ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0

WoodsTruck · Tuesday at 9:39 AM

Mike,

Suggestion for you, if you haven't done it already.
What about setting up/helping fund a 529 for your grandkids?
This way your ability to prosper from your talents can support your future generations. This might give a mental outlet while providing for future training, whatever that might look like for them. A little or a lot, given the time horizon it would have time to grow, just like them.

aka Larry · Tuesday at 9:48 AM

E12-535iTurbo said:
There's a clear difference between boasting and teaching. If it was possible I'd fly you over and adopt you as my life's teacher. I haven't ever categorized any of your posts as boasting. Please keep sharing your work! I don't post much but be assured I read each and every post.

Me too! If Mike was my neighbor he'd likely have to tell me "Please just go away!".

Not that he has the time or inclination to do so, but I think Mile would made an excellent instructor at any trade school.

All of us look forward to your posts with pics and explanations Mike. I have never once thought you were bragging.

ClydeDale · Tuesday at 11:02 AM

I joined GJ October 13th 2015. Mike was my very first......Post.

signcrafter · Tuesday at 11:53 AM

Mike, I know I said it in a PM but will say it again publicly, there is a difference between talking about what you have or what you know or can do and sharing with other like minded individuals how you do things and sharing your knowledge which helps us guys still learning. You sure don't come across as the type that boasts about your skills or knowledge. As I said last night if anything I would call you humble about that stuff. Many times I remember reading you saying something like you guys are too kind or making you blush when someone compliments your posts. Might not have quoted your exact words but I remember many of those comments.

You have to do whatever you feel is best for you and whatever you feel is right. But I truly appreciate all you have shared and the things I have learned just from reading your posts over the years. Also all the questions you have taken the time to answer in great detail. I have picked up so many little things just be seeing something in your pictures. And never once got the impression anything you posted was ever bragging.

Jgaz · Tuesday at 2:34 PM

signcrafter said:
Mike, I know I said it in a PM but will say it again publicly, there is a difference between talking about what you have or what you know or can do and sharing with other like minded individuals how you do things and sharing your knowledge which helps us guys still learning. You sure don't come across as the type that boasts about your skills or knowledge. As I said last night if anything I would call you humble about that stuff. Many times I remember reading you saying something like you guys are too kind or making you blush when someone compliments your posts. Might not have quoted your exact words but I remember many of those comments.

You have to do whatever you feel is best for you and whatever you feel is right. But I truly appreciate all you have shared and the things I have learned just from reading your posts over the years. Also all the questions you have taken the time to answer in great detail. I have picked up so many little things just be seeing something in your pictures. And never once got the impression anything you posted was ever bragging.

Ditto^
Well said @signcrafter

HEEP · Tuesday at 2:38 PM

I am sure there are others lie me here. I have two tabs open on Garage Journal. One is always open on this thread, and the other is for looking around at other posts. I check this daily and have learned so much from reading and looking at the pictures. I have never felt that you have been bragging in any instance. I appreciate the time you take to post, take pictures and explain things. It has helped so much in the past and will in the present when trying to figure something out.
Yes, GOD does give us talents. It is how we use them that honors HIM. I think you are using your to show others how to solve problems. I am amazed at the work ethic you have, and how much you get done in a days time after you finish a regular job.
please don't stop posting, it is really enjoyable for me, and I learn things from you.

Bill

ntsqd · Tuesday at 3:34 PM

For me the key thing is, am I doing something purely to appease my ego, or am I doing it so that my family, friends and I can do the things that we would like to do more easily or comfortably?

zmotorsports · Tuesday at 3:42 PM

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I very much appreciate them and take them all to heart.

The talks that my wife and I had over the short trip last week really helped me to see things a little differently than I have the past few weeks.

I had one of our RV friends call me yesterday inquiring about how my wife and I are doing and mentioned that he hadn't seen us post anything on FB or IG for almost a year and wondered if we were alright. I explained we were great and just enjoying life, but I had quit posting on social media.

It used to be a way for all our RV traveling friends to keep tabs on one another and see where everyone was at or going, but it seemed to become a way of "one-upping" and I didn't like that. Also, the unfortunate side of things is that many of our RV'ing friends are either passing or hanging up the keys to their RV's so we're seeing less and less of them online anyways.

I really do like this forum's members because not only are many of us like-minded, but I think most genuinely care enough about each other to see them become successful and excel in life, even though most of us have never actually met. Seems like wanting the best for someone else is far from the norm in the world that we live in today.

545_days · Tuesday at 7:27 PM

This is probably my favorite thread. You were definitely blessed by God with skills and talent and you multiply that blessing by sharing it with us here on Garage Journal. I read this thread both because it is interesting, and because I can learn things.

I'll never own a large RV like yours and I'm not a Jeep guy, but the problem solving steps you take are second to none, and I learn things that I can apply to my own life and hobbies in this thread.

FWIW: MP&C Shop Projects is my other favorite thread. It is probably closer to my interests, but your thread edges it out because you are a more prolific poster. I feel lucky to have found both of you to learn from, and have never felt like you were bragging.

