Pre-Inspection ,Ray makes no money, Post-Inspection, repair parts-cannon dream.....but Dr. Ray is so honest and smart, makes my morning and restores my faith in mankind!
Ray... I am so excited for you! You made such an awesome decision to quit that dishonest money hungry dump. As a teenager I worked in a shop, so I know all about the "behind the scenes" stuff that goes on. I have to say, without a shadow of a doubt, that you actually care about figuring out what is wrong and have the tools and skills/knowledge to correctly repair what you find. I am truly in aw of your capabilities and enthusiasm to make the customer's vehicle correct again. I know you will more than likely not read this, but if you do, thumbs up brother. Makes me wish i live nearby. Well.. I'm kinda nearby.. Louisiana.. kinda sorta.
Most shops are like that milk the customer. Greedy they are just like Stealerships or aka car dealerships. I do my own work so I know what is really needed.
I'm yet to find a mechanic that doesn't do that. I can work on my car for the most part but still not confident in bigger tasks so although I know what needs doing, I still have to rely on someone else spending my money.
It's hard to believe that you have achieved all this success and now you are installing your 3rd lift. The way you are expanding the whole shop will be to small and you'll be expanding into a big new facility. You are the best technician and business builder I've ever seen. You and Wife Unit have done amazing work.
As a customer, their communication needs improved greatly...! While my truck was there, it was next to impossible to get them to answer the phone... Also, I was never able to speak with the mechanic(Ray) either on the phone or in person...
11:00 I still laugh so hard because a while back Ray specifically called out everyone going "Oh I bet you wouldn't use the brake clean like that if you were the one paying for it" as he proceeded to do exactly what Ray does, which is maximum shiny, regardless of how much brake parts cleaner it takes!
Ray is a good teacher, unlike the tech supervising the rookie who did the work on the cobalt originally. Easy mistakes to make when you're inexperienced, but if the master tech doesn't catch them before they go out the door....
After cleaning dust out of drum, the purpose of rear access to drum adjuster is wind it up until the drum locks up, which centres the shoes. Then back off a click at a time until the drum rotates freely. Takes out the trial and error guesswork adjustment.
Awesome to see the third life being installed, seems like yesterday you were posting the "I got fired" Video 👍 Name of the last shop that car was in is "95% Repairs", their motto is "Eh, good enough" 🤪
Man you do good work! When you said the word never seize or goop on the valve thread, you were drilling. You went the extra mile to save your customer, instead of just replacing the line. Have a great day!
Eh, it's pretty debatable - parts store retail on the hose is under $150, so there's some savings if it needed to be done Today. If it could wait a couple days to order in the part from The Internet, it's all of $50 and thats almost definitely coming out about even with labor cost.
Since 1st of July 1959, the US pound has been defined as 0.045 359 237 kg. It is based on metric unit, just like the inch is defined to be exactly 2.54cm. Metric, but just a bit awkward special case to please US audiences. 🙂 Thank you for the content, these tropic weather repair videos are really nice to watch during the winters we have in Finland - way nicer than doing any repairs outside in -25C/-13F weather.
Ray, it's so great to see you expanding the shop. Honest, "common sense" mechanics are a true joy to find. Maybe someday you'll be like Car Wizard with a nationwide clientele!
Sometimes backwards drill bits work better on removing threaded parts. If you put up a billboard you'll need to add a 10 bay garage with 3 more Troys......... And that was a cool car at the end, I'm thinking early 70s dodge........
On GM, Delco moraine rear brakes, you can do the same adjustment without pulling the wheels. Get up to about, 5miles an hour in reverse, and hit the brakes. The adjustment only happens in reverse, from what I remember.
I would expect you even won't need to drive in reverse, just repeatedly hitting the brakes should do it - after all it is supposed to compensate for the shoe wear even when the car is not reversing at all, maybe it would need just a bit more "hits"...
No automatic adjuster I have ever come across on drum brakes works properly. You can prove this for yourself if you have an external access slot, just do whatever you normally do to make the automatic adjuster work, then see how much you need to do to get them right, just like wot Ray’s doing. One point, Ray backed the adjustment off. In my (limited experience) if you leave the brakes very slightly too tight and drive easy round the block, then check again, you’ll find the brakes are spot on, because a few actuations and plenty of road vibration, makes everything settle down and relax a bit.
