Frankly Ray, I'm surprised you weren't demoted sooner. Always making fun of your boss's phone ringing, always doing fake "clicks" with a nonexistent torque wrench, always complaining about having to spend 5 minutes looking for a new tire, always bragging how you scammed the shop by completing a job in 2 hours but the flat rate pays 10, always being mean to poor Peter and bossing him around, always taking cars for test drives that last way too long, making fun of customers when you drain their oil and a chocolate milkshake comes out, complaining your tools are constantly stolen, and taking long 2 hour lunch breaks when you're supposed to get 30 minutes. Man, you're really lucky they didn't fire you!
@@RainmanRaysRepairs Ray, before the internet we were insulated from the rest of the world but now it's easy to see how many AH's there are. Keep up the great work and comedy!
I'm 58, been working on cars since 16, not always for employment, mostly normal maintenance and repairs. I also work on marine engines, a few airplanes and at times industrial machines, presses and factory packaging equipment. Even with all that experience I am amazed at how much knowledge, hacks and tips I learn from watching this channel. Any day I learn something new is a good day. Just wanted to say THANK YOU and wish you all "A Great Day"! Cheers!
Thanks for the walk down memory lane! I did hundreds of dozens of tire patches back at my gas station lot attendant job during college. And besides college, working at the gas station was the most economically beneficial learning experience I have had. It's been nearly four decades since I processed a family vehicle, motor sport, or power equipment piece of gear through a retail repair establishment. In addition, I buy nothing but used examples in need of a bit of hands-on care. Over the period of my lifetime I will certainly have saved over an estimated quarter of a million dollars in outright acquiring, insurance, and financing expenses. And it all started with learning how to patch a tire.
I had to do the same thing today. I awoke to a flat tire on my pick-up. 😤I removed it and took it to my buddy’s shop. They were all busy so, I did it myself. (Pat self on back). There was a big shard of some kind of plastic imbedded in mine.....
Great job Ray, I worked in my wife's tyre store in Adelaide South Australia for many years and we did our repairs the same way with the exception of using a 5mm reamer to size the hole prior to buffing the inside. Then use a smear of vulcanising cement on the stem of the plug prior to pulling through acting as a lubricant. Thanks for your entertaining videos enjoy them all.
@@xliquidflames it's all entertainment! It's also educational. I follow a few mates from down under. I always like to throw a wrench in their thoughts! 😉
Thing about these videos is that I appreciate the effort required and respect that. I got a puncture repaired yesterday at a franchise operation like this and the guy on the desk said "No charge, not worth the paperwork" - and while it's nice to get a freebie, I said no - I'm paying for this, you guys did the work, it's only fair.
When I worked in my dad's auto repair shop I repaired a lot of tires. Our tire machine was all manual but worked well. We also had a machine which I placed the tire on to spread the tire and hold it in position. It had two claws on either side that were placed over the bead and then a step pedal to pull the tire open. I used the same process to patch the tire as you except our patches didn't have that little stem on them. My dad let me keep any money I made patching tires. BTW, this was back in the late 50s early 60s. I do enjoy all of your videos. It's refreshing to see a very good mechanic who really cares about his work. 👍👍
i can not elieve i just watched Ray repair a tire hahaha no idea how many i have seen in my life time, i myself even repaired a tire 50 miles from the shop in the field, the tire made it back into town before it gave out 4 miles from the shop, the side wall had a gash in it, everyone old me it would not make it back, we were able to go to the shop grab another tire and take the work trailer to the yard, 50 miles away and get it back within 4 miles is a winner
I like how you handle even the lower skill simple jobs with the utmost attention to detail and adherence to best practices. Customers do notice and appreciate that. Also, who would let someone who lost their valve cap do internal engine repair?
Customers don't even notice when their entire car is falling apart half the time, what customers do notice is a tire light and an oil change light and maybe an oily hand print you avoid those? Most customers will never notice, however you should hold yourself to a much higher standard for personal pride and integrity even if those customers will never notice
@@jacobz.carson803 true I did see it was pretty loose to remove but I've had some rip just because the rubber covering the bead still chunked. Cheap tires FTW! LoL so always lube JIC
@@derekhobbs1102 electric walk behind pallet jack races down the back hallway of the supermarket. OSHA inspector would have died right then and there. To be young again..lol
@@yardkartretreads I haven't ridden a pallet jack in years! A few decades ago, I worked the counter at Pep Boys. We had a huge stockroom and three pallet jacks, so races were definitely on the program. Before that, when I was still in high school, I worked after school and weekends bagging groceries. It was a supermarket, so a pretty decent sized lot. Oh yeah, I probably should have prefaced this by mentioning that this was in that long ago forgotten era of grocery stores employing people to bag groceries the right way, not how they do it now, if at all. Part of the job was also offering to carry purchases out to the customers' cars, and loading them in such a manner that the bags stayed put for the most part. Anyway, spinning the cart around so the pivoting casters were at the back and the fixed ones were leading, and having shopping cart races with the other baggers back into the store was also a regular occurrence. We used to put one foot up on the rail, and tuck our toes under the brace that ran from side to side and secured the pivot casters, grab the sides of the cart and skateboard them back. Fun times! Fun times!
You're right about not setting up yourself to fail. It's about giving yourself little reminders to torque the lugs and put back the wheel key. I always like to leave a socket on the LF and put the center caps in after I torque the wheel(s).
Good video. Just one observation though - Every time I've had a tubeless patch type repair done the repairer has always abraded the hole in the tyre using a rotary rat-tail style implement. This is done to ensure that the insides of the hole are properly cleaned back to bare rubber so as to make for 100% bonding of both the patch AND the plug.
Back in the 60's when I was a kid, my dad had some patch kits for tubes that you lit on fire. It came with a rubber patch, a clamp and a little flat open steel box full of some flammable material similar to match heads. You would sandwich the patch between the tube and steel with the clamp and then light the material in the box and it would melt the patch into the rubber. As a young kid the process was pretty exciting. You had to be careful though not to let the tube itself touch the box or it would burn a hole in the tube.
