Matt Saunoras

Hey guys I know I haven't been around in a few months but I really haven't been up to anything too exciting besides a bunch of OT plowing snow all winter. Anyways we have this late 80s Ford L8000 bucket truck here that's had a small fuel leak in the valley for a month or so now. Yesterday was the end though and it finally died while pulling a hill. I got it running with a new fuel filter and bleeding the air from a few of the injector lines but I believe it's sucking air through the leaking throttle shaft seal. The seal is leaking pretty bad now and I imagine it's losing prime because it won't start cold too well either. I checked the shutoff solenoid and it seems to be working okay. I have read a little online about pulling apart and resealing the back half of the pump. This seems pretty easy given this truck doesn't have a turbo or any extra stuff on top of the engine, just an intake manifold that needs removed. I don't know if it's worthwhile to even attempt it or just get a whole new pump. The truck ran great once it got a new filter making me think the pump is probably okay besides the leaking seal. Any input?

Does Canada not get Motorcraft brand full synthetic 5w-40?

Thanks, if I can drive it to my old dealer I'm sure they'll let me program it. I know deep down I'm gonna have to purchase my own personal IDS. I'm trying to justify the cost though. Speaking of 4.0's we have an 04 explorer here that the right timing chain busted a hole through the valvecover. It still runs but not well. I wouldn't mind putting an engine in but really hope they don't want me to try and fix it

I gotta put a damn 6F55 in a 14 police utility. It has a bad torque converter shudder but they don't wanna risk a trans repair given all the unknowns with the vehicle (used from texas). I have no idea how I'm gonna get an IDS to program the solenoid body ID. I've also got 2 early 2000s super duties here that need front inner axle seals.

I haven't really been working on any diesels lately. We're prepping the trucks for snow right now off and on. Since I've been here there's been a retired 2010 police explorer outside. Yesterday they asked me to look at it to see what it would take to fix it up for an office vehicle. I heard the engine was shot and that's why they parked it, I figured it was a 4.0 but to my surprise it's actually a 4.6. A late model 4.6 with a bad engine? Never heard of such a thing. Started it up and heard a horrible upper end noise coming from what seemed like the right side. Pulled the RH valvecover and the last #4 intake rocker was seized up and eating into the cam lobe. I managed to borrow the spring compressor and timing wedge tool from my old dealer and I put a new RH cam and rockers in it this morning. Under the valve cover was spotless, not a hint of sludge or scoring anywhere except that one rocker/cam lobe. It runs great now so I get to replace the leaking exhaust manifolds tomorrow. Then I get to strip the rest of the police stuff out of it and remove the decals. That should keep me busy for the rest of the week.

Put a water pump on an 06 DT466 today. Very simple job. Also hung some loaded trailer brake assemblies on a small trailer we have. I was worried this job wasnt going to give me enough mental stimulation at first but it's doing quite well. It's still work but I'm not killing myself everyday. I didn't do any wrenching yesterday at all. Welded on a tar truck all day

I clocked 2 hours of overtime last week which was the first time in my life

I had one too on an 11. It was under bumper to bumper so it got one battery and all was good

Day 4 out of the dealer putting 8 injectors, standpipes and dummy plugs in a 07 F-550. They're probably gonna have me fix all their 6.0s then shit can me when they find out I can't do anything else.

Today was my first day out of the dealer. Already putting a high pressure oil pump in a 03 6.0 F-550

A cab and chassis turbo core? I though those used brass journal bearings (bushings) not any kind of roller bearing

Today I TIG'd a new cat on my girlfriend's Grand Cherokee so it would pass emissions. I started out trying to weld it on the vehicle but I could not for the life of me get the tops of the joints. Had to pull the whole Y and do it on the bench.

Had another weird one today. 15 F-250 towed in for a no start. Scanned it for codes, nothing. Pulled up my fuel pids. Koeo low fuel pressure is fine. Crank on it for 5 seconds, verified the no start, no FRP. Cycled the key a few times and it fired right up. No hesitation at all in FRP climbing. Now it can't recreate it

It seems like the same story everywhere. I asked my service manager today "why are the best technicians no longer in dealerships?" He blurted out "flat-rate" So if flat rate is the problem and technician shortage is a real concern then why aren't we offering something different? It's because flat rate isn't the problem. It's bad management and the "it is what it is" attitude. I am not flat rate and I still can't take it anymore. I am still questioned about efficiency and still treated like I'm stealing from the dealership. More money in my pocket is going to mean less money in theirs. That is not going to make things easier for anyone in the long run.

