@@roadking99jokerst60 : belt routing diagram is on the sticker under the hood. This guy handles his tools and touches things like a greenhorn, that is quite obvious to a seasoned eye.
My dad was one of a kind. He ran a repair shop from his home garage. Dad treated everyone with respect and fairness. And that is what he expected from others. He was busy from 8am to 6pm six days a week and ran his home based business for over thirty years. I miss him he was a great teacher. Thank you Rainman Ray you remind me so much of my dad.
Had a co-worker that jumped off a combine ladder and left behind his ring/ring finger on the end of a heavy spring up top. Bad day; very bad day. His attitude about it was 'Better than having your sleeve caught in a PTO.'. Whenever something worthy of praise happened we'd say 'Hey Brian, give me four.'. Never lose your sense of humor.
I had a thumb sucked into a serpentine belt. When your boss runs into his office and comes back with a bottle of liquor. U know it’s serious😂 On a plus side I got some PTO. Got some light duty. And 7 years later my nub is tough as an ox
My dad was a mechanic and eventually a manager of an extremely large (back in the day) shop. People always thought he was fair with his pricing and he made fantastic money. He told me, "You can screw someone once, but you can do good and honest business with them for a lifetime." I always thought that was brilliant, yet many modern businesses fail to see that. They want as much as they can get every time. Thank God dad taught me how to turn wrenches. I've saved over $5,000 in repairs just the past few months alone. (I just did a service to my Goldwing that would have cost $2,500...my all-up cost, $107. That's insane.)
almost everything imported to US is marked up alot. suspension to a audi Q7 is marked up 10k and then add creedy coorps and their labor prices. and medical industry is even worse. here a epipen is sold for 51 usd. same one in america sell for 690 usd. "they pay like 25-30 usd for them" package of insulin 20 usd here. in the states 300 usd. vital stuff those people NEED. talk about preying on those that lie down. over 25% of our medicine export is to the us. crazy to see those prices considering we are the second highest taxed country in the world .
I went to a garage a few weeks ago and they said the diagnosis will cost $180. They couldn't figure it out and said continued diagnosis will cost another $ 180. The way I looked at it, the fact they couldn't figure it out wasn't my problem and they should have continued to work to figure it out or tell me that they couldn't figure it out and return my money. Correctly diagnosing a car issue is 75% of why I went to them in the first place.
Hey ray, I'm 46 and my father is 70. I watch your shows every morning before work. I shared your channel with my father and he watches every show as soon as it comes out now. Thank you for that.
I was born in 1956 and started learning to work on my lawnmower in the late 60s from a neighbor that knew how to repair them. I remember making around 70 dollars one summer when I was 11. My neighbor was very patient teaching me on how to repair my mower. He was a trusted car mechanic with his own shop in town and was very successful. PS; he had 4 full time mechanics working in his shop but he pulled wrenches everyday until he died. He loved working on cars. Back in those days he could listen to them and tell you what was wrong.
Your belief of charging a customer for the actual time it takes to do a job instead of what the book quotes is a testimony to your honesty in treating customers fairly. Pricing customers out of your shop will not keep your shop open as long as you desire. You are absolutely right to remove your wedding ring or any other item worn on the fingers. I had an uncle who lost a finger while in the Navy. They were loading a ship and the tip of a loading hook caught under his wedding ring and pulled his finger right off as the load was lifted. Always think safety while working.
I've seen "the book" I had it rubbed in my face once. Funny how you go 40 years in time and if I bring it up today..."what book?". Everybody is lying now
I'm over here talking to the TV, during the belt install, like an idiot I seriously respect your honesty with your clients. I find that's a very rare business moto these days.
So, it took you an hour ? 90 minutes maybe... this customer doesn't need an other mechanic, ever. You work hard and are honest. You are a credit to the automotive industry. I also love to see the wife unit in the shop, she is like sunshine. Have a good weekend!
Love the comment about customers not returning if you rip them off. I always took our three cars to the same garage, they employed a "customer manager" who obviously wanted to impress and make money. He tried to tell me a job would take two hours when I knew one hour would be max. They have now lost my business and I found a great garage that is closer to where I live so he did me a favour by trying to rip me off.
Agree. I went to C*nrads for new tires and they tried to sell me a rear brake job for 850.00. I put all new rotors and brakes on the rear myself for 125.00. By the way they tires leaked all the time and had to keep taking back they tried to up sell me to new tires again these tires had 750 miles on them.
Toyota dealer quoted $630 to replace the clock spring wiring module in the steering wheel of my wife's 2010 Toyota Camry. My wife flipped out and told me in no uncertain terms that I was doing it. Bought the OEM part from Japan for $65, and installed it and, went for a 5 min test drive. Total time 55 minutes! Thing has 5 electrical clips for all the stuff in there. Air bag, horn, directionals, cruise control, radio volume, wiper controls, and who knows what else....LOL
@@Jay.Kellett What do you expect, they have to pay for all that real estate, buildings, overhead, and employee costs including the sales people plus profit. That's why they are called stealerships and just remember, the service department makes the most money for dealerships... not sales.
Nice job Ray. I would have given those water pump pulley bolts a final snug after the belt was tensioned back in place but sure it will be fine! Great work man. I’ve watched almost every video for last 18 months. If I was in Florida you would be my mechanic for the few jobs I don’t do.
After having an accident with a class ring with a nicad battery, and working around electricity/batteries most of my working life, I sold the class ring, and informed the wife there would be no wedding ring for me. I had to wear a watch, so I wore a plastic Casio one. Metallic Jewelry is just not good period.
If you're working with Autodata, they supposedly reference manufacturer warranty times. From personal experience, more often than not, these times are ludicrously underestimated if you're not a dealership or don't have the exact tooling. If it's job that you've done a few times already, you might get within 20%. (Note: The factory times assume that there is no ageing on any fastenings and the entire assembly is as brand new.) On a very rare occasion, we might find a shortcut that saves us a bit.
I am SO glad you took that ring off, Ray! I was watching this very video, turned and told my wife "Every time I see Ray wearing his wedding ring I cringe" and she came back and said "Yes, yes you've told me before.." And then 10 minutes into this video -- you took it off!!! I can now breathe easier.
I told my bros about you Ray, they live in Venice....told them your a good guy and honest mechanic. Hopefully they listen to me next time they need some work done that's beyond their abilities.