Tires need love too. Every job isn't an interesting diagnostic puzzle or mystery noise. When I was a tad younger, I worked in a service station after school and weekends. Tires, oil changes and brake work were our bread and butter. Those were the days of 60 cent regular that was pumped for you while you got actual service with your fuel. We used to greet the customer, check the oil, clean the windshield, and top up the washer fluid. We would inspect the tires, and check pressure if they looked low. All for an average $12 sale, usually in cash. We gave out free drinking glasses and silverware with a fill-up, 'collect the whole set'... and Green Stamps too! Tips weren't expected, but regulars would often let you keep the change, which could be a buck or two, enough to buy lunch back then.. A lot of our repair work was a direct result of the conversation with the customer while you worked. I really enjoyed that work. God, I miss those days, when people were generally pleasant and didn't think every mechanic was out to rip them off. When the customer rolled over the rubber hose and the bell went "ding", you looked forward to a friendly conversation with a regular customer. Then some stations started charging more for fuel if you wanted "full service", next they added the "$1" to the pumps and it seemed like the 'Service' Stations became Self-Serve 'Gas' Stations, pump your own, as long as it's cheap. The "Gas Crisis" and OPEC put an end to it all, so it seems. Sadly, Service Stations as we knew them are gone. Thanks for carrying forward the positive attitude of the Service Station and the concepts of service and a job done right, even a tire repair. Technicians like you may someday restore the image of the "Service station" and "Mechanic" to that of times past, but with video, of course!
Loving "Torque wrench cam", also as with the Prius wheel you made sure the centre-cap was "right-way-up" and lined up with the valve! Nice! I always put the locking nut adjacent to the valve too where possible, yes, I am a pain in the arse to work with!
I think we'd get along fine. My locking lug adapter is in the soft vinyl pouch it came in. That's in a laptop case-sized canvas bag along with a) jumper cables, b) a couple of rags c) a dial tire pressure gauge d) a small tool kit, and e) a code reader. The bag stays in the trunk unless I need to get something out of it, so if I'm out on the road and need any of it, I know right where the stuff is.
Patching and balancing sure is a lot different these days compared to when I first started mounting tires or patching flats at a local Western Auto. We had a coats 1010, and a bubble balancer. I was taught to use four weights to account for inside and outside of the wheel and start spreading them away from each other (2 at a time) till you centered the bubble.
That's the correct way to use a bubble balancer, static balance only. Using 2 weights of the same weight per side in a triangular pattern does not mess up the dynamic balance of the assembly. Spin balancer does dynamic balance taking into account heavy spots on the inner and outer sides of the tire and wheel assembly. This should be accomplished using only 2 weights, one inner and one outer and they are usually of different weights. And yeah, I'm old too, started on a 1010 and bubble balancer just like you, Esso station, 1969. Patching is still the same except for the teat on the patch and now the glue won't burn, which is a good thing. All burning the glue did was speed up the drying time of the second coat of glue they put on.
@@terryharvey4811 Hahaha, 1969 was when I started also. My sr year in high school. I also remember one Saturday it being really busy, I mounted and balanced 100 tires that day. One of the vehicles was a car I never heard of before then, a Kaiser.
I worked at a full-service gas station back in 1991 while living in Atlanta. I sure wish we had used this type of plug for repairs! I learned something new today, thank you sir!
That was far more interesting than I thought it would be. I’ve actually never seen a tubeless tire repaired before. I just usually drop them off or just wait in the reception area with the coffee machine.
@@samjones1954 You're right. I use an air tool to buff the tire.Not buffing, not cleaning with the proper solvent, and not allowing the glue to dry before applying the patch results in a leaker.....and a waste of time.
You know, tire fixing a tire is maybe demotion work, but over the years I've had SO many tires saved by dudes that fix tires - I'm just grateful for the help!!!
It's always a good idea to spray the whole tire first, even if you see a nail or something. I have had tires with multiple other leaks besides the obvious one.
@@aaacomp1 First of all I work at a shop, so these aren't even my tires. Also, since you seem to be very confused, the most expensive tires can still run over something and be punctured. I find leaks/multiple leaks in every brand of tire on the market. It has nothing to do with tire brand. And everything to do with bad luck.
I love to see that there’s more ways than 1 to do even simple jobs like a flat tire repair. The way my shop does it, or at least I do it, is I’ll shmere a layer of the rubber cement. then by the time I’ve prepared my patch plug the glue will be nice and tacky, but not totally dry. Which gives what I find to be the best adhering surface for the repair device.
That’s not new either. Years ago I went to the parking lot after work to discover my car had a flat. I seriously had to stand on the Jack to break the lugs nuts loose. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
@@lechatbotte. My personal policy is when I get a new car (Usually used, new to me) first thing I do after a routine inspection is remove all the wheels, clean and treat any corrosion between the wheel hub and wheel, make sure the lug nuts spin freely which tells me they are not galled, then coat the mating surfaces with anti seize, a bit on the lugs, then torque to specs. This way I never have an issue changing a flat on the road.
I broke a 12 inch breaker bar trying to loosen a lug nut that had been installed by a tire shop. I had to stand on the handle and apply all of my 200lbs of weight, and jump up and down on the bar. I was really pissed, and called the shop and voice my displeasure. Never bought a tire from them again.
@@ciceroskip1 I think some guys using torque wrenches struggle to figure out the right setting. I bought a used Acura that had always been serviced/oil changes at the Honda dealer where they torque the drain plug. I had to use a cheater bar to get the oil drain plug out---no way you need to over tighten something like a oil drain plug.
Even a small job needs professional treatment. A tyre blow out can be deadly if it happens at the wrong moment. Glad to see you always giving even the smallest job the attention it deserves. That’s being called a professional. I’m glad people in this world still value honest work done well. I know I always appreciate it.
I love getting tires sometimes. After a long week of bullshit it's so nice to see tires and an alignment. Getting paid 4.5 hours of labor for 90 minutes of work is fine with me. Not to mention sometimes the simplicity of it is what you need.
Dude!! A galvanized raw rubber plug will do the SAME thing...Join WITH the tire...and last LONGER than the tire....And NO need to take the tire OFF the rim...3 minute repair...lol I've been using them for YEARS...Never had a leak....Other than that..LOVE your show bro! Keeps me laughing and Learning! God bless!
