I have to use the “smoke wrench” on a daily basis here in Ontario Canada. If you douse the nut with water after heating it, it will break the rust bond by thermal shock. Helps break it loose.
Induction heater is a great addition to any tool box. You can heat fasteners red hot with no flame. Great for rusty exhaust bolts and gas tank strap bolts
+1 for the induction heater. Eric O has used it to great effect on this exact application. Ray you need one of those... and maybe some torch lessons from Eric O 🔥 You're determination is always inspiring.
As a UK mechanic It's never a good easy job when the "Gas Axe" has to be applied,I'm glad your videos show customers how some jobs can turn into a huge pain,as they never know this when they come to pay for the work..Nice Job.. Ozzy
Normal people never realize how easy it is to mess with a couple fasteners for an hour or more, especially with exhaust/manifold bolts. So to them 100 buck or whatever just for a few bolts is insane
@@benjamins94 Cost me over £1,000 extra due to a seized nut on a piece of forestry machinery once. Had to dismantle most of a double winch set up to remove it in order to replace a £100 bearing.
What I continually admire and appreciate about your videos is that you show the stubbern parts of the operation that require so much effort. Your persistance is remarkable and helps build confidence for me, at least, when doing something that I thought would go faster. Thanks.
This is a good demonstration to show the customers why these jobs take so long. For those people that can't understand why some seemingly simple jobs cost so much. When I was a service writer in a small shop, I spent a remarkable amount of time trying to explain the process and problems encountered. Trying to explain why it costs so much to R&R heads after breaking a few head bolts to the average person is a practice in futility. They need to watch your Vlogs Ray. Nice work!
Watching Ray escalate through "Come off", "Please Come off", "I'm not kidding", "You WILL come off" to "You can't hold together if you are molten metal!" Classic! :)
I am a UK time served Blacksmith retired. I was tought to heat nut and stud or bolt to red hot, then pour cold water on it, and the nut will stretch over the still hot stud or bolt, and when both are cold, it will come off finger tight without knackering the threads and to never try to move a hot nut as that endangers threads. i hope this helps. it always worked for me!
@@bradhaines3142 Still lots of requirement for them, not just heritage stuff (remember we have a lot of vintage properties and stuff) but artisnal stuff, and some things that just aren't made anymore by industry. Also remember the allied farrier business, lots of smiths do both. See Gary Huston for an example of jobbing blacksmith in the uk who does it as his day job (on youtube)
Ray's exhaust was child's play compared to the rust Eric deals with, altho Eric would have had the torch out before even attempting to loosen anything.
As a DIY'er, I must say that in a strange way, I find some comfort in knowing that even the professional such as Ray can have a job turn into a real pain in the butt. Thanks for sharing this, Ray. The frustration level was real!
Great video as always. Your videos are part of my morning. Just one thing though… a circle (flexplate) is 360 degrees… so 1/3 of that is 120…just saying… 😜 it’s 33.33% though!!
Hey, Ray!! All that rust, I thought I was watching Eric O. for a minute there! Love your vids, you, Eric O., and Derek (VGG) have taught me LOADS of info! Thank you and keep up the great work! Best to you and the Wife Unit!
A late model Chevy will rust out here in the South where they never ever see road salt. Replacing rusted out brake lines on em is common. It’s piss poor metal and inexcusable for what they cost. Ford and Dodge suck too but just in different ways.
Now you know what the mechanics go through each and every day in the rust bucket area in the North. Reminds me of what I use to go thru when I did this back in the 50's and 60's. The torch was my favorite tool.
Watching someone else deal with the same problems I have come to expect when dealing with vehicle repairs here in salty Snowhio is almost as painful as dealing with them myself. I congratulate you on your calm and measured professionalism. A video of myself doing this work would have included many bad words and flying tools. Well done!
This guy is the most calm unintimidating Mechanic that I've ever seen on TH-cam I like his videos although I know what I'm doing I do get a lot of tips from him and I recommend his channel because he's funny I like the sounds I like the way he works I like his worth ethic and that fact that he really doesn't like Dealership's ripping people off ... Great vid's bro keep up the good work ...
WooHoo! Best video in a while! We had beatin' we had bangin' we had torchin'! Heck yeayah! What more can you ask of an auto repair video? Thanks, Ray, for the FUN. We appreciate all the work you put in making, editing and posting your videos!
I had an old 72 Chevy Nova here in Michigan, got a flat tire, couldn't get the wheel off ( I muscled the lugs off ) the rim would budge, tried the trick of putting 3 lugs on, lower the car, drive a few feet- 100 feet- 1/4 mile- mile. Put the lugs back on drove to an old time gas station/repair shop. Told him what was up and he said $20 he'd take it off, Small hammer- big hammer - sledge hammer - torch to heat it, torch to cut the rim off - ended up removing the drum with the center part of the rim still attached. Mechanic said that was a $75 dollar job but he said $20 so... I gave him $50! Gotta love working on rusty cars.
3 holes in flywheel one hole is round the other 2 holes are oval. For Torque Converter bolts. For reinstalation you fully tighten the bolt that goes through the round hole. Then other 2 bolts line up automatically because of the oval shaped holes. Then only spin once and done.
"mild" is the UNDERSTATEMENT of the century!...he is blessed to work where THIS situation is rare and not a daily struggle for mechs here in Rustyvania, where u can literally HEAR your car rotting underneath ya as ya sit @ a red lite...hashtag "death to DOTS who use salt"...;-)
Lessons in rust. Anybody that deals with northern vehicles know. Spray , heat repeat and then some torque. I cant imagine not having rust and corrosion. What little I do on my own cars requires prep. Good work as always.
