jimmy57

Hobbs hour meters have something like a 10-60 volt range for the counting input lead. I have added them to tractors and older trucks by tapping the exciter lead to alternator so the count is done when the charge light goes out. I have not done it on newer models but the last time I checked the exciter lead was still 1-2 V before engine run and 14.5-ish once charging. electric lift pump could be another count lead source. The meters are $40 range and even cheaper if bought online. There are some models from some makers with reset so the display is the reset new count but the total stays accessible by pushing a button. I added one of those to a generator not too long ago. Got it at O'Reilly's.

Fuel in oil (with no obvious diesel smell these days) will kick your butt as will the spool valve issue. I don't know that spool valves cause this without the injectors having had the spool valves polished to address stiction.

I cut the label face off the jug and make a tag that gets obviously placed on coolant tank if I ever get a customer wanting it changed to something else. otherwise I put in the factory stuff. If the coolant has odd color and I am unsure I ask questions and with wrong or unsure answers then I suggest flush and fill with the right stuff after a little coolant education for the customer. The lack of coloring being a consistently applied marker is criminal and there is no good answer for topping up a truck that comes in and has no history at your store and shows some signs of having been serviced at other than a dealer. The other issue is that even a conscientious customer can easily find himself in a situation where his truck is low and a Ford dealer is not nearby or open. Using some unique coolant is a very bad choice by the manufacturer given that this can happen. That you make the truck with crap water pump and radiator issues feeds this problem. Alas, we don't live in a world with all one kind of green coolant............. If they didn't break there wouldn't be service departments.

Ford has not created the best situation to put huge faith in their cooling system decisions over the last 10+ years. Gold that precipitates sand crystals that clogs coolers and two generations of Super Duties that have far too high of a radiator failure rate are why I say this. This leaves a lot of room for thinking you might do better than what they suggest. Absolutely NO to mixing or not doing proper flushing if you choose to use CAT ELC or another quality diesel formulated coolant. Just sayin'

Is it true that Hybrids automatically steer into and stop at a Starbucks?

The customer with the F350 with spun bearings should go buy Powerball tickets to see if they can win a second jackpot.

I think I have an invention I need to develop: replacement brass nipples with self tapping threads for stupid plastic shit made these days. 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and other sizes with small hollow threads. radiator MAP sensor plastic intake tank leakage pumps tank sending unit probably a bunch of other things The sheet metal screw threads would be no bigger, and in some cases, smaller than the nipple OD. Just yesterday I broke a MAP/Boost sensor nipple on a 7.3 because I decided the hardened rubber hose should be replaced. In spite of cutting through hose with utility knife to avoid just such a problem. The repairs on truck were for A/C.... No good deed goes unpunished.......... I think I may go do a mock-up. Take a brass wood screw, the ones with threads for 1/2 inch and then 3/4 or so of plain shank, and cut the head off and then drill through the length of screw. I can fix the old one and have it as a spare if this happens again (when it happens again).

GREAT! Thanks for listing so many in one place!

And do not forget to go drive it. You can convince yourself the pedal is low because you lose the feel of how much pressure is needed to stop vehicle. The amount that feels like a mushy pedal in the bay may be 4 wheel ABS activity from wheels trying to lock when you drive it.

The others doing these programs have worked fairly well with two year contracts that dealers offer. The dealer pays the training fee and if the tech fulfills the 2 year term then they are paid up. If they leave early they pay a prorated amount. The major issue is hiring a young guy that is not local. Many times they do the two years and then leave go back home. They need a better acronym. I would suggest Ford Accelerated Regimented Technician. Young graduates coming out of this program would be "little FARTs" and the seasoned older grads would be "old FARTs". This would also lead to grads of the program that just don't really have the aptitude as being "smelly FARTs".

I hope they slap the crap out of whoever decided that a downstream injector for regen was too much money. Somebody got the message when they did the Transit motor.

The fact that diesel in the oil no longer seems to have that OBVIOUS odor we were used already caused me some pain too. I air tested one 6.0 every which way repeatedly for an intermittent long crank or long crank no start. Replaced IPR valve thinking it was sticking when no other issues were found and also did an oil change. New oil fixed it for over 2000 miles (not the IPR...). HUGE dose of humility from that one.

You'd be surprised at what a google search with a connector part number will yield. I was shocked. Also found some PDF instructions on pin release.

Cool video but I remember that color being the exclusive of Bell Telephone when that truck was a new truck. Awesome truck. The looks of that truck slammed puts the Chevies of that era to shame.

Did the seats cost enough to get the car written off?

I think they should go one step further with this imbedded water pump stuff. Put a flat roller on one of the crank counter weights and a piece of hose on a curved guide. Every crank rev the roller will displace coolant through the hose just like when you roll a socket down an RTV tube to get that last bit of good out of the tube. The hose can have snap-to-connect fittings on each end. No way it would ever fail and dump coolant into oil. I should patent this and then send it to Dearborn.

The manufacturers push for "service capacity" so customers have minimal wait and completion time for their vehicles. Then Ford (and the others are just as guilty) drag their feet trying to see how to skirt paying for repairs and tie up your shop space. The dealer principals need to attack this. NADA surveys need to get blasted over this. That could change it. Techs and service managers have little "juice" to make these kind of policy changes happen.

Wonder how long it would take to make a decision if the Explorer was sitting in the way of the assembly line running at a Ford plant?

I found this hidden camera view of how ford determines op times. The dealer shown has a test track, COOL.

Spare one or is it missing from the ring gear?

When fuel prices go back to $4 Ford will do what it takes to protect sales of a high profit vehicle. The market seems to not have a problem with 1/2 tons over $50K so why would anyone think that ford would not use an existing engine that they could market for even higher profit. Dodge has had success with their diesel during this period of low fuel prices without having to resort to heavy incentives.That is hard for Ford to ignore in their defense of this VERY important market.

That last one is a HUGE ouch. IS the driver in the hospital still?

When you get back from vacation your lift is going to be all greasy from ll the gravy that was done on it while you were out.

WTF!!!! Toyotas are perfect. ROFLMAO! What Fred said. HV battery on that one should still be useable. If you buy this you do know it can be driven in the RH lane? Contrary to what many believe you are not obligated to drive under the posted speed in the left lane in a Prius.

There are Prius batteries available for $1300 range. I think these are Dorman ones for that amount. There are "rebuilt" ones for $800 range. What year model?