I am well pleased with this. Not everyone that watches is a mechanic, and you would be horrified at how many people can't even change a tire much less know what goes into repairing one. PS I remember a time we had to get the tire off with all pry bar and no machine LOL 🤣👍
And unfortunately a skill thats lost on many people in a tyre shop, and still a much needed skill to learn and understand, you will have no idea how often knowing how to change a tyre without a tyre machine can come in handy
When I was doing tire repairs in my late teens and early twenties we would ream the puncture hole first then all the other steps you performed. Did you miss this step or has the procedure changed?
The process has changed because the plugs have changed. The plugs you used when you reamed the puncture holes were thick strips of tire material with no inner base.
We ream the puncture. Cleans out any contamination or possible corrosion, and if the puncture isn't round is leaves a round hole. Round holes are less likely to tear.
@@ddaynum1 the process has not changed. One must ream the puncture hole to de-bur, clean and size the hole to the plug for a symmetrical mating surface.
I love the industry tradition of sticking "new guys" on critical safety equipment like brakes and tires. It's so fun watching a wheel come off a RAM as it pulls out of the dealership. Also a local managed to send a Porche wheel though a Bentley fender attempting a dismount on an inflated tire.
Oddly, I’ve noted children’s services sometimes seems to assign less senior people to more critical safety related tasks (like being initial person on new abuse reports, being on call for emergencies)
I know it saves a tool, but why use a side-cutter rather than needle-nose pliers to insert the patch? I think I would accidentally snip it off early like 20% of the time when trying to push it in.
Getting those patch sticks through is a lot easier if you use a 1/4" drill bit first (or 5/16" depending on the stick size). At my shop we have a nice little diamond-tipped bit specifically designed for that exact purpose loaded into a little die grinder. It makes the job 100 times easier because then the hole is cleanly cut and the right size for the stick to be pulled through. We also never do the "draw an X at the stem" trick, but at least you're checking it on the balancer before sending it. I've been in a few shops where they do the trick and then not check their work.
as a kid in the 50s i remember getting my bike tire fixed with one of those incendiary vulcanizing patches. i like that plug, last one i did was with the loop you pulled through with the included ( usually too weak ) tool.
monkey grip! every self-respecting kid should have had an mg tire repair kit. a pump would be nice, but a friend would let you use theirs. i use slime kits now.
Love tire plugs. Seldom bother to patch unless it's a big hole. Grew up with the old vulcanizing patches. Was the first in the family to use the new Chemical or cold patch on the farm. Mean Green works good to check for leaks. Keep up the good work!
I used to rack the vehicles I worked on so that I could inspect brakes and undercarriage. I worked for the County and only County vehicles including Sherriff patrol cars that may ,at anytime,be involved in a pursuit at high speeds and heavy braking. Patrol cars have been known to go off road and airborne. First seven years I was the tech working on Special Ed School Buses(26). Then my last twenty three years on the County vehicles. I loved it!
theese small vids help a lot, im about to start at a firestone as a MT and knowing a few little things like this even if i havent done it will help when i first start, good job with everything
Yup been working in a tyre shop for 18 years now, manager, and we do all car, truck, tractor up to big earthmoving tyres, I love getting out of the workshop and working on the big machinery and tractor tyres. Love watching your Videos @ray
I get why the tire work is a demotion that doesn't pay out. But, you are a really, really, good tire guy, Ray. You don't damage rims. You don't mis-balance tires with counter weights ,or just mess up in general. That doesn't sound like a big deal. But, anyone that's gone to a tire shop that doesn't pay enough to get anybody but greenhorns to do the work... A buddy put 4 new tires on his Dodge quad cab and they totally screwed up the process. Scratched the rims and none of the tires were balanced properly. The thing was shaking more violently than Shakira's hips.
I’m of a age that started as a teenager working in a garage, fixing flats and moping floors, to finally working on: rebuilding engines, tune-ups, transmissions, front ends rear ends, suspensions and any else that needed fixing, I was in college at the time and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. Those were the days when you opened the hood and actually could see the engine. Then in 1966 I purchased my first brand new car, Olds Toronto, I opened the hood and the engine. was covered with so many vacuum hoses and other things including the air cleaner I decided working on automobiles was not in the cards, I went to work for Douglas Aircraft. The only thing I do with my cars is pump in gas, check the fluids and wash the windows. Everything else is left to the professionals.
if I could go back and do it all again, I think I'd learn to be a mechanic.Just watching things get fixed is so satisfying, I imagine it must be even better being able to actually do the thing.
I have been following your channel for a little while already. I appreciate the positive, informative, educational content. Don't deviate. You're doing a great job. 👍 . I just recommended your channel to my fb friends. Thank you for your efforts.
last ever tire repair I ever did was in mid January 1991, that is because I joined the army as Desert Storm/Persian Gulf War started. There were a couple of steps I had to do vs what you did but it was pretty much the same. weird stuff you find in tires. I found a flattened soup spoon. but the one that I think takes the cake was a road flair. I know there are other wild and weird stuff found from doing tire repairs. On a side note this was also back in the days of Service Stations where you could pull up and have someone else pump your gas, pop was in glass bottles. and if you lost a belt or needed a tire or have it repaired after the mechanics went on home. there was the poor bastard like me who handled it.
with all the comments no one mentioned that the torque wrench for the tire valve is for TPS systems. if you put the car up on the hoist you could have looked over the rest of the tires incase of another nail or bulge . always change the valve stem to prevent comebacks. sometimes they leak air. as always thanks
Good to see you filling the tires with the proper amount of air. I had new tires installed many years ago while I was at work. On the drive home, I nearly lost control of my car going around the bend of an elevated on-ramp. When I checked the tire pressure, they were at around 70 psi. Cars don't handle well with solid tires. On a final note, I would assume that you checked all around the tire for any "screw friends".
Yes! Finding "the object" does not mean you've found all of the objects that tire might have today! I take mine out in the sunlight, draw a crayon mark on the tire tread so I know where I started, and start rolling it slowly, checking for possible metal bits.
That tire got screwed. I always go to a tire shop to get my tires fixed so people like you can repair vehicles, but there’s many vehicle owners who can’t think that way. Have yourself a great day 😀😀
I never minded doing flat repairs but I was hourly not by job. It may be what lead me to moving from the shop to the office eventually... Never complained or turned down a request. It was after I started working with the owner directly all my strife began. Lol
You are awesome to watch. I’m not a mechanic but I’ve learned a ton here. I’m addicted to your videos. I watched one and found myself going through all of your stuff. I wish I had an honest and knowledgeable mechanic like you in my area.