@@CrimeVid to get the adjusters to work you have to use the parkingbrake,not just slam the trans in park,when you press the parkbrake pedal or lift the parkbrake handle ( or often called ebrake) the brake shoes are moved by the arms innside the drum ,not just the pistons on the brakesylinder, reversing and braking or driving and braking dont matter, that only extend the pistons in the brakesylinder, so the pedal getts lower and lower doe to the extended travel of the pistons,and if your unlucky the pistons wil pop out of the sylinder and all brakes are gone.............. i know by experience
@@CrimeVid The adjusters function is not to be that precise as you can be with manual adjustment. Their point is to keep the slack within reasonable limits the brake system is designed for, even as the shoes are wearing out, without the need of frequent manual readjustment. You may start with precise adjustment from the getgo, but if the adjusters are not actually working, after a few percent of shoe life the slack becomes beyond what the brakes may tolerate and you may get of of the master cylinder range and have brakes to fail or underperform. The problem is, the maintenance schedule for the vehicle is designed with an assumption these things work, so it does not ask for brake slack adjustment work needed when the auto adjuster is not working. It just assumes the slack is taken care of automatically by the slack adjuster and for that the adjuster has to work first... And the adjuster not working is the main concern here, which has not been addressed (at least explicitely, on the video) on this car.
Congrats on all the success and progress you’ve been able to make at your shop. Can’t believe it only been about 6 months. I can see Rainman Repairs franchises in your future. God Bless!
Great video! On the brakes, those have automatic adjusters, but you have to use the parking brake to make the adjustment. With an auto trans, most people just put it in park, and never use the parking brake.
Nice discussion and demonstration about the rear drums. I learned a lot. I was watching a car repair video yesterday and the guy would speed up the video whenever he was taking things apart and putting them together. I want to see things DONE to learn how to really do things.
Good jobs - brakes, A/C, gas leaks, schrader replacements - all quality work. Do miss the wife unit, she adds a touch of happiness, cheerfulness, and smiles to the days work !!!! Shop is coming along, lifts propagating, and work increasing. Praying for your business to flourish !!! 😃💯👍
You are right Ray, you should advertise on that billboard, and also on your truck doors and make some 4 color flyers to hand out. Within reasonable limits, the more you advertise the more business you and your shop will get. You have done a good job of expanding the capabilities of the shop with new doors and a new lift. The advertising will help you keep those new improvements making money for you. Good luck!
Based on the fact that most previous repairs were botched, upon seeing the rear adjusters bottomed out at the loose end of the spectrum, I would have double-checked against service data to confirm that the auto-adjusters were not put on backwards and are working backwards---IOW they are automatically "un-adjusting" themselves.
Can't put them in backwards, maybe have one with a reverse thread. Seemed like a Monday/Friday job or somebody that knew the basics of doing the work but not to dial it in or everything was good enough.
The way how the ratchet allowed them to tighten, I doubt they will be "unadjusting". More like the thing that is supposed to adjust it, is not engaging at all. But seeing them clean and without any corrosion (the reason why selfadjusters of various kind stop adjusting), I would also guess they are just assembled incorrectly, or some detail (hooking in something, missing component,...) was overlooked.
Great job Ray as always…also, as another comment stated, no need to advertise as word of mouth goes a long way. I myself only went to you by your reviews and don’t really look for ads. I’m like most, don’t trust mechanic shops until I found you! Congrats on getting the other lift up!
Good video. Suggestion. By removing the plug on the backing plate you can adjust the brakes with the drum installed. Its faster that way. Also that little pawl that is on the adjuster is the laver that adjusts the brakes when you back up and put on the brakes. That way the brakes are always in proper adjustment, well in theory anyway.
Reeee. Metal filings in the system. I wish you had removed the line before you drilled it, that would have allowed you to create and then remove debris without forcing the debris into the rest of the system with the blow gun.
That 'lost' cap on the low pressure side was black, and you removed it around 13:20. Having to drill out the rest of that valve core and then blow it out reminds me of a rebuilt engine I had delivered to my house in the '70s. I had to use a drill and my vacuum to suck out debris that the rebuilding shop had not removed from the oil return holes in the engine heads.
I think I would use the billboard. However, boards that are close to a busy 4 lane highway can be very expensive. Secondarily, putting the shop's name on a high billboard next to a busy road will without a doubt bring the fans to your doorstep. The combination of the Wife Unit and her designies along with a tractor trailer full of merch will undoubtedly give a nice lift to the bottom line. It will be important to seperate the retail side of the shop from the greasy side or you will get nothing done because of the necessary greetings you will have to supply to the hundreds of visitors the sign will recruit. Dave Lowa
@@pickles5150 That's what I was thinking. Either that, or make one out of wood just to get noticed, then buy one when the money is right. Even a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood would be better than nothing.