As a youngster I worked at a trucking company as a gofer. A truck rolled in one afternoon, and heard it stop and shutdown, and then a horrific scream! The driver had hopped down from his cabover and apparently caught his wedding ring on the grab rail. On the ground next to the truck was the ring, accompanied by the 3rd medial and distal phalanges of his left hand! We packed it in a baggie and shipped him and it off to the ER.
Right. There was a service bulletin on Freightliner grab rails on the vertical muffler shield. The grab bar had, at each end, pop rivets which could trap a ring.
Mechanic "A" at Dealership charges 3.5 hours for a job like this and finishes it in 1.5 hours, He then jumps to 2nd car to do a brake job that the "Book" says to charge 4.5 hours and completes it in 2.5 hours. He then has completed a book time of 8 hours work in 4 hours and then repeats the process in the afternoon. Basically doubling the income for the dealership. Yes there are times when the book time is not long enough due to unexpected issues but I would imagine those are not the higher % of the two scenarios. This is why I would always trust a mechanic like Ray to work on my car, He's knowledgeable and seems extremely fair in his pricing and times. Well done Ray.
I'm so glad you took your ring off! Back when I drove a truck, I kept my wedding ring on a gold chain on my neck. A co-worker, lost his finger, when his ring got caught on the edge of the grab handle, when he was exiting his cabover. If you're in a situation, that can run the risk of the ring getting caught on something, it's bets to take it off, until that activity is over.
So glad that I Lived in an Era of Time when the Older Cars were so much easier to Work On, these Newer Ones, one hour to undress to get to the Repair Job...KUDOS to you Younger Mechanics..
Hey Ray, just a suggestion for you, I always kept my wedding ring on a keychain clipped to a belt loop on my pants. That way it was always with me and wouldn't get lost by me setting it down somewhere and forgetting it.
My dad did the same thing working around anything mechanical or electrical -- wedding ring went on a keychain which then went inside a secured pocket. 👍
As a warehouse, worker rings and necklaces were a no-go, they are practically a no-go on most jobs. Read one to many bulletins about what happen to someone who wore jewellery.
Great content Ray. Working around farm equipment, I learned that drawstrings on hoodies and rings are things that must be removed. Met many farmers in my day that were missing fingers or had horrible scars.
First time commenting, LOVE your video's! I did the same repair on a 09 Saturn Vue with the 3.5. I am a 62 year old who went to trade school in the early 80s for automotive repair. I did not stay in the trade. I still do all the repair work on my family's cars as finding a honest and reputable car mechanic is a very difficult thing to do. You are spot on on the overcharging that occurs in your field. That same repair done in my driveway with only hand tools was done in 5.5 hours probably saving me 500 to 750 dollars. You are true breath of fresh air! Keep educating and bless you and the family-unit!
Holy shit I had never seen one of these videos . I just want to say I loved this one . I feel like I can take a water pump out with the belt tensioner and all now . Great video Rey . Keep ‘‘em coming
Back in the day I owned a 1995 Chevy Caprice with the LT1 engine, and book time for changing the water pump and Opti-spark distributor was at least 3 hours. I learned to do it myself because I wasn't keen on spending $1200 or more for that job. turns out I could do the job in about one hour just using hand tools.
@@DocZoidberg549 The older 1993 Optispark was a poor design because it didn't have active venting, so moisture buildup would kill it. The 1994 and up had a better design with active venting, so as long as the water pump doesn't leak all over it or you don't drive through a puddle the lifespan isn't terrible. I've owned both a 1994 and a 1995 Caprice and only replaced the Optispark once for each vehicle. Just make sure those vent tubes don't fall off and the tubes don't get clogged.
@@RayleighCriterion Thanks so much for the info. I have three late 90's Chevy OBS trucks. I know how to work on vortec engines. This LT1 will be a learning experience. I am looking forward to it, it only has 87K miles on it.
Great job Ray. Always doing your best while trying to save the customer some money. Stay safe and remember to remove your wedding ring whole at work. Fun watching you and wife Unit. 🙏♥️😏🥺
Ray! I’m much older than you and have had several near catastrophic accidents with my ring catching on things. The worst one was coming down a 30’ aluminum ladder, running my hands along the rails while descending rapidly. My ring caught, and I was suspended by my ring finger and whatever I could grab onto with that hand. My body swung out away from the ladder and thankfully that jolt unhooked the ring off the ladder and I managed to catch the ladder with free hand and cling back on. Didn’t pull the finger off, but my entire body weight was supported for a second on the ring finger, and I was lucky to catch the ladder. It’s weird how a ring catches on things.
Was climbing down a scaffold and it shifted just as I was stepping down and my ring caught between the joints where the scaffolds met. Luckily I was able to catch my weight with my right hand and step back up. Never wore my ring on the job after that. My wife's friends always told her that was b.s.
@@ronleachsr I’ve seen many people roll their eyes in disBelief when I tell them why machinists and construction workers don’t wear rings. I don’t give a shit, anyone who’s ever had a close encounter with disaster because of a ring understands the dangers. put the ring on a small chain around your neck. Lots of guys do that.
My Dad was a master electrician for over 50 years. He never wore a ring while on the job. Too many of his friends were missing their ring finger. When 600 volts finds a path to ground through a ring, it vapourizes, taking the finger with it.
I have been watching your repairs for over a year now and I really enjoy the work you do. I've also noticed you say"see that" often and here's a suggestion to I love my job I do it twice, try saying " I do it nice cuz I do it twice. I worked as a construction electrician ( industrial/commercial) and we use that phrase all the time. I'm 65 years old and have the utmost respect for you and your work ethic and family ethics. You're the man Ray!!!
Ya, he didn't show that and wondered the same. We all assume he did, but since Ray mentioned using the belt to losen the bolts, gotta use the belt to tighten the bolts, too😂. I'm sure he did he just missed it on the edit.
Wow, watching allllll the steps you had to do on that Chevy makes me look at replacing my water pump on my personal vehicle look waaaay easier. The pump is where it's supposed to be on the FRONT of the engine and completely accessible
Very honest and wise of you to not overcharge the customer. My boss says, I don't want all of your money, I want all of your business. I agree with this. Nice fix Ray!👍👍
Good move taking the ring off. A co-worker and I once threw a pallet onto a 6 foot pile of other pallets on a 3 count swing. Well as I let go a protruding nail slid under my ring and dam near tore my finger off. Hyper-extended every tendon/muscle/ligament in that finger. Needless to say it swelled up big time and, hurt like Hell for days. Also made me a believer of no jewelry on the job.
