Gene's Transmissions

This one goes out to all the back yard mechanics who own a test light. This vehicle came in for a transmission, power steering lines, and an electrical issue. We replaced the transmission, and p.s. lines then I searched out the electrical issue. It didn't take long before I found the problem. A test light has a pointy end for a reason. That reason does not include jamming it in to random wires to search for power. When you break the insulation on a wire, and don't seal i...t back up, moisture does it's job and corrodes the wires until it rots away. If I remember this correctly, there were a total of 22 wires that were probed and not sealed. You can see in the first pics the result of the damage. The last pic is what it looked like after I repaired all the broken connections. This was a tough job considering the location. I had several hours in hunting down, and repairing all the damage. If you have an electrical issue, please understand how a test light works, before you just start poking around. Wires are not meant to be poked. Shops pay a lot of money each month for the info on vehicle systems and wiring. We can help to solve the problem without causing damage. The cost to repair a mistake often is greater than just having it fixed properly.

I hope that everyone had a good Easter. It feels good to start to get back some normalcy in our lives again. Looking forward to the summer, I hope we can all regain some of what was lost over the past year. Before you is a job that I have never had to do prior to this one. This is the cylinder head from a Subaru 2.5L engine. I did a valve job on this 12,000 miles ago because the timing belt broke and the pistons hit the valves. It came in with a dead cylinder. I did all... the checks on the ignition system and found no issue. I decided to do a compression check on the bad cylinder and the results indicated an internal mechanical failure. I pulled the valve cover and hit the key. To my surprise only half of the camshaft was turning on that side of the engine. I have never seen a camshaft break in all these years. I pulled the head and disassembled the rockers and cam bearings. I stood there looking at it, and it looked fine(pic 1 & 2). I turned the cam by hand and that is when I saw it. The camshaft had perfectly broken in two under the center bearing. If I had to guess, there was too much stress on the cam when the timing belt broke, and the valves seized. Over the past 12,000 miles of driving the problem grew until it broke. All I know for sure is I have a Subaru with a broken cam, and it STILL drove through the door! Everyone knows that I am a Subaru fan. Over the past few weeks I have highlighted some of the jobs we've seen on other car makers. I had absolutely no reservations of highlighting this one also. This job is frustrating and interesting all at the same time. I love to go to work and fix interesting problems. Since this is my first broken camshaft, I will keep it, and add it to the other oddities that I have collected over the years. I can't wait to see what pops up this week.

Last week was Ford, so this week we'll highlight Dodge. This is what happens when you don't use (HOAT) Antifreeze in a Chrysler product. Strangely Jeeps seem to be more susceptible to this particular problem. When you add Antifreeze that isn't (HOAT) compliant it causes the problem you see in the first picture. That is a heater core that is plugged with sludge. The telltale warning sign of a plugged core in these vehicles, is the fact that you get cold air out of the driv...ers side vent and hot air out of the passenger side. The last pictures shows the heater box. It splits the air between both sides of the vehicle. The drivers side plugs up first, so the air blowing across the core can't heat up. To get to the heater box you have to remove EVERYTHING from the seats to the firewall. This is NOT a job for an amateur. Tearing it out is easy...putting it all back properly is not. I do a couple of these a year. I thoroughly enjoy to see the customers face when they see what I've done to their vehicle. I know everything will be fine, but all they see is destruction. For my own twisted amusement I sometimes hand them a box of random bolts and tell them that these are the ones I couldn't find a place for. The looks I get are priceless! I do all domestic heater cores. They all require the removal of the dash now. I have never had one come back with a rattle, squeak, or any other random noise. This is a job that I sadly enjoy. It requires patience and an attention to detail. If you have a core going bad, or a broken heater door (Chevy Equinox) then I am who you need to get in touch with. It's not a cheap job, but it will be done properly.

No you're not seeing double. These are 2 jobs done in the past week that look eerily similar. If you own any Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury A.W.D. vehicle, then I would like to introduce you to your P.T.O. unit. High end and low end vehicles all use the same part. The first one came off an Edge and the second from an explorer. Notice that the fluid came out of the vent at the top of the unit. When we checked the fluid it was just a thick sludge. This unit sits less than 2" f...rom the catalytic converter that normally burns at 1000. It only holds 3/4 of a quart of fluid. The level is rarely checked because of it's location. High heat + rarely checked + low fluid level = give me a call. Ford sends these out leaking from the factory. They all leak from the passenger side axle. They keep you from seeing it by putting a nifty absorbent pad under the engine compartment. If checked during oil changes the units will last, but they are in such a place that a lot of shops won't check them. Unfortunately I don't have pics of what happens when they run completely dry. Our first experience with this was literally just pieces. It looked as though a hand grenade was dropped in. They just explode. The first customer went to the dealership first. She was told that they would replace it for $3000. I ended up doing the job for $1300. The second one came in 4 days later. The price increased by $60 for the same part. Increased demand for the part raised the price. This tells me that we are about to see a bunch of these. Pass this on to friends and family that own an A.W.D. Ford product. We will check and top off the fluid. If it needs replaced, we offer an upgraded unit, with a better Warranty than the dealership.

This post is for Ford owners that have an AWD vehicle. It doesn't matter what model. If it is all wheel drive then the upcoming post is for you. In the next few days I will be posting pics of 2 jobs. One that is completed, and one that we will do this week. As you will see, they both have something in common. Ford will fix the issue for a mere $3000. I will fix it for $1300. If you're interested in finding out what it is, and how to prevent the problem, then just check back later this week. Once we finish the second job I will post pics and full details. If you're feeling lucky and like to gamble, then just ignore this post. I've met 2 people this week that wished they had this info sooner!