@@das.automobile When you have no rust on it, get an underspray done. Dont do just one and think its enough though. They only last for around a year and a bit. Yes the manufacturers and companies say "lifetime, decade, 5 year, etc" But thats really only if you drive on nothing but pristine clear clean roads with 0 debris or possibility of damage to the coating. They are cheap enough you can really do it every year or two. Make sure though to research your companies and find one that actually does it right and takes the proper time to make sure its a good spray.
As an retired GM Engineering Technician. I loved the concept and execution of the Avalanche 😍. The only problem was that a lot of things that normal eventually need to be replaced can be stupidity hard to get at and impossible for even experience DIY. I was just waiting for this one we had at our facility. GM level 8 and above get to have a brand new car every three months. And employees were given the chance to buy them at a decent discount.before they were put on dealership lots for sale as fleet vehicles. Anyways had my eyes on one fully equipped ones. Even had the loan all set.was going to even turn my 93, S-10 4x4 blazer in for the cash for clunkers deal. Even though it only had about fifty thousand miles on her and had pretty much been a garage Queen for it's first twenty years. Unfortunately about two weeks at our facility I was actually was in the vehicle when it happened. We were going to lunch. And when I jumped in I noticed a familiar smell. Asked George if he smelled that and he said ya it had started on the way to work this morning. I told him it smells like hot coolant. Witch he agreed and said he was going to drop it off at the dealer. So to make a long story short. It was the Heater core. Apparently the assembler had cocked the hose clamp bending the nipple at the same time 🙄. And they had to Remove the Whole Dashboard. I knew mechanic who was working on it and he knew I was going to be buying it. And he called me and said I should come buy and check out my soon to be mine truck. And as I turned the corner there sat the dash and at least a hundred other things. Bolts,chips, brackets etc,etc,. Needless to say my buddy said I'd be crazy if I bought this vehicle. Telling me about how bad it was built in the beginning. From lose fasteners, even a few broken electrical connections 🤐,etc... he told me it was one of the most teateus frustrating jobs he had to do. All because of pisspoor assemble of the vehicle over all. Of course if you only pay the the worker's peanuts and little training to begin with. You end up buying a new vehicle Sadly NOT Built with PRIDE. If only they had been built in America. But then they would have cost a lot more. No offense to Mexico as I have been to the assembly sites there a few times over the years. So all because of a heater core I never bought one but still love the concept of it. BTW I still have my 1993 S-10 4×4. With now 108K on her and still running prefect. Except for the Shitie Vortex fuel injection system🤬🤬 at least I can replace them in a afternoon and two fuel pumps.
Great video 👍 All sockets have a 1/16 or more lead taper so shallow nut's are a particular problem,grind the leading edge of the socket it will engage properly.
The joy's of being a mechanic and dealing with rusty nuts and bolts.🤔 You need to come over to the UK, now that would be testing times for you.🤪😜 As always Ray, keep smiling. 😁👍
As a 20+ year driveway mechanic in Indiana, I hate to admit it, but it was nice to see you finally have to do some actual work as a mechanic. 😂 I have never owned a car with less than 100k and this is just a typical day of working on the car. Only difference is that every bolt would have been a problem, not just the exhaust. Everything you work on is so unbelievably clean and rust free.
33.33 degrees? 120 is more like it, no? 3 x 120 = 360. what a job, glad I decided to go into Electronics, my dad taught me how to use those tools back in 1958 and I thought "Self, is there an easier way to make money?"
This video convinced me to re-seal the oil cooler block-off plate on my Silverado...and then just keep an eye on the oil level and keep it topped off. A guy can buy a lot of oil and Lucas Oil stop leak for the emotional cost of trying to do this job as a DIYer.
I agree with you 100%. What a nightmare this job looks to be. I wouldn't even know where to begin with my rusty little toolbox of incomplete tools... Dang, what a PIA job!
I see in the comments that people take what you say very very literal! Ha It's crazy how much you've had to remove so you can drop the trans and get to the area you need to be. Crazy!!! Your videos are a part of my mornings every morning so thank you for always being there to give me my first laugh of the day, you are awesome!!!
This video shows me that I made the correct decision in joining the military after my apprenticeship. 😅 I did not have the patience to be a motor mechanic. I’ve been in some predicaments where the toys go out the pram, but Ray deals with those every day. Utmost respect.
one thing that's helped with rusty bolts/nuts is heating it, immediately spraying penetrating fluid on the glowing hot bolt/nut. sometimes repeating it once or twice might be necessary but usually works. also you might want to default to heat a lot sooner.
Up here in the great rust north (ny)..I found if you just put a 15mm on a impact the vibration usually makes them come right out.. first few times I was scared they would brake..but they come right off.
Use the cutting torch to cut two opposite sides off the nut and then you can usually use a cold chisel to break the nut off. As far as I am concerned, all threads anywhere on the exhaust system should come with a generous coating of never seize.
Somewhen I saw a video about removing rusted nuts and bolts. He used heat like you but then he sprayed water on the glowing metal. The sudden contraction seemed to help. That was a hard piece of work!
Whats up Ray. When I saw you working with the torch I thought for a second I was watching a SMA video. Those flange bolts got you working a little outside your comfort zone.
Ray thanks for keeping it real, I’m not sure about the other viewers but I was struggling with you while you were dealing with the exhaust bolts. I would have called it a day too!!