I always make sure to tell the customer that the book called for much more time than what I charged them. Use the discount to earn that repeat business. This torque spec is why I spent the money on electronic torque wrenches. They can be set to measure angle and beep at 45 degrees.
If the part comes with new bolts, they are Torque To Yield bolts. I like to use a china marker to mark each bolt at the very moment it is TTYd so to be sure they are torqued- and also leaves an indcation for future me that those bolts are TTY.
It was great to see that you were having a little fun at work today which makes it all worth it to come in however you keep up with the great work that you're doing and I will look forward to seeing you on the next
A friend of mine lost his ring finger in exactly the same way you described. It was a very ugly injury. 10 hours of surgery later he had a reattached finger, but it never worked the same again. Silicon rings that will break away are very much your friend here.
When I worked in machine shops I never wore my ring on my finger. I had a necklace that I wore it on at work. Also my neighbor lost her finger when her ring got caught in some rust on a horse trailer when she slipped off the fender while putting a weather cover on it. Be safe, you only get to lose a finger once....
Morning Ray, I really enjoy the way you and your employees work together. I watch your videos every morning and learn something new. So happy to see you and your families busy taking off. Keep up the great videos. 👍
You are amazing…have only met one mechanic in my life that didn’t charge book time. I understand how others rationalize charging book, but as you said, you aren’t focused on making money once from a customer, but rather establishing a long term relationship. I think the difference in mentality is that you are a business owner and understand getting new customers isn’t easy and can be costly. Keep up the great work, if the industry had more people like you, the rest of us would actually enjoy seeing a mechanic and trust their advice.
As a mobile mechanic guy, I charge book time for repairs and only give discounts on diagnostic work. I feel like if you work at a shop as a tech, charge book time or even overcharge for certain jobs that don’t quote out the correct amount of time. If you’re the owner of the shop and get 100% of the money then I feel like you can charge less for the job.
@@mastekillerKurDgood take. As a dealer flate rate tech it frustrates me when people who have never worked a day in my boots tell me I'm wrong for quoting book time. They hate book time when I can do it quickly, but they love book time when they bring in their rusty pile of shit that takes 2x as long due to corrosion and stripped bolts.
Love the vid! One thing nearly every mechanic has is a drawer full of useful trinkets, mine has an assortment of bolts with the heads cut off and slots cut into the top kind of like studs threaded on one end screw driver slot on the other. Screw these into a couple of holes put the multiple layers of pieces over them, then put in some fasteners, screw the studs back out and carry on. Like having an extra set of hands sometimes when in tight areas and multiple pieces. Did I miss the final checking of the water pump pulley bolts after the belt was installed?
Ray fight nice with the wife unit. Like you said about the book time if you edit just a little with your video then an hour and a half would be a realistic time. Ray and I know you torqued that pulley. Have a good Day with the wife
@@christianworthinton8000 Incorrect. The factory shop manuals for my Jeeps say head bolts can be reused ONE time. When installed the second time, they are to be marked with a daub of white paint, so if there's a next time the mechanic will know to replace them.
17:47 I guess it gets noisy at home when Ray washes the pots and pans. 😁 I bet the _customer_ of the vehicle in Lift Bay 3 must be getting annoyed with the time taken to finish it off. It's been there like "3 video weeks" now. Even I am curious to see how the outfitting of the new roof liner and floor mats have turned out. *Thank You* for the video Ray. 👍 Much appreciated.
I changed 2 water pumps on my 3.6 and I still had a coolant leak. It turned out to be the seal on the coolant crossover pipe, right above the water pump. Pretty common leak according to the Chevy parts consultant.
The Look of DEATH from Wife Unit was a classic, was lovely to see the fun and joy and that your a busy man. Thanks Ray enjoy your weekend with your wonderful wife and family. also how about wearing the silicone ring as I recall your beloved buying it for you but don't recall you wearing it much Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘❤❤
Amazed at the book labor for that pump. Definitely not that high of labor. You are a very honest tech, as we all have seen. Like you said, the business is designed on repeat customers (or words to that effect). Thanks for another great video. Always love to see the interactions with the wife unit too.
@@bloodybones63 The toyota 3.5L V6 shows 13hours, and it can be done in about 5, without having to pull the motor. It's ridiculous! I wish I lived near his shop
I was working on a bridge in 1989, doing slip forms on columns. Did basically the same jump n ring caught on horizontal edge of strucure steel. I had to bounce 3 times before my toes touched ground enough to unhook. Ring eas buried in my knuuckle by then. Like your vids n techniques.
This is entirely true, I worked at an aviation company and one of the employees lost a finger by the exact same thing as Ray’s near miss. She wore a signet ring at the time and jumped down from an aircraft cargo door. It got stuck on the metal edge of the door surround and ripped off the finger as she jumped down. The finger was on the door and the tendon stretched from the hand to the finger before snapping. We were banned from wearing rings at work as a result.
My uncle damned near ripped his finger off when his wedding band caught. After healing up, he wore his ring on a chain around his neck from there on out. But yeah, a lot of places prohibit any jewelry, including wedding bands etc.
Hey Ray, a little late to the comments on this one but GM warranty time for that pump is also 3.2 hours. I think it's due to the coolant purge process they have you go through. Fill it, wait several minutes, if it drinks some add some more, repeat this until it stops drinking, then put the cap on, run the engine at 2500 rpm for one minute, shut it off, wait for it to completely cool, add coolant, and repeat this process until the coolant level is stabilized. Personally, I use the Air Lift vacuum coolant filler and avoid running the engine at all to fill the cooling system. Best $110 I ever spent, although that was 20 years ago. For customer pay, utilizing the Air Lift, I definitely passed the time savings on to them. I used to charge 2 hours for those, customer pay. That included a full engine compartment wash with degreaser. The engine wash accomplished a few things, 1) it let the customer know we were actually under there because most of the time they couldn't see whatever it was we replaced, 2) it got rid of the old coolant stains so if a new leak developed (like maybe a defective pump) it was easier to see it and not question whether the stain was new or old, and 3) hopefully they are a repeat customer and the next time we had to work on it, it wouldn't be as dirty. 🙂 Just looked up the Airlift tool, it is now $154 on Amazon. In case you are interested, this is the description ==> UView 550000 Airlift Cooling System Leak Checker and Airlock Purge Tool Kit Keep 'em coming!