Xti04 · Tuesday at 8:43 PM

Good to see you back bud! I think we all can use our skills for good and to bring glory to God. He gave me the ability to provide a good life and a nice home for my wife and boys. He also blessed me with the drive to work hard and to seek out work to supplement my day job. I have been blessed with enough work to the point of being able to give meaningful income to a good friend as well as getting to show him a ton of new things and open his eyes beyond what he sees in a single line auto dealership. These are things that let us pour into others, and our skills and abilities are all different, but the way we use them and how we do it with honesty and integrity show a lot more than the actual skill. Think about this group here. You have talked a ton of guys thru solid thought processes and shown how to do stuff correctly. Be it a welding project, or vehicle diagnosis you are teaching a lot of folks here via GJ. Not boastful,not bragging, just help thru showing correct diagnostic procedures and work flow. Glad to hear you are enjoying the fruits of your labor, and that new grandbaby!

Mr.zippy · Tuesday at 10:21 PM

ClydeDale said:
I joined GJ October 13th 2015. Mike was my very first......Post.

Mike was my first post after joining as well. I read his entire thread and learned that his life journey lessons were just as beneficial to me as his mechanical/fab lessons!

tarbellb · Tuesday at 11:21 PM

Youre a pretty humble guy Mike, especially for how kickass your work is
Dont stop, youve earned it

PugetDude · Wednesday at 12:17 AM

Mike, "boastful" is not a word that would ever come to mind when I think of your posts here on the GJ. Taking the time to document your experiences and demonstrate your extraordinary skills is anything but. Glad you're back.

PS We'll only think you're a **** if you leave again...

bugnut · Wednesday at 6:49 AM

Mike, glad to see you post. Just the fact you are taking time to reflect and seeking the correct path speaks volumes.

Thanks for all you do, and may your prayers be answered.

Joel

Boosted1 · Wednesday at 7:45 AM

Good to see you back here still sharing your story. It's a great one.

stinkity stoink · Wednesday at 9:01 AM

I have learned quite a bit from your posts and don’t believe you are ever boasting or would ever be boasting. They are always detailed and very informative.

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 9:15 AM

I appreciate everyone's comments. Thank you.

I promise I will share some pictures of mine and the wife's trip from last week as well as the current work in the shop, however, I didn't take any pictures of the past couple week's work. Sorry.

This car rolled in just as the wife and I returned over the weekend and I finally tore into it last night. I did the timing chains on this Buick with the GM High Feature engine 3 or 4 years ago and it is now back with what sounds like a phaser death rattle. This one is odd though, because it isn't bad enough to throw camshaft variation codes and even looking at the PID's when running, the actual vs. desired cam positions are not far off at all, which is probably why it isn't throwing codes. That being said, it sounds like a diesel at idle and with a stethoscope the "rattle" seemed to be coming from bank 1 (closest to firewall) at the top front of the engine. I think the locking pin or pins in the phaser have either worn or something and upon more research I discovered GM had a revision on these phasers so I will be installing the new updated GM phasers. When doing timing chains, I always check for variation codes and even physically check the phasers once the engines are opened up, but this particular car is making me second guess my previous stand on replacing parts just to be replacing parts.

Although I am a believer of doing as much work as possible while into an engine to save the client, or myself, the possibility of having to go back into it at a later date, I also am not a fan of replacing components just to be replacing things, especially in today's world of such sub-standard parts availability. But the fact that I was just into this car several years ago and about 30k miles ago combined with the fact that GM revised these phasers, I think it may have been beneficial to recommend to the owner of the car that we replaced all four phasers while we were in there to save them the money of having to go back in, although it would have added more to the initial bill which I was trying to keep it down for them. It really is a double-edged sword when you start thinking about it.

Teardown begins.

With a wrench on the flats on the camshaft, move it in both directions and look for movement between the cam and the phaser. They should be locked solid in the "parked" position.

Pick a spot and watch the reluctor wheel vs. the sprocket while trying to turn the cam. ANY movement indicates a failed or failing phaser. This one isn't moving much, more like a "wiggle". Which explains why it isn't bad enough to set any camshaft variation codes, but enough to make it rattle like a diesel at idle.

Moving on to remove front accessory drive and components.

Getting closer. Water pump and harmonic balancer removed. I didn't have my drain bucket in the correct location and when I pulled the water pump I had a gusher all over my shop floor.

I was doing so good about keeping the floor clean up until that point too.

Put to bed for the night. I have most of the bolts removed from the front cover, only a few more to go then the front cover can be removed and cleaning can begin while I await parts.

Before closing up for the night I just wanted to check the actuator solenoids to ensure they were still good.

All of them ohmed out the same.

And the screens are clean and no sludge and/or debris is visible.

I'll update as this project progresses.

Thank you for following along.

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 9:37 AM

Unfortunately, I received a not so pleasant phone call last night just as the wife and I were sitting down to dinner. A past client and a guy I would call a friend has passed away. I haven't seen him in a few years and I didn't realize he was doing poorly. We ran into him and his wife a few years ago at a local car show that my son and DIL convinced me into going to. At that show I ran into Sam and his wife as he had a couple of his cars in the show. It was good to see him and his wife and visit with them as well as introduce our DIL to them. He hadn't had any of his cars out in a while at that point as he was struggling after his son passed, but that car show was the first one he had attended in many years, and we just happened to bump into them. His wife pulled me aside and said how much she appreciated us stopping and spending so much time talking to Sam as he was struggling.

