Matt Saunoras

Reservoir was not drained out this morning. Started right up and seems to hot start fine also. I warmed it up now I'm gonna let it sit again

I have some 7.3 no start diag to perform. Just last Friday I fixed a broken exhaust manifold stud on this truck, it ran totally fine for me then. Now it cranks but won't build base or ICP after 10-15 seconds and I check the HPOP reservoir. It's half full so I have the asset kid crank while I watch the level. Just about the time it almost filled the reservoir the thing nearly started. Stuck the plug in, cranked some more and it started and ran. No idea what would cause the reservoir to drain out yet. I'm not too keen on these things

That's all I get anymore I swear. The crap no one else can fix. I can't seem to think of the last diesel job I did that wasn't a huge pain in the ass waste of time.

Recently I had to use JB weld on a badly butchered exhaust manifold job too. One stud hole was drilled into a water jacket and another hole right into an exhaust port. Truthfully I don't know if that truck will ever be back so I can't speak for the longevity of the repair. For the stud hole into the water jacket I drilled a half inch hole, threaded it, ran a slotted cut off bolt coated in JB into the hole and ground it flush. Then I totally re drilled the M8 hole for the stud. The exhaust port hole got a big sert coated in JB.

This place is really becoming a zoo. I know I complain about it all the time but it's far worse than I ever imagined it could be. 3 years of hard work building a reputation for a new store is all getting flushed down the toilet. There is no doubt the dealership as a whole is failing. I want out but it's so hard when I keep depositing good checks.

So get this one. I flat out catch our new guy not installing all four latches while performing the recall. The asset kid tipped me off about a set from earlier in the week. So today I check a new set to be sure what's in the box and parts hands them off to be installed. He finishes up, I asked the asset kid if he saw them do all 4 and be said no he didn't do the drivers door. I go check the latches he gave back to parts and sure enough 3 white label latches and one black label in the box. All the old latches are marked which door they went in and have a white tag. No old left front latch in the box. I go to my service manager, present the facts. Show him new parts and old. Okay I'll take care of this he says. I see both of them head outside for a chat, the new guy flat out denies it and nothing is done. Absolutely no recourse from the service manager. He doesn't even make him or anyone install the correct latch. So now we have 2 used escapes on the lot that have one defective door latch. I don't even know what to do.

I finished the tranny today. New case half, converter, center support, input shaft, clutch tower, valve body, fluid pump and all new seals. Shifts like a dream. I'm happy

The body is a little rough but everything inside is super clean. My parts guy mentioned the upper torque mount goes bad a lot and sure enough checked mine and it's tearing. I searched around online because the ford mount is over $200. 4 or 5 aftermarket companies make replacement bushings so I ordered one off rock auto for $14. I found a few old mounts in our scrap pile so I'm gonna try and reman one Update - it worked. This baby really plants the torque to the ground now

Here's my beast

Looked at an 01 E-150 4.6 with coolant leaking in the valley. I guess there's a heater tube that rots out? Either way I'm pulling the intake to have a look. Also ESP approved my trans no questioned asked

Well it looks like my high pressure filter cover is okay. Got the lines in today after the parts order showed up 2 hours late. No leaks as of yet. Also cleaned the throttle body and updated the PCM since the recall was never done. Seems to run a lot smoother but I don't really know. I'm gonna give it about a month and then I need to get tires for it.

This 6F35 has the torque converter gray death sludge, 2 broken case lugs for the forward clutch snap ring and no application of the forward clutch piston in the center support via air check. Basically all the most common stuff I read about. I'm interested to see how much of a hard time esp gives me considering how widely know these failures are

I've diag'd two 11+ superduty evaporator cores in the last week. Haven't done one of those in about 3 years

I ordered a used one off ebay just incase, it looks really clean in the pics. I think my old one will seal just fine but truthfully there's no way to know until I put the new lines in. It's funny how I avoided working on these things for all these years and now I own one. I vaguely remember from my early Lincoln/Mercury days having strut bearing problems and heated seat issues but that's about it. I think I may have changed a few instrument clusters and tranny mounts also. I remember the tranny guy I worked next to at lincoln replaced a few side shaft gear assemblies in vehicle. Then one time he pulled a CVT out of a freestyle customer pay. Quoted a unit and the lady traded it in with no tranny in it. He somehow supported the engine with a long piece of wood, stuck the subframe back in it and pushed it outside. Space was a premium back then.

Well I had to hitch a ride home tonight. Got my "new" car stuck on my rack at work trying to change the tranny fluid and filters. Fucking broke a cooler line off in the pressure filter cover. Everything on this car is just as expected for 11 years in the rust belt. My parts guy was still there I had him look up everything. The lines are one day out and cost about $70. The pressure filter cover is obsolete and cost is over $600! I managed to dig the line out of the old cover. I tapped it with an M10x1.5 to use the tranny pump slide hammer removal tool and while I was tapping it started spinning. I managed to work the piece of line out, it was corroded all the way down. Gently cleaned up the bore with some 400 grit so hopefully it seals. I'll find out Saturday

I've seen a lot of low pressure pumps with foreign object damage not related to lifter failure. Anyone's guess what goes through these things sometimes. Pieces of rocker arm, STC fitting, injector etc at any point in its history can leave stuff in the pan.

Pulling the tranny out of a 13 escape with 70k. No forward clutch. Fluid is burned. It's got premiumcare

I thought it was unavailable as a classroom course after the last units went out of powertrain warranty but I'm not sure. At the time I took the class back in 09 or 10 I was told it wouldn't be offered or required much longer, perhaps I was mistaken. No noise at idle in park. I heard a slight decel whine one time yesterday but I'm not sure if that's normal. I did not happen to notice what speed it occurred at and I didn't hear it today. I'm sure after I get used to the car I'll stop hearing all the little noises it makes. I am definitely going to change the fluid and filters right away and make sure the fluid is at the correct level. That is #1 on the list

My grandfather passed earlier this year and left us with an 06 five hundred limited. I had our GM appraise it today and he thinks it's trade in value is about $1800 so my mother agreed to sell it to me for that. It's AWD with a CVT but it's only got 89k. I'm worried about the trans but for the price I think I'll take my chances. I took one of the last classroom CVT courses Ford offered. I don't remember a damn thing about them.

Yeah we have a very nice shop but absolutely horrible personnel. Plus while I might not make the most I possibly could its nice to have a consistent paycheck every week, I've come to appreciate that. It's a tough decision. I'd be driving an extra 20-25 minutes to work off one 12k and one flat stall

Wow that was simple enough, thanks! It's up and working now. Would there be any benefit to getting another E1 or should I just use the A1 in the PC?

I only got one. I didn't realize you needed 2. We never used wireless before a month ago when the new guy started. I have him the adapter that came with the VCM II and he is using that

This evening I went to visit the SMT I worked with for 8 years who left here a few months ago. The shop he's in now is a bit of a dive, kind of resembles our old shop but a little bigger, low ceilings, no heavy lifts. I could be an asset there and maybe make a little more money but I would miss the big stuff I work on that wouldn't fit inside. They are really tight on space and I have a ton of stuff too.

I got one of these adapters sent in from over seas but it won't let me connect to my VCMII. It says the adapter is not supported. Is everyone still using theirs?

Changed 2 EGTs and updated the PCM calibration and drove that 15 F-550. After about 6 miles P0170 returned. Followed pinpoint test MX, replaced the air filter, cleaned the MAF and installed a good cold side cac tube I had, the old one was leaking around the throttle plate. Cleared the MAF tables this time and drove it about 20 miles, no DTCs returned....yet. Don't know if this ones fixed or not