Found a beat up '90s F-150 at Pick-n-Pull in Phoenix for $300 and finally got it running clean in my driveway after six months of wrenching, has anyone else had good luck with junkyard motors holding up long term?
I dropped a big breaker bar on my metal toolbox lid and it popped open, scattering 40 pounds of wrenches and sockets all over the driveway. After 45 minutes of picking everything up and reorganizing, I found not one but TWO 10mm sockets I thought I lost months ago (which is basically a miracle in this community, am I right?). The downside is I also found three random spark plugs from a 1998 Civic I sold in 2019. Has anyone else had a garage cleaning day turn up something embarrassing like old parts from a car you don't even own anymore?
Went to flush the brakes on my old Camry Saturday morning and the rear passenger bleeder snapped off flush with the caliper. Had to drill it out and retap the hole which ate up the whole weekend, anyone else run into this on older cars?
Been messing with a 2002 Civic in my driveway here in Pittsburgh for the last few weekends. I kept having the passenger side brake caliper stick and drag, replaced the whole caliper and it still did it. Turns out the rubber brake hose was collapsing internally on that side and not letting pressure release. Spent $18 on a new hose and it fixed it completely. Anyone else had a soft hose fool them like that?
I been fighting with those rear drums for like 2 years every time I heard a squeak. Finally pulled the trigger on a disc conversion kit for about $350 from a parts yard in Phoenix. Took me a whole Saturday to get the old stuff off but the new brakes stop way better and I dont have to adjust anything. Has anyone else done this swap and noticed their pedal feel got way firmer?
I was heading down toward Macon around 7pm Saturday when my TPMS light came on. Pulled off at the Jackson rest area and found a drywall screw dead center in my right rear tire. I keep a plug kit and a little 12V compressor in the trunk, so I figured I'd give it a shot right there. The concrete was hot and I had cars flying by, but I got the plug in after about 15 minutes of fighting with the reamer tool. Held air perfectly the whole way home, about another 60 miles. Kind of felt like a driveway mechanic moment in the middle of nowhere. Has anyone else had luck with those cheap plug kits from AutoZone holding up for more than a few weeks?
Honestly, I used to grab my impact driver for everything, even pulling interior door panels. Last week I stripped a clip on a 2012 Civic and spent 20 minutes cursing until my neighbor came over with a hand ratchet and fixed it in 2 minutes. Ngl, he convinced me that speed ain't everything when you're working on delicate plastic pieces. Now I keep a small 1/4 inch ratchet set in my glovebox for any interior stuff. Has anyone else found themselves reaching for the hand tools more after a similar facepalm moment?
I was stranded at a gas station off the I-10 last summer when my belt started squealing then slipped off. No parts store open, no help coming until Monday. An old guy in a Ford Ranger pulled up, grabbed a zip tie from his glove box, and cinched the belt back on just tight enough to get me home. Anyone else ever used a random non-car part to limp a vehicle to safety?
Paid forty bucks for a scanner that claims to read every code but just gives me 'check engine' for a loose gas cap. Anyone else get burned by those cheap code readers?
I was swapping the alternator on my 2002 Civic in the driveway, thought it would be a quick 2-hour job. But the bolt for the lower bracket was SO rusted it snapped clean off, and I spent the next 4 hours drilling and extracting it in the 95 degree heat. By the time I was done, my neighbor had brought me 3 glasses of water and a fan. Has anyone else had a simple job turn into a whole day nightmare?