Jump to content

ktmlew

Members
  • Posts

    754
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by ktmlew

  1. I know I've done this before but can not remember how? Have an April 03 disc I would like to put on my laptop so I don't end up scratching the disc all to hell...can't remember how to get it to go to where the disc is saved instead of looking at the DVD drive? I saved a copy to my HD with Nero but just don't remember if that was the way I did it before...haven't messed with this type of stuff for about 5 years.
  2. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081204/bs_nm/us_autos_bailout_options_4 GM, Chrysler considering bankruptcy to get bailout: report 46 mins ago Reuters – … (Reuters) – General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC are considering accepting a pre-arranged bankruptcy as the last-resort price of getting a multi billion dollar government bailout, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with internal discussions. In response to automakers' bailout plea, staff for three members of Congress have asked restructuring experts if a pre-arranged bankruptcy -- negotiated with workers, creditors and lenders -- could be used to reorganize the sector without liquidation, Bloomberg said. General Motors and Chrysler could not be immediately reached for comment by Reuters. Industry executives and analysts say the immediate carnage from a bankruptcy of General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co or Chrysler would spread throughout an industry that is bleeding cash in a global slowdown. All three automakers have urged Congress to authorize $34 billion in loans and credit lines, saying they will restructure, and cut models, jobs and executive pay to remain viable. The White House did not dismiss the industry's $34 billion figure on Wednesday but said it was too early to say what it might support on an emergency basis. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid wants to try to find a way to avert threatened bankruptcies in the U.S. auto industry with Detroit Three chief executives readying for a make-or-break hearing on Thursday on the bailout request. Negotiations currently are splintered among small groups, making it unlikely that a proposed solution such as bankruptcy would emerge until next week at the earliest, the person briefed on internal talks told Bloomberg. GM's failure alone would mean more than $200 billion in interest-bearing debt at the carmaker and its GMAC financing arm could be worthless for countless retirees and taxpayers, further upsetting consumption patterns. (Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Anshuman Daga)
  3. I posed basically this same question a while back and got essentially no response... http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=14575&page=1#Post14575
  4. Next to last Ford Dealer I worked at in SC had the same deal going on...90% of the shop struggled to break 25hrs a week. The last week I worked the "Lube Tech" turned 114hrs...he was hourly plus comission. He did ALL the 30k's & scheduled brake jobs. He had 3 racks while the rest of us had one...actually I was only at this shop for 5 weeks. Figured-out there was no money to be made there for me...no parts in stock, SM was a NAZI about ZERO conversation between techs. If he saw you out of your bay he would rush over and ask why you were "over here bothering tech X". You couldn't even ask another tech a question...same deal if more than 1 guys was at the parts counter.
  5. Noticed nobody seems to want to comment? Hitting a little to close to home, huh? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081109/ap_on_bi_ge/autos_what_happened Quote: Automakers struggle to survive past mistakes By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher, Ap Auto Writer – Sat Nov 8, 10:02 pm ET AP – DETROIT – At Ford Motor Co. they called it "Blue," a team set up around the year 2000 to design an array of small, fuel-efficient cars to compete with the Japanese. It didn't get far because no one could figure out how to make money on low-priced compacts with Ford's high labor costs. Besides, the automaker was racking up billions in profits by selling pickups and sport utility vehicles. Times were good and gas was cheap. "Blue" is only a small blip in automotive history, but it tells a big part of the story about why Detroit automakers are in a mess so critical they could be only months away from bankruptcy. Democratic leaders in Congress asked the Bush administration on Saturday to provide more aid to the struggling auto industry, which is bleeding cash and jobs as sales have dropped to their lowest level in a quarter-century. