Recent content by Marfark

Knoxville, TN.

Linda, is there some place I can go to actually see a Lista Technician box? I'll probably be buying a roll cab type toolbox soon, and the model 750 triple bank is pretty much what I'm looking for. But I don't think I could part with my money without actually seeing what I'm buying. I went...

I've never cleaned my 10 year old Murray push mower. Once a year I change the oil, sharpen the blade, and maybe check the air filter and spark plug. That's all the maintenance it gets. The underside of the deck is pretty rusty. I don't care. Someday when the engine falls through the deck...

Happened to me once with a tail-heavy load on the trailer. It taught me the importance of proper tongue weight. Also, I learned quickly that trying to counter-steer to correct the swaying only makes it worse. I held the wheel straight and let off the gas and it settled down. Then I drove the...

Chevy is arguably just as bad. Ever hear about Chevy's problems with piston slap, Dexcool sludge, intake gaskets, and holes in their transfer cases? And don't get me started on Dodge and Nissan. All auto manufacturers have design flaws, some more than others. My strategery is to read up on...

I had to drill out three hardened 5mm bolts that were broken off in an aluminum chainsaw engine housing. My MAC titanium bits wouldn't bite at all. I ended up buying a 1/8" Bosch tungsten carbide glass and tile bit. I think it was about $10 at Home Depot. It looks kind of like a tiny spoon...

+1 I worked at a TA truck stop for several years, and I used the AME dismount tool all the time. As long as the tire is intact and not rusted onto the rim, it's fast and easy. I tried the AME mounting tool a few times, but I thought it was awkward. It was usually easier to mount the tire...

I don't mean to say that you won't run into idiots in civilian shops. You certainly will. You will also run into guys who have decades of experience, and no amount of certifications can substitute for some of those guys. Maybe things have changed a lot since you were in the military. I...

Stuff like this is a huge problem in the military/contracting world. A lot of the people that end up as mechanics in the military are people who have no experience, aptitude, or interest in anything mechanical. They become mechanics because that's what the military assigns them, and they...

I'm familiar with diesels, but no experience with marine applications. The post above is very good advice. I have a few thoughts to add... There are several ways that coolant can commonly get into the oil. A blown head gasket is not necessarily the most likely. I wouldn't jump to that...