Alex Bruene

I just have to keep my dancing shoes on, as I'm sure I'll be dodging a few heads that are going to be rolling down the shop. Especially since a leaked e-mail identified those that organized the drive.

Okay... The hearings are over, and the union is being shipped out of town!

Remove the transmission, starter and oil filter. Remove the starter support (if you want, not necessary). Unbolt the engine mounts and the fan shroud bolts. Unbolt the pan and separate it, be careful not to bend the rear cover when you're separating the pan. Use one big stand on the rear of each exhaust manifold (DON'T unbolt the exhaust because it's what keeps it all lined up). If you're using a twin post in ground hoist, just lower the front post until the engine goes up as far as it will. If you're using an electric hoist, you have to set the truck up on the hoist so it is a bit front heavy, or the engine will not lift properly. Reach in, unbolt the pick up tube, and pull the pan out. Clean everything real nice, silicone only the sides of the pan prior to installing, and silicone a new gasket to the pick-up tube so it doesn't fall off, and lay the tube in the pan. Slide the pan in and install the pick-up (you'll thank yourself for not siliconing the ends of the pan)... Silicone the ends now and bolt it all back together... Now, go have lunch, then fill the engine with oil and drive it out the door!

I use an IC-4 cable with MD truck with no issues. Sure, I'd like to see better diagnostic capabilities for misfires, but I've managed to get by for now. Chan, you can have every single LCF in the GTA if you'd like... Starting with the 2 we have with holes in the block.

...dodging bullets, but I do them in chassis. I've done dozens of them with no leaks. If time permits, I do prefer to remove the pan just before I go home at night, then let the block drip overnight. When time doesn't permit, they can be done this way in under 4 hours (easily). The most difficult part is getting the pick-up tube bolted in a reasonable amount of time. I'll only silicone the sides of the pan before I put it in place, then silicone the ends after the pick-up tube is in, or you'll be shaving the silicone out of your pit hairs!

Thanks for that. I am having an ongoing battle with somebody that has a smoke issue on a truck with the cat removed. I told him that I can't properly diagnose it without the cat installed. He went to the exhaust shop and told them what I said. They said I don't know what I'm talking about, and the cat doesn't reduce smoke... I know guys working at exhaust shops know WAY more than I ever will... But, come on...

Cool. I will do so. I have all the coffee table books on the desktop of my laptop, so they are always at fingers reach. As for the "mutiny" at work... The hearings have been delayed a few weeks... So it looks like it will be the end of June before we have any type of definite word.

I don't have the book in front of me. But, I do them for 2 hours.

I've seen it a few times. I actually had an Econoline once that just about fired the center of a glow plug through the firewall when it popped out.

Hi, George! Good to see you here. I sure hope you don't bring Scott along, or all hell is going to bread loose!

Mike, our managers/owners have been meeting with Lou and Jack off an on over the past few weeks (haha... I said Jack off). From what I've been made to understand, when you guys unionized, some of the higher waged people had to give concessions to lower their pay to "level" the pay scale. If they were to try that over here, I would likely leave, or stop doing diesels only so I can get my greasy hands on to the M3+4 work... Equal work for equal pay, if you ask me. BTW, there as another unionized Ford dealership (not mentioning any names) that retained the right to "negotiate" with diesel technicians during their last contract renewal... Regardless, the vote went 21-16 against unionizing, but there is a hearing on the eligibility of about another 40 people that voted that the union did not name that the company wanted to be counted, and 6 that the union did name that the company wanted excluded. That is going to a hearing next month.

I loosen the intake bolts also. Works like a charm.

Thanks. The problem is, the guys that organized this did it out of a series of wrong reasons, including spite. These guys don't know what they have got themselves into... other than a plethora of empty promises and misleading information.

Well... Zero hour is upon us... We vote tomorrow, and talk around the water cooler doesn't sound too promising (for those of us that DON'T want representation)...

Been there... Done that...

Well, when I put some thought into it, I guess I can say that our management (or should I say, mis-management) brought this upon themselves. I'm not looking forward to it, nor am I going to let anybody at work know which way I lean. Obviously, I lean away from it, but it's sometimes nice to see your bosses so scared that they are shaking in their boots... So, the ultimate conclusion... A few changes at work to make life a bit better, and a NO vote... what are the chances?

I had a nice day off yesterday, spent it in downtown Toronto with my wife. Today, I got back to work to find out there is a frickin' union push taking place.

Front cover.

Hey, we resemble that remark!

I thought they removed fluid checks (other than washer fluid and coolant) from PDI procedures due to better quality control at the plants.

We must be the only place that doesn't give a rats ass about how high our warranty is. Our goal is to fix trucks, and keep them on the road... No matter what it takes... Engines, warranty add-ons, whatever... They actually asked how high our warranty is... We answered, "we don't know, we don't care"... Funny how some people prioritize.

We received a call today from the service manager at one of the local dealerships. It turns out they have a truck that needs an engine, but they don't want to do it because their warranty is too high, so they were asking if we could do it.

We don't even send those out. We call in a mobile refrigeration company.

I'm not going to say where it came from, because for all I know, the customer made it all up... I doubt it, but it's possible... And, I was being a bit sarcastic about the working on Econoline thing... but I imagine you got my drift.

Maybe now your life long dream of not working on Econolines can be achieved... as this was one of your partner dealerships it came from...