I truly admired Sam as he came from very humble beginnings and he and his wife created such a great and wonderful life together. He put himself through college obtaining an engineering degree and then went to work for Ford Motor Co. for a short time as an engineer before moving back to the Ogden area and building a very successful business in which he ran for over 30-years before retiring and handing it off to their daughter and SIL.

I feel bad I didn't make more of an effort to keep in touch over the past few years, but I sure enjoyed all of the projects that Sam involved me in and we collaborated on. I was privileged to have had the opportunity to build one from the frame up for him.

Godspeed my friend.

fouckhest · Wednesday at 9:43 AM

Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, Mike.

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 9:58 AM

The wife and I took off for a few days down to southern Utah last week. Because it wasn't warm enough here, we had to go further south and get into triple digit temperatures.....

But that being said, we had a great time. We went on some amazing day trips, saw some beautiful country and a lot of animals out in the back country. We were also able to have some nice long conversations and discussions which is something I really needed and enjoyed.

Oh, and we definitely ate well too.

We made sure to have a light breakfast and light snacks throughout the day to save up for a nice dinner as we definitely have some "favorite" places to eat in the Kanab area.

Hooked up and ready to roll out.

Great campsite for the trip. The couple next to us brought a big *** telescope so the first night we were there they invited us over to look through it as it was a perfectly clean evening. Saw some great images.

Shortly after arriving and getting set up at camp, we were both craving Mexican food from Escobar's. The first time we ate there was last year and they did not disappoint again this year.

The next day was supposed to be over 100-degrees so we decided to stick to the pavement rather than venture off-road in such heat. We took a new route from Kanab over to the Hurricane/La Verkin area via Corral Pink Sand Dunes area. There is a "highway" that cuts through the dunes, but I use the term highway loosely, because it is kind of paved.

I had heard about the Stage Coach Grille from a fellow Jeeper so we decided to give it a try. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you are ever in the southern Utah area, specifically La Verkin, please consider giving them a try.

I had heard their burgers were top notch, so I walked in with the thinking I was going to indulge in a big *** burger. But talking to the waitress she informed me that they have a grilled ham and cheese that is also very popular. My wife makes a kick *** grilled ham and cheese so I needed to taste it, you know, for the sake of comparison and all in the spirit of research.

WOW! Next to my wife's this was hands down the best grilled ham and cheese I have ever had. The sandwich had a half pound ham steak on it AND they used the correct kind of cheese as well, Swiss, then if it wasn't already good enough, they added tomato. Yum. My wife had their chicken Philly sandwich and said it was also excellent. Their fries were something as well.

The next day temps dropped down to something a little more reasonable, mid-80's so we took off and headed up towards Kodachrome basin near Tropic, UT, then back along Skunkumpah road. All in all, just over 100-miles on dirt that day. We had a few rain drops just as I was fueling up in Tropic, but the skies cleared as we headed south back towards Kanab.

Dinner was chicken fried steak w/mashed potatoes at Houston's in Kanab.

We tried a new trail the next day and the whole way up through the trees as we climbed to over 9k feet elevation, we had these beautiful pink colored walls of spires that followed along the trail. Really gave a Bryce National Park vibe to the day.

Shortly after reaching another highway at the summit, we had a large group of side by sides coming up on us so we stopped for a nice break and to let them pass us so we could stay out of their dust.

We had a couple of options as we worked out way down through the large lodgepole pines and with it being fairly early in the day neither of us were ready to head back to camp yet so we did some more exploring. We found this knoll that allowed us an awesome 360-degree view from the top.

Stay tuned for more.

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 10:13 AM

Continuing on with the day's adventure.

Looking out across the other side of the knoll.

As we worked out way back down from the knoll, we had another option as far as trails. I took a few minutes to look at the tablet via the Gaiagps app that I use, and it showed we could head a little northwest and "possibly get closer to Bryce NP. I had no idea what that "option" would consist of.

I have to admit though, using an app on our tablet for off-road exploration has been a gamechanger for sure. I feel so much more confident in our outings using this source for trail maps.

The new trail definitely had the Bryce NP feel to it.

We then hit a major dirt road and as we were cruising along a herd of elk crossed right in front of us.

They didn't seem to be too bothered by our presence and even stopped to pose for a picture just outside the wife's window.

Then the day took a turn. As I was looking at the forest service maps on my tablet, I saw that the trail we were on, which turned out to be the Great Western Trail, showed that it dead ended. I didn't think that was accurate because about an inch away was another trail that would lead us a bit further north and intersect another major dirt road which would pop us out just outside Ruby's Inn at the entrance of Bryce National Park. The wife said we shouldn't go if the trails aren't connected and I said "they're only off by about an inch, and although it doesn't show a definitive trail there, there is a line". That made perfect logic in my head. :dunno:

Turns out I should have listened to the wife. The road was not technically a road, just a very narrow and vague trail cut through and the trail that I was trying to get us to was several hundred feet below, which is probably why the trail wasn't actually connected on the map. However, it was getting late in the day by now and we would have had to turn around and head about 65-miles back the way we came so I opted to give it a try.

