just as a Wix would. The Wix I just got had like the highest price out of all the others on the shelf. Seems outrageous but price is a matter of "what the market will support" in any case. Something only an old person would use doesn't have to be as affordable so ten fifty. Whats the physical justification with the filter? Move into the heavy oil and filter critique neighborhood and read everything.

Thats not for me but all you guys seem to do real well without trial and error on things new to you. Got fingers crossed for your vaccum test. I could be encouraged by a positive outcome and am hating the no air.
 
Changed plugs and wires for what I believe is the first time on my '05 at 90k miles. This was the plug out of #6. Kinda melty looking. The others looked normal.

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Also replaced fuel pump out of my '97 so the gas gauge works again.:th_thumbsup-wink:
 

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Customer at work said I have a really nice GXP & that I should hang on to it. It's good man be a collector item. Thanks guy. I'll run that thing into ground first.
 
Finished installing Hayden 503 trans cooler last month. Took out the right headlamp assy and removed the bumper cover, I cut the metal return line (top of the stock trans cooler) at the radiator about 5" down from the connection with a pipe cutter and spliced in the trans cooler's rubber hoses between the cut. Turned the top connection about 90 degrees to the right and routed the hoses through the lower part of the headlamp assembly opening to the Hayden cooler, which was installed in a horizontal position on the right side of the radiator/condenser.

Issues and results:
Thought it would be a quick install, but the job took about 3 times longer than I expected. First, never took off the bumper cover before. Not really difficult once all the bolts are located. After the first time, the 2nd is a breeze and can be done about 4 times faster. Then needed to decide how to orient the cooler and where to place it. The short length of the supplied cooler hoses limited placement to the right side. I tried flaring the cut ends of the metal trans line with a loaner brake flaring kit from the auto parts store, but didn't like the results, because it seemed like the flared ends put a lot of outward pinching pressure on the hoses which I feared might cause problems over time, so I cut the flared ends off. I first used the supplied hose clamps, but didn't think a single clamp per connection was sufficient to prevent leaks or slippage, so I double-clamped all the connections using fuel injector clamps. Put everything back together and noticed a 20 degree drop in temps right away. Averaging about 165 degrees after about 20-25 minutes of driving over 50mph. About a week later, I noticed that the shiny surfaces of the cooler reflected light and was easily seen through the grill. Took off the bumper cover again and spray-painted the trans cooler with black matte lacquer. Blends in now and can't be seen.

Been driving for about a month and with no issues so far. Trans temps have never gone beyond 176 degrees so far and no leaks. I installed the cooler because of hard shifting that only happened occasionally when the trans got hot. The hard shifting issue only happened on hot days combined with city and/or hilly driving. The hard shift issue started after I noticed a burning smell after driving uphill and bubbles in trans fluid. I dropped the transmission pan, replaced 7 quarts of fluid, changed the filter, and added 1 bottle of Lucas trans fix. At the time, the fluid was starting to get dark but still reddish. After the pan drop and fluid change, I experienced the hard shift issue only 2-3 times, and only after hard driving as described.

I installed the trans cooler for extra insurance. I might have a trans solenoid that is acting up from heat damage, but adding a trans cooler is easier and cheaper than removing the cover plate and replacing the solenoids. And there is no guarantee that replacing the solenoids will completely fix the problem either. I haven't driven enough yet to determine if this will be a long term fix.
 
Met up halfway with Mom today to swap cars and get my GP back to the A/C shop after I replaced the compressor. Hopefully this time around it will actually hold and I will have A/C in the car again after 4 years. Should find out in a few days hopefully.

Replaced 2 plugs on my brothers '14 5.3L Silverado again today since it started missing due to the craptastic failing lifters on the AFM system. That thing eats plugs in about 3 months on those 2 cyls. and burns oil like a stove. I pulled the stick today and it wasn't even reading. Took 2 quarts to bring it back into the crosshatches. This AFM junk sucks ass and I can't wait for him to unload this POS truck. Should have gone with the GMT800 platform like I suggested but he had to have the newer version...
 
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Well, got the GP back from the A/C shop today and it's blowing nice and cold for once out of ALL the vents. Was quite strange not having to roll the windows down to drive home in it. My tech at the shop said she didn't see any leaks after the recharge and to use the A/C for a few days and then check it again. I'll stick a thermometer in the far drivers side vent tomorrow and see what temp it's at so I have a reference.

She said to drive it and use the A/C as much as possible which shouldn't be hard in this heat/humidity. If it starts dropping temps again then I'll give it a check with my UV light and see if I can find the leak since there is still dye in the system. Cautiously optimistic that it will hold a charge this time around.
 


tECH Replaced: a/c condenser unit, .....
tECH : looking for upper minor oil leak may be upper manifold gasket(original), ....
now a miss! .... from a back cylinder (water from pressure wash ?) replaced s.p. wire and plug.
leaking
This car is like a boat, pouring water $$$ into a hole
 
^^^So about that alignment. There's been a rattling in my FR suspension ever since. Turns out the castle nut on the ball joint is loose. FML 🤦
 


Rolled past 293K on the GTP this morning. After work, our newest guy did a ricer type double the limit fly by on me with his super loud and yellow late model V6 auto Camaro. So at the stoplight I told him he had only the third brake light. Then I said see ya in a week, I'm on vacation. Then the green light came and I handed him GP tail lights through the first couple gears. I was not expecting that. It took him until 3rd to power past me. Fun, Ha. Highway stoplight Grand Prix. I always wondered how those two cars stack up, now I have some idea. He pulled a car length but then quit gaining again toward the end.
 
idrivejunk said:
Rolled past 293K on the GTP this morning. After work, our newest guy did a ricer type double the limit fly by on me with his super loud and yellow late model V6 auto Camaro. So at the stoplight I told him he had only the third brake light. Then I said see ya in a week, I'm on vacation. Then the green light came and I handed him GP tail lights through the first couple gears. I was not expecting that. It took him until 3rd to power past me. Fun, Ha. Highway stoplight Grand Prix. I always wondered how those two cars stack up, now I have some idea. He pulled a car length but then quit gaining again toward the end.
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that cars got 335 hp it can get up and move pretty good. just not as good as the SS or better models. ive seen guys on FB with twin turbo 3.6 making 600 whp lol no idea on how long it will last tho.
 
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