Love the sealant tip over the patch we put abit of rubber cement over it let dry and then sealant effectively does the same thing but one more layer of protection don't hurt.
I'd forgotten about the preferred way to patch (plug) a tire. I grew up with tubes, hot patches, Tech 2-way, Camel tube patch kits. Rubber cement is another high.
Patch plugs... Been there done that, ours you have to add schmoo too, before you do the roller stitch. I also used to go through it with a 2.5mm drill bit just to make sure it was a clean hole etc. But still a well done job buddy👍
Great job, Ray. Hopefully they remember to come back in a hundred miles to get the lug nuts retorqued. Helps make sure there is no loose wheel to leave.
Never seen a patch/plug like that. Kinda neat. Our tire rep back in the day would never sign off on patch/plugs, the theory was that the plug portion could be pushed up and cause the patch to separate. We had a couple extra steps as well. 1) You'd light the glue on fire for a short time before applying the patch. 2) Always over-inflate by ten pounds or so then release air down to the proper pressure. I dunno why, I just .. was kinda disappointed that there was no fire. Does that make me a bad person?
This was kind of fun. Brought back old memories from my days as a tire jockey in a gas station. We had three service bays all with lifts.$5 commission for every tire I sold. A lifetime ago.
I always give the wheel lock key to the service manager to put it in the customer's hands so they know they need one and where it is. Had so many times where the customer doesnt even know they have locks on their wheels.
IIRC, there are match marks (like witness marks) for matching the wheel to the tire. The ones on the tire fade away and if the tire needs to be repaired, an alignment mark needs to be made as Ray did.
As a backyard mechanic I have plugged many holes from the outside. I’ve never seen it done professionally from the inside. The combination patch and plug is very nice. I wish you worked in Connecticut.
Before installing the plug you should have run a small file through the puncture. Will keep plug from breaking. There’s two different sizes. After the filing you sand it
Last place I took my car to left the wheel locks in the well underneath the wipers on the outside of the car... when I got home I saw something was odd looking out the windshield, thankfully they had not fallen out on the way home. I had words with the management of that establishment... they weren't particularly severe, but I reminded them that they should remind their guys to ALWAYS check that the wheel locks are back in their original location before returning the vehicle to the customer ;P
What about them jobs that get Ray covered in 90 weight differential gear oil that stinks for days !!! Or has to torch off rusted / broken bolts with showers of sparks. Oil from a oil filter all over your uniform. The boo boo's you get replacing parts. Flashlights and parts falling on your toes. Dirt in your eyes and hair and down your shirt from those clean undercarriages. The frustration of the wrong part(s) showing up. Oh, the joys of Rays daily jobs !!!!!!! I would jump for joy if I had to fix a flat tire !!!!! Don't listen to them bullies, Ray !!!! We all love you !!!!!
Frankly Ray, I'm surprised you weren't demoted sooner. Always making fun of your boss's phone ringing, always doing fake "clicks" with a nonexistent torque wrench, always complaining about having to spend 5 minutes looking for a new tire, always bragging how you scammed the shop by completing a job in 2 hours but the flat rate pays 10, always being mean to poor Peter and bossing him around, always taking cars for test drives that last way too long, making fun of customers when you drain their oil and a chocolate milkshake comes out, complaining your tools are constantly stolen, and taking long 2 hour lunch breaks when you're supposed to get 30 minutes. Man, you're really lucky they didn't fire you!
@@RainmanRaysRepairs Ray, before the internet we were insulated from the rest of the world but now it's easy to see how many AH's there are. Keep up the great work and comedy!
I get the sarcasm at least 😉
@@RainmanRaysRepairs I think he needed a /s
Sounds like a typical shop. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@ L.A. Commander I’m sure you’re joking, but this should make for a good thread 🤣
I'm 58, been working on cars since 16, not always for employment, mostly normal maintenance and repairs. I also work on marine engines, a few airplanes and at times industrial machines, presses and factory packaging equipment. Even with all that experience I am amazed at how much knowledge, hacks and tips I learn from watching this channel. Any day I learn something new is a good day. Just wanted to say THANK YOU and wish you all "A Great Day"! Cheers!
PLEASE MR RAINMAN DONT STOP MAKING VIDS
WE SUPPORT YOU 100%
Thanks for the walk down memory lane! I did hundreds of dozens of tire patches back at my gas station lot attendant job during college.
And besides college, working at the gas station was the most economically beneficial learning experience I have had. It's been nearly four decades since I processed a family vehicle, motor sport, or power equipment piece of gear through a retail repair establishment. In addition, I buy nothing but used examples in need of a bit of hands-on care.
Over the period of my lifetime I will certainly have saved over an estimated quarter of a million dollars in outright acquiring, insurance, and financing expenses.
And it all started with learning how to patch a tire.
I had to do the same thing today. I awoke to a flat tire on my pick-up. 😤I removed it and took it to my buddy’s shop. They were all busy so, I did it myself. (Pat self on back). There was a big shard of some kind of plastic imbedded in mine.....
Great job Ray, I worked in my wife's tyre store in Adelaide South Australia for many years and we did our repairs the same way with the exception of using a 5mm reamer to size the hole prior to buffing the inside. Then use a smear of vulcanising cement on the stem of the plug prior to pulling through acting as a lubricant.
Thanks for your entertaining videos enjoy them all.
I was going to say same about 5mm tool. My work bench was just opposite the shop's tyre machine, so I saw a lot of tyre repairs at our Lonsdale shop.
@@xliquidflames Tyre on a car, tire after a long run mate.
@@xliquidflames you guys do - it is almost impossible to distinguish your word for a vehicle's road contact from a condition of lethargy :-)
Spelling Tyre weird or spelling tire weyrd, I never tire of the comments!
@@xliquidflames it's all entertainment!
It's also educational.
I follow a few mates from down under. I always like to throw a wrench in their thoughts! 😉
Thing about these videos is that I appreciate the effort required and respect that. I got a puncture repaired yesterday at a franchise operation like this and the guy on the desk said "No charge, not worth the paperwork" - and while it's nice to get a freebie, I said no - I'm paying for this, you guys did the work, it's only fair.
