5 Reasons Fixing Your Own Car Will Change Your Life

[pitw]

Had a fun week here at the farm with fixit shit. We got a free 1991 F150 4x4 cause it let the old farmer drive to the field but then would let him walk home LOL. We changed the ECM from one of our old parts trucks and now have another fuel truck that drives just fine and rides pretty fair with her new shock absorbers.
Then Wednesday a truck rolled in the yard hauling a 1995 F150 with a problem the 19 year old driver wanted help with. How the [L] he managed to break the adapter from the transmission to the transfer case, I'll never know but he did. Him and my boy went to wrenching and got her tore apart, I went to a used auto parts store 100 miles North and got him another for $50 and as I was lending him the money to fix it anyway he also got 4 universal joints for the drive line they replaced with a mite of supervision. Sure wish I had the strength them young bucks got as they put the transfer case back on without a jack or block. While this was taking place Thursday eve another old truck come driving in and it was another young guy who occasionally stops in and his starter quit working so he wanted some advice. Told him to take it off and we just cleaned it up and especially any place that had electrical connections. He put her back on and grinned like the Chesire cat when it rolled over. Then the three of them finished battoning down the other truck which runs good again. Somewhere in all the wrenching someone musta texted someone as a another old truck show's up with two guys and 24 beer the lads enjoyed around the cement pad after they cleaned up the work area. While at the junk yard I met a fellow from 40 miles North who was cleaning his yard and he had a '85 F150 he would haul to my place for $300 so I guess I'll see what I bought in a few days.LOL

 

[newmisty]

Had a fun week here at the farm with fixit shit. We got a free 1991 F150 4x4 cause it let the old farmer drive to the field but then would let him walk home LOL. We changed the ECM from one of our old parts trucks and now have another fuel truck that drives just fine and rides pretty fair with her new shock absorbers.
Then Wednesday a truck rolled in the yard hauling a 1995 F150 with a problem the 19 year old driver wanted help with. How the [L] he managed to break the adapter from the transmission to the transfer case, I'll never know but he did. Him and my boy went to wrenching and got her tore apart, I went to a used auto parts store 100 miles North and got him another for $50 and as I was lending him the money to fix it anyway he also got 4 universal joints for the drive line they replaced with a mite of supervision. Sure wish I had the strength them young bucks got as they put the transfer case back on without a jack or block. While this was taking place Thursday eve another old truck come driving in and it was another young guy who occasionally stops in and his starter quit working so he wanted some advice. Told him to take it off and we just cleaned it up and especially any place that had electrical connections. He put her back on and grinned like the Chesire cat when it rolled over. Then the three of them finished battoning down the other truck which runs good again. Somewhere in all the wrenching someone musta texted someone as a another old truck show's up with two guys and 24 beer the lads enjoyed around the cement pad after they cleaned up the work area. While at the junk yard I met a fellow from 40 miles North who was cleaning his yard and he had a '85 F150 he would haul to my place for $300 so I guess I'll see what I bought in a few days.LOL

so how many F-150s are on the property now?

What did they use to press the U-joints in? How olds your boy?

 

[pitw]

so how many F-150s are on the property now?

What did they use to press the U-joints in? How olds your boy?

I suppose I have 30+ old F150's around here and at least 10 of them I could drive a few hundred miles.
We just use an older than dirt 8 inch vice and a socket that fits for a press while doing ujoints.
This batch of lads are all 19 and it's funner than [L] to watch them try some short cuts that we all probably learned don't work the hard way.LOL
The best part of working with guys 44 years younger than me is just the smiles as they learn how something works for themselves. That and when I need some muscle for a project they show up like majic.

 

[newmisty]

I suppose I have 30+ old F150's around here and at least 10 of them I could drive a few hundred miles.
We just use an older than dirt 8 inch vice and a socket that fits for a press while doing ujoints.
This batch of lads are all 19 and it's funner than [L] to watch them try some short cuts that we all probably learned don't work the hard way.LOL
The best part of working with guys 44 years younger than me is just the smiles as they learn how something works for themselves. That and when I need some muscle for a project they show up like majic.

 

[newmisty]

I'm telling you Scotty is a National Treasure! Just listen to how he answers these first two questions...