If you go back and watch the last video where Ray checked the low side port, you can see an O-ring fell out from inside the cap. The last guy knew it was leaking but couldn't or wouldn't replace it
Good day to you, Ray. Glad you filmed the brake repair etc. I thought you'd forgotten about it from yesterday's video. Definitely advertise on that billboard! Keep up the good work 👍👍👍
Nice work Ray, the previous mechanic had a trifecta of mishaps, including improperly installing the fuel pump, not adjusting the rear brakes, and breaking off a schrater valve on an ac line. But I give them credit for the wax and buff, the shiny black plastic wheel covers, and the tire shine. Looks like a typical used car lot shiny mess.
I have found wasting money on advertising auto repair online and locally gets you little to no new business. Your workmanship and honesty travels like wild fires. Why advertising does not work in auto repair? The general public have a stigma against you all ready without knowing you or your work. As a mobile mechanic customers watch me work and I get to educate them on how vehicles work. Its a great experience for me and the customer. Keep up the good work Ray you will be fine without the advertising.
It doesn't help that so many mechanics either have "game the Yellow Pages" names like AAAA Absolute Best Repairs, or something disingenuous like "Honest Al's Garage. Every good mechanic I have had has been word-of-mouth "advertising". "Hey [neighbor], where do you get your car repaired, and are you satisfied with them?" edit: Another good advertising method is to post some business cards at local diners and coffee shops that have a bulletin board for that purpose. Costs pennies, so even if you only get one referral, it's a steal.
Twist handle ratchets come in handy for tight spaces haven't seen the Stanley in ages I have the bostitch model ratchet which is Stanley @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Ray you need to invest in some left hand drills they were really good when you’re trying to drill something out that is already threaded in place with a right hand thread
These last two video's are the reason I enjoy RRR's videos. My father in law was quoted $1500 to fix his auto gear box, he took it to a retired mechanic who double flushed it and replaced the filter and it lasted him another 5 years till he sold it. the last we heard of it was 3 years latter and it was still going strong. Another mechanic I knew throw in his job because he was pissed off by his boss telling him to clean and reset the ignition points and clean, reset spark plugs. Also clean the air filter, the boss then charged the customer for replacing, resetting every thing. Ray keep up the good work ethic and you will do well.
Years ago back in the 70's, I knew a Mechanic Shop that did this on Older people vehicles--just ck the points- clean and reset Gap on Plugs and charge them for New Points and Plugs, he got away with this fraud forever...
Ray, as far as the rear brakes go with this one I think you may be dealing with the Chevy drum brakes that don't work as they should. If it is the problem design then what happens is the rear adjusters never actually automatically adjust. I have first hand experience having owned a 2007 Chevy HHR (which is very similar to the Cobalt) for over 100,000 miles now and trying to figure out why it prematurely wears out front brake pads and even warps the front rotors. I have finally come to the conclusion via my experience and also reading HHR owner forums that the rears do not self adjust thus putting what is normally only about 70% brake stress on the fronts well over 90%. The solution I have come to is that I am just going to have to manually adjust them every oil change or two which means jack up each rear side and adjusting via the access port you show in this video. The lack of proper adjustment is so slow it goes unnoticed by the driver but the improvement in brake performance once properly adjusted is quite noticeable.
You are So Right, most Drivers these Days Know Nothing about Vehicle Mechanics, they are Totally Helpless, as an Old Fart, I try to help/teach my younger friends about the mechanics of their Vehicles---I always Tell them-Preventive Maintenance will Save you a Bundle of Money in Long Run...
I don't know about this car but I had a Mazda MX-6 back in the day with rear drums. The adjustment procedure was to move the car slowly in reverse, and then apply the parking brake. Release the parking brake, move forward and apply the service brake and then repeat the first step. A few times with the forward/backward was all that was needed to tighten up the rear drums.
When the e brake takes to many clicks, it's time to adjust the star wheel. Might try backing up and stopping quickly as that is supposed to adjust them, sometimes it works, sometimes not !
@@sparksalot4950, YES, you've hit the nail on the head. With my HHR the number of clicks to set the hand brake is exactly how I can tell it's time to manually adjust the tensioners again. More than three clicks and it's time. With the HHR drums, and probably these Cobalt ones as well seeing as they look identical, the backing up and braking multiple times to auto adjust just doesn't work. Poor design I guess. These are the first drums I've worked on that use that weird upsidedown horseshoe tension spring on the bottom.