Ray, I remember you said not to forget to tighten the bolts on the water pump pulley. But I only saw you snug them onto the pulley. Did you edit that part out or did you forget?
As a high school teacher for 40 years now, I've seen a lot of things that can happen to students. Many years ago I was still in the building an hour after school and started walking to my truck to go home. When I entered the main hallway, one of my students started screaming and running to me holding her left hand. When she arrived and pulled her hand away, she had de-gloved her ring finger by catching her birthstone ring on something as she was running down the hallway to her locker. What I saw was pure white bone to her fingernail. By the time the ambulance had arrived, she was bleeding badly. They were able to repair her finger, but she almost lost it. From that time on, I do not wear rings!
Here we are, in the 'modern' era, and that water pump pully looks like something from a 19th century steam machine. We've come so far. I want my flying cars. You're smart Ray, invent one.
Wife's SRX with a 3.0 is the same setup, worst part was removing the engine mount. I found the metal OEM gaskets to be better than the paper Felpro (the reason why I replaced the pump again after doing her timing chains).
I found a silicone (or something to that effect) coated steel gasket for the timing cover of my truck made by Felpro. I think i only found it as part of a kit that includes a crank repair sleeve.
Was hoping you would show how to burp the system using one of your shadetree spill-proof funnels you keep stashed away in your cabinet (saw a glimpse of one in a past video). The shop air system you use is faster and far superior, but most of us DIY types don't have access to one. Good video Ray, glad to see you remove that wedding ring -- will never forget the horror story my late father (commercial pilot and prior A&P mechanic) told me about one of his co-workers who lost a finger during aircraft maintenance. 😱
Those funnels are great... Get engine to operating temp (so the thermostat is open) and heater on full heat and fan on high. See the bubbles burping out.. and top up the funnel as needed. Shut it off after the level in the funnel stabilizes. Im a bit OCD and repeat for at least 3 cycles Just to be sure A few models, I don't need it since the system is set up for the reservoir at the highest point (son's Mazda 3 is one of them)
Great vid as usual. Just remember, retaliation from the Mrs. Wife Unit for the watergate bottle incident ( 27:10 ) could be swift and sure, or three weeks down the track whilst you are relaxing at home with a cooling beverage.....😀😀
Thanks for being awesome with a PITA customer.
👋
I'm pretty sure the PITA customer is us to be honest. All ways complaining and correcting from the other side of the internet tubes.
I was wondering about that too.
That’s what I was wondering. Did he forget or tighten them when we weren’t looking.
Invoice: Water pump removal/replacement: $250.00
Customer PITA surcharge: $350.00
2.5 hours for the pump, 2.5 hours to figure out the belt routing = 5 hours for the job! Another fun and informative video, thanks!
❤ Love the Ray honest. 5 hrs fr the book job is including lunch and washroom 😅
😂
Good to make a diagram ahead of dropping belt off.
Owners book in the glove shows you the routing.@@roadking99jokerst60
@@roadking99jokerst60 : belt routing diagram is on the sticker under the hood. This guy handles his tools and touches things like a greenhorn, that is quite obvious to a seasoned eye.
My dad was one of a kind. He ran a repair shop from his home garage. Dad treated everyone with respect and fairness. And that is what he expected from others. He was busy from 8am to 6pm six days a week and ran his home based business for over thirty years. I miss him he was a great teacher. Thank you Rainman Ray you remind me so much of my dad.
Had a co-worker that jumped off a combine ladder and left behind his ring/ring finger on the end of a heavy spring up top. Bad day; very bad day. His attitude about it was 'Better than having your sleeve caught in a PTO.'. Whenever something worthy of praise happened we'd say 'Hey Brian, give me four.'. Never lose your sense of humor.
I had a thumb sucked into a serpentine belt.
When your boss runs into his office and comes back with a bottle of liquor.
U know it’s serious😂
On a plus side I got some PTO.
Got some light duty.
And 7 years later my nub is tough as an ox
My dad was a mechanic and eventually a manager of an extremely large (back in the day) shop. People always thought he was fair with his pricing and he made fantastic money. He told me, "You can screw someone once, but you can do good and honest business with them for a lifetime." I always thought that was brilliant, yet many modern businesses fail to see that. They want as much as they can get every time. Thank God dad taught me how to turn wrenches. I've saved over $5,000 in repairs just the past few months alone. (I just did a service to my Goldwing that would have cost $2,500...my all-up cost, $107. That's insane.)
So now you know about how much your labor is worth.....
Overhead in the Home Service Center is no charge.
These days it goes, if everyone is screwing them they have to pay one of us. Along with, if we can keep it dealer-only we can really cash in.
almost everything imported to US is marked up alot.
suspension to a audi Q7 is marked up 10k and then add creedy coorps and their labor prices.
and medical industry is even worse.
here a epipen is sold for 51 usd.
same one in america sell for 690 usd.
"they pay like 25-30 usd for them"
package of insulin 20 usd here.
in the states 300 usd.
vital stuff those people NEED.
talk about preying on those that lie down.
over 25% of our medicine export is to the us.
crazy to see those prices considering we are the second highest taxed country in the world .
I went to a garage a few weeks ago and they said the diagnosis will cost $180. They couldn't figure it out and said continued diagnosis will cost another $ 180. The way I looked at it, the fact they couldn't figure it out wasn't my problem and they should have continued to work to figure it out or tell me that they couldn't figure it out and return my money. Correctly diagnosing a car issue is 75% of why I went to them in the first place.
I hope you remembered to tighten the four bolts on the pulley
He definitely didn’t lol
This is what I came to the comments for lol
I noticed that too
Not everything is videoed!
He used the cordless ratchet to tighten them. I do the same
Hey ray, I'm 46 and my father is 70. I watch your shows every morning before work. I shared your channel with my father and he watches every show as soon as it comes out now. Thank you for that.