Fun fact, the stubby 3/8 Milwaukee you used on the sway bar bushing is actually rated for 30 more lb/ft compared to the secondary option of the right angle impact
Hey Ray I'm so glad that you have your own shop you are a very good mechanic most mechanic would even tell anybody anything or make up things to do just to make more money off of them I'm glad you are an honest mechanic are hard to come by especially where I live in Ohio I found a good mechanic. Owns his own shop he does let me bring my parts from time to time when you can't get them but I also believe a good tip
Usually you make things look easy and I go "I can do this stuff." Then you have to break out torches and cut things... and I go "nope. Nopenopenope." :D
I feel for you Ray. Book time on R&R that Transmission is 8.6, and I just did one Saturday, Fortunatly the exhaust came apart OK, however the sway bar bracket bolts were so rusted, extraction failed and I wound up drilling the bolts out and retapping the holes. Being up here in Idaho, rust is a constant companion, so if you have any tricks for extractions and other "games" I would Love to see them. Love your work, Enjoy the good weather!
Little secret... take out the front wheel well liners. Gives you much easier access to those catalytic converter bolts. At least on the passenger side it does👌🏻
Just offering my unsolicited, humble opinion sir; you honestly have the Best mechanic that I have ever seen in my 57 years of life, working on your Avalanche. Ray is so meticulous and honest, as I am sure you already know. Just the fact that he videos ALL of his work is evidence enough of how transparent Ray is in his work ethic. I know that I would search Ray out to work on all of my own vehicles, if I just lived closer to his location. Have a great day sir! Fred
The factory drive shaft is balanced from factory . I have found if reinstalling factory drive shaft without marking original points the vehicle will get a good vibration. You are a very qualified mech/ tech For those stuck nuts and bolts you should invest in a SOLARY flameless heat induction tool..../ Great for the situation you were in.
I was going to say it makes no difference unless you split the driveshaft … and then I saw the splines fly by. 😮 I’m pretty sure Ray marked the location off camera. Have faith 😊.
Someone said to mark driveshaft before removal the other day....I worked in a shop that did 3 to 5 lift kits per day .....every day...6 days a week ...they never marked a drive shaft ever and never had a vibration complaint that was turned out to be drive shaft....I'm old and anal and would think marking it and reinstalling it in same place would just be a good idea..but seems to not be an issue for those guys
@@frankp.2831 Well you never no... Figured it was worth a mention. I had a lot of fun when replacing universal Joint on a tacoma removing my first drive shaft and failed to mark original positions . Needless to say a rust bucket and the roller bearings were nothing but powder forcing the removal of driveshaft to repair.
@@loudelvis610 If you don’t split the driveshaft there is no need to mark it. However, Ray pulled the splined joint apart, and THAT has to be keyed back into the original position or it will induce vibration both from the balance weights and yokes being out of sync.
Incredible job Ray, exhaust bolts are no fun. Have you ever tried "Knock-er- loose " penetration oil? I had an old can from the 60's, made short work of my exhaust nightmare
Man, those downpipe nuts were vicious. I’ve had a few moments like that with my MG, but with limited access (no lift) and limited torque (wimpy muscles). That sort of thing can really make your day. So yeah, I have a lot of respect for “real” mechanics who deal with this stuff all the time.
Ray, love your vids, but I do worry about you using regular sockets on an impact for some of those bolts. Those sockets have been known to shatter violently.
Ray.... I'm exhausted (no pun intended!!) just watching your battle of the studs! We all knew that you'd win in the end though😅 Greetings from across the pond!👍
I live North of Boston, and EVERY exhaust I ever worked on required cutting the bolts or exhaust completely off. Exhaust manifold bolts were expected to break off and require drilling and extraction. Just another day in salted roads/rustville.
Thanks for sharing the real struggle with us. If we cant see is ok with me as you are the one doing the work and need to see. Another great video thanks for sharing with us.
Hey Ray, have you tried metrinch sockets, I love them, they actually grab the flats of the nut and not the corners so even if they are rounded off they should still grab the nut and undo it
My sentiments exactly. I would let her leak, or I would use it as an excuse to do upgrades simultaneously, like a better exhaust. And whatever possible maintenance it would need while there would get done...like new o2 sensors, trans fluid and filter, new U joints, etc. I hope Ray is charging 10+ hours labor for this job.
In other words do you want to be a redneck and have a vehicle that will let you down eventually or do you wanna throw a paycheck or two at it to make it 100% again.. I get it if they're poor but for normal people, ignoring it is just being a cheapskate
Saw the transmission on the bench yesterday and thought it might be a replacement for the forbidden milkshake F150, but alas it belongs to an avalanche. When that last nut finally creaked I said that's a good sign half a second before you did🤣 exhausting video 🤪
One tip I learned from an older mechanic is to heat the nut and bolt with a torch and then touch the rusty threads with some wax. I just stole some of my wife’s cooking wax. It works way better than penetrating oil on hot metal
Ray, sometimes you make more work for yourself by using deep sockets and extension bars that are too long for the job. Better tool selection from the beginning would be helpful and less frustrating.
I recently replaced the sway bar bushings on my 2007 Avalanche and even though it’s been a southern truck it’s whole life the bolts were tight coming out.
Wow Ray tough one today, but for us your avid devoted viewers it was Danger Fire Sparks Molten Metal all the fun things we love mate so TY. Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘💖💖💖💖🎇🎇✨✨🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
There is another trick that works most of the time for stuck nutz. Heat just the nut till it is cherry red, then quench it cool with water. The nut will come right off. It shocks the rust free between the 2 parts.
I am no mechanic by any means, but these videos make me appreciate what it takes to be a good mechanic. I am more thankful for my mechanic up here in Virginia that keeps my Lexus going at 110K miles without overcharging me or ripping me off.
Now he understands what Wes and Eric O go through all the time. The scary part is that that was just to get to the repair. A "simple" side quest that took forever. How do you charge the customer? If I was Ray, I'd provide usb of this repair with the invoice to give a full understanding of this PITA!