You’re a triple A mechanic mu which is hard to come by and I believe you are honest, thanks for sharing all your videos, I’m a dyi backyard mechanic myself which I don’t know much about cars but been learning by watching you , about the billboard most definitely and more work means you need more manpower.
Definitely advertise! Get your shop on the billboard with some doodlie dos! Jk... But definitely get the word out! Honest, thorough diagnosis, honest repairs...
Another great video Ray! Funny how someone went through all the work redoing the rear brakes to not do the final step of adjusting them. lol Shop is coming along nicely!
I once got a car at flood sale price because the person who replaced the master brake cylinder didn't bleed the lines afterward, so the owner thought it was an un-fixable death trap. Twenty minutes with my brother in the driver's seat, half a bottle of brake fluid, and a couple of dirty rags later and I had a great car that I should have paid ten times as much to get.
@@MonkeyJedi99I got a decent car because the owner thought it needed head gaskets. It was a broken lower hose clamp! Never ask for a diagnosis over the phone!
I miss the dee doo dee doo dee doo from the phone from the old shop. Love your stuff man. Keep up the great work of being an honest mechanic and businessman.
My thought was using an easy out instead of the drill bit to see if you can grab it and unthread it. I may be speaking too early, as I have not finished watching this yet. One thing about replacing the line is no possible metal shavings contaminating the system. But like you, I try most anything except waiting to fix a problem.
I might have tried reaching down the line with a hook to push the back of the valve half from the backside. - edit: Just saw what came out on the drill bit. My idea would not have worked.
I'm in HVAC and I just about fell off the couch here. Metal shavings, compressed air in an open system? "There is a filter in here..." Yeah, no. Edit: OMG he's blowing compressed air "through" the compressor now. This thing is toast.
I’m a big fan of left handed drill bits for situations like this. It may even have saved that Subaru engine with the snapped off water pump stud. Rather than trying to weld nuts onto it. snap on still sells them I think
Viking/Norseman sells a super high quality set of left hand drills and extractors for a pretty reasonable price. They're made in the USA and come in a nice, convenient case.
I already knew what left-handed drill bits were, but I was splitting my attention when I first read your comment, and thought, "What difference does it make what had I hold the drill in?" Yeah, I need to wake up.
@@davesvoboda2785 Plus, Ray snapped off an Easy-out in the stud, and those are harder than woodpecker lips. Only thing that MIGHT possibly drill thru that hardened thing is a carbide drill bit. Maybe.
True. But lefty bits act like Easy outs and the pilot drill simultaneously. He may not have needed anything else. Just grind the stud flat first. Then a good center punch and some patience. But hindsight is 20/20.
I used to do a lot of brake work for family, friends and acquaintances. Any time I did drum brakes I got them as close as I could by eye then drove the vehicle in reverse, pressed the brake pedal and let the automatic adjusters do their job.
@@davidhamm5626 its easier to just use the parkbrake ,no not the trans lock (park possision on trans) but the actual parkingbrake ( often called ebrake) just hold the realease and pump and if the self adjusters work as they should you wil feel the pedal getting firmer, if you have rear drumbrakes and the brakepedal goes way down,try putting some clikks on the "e breake" if the pedal gets better the rear breakes needs adjusting.
That 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T convertible was nice You do care of your customers, saving their money for good base service to their vehicle, like oilchances, filters, brakes, those important things to keep it safe to drive on roads. And they are coming back also.
Be awesome Ray if you do a video on your start up costs, auto labor hourly costs in Florida... information for those who wish to do as you did & start their own auto repair business. Insurance, lease costs, just a ball park series of info for those interested in starting their own business. Awesome what you & your family has accomplished. But also explain how many years you have been in the business. You started out with a great deal of auto mechanical knowledge. Maybe touch upon mechanic licenses you have etc. Thank you, for the videos wow you run into the same issues us backyard mechanics run into working on our own cars.
Shouldn't the adjuster tighten itself after a few cycles on the brake pedal? The same way it is normally supposed to selfadjust for the shoe wear? I get it, it is a good practice to adjust it manually after installation so the play is n9t excessive from the get go, but still after a while I would expect the play to go away by itself. All that unless there is something wrong with the adjusters, like assembled in a wrong way or so... Which seems to me to be the real problem with the brakes: The self adjuster to not self adjusting...
Only issue is they need to start out even from the get go! Start with low drag,if one is at bottom of adjust the one that is set at top will over adjust.
