There are just some days I wish I didn't turn wrenches

[OR VietVet]

For the 2006 F150, belt and rear diff gasket got here Wednesday and the front diff gasket, ignition coils and air filter still coming form RA on Tuesday. I wish I had these Tuesday parts already because the owner is gone as of today, with his wife, in her car and not due back till Sunday. She is a teacher and will be back at work soon. Because of the additional shipping charges for the fluids, we used my military discount and got all fluids at AZ. I know I could do the rear diff and belt already but I only want to have to set 4 jack stands one time on this truck. The first thing I am doing, when all parts are here, is the ignition coils. I am anxious to see the coil for #3 and hope to see a crack that would be the obvious problem.

I am keeping busy with helping with a 5 family garage sale, two doors down, that the landlord and friends puts on every year. They have a very large building that has a basketball court and kitchen in it that they use. I am networking with these people and working up more customers. Turns out, one of the families in the group putting the sale on, is the family where I have worked on all three family cars and is the golfing buddy of the landlord and another lady was a past owner of a major auto repair shop in town and they are beating the drums for me and sending people to me all day today and hopefully all day tomorrow. All they ever wanted is an honest tech that doesn't mince words when I tell them what I am doing and what I have found.

 

[OR VietVet]

On the metric side of tool box I have a full set of long SK wrenches and a full set of regular SK wrenches. I have needed some stubby's from time to time but did not want to go $400 for a set of stubbies with metric and SAE wrenches. Since I rarely need/use a stubby wrench, I decided to get a set of ICON flex head ratcheting stubby wrenches that cover metric and SAE. I have a long set of SAE SK wrenches as well and have not run across any need for a regular length SAE wrench set. So much of what I work on is metric anyway. I have some loose metruc and SAE wrenches in each drawer.

 

[OR VietVet]

F150 parts are now due in tomorrow instead of Tuesday. That is good because it is supposed to get to 81 tomorrow and 77 on Tuesday. Very cool in the morning. Want to hammer that job out because I have a feeling that I have some business drummed up after the last 3 days of the garage sale I have been at, 2 doors up. My girl's landlord, that feeds me business, had more golfing buddies and their wives show up to the sale and several of them came by to gab and introduce themselves. What will I work on and what I will not work on.....etc.

I like customers like this because they don't wait for something to break and then contact me and they don't drive beat up crap cars. I have thought of renting a shop, one bay, but that involves a whole lot more expense. A lift, if does not have one already, insurance, rent, utilities.....the unknown.

 

[Tonyrodz]

On the metric side of tool box I have a full set of long SK wrenches and a full set of regular SK wrenches. I have needed some stubby's from time to time but did not want to go $400 for a set of stubbies with metric and SAE wrenches. Since I rarely need/use a stubby wrench, I decided to get a set of ICON flex head ratcheting stubby wrenches that cover metric and SAE. I have a long set of SAE SK wrenches as well and have not run across any need for a regular length SAE wrench set. So much of what I work on is metric anyway. I have some loose metruc and SAE wrenches in each drawer.

View attachment 407157View attachment 407158

Those ratcheting wrenches are awesome.

 

[OR VietVet]

I had 2 flex head ICON ratchets, 3/8" drive was 12" long and the 1/2" drive was 18" long. They performed flawlessly. I purposely tried abusing them and compared to my MAC ratchets. Because I did not need them, duplicates, I sold them for a profit a while back. I am gonna use the stubbys asap to see how they do. The BIG Name stubby flex head ratcheting wrench sets are very expensive compared to the ICON's. If I was making my living every day with my tools, I would spend more money. I will report back with a review.

 

[OR VietVet]

Rest of the F150 parts came this morning and was tempted to start on work today but am waiting till in the morning. I had my VA appointment for Wednesday and played phone tag and even went to VA and still no replacement appointment. This is *b*u*l*l*s*h*i*t*. I am getting the run around and I have a legitimate concern that I need looked at. Nothing major, I hope, and does not keep me from working and carrying on about my days. Just a run around that a vet is not supposed to go thru. Thanks Brandon.