 

[specsaregood]

Flushed the radiator last weekend, it had been shitting out orange foamy disgusting shit into the reservoir after driving even though the temperature always stayed fine. Damn thing was in bad shape, ended up having to fill and flush it 6 times before it started running light yellow in color instead of a dark, thick, rusty, orange. Took what I thought would take an hour max, take the better part of the day. Made me wonder if it was ever flushed in the past 25+ years and if they were just running tap water in it. Running nice now though.

 

[Krag]

Lucas is great stuff for transmissions, engine oil, etc.. Also Restore has a loyal customer base.

Harmonic balancer on my Subaru failed on Sunday, I really didn't want to fool around with use the crank, a breaker bar, etc. and fix it myself. I walked around a lot, some days 10 miles and got it fixed by a shop that has helped me in the past.

 

[southfork]

Dam gears just went on my power window, 99 marquis, thats going to be a fun job

 

[specsaregood]

Dam gears just went on my power window, 99 marquis, thats going to be a fun job

ya know, replacing the power window motor in my bronco was surprisingly easy.

 

[michael59]

Awwhell, I just lv my junk. It gives me something to do and that is why I own so much of it.

 

[newmisty]

Dam gears just went on my power window, 99 marquis, thats going to be a fun job

Piece of cake.
Tip, window motor went in my old Thunderbird and when we took it apart my buddy pulled the motor apart and realize that there's three nylon cams inside Which are made to break under tension and had been destroyed by the grease. We simply replaced them with three ground down nuts from a jaguar exhaust manifold. They wanted like 30 bucks for the brushings/cams kit.

Some folks talking about the same thing
https://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/replacing-power-window-motor-bushings.843900/

 

[newmisty]

 

[newmisty]

Been milking this cheap set of brake pads for I'd say a little bit too long....

So first day got the wheel off and the caliper alignment bolt head has been stripped and couldn't get it removed. So the next day my buddy came over with his welder and mpact gun. We have the plan to weld on to the bolt head(t-55) proportionately the impact gun got it off. So we hang out for a while and then he laughed and I went to finish the job and got everything greased up and realized that the shop gave me the wrong f****** brake pads. Way too big! Fortunately I had a spare set of pads that I threw on instead. Nothings easy nothing.

Think I got my money's worth out of this set of pads?

 

[southfork]

ya know, replacing the power window motor in my bronco was surprisingly easy.

Yah normally it wouldnt be too bad but Im doing it with a torn rotator cuff and a bad back, I refuse to get raped by the dealers.

 

[Casey Jones]

Yah normally it wouldnt be too bad but Im doing it with a torn rotator cuff and a bad back, I refuse to get raped by the dealers.

I don't know that I'd put it that way. A surprising number of them are failing, also.

It's not that they're raping their customers; it's that they have too much overhead - a poor business model. So, I'd take it for what it is. If I couldn't do work that needed to be done...in an isolated incident...it might be worth it to me to pay a competent person a couple hundred so I could have the car window work right.

And since a steady diet isn't so wonderful...don't make a habit of going there.

 

[stoli]

My truck got a body restoration over the weekend. Cab corners , rockers and a few rusted areas repaired.
Painted it rustoleum royal blue and truckbed black textured paint on the bottom.
Cost was about $200 .

 

[michael59]

Been milking this cheap set of brake pads for I'd say a little bit too long....

So first day got the wheel off and the caliper alignment bolt head has been stripped and couldn't get it removed. So the next day my buddy came over with his welder and mpact gun. We have the plan to weld on to the bolt head(t-55) proportionately the impact gun got it off. So we hang out for a while and then he laughed and I went to finish the job and got everything greased up and realized that the shop gave me the wrong f****** brake pads. Way too big! Fortunately I had a spare set of pads that I threw on instead. Nothings easy nothing.

Think I got my money's worth out of this set of pads?

View attachment 179813 View attachment 179814

Shit, my squealers have been going off for a while.....

 

[newmisty]

Think this is still good?

 

[newmisty]

My truck got a body restoration over the weekend. Cab corners , rockers and a few rusted areas repaired.
Painted it rustoleum royal blue and truckbed black textured paint on the bottom.
Cost was about $200 .


