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Being that the wheels are Honda wheels, I doubt there is an issue with the bolt spacing. I have seen aftermarket wheels, where there were two spacing options very close, and you could manage to get the wheel on, however it bent the studs when you torqued them, and they snapped. In reality, torque values are for dry studs and nuts, that is no lube. Asian vehicles have notoriously weak studs, especially Isuzu. Hondas of that vintage normally have wheel torque specs about 80 ft-lbs. I find guys hammering the lugnuts with no torque limiting device or torqueing by hand tend to have more problems with distorted threads and broken studs. If the shop refuses to torque the lug nuts by hand, then find a new facility. If you’re tightening them, then unless you’re using a torque wrench, you’re likely going way too tight. Using lube on the threads, means you must put more torque on the nuts to secure them, but then it puts more tension on the threads of the wheel studs, and actually enhances stretching. This is one reason there is actually a push against using anti-seize on spark plugs in aluminum heads.
You can buy a Tech2 which was the GM OE tool until a few years ago. Snapon Solus models and better will cover most of your needs if not all, but there is a price. OTC is junk, they make a good wheel chock, and that’s it. I keep my old OTC around for the pre-OBD2 stuff, as it’s more reliable than newer scan tools that are only software compatible
Its german engineering, and you’re in a state that hasn’t got with the times, and use mag-chloride on the roads. You’re screwed bud lol
Problem is, you can have good spark via that test, but you may miss a weak area of the ignition system. When you stress the system, with high resistance in the secondary circuit, you can start seeing things like secondary voltage coming thru plug boots, burning thru coil cases, etc. Ford even has a test for stress test their COP systems. That’s one reason why I wont buy those inline spark tester lights. They tell you there is KV passing thru, but it doesn’t accurately stress the system, so its of no value when diagnosing some running issues, or more importantly, finding something before it’s an issue yet.
Its not how I would test it, but it may work. Thing is, it doesn’t take a lot of KV to generate a spark in a static environment, such as outside a cylinder. Now take the turbulence from air and fuel rushing into a cylinder and being compressed, that takes some KV to make a spark. So what you need to do is load test the system. Put spark plugs in 3 of 4 boots, and an adjustable spark tester in one. Make sure all coil towers are grounded of course, and set the adjustable spark tester for around 30(it’ll have a number scale). Make the coil work, and see if it can deliver. When replacing them, only use GM parts, aftermarket ones are junk. Also it is helpful to do an amp probe to see if one coil is weaker than another. God I used to hate those quad fours
I’ve only had to do one EGT sensor, on a powerchoke. I know what you mean, they just about weld together. When you deal with stainless steel, it likes to gall really bad, especially when both surfaces are stainless. The blue wrench is your friend on these. Get out the torch, put some heat to the threaded bung, and then work the sensor or fitting loose. Not sure what brands you are servicing, but I know the tool guys have sockets for them now, similar to O2 sensor sockets. All the wrenches will give you problems, just way past their design limits. Working in a shop that did exhaust for years, I learned a trick or two to make them cooperate, lol. Good luck.
Sounds like failures on multiple levels. Sharing a bay with another tech? I need at least 2 bays to function, and like 3-4 bays. Teams? More dealer BS, reminds me of Pitt and what he went thru some time ago with their “teams”. Lube guys should each have their own bay, unless you guys are tag teaming every car. With oil changes, that’s fine and dandy, but when you do more involved work, that’s a recipe for disaster. Total mismanagement by well, management. At regular shops, if you’re hired on as a GS(entry level), good management will throw you a bone or two and see how you do. Do good inspections, find the work for the techs, as that makes them happy, and helps pay for you to be there, and along the way they should give you a challenge here and there to see how you do. During down time, offer to help techs, set up the alignment heads on a vehicle for them, etc. Learn what you can, and the shop should allow you to grow. From there, it all depends on what they have room for, and your abilities and drive to succeed.
Now for much of my career, I worked franchise operations/chain stores. I even worked and was in management for a Midas chain along the way. I eventually branched out and went to work for an independent, and the hook was set. Comparable pay, lot more real work, and better shop tools. I nearly doubled what I took home in short order. It was a bit of a learning curve, but I adapted. After I saved their butts on a troublesome diag job(been there for over a month and still couldn’t get it to run) that I had running within 20 minutes, and solved the mysterious coolant loss on a GM 5.3L (lovely castech heads, porous castings), I was golden. It was scary doing something different, but in the end, I don’t think I can ever go back to their A tech work(brakes, shocks, and once in a while basic diag job).
I haven’t seen the question popped yet, so I’ll ask. What exactly are you trying to loosen with an open end wrench? What is the torque spec when tightening whatever it is you’re trying to loosen? Why are you using an open end wrench instead of a different tool, like the boxed in wrench, socket, etc?
Open end wrenches are weak, so way about it. I have an old set of Flank Drive Plus wrenches, SAE set that were repo’d. I scored them for $70 as the tool guy was taking them out to his truck. I want to say they are dated early to mid 1990’s, I’ll have to look at the date stamp. I can put a decent amount of torque on them, before they begin to slip, but the boxed in will always out bite them. One thing I hate about them, they are the older knife edged wrenches. Gloves or a shop rag is a must when putting serious power to them. If you’re dealing with fasteners that are exposed to exhaust temps, an open end wrench will never work. Without knowing exactly what it is that you’re fighting with, I can’t give you suggestions, but if you can elaborate, I may be able to give you some input.