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the administration should consider expanding the $700 billion bailout to include car companies. Critics say leaders over the years at Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and what is now Chrysler LLC were slow to take on unions, failed to invest enough in new products, ceded the car market to the Japanese and were ill-prepared for the inevitable rise in gas prices that would make their trucks and SUVs obsolete. "There's been 30 years of denial," said Noel Tichy, a University of Michigan business professor and author who ran General Electric Co.'s leadership program from 1985-87 and once worked as a consultant for Ford. "They did not make themselves competitive. They didn't deal with the union issues, the cost structures long ago, everything that makes a successful company." Industry representatives, however, say their critics are simplistic, giving them no credit for huge progress this decade in cutting costs, raising productivity, and building competitive cars while handling multiple government regulations and a powerful labor union. "In the last five years, there's been more restructuring done in the automotive business than any other business in the history of the United States," said Tony Cervone, a GM vice president of communications. Whatever the reasons, the Detroit Three are closer to collapse than ever, and likely won't make it without billions in government loans. On Friday, GM posted a $2.5 billion third-quarter loss and ominously said it could run out of money before the end of the year. The company spent $6.9 billion more than it took in for the quarter and reported that it had $16.2 billion in cash available at the end of September. Ford reported a $129 million loss but said it burned up $7.7 billion in cash for the period. It had $18.9 billion on hand as of Sept. 30. Its chief financial officer says he's confident Ford will make it through 2009, but that's because the company took out a huge loan last year. Industry analysts believe Chrysler, now a private company that does not have to open its books, is as bad off as GM as U.S. sales continue to plummet because of tight credit and lack of consumer confidence due to the economy. To survive, automakers are pressing Washington for $50 billion in low-interest loans on top of $25 billion already approved to build more fuel-efficient vehicles. The $25 billion, though, is gummed up in Energy Department regulations and may not be available until next year. The industry's path to cliff's edge is a complex one that even critics say is intertwined with government fuel economy and safety regulations and the United Auto Workers union. The demise started in the 80s when Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. mastered building reliable and efficient cars while the Detroit Three lagged behind. As GM, Ford and Chrysler saw their market share start to slip, the 90s arrived and high profits returned as Americans snapped up pickup trucks and SUVs. As Honda and Toyota took over the small and mid-size car markets, Ford, GM and Chrysler put most of their resources into trucks and SUVs, which brought in billions in profits that covered growing health care, pension and labor costs. "In a market-based economy when you have to try to be profitable, you go where the money is," said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. When times were good, the automakers did not take on the UAW, which the companies say drove up their labor costs to $30 per hour more than Japanese companies paid their workers. The figure includes pension and health care costs for hundreds of thousands of retirees. When GM pushed for changes in 1998, the union went on strike at two key Flint, Mich., parts plants, shutting down the company and costing it about $2 billion in profits. "They were making money and the union had a monopoly," Cole said. "They'd shut them down. That's why they had some very lengthy strikes that were very painful." But when the SUV and truck market started to fade in the mid-2000s, executives realized their business model would no longer work and began globalizing their vehicles, streamlining manufacturing processes and developing new and better cars. The UAW, realizing that the companies were in trouble, agreed to a landmark new contract last year that nearly eliminated the labor cost difference between the Detroit Three and the Japanese, shifting retiree health care costs to a union-administered trust fund. But just as the cost cuts started to take hold and new products were rolling out, gas prices rose rapidly to around $4 per gallon and Wall Street collapsed, virtually eliminating credit which 60 percent of car buyers need. "A lot of things sort of coalesced simultaneously," said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis for J.D. Power and Associates. Automakers have all said bankruptcy is not an option because people would not buy cars from a company that might not exist in a few years. But if the car companies run out of money and can't pay the bills, bankruptcy could be forced on them, according to industry analysts. GM's statements that it may run out of cash this year or next likely will have an effect on sales, Libby said. "It doesn't help, and they know that," he said. The current crisis, Cervone says, is not unique to the domestics. Honda and Toyota, he says, also have seen huge sales drops in the U.S. in recent months. If Detroit gets federal help, the companies that do survive should become profitable next year, Cole said, if the credit market thaws out. Cole says there's no way at this point the Detroit automakers can survive without federal aid. But if they get it, the ones that do survive should become profitable again next year if the credit markets thaw out. "They'll get out of it," says Libby. "They've got to do what they've got to do. They're backed up against the wall." ___ AP Business Writer Jeff Karoub in Detroit and AP Writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