It depends on how the customer "reads" to you. Sometimes you absorb the extra cost so you can earn a repeat customer. Sometimes you split the extra labor with the customer. Other times you charge the full labor time.
I did this same job to my 08 Silverado. that spent its life in Michigan. took one look at them bolts said nope 😂 and just cut the pipe and welded a new piece back after putting the trans in. I never understood why they didn't use stainless for them bolts so they wouldn't rust. hope rest goes easy. for you 👍 oh and do not forget to have yourself a great day ray lol 😄
Ray, something I learned half a century ago...when dealing with delicate exhaust bolts use a half inch air impact turning down the the air pressure until the impact barely taps. Go back and forth in both directions with the impact several times then very slowly turn up the air pressure until the nut or bolt unscrews. I have not broken an exhaust bolt or stud since 1968 using this method. Of course a little penetrating oil never hurts. PS: make sure and use a 1/2" AIR impact with an impact extension and impact socket. I use a MAC extension designed for removing transmission bolts. 1/2" at the impact and 3/8" at the socket with Snap on 3/8 swivel 6 point impact sockets. Has never failed me.
I have this exact same problem on my 2004 chevy suburban (rear main seal). and I didn't think it would leak that much. but when I went to go change my oil after 3k miles I had lost about 2.5-3 quarts of oil.
At $5 per 1000 miles, you can drive 250,000 miles before you’ve spent more than the seal job. Of course, that assumes you don’t forget, and that the leak doesn’t get worse.
my 2001 K1500 Suburban is on a "Constant Oil Change" interval, Rear Mail Seal leaks. Labor cost alone is $1200, so uh, it will continue to leak for the next 20 years, and still $1000 cheaper than the oil that leaks.
Hate to say it Ray, but 33.3333° is not a third of a circle. 120° is...
🤣🤣😉
My brain knew what I meant. I was thinking about some sort of degree / percentage hybrid calculation.
You are a Jackass
I remember when circles only had 100 degrees. Of course, the Earth was flat back then also.
@@rjgambill depending on who you ask earth is flat now?
I have to use the “smoke wrench” on a daily basis here in Ontario Canada. If you douse the nut with water after heating it, it will break the rust bond by thermal shock. Helps break it loose.
We call it a flame drill.
Fire axe in my neck of the woods
@@RayLovesCars red wrench!
@@rocketsucker1337 Hot spanner, my part of the UK
In Buffalo NY that truck would be mint, wish we had easy days like that all the time LOL!
Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray..... so much to learn young grasshopper 🔥
Stop sending us your northern cars 😂😂😂
Induction heater is a great addition to any tool box. You can heat fasteners red hot with no flame. Great for rusty exhaust bolts and gas tank strap bolts
EVERY shop needs a MiniDuctor!
+1 for the induction heater. Eric O has used it to great effect on this exact application. Ray you need one of those... and maybe some torch lessons from Eric O 🔥 You're determination is always inspiring.
Fire is more fun though....
As a UK mechanic It's never a good easy job when the "Gas Axe" has to be applied,I'm glad your videos show customers how some jobs can turn into a huge pain,as they never know this when they come to pay for the work..Nice Job.. Ozzy
Normal people never realize how easy it is to mess with a couple fasteners for an hour or more, especially with exhaust/manifold bolts. So to them 100 buck or whatever just for a few bolts is insane
@@benjamins94 Cost me over £1,000 extra due to a seized nut on a piece of forestry machinery once.
Had to dismantle most of a double winch set up to remove it in order to replace a £100 bearing.
@@benjamins94 it's exhausting watching Ray struggle to remove an exhaust :-)
We used to say "Break out the HOT WRENCH!"
What I continually admire and appreciate about your videos is that you show the stubbern parts of the operation that require so much effort. Your persistance is remarkable and helps build confidence for me, at least, when doing something that I thought would go faster. Thanks.
I would add that I like the fact that Ray tackles the harder fasteners first.
This is a good demonstration to show the customers why these jobs take so long. For those people that can't understand why some seemingly simple jobs cost so much. When I was a service writer in a small shop, I spent a remarkable amount of time trying to explain the process and problems encountered. Trying to explain why it costs so much to R&R heads after breaking a few head bolts to the average person is a practice in futility. They need to watch your Vlogs Ray. Nice work!
Watching Ray escalate through "Come off", "Please Come off", "I'm not kidding", "You WILL come off" to "You can't hold together if you are molten metal!" Classic! :)
elon meme
was missing the half inch drive tho lmao
I am a UK time served Blacksmith retired. I was tought to heat nut and stud or bolt to red hot, then pour cold water on it, and the nut will stretch over the still hot stud or bolt, and when both are cold, it will come off finger tight without knackering the threads and to never try to move a hot nut as that endangers threads. i hope this helps. it always worked for me!
blacksmith is more than a hobby? whaat?
@@bradhaines3142 Still lots of requirement for them, not just heritage stuff (remember we have a lot of vintage properties and stuff) but artisnal stuff, and some things that just aren't made anymore by industry. Also remember the allied farrier business, lots of smiths do both. See Gary Huston for an example of jobbing blacksmith in the uk who does it as his day job (on youtube)
@@bradhaines3142 TH-cam search "Idaho Horseshoeing School"
As long as we have horses, we need blacksmiths.
@@bradhaines3142 yes it was a 5-year apprenticeship
I'll bet Eric O. is gonna love this one! 😆
Ray's exhaust was child's play compared to the rust Eric deals with, altho Eric would have had the torch out before even attempting to loosen anything.
👀
@@MitchGaar Or just introduced them to the floor, in a puddle.
