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The "What Did You Work On Today" thread

3M views 36K replies 388 participants last post by  cerial 
#1 ·
4 hour work day for me at the shop. Used the time to do a valve body swap on a '01 Jetta 1.8t auto .... I successfully installed a transbrake on the car .... that however wasn't my intention.

Its in 2 gears at once in park, all other gears (R/N/D/2/1) are forward gears.... they all seam to be first gear.

I have it torn back down most of the way. Tuesday I'll actually get the VB back out and see whats up.... but part of me wants to take it out for a test drive the way it is just for the fun of it.
 
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#4,521 · (Edited)
finished up blocking on The Trans Am. I did the right side and my mentor did the left, same for the mud too but I got to the hood first and did that as well. Tomorrow I think I'll be working on the boss' Vette til something else comes in. Also put together The 2012 Malibu I "R&R'd". American cars are funky. Actually have to remove the bumper bracket to install the headlight to let it slide in this silly slot and you can't put them on with fresh paint. Once the head light hooks in it touches the fender and pretty much scrapes it as it's hooking in. Also got to route a bunch of crap THRU the fender, kind of like the old Ford Rangers but not as annoying. One of the key things in clocking $$$ doing commission in production is knowing how to take them apart and knowing all about the quarky things about particular models. I like it cause they are all a change of pace and it's fun zipping in bolts with my 12v Milwaukee. Love that little impact gun.

Oh, and someone in the paint dept broke a squirter on the hood after talking em into a hood blend. How and the hell do you that and work in a body shop? I think I've only seen that done once in my entire life, and this one was a very simple one. SMH
 
#4,522 ·
Not all those are easy Henry. I don't know about Malibu but a Toyota Seinna for instance is all but impossible to remove those squirters without breaking them.

Brian
 
#4,523 ·
Tonight the wife and I went to "Music in the park" with our dinner and a beer and listened to a great band with the community, I Love those concerts!

Got home and had to put in my 5 minutes, funny thing was it turned into about 30 minutes without really getting a damn thing done. All about marking out the top to cut it for the lengthen. I am really taking my time here to come up with the best plan.

Brian

 
#4,524 ·
Not all those are easy Henry. I don't know about Malibu but a Toyota Seinna for instance is all but impossible to remove those squirters without breaking them.

Brian
This one was easy. Two prongs right in his face. No excuse for that. I've seen tough ones usually hidden under the shell so you gotta get them from the top, or if the hood is being replaced then you can just cut the metal out. I've never broken one let alone one as simple as a Malibu one.
 
#4,525 ·
Not all those are easy Henry. I don't know about Malibu but a Toyota Seinna for instance is all but impossible to remove those squirters without breaking them.

Brian
yep, they make them that way now...clips too...sometime they get old and brittle and break,it happens once in a while...at least he knew enough to take them out and not tape them off...
 
#4,529 ·
Everyone is different that's for sure. I watch 5 body techs everyday and they are as different as anyone can be when it comes to this stuff. One we joke that he uses a Binford 2000 chain saw to remove stuff like that. :D I pull the rope to start the imaginary saw raaaaa raaaaa raaaaaa RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Brian
 
#4,530 ·
true. I think it's clumsiness or often times they do it cause they don't like the time that's given so they just maul right thru it. On this Malibu, I must have spent 20-30 minutes taking off the rocker cover. One of those newer cars, very stiff. I work hourly. If I worked commission at the old shop I worked at I might would have man handled that thing cause I know that shop doesn't care about the clips and they won't give me any time to take it off anyways.
 
#4,531 ·
I spent a good part of yesterday replacing rear axle wheels studs. It seems the conical style unilug washers that were on the used mags I bought had worn out area under the lugnuts, which caused the lugnuts to work loose. I pulled the wheels and found that most of the studs had worked loose in the axle on the pressed in shoulder also! One stud had a seized lugnut also, and I spent two hours with a hacksaw blade cutting a slot in the side of it to split it with a screwdriver so it would release!
Once I got it all apart I had to purchase new studs, washers, and lugnuts; then put it all back together. An all day project in 88 degree weather, but it's in great shape now. I really didn't notice any problem with the ET unilug washers when I put the wheels on, but after seeing the new washers and how small the conical taper was when compared to the old ones, it was very obvious. The new ET style lugnuts are also different than what came with the wheels. They have a conical seat, but a shank that goes through the washer in addition to the seat shape. Much more solid, and less room to move or work loose.
 
#4,533 ·
fiberglass repairs, long sleeves duct taped to my wrists, p100 mask (with a brand new filter), and even glasses, which is over and beyond for me...not really...it's fiberglass! So I'm trying to buy some happiness over this and just got an aluminum roller off Amazon for a moment of joy. Anyhow, the hood repairs are going slow cause there's huge issues on the edges but the rest are going pretty easily. We have determined the front end was taken off once before and put on without the doors on to line it up correctly. So we will use self tappers when we glue it back in w/ doors on and will check the hood fit, and at that point I will then shave the areas on the edge of the hood I've been working on that I left untouched just for that moment. It sounds so easy but I fret taking off this front end after someone else already did the same. I have a hunch that it's not gonna come off as easily as it should because of that. If you have any tips they would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and I go on vacation next week. Nothing special. Just a trip to Santa Cruz.
 
#4,536 ·
fiberglass repairs, long sleeves duct taped to my wrists, p100 mask (with a brand new filter), and even glasses, which is over and beyond for me...not really...it's fiberglass! So I'm trying to buy some happiness over this and just got an aluminum roller off Amazon for a moment of joy. Anyhow, the hood repairs are going slow cause there's huge issues on the edges but the rest are going pretty easily. We have determined the front end was taken off once before and put on without the doors on to line it up correctly. So we will use self tappers when we glue it back in w/ doors on and will check the hood fit, and at that point I will then shave the areas on the edge of the hood I've been working on that I left untouched just for that moment. It sounds so easy but I fret taking off this front end after someone else already did the same. I have a hunch that it's not gonna come off as easily as it should because of that. If you have any tips they would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and I go on vacation next week. Nothing special. Just a trip to Santa Cruz.
Ain't nothing "just" about that! Check out the Santa Cruz diner on Ocean st for me. It was on Diners Drive-ins and dives and I haven't been down there in so long I haven't tried it. Home

Brian
 
#4,537 ·
Spent a half hour out there tonight. I swear I have spent more time measuring out this one cut than I did on marking and cutting the roof off on the original cab I chopped in '74.

Brian

 
#4,539 ·
Do a good job Brian because I am going to copy your chop on mine LOL ,or should I have said that :thumbup::thumbup:

Hell yes, if mine comes along, I say go for it. I am looking at that line and wondering if I should move it back so I am more on the curve, hmmmmm

When I originally did it I went right across the middle, then gas welded it.:pain:



Brian
 
#4,540 ·
I spent yesterday fixing a flooding problem on the new carbs for my Falcon gasser. Rear float on the front carb stuck, and poured fuel into the engine! Pulled the bowl and checked it over, but all was fine. Replaced it after blowing it out, and flooding stopped. Not sure why it stuck, but it was gushing fuel!
Then I noticed my accelerator pumps had both dried up and wont move. Brand new, so I guess it's this junk gas we have with alcohol drying them up. I ordered the diaphragm that's designed for alcohol/gas from Summit, and I'll change them out next week. Until then I'll be back driving the Austin for this weekend's cruise.
 
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