I fired up my little air compressor and attached my blower nozzle and blew out all around the ignition coils. Once I pull the coils, I will be blowing out the holes as well. Gonna look at the plugs on #3 and #7. The rest of the work is pretty straight forward: air filter, serpentine belt, brake and power steering flush and changing fluids at both differentials. Gonna be taking a break at 11:30 for tacos with a friend from the AL. We do the tacos every Tuesday and Thursday. It will be a long day and this neighbor is one that I have agreed to do the labor at $60 an hour because he was my first customer on the block when my labor was $60 an hour.

This morning I moved his truck over and parked in front of my garage. When I did that, I found the park brake light was on, even though the park brake was not set. I told him and it is easy to remove covers to access the harness connection at the back of the d/s of cluster. All I did before was flex the circuit board and the light went out but after sitting for 4-5 days, it has settled back in place and turned the light on. We have 4 options: Flex the circuit board again and install a small wedge of something in there to hold it and not allow for it to settle again and turn light on, don't touch it and let it stay on, remove the cluster and circuit board and attempt a solder fix or buy a new cluster from Ford because I have looked and looked and cannot find a new circuit board, only a complete cluster, to the tune of just under $600 at FOMOCO. Has to be ordered in and I would need to see about the mileage set up on it. I see them as low as $385 at OE Ford Parts suppliers but am unsure about those. I think this is a last resort and he wants me to just put a wedge in place. He is gonna tell me in the morning.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Rest of the F150 parts came this morning and was tempted to start on work today but am waiting till in the morning. I had my VA appointment for Wednesday and played phone tag and even went to VA and still no replacement appointment. This is *b*u*l*l*s*h*i*t*. I am getting the run around and I have a legitimate concern that I need looked at. Nothing major, I hope, and does not keep me from working and carrying on about my days. Just a run around that a vet is not supposed to go thru. Thanks Brandon.

I fired up my little air compressor and attached my blower nozzle and blew out all around the ignition coils. Once I pull the coils, I will be blowing out the holes as well. Gonna look at the plugs on #3 and #7. The rest of the work is pretty straight forward: air filter, serpentine belt, brake and power steering flush and changing fluids at both differentials. Gonna be taking a break at 11:30 for tacos with a friend from the AL. We do the tacos every Tuesday and Thursday. It will be a long day and this neighbor is one that I have agreed to do the labor at $60 an hour because he was my first customer on the block when my labor was $60 an hour.

This morning I moved his truck over and parked in front of my garage. When I did that, I found the park brake light was on, even though the park brake was not set. I told him and it is easy to remove covers to access the harness connection at the back of the d/s of cluster. All I did before was flex the circuit board and the light went out but after sitting for 4-5 days, it has settled back in place and turned the light on. We have 4 options: Flex the circuit board again and install a small wedge of something in there to hold it and not allow for it to settle again and turn light on, don't touch it and let it stay on, remove the cluster and circuit board and attempt a solder fix or buy a new cluster from Ford because I have looked and looked and cannot find a new circuit board, only a complete cluster, to the tune of just under $600 at FOMOCO. Has to be ordered in and I would need to see about the mileage set up on it. I see them as low as $385 at OE Ford Parts suppliers but am unsure about those. I think this is a last resort and he wants me to just put a wedge in place. He is gonna tell me in the morning.

I'd do the wedge too. Fck it.

 

[TollKeeper]

I'd do the wedge too. Fck it.

Its a Ford... I mean how much longer is it really going to make it? And being as old as it is, you know it doesnt have the heated tail gate option.