As a DIY'er, I must say that in a strange way, I find some comfort in knowing that even the professional such as Ray can have a job turn into a real pain in the butt. Thanks for sharing this, Ray. The frustration level was real!
Great video as always. Your videos are part of my morning. Just one thing though… a circle (flexplate) is 360 degrees… so 1/3 of that is 120…just saying… 😜 it’s 33.33% though!!
I came to the comments to say exactly this.
Ray is correct in the 33 he’s only talking about the three bolts not the whole flex plate
Just why I was going to comment...
@@michaelgarnett1196then it would be 33.3333333% not °
Beat me to it! 😁
Hey, Ray!! All that rust, I thought I was watching Eric O. for a minute there! Love your vids, you, Eric O., and Derek (VGG) have taught me LOADS of info! Thank you and keep up the great work! Best to you and the Wife Unit!
A late model Chevy will rust out here in the South where they never ever see road salt. Replacing rusted out brake lines on em is common. It’s piss poor metal and inexcusable for what they cost. Ford and Dodge suck too but just in different ways.
@@prevost8686 Good to know! Makes you wanna part with 60K for a rusty bucket, huh?
Now you know what the mechanics go through each and every day in the rust bucket area in the North. Reminds me of what I use to go thru when I did this back in the 50's and 60's. The torch was my favorite tool.
Watching someone else deal with the same problems I have come to expect when dealing with vehicle repairs here in salty Snowhio is almost as painful as dealing with them myself. I congratulate you on your calm and measured professionalism. A video of myself doing this work would have included many bad words and flying tools. Well done!
It'd be the same from me. Living in a province full of salt, snow, and fairly high humidity on the daily makes jobs like this a HUGE pain
You can remove that front drive shaft out without removing sway bar if you go over front differential,
It can’t be stuck if it’s liquid. 😂 priceless. Your videos and enough coffee, my day can begin. Great job Ray.
This guy is the most calm unintimidating Mechanic that I've ever seen on TH-cam I like his videos although I know what I'm doing I do get a lot of tips from him and I recommend his channel because he's funny I like the sounds I like the way he works I like his worth ethic and that fact that he really doesn't like Dealership's ripping people off ... Great vid's bro keep up the good work ...
WooHoo! Best video in a while! We had beatin' we had bangin' we had torchin'! Heck yeayah! What more can you ask of an auto repair video? Thanks, Ray, for the FUN. We appreciate all the work you put in making, editing and posting your videos!
I had an old 72 Chevy Nova here in Michigan, got a flat tire, couldn't get the wheel off ( I muscled the lugs off ) the rim would budge, tried the trick of putting 3 lugs on, lower the car, drive a few feet- 100 feet- 1/4 mile- mile. Put the lugs back on drove to an old time gas station/repair shop. Told him what was up and he said $20 he'd take it off,
Small hammer- big hammer - sledge hammer - torch to heat it, torch to cut the rim off - ended up removing the drum with the center part of the rim still attached. Mechanic said that was a $75 dollar job but he said $20 so... I gave him $50! Gotta love working on rusty cars.
3 holes in flywheel one hole is round the other 2 holes are oval. For Torque Converter bolts. For reinstalation you fully tighten the bolt that goes through the round hole. Then other 2 bolts line up automatically because of the oval shaped holes. Then only spin once and done.
I had to do the rear main on our 07 yukon recently. Broke 3 of the 6 manifold to exhaust bolts. It was a pain!
Finally, a proper rust belt vehicle! This is a mild one too!
"mild" is the UNDERSTATEMENT of the century!...he is blessed to work where THIS situation is rare and not a daily struggle for mechs here in Rustyvania, where u can literally HEAR your car rotting underneath ya as ya sit @ a red lite...hashtag "death to DOTS who use salt"...;-)
Lessons in rust. Anybody that deals with northern vehicles know. Spray , heat repeat and then some torque. I cant imagine not having rust and corrosion. What little I do on my own cars requires prep. Good work as always.
@@das.automobile When you have no rust on it, get an underspray done. Dont do just one and think its enough though. They only last for around a year and a bit. Yes the manufacturers and companies say "lifetime, decade, 5 year, etc" But thats really only if you drive on nothing but pristine clear clean roads with 0 debris or possibility of damage to the coating. They are cheap enough you can really do it every year or two. Make sure though to research your companies and find one that actually does it right and takes the proper time to make sure its a good spray.
@@das.automobile fluid film
Damn man, what a struggle.
New vehicles have so much crammed in such a small space. Insane.
And this trial is on a full size truck. Imagine if he was working on a subcompact car...
@@JM-lk6wo Or even worse, a PT Cruiser!
...wait...
@@MonkeyJedi99 You're right, engine bay is very tight, at least partly by the narrow nose.
@@JM-lk6wo I was also joking, given that Ray has worked on a few PT Cruisers at his new shop.