Best part of every morning is a ray video 👍
When I worked in my dad's auto repair shop I repaired a lot of tires. Our tire machine was all manual but worked well. We also had a machine which I placed the tire on to spread the tire and hold it in position. It had two claws on either side that were placed over the bead and then a step pedal to pull the tire open. I used the same process to patch the tire as you except our patches didn't have that little stem on them. My dad let me keep any money I made patching tires. BTW, this was back in the late 50s early 60s. I do enjoy all of your videos. It's refreshing to see a very good mechanic who really cares about his work. 👍👍
Not a demotion,its a reminder of your roots in the trade. Great content ! Really enjoy your stuff.
i can not elieve i just watched Ray repair a tire hahaha no idea how many i have seen in my life time, i myself even repaired a tire 50 miles from the shop in the field, the tire made it back into town before it gave out 4 miles from the shop, the side wall had a gash in it, everyone old me it would not make it back, we were able to go to the shop grab another tire and take the work trailer to the yard, 50 miles away and get it back within 4 miles is a winner
I like how you handle even the lower skill simple jobs with the utmost attention to detail and adherence to best practices. Customers do notice and appreciate that. Also, who would let someone who lost their valve cap do internal engine repair?
Stop trying to suck everybody off.
I like the way you're thinking.
lower skill ? doesn't matter what job you do , he did it very well as you should
Amazingly enough there are a lot of seasoned techs out there who have problems with those simple low tech jobs.
Customers don't even notice when their entire car is falling apart half the time, what customers do notice is a tire light and an oil change light and maybe an oily hand print you avoid those? Most customers will never notice, however you should hold yourself to a much higher standard for personal pride and integrity even if those customers will never notice
Besides not lubing it when removing the tire, this is the only way to repair a tire if you ask me!
Good job btw!
100% necessary in some cases
@@jacobz.carson803 true I did see it was pretty loose to remove but I've had some rip just because the rubber covering the bead still chunked. Cheap tires FTW! LoL so always lube JIC
Ray: We're super busy today!
Also Ray: watch me ride the floor jack around the shop!
Is there anyone who has access to a floor jack that hasn't used it as a skateboard?
yeap i am sure osha would love that hahahaha
@@61rampy65 Or a pallet jack.
@@derekhobbs1102 electric walk behind pallet jack races down the back hallway of the supermarket. OSHA inspector would have died right then and there. To be young again..lol
@@yardkartretreads
I haven't ridden a pallet jack in years! A few decades ago, I worked the counter at Pep Boys. We had a huge stockroom and three pallet jacks, so races were definitely on the program. Before that, when I was still in high school, I worked after school and weekends bagging groceries. It was a supermarket, so a pretty decent sized lot. Oh yeah, I probably should have prefaced this by mentioning that this was in that long ago forgotten era of grocery stores employing people to bag groceries the right way, not how they do it now, if at all. Part of the job was also offering to carry purchases out to the customers' cars, and loading them in such a manner that the bags stayed put for the most part. Anyway, spinning the cart around so the pivoting casters were at the back and the fixed ones were leading, and having shopping cart races with the other baggers back into the store was also a regular occurrence. We used to put one foot up on the rail, and tuck our toes under the brace that ran from side to side and secured the pivot casters, grab the sides of the cart and skateboard them back. Fun times! Fun times!
You're right about not setting up yourself to fail. It's about giving yourself little reminders to torque the lugs and put back the wheel key. I always like to leave a socket on the LF and put the center caps in after I torque the wheel(s).
Good video. Just one observation though - Every time I've had a tubeless patch type repair done the repairer has always abraded the hole in the tyre using a rotary rat-tail style implement. This is done to ensure that the insides of the hole are properly cleaned back to bare rubber so as to make for 100% bonding of both the patch AND the plug.
Back in the 60's when I was a kid, my dad had some patch kits for tubes that you lit on fire. It came with a rubber patch, a clamp and a little flat open steel box full of some flammable material similar to match heads. You would sandwich the patch between the tube and steel with the clamp and then light the material in the box and it would melt the patch into the rubber. As a young kid the process was pretty exciting. You had to be careful though not to let the tube itself touch the box or it would burn a hole in the tube.
Nice to see it done the right way. So may shops just stick a plug in it
Some people would have used "gunk on the stem?
Yep. And usually charge the same.....
Tires need love too. Every job isn't an interesting diagnostic puzzle or mystery noise. When I was a tad younger, I worked in a service station after school and weekends. Tires, oil changes and brake work were our bread and butter. Those were the days of 60 cent regular that was pumped for you while you got actual service with your fuel. We used to greet the customer, check the oil, clean the windshield, and top up the washer fluid. We would inspect the tires, and check pressure if they looked low. All for an average $12 sale, usually in cash. We gave out free drinking glasses and silverware with a fill-up, 'collect the whole set'... and Green Stamps too! Tips weren't expected, but regulars would often let you keep the change, which could be a buck or two, enough to buy lunch back then.. A lot of our repair work was a direct result of the conversation with the customer while you worked. I really enjoyed that work.
God, I miss those days, when people were generally pleasant and didn't think every mechanic was out to rip them off. When the customer rolled over the rubber hose and the bell went "ding", you looked forward to a friendly conversation with a regular customer. Then some stations started charging more for fuel if you wanted "full service", next they added the "$1" to the pumps and it seemed like the 'Service' Stations became Self-Serve 'Gas' Stations, pump your own, as long as it's cheap. The "Gas Crisis" and OPEC put an end to it all, so it seems. Sadly, Service Stations as we knew them are gone.
Thanks for carrying forward the positive attitude of the Service Station and the concepts of service and a job done right, even a tire repair. Technicians like you may someday restore the image of the "Service station" and "Mechanic" to that of times past, but with video, of course!
Loving "Torque wrench cam", also as with the Prius wheel you made sure the centre-cap was "right-way-up" and lined up with the valve! Nice! I always put the locking nut adjacent to the valve too where possible, yes, I am a pain in the arse to work with!
But I'm sure it's easy to work after you and that's what matters!
I noticed that too, and was going to comment on it but you saved me the trouble.