View attachment 179868

How so cheap???

 

[Joe King]

Think this is still good?

View attachment 179998

Absolutely! A little duct tape and a couple spools of bailing wire a she'll be as good as new.

 

[michael59]

How so cheap???

rattle can

 

[hammerhead]

Think this is still good?

View attachment 179998

Muffler bearing?

 

[stoli]

How so cheap??[

Pair of cab corners about $30 shipped
Right side rocker was $55 shipped
1 quart rustoleum primer $11
2 quarts rustoleum royal blue $25
Sand paper about $30
Maskin tape ........$5
Rivets and a little J B weld $7
3 days of my labor.....free
Forgot 2 cans of bed liner paint $16
That about sums it up

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Anybody here able to help me fix my 2007 GMC K1500 Sierra?

One morning last week it cranked but no fire.
Couldn't hear the fuel pump noise when cranking.
Checked fuses & swapped relays. nothing.
Jacked up bed & replaced the fuel pump.
Problem not fixed & discovered original fuel pump was ok by connecting to a battery.
Determined that the grey power wire to the pump is not being energized.
I am not a mechanic, but mechanical.

I would appreciate any ideas on what to check next?

 

[Someone_else]

2007 may be too old to have an immobilizer, but maybe not... On my 2015 Toyota, if the ECU does not think the key has the right code, the starter will turn normally, but the fuel pump and ignition won't work.

 

[TN_Preacher]

Anybody here able to help me fix my 2007 GMC K1500 Sierra?

One morning last week it cranked but no fire.
Couldn't hear the fuel pump noise when cranking.
Checked fuses & swapped relays. nothing.
Jacked up bed & replaced the fuel pump.
Problem not fixed & discovered original fuel pump was ok by connecting to a battery.
Determined that the grey power wire to the pump is not being energized.
I am not a mechanic, but mechanical.

I would appreciate any ideas on what to check next?

So no fuel delivery? Is this a Fuel injection vehicle? Try using hot start in the air intake to verify it is a fuel issue to double check. You can usually hear the relay click when you turn the key. If you checked the correct relay and fuse, then I would get a schematic to see where that wire gets voltage from. Some vehicles have a cut-off sensor somewhere in the front of the vehicle to detect a collision and shut down fuel system. Most issues like this are usually something simple. Google the symptoms also because someone else has had this issue.

FYI someone posted this...
There can be a sensor or electronic control unit (ecu) issue. ... If either due to a faulty crank sensor, or ecu, the crank sensor signal is not being read, the ignition and fuel pump systems will not power up. Also, a faulty ignition module can create the same issue.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

So no fuel delivery? Is this a Fuel injection vehicle? Try using hot start in the air intake to verify it is a fuel issue to double check. You can usually hear the relay click when you turn the key. If you checked the correct relay and fuse, then I would get a schematic to see where that wire gets voltage from. Some vehicles have a cut-off sensor somewhere in the front of the vehicle to detect a collision and shut down fuel system. Most issues like this are usually something simple. Google the symptoms also because someone else has had this issue.

FYI someone posted this...
There can be a sensor or electronic control unit (ecu) issue. ... If either due to a faulty crank sensor, or ecu, the crank sensor signal is not being read, the ignition and fuel pump systems will not power up. Also, a faulty ignition module can create the same issue.

Yes, throttle body fuel injection.
I did pull off a line & into it sprayed starting fluid & the engine fired.
So, I know its a fuel delivery problem.
Thank you for the ideas.

 

[michael59]

I chased this problem on a dodge.....drove me crazy for a few days. Fuel relay would turn on but no fuel. It turned out to be a broken wire at the tank pump and I had that thing out 3 or for times and it worked.....yes, but when installed the wires crimped over and the connection was lost.

Question: Do you know how to check a relay? I have found that just swapping relays does not work. Get some little roach clips and crimp some wire between them... attach them to the battery and then to the relay. IF the relay clicks take the mutitester on continuity and see if there is continuity between the other post on the relay. If continuity then relay is ok if not then change out.

 

[michael59]

Yes, throttle body fuel injection.
I did pull off a line & into it sprayed starting fluid & the engine fired.
So, I know its a fuel delivery problem.
Thank you for the ideas.