@@MonkeyJedi99 at least a couple were literally the same car, just a different thing needed to be replaced
As an retired GM Engineering Technician. I loved the concept and execution of the Avalanche 😍. The only problem was that a lot of things that normal eventually need to be replaced can be stupidity hard to get at and impossible for even experience DIY. I was just waiting for this one we had at our facility. GM level 8 and above get to have a brand new car every three months. And employees were given the chance to buy them at a decent discount.before they were put on dealership lots for sale as fleet vehicles. Anyways had my eyes on one fully equipped ones. Even had the loan all set.was going to even turn my 93, S-10 4x4 blazer in for the cash for clunkers deal. Even though it only had about fifty thousand miles on her and had pretty much been a garage Queen for it's first twenty years. Unfortunately about two weeks at our facility I was actually was in the vehicle when it happened. We were going to lunch. And when I jumped in I noticed a familiar smell. Asked George if he smelled that and he said ya it had started on the way to work this morning. I told him it smells like hot coolant. Witch he agreed and said he was going to drop it off at the dealer. So to make a long story short. It was the Heater core. Apparently the assembler had cocked the hose clamp bending the nipple at the same time 🙄. And they had to Remove the Whole Dashboard. I knew mechanic who was working on it and he knew I was going to be buying it. And he called me and said I should come buy and check out my soon to be mine truck. And as I turned the corner there sat the dash and at least a hundred other things. Bolts,chips, brackets etc,etc,. Needless to say my buddy said I'd be crazy if I bought this vehicle. Telling me about how bad it was built in the beginning. From lose fasteners, even a few broken electrical connections 🤐,etc... he told me it was one of the most teateus frustrating jobs he had to do. All because of pisspoor assemble of the vehicle over all. Of course if you only pay the the worker's peanuts and little training to begin with. You end up buying a new vehicle Sadly NOT Built with PRIDE. If only they had been built in America. But then they would have cost a lot more. No offense to Mexico as I have been to the assembly sites there a few times over the years. So all because of a heater core I never bought one but still love the concept of it. BTW I still have my 1993 S-10 4×4. With now 108K on her and still running prefect. Except for the Shitie Vortex fuel injection system🤬🤬 at least I can replace them in a afternoon and two fuel pumps.
Great video 👍 All sockets have a 1/16 or more lead taper so shallow nut's are a particular problem,grind the leading edge of the socket it will engage properly.
just did that with my 79 . your percavarnce prevailed. good job
The joy's of being a mechanic and dealing with rusty nuts and bolts.🤔 You need to come over to the UK, now that would be testing times for you.🤪😜 As always Ray, keep smiling. 😁👍
Hi mark, I'm amazed at how much room they have to work with. cant get a socket on some of ours😂
As a 20+ year driveway mechanic in Indiana, I hate to admit it, but it was nice to see you finally have to do some actual work as a mechanic. 😂 I have never owned a car with less than 100k and this is just a typical day of working on the car. Only difference is that every bolt would have been a problem, not just the exhaust. Everything you work on is so unbelievably clean and rust free.
33.33 degrees? 120 is more like it, no? 3 x 120 = 360. what a job, glad I decided to go into Electronics, my dad taught me how to use those tools back in 1958 and I thought "Self, is there an easier way to make money?"
Hahahahaha. It went right over my head also 🤪
If we change the degrees to percentiles we're on the right track though 33.33%
Great pickup @johncraig 👀
I caught that as well. He would be correct if it took 100° to rotate
This video convinced me to re-seal the oil cooler block-off plate on my Silverado...and then just keep an eye on the oil level and keep it topped off. A guy can buy a lot of oil and Lucas Oil stop leak for the emotional cost of trying to do this job as a DIYer.
I agree with you 100%. What a nightmare this job looks to be. I wouldn't even know where to begin with my rusty little toolbox of incomplete tools... Dang, what a PIA job!
I see in the comments that people take what you say very very literal! Ha It's crazy how much you've had to remove so you can drop the trans and get to the area you need to be. Crazy!!! Your videos are a part of my mornings every morning so thank you for always being there to give me my first laugh of the day, you are awesome!!!
I'm not a big bg guy but that in force is very impresive.that's the only stuff I use now.
My last bosses motto...."can't be tight if it's liquid". Living my whole life in North Idaho, rust is a given when working on anything metal outside.
Been wanting to make a trip up there from the Boise area 😊
@@2flocks come on up!
This video shows me that I made the correct decision in joining the military after my apprenticeship. 😅 I did not have the patience to be a motor mechanic. I’ve been in some predicaments where the toys go out the pram, but Ray deals with those every day. Utmost respect.
one thing that's helped with rusty bolts/nuts is heating it, immediately spraying penetrating fluid on the glowing hot bolt/nut. sometimes repeating it once or twice might be necessary but usually works.
also you might want to default to heat a lot sooner.
Up here in the great rust north (ny)..I found if you just put a 15mm on a impact the vibration usually makes them come right out.. first few times I was scared they would brake..but they come right off.
What a way to start the morning cup of coffee watching Rays videos.
Use the cutting torch to cut two opposite sides off the nut and then you can usually use a cold chisel to break the nut off.
As far as I am concerned, all threads anywhere on the exhaust system should come with a generous coating of never seize.
Love when people show the real struggles. The exhaust bolts/ nuts 😁😁
I’d love to see ray working on a rust belt car. These florida cars are too solid and not rusty enough for my liking
Before you even broke the torch out, I was thinking "Can't be stuck if its liquid."
Words to live by 🥲
I’m just glad I know what your referring to lmao
thankyou Ray,that was intense,,see you in part two, have yourself a great week.👌👍
Somewhen I saw a video about removing rusted nuts and bolts. He used heat like you but then he sprayed water on the glowing metal. The sudden contraction seemed to help.
That was a hard piece of work!
Yes, ray, a bolt that has turned to liquid cannot be stuck. I'm glad you have that blowtorch
Suggestion: Ray, next time try a brazing tip when heating a nut for removal. It's smaller and will be easier to get into tight quarters.
Whats up Ray. When I saw you working with the torch I thought for a second I was watching a SMA video. Those flange bolts got you working a little outside your comfort zone.
Ray thanks for keeping it real, I’m not sure about the other viewers but I was struggling with you while you were dealing with the exhaust bolts. I would have called it a day too!!
I was doing a lot of cussing for Ray on those stubborn exhaust nuts !!!😂😂😂😂😂
I've been there and done that, don't miss that part one bit now that I'm retired!