I think we'd get along fine. My locking lug adapter is in the soft vinyl pouch it came in. That's in a laptop case-sized canvas bag along with a) jumper cables, b) a couple of rags c) a dial tire pressure gauge d) a small tool kit, and e) a code reader. The bag stays in the trunk unless I need to get something out of it, so if I'm out on the road and need any of it, I know right where the stuff is.
I actually never seen a patch-plug before, i know of the plug itself so thanks for this :)
Ray you always do good work! We all know you weren't demoted, just once in a while you have to do fill in work! We've all been there.
So happy you checked the repair👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻, the torque for the valve is 12 in/lbs, or a whisper click 🤣🤣
First time I'd seen a repair with that sort of patch. Yeah, I don't get out much. And thank you for the cursory editation!
I am amazed that the mechanic does the wheel work. In Africa you would give the wheel to the tyre guys to do that work.
First time I ever seen this!
I thought I was the only nut that lined up the center caps with the tire valves. Nice to know I'm not alone. 😁
We are few, but proud 🤣
When we fixed flat tires, after we put the glue on, we would ignite it with a match and the glue would dry in a couple seconds. Works every time.
Patching and balancing sure is a lot different these days compared to when I first started mounting tires or patching flats at a local Western Auto. We had a coats 1010, and a bubble balancer. I was taught to use four weights to account for inside and outside of the wheel and start spreading them away from each other (2 at a time) till you centered the bubble.
That's the correct way to use a bubble balancer, static balance only. Using 2 weights of the same weight per side in a triangular pattern does not mess up the dynamic balance of the assembly. Spin balancer does dynamic balance taking into account heavy spots on the inner and outer sides of the tire and wheel assembly. This should be accomplished using only 2 weights, one inner and one outer and they are usually of different weights. And yeah, I'm old too, started on a 1010 and bubble balancer just like you, Esso station, 1969. Patching is still the same except for the teat on the patch and now the glue won't burn, which is a good thing. All burning the glue did was speed up the drying time of the second coat of glue they put on.
@@terryharvey4811 Thank you for your service station.
@@terryharvey4811 Hahaha, 1969 was when I started also. My sr year in high school. I also remember one Saturday it being really busy, I mounted and balanced 100 tires that day. One of the vehicles was a car I never heard of before then, a Kaiser.
I worked at a full-service gas station back in 1991 while living in Atlanta. I sure wish we had used this type of plug for repairs! I learned something new today, thank you sir!
That was far more interesting than I thought it would be. I’ve actually never seen a tubeless tire repaired before. I just usually drop them off or just wait in the reception area with the coffee machine.
I bet these guys sniveling are jealous of you, mechanics usually have hot bods,, great asses!
@@samjones1954 you ever attempted to watch a proper tire repair,, you just saw it.
Like,,DDUUUUUHHHHHHH!
@@thomasfrench8172 Everyone's a fucking expert on here, sadly.
@@samjones1954 You're right. I use an air tool to buff the tire.Not buffing, not cleaning with the proper solvent, and not allowing the glue to dry before applying the patch results in a leaker.....and a waste of time.
"it's all about setting yourself up to not fail"
👍Good advice.
Waiting on that podcast with Peter.
Lol with all of Peeetahs expletives deleted we’d only hear Ray talking to himself.
Yes Peetah. But he always sounds either stoned or just very laughy.
I want to know Peter's opinion on most any subject. I don't care if he is right or not, I just have to know.
You know, tire fixing a tire is maybe demotion work, but over the years I've had SO many tires saved by dudes that fix tires - I'm just grateful for the help!!!
It's always a good idea to spray the whole tire first, even if you see a nail or something. I have had tires with multiple other leaks besides the obvious one.
That's because you buy shitty tires.
@@aaacomp1 First of all I work at a shop, so these aren't even my tires. Also, since you seem to be very confused, the most expensive tires can still run over something and be punctured. I find leaks/multiple leaks in every brand of tire on the market. It has nothing to do with tire brand. And everything to do with bad luck.
@@brad3741 it must suck to suck
I love to see that there’s more ways than 1 to do even simple jobs like a flat tire repair. The way my shop does it, or at least I do it, is I’ll shmere a layer of the rubber cement. then by the time I’ve prepared my patch plug the glue will be nice and tacky, but not totally dry. Which gives what I find to be the best adhering surface for the repair device.
Amazing how you use torque wrench, been seeing lots of tires so tight . It seems like some tires places are just impacting the lugs with air gun
That’s not new either. Years ago I went to the parking lot after work to discover my car had a flat. I seriously had to stand on the Jack to break the lugs nuts loose. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
That's German Engineering Torque Specs: Gütentïght
@@lechatbotte. My personal policy is when I get a new car (Usually used, new to me) first thing I do after a routine inspection is remove all the wheels, clean and treat any corrosion between the wheel hub and wheel, make sure the lug nuts spin freely which tells me they are not galled, then coat the mating surfaces with anti seize, a bit on the lugs, then torque to specs. This way I never have an issue changing a flat on the road.
I broke a 12 inch breaker bar trying to loosen a lug nut that had been installed by a tire shop. I had to stand on the handle and apply all of my 200lbs of weight, and jump up and down on the bar. I was really pissed, and called the shop and voice my displeasure. Never bought a tire from them again.
@@ciceroskip1 I think some guys using torque wrenches struggle to figure out the right setting. I bought a used Acura that had always been serviced/oil changes at the Honda dealer where they torque the drain plug. I had to use a cheater bar to get the oil drain plug out---no way you need to over tighten something like a oil drain plug.
20 + years I was repairing and fitting tyres man and boy, I really don't miss doing it nice to see someone doing it right.
Nice and easy, it's good getting demoted sometimes....The best job to do, is the one that needs done next....
Even a small job needs professional treatment. A tyre blow out can be deadly if it happens at the wrong moment.
Glad to see you always giving even the smallest job the attention it deserves. That’s being called a professional. I’m glad people in this world still value honest work done well. I know I always appreciate it.
I need you as my mechanic, it’s the little things you do for the customers.
We are out there 😉
I love getting tires sometimes. After a long week of bullshit it's so nice to see tires and an alignment. Getting paid 4.5 hours of labor for 90 minutes of work is fine with me. Not to mention sometimes the simplicity of it is what you need.