 

[OR VietVet]

Started at 7:30 on the F150 and finished at 4:10. Had 2 trips to AZ as well. Decided to do new plugs with the coils and added on new front hood lift struts. Some of the time was eaten up by figuring out how to wedge that circuit board for the park brake light. In behind that circuit board in the dash cluster there was a space about 3 1/2" before you got to the hard plastic tunnel for the defrost vent. Used Gorilla tape and wedged a used roll of Duct tape in there and it pushed it forward and shut out the light. I left the covers off and drove to AZ for the hood lift struts and back with no light on. He was happy and I had it back together in 2 minutes.

The 2 cylinders that I got the misfire counts on, #3 and #7, both had ugly looking boots and the tops were gummed up with signs of the water leaking down from the cowling and mixing with dirt. The 2 plugs did not look as good as the others so we did all new plugs too. Put it all back together and road tested with customer and there was no misfire. Did the brake flush, power steering flush, serpentine belt, air filter, fuel filter and changed fluid in both diffs. I agreed to charge him $60 an hour for 7 hours. He bought me some lunch and he also paid for a new 9/16" inch magnetic spark plug socket, because all I had was 5/8" and 3/4". I had taken a couple water breaks and he does favors for me, so I felt 7 hours was fair. By the way, the old dealer installed plugs were either too tight or too loose and I gotta say, the plugs are a PITA to do.

On to the next one.

My girl's landlord wants me to pack wheel bearings on his flatbed trailer soon and I got a message today from one of the contacts established at the garage sale.

My AL friend I get tacos with, called and his wife had their 2019 Colorado in for the oil change at the dealer, one of those contracts, and he said they told her the brake fluid was dirty and needed flushed. They told her $200 and my friend told my girl I could probably do it for a 1/3rd of that price. Has 19 k miles on it and I told him that it likely does not need brake fluid flushed and just my my inspection, would be a 1/3rd of my $60 an hour I charge him, to lift the cap and inspect. I was kidding but I think he thinks I am serious.

 

[iamdub]

Started at 7:30 on the F150 and finished at 4:10. Had 2 trips to AZ as well. Decided to do new plugs with the coils and added on new front hood lift struts. Some of the time was eaten up by figuring out how to wedge that circuit board for the park brake light. In behind that circuit board in the dash cluster there was a space about 3 1/2" before you got to the hard plastic tunnel for the defrost vent. Used Gorilla tape and wedged a used roll of Duct tape in there and it pushed it forward and shut out the light. I left the covers off and drove to AZ for the hood lift struts and back with no light on. He was happy and I had it back together in 2 minutes.

The 2 cylinders that I got the misfire counts on, #3 and #7, both had ugly looking boots and the tops were gummed up with signs of the water leaking down from the cowling and mixing with dirt. The 2 plugs did not look as good as the others so we did all new plugs too. Put it all back together and road tested with customer and there was no misfire. Did the brake flush, power steering flush, serpentine belt, air filter, fuel filter and changed fluid in both diffs. I agreed to charge him $60 an hour for 7 hours. He bought me some lunch and he also paid for a new 9/16" inch magnetic spark plug socket, because all I had was 5/8" and 3/4". I had taken a couple water breaks and he does favors for me, so I felt 7 hours was fair. By the way, the old dealer installed plugs were either too tight or too loose and I gotta say, the plugs are a PITA to do.

On to the next one.

My girl's landlord wants me to pack wheel bearings on his flatbed trailer soon and I got a message today from one of the contacts established at the garage sale.

My AL friend I get tacos with, called and his wife had their 2019 Colorado in for the oil change at the dealer, one of those contracts, and he said they told her the brake fluid was dirty and needed flushed. They told her $200 and my friend told my girl I could probably do it for a 1/3rd of that price. Has 19 k miles on it and I told him that it likely does not need brake fluid flushed and just my my inspection, would be a 1/3rd of my $60 an hour I charge him, to lift the cap and inspect. I was kidding but I think he thinks I am serious.

The manual of that Nissan I bought new at the end of 2021 says the brake fluid needs to be flushed every 10K. BULLŚHIT.