I definitely got a workout as I was out of the Jeep trimming tree branches just as much as I was in the Jeep driving. The trail was nothing but a series of about 12 switchbacks to drop us the several hundred feel elevation to connect with the other trail, in which we could see across the valley I might add. We saw the trail we wanted to get to, but there was a major ravine and canyon between us and the other tail. ALL of the switchbacks required at least a 3-point turn to get around them, but two in particular took more like a 6 or 7 point turn to make it around. This trail was definitely more suited for ATV's than a full-size Jeep. I was almost sick because of how much time I spent polishing paint and I saw a lot of light scratches in the sides of the Jeep but kept telling myself "they're just in the dust". Deep down I had only hoped they were only in the dust.

On our way down there was a viewing point though. I stopped in the middle of the trail so we could walk to the overlook because I didn't think anyone else would be stupid enough to be on this trail this late in the day. The views alone were worth it.

Stay tuned for more.

signcrafter · Wednesday at 10:13 AM

Sorry to hear about your friend passing Mike.

Thanks for sharing how to check the phasers for failure. That's why I love this thread and why it's the first thing I check on GJ every morning. Always learn something or pick up a trick or tip. I've done a few 3.6 timing jobs on acadias and malibu. Usually after the chain skipped a tooth from low oil I'm guessing. Never knew how to check phasers and that's good to know. Nice to be able to determine the how and why of things, even if you already know the issue.

Looks like a nice trip you had, love the food pics.

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 11:15 AM

Continuing on with the adventure.

As we were nearing the bottom of the ravine I could sense the wife's anxiety, and to be honest I was right there with her. We couldn't actually see the very bottom of this large canyon we were trying to get across as we looked at the trail we were trying to get to across the canyon about eye level. My fear was that we would get all the way to the bottom and there would be something we couldn't cross and then have to turn around and head all the way back up the dozen or so switchbacks we just came down. Unfortunately there was no way to turn around mid-way down so if we didn't go all the way to the bottom, we would have had to back all the way back up.

Once we hit the bottom, there was a much smaller ravine to cross, but we did find a spot we could cross, and it turned out not to be too awfully bad. Then a short couple hundred yards on an even lesser trail and we joined up with the major trail that we could see across the canyon. Whooh

We no sooner headed up the opposite side of the canyon and we passed another herd of eld on the side of the trail.

Then a few hundred yards and there were a couple of deer.

As we started moving, the elk got spooked and took off. Such beautiful and majestic animals.

As we were heading north we came across Podunk. It really does exist. I've always heard the expression "some small Podunk town", but never realized it was actually a place. :bounce:

The further north we went, the road became a dirt highway as we passed Tropic Reservoir, just before hitting Highway 12 outside of Bryce NP.

We aired up and got back on the pavement for the 75 miles back to Kanab. I am really liking the last little "tweak" I made to the air frequency table in the tune. Cruising at 60~ish MPH the fuel trims were spot on.

It was a little later in the evening when we made it back to Kanab, so we stopped by a burger joint and got us a burger and shake to take back to the coach. I had one called Hog Back which was a burger with ham and bacon on it. The wife wasn't too pleased with my choice, but I told her "we're on vacation and I don't eat like this very often". Then we split a shake...

The next morning as I was loading up the Jeep to leave, this guy was on the post next to our site.

And as we went through Fredonia, AZ I stopped to hang out with Hank and the gang.

Stay tuned.

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 11:20 AM

Last of the pictures from last week's mini-vacation.

We ran a trail that pretty much kept us in Arizona all day on the last day. The rock formations were interesting to say the least.

These ones were layered, but it appears that somewhere during their formation, they tilted and the sediment settled at a different angle. Makes for some unique formations in the sandstone.

After returning home I commenced the cleaning process. With all of the bugs on the coach I would have thought we would have thinned the bug population, but I'm sure we didn't make a dent in it.

Coach parked and put away until next trip.

Then the attention was turned to the Jeep. I had to hurry and get everything cleaned because I knew I had a car being dropped off.

I was glad to see that the scratches were in fact, just in the dust.

Thanks for looking.

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 11:22 AM

fouckhest said:
Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, Mike.

signcrafter said:
Sorry to hear about your friend passing Mike.

Thanks for sharing how to check the phasers for failure. That's why I love this thread and why it's the first thing I check on GJ every morning. Always learn something or pick up a trick or tip. I've done a few 3.6 timing jobs on acadias and malibu. Usually after the chain skipped a tooth from low oil I'm guessing. Never knew how to check phasers and that's good to know. Nice to be able to determine the how and why of things, even if you already know the issue.

Looks like a nice trip you had, love the food pics.

Thanks guys. Sam was such a genuinely great guy. I'm sad I let time come between us and didn't stay in closer contact with him these last few years.

Glad the tip on the phasers was helpful Scott. Thanks.

Atlascycle · Wednesday at 12:47 PM

It is strange that you have a mural of a step ladder on your drivers door Mike.

You keep that Black Jeep looking awesome!
on the inside of the tail gate is that all of the trails you have taken?

