Repairing a Crankshaft Oil Leak
Repairing your crankshaft oil leak may be pretty easy, or very difficult. The crankshaft in your motor exits the crankcase on the front and back of the motor so it has the potential to leak in both of those places. The back of the crankshaft is on the transmission side of your motor. This is…
Read MoreSteering Gear Box Replacement
Hydraulic power steering systems are really pretty simple. There is a pump that pressurizes fluid and a gear box that uses that pressurized fluid and the input from the steering wheel to actually turn the tires of your vehicle. Ther are also a couple of hoses or lines carrying the fluid around but that’s about…
Read MoreShock Absorber Replacement
Shock absorber replacement used to be a terrifying job on some cars. On older trucks or late model cars you could change the shock absorber without ever touching the spring or any other part of the suspension. There is simply a bolt at the top of the shock and one at the bottom. In…
Read MoreCost to Replace a Head Gasket
The cost to replace a head gasket on your vehicle has to do with 2 main variables: Is your engine an inline configuration or a “V” or boxer? Is your engine transverse or longitudinally-mounted? Either way, it’s going to be expensive but if you’ve got an inline engine light an I4 or straight 6 the…
Read MoreOil Cooler Gasket Replacement
Oil coolers are not new technology but it is relatively new to see them on so many cars! Why do I have an oil cooler? Oil cooler first turned up on early performance vehicles. Oil is designed to work in a certain temperature range. For example, if your oil is too cold it won’t lubricate…
Read MoreHow to Find an Air Conditioning leak
Finding an air conditioning leak is like finding a needle in a haystack. Except the needle is invisible and the hay is a maze of tubes. The biggest challenge in pinpointing the location of an airconditioning leak is that the refrigerant is an invisible gas at normal temperatures and pressures. With that in mind, there…
Read MoreValve Cover Gasket Replacement
Changing a valve cover gasket is easier than you think! That’s why we recommend tackling it yourself. The only tricky part of this if you’ve got a V6 engine where one valve cover gasket is blocked by the intake manifold. If this is the case, you’ve got to remove the intake manifold to get to…
Read MoreHow to Pass an Emissions Check
Getting an emissions check is one of the most stressful things I ever have to do with my car. I’m always worried it’s going to fail and I’m going to end up with a huge bill to repair whatever problem they find with my car. It feels like one of those things you have no…
Read MoreTiming Belt Replacement
Changing the timing belt on your vehicle is an important part of keeping your engine running correctly and safely. If the timing belt brakes on your car you will at least be stranded but the worst case could end up needing a whole new motor. Timing belt replacement is usually not an extremely difficult job,…
Read MoreWhat Should a Coolant Change Cost?
Coolant change cost, like any vehicle maintenance, depends on the labor and parts costs of the job. The only part that should be involved in a coolant change is the coolant. Most vehicles will hold 2 to 4 gallons of mixed coolant and you can always compare the cost per gallon of coolant your mechanic…
Read MoreSlip Yoke Seal and Transfer Case Replacement
Replacing the slip yoke seal on your truck or SUV is a pretty easy job if you’re used to working around driveline components. If you’re not, let’s start by talking about how driveshafts work! What is a Slip Yoke Seal? The slip yoke is the part of your driveshaft that connects the driveshaft to the…
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