You could remove the plate from the throttle body altogether but do this off the vehicle. It's just 2 tiny torx screws and the plate comes right out leaving the actuator and sensor electronically functional

I had an interesting conversation with the boss on Friday which proved to me how out of touch he is with what's happening in dealership service departments. He brought up the fact that in his Lincoln store the ASSET students turn 60-70 hours a week. This was like a slap in the face to me. Obviously I don't turn as many hours as a lube tech . He brought up that my hours are down which I can easily attribute to having no support in the shop. It doesn't seem to matter though, the message didn't get through. No one seems to get it. One example would be that my second bay has been tied up for 3 weeks with an E series 4R that grenaded. I am not the one working on it however and the tranny isn't even out yet. What the hell am I supposed to do? I've been working smaller jobs on the flat in the drive lane.

Man did I have a weird one today. I'm laying here trying to go to sleep and it hit me. I have an 11 F-350 the customer states the brake pedal will intermittently go to the floor. I definitely verified it and I could not imagine what the hell it could be. What I did find was a RF shock that was hanging out of the axle and the bolt and flag nut are gone. You can clearly see the caliper is hitting the shock on a full lock right turn. What's happening is the caliper hitting the shock is pushing the caliper pistons in on the right side and the next braking event after a right turn has to push the pistons back out for the pad to contact the rotor. It's just like when you have to pump the brakes after a brake job. I put the shock back in with a new bolt and it never did it again but I could not figure out why the hell that mattered

I was offered the municipal job today and I gladly accepted. Tomorrow should be fun.

I went to community college for 2 years before I decided I'd like to try the automotive program. Before that I was running around the city trying to take prerequisite courses to get into an engineering school. Once I hit the higher end math programs like calculus I knew I couldn't hack it anymore. What I found out was hands on work is what I needed. I was never once offered a choice in high school to go to vocational tech or anything like that, it simply wasn't an option for a mild of the class guy like me. I was pushed towards college like everyone else. Those programs were offered to the guys who couldn't handle regular classes. Just by some chance I started liking cars and interest grew in repairing my own car. Right now I feel like my potential isn't being reached here anymore and I've scoped other dealers out in the area and they don't seem much better. Just like when I was in college I don't know what's right for me and it's time to try something new.

That is valid point for sure. I can go nearly anywhere else for the same money I am making now. You would think though as valuable as I am to my particular dealer they would realize this and be proactive about it. They are not though, they only care about right now, one month to the next. I have been the longest standing member in service for a little while now and the information I have should be seen as irreplaceable. They are going to lose me in a few weeks if all works out well. I am being pursued for a municipal fleet position that's literally 5 minutes from my house. I still get my 40 hours but I am only going to be at work for 40 hours. Not 50+ hours getting paid for 40. It is union too.

I would love it if I could go back to doing my own job and not babysitting. The current service white shirts have near zero automotive knowledge so there's no one to be the mediator between the shop, management and customers.......except me that is. I did not sign up for this however. I signed up for a 40 hour guarantee and that was at least 5 years ago. Nothing is even remotely similar to the way it was. As of late they see that as a salary so I can rightfully be passed on all the work no one else wants to do. The whole shop is my helpers. I do not much care for it. I was never anyone's helper since day one.

I have always heard you cannot turn the 3.5/3.7 backwards without risking engine damage.

I split the turbos on the 6.4 to replace the gaskets between them and I found the plate behind the high pressure turbine has come loose. It's rubbing the turbine when you spin it. Now I get to wait a couple days for a turbo to come. The 6.0 I'm looking at needs coolers. It's got carbon chunks breaking loose and hanging the valve open. Also looks like the oil cooler cover gasket is eaking pretty bad

I've gotta 550 6.4 outside leaking exhaust between the turbo halves. It's a reman complete a month away from being out of warranty. Also got some 6.0 drivability to do on a dump truck. Not sure if I remember anything about those. All the diesel work is coming back just in time for me to depart. More details to follow

I made the classic mistake of putting in a 6.7 front main seal backwards even though the book clearly states the numbers on the seal should face outwards. The seal looks totally wrong going in the correct way and it doesn't help that the slinger is not in the parts picture with the seal. It's in the picture with the crankshaft.