  6. The tumble continues... http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aC0a0JfaO1.0&refer=home GM's `Time Is Very Short' for U.S. Aid, Altman Says (Update1) By Doron Levin and Jeff Green Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp., hammered by the worst auto market in 25 years, needs U.S. aid because ``time is very short'' to stop its collapse, says Roger Altman, the former Treasury official advising GM in merger talks with Chrysler LLC. With the government offering a $700 billion rescue for banks, it should have enough to assist GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co., Altman, 62, said in an interview. Altman, now chief executive officer of Evercore Partners Inc., helped with the 1979 Chrysler bailout plan as an assistant Treasury secretary. ``The consequences of a collapse by GM or all three would be very severe,'' he said. ``The impact would be widespread,'' with jobs lost by the companies and their suppliers. The completion of yesterday's U.S. elections gives GM and other automakers a chance to renew their case for aid. President-elect Barack Obama said last week that helping the industry would be a top priority. One or more automaker failures ``would be a difficult way for a brand-new administration'' to take office, said Altman, an Obama supporter whose Treasury Department service also included working as deputy secretary under President Bill Clinton. He said he didn't expect to be asked to be Treasury secretary. GM rose 28 cents, or 4.9 percent, to $6 at 11:12 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, while Ford was unchanged at $2.16. Altman has been leading the Evercore team advising GM. Two people familiar with the discussions say the group includes William Repko, co-chief of Evercore's restructuring unit, and Daniel Celentano, a former Bear Stearns Cos. banker who has done work for GM. Morgan Stanley is also representing the biggest U.S. automaker. Merger Discussions GM, Chrysler and Chrysler owner Cerberus Capital Management LP aren't commenting on the merger talks, which come with U.S. auto sales slumping last month to the worst since 1983 and Detroit-based GM posting almost $70 billion in losses since the end of 2004. A JPMorgan Chase & Co. team led by James B. Lee Jr. is advising Chrysler, the third-largest U.S. automaker. GM sought about $10 billion from the government last month, with Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner lobbying in person for help, people familiar with the plans said. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wants any assistance to come from a $25 billion low-interest loan program through the Energy Department, not the bank-rescue funds, the people said last week. Conditions on Aid? Altman declined to say what strings ought to be attached to any aid, though he said such conditions were ``appropriate.'' ``That's a decision policy makers will have to make, but time is very short,'' he said. He wouldn't say how much time GM had to avoid a collapse and said he wasn't authorized to disclose how much money GM needs. Former Treasury Secretary John Snow, now chairman of Cerberus, joined the call for federal help for automakers today, telling CNBC that the government needs to ensure ``that a vital industry like autos, which is such a big part of the overall economy, doesn't lead us into a deeper and harsher downturn.'' A collapse of three U.S. automakers in 2009 would cost almost 3 million jobs in the first year and reduce personal income by $150.7 billion, according to a study released today by the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The study takes the worst-case scenario of a shutdown of U.S. automotive production. Obama Promise Federal loan guarantees might help stabilize the U.S. automakers, Obama said in an interview last week on NBC's ``Nightly News With Brian Williams.'' Obama said he would meet with the chiefs of GM, Ford, Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler and the United Auto Workers union to develop a plan for an industry overhaul, according to a transcript released by NBC. Evercore began to work with GM three years ago with the sale of a 51 percent stake in auto lender GMAC LLC to New York- based Cerberus, Altman said. Evercore advised GM directors on the sale. Last year, bankers from the firm advised on deals valued at $48.9 billion, including helping First Data Corp. on its $26 billion sale to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Evercore was the 23rd-largest adviser on U.S. transactions in 2007, according to Bloomberg data. ``With Roger's experience and contacts he's well positioned'' to assist GM, Robert S. Miller Jr., chairman of former GM parts unit Delphi Corp, said in an interview. ``His public policy background and the implications of a bailout would be most relevant in an appeal for government support.'' Should automakers falter, the factory closings and loss of jobs ``would inflict a new round of damage on the financial system,'' Altman said. ``If we can commit $700 billion to banks and insurers, we ought to be able to commit a small fraction of that to the auto industry, which affects workers directly,'' Altman said. To contact the reporters on this story: Doron Levin in Southfield, Michigan, at dlevin5@bloomberg.net; Jeff Green in Southfield, Michigan, at jgreen16@bloomberg.net Last Updated: November 5, 2008 11:17 EST
  7. The closest one to me in Lincolnton closed a couple months ago. They had just added on to the building for more shop room about a year ago...