-Jason

Swanny1953 · Wednesday at 12:48 PM

zmotorsports said:
I have been extremely blessed in my life, and I don't take that lightly or for granted. My goals for so long have been two-fold; I want to continue learning each and every day, but I also want to share what I have learned as well as to share my passion with others. There is so much negativity in the world right now and so many with the victim mentality and if they could only see they have the ability to steer their lives in a different direction rather than stay stagnant in victim land, they could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Anything worthwhile requires time and dedication to grow and develop, but the reality is in this world we are living in, people think everything should be instant and learning a trade and becoming proficient is far from quick, hell, I'm still learning and I've been at it for 4 decades now and will never know as much as I want to.

Mike, the first part above is what sets you head and shoulders above a lot of people - your love of learning, and your love of sharing! I've hung around a lot of teachers during my 73 years - my mom taught for 43 years, my sister for 37 or so, my eldest daughter taught elementary school for 10 years before having our granddaughter and intends to return to the classroom, and both my sons-in-law are teachers and coaches, not to mention that I've done a ton of teaching in my career - and those 2 traits are always present in those that receive enjoyment from teaching! I couldn't agree with you more on your "victim mentality" and "instant gratification" comments - our society in general has done our younger generation a huge disservice by "blessing" them with the entitlement mentality that is so prevalent today. I'm not sure how we reverse that course overall, but, like you, I am doing my part with my kids and grandkids!
Like many others here, your thread is one I gravitate to every time I'm on GJ. Your knack for taking the complicated and breaking it down in to understandable chunks, and your approach and gift to problem solving are truly appreciated by those who get to digest your posts! I also very much enjoy your life ruminations, as our value systems are very much in alignment and your posts often get me thinking!
Also, like others, I have NEVER taking anything you have offered here as boastful or braggadocious. I have always seen it for what it is - a natural born teacher attempting to share his gifts, talent and knowledge with those that haven't yet been down that particular road!
The same applies to your gracious sharing of your travel adventures, and the gorgeous pics of scenery and wildlife you so willingly share!
This is probably a long winded way to say - keep it coming, and don't doubt that what you post likely has a positive impact on someone around here!!

zmotorsports · Wednesday at 1:22 PM

Atlascycle said:
It is strange that you have a mural of a step ladder on your drivers door Mike.

You keep that Black Jeep looking awesome!
on the inside of the tail gate is that all of the trails you have taken?

-Jason

That's funny Jason. I actually had to scroll back to that picture to understand what you were talking about. I didn't see that small step ladder when I took the actual picture.

Thanks for the comments about our Jeep. I'm pretty pleased with how it looks and runs even now after being 15-years old and with 175k miles on the clock. I hope to be able to continue being the caretaker of it and hope it carries the wife and I on many more adventures.

Thank you for continuing to follow along.

Swanny1953 said:
Mike, the first part above is what sets you head and shoulders above a lot of people - your love of learning, and your love of sharing! I've hung around a lot of teachers during my 73 years - my mom taught for 43 years, my sister for 37 or so, my eldest daughter taught elementary school for 10 years before having our granddaughter and intends to return to the classroom, and both my sons-in-law are teachers and coaches, not to mention that I've done a ton of teaching in my career - and those 2 traits are always present in those that receive enjoyment from teaching! I couldn't agree with you more on your "victim mentality" and "instant gratification" comments - our society in general has done our younger generation a huge disservice by "blessing" them with the entitlement mentality that is so prevalent today. I'm not sure how we reverse that course overall, but, like you, I am doing my part with my kids and grandkids!
Like many others here, your thread is one I gravitate to every time I'm on GJ. Your knack for taking the complicated and breaking it down in to understandable chunks, and your approach and gift to problem solving are truly appreciated by those who get to digest your posts! I also very much enjoy your life ruminations, as our value systems are very much in alignment and your posts often get me thinking!
Also, like others, I have NEVER taking anything you have offered here as boastful or braggadocious. I have always seen it for what it is - a natural born teacher attempting to share his gifts, talent and knowledge with those that haven't yet been down that particular road!
The same applies to your gracious sharing of your travel adventures, and the gorgeous pics of scenery and wildlife you so willingly share!
This is probably a long winded way to say - keep it coming, and don't doubt that what you post likely has a positive impact on someone around here!!

Gary, thank you so very much for those kind words. I never thought of myself as a teacher, nor have I even pursued such an adventure and my hat is off to all those who purposely stepped towards that path. I feel I had a couple of great teachers, as in mentors, during my life and I have only tried to give back a small percentage of what I have learned from them. If I can save someone time and money by sharing a small tech tip or tidbit of information then I am fulfilling my desire to give back to the industry that has allowed me to be so successful.

Thank you for the comments and for your continued support of my projects and ramblings.

Boosted1 · 2026-05-21T07:27:40-0400

"Just into it 3 or 4 years ago"... I wouldn't connect say 3 or 4 years and 30,000 miles is recent. Nice work as usual.

zmotorsports · 2026-05-21T08:48:09-0400

Boosted1 said:
"Just into it 3 or 4 years ago"... I wouldn't connect say 3 or 4 years and 30,000 miles is recent. Nice work as usual.

I guess that's a good point. Maybe it just "feels" like it's more recent and I almost feel guilty having to do this job again for the client. I checked the phasers during the chain/tensioner replacement 30k miles ago but maybe I should have "suggested" he replace the phasers at that point. I think I will make that suggestion going forward when doing these, especially knowing GM now has an updated or revised phaser. At least at that point, maybe I will feel less guilty about going back in to charge them again if they decline replacement.