Throttle body? The ionisers/sprayers are caput. It only takes one to kill the signal. Pull the leads to the nozzels and hook them up and see if they work. Hand this happen on an old GMC the kid purchased for $400. Chased it down like a dog haply chasing his tail.

edited to add: you do not need gas to come out of the nozzels though that would be cool, they just need to turn on...as in vibrate.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I chased this problem on a dodge.....drove me crazy for a few days. Fuel relay would turn on but no fuel. It turned out to be a broken wire at the tank pump and I had that thing out 3 or for times and it worked.....yes, but when installed the wires crimped over and the connection was lost.

Question: Do you know how to check a relay? I have found that just swapping relays does not work. Get some little roach clips and crimp some wire between them... attach them to the battery and then to the relay. IF the relay clicks take the mutitester on continuity and see if there is continuity between the other post on the relay. If continuity then relay is ok if not then change out.

4 pin relay checks out ok.
Question: The relay can be installed 2 ways. How do you know which way is correct? Or is either ok?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Throttle body? The ionisers/sprayers are caput. It only takes one to kill the signal. Pull the leads to the nozzels and hook them up and see if they work. Hand this happen on an old GMC the kid purchased for $400. Chased it down like a dog haply chasing his tail.

edited to add: you do not need gas to come out of the nozzels though that would be cool, they just need to turn on...as in vibrate.

U R right. No throttle body.
Looks like a rail system.

Not sure yet that ionizers are caput as I'm not getting power to the fuel pump.

 

[michael59]

Let me go pull one out of the ex-ploder....BrB.....

 

[michael59]

 

[michael59]

This is a five pin but what you are looking for is the resistor coil marking that has 85 and 86. This is what makes it click or turn on, the other ones can have current or are supplied when another relay turns on. this is why just changing relays does not always work as sometimes they are hot and sometimes they are fed from another relay,,,...now

the other pins are where you check continuity. It gets a bit tricky but I have found a few bad relays this way.

 

[michael59]

Oh yeah....check your grounds

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Oh yeah....check your grounds

Wasn't able to locate where the ground wire to the pump is connected to the chassis.
So, I ran a test light from the battery positive terminal back to the red ground wire at the pump plug.
Had bright light so I think that I can assume that the ground to the pump is ok. Accurate?

Also put a grounded test light into the grey hot wire to the pump plug & watched as the ignition key was turned to on. Tried several times & had some momentary light only one time.

Any idea what else I should check?

 

[TN_Preacher]

VH,

If you go to this link, you can download the wiring schematic for your vehicle. It may take a bit to understand the designations, unless you are familiar with them already. Page D-139 and following has the fuel pump schematics you need to figure out what is happening. The pdf file is 669 pages, so I hope you have high speed :)

schematic

https://www.gmupfitter.com/files/media/photo/87/2007_LD_ElectricalPickupsChassisCabs.pdf

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I am not getting any power to the fuse for the fuel pump.

 

[michael59]

K, had a 86 ranger that sputtered every time I would hit a bump, like say railroad tracks, and then it would catch up. This went fine for weeks and them coming back from Yreka it gunnysacked just north of McMinville. And, I limped and then it did the major malfkshun and I had it towed.

I did solder in two fuel pump relays and nothing. I tested and tested and chased and chased.....In fact I found that the people who owned the rig before me had separated the wires in the connections that are used to run the motor. So, I jumped them/connections by soldering wires around them: and I had nothing.

3 months and snow and I had nothing...so, I checked the fuel pump relay again except this time for ground. There was no ground so I soldered a big wire into the relay wires and grounded it to the negative side of the battery. YES, there was life in the dead thing and it roared. So I pulled the extra pump relay and ran it like that and it never faltered again till I sold it for $50 and a box of beer.

In a different ranger I had to solder a ground outside of the brain into the harness because the brain had lost its ground somewhere inside.

 

[michael59]

this may seem counter intuitive BUT just look at your battery and notice that there is a + and a - , what this means is at the + terminal the electrons enter the battery and at the - the electrons leave.

what I am saying is that it is could be not like it seems....other that the rig not running.