I was born in 1956 and started learning to work on my lawnmower in the late 60s from a neighbor that knew how to repair them. I remember making around 70 dollars one summer when I was 11. My neighbor was very patient teaching me on how to repair my mower. He was a trusted car mechanic with his own shop in town and was very successful. PS; he had 4 full time mechanics working in his shop but he pulled wrenches everyday until he died. He loved working on cars. Back in those days he could listen to them and tell you what was wrong.
Your belief of charging a customer for the actual time it takes to do a job instead of what the book quotes is a testimony to your honesty in treating customers fairly. Pricing customers out of your shop will not keep your shop open as long as you desire.
You are absolutely right to remove your wedding ring or any other item worn on the fingers. I had an uncle who lost a finger while in the Navy. They were loading a ship and the tip of a loading hook caught under his wedding ring and pulled his finger right off as the load was lifted. Always think safety while working.
Cuts both ways. What does he charge when a bolt breaks inside the block. Or manifold bolts always.
His buddy Ford Boss me is all about book quote’s because he gets paid for his knowledge even if they need to change the rates
I've seen "the book" I had it rubbed in my face once.
Funny how you go 40 years in time and if I bring it up today..."what book?".
Everybody is lying now
A lot of folks think the labor guide is a bible, it's not. It's a guide
I'm over here talking to the TV, during the belt install, like an idiot
I seriously respect your honesty with your clients.
I find that's a very rare business moto these days.
So, it took you an hour ? 90 minutes maybe... this customer doesn't need an other mechanic, ever. You work hard and are honest. You are a credit to the automotive industry. I also love to see the wife unit in the shop, she is like sunshine. Have a good weekend!
3.5 hours for the water pump? Imagine a video that is 3.5 hours long with Ray? ❤
According to the video it only took him 39 minutes. 😁
GM did a good job making a routine water pump replacement a pita job.
Love the comment about customers not returning if you rip them off. I always took our three cars to the same garage, they employed a "customer manager" who obviously wanted to impress and make money. He tried to tell me a job would take two hours when I knew one hour would be max. They have now lost my business and I found a great garage that is closer to where I live so he did me a favour by trying to rip me off.
Agree. I went to C*nrads for new tires and they tried to sell me a rear brake job for 850.00. I put all new rotors and brakes on the rear myself for 125.00. By the way they tires leaked all the time and had to keep taking back they tried to up sell me to new tires again these tires had 750 miles on them.
Toyota dealer quoted $630 to replace the clock spring wiring module in the steering wheel of my wife's 2010 Toyota Camry. My wife flipped out and told me in no uncertain terms that I was doing it. Bought the OEM part from Japan for $65, and installed it and, went for a 5 min test drive. Total time 55 minutes! Thing has 5 electrical clips for all the stuff in there. Air bag, horn, directionals, cruise control, radio volume, wiper controls, and who knows what else....LOL
@@Jay.Kellett What do you expect, they have to pay for all that real estate, buildings, overhead, and employee costs including the sales people plus profit. That's why they are called stealerships and just remember, the service department makes the most money for dealerships... not sales.
In my opinion,repeating customers are worth thier weight in gold❤🎉
Love my 2010 Crown Vic. Took 30 minutes to change the water pump, and that was including a break for tea.😂
I put money on it. RAY DIDN'T FORGET TO TIGHTEN THEM.
Nice job Ray. I would have given those water pump pulley bolts a final snug after the belt was tensioned back in place but sure it will be fine! Great work man. I’ve watched almost every video for last 18 months. If I was in Florida you would be my mechanic for the few jobs I don’t do.
My thoughts also. ❤ these videos.
8:38 - Brings back memories of the many U.S.A.F. flightline safety videos - especially the part about removing all jewelry prior to starting work.
After having an accident with a class ring with a nicad battery, and working around electricity/batteries most of my working life, I sold the class ring, and informed the wife there would be no wedding ring for me. I had to wear a watch, so I wore a plastic Casio one. Metallic Jewelry is just not good period.
Happy hard-working wife-unit, happy hard-working employees = happy life. You all deserve it.
well said Clive onya mate cheers
I give ray a ton of respect alot of people don't have the balls to take the gamble and start their own business including me.
If you're working with Autodata, they supposedly reference manufacturer warranty times.
From personal experience, more often than not, these times are ludicrously underestimated if you're not a dealership or don't have the exact tooling.
If it's job that you've done a few times already, you might get within 20%. (Note: The factory times assume that there is no ageing on any fastenings and the entire assembly is as brand new.)
On a very rare occasion, we might find a shortcut that saves us a bit.
Ray's wife is adorable. They seem like a very genuine and loving couple.
Just noticed one thing. No disturbing phone signal at all. As before at the big shop. What a relief!
Except for when Lauren trolled him a few videos back 🤣
I miss it
I am SO glad you took that ring off, Ray! I was watching this very video, turned and told my wife "Every time I see Ray wearing his wedding ring I cringe" and she came back and said "Yes, yes you've told me before.." And then 10 minutes into this video -- you took it off!!! I can now breathe easier.
I told my bros about you Ray, they live in Venice....told them your a good guy and honest mechanic. Hopefully they listen to me next time they need some work done that's beyond their abilities.
It’s good to see that you charge according to the “rules of Ray” rather than according to the rules of the book! Dave Birmingham England
As a youngster I worked at a trucking company as a gofer. A truck rolled in one afternoon, and heard it stop and shutdown, and then a horrific scream! The driver had hopped down from his cabover and apparently caught his wedding ring on the grab rail. On the ground next to the truck was the ring, accompanied by the 3rd medial and distal phalanges of his left hand! We packed it in a baggie and shipped him and it off to the ER.
Right. There was a service bulletin on Freightliner grab rails on the vertical muffler shield. The grab bar had, at each end, pop rivets which could trap a ring.
@@roadking99jokerst60 Nah. This was about 1976. TSB's for a mid-60's Fruitliner didn't exist back then.
@@tonyrusso9088 I bow to your words Tony, I was employed at a dealer from 1981.
Nice to see a private mechanic, not afraid to show himself not wearing woosy gloves on a teardown.
I wish there was someone in the Seattle area that filmed like you do. I would love to have work on my cars documented by a great honest mechanic.
I wish we had someone in Moses Lake like him!
Perhaps he truly is one of a kind.