A few things come to mind. Number one, I wont duck or dodge about how I feel about dealerships. To me, you’ll be handicapped by staying there. Dealer techs from my experience, and YMMV, have a very limited skill set. They learn one brand of car pretty well, and even that is limited based on the mileage they see them. If you ever leave and go to the aftermarket, you will struggle while you learn all about every other car that exists. If you really want experience IMO, go aftermarket. You can still specialize in a brand, but you’ll also work on other stuff. Now nothing against the dealer guys that get on here, as you all may be great techs, this is just from what I have been exposed to. Number two, being fairly green and having all 8 ASE certs can be dangerous. Employers may assume you have the skills to back up the “patch”. I have seen a few master techs get flushed in their 90day new hire period because they misrepresented themselves. Don’t be that guy. If you go elsewhere, let them know your limitations, and your willingness to learn. That may score big points. Lastly, you’ve been at the dealership for 2 years, and still a lube tech? After two years I was making your wage, but that was 20 years ago too! What kind of things do they have you do? If you’re not doing alignments, brake work, etc yet, then to me, you’re rotting away unless you’re not cut out for this work. I don’t know you, so you have to be honest and make that call.
Well its been a while since I wandered onto here, so let me dust off the cobwebs….lol
I started out with stacked craftsman boxes, three piece stacked to be exact. They weren’t even ballbearing drawers, talk about tough pulls! It was tippy as heck and no work space either, and no place to store big pry bars, long extensions, etc that I was acquiring. I picked up a Mac 1800 series box(discontinued in the late ’90s) that had scuff marks from riding in the tool truck for a while. I think I shelled out $3200 for it and paid it off. It was getting kind of full, and wasn’t very deep compared to a lot of boxes out there but at least it had all bearing drawer slides. So when Mac came out with the 1900 series Macsimizer, I went ahead and ordered one up in black. From what I was told way back then(march 1999) I was one of the first in town with one, and had more than a few guys come by to look at it before ordering one(tool guy asked permission first). They weighed in around 1100lbs empty, and when mine arrived, it was so long that it took two liftgates to unload. I can attest, that they are painted inside and out, and I still have this box, to this day. It has survived more than a few moves, and right now has almost as much junk on top of it as it does in it.
So yeah, Mac boxes, particularly the flagship models (1900 series) are built like tanks, and hold up. Snap Ons are a little lighter, but are also very well made. Mac has cleaner lines IMO, but the Snap On boxes, seem to have more of a classic look. I’m not a fan of Matco or Cornwell boxes. If you take care of the boxes, the tool guys will give you a good trade in. How good? I got $3400 for my old box on trade, yep, more than I paid. My Snap On guy has tempted me in going with an Epiq box, to which I’d want more than what I paid for my old box new. Tool guys have a large margin on tool boxes, so they have wiggle room to make a sale. With that said, you don’t have to get the biggest they offer, because if you take care of yours, you’ll get it back on trade down the road. Save the money on more tools. Don’t be like our GS, with no 3/8″ impact or air ratchet, or torque wrenches, torx bits, etc. Granted, he has a decent sized craftsman box, but its full of stuff he doesn’t even know what for. That’s what you get when everything has been handed to you though, lol. If you’re hurting on space, Mac and Snap On have a bunch of middle of the road boxes, lot of times on special that won’t break the bank. You can also look at the Lowes Kobalt boxes, they seem to be ok. If you’re having to work all over the shop, consider a decent tool cart. Years ago, carts were cheap things you worked off of, and were only a few hundred bucks. Now they have these fancy carts that I am eyeing, with 6-7 drawers in them, and are basically bigger than my first bottom box! Now you can store a bunch of commonly used tools in them, freeing up box space. Just some things to consider.[quote=”Bluesnut” post=127987]A local DJ, Phil Stone, passed away a couple of years ago but his persona lives on. This one may be applicable….
Aww yes, I miss Phil and Brent in the morning on KMOD. Real shame he passed on.
In the indy world, we don’t get buried in as much of that as dealer guys normally. Then again, if we have an inexperienced service writer with no back bone, we’ll end up with page long list of complaints the customer wants looked at. It gets a quick visual, then the request for time. No time, no diag., and no Buck Rogers. I have had the luxury of working with some service writers that were always trying to get us to do free stuff, and they never would learn. Especially at the chain shops. If the customer doesn’t want to pay anything, then they have no plans to fix anything or have no money.
[quote=”Pitt” post=126204]The dealership I work at is doing a trial run on a team pay. We have some techs getting really difficult diagnostic work that takes a couple days, and some techs just hanging and banging riding a gravy train.
To fix this issue our bosses are trying out team pay. As a Beta test its me (lube tech/C tech), 2 B techs and 1 A tech.
And I have no idea how this works…..[/quote]
Sounds good on paper, but like anything else like it, it’s just a form of socialism/communism. Slackers get a free ride, while someone else busts their butt. It never pans out for the hard workers. A socialist/communist is someone who has read Karl Marx’s work. A capitalist is someone who understands Karl Marx’s work.
I have had some guys with shared interest in video games, R/C cars, hunting, guns, offroading, heck even ham radio stuff. Yeah, I have a geek side as well as desire of pain with shooting big guns. Most times, you can find some common ground, because there is only a few types of people who do this and stay with it. As a result, you’re bound to find similar interests.
Don’t worry about being fast. I’m not a fast person, I’m too lazy. I’m efficient, and believe in smarter, not harder. Fast people make mistakes. Slow people don’t get anything done. Efficient people get things done with the least, or no mistakes in a timely manner. Stupidest question is the one you never ask. If you don’t know something, ask, or look it up. You’ll learn and always remember it.