That being said, I could probably second guess myself all day long, but at the end of the day, I still have to replace them now.

signcrafter · 2026-05-21T09:50:24-0400

zmotorsports said:
I guess that's a good point. Maybe it just "feels" like it's more recent and I almost feel guilty having to do this job again for the client. I checked the phasers during the chain/tensioner replacement 30k miles ago but maybe I should have "suggested" he replace the phasers at that point. I think I will make that suggestion going forward when doing these, especially knowing GM now has an updated or revised phaser. At least at that point, maybe I will feel less guilty about going back in to charge them again if they decline replacement.

That being said, I could probably second guess myself all day long, but at the end of the day, I still have to replace them now.

It's tough with this kind of stuff, where do you stop recommending replacement "because you're already in there"? Things can start to add up real quick on some jobs. They're usually around 100 bucks a piece for phasers and a timing job is already a fairly expensive repair. I try to offer the option to people on things like this but it's hard to keep recommending parts that "may fail". Depending on the relationship with the customer they can think you are just trying to get more money out of them, even though in this case it would have been mostly just extra parts cost and not much extra labor. I'll try to talk to them about it if I think something maybe should be replaced while I'm in there and let them make the call. Like you said it's a little easier later down the road if something does go bad with a part they decided not to replace. Since once we touch a car we are married to it now. LOL

zmotorsports · 2026-05-21T10:06:50-0400

signcrafter said:
It's tough with this kind of stuff, where do you stop recommending replacement "because you're already in there"? Things can start to add up real quick on some jobs. They're usually around 100 bucks a piece for phasers and a timing job is already a fairly expensive repair. I try to offer the option to people on things like this but it's hard to keep recommending parts that "may fail". Depending on the relationship with the customer they can think you are just trying to get more money out of them, even though in this case it would have been mostly just extra parts cost and not much extra labor. I'll try to talk to them about it if I think something maybe should be replaced while I'm in there and let them make the call. Like you said it's a little easier later down the road if something does go bad with a part they decided not to replace. Since once we touch a car we are married to it now. LOL

Exactly Scott. I remember telling the client that I saw no camshaft variation codes before tearing into the timing chain/tensioner job and that while I was in there I physically checked the phasers and saw nothing of concern at that time. While he wasn't complaining about the cost of the initial repair, he did impress upon me that he would like to keep the costs low, but he also said he had no plans on selling the car as was planning on keeping it long term. At that time I saw no reason to throw more money at it as the phasers appeared to be fine and the engine appeared to be well serviced thus far.

Now several years and ~30k miles later he's questioning whether I should have replaced the phasers when I did the timing chain job. I simply told him I didn't have an answer and that I was trying to control costs several years ago as asked. It really is a catch 22 on when to replace components "while you're in there" or where to stop replacing parts. :dunno:

I've also been so disappointed in overall quality of parts lately that sometimes new parts aren't actually better than the older OEM parts that are still functioning properly.

I sure wish I had all of the answers on this subject because I am sure a lot of others are also faced with the same dilemma.

signcrafter · 2026-05-21T10:34:09-0400

zmotorsports said:
Exactly Scott. I remember telling the client that I saw no camshaft variation codes before tearing into the timing chain/tensioner job and that while I was in there I physically checked the phasers and saw nothing of concern at that time. While he wasn't complaining about the cost of the initial repair, he did impress upon me that he would like to keep the costs low, but he also said he had no plans on selling the car as was planning on keeping it long term. At that time I saw no reason to throw more money at it as the phasers appeared to be fine and the engine appeared to be well serviced thus far.

Now several years and ~30k miles later he's questioning whether I should have replaced the phasers when I did the timing chain job. I simply told him I didn't have an answer and that I was trying to control costs several years ago as asked. It really is a catch 22 on when to replace components "while you're in there" or where to stop replacing parts. I've also been so disappointed in overall quality of parts lately that sometimes new parts aren't actually better than the older OEM parts that are still functioning properly.

I sure wish I had all of the answers on this subject because I am sure a lot of others are also faced with the same dilemma.

Non of us can see the future and parts go out on vehicles. Sounds like you did everything you could have to check the phasers and there was no issue. Not much else you can do besides give them the option to replace extra parts while you're in there. I try as much as possible to leave myself an "out" on these type of things. Put the ball in their court and if they choose not to replace extra things and they fail later they can't really say anything. I try to explain there's a chance these may go bad down the road. Everybody wants to keep the costs low, even myself. But once we touch a car it's ours now and helping the customer keep costs low can come back to bite us. I stopped worrying about keeping costs low to help others after being bit a few times. If I think there's a chance something could wear or fail down the road, even if there is nothing wrong with it I'll just tell them it needs to be replaced. I'm not trying to run their bill up but also not trying to worry about them blaming me for something that's not my fault going wrong down the road.

Kind of like someone bringing you a transmission fluid change with 200k on it and never been changed. I'll do it but telling you before hand if there is issues afterwards the work I did didn't cause those issues.

I agree with you on parts quality. I've been fairly lucky but it's always a gamble even with OEM.