Mechanic "A" at Dealership charges 3.5 hours for a job like this and finishes it in 1.5 hours, He then jumps to 2nd car to do a brake job that the "Book" says to charge 4.5 hours and completes it in 2.5 hours. He then has completed a book time of 8 hours work in 4 hours and then repeats the process in the afternoon. Basically doubling the income for the dealership. Yes there are times when the book time is not long enough due to unexpected issues but I would imagine those are not the higher % of the two scenarios. This is why I would always trust a mechanic like Ray to work on my car, He's knowledgeable and seems extremely fair in his pricing and times. Well done Ray.
I picked up a 3/4 Milwaukee Fuel Stubby, same as the one you have. changed my life.
I'm so glad you took your ring off!
Back when I drove a truck, I kept my wedding ring on a gold chain on my neck.
A co-worker, lost his finger, when his ring got caught on the edge of the grab handle, when he was exiting his cabover.
If you're in a situation, that can run the risk of the ring getting caught on something, it's bets to take it off, until that activity is over.
Dang Ray.. You are playing dangerous games with that waterbottle.... 😂
So glad that I Lived in an Era of Time when the Older Cars were so much easier to Work On, these Newer Ones, one hour to undress to get to the Repair Job...KUDOS to you Younger Mechanics..
Hey Ray, just a suggestion for you, I always kept my wedding ring on a keychain clipped to a belt loop on my pants. That way it was always with me and wouldn't get lost by me setting it down somewhere and forgetting it.
My dad did the same thing working around anything mechanical or electrical -- wedding ring went on a keychain which then went inside a secured pocket. 👍
As a warehouse, worker rings and necklaces were a no-go, they are practically a no-go on most jobs. Read one to many bulletins about what happen to someone who wore jewellery.
Great content Ray. Working around farm equipment, I learned that drawstrings on hoodies and rings are things that must be removed. Met many farmers in my day that were missing fingers or had horrible scars.
Lets you do a 2.4exrnot
First time commenting, LOVE your video's! I did the same repair on a 09 Saturn Vue with the 3.5. I am a 62 year old who went to trade school in the early 80s for automotive repair. I did not stay in the trade. I still do all the repair work on my family's cars as finding a honest and reputable car mechanic is a very difficult thing to do. You are spot on on the overcharging that occurs in your field. That same repair done in my driveway with only hand tools was done in 5.5 hours probably saving me 500 to 750 dollars. You are true breath of fresh air! Keep educating and bless you and the family-unit!
If a mechanic can get the job done in half the time he don’t deserve half the pay.
You shouldn’t be paid less for being better.
No matter what field.
And you want a better example.
Look up what it takes to replace a 4cyl waterpump in an equinox
Holy shit I had never seen one of these videos . I just want to say I loved this one . I feel like I can take a water pump out with the belt tensioner and all now . Great video Rey . Keep ‘‘em coming
Back in the day I owned a 1995 Chevy Caprice with the LT1 engine, and book time for changing the water pump and Opti-spark distributor was at least 3 hours. I learned to do it myself because I wasn't keen on spending $1200 or more for that job. turns out I could do the job in about one hour just using hand tools.
Just got a 94 Z28. How many miles did you get out of the opispark? Was it as bad as people say? Thanks
@@DocZoidberg549 The older 1993 Optispark was a poor design because it didn't have active venting, so moisture buildup would kill it.
The 1994 and up had a better design with active venting, so as long as the water pump doesn't leak all over it or you don't drive through a puddle the lifespan isn't terrible. I've owned both a 1994 and a 1995 Caprice and only replaced the Optispark once for each vehicle. Just make sure those vent tubes don't fall off and the tubes don't get clogged.
@@RayleighCriterion Thanks so much for the info. I have three late 90's Chevy OBS trucks. I know how to work on vortec engines. This LT1 will be a learning experience. I am looking forward to it, it only has 87K miles on it.
Ray I love to see you and the wife unit interactions. It feels good to see the love.
Great job Ray. Always doing your best while trying to save the customer some money. Stay safe and remember to remove your wedding ring whole at work. Fun watching you and wife Unit. 🙏♥️😏🥺
That definitely didn’t take 3 or 4 hours. Love watching you work.
Ray! I’m much older than you and have had several near catastrophic accidents with my ring catching on things.
The worst one was coming down a 30’ aluminum ladder, running my hands along the rails while descending rapidly.
My ring caught, and I was suspended by my ring finger and whatever I could grab onto with that hand. My body swung out away from the ladder and thankfully that jolt unhooked the ring off the ladder and I managed to catch the ladder with free hand and cling back on. Didn’t pull the finger off, but my entire body weight was supported for a second on the ring finger, and I was lucky to catch the ladder.
It’s weird how a ring catches on things.
Add in risk when working around batteries and electrical circuits....gold ring makes a good conductor to close a circuit.....
Was climbing down a scaffold and it shifted just as I was stepping down and my ring caught between the joints where the scaffolds met. Luckily I was able to catch my weight with my right hand and step back up. Never wore my ring on the job after that. My wife's friends always told her that was b.s.
@@ronleachsr I’ve seen many people roll their eyes in disBelief when I tell them why machinists and construction workers don’t wear rings.
I don’t give a shit, anyone who’s ever had a close encounter with disaster because of a ring understands the dangers.
put the ring on a small chain around your neck. Lots of guys do that.
My Dad was a master electrician for over 50 years. He never wore a ring while on the job. Too many of his friends were missing their ring finger. When 600 volts finds a path to ground through a ring, it vapourizes, taking the finger with it.
I have been watching your repairs for over a year now and I really enjoy the work you do. I've also noticed you say"see that" often and here's a suggestion to I love my job I do it twice, try saying " I do it nice cuz I do it twice. I worked as a construction electrician ( industrial/commercial) and we use that phrase all the time. I'm 65 years old and have the utmost respect for you and your work ethic and family ethics. You're the man Ray!!!
Snake oil...that's hilarious!!! Screw all those guy's. Keep on being you!! I wish I was close enough to take my stuff to you.
Did you tighten the water pump pulley after putting the belt on?
Ya, he didn't show that and wondered the same. We all assume he did, but since Ray mentioned using the belt to losen the bolts, gotta use the belt to tighten the bolts, too😂. I'm sure he did he just missed it on the edit.
