Bedazzled Cars

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Dan

I like putting a personal touch on my cars, and I’m not the only one. Many people like bumper stickers, but I’ve seen a couple cars recently with a different modification that’s a bit more shiny.

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How to Make a One-Man Brake Bleeder

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Dan

New blog posts every Monday and Thursday, plus pictures throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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-Dan

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Easier Engine Swap Via Bodyshop

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Dan

The dealership I work at has its own bodyshop, and usually they do all their own mechanical work along with paint and body work. When a Civic they were working on needed the engine changed due to overheating, they elected to send it over to the service shop to have one of the regular techs take care of it.

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Makeshift Tools

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Dan

There are a few jobs I always dread because they always take longer than they should because I can’t find the correct tools. One of those jobs is axle seal replacement.

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Tip for Removing Brake Rotor Screws

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Dan

New blog posts every Monday and Thursday, plus pictures throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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-Dan

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Cooling Heated Suspension

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Dan

Rust can make a lot of mechanic work harder, as I’m sure I’ve written about many times before. One of the things it really makes hard is alignments. Adjustment bolts can seize in suspension bushings, making it impossible to actually adjust anything. When adjusting front toe, the jam nut can be rusted to the tie rod, and the outer tie rod can be rusted into the inner tie rod, sometimes requiring the torch to loosen them.

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Throwback: Overheated Engine

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Dan

Today’s throwback post is a little different than usual. This is a post that I was told I couldn’t post by the dealership I worked at the time. I no longer work there, so here it is. Originally posted November 12, 2015.

The cooling system is very important for a car’s engine. Combustion chamber temperatures can be over 1000 degrees, and the surrounding parts of the engine are hundreds of degrees. If the temperature isn’t controlled, parts can warp and crack, and ruin the engine.

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Autocross Racing September 2019

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Dan

New blog posts every Monday and Thursday, plus pictures throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Watch Mechanical Malarkey on YouTube!

Mechanical Malarkey T-shirts, hats, and stickers are available to order!

-Dan

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Car Won’t Turn Off

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Dan

Many new cars in the past few years are keyless start, requiring the key fob to only be present in the car to allow the ignition button to start the car. From what I’ve seen, the systems are pretty well designed and don’t have many problems. I had an interesting one come into the shop recently: it wouldn’t turn off.

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Hoarding Parts Can Pay Off

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Dan

Ask any mechanic, and they probably have a drawer or box full of old nuts and bolts. It may not be very often that they need to be rummaged through, but sometimes they can solve problems.

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