Fun fact, the stubby 3/8 Milwaukee you used on the sway bar bushing is actually rated for 30 more lb/ft compared to the secondary option of the right angle impact
Holy Cow Ray! The struggle is real and very violent. Thanks for showing what you deal with on some jobs.
When my auto mechanic says the bill, I smile, hand him my credit card and think to myself "Well worth it. I didn't want to fight that monster."
I just spent thirteen minutes watching someone unscrew three nuts. And I couldn't stop watching! Well done, Ray!
Well that was quite an ordeal. Looking forward to part 2
Hey Ray I'm so glad that you have your own shop you are a very good mechanic most mechanic would even tell anybody anything or make up things to do just to make more money off of them I'm glad you are an honest mechanic are hard to come by especially where I live in Ohio I found a good mechanic. Owns his own shop he does let me bring my parts from time to time when you can't get them but I also believe a good tip
Usually you make things look easy and I go "I can do this stuff." Then you have to break out torches and cut things... and I go "nope. Nopenopenope." :D
I feel for you Ray. Book time on R&R that Transmission is 8.6, and I just did one Saturday, Fortunatly the exhaust came apart OK, however the sway bar bracket bolts were so rusted, extraction failed and I wound up drilling the bolts out and retapping the holes. Being up here in Idaho, rust is a constant companion, so if you have any tricks for extractions and other "games" I would Love to see them. Love your work, Enjoy the good weather!
Little secret... take out the front wheel well liners. Gives you much easier access to those catalytic converter bolts. At least on the passenger side it does👌🏻
Nice work Ray. Nothing is ever easy as it seems
Ray, so sorry with all the rust and issues. Never will I buy from up north. Thank you as always for your hard work fixing my truck
Another happy customer. All in a days work!🤩
Just offering my unsolicited, humble opinion sir; you honestly have the Best mechanic that I have ever seen in my 57 years of life, working on your Avalanche. Ray is so meticulous and honest, as I am sure you already know. Just the fact that he videos ALL of his work is evidence enough of how transparent Ray is in his work ethic. I know that I would search Ray out to work on all of my own vehicles, if I just lived closer to his location. Have a great day sir! Fred
28:45 Nut splitter. Removes the nut, leaves the stud. then run a thread chaser down the stud to clean it up.
The factory drive shaft is balanced from factory .
I have found if reinstalling factory drive shaft without marking original points the vehicle will get a good vibration.
You are a very qualified mech/ tech
For those stuck nuts and bolts you should invest in a SOLARY flameless heat induction tool..../ Great for the situation you were in.
I was going to say it makes no difference unless you split the driveshaft … and then I saw the splines fly by. 😮
I’m pretty sure Ray marked the location off camera. Have faith 😊.
Someone said to mark driveshaft before removal the other day....I worked in a shop that did 3 to 5 lift kits per day .....every day...6 days a week ...they never marked a drive shaft ever and never had a vibration complaint that was turned out to be drive shaft....I'm old and anal and would think marking it and reinstalling it in same place would just be a good idea..but seems to not be an issue for those guys
@@frankp.2831
Well you never no...
Figured it was worth a mention.
I had a lot of fun when replacing universal Joint on a tacoma removing my first drive shaft and failed to mark original positions .
Needless to say a rust bucket and the roller bearings were nothing but powder forcing the removal of driveshaft to repair.
@@loudelvis610 If you don’t split the driveshaft there is no need to mark it. However, Ray pulled the splined joint apart, and THAT has to be keyed back into the original position or it will induce vibration both from the balance weights and yokes being out of sync.
@@loudelvis610 Too bad they don't have an extra 40 seconds available in their day, I wonder where else they save time?
Reminds me of all the cars I worked on at my shop in Hamilton Ontario, rusty crap, fun wow,
People wonder why I buy 2wd trucks.. A lot less parts underneath to fix, replace and service. Good vid ray!
Incredible job Ray, exhaust bolts are no fun. Have you ever tried "Knock-er- loose " penetration oil? I had an old can from the 60's, made short work of my exhaust nightmare
Man, those downpipe nuts were vicious. I’ve had a few moments like that with my MG, but with limited access (no lift) and limited torque (wimpy muscles). That sort of thing can really make your day. So yeah, I have a lot of respect for “real” mechanics who deal with this stuff all the time.
Ray, love your vids, but I do worry about you using regular sockets on an impact for some of those bolts. Those sockets have been known to shatter violently.
Ray.... I'm exhausted (no pun intended!!) just watching your battle of the studs! We all knew that you'd win in the end though😅 Greetings from across the pond!👍
I live North of Boston, and EVERY exhaust I ever worked on required cutting the bolts or exhaust completely off. Exhaust manifold bolts were expected to break off and require drilling and extraction. Just another day in salted roads/rustville.
We've all been there Ray. That's why we have "Oh 💩" drawers in our toolboxes and most importantly, the fire wrench.👍👍
Thanks for sharing the real struggle with us. If we cant see is ok with me as you are the one doing the work and need to see. Another great video thanks for sharing with us.
Hey Ray, have you tried metrinch sockets, I love them, they actually grab the flats of the nut and not the corners so even if they are rounded off they should still grab the nut and undo it
This is one of those cases where you have to decide: How bad is the leak versus the $1000+ to fix it.
My sentiments exactly. I would let her leak, or I would use it as an excuse to do upgrades simultaneously, like a better exhaust. And whatever possible maintenance it would need while there would get done...like new o2 sensors, trans fluid and filter, new U joints, etc. I hope Ray is charging 10+ hours labor for this job.