SilverJimmy · 2026-05-21T11:55:12-0400

A friend just did a 5.3 swap into his 2001 Chevy SWB pickup. After the swap the rebuilt P/S pump was howling and the new fuel pressure regulator wasn’t working correctly. Had the local parts house warranty both of them, “new” parts were worse than the old “new” ones. Finally went to U-Pick-It and got some OEM units with unknown miles, problem solved!

rd65 · 2026-05-21T12:16:41-0400

zmotorsports said:
I guess that's a good point. Maybe it just "feels" like it's more recent and I almost feel guilty having to do this job again for the client. I checked the phasers during the chain/tensioner replacement 30k miles ago but maybe I should have "suggested" he replace the phasers at that point. I think I will make that suggestion going forward when doing these, especially knowing GM now has an updated or revised phaser. At least at that point, maybe I will feel less guilty about going back in to charge them again if they decline replacement.

That being said, I could probably second guess myself all day long, but at the end of the day, I still have to replace them now.

30K miles seems like more than enough time for the parts to go from fine to marginal. Now with the updated parts you may advise about such things going forward. I wouldnt think that the customer has any reason to question your former work.
This I do know - my amazon save list has gotten longer reading your thread. :beer:

zmotorsports · 2026-05-21T12:30:17-0400

SilverJimmy said:
A friend just did a 5.3 swap into his 2001 Chevy SWB pickup. After the swap the rebuilt P/S pump was howling and the new fuel pressure regulator wasn’t working correctly. Had the local parts house warranty both of them, “new” parts were worse than the old “new” ones. Finally went to U-Pick-It and got some OEM units with unknown miles, problem solved!

Similar situation Sterling.

You may recall the 2005 Volvo I worked on a couple months back. It kept coming back with intermittent stalling and poor running but no codes. It had been worked on multiple times prior to coming to my shop so after reviewing some data and seeing only a slight oddity in the MAF data, but mainly because it was only reading in lbs per hour and not in grams per second, so I had to do some mathing. It wasn't terrible, just struck me as odd, but the car was running great when it came into my shop and not acting up as the owner stated it was hit and miss on when it would stall.

Originally I had smoked it and found the intake duct had multiple cracks in it, so I immediately thought I discovered the problem. My local Volvo dealer had one in stock so I figured being a 21 year old car and the dealership had an intake tube in stock it was a good sign this was a common issue. I drove it around for two nights and it didn't miss a beat. The owner said it was more prevalent early in the mornings when cold started, so I let it sit outside overnight and the next morning it fired right up. The owner drove it home and even text me to tell me it was running better than previously so I thought mission accomplished as I completed my fourth and final "C", Confirm.

A couple days later he called to tell me his son couldn't make it to work due to it stalling and it had a DTC set. I told him NOT to clear it and bring it to me. Unfortunately, the son stopped at an Autozone and had the code cleared and couldn't remember what it was.

I tried explaining to the owner to help me help him......

He dropped the car back off and I went at the MAF just because I didn't like the original data I was getting. I traced wiring from the MAF sensor all the way back to the ECM and did find a connection issue at the ECM. I drove it for two separate nights without issue, the owner picked it up and immediately the next morning it stalled and set a DTC. He brought it back that evening and I scanned it and discovered a P0101, MAF Circuit/Range performance. The OEM was a Bosch so I checked a new OEM MAF was available but the client gasped at the price. I told him we didn't want to throw an aftermarket one in it on this particular sensor, but I did find a Bosch "remanned" one so maybe that would be an option. He picked one up and installed it and said it ran "different". I asked is different good or bad and got a long song and dance. A couple weeks ago he brought it back. I was about sick of this car by this time but just wanted it out of my hair, but I also wanted to learn its idiosyncrasies and what it was trying to tell me. When Scott, aka @signcrafter , says we are married to these damn things after touching them, he is correct.

The data still looked "odd" but I am less familiar with Volvo's so not sure if it was normal for this car or not. The owner still not wanting to put a new OEM MAF sensor in it I called my local wrecking yard and found a year newer MAF sensor for a real bargain. Installed it and the car has ran great ever since. Remanned Bosch are just as much junk as aftermarket junk when it comes to MAF sensors evidently. The 25-year-old OEM one was the hot ticket.

THAT was a learning curve for damn sure.

zmotorsports · 2026-05-21T12:47:53-0400

rd65 said:
30K miles seems like more than enough time for the parts to go from fine to marginal. Now with the updated parts you may advise about such things going forward. I wouldnt think that the customer has any reason to question your former work.
This I do know - my amazon save list has gotten longer reading your thread.

Agreed. I will say that in being fair to the owner, I don't think he was questioning me per se, I think he was just asking why I didn't replace the phasers when I told him we had to go back in and do almost the same exact thing as several years ago when I did the chains, tensioners and water pump.

The owner of this car had a new bank 1 catalytic converter installed a couple weeks prior as he needed the car for a road trip out of town for a wedding and I didn't have time to get it into my shop, plus I told him I would prefer to install an OEM cat vs. an aftermarket and when I priced it the cost was a bit higher than a Walker. That being said, I have used a few Walker cats and they are one of the better ones I think and I have had no issues.