  8. Maybe that would be the easy way to remove the cups? Blow'em out! Ker-bang! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/flamethrower.gif /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer2.gif
  9. So what was the cure? I've heard several of these so this. Thought it was kinda the nature of the beast?
  10. That wouldn't have even been a consideration for me...no way I'm going to put my job/reputation on the line like that. Actually, I probably wouldn't have looked at the truck to start with...would have prefaced the conversation with "you know this is likely to be a 5-10K CP job?"..."does the customer have the ability to afford that?" If he couldn't answer that question, then no point in wasting my time... But in my experience, "the buddy system", is shorthand for "I'm gonna work for free"...never, never, never, had ANYTHING come back my way...promises won't buy shit at the grocery store.
  11. Trying to help a friend in Fla. Says it pings badly the first 10 minutes or so of operation. Had an O2 slow response code. Replaced sensor and PCV hose/line. He tried running Seafoam through the PCV line. No joy. I'm guessing MAF, but keep thinking they had a re-flash for this? He doesn't have a scanner to view data...I know it's not much to go on. He hasn't checked fuel pressure yet. The cold ping deal just seems familar though...
  12. Does this help? http://classicbroncos.com/c4_improvements.shtml http://www.binaryweb.com/scrapbook/112805_stang_c4_trans/ http://www.redfalken.com/pages/c4manvalve.html http://www.4x4axleinfo.com/fordc4.htm
  13. UmmmmOK...wait till you're 50...your back won't be as willing and you don't even have to "hurt" it... From my understanding pulling the cab is usuallly about an hour & a half "added" to the job? I tend to believe the ease of disassembly and asembly with the cab out-of-the-way wou;d make this a break-even situation but haven't done it myself?
  14. ...which makes NO sense...the guarantee is supposed to cover YOU when it's slow...it's the SHOPS responsibility to get work in the door...but this is also why I bailed out. Last shop I worked at in SC, I had a 30hr guarantee and had to remind them about that the second or third week I was there...we would run out of work every day by 2:30-3:00 except for one guy. He always had a stack of customer pay work to do and almost NO warranty...I should have handled that deal differently though and just asked for more money...probably wouldn't have gotten it but still???
  15. Check my post from a while back about the future American Motors Corporation... http://www.forddoctorsdts.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=14575&page=1#Post14575
  16. Do what? Sounds like some kind of seafood? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer2.gif
  17. I would replace it...as you said you are 70% of the way there with the rear cover off right?
  18. I have always been the type that if I could turn 100% I was happy. Anything above that was gravy, hell 45hrs a week made me happy when working 40...but when I took my 1.5 year sabatical from Aug-03 to early 05 to "kill" my dad /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crybaby2.gif the "business" changed so much I couldn't get with-in ear-shot of 100%. Went from 70/30 CP/WAR to 5/95 CP/WAR...if I broke 35 hrs it was probably a clerical mistake the summer of 05...or that meant I worked 6 full days to get that 35 hrs. Now I realize I should have toughed it out...you guys have pretty much figured-out all the fixes for the 6.0L. Plus enough of us quit that the rest of you got raises to make the job worth it...I had the chance to go back to my "old" dealer in Raleigh in late spring of 07? I think, but just couldn't make myself go... I applaud those of you that stuck it out. Better men than I!