Thanks for the great video. A new belt wouldn't have hurt, this one had the best of its life behind it.
I like what you’ve done with the shop. The lights were a nice touch
And cleaning/painting the walls
Wow, watching allllll the steps you had to do on that Chevy makes me look at replacing my water pump on my personal vehicle look waaaay easier. The pump is where it's supposed to be on the FRONT of the engine and completely accessible
It's 5 hours because it's all back together and you remember that you still need to torque the water pump pulley bolts.
So whose fault is that?
Mine. It's always mine. @@umageddon
Always nice to see Lauren.
I enjoyed this video. 😁
👋
You say that to all the boys. @@wifeunit
Very honest and wise of you to not overcharge the customer. My boss says, I don't want all of your money, I want all of your business. I agree with this. Nice fix Ray!👍👍
Holy cow! ACTUAL CLICKS ! We love you Ray ! ( now pre fill the vertical oil filters)
Good move taking the ring off. A co-worker and I once threw a pallet onto a 6 foot pile of other pallets on a 3 count swing. Well as I let go a protruding nail slid under my ring and dam near tore my finger off. Hyper-extended every tendon/muscle/ligament in that finger. Needless to say it swelled up big time and, hurt like Hell for days. Also made me a believer of no jewelry on the job.
I always make sure to tell the customer that the book called for much more time than what I charged them. Use the discount to earn that repeat business. This torque spec is why I spent the money on electronic torque wrenches. They can be set to measure angle and beep at 45 degrees.
Hi ray and wife unit excellent video on water pump and as always you and you’re families be safe 🇺🇸🇺🇸
If the part comes with new bolts, they are Torque To Yield bolts. I like to use a china marker to mark each bolt at the very moment it is TTYd so to be sure they are torqued- and also leaves an indcation for future me that those bolts are TTY.
More often original bolts are
Way higher quality than the cheap junk they pawn off on poor souls
I was thinking the same thing about marking the bolts as he did the 45 degree torque.
I just changed the fan clutch and water pump in my 04 trailblazer. I’m so glad I work on cars for a living. Saves me tons of money.
It was great to see that you were having a little fun at work today which makes it all worth it to come in however you keep up with the great work that you're doing and I will look forward to seeing you on the next
A friend of mine lost his ring finger in exactly the same way you described. It was a very ugly injury. 10 hours of surgery later he had a reattached finger, but it never worked the same again. Silicon rings that will break away are very much your friend here.
Another great video , can't wait to see you do the water pump , timing belt and the belt tensioner on a P.T. Cruiser
@@SimrKhera You know the deepest secrets! Froinlaven!
Great repair Ray, thanks. I also like it when the camera is on a tripod, much more steady and better for us viewers.
Ray, been watching for a while. So appreciate your honesty and integrity. Not many like you out there. Great work!
5:23 the jack drop floor loved that
When I worked in machine shops I never wore my ring on my finger. I had a necklace that I wore it on at work.
Also my neighbor lost her finger when her ring got caught in some rust on a horse trailer when she slipped off the fender while putting a weather cover on it.
Be safe, you only get to lose a finger once....
No, actually you can do it ten times.
The book giveth and the book takes away. The jobing machanic lives by the book.
Your the man you have done the job in under 1 hour. Btwgreat video👍
Man are you so lucky that you didn't lose a fingee!! What a gnarly story!!! Great repair as always!
This video was exactly what I needed! Thanks for the clear demonstration and humor along the way.
Morning Ray, I really enjoy the way you and your employees work together. I watch your videos every morning and learn something new. So happy to see you and your families busy taking off. Keep up the great videos. 👍
I have no Idea why Dealers scam people. You Your doing a great job doing this line of work.
You are amazing…have only met one mechanic in my life that didn’t charge book time. I understand how others rationalize charging book, but as you said, you aren’t focused on making money once from a customer, but rather establishing a long term relationship. I think the difference in mentality is that you are a business owner and understand getting new customers isn’t easy and can be costly. Keep up the great work, if the industry had more people like you, the rest of us would actually enjoy seeing a mechanic and trust their advice.
100%
As a mobile mechanic guy, I charge book time for repairs and only give discounts on diagnostic work. I feel like if you work at a shop as a tech, charge book time or even overcharge for certain jobs that don’t quote out the correct amount of time. If you’re the owner of the shop and get 100% of the money then I feel like you can charge less for the job.
@@mastekillerKurDgood take. As a dealer flate rate tech it frustrates me when people who have never worked a day in my boots tell me I'm wrong for quoting book time. They hate book time when I can do it quickly, but they love book time when they bring in their rusty pile of shit that takes 2x as long due to corrosion and stripped bolts.
You are so lucky Lauren do the “another” brake clean at you when you sprayed her !
Love the vid! One thing nearly every mechanic has is a drawer full of useful trinkets, mine has an assortment of bolts with the heads cut off and slots cut into the top kind of like studs threaded on one end screw driver slot on the other. Screw these into a couple of holes put the multiple layers of pieces over them, then put in some fasteners, screw the studs back out and carry on. Like having an extra set of hands sometimes when in tight areas and multiple pieces. Did I miss the final checking of the water pump pulley bolts after the belt was installed?
I’m a DIY mechanic and I did this exact job in about an hour with basic tools. Was quoted over $1k for the job.
Ray fight nice with the wife unit. Like you said about the book time if you edit just a little with your video then an hour and a half would be a realistic time. Ray and I know you torqued that pulley. Have a good Day with the wife
Your experience of thinking ahead is excellent 👌
Awesome video....... straight forward and thanks for not having any goovey background music.
For those of you who don't know, torque to yield bolts stretch as you tighten them so they are not reusable.
I figure they had to be so insane tight because of the metal gasket too.
Yes. This is why you NEVER reuse cylinder head bolts.
@@christianworthinton8000 Incorrect. The factory shop manuals for my Jeeps say head bolts can be reused ONE time. When installed the second time, they are to be marked with a daub of white paint, so if there's a next time the mechanic will know to replace them.
@christianworthinton8000 There are many applications where you can reuse head bolts , unless they are torque to yield .
You can reuse them on your own car. Customers cars get new bolts.