I love how Ray is able to able to get the mouth wrenches and and Karen's to self identify on the simplest of repairs... LO! 🤣🤣😍
Dude!! A galvanized raw rubber plug will do the SAME thing...Join WITH the tire...and last LONGER than the tire....And NO need to take the tire OFF the rim...3 minute repair...lol I've been using them for YEARS...Never had a leak....Other than that..LOVE your show bro! Keeps me laughing and Learning! God bless!
use them all the time , you can even use Stan's inside tire goop !
I am well pleased with this. Not everyone that watches is a mechanic, and you would be horrified at how many people can't even change a tire much less know what goes into repairing one.
PS I remember a time we had to get the tire off with all pry bar and no machine LOL 🤣👍
And unfortunately a skill thats lost on many people in a tyre shop, and still a much needed skill to learn and understand, you will have no idea how often knowing how to change a tyre without a tyre machine can come in handy
Ah, reminds me of my gas station days several centuries ago.
When I was doing tire repairs in my late teens and early twenties we would ream the puncture hole first then all the other steps you performed. Did you miss this step or has the procedure changed?
The process has changed because the plugs have changed. The plugs you used when you reamed the puncture holes were thick strips of tire material with no inner base.
We ream the puncture. Cleans out any contamination or possible corrosion, and if the puncture isn't round is leaves a round hole. Round holes are less likely to tear.
The original screw had a matching circumference of the combi plug. It was a optional thing to do there I wouldn't either.
@@truegritracing8299 reaming is more about cleaning debris and burs from the hole, than it is about sizing the hole. My question was rhetorical.
@@ddaynum1 the process has not changed. One must ream the puncture hole to de-bur, clean and size the hole to the plug for a symmetrical mating surface.
I have never had a tire repaired like that. They just put in a plug and sent me on my way. I like the way you did this.
I love the industry tradition of sticking "new guys" on critical safety equipment like brakes and tires.
It's so fun watching a wheel come off a RAM as it pulls out of the dealership. Also a local managed to send a Porche wheel though a Bentley fender attempting a dismount on an inflated tire.
Oddly, I’ve noted children’s services sometimes seems to assign less senior people to more critical safety related tasks (like being initial person on new abuse reports, being on call for emergencies)
Oil and tires ! New guys are never let near brakes.
@@Number6_ Brakes are often the first actual repair that new guys learn.
@@elkotend during an apprenticeship maybe. places ive worked at wont let you touch anything on a car but fluids and tires 🤷🏻♂️
@@elkotend listen to meme lean and learn form me.
I love the squeeky rubber sliding across the floor with the jack pumps! Oh yeah 🤠👍
I know it saves a tool, but why use a side-cutter rather than needle-nose pliers to insert the patch? I think I would accidentally snip it off early like 20% of the time when trying to push it in.
because you have to put a fair bit of force into snipping that short
I'm sure I'd cut that thing in half 90% of the time using side cutters on it that way.
Getting those patch sticks through is a lot easier if you use a 1/4" drill bit first (or 5/16" depending on the stick size). At my shop we have a nice little diamond-tipped bit specifically designed for that exact purpose loaded into a little die grinder. It makes the job 100 times easier because then the hole is cleanly cut and the right size for the stick to be pulled through. We also never do the "draw an X at the stem" trick, but at least you're checking it on the balancer before sending it. I've been in a few shops where they do the trick and then not check their work.
as a kid in the 50s i remember getting my bike tire fixed with one of those incendiary vulcanizing patches. i like that plug, last one i did was with the loop you pulled through with the included ( usually too weak ) tool.
monkey grip! every self-respecting kid should have had an mg tire repair kit. a pump would be nice, but a friend would let you use theirs.
i use slime kits now.
Love tire plugs. Seldom bother to patch unless it's a big hole. Grew up with the old vulcanizing patches. Was the first in the family to use the new Chemical or cold patch on the farm. Mean Green works good to check for leaks. Keep up the good work!
Nice to see people doing a proper patch. I worked at a Firestone/Bridgestone tire manufacturing facility for 30 years.
Nice to see you work all aspects of car maintenance and repair.
I like that you align the center cap with the valve stem.
I enjoyed this Ray. Have yourself a great day too.
I used to rack the vehicles I worked on so that I could inspect brakes and undercarriage. I worked for the County and only County vehicles including Sherriff patrol cars that may ,at anytime,be involved in a pursuit at high speeds and heavy braking. Patrol cars have been known to go off road and airborne. First seven years I was the tech working on Special Ed School Buses(26). Then my last twenty three years on the County vehicles. I loved it!
theese small vids help a lot, im about to start at a firestone as a MT and knowing a few little things like this even if i havent done it will help when i first start, good job with everything
It's good to use times like this to practice your meditation. It takes work to keep a cool head in these times.
Yup been working in a tyre shop for 18 years now, manager, and we do all car, truck, tractor up to big earthmoving tyres, I love getting out of the workshop and working on the big machinery and tractor tyres. Love watching your Videos @ray
Funny tho how you say the convo was Not Safe For Work, when you're actually working :D hahahahhaha
i almost cried when you put that center cap back on. Ive lost about 7 center caps to shop work
I get why the tire work is a demotion that doesn't pay out. But, you are a really, really, good tire guy, Ray. You don't damage rims. You don't mis-balance tires with counter weights ,or just mess up in general. That doesn't sound like a big deal. But, anyone that's gone to a tire shop that doesn't pay enough to get anybody but greenhorns to do the work... A buddy put 4 new tires on his Dodge quad cab and they totally screwed up the process. Scratched the rims and none of the tires were balanced properly. The thing was shaking more violently than Shakira's hips.
Shakira 😊
I’m of a age that started as a teenager working in a garage, fixing flats and moping floors, to finally working on: rebuilding engines, tune-ups, transmissions, front ends rear ends, suspensions and any else that needed fixing, I was in college at the time and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. Those were the days when you opened the hood and actually could see the engine. Then in 1966 I purchased my first brand new car, Olds Toronto, I opened the hood and the engine. was covered with so many vacuum hoses and other things including the air cleaner I decided working on automobiles was not in the cards, I went to work for Douglas Aircraft. The only thing I do with my cars is pump in gas, check the fluids and wash the windows. Everything else is left to the professionals.
Girlfriend and I used to work at a Walmart Garage in Canada and our lube we used for the side walls of the tire was blueberry flavored.