  19. The way I look at this...some of this is "common sense" diag. IF the wrong lube has "damaged" anything in this one, I would see other performance issues. Seems this is a normal performance characteristc of the vehicle but I just have never heard one make this much noise that wasn't spinng a PTO? I told the customer, "if we replace all the bearings, input shaft & cluster (IMO the input & cluster HAVE to been worn SOME from harmonics) I would only expect maybe a 30% change in the noise"...of course that is just my gut feeling. It needs a 70-80% change to make "me" happy or consider spending that kinda "Jack". The trans was re-maned 5/00 and he "went away" for several years so it doesn't have a ton of miles. I will snap a couple pics of the clutch dics...the new disc has twice ans many springs as the old style. They claimed the old style tending to collapse the springs and they would fall out. They claimed the new style is same design as the "over-the-road" trucks are using now. I STILL think the new style is too stiff in the sprung mechanism, but what to I know...??? If it seems like I'm obsessing over this, it's cause I am! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/whattodo.gif I like difinitive answers! Not opinions but "answers/facts"... Run-er-till-she-blows is our motto!!! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rockon.gif
  20. OK! Customer says button it up and he'll run it till she blows! I just hate spending someones money when I'm not SURE it will fix the problem. So I agree with him. Let-er-eat! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rockon.gif
  21. You CAN start these. I put two bolts through the adapter plate so it doesn't move when the starter "hits". No noise running engine with trans out. Took clutch back and they said everything looks fine and all is normal. The clutch I just put in, is a new version of the replacement kit, that is a heavy duty dealio. So who knows... Stopped at Ford dealer in Hickory NC and talked to their ZF trans/diesel tech. He said he didn't think I would be able to get rid of the noise by "replacing trans parts" but the 5spd version of the ZF's aren't at all difficult to work on if I wanted to open it up and inspect everything... Found this info (page 7) which I happen to agree with: http://www.zf-group.com/pdf/S5-47.pdf So far... 1. Cottman trans guy listened to & drove truck-said NOT trans problem-NVH "problem" due to clutch/normal vehicle characteristic/don't worry about it. 2. Clutch shop (Carolina Clutch) called "their" trans buddy...he said they are known to burn up the cluster gear if the wrong lube is used and that was the problem...see page page 9 of above...which is what I told everyone that said "trans bearings/gear wear", it should make noise UNDER LOAD in 3rd & 5th if the input & cluster are worn!!! http://www.transmissiondigest.com/tech/TD200604/UpToStandards/Up%20To%20Stds%20HTML.htm Check this paragraph from above site...I know they are talking about the 6spd but still same effects from torsional vibration. Quote: Outside of the fact that they are heavy and require a few essential tools to rebuild, these units are no more difficult to work on than the earlier ZF five-speeds. One of the diagnostic issues to consider is that these units are used behind diesel engines. As a result, they are prone to gear rattle or neutral-rollover noise. You can save yourself some lost time and increase customer satisfaction by understanding the cause of this type of noise complaint. Gear rattle occurs because engine harmonics are transferred into the transmission, causing the gears to rattle at idle or during acceleration. A quick test for this is to slowly increase engine idle in neutral and note at what speed the noise goes away or floats out. If you can rev up the vehicle to 2,000-2500 rpm and the noise goes away, the problem is not in the transmission. Look for a bad dual-mass flywheel, worn or damaged clutch damper springs, an incorrect clutch for the application, an out-of-time injector pump or a problem with the fuel injectors. Gear rattle will not damage the transmission but will bring in customer complaints. Taking the transmission apart will not solve the problem. If you want to see it in action, drain the oil from the unit and remove a PTO cover with the truck on a lift. Start the engine in neutral and you can see the gears shake and vibrate as the engine harmonics give them an epileptic fit. A careful evaluation of the clutch components and the timing of the diesel power plant will end the problem. If the noise does not go away with an increase in engine speed at any point, the problem usually will be internal, as gear damage and bearing noises only get worse with speed increases. So...I'm waiting to get some bucks from the trucks owner...probably going to take the trans to a local shop that has a good rep for being honest...just talked to them. They have a way to dyno the trans to check for noise/problems. Costs $150.00 to dyno it. Tear-down cost to inspect is $300.00 and he recommends replacing the syncros at least due to the use of the wrong lube... Geez...this is EXACTLY why I got out of this business...at some point you "age out" of knowing everything. Then you just hope you can find someone that does know SOMETHING?
×
×
  • Create New...