17:47 I guess it gets noisy at home when Ray washes the pots and pans. 😁
I bet the _customer_ of the vehicle in Lift Bay 3 must be getting annoyed with the time taken to finish it off. It's been there like "3 video weeks" now. Even I am curious to see how the outfitting of the new roof liner and floor mats have turned out.
*Thank You* for the video Ray. 👍 Much appreciated.
On with the show professor number one again
You need a life!
Thanks for taking the time to video Ray !!!
I changed 2 water pumps on my 3.6 and I still had a coolant leak. It turned out to be the seal on the coolant crossover pipe, right above the water pump. Pretty common leak according to the Chevy parts consultant.
The Look of DEATH from Wife Unit was a classic, was lovely to see the fun and joy and that your a busy man. Thanks Ray enjoy your weekend with your wonderful wife and family. also how about wearing the silicone ring as I recall your beloved buying it for you but don't recall you wearing it much
Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘❤❤
Amazed at the book labor for that pump. Definitely not that high of labor. You are a very honest tech, as we all have seen. Like you said, the business is designed on repeat customers (or words to that effect). Thanks for another great video. Always love to see the interactions with the wife unit too.
They didn’t put a 3.6L in a 2010. The 3.6L water pump time for a 2009 with a 3.6L is 1.4 hours. Much more inline with the actual repair.
@@CodycoWeb Right. The 2010 had 2.4 inline 4 cyl, & 3.0 6 cyl.
@@bloodybones63 The toyota 3.5L V6 shows 13hours, and it can be done in about 5, without having to pull the motor. It's ridiculous! I wish I lived near his shop
I was working on a bridge in 1989, doing slip forms on columns. Did basically the same jump n ring caught on horizontal edge of strucure steel. I had to bounce 3 times before my toes touched ground enough to unhook. Ring eas buried in my knuuckle by then.
Like your vids n techniques.
This is entirely true, I worked at an aviation company and one of the employees lost a finger by the exact same thing as Ray’s near miss. She wore a signet ring at the time and jumped down from an aircraft cargo door. It got stuck on the metal edge of the door surround and ripped off the finger as she jumped down. The finger was on the door and the tendon stretched from the hand to the finger before snapping. We were banned from wearing rings at work as a result.
My uncle damned near ripped his finger off when his wedding band caught. After healing up, he wore his ring on a chain around his neck from there on out. But yeah, a lot of places prohibit any jewelry, including wedding bands etc.
Hey Ray, a little late to the comments on this one but GM warranty time for that pump is also 3.2 hours. I think it's due to the coolant purge process they have you go through. Fill it, wait several minutes, if it drinks some add some more, repeat this until it stops drinking, then put the cap on, run the engine at 2500 rpm for one minute, shut it off, wait for it to completely cool, add coolant, and repeat this process until the coolant level is stabilized.
Personally, I use the Air Lift vacuum coolant filler and avoid running the engine at all to fill the cooling system. Best $110 I ever spent, although that was 20 years ago. For customer pay, utilizing the Air Lift, I definitely passed the time savings on to them. I used to charge 2 hours for those, customer pay. That included a full engine compartment wash with degreaser. The engine wash accomplished a few things, 1) it let the customer know we were actually under there because most of the time they couldn't see whatever it was we replaced, 2) it got rid of the old coolant stains so if a new leak developed (like maybe a defective pump) it was easier to see it and not question whether the stain was new or old, and 3) hopefully they are a repeat customer and the next time we had to work on it, it wouldn't be as dirty. 🙂
Just looked up the Airlift tool, it is now $154 on Amazon. In case you are interested, this is the description ==> UView 550000 Airlift Cooling System Leak Checker and Airlock Purge Tool Kit
Keep 'em coming!
Ray, I remember you said not to forget to tighten the bolts on the water pump pulley. But I only saw you snug them onto the pulley. Did you edit that part out or did you forget?
Good call on the ring removal from the flanges sir. I too am guilty of leaving my wedding reminder on my flanges.
Hey Ray it would have been more "fun" changing the water pump on the 2.4L on these cars. That's probably where the 3 hours book time applied.
I love the interaction between Ray and Wife Unit 🤣
As a high school teacher for 40 years now, I've seen a lot of things that can happen to students. Many years ago I was still in the building an hour after school and started walking to my truck to go home. When I entered the main hallway, one of my students started screaming and running to me holding her left hand. When she arrived and pulled her hand away, she had de-gloved her ring finger by catching her birthstone ring on something as she was running down the hallway to her locker. What I saw was pure white bone to her fingernail. By the time the ambulance had arrived, she was bleeding badly. They were able to repair her finger, but she almost lost it. From that time on, I do not wear rings!
Yep, rings are a bad idea. At least metal ones.
Here we are, in the 'modern' era, and that water pump pully looks like something from a 19th century steam machine. We've come so far. I want my flying cars. You're smart Ray, invent one.
Wife's SRX with a 3.0 is the same setup, worst part was removing the engine mount. I found the metal OEM gaskets to be better than the paper Felpro (the reason why I replaced the pump again after doing her timing chains).
I found a silicone (or something to that effect) coated steel gasket for the timing cover of my truck made by Felpro. I think i only found it as part of a kit that includes a crank repair sleeve.
It must feel good to earn an honest living while actually helping people!!! Enjoyed the video and the commentary..
Was hoping you would show how to burp the system using one of your shadetree spill-proof funnels you keep stashed away in your cabinet (saw a glimpse of one in a past video). The shop air system you use is faster and far superior, but most of us DIY types don't have access to one. Good video Ray, glad to see you remove that wedding ring -- will never forget the horror story my late father (commercial pilot and prior A&P mechanic) told me about one of his co-workers who lost a finger during aircraft maintenance. 😱
Those funnels are great... Get engine to operating temp (so the thermostat is open) and heater on full heat and fan on high.
See the bubbles burping out.. and top up the funnel as needed.
Shut it off after the level in the funnel stabilizes.
Im a bit OCD and repeat for at least 3 cycles Just to be sure
A few models, I don't need it since the system is set up for the reservoir at the highest point (son's Mazda 3 is one of them)
@@ricebike Thank you!
Great vid as usual. Just remember, retaliation from the Mrs. Wife Unit for the watergate bottle incident ( 27:10 ) could be swift and sure, or three weeks down the track whilst you are relaxing at home with a cooling beverage.....😀😀