He lubed her bunghole
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I admire Ray , he does all this work then does it all again editing the those videos every day all for our entertainment ! Thanks Ray your the man 👌👍
if I could go back and do it all again, I think I'd learn to be a mechanic.Just watching things get fixed is so satisfying, I imagine it must be even better being able to actually do the thing.
So good to see a tire with lots of life in it repaired rather than replaced!
Ray's videos provide consistently high quality info-tainment. Great stuff.
Done right is done right 👍👍
I have been following your channel for a little while already. I appreciate the positive, informative, educational content. Don't deviate. You're doing a great job. 👍 . I just recommended your channel to my fb friends. Thank you for your efforts.
The last time I had new tires put on my car, they didn't put the sensors in the right corners. I'm glad I figured it out.
last ever tire repair I ever did was in mid January 1991, that is because I joined the army as Desert Storm/Persian Gulf War started. There were a couple of steps I had to do vs what you did but it was pretty much the same. weird stuff you find in tires. I found a flattened soup spoon. but the one that I think takes the cake was a road flair. I know there are other wild and weird stuff found from doing tire repairs. On a side note this was also back in the days of Service Stations where you could pull up and have someone else pump your gas, pop was in glass bottles. and if you lost a belt or needed a tire or have it repaired after the mechanics went on home. there was the poor bastard like me who handled it.
Good quick tire repair @Rainman Ray's Repairs
with all the comments no one mentioned that the torque wrench for the tire valve is for TPS systems. if you put the car up on the hoist you could have looked over the rest of the tires incase of another nail or bulge . always change the valve stem to prevent comebacks. sometimes they leak air. as always thanks
I am very intrigued as to why I find these videos so enjoyable even though I don’t need to do the repair.
I absolutely love your videos
For a guy like me who isnt very mechanical knowledge your videos help me understand this stuff alot eaisr
Good to see you filling the tires with the proper amount of air. I had new tires installed many years ago while I was at work. On the drive home, I nearly lost control of my car going around the bend of an elevated on-ramp. When I checked the tire pressure, they were at around 70 psi. Cars don't handle well with solid tires. On a final note, I would assume that you checked all around the tire for any "screw friends".
Yes! Finding "the object" does not mean you've found all of the objects that tire might have today! I take mine out in the sunlight, draw a crayon mark on the tire tread so I know where I started, and start rolling it slowly, checking for possible metal bits.
That tire got screwed. I always go to a tire shop to get my tires fixed so people like you can repair vehicles, but there’s many vehicle owners who can’t think that way. Have yourself a great day 😀😀
I never minded doing flat repairs but I was hourly not by job. It may be what lead me to moving from the shop to the office eventually... Never complained or turned down a request. It was after I started working with the owner directly all my strife began. Lol
I use a small reaming tool to increase (slightly) and smooth off the puncture to ease the threading through of the plug/patch..
You are awesome to watch. I’m not a mechanic but I’ve learned a ton here. I’m addicted to your videos. I watched one and found myself going through all of your stuff. I wish I had an honest and knowledgeable mechanic like you in my area.
Love the sealant tip over the patch we put abit of rubber cement over it let dry and then sealant effectively does the same thing but one more layer of protection don't hurt.
There's nowhere to go but up!
I'd forgotten about the preferred way to patch (plug) a tire. I grew up with tubes, hot patches, Tech 2-way, Camel tube patch kits. Rubber cement is another high.
Patch plugs...
Been there done that, ours you have to add schmoo too, before you do the roller stitch.
I also used to go through it with a 2.5mm drill bit just to make sure it was a clean hole etc.
But still a well done job buddy👍
Great job, Ray. Hopefully they remember to come back in a hundred miles to get the lug nuts retorqued. Helps make sure there is no loose wheel to leave.
Never seen a patch/plug like that. Kinda neat.
Our tire rep back in the day would never sign off on patch/plugs, the theory was that the plug portion could be pushed up and cause the patch to separate.
We had a couple extra steps as well.
1) You'd light the glue on fire for a short time before applying the patch.
2) Always over-inflate by ten pounds or so then release air down to the proper pressure.
I dunno why, I just .. was kinda disappointed that there was no fire.
Does that make me a bad person?
This was kind of fun. Brought back old memories from my days as a tire jockey in a gas station. We had three service bays all with lifts.$5 commission for every tire I sold. A lifetime ago.
I always give the wheel lock key to the service manager to put it in the customer's hands so they know they need one and where it is. Had so many times where the customer doesnt even know they have locks on their wheels.
When I was still doing these I'd leave the backing on the patch until after I fed it through initially so I could use my hands.
IIRC, there are match marks (like witness marks) for matching the wheel to the tire. The ones on the tire fade away and if the tire needs to be repaired, an alignment mark needs to be made as Ray did.
As a backyard mechanic I have plugged many holes from the outside. I’ve never seen it done professionally from the inside. The combination patch and plug is very nice. I wish you worked in Connecticut.
Before installing the plug you should have run a small file through the puncture. Will keep plug from breaking. There’s two different sizes. After the filing you sand it
You know about all aspects of car repairing, it's really interesting to watch
Love the "Torque wrench cam". Great content as always. Thanks Ray!
I love the torque wrench cam! When the wrench goes "click" with the camera on it, it sounds more like a "Klunk". Good stuff.
Last place I took my car to left the wheel locks in the well underneath the wipers on the outside of the car... when I got home I saw something was odd looking out the windshield, thankfully they had not fallen out on the way home.
I had words with the management of that establishment... they weren't particularly severe, but I reminded them that they should remind their guys to ALWAYS check that the wheel locks are back in their original location before returning the vehicle to the customer ;P
Dude I could watch you solve vehicle related issues all day,you really enjoy your work and you are very skilled.
What about them jobs that get Ray covered in 90 weight differential gear oil that stinks for days !!! Or has to torch off rusted / broken bolts with showers of sparks. Oil from a oil filter all over your uniform. The boo boo's you get replacing parts. Flashlights and parts falling on your toes. Dirt in your eyes and hair and down your shirt from those clean undercarriages. The frustration of the wrong part(s) showing up. Oh, the joys of Rays daily jobs !!!!!!! I would jump for joy if I had to fix a flat tire !!!!! Don't listen to them bullies, Ray !!!! We all love you !!!!!