@Hott Puppy i would have to agree with you on this one for sure
yes but what else will the oil ruin while it's leaking. like they say you can pay him now or pay a lot more later.
In other words do you want to be a redneck and have a vehicle that will let you down eventually or do you wanna throw a paycheck or two at it to make it 100% again.. I get it if they're poor but for normal people, ignoring it is just being a cheapskate
You can tell he’s a dealership mechanic
Saw the transmission on the bench yesterday and thought it might be a replacement for the forbidden milkshake F150, but alas it belongs to an avalanche. When that last nut finally creaked I said that's a good sign half a second before you did🤣 exhausting video 🤪
Glad to see you’re finally got a real torch
Ya, that torch was "SHINY!"
One tip I learned from an older mechanic is to heat the nut and bolt with a torch and then touch the rusty threads with some wax. I just stole some of my wife’s cooking wax. It works way better than penetrating oil on hot metal
Ray, sometimes you make more work for yourself by using deep sockets and extension bars that are too long for the job. Better tool selection from the beginning would be helpful and less frustrating.
I recently replaced the sway bar bushings on my 2007 Avalanche and even though it’s been a southern truck it’s whole life the bolts were tight coming out.
Wow Ray tough one today, but for us your avid devoted viewers it was Danger Fire Sparks Molten Metal all the fun things we love mate so TY.
Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘💖💖💖💖🎇🎇✨✨🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
There is another trick that works most of the time for stuck nutz. Heat just the nut till it is cherry red, then quench it cool with water. The nut will come right off. It shocks the rust free between the 2 parts.
I am no mechanic by any means, but these videos make me appreciate what it takes to be a good mechanic. I am more thankful for my mechanic up here in Virginia that keeps my Lexus going at 110K miles without overcharging me or ripping me off.
@@richardbicker640 2014 IS250C
Set your acetylene at 5 and oxygen at 40 for number1tip then adjust the flame.
I think it is fair to say many a day has been ruined by rusted exhaust bolts. Thank god for the glow wrench.
"It can't be stuck if it's liquid"! Love it!
Now he understands what Wes and Eric O go through all the time. The scary part is that that was just to get to the repair. A "simple" side quest that took forever. How do you charge the customer? If I was Ray, I'd provide usb of this repair with the invoice to give a full understanding of this PITA!
It depends on how the customer "reads" to you. Sometimes you absorb the extra cost so you can earn a repeat customer. Sometimes you split the extra labor with the customer. Other times you charge the full labor time.
I did this same job to my 08 Silverado. that spent its life in Michigan. took one look at them bolts said nope 😂 and just cut the pipe and welded a new piece back after putting the trans in. I never understood why they didn't use stainless for them bolts so they wouldn't rust. hope rest goes easy. for you 👍 oh and do not forget to have yourself a great day ray lol 😄
holy cow, that was a difficult one. Never give up...
Ray, something I learned half a century ago...when dealing with delicate exhaust bolts use a half inch air impact turning down the the air pressure until the impact barely taps. Go back and forth in both directions with the impact several times then very slowly turn up the air pressure until the nut or bolt unscrews. I have not broken an exhaust bolt or stud since 1968 using this method. Of course a little penetrating oil never hurts. PS: make sure and use a 1/2" AIR impact with an impact extension and impact socket. I use a MAC extension designed for removing transmission bolts. 1/2" at the impact and 3/8" at the socket with Snap on 3/8 swivel 6 point impact sockets. Has never failed me.
Your videos have become apart of my daily routine! Been watching since the Camaro with the loose battery cables!!!
That's one hell of a job did one on my 07 and omg did it sucks that is exactly what happened when I did it same bolts broke off 2 days later.
Lots of work for an oil leak 😂 I’d just add as needed but I’m a cheap one. Hope you made good money on this one! Good video
Until the oil leaks get so bad that everything underneath gets saturated with oil, & you end up replacing starters & other electrical components.
Oil leaks almost always equal a lot of work. Inevitably it's from most inconvenient places.
@@timothygeiger8271 Not to mention the damage to rubber parts like mounts, bushings, and hoses.
I have this exact same problem on my 2004 chevy suburban (rear main seal). and I didn't think it would leak that much. but when I went to go change my oil after 3k miles I had lost about 2.5-3 quarts of oil.
At $5 per 1000 miles, you can drive 250,000 miles before you’ve spent more than the seal job. Of course, that assumes you don’t forget, and that the leak doesn’t get worse.
Well Ray, now you know what Eric O deals with every day when it comes to rusted bolts.
I’m sure Eric O will smile through this. This truck must have spent a winter or two up north or done some driving in the Florida surf.
It's a right pain when exhaust bolts rust I find a nut splitter helps
Well that escalated slowly.
Ray use a pry bar to hold flex plate starter gear take bolt out of converter
It can't be stuck if it's liquid sounds like Eric O dealing with exhaust bolts in the rust belt. 😂 That rig was a wee bit crusty....
Ray always going the extra mile to get the shots for his viewers.. love it ahah
I think i might have put something on the driveway to catch drips ,add oil , and call it a day.
my 2001 K1500 Suburban is on a "Constant Oil Change" interval, Rear Mail Seal leaks. Labor cost alone is $1200, so uh, it will continue to leak for the next 20 years, and still $1000 cheaper than the oil that leaks.
@@johncraig406 Plus, you have the added benefit of "auto rustproofing" the entire underside of your Suburban! Win - Win in my view.
Torches are cool. but note to self. spray bottle of water, garden hose close and handy, fire extinguisher last resort. Torch on.great job!! no fires
I have always liked 1/2” extensions, they don’t wind up too easy !
This reminds me of working on my dads cars when I was younger……same rush locked nuts and studs but no fire to help