However, within a few days of getting it out of that shop the noise began. He took it back to the shop who did the catalytic converter asking if it was something they did and the mechanic it sounded like something in the timing cover. When the owner of the car mentioned he had the timing components replaced "previously" the shop owner told him to bring it back. When the owner told him "previously" I don't think he told him it had been several years and roughly 30k miles, so the shop owner just suggested bringing it back to whomever did the timing job.

As for list of tools, I know what you mean. My bank account takes a hit from frequenting this site... :bounce:

Chipm · 2026-05-21T19:11:54-0400

zmotorsports said:
You may recall the 2005 Volvo ..... The 25-year-old OEM one was the hot ticket.

THAT was a learning curve for damn sure.

That reminds me of one of my early "wins" when I started my car repair business. A lady called me with a BMW that kept throwing lean codes. Another shop had replaced the MAF and some other stuff and she still had a problem, and couldn't pass emissions to get her tag. She heard from someone that I was good with BMW. I went through everything on this car - fuel pressure, smoke test, stuff I can't even remember now. I was certain it was the MAF. It was a Bremi, and I told her these were picky and really needed OEM. She had the other shop warranty it with another Bremi, and sure enough the fault came back. I insisted upon my position. They told her they didn't have access to OEM and refunded her money, which was surprising as they had the reputation for being a big euro-only shop. I took the 25-year old MAF from my own car, got her to pass emissions, and proved my point. Then I installed a new OEM part for her.

zmotorsports · 2026-05-22T08:22:27-0400

Chipm said:
That reminds me of one of my early "wins" when I started my car repair business. A lady called me with a BMW that kept throwing lean codes. Another shop had replaced the MAF and some other stuff and she still had a problem, and couldn't pass emissions to get her tag. She heard from someone that I was good with BMW. I went through everything on this car - fuel pressure, smoke test, stuff I can't even remember now. I was certain it was the MAF. It was a Bremi, and I told her these were picky and really needed OEM. She had the other shop warranty it with another Bremi, and sure enough the fault came back. I insisted upon my position. They told her they didn't have access to OEM and refunded her money, which was surprising as they had the reputation for being a big euro-only shop. I took the 25-year old MAF from my own car, got her to pass emissions, and proved my point. Then I installed a new OEM part for her.

Yeah, there are some sensors, and on some vehicles, I just insist on using OEM sensors as the ECM doesn't like some of the signals they get from aftermarket ones.

On this particular car in my head I just kept going back to those odd looking MAF readings when the car was running. When I found the questionable pin at the ECM I thought for sure that was the issue, but when the car came back a few days later I just kept going back to that dang MAF sensor but couldn't convince the owner to buy and OEM one.

zmotorsports · 2026-05-22T08:45:26-0400

Back to work on the Buick LaCrosse.

To remove the front timing cover, there is a threaded hole that goes into a blind pocket in the block. This is located just above and to the right (if facing) of the water pump, about the 10 o'clock position. I just use the bolt I removed from the alternator and thread it into this hole. Once in a short distance it will bottom out. Slowly turn the fastener inward as the timing cover is popped loose from the block and heads. Be cautious and observant at this time to ensure ALL timing cover fasteners are removed. If you miss one, this step will reveal it so pay attention to avoid damaging the front cover.

Here you can see the front cover popped away from the intersection at the heads.

Then a little maneuvering and the front cover is away from the engine and out of the engine bay.

Set aside for cleaning.

I know it only has approx. 30k miles on it, but I wanted to ensure the timing chains showed no signs of stretching. When the car came into my shop one of the first things I did was check the oil level and it was a little low, maybe a pint to pint and a half. Not terrible, but I explained to the owner that these engines do not like to be low on oil and to keep an eye on it as well as NOT following the oil life monitor on the dash. I prefer to service these in the 3k to 4k mile range but definitely NOT over 5k as some of the oil life monitors won't trip the service interval on these until 7+ thousand miles which is way, way too long to go. He informed me they service it between 3k and 4k and the inside is actually indicative of that. But now with 150k on it, I suggested he check the oil every couple of fuel filling events and not just rely on it having oil between service intervals.

As you can see by the distance the tensioner is extended, the chains are still nice and tight.

Next came the camshaft position plates for the GM High Feature V6. While these aren't 100% required, they are inexpensive enough and make for a good go/no go gauge during teardown and reassembly.

Barring the engine over clockwise to get the crankshaft timing mark at the roughly 7 o'clock position and the bank 1 (nearest firewall) camshaft flats parallel with the heads. This is where I left off for the night on Wednesday as the kids and grandkids stopped by, so this became lesser priority. My grandson had to see what Papa was working on so he came running over and wanted me to lift him up to see what was happening in the engine bay.

Yesterday I ran to my local dealership and picked up a few of the parts. The remainder should arrive over the next day or so, which will give me time to get everything thoroughly cleaned and ready for reassembly.

Continuing on, the primary chain tensioner is also showing a tight chain. You can also see the timing dot on the crank sprocket pointing to the partial one visible right near the lower edge of the guide on the tensioner.

Phasers are in Stage 2 timing and components ready to come apart. Double check to ensure there are 12 links from timing mark on intake to timing mark on exhaust phasers.

Stay tuned.

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