@@petersmart1999 No. Correctly working adjuster will never overadjust it. Each brake has its own, completely independent adjuster. So unless it is overtightened from the get go when installed, the adjuster won't overtighten it. They are even designed (intentionally) so they stop adjusting when failing. The adjusters are nothing else than some kind of ratcheting mechanism actuated by the shoes travel so the travel should exceed some level for the next tooth to engage. So when too lose, the travel is greater, tooths engage and the adjuster tightens up. When the slack is within spec, the travel is too short to engage the next tooth, so no adjustment is happening at all. At this state it normally spends most of its life, so much the corrosion or other gunk just seizes the mechanism in that position, resulting into adjuster not adjusting for the shoes wear anymore.
That "little tab that locks in the adjuster" is actually the automatic adjuster for the drum brakes. These are automatic adjusting, as several others have mentioned.
I have a can of Brake Clean at the shop that I inverted and sprayed out all the propellant. Now it's just the vapor pressure of the Brake Clean pushing it out. Really good for getting out enough solvent to work on sealing surfaces when you don't need the physical pressure of knocking stuff away.
Ray must have been early mornig when you did the drill bit trick. The drill didn't push those pieces into the line they cut the pieces into slivers. When you went through and then blew out the line those chunks came out-- you probable didn't see it at the time. Anyway you have the receiver dryer right there it will trap it.
You don't need to cinch up those brakes that way. Those are self adjusting. When it's ready put the car in reverse, back up to 5 mph and tap the brakes, do that a few times and they'll adjust themselves.
Great vid Ray. But save your money on the billboard, they don't work. "Word of mouth" is the best and free advertising there is. So just keep doing a great job and your customers will do it for you :)
Yet another excellent video and customer centric repair! If you need more business, advertise on the billboard, if you have enough and don't need to expand, then no billboard is necessary. I never actually compared those who advertised on billboards with the slimy lawyers who do use them.
Nice work on the Cobalt. You're always putting the customer first. As for the billboard, it usually pays to advertise and let people know you're there, but it would depend on the cost to determine if it's worth it. Of course it would be a good tax deduction.
29:00 - Yet again I've seen it, and this time I wanted to speak about it. The dedication to your videography with the right hand, and therefore the use of left hand only for extraction and installation of parts is just amazing. I wanted to convey my awe and appreciation to you because man, I'd have given UP on that extraction waaay before you got halfway through. :)
You got a pair brother! To even try to save that line you sir are a awesome mech !!!! God bless ya!! Thx for sharing Yes I know this was a year ago,,,,, Hope your life problem goes ok...
I bought my 08 cobalt for $300 a week ago it runs and drives perfect has 207,000 miles and no engine lights or warning lights, still has a good paint job and leather interior only had to replace front speakers, headlights, rear shocks, and glue some of the interior door panels, I’m hoping it will last for a little while.
at 7:50 you start spraying the drum.. I swear I started smelling brake cleaner sitting here in my office.. LOL.. Just one of those things that just happens I guess
47:00 You'd have to check your city ordnances, but I've seen buildings painted with company name. Perhaps a large banner on that north wall. Because of signage issues, a lot of places here use 'feather flags'. Those thin, vertical and more importantly, removable banners with company info. They're temporary and don't fall under the same requirements. Hit some of the local businesses with business cards, public works, 84 lumber, There's both a K-8 and the school board offices east on 26th. That many local residents, a targeted mail campaign perhaps?
Absolutely get your name (and/or the business name) on that outdoor ad space. Many people need an honest, skilled technician - rven me, with a lifetime of tools and experience, lost access to a lift and somehow got old when I wasn't looking.
Those rear brakes are auto adjusting, apply brakes while in reverse, actuates that lever that you levered away to adjust them. Or applying the park brake adjusts them on some vehicles as well.
Advertise business and RUclips channel win win
Pre-Inspection ,Ray makes no money, Post-Inspection, repair parts-cannon dream.....but Dr. Ray is so honest and smart, makes my morning and restores my faith in mankind!
Ray... I am so excited for you! You made such an awesome decision to quit that dishonest money hungry dump. As a teenager I worked in a shop, so I know all about the "behind the scenes" stuff that goes on. I have to say, without a shadow of a doubt, that you actually care about figuring out what is wrong and have the tools and skills/knowledge to correctly repair what you find. I am truly in aw of your capabilities and enthusiasm to make the customer's vehicle correct again. I know you will more than likely not read this, but if you do, thumbs up brother. Makes me wish i live nearby. Well.. I'm kinda nearby.. Louisiana.. kinda sorta.
Well said ..
💯
Yup, makes me want to take my car to Ray, and I live in Sweden.
🚙💨😂
Don't we ALL AGREE!!
Most shops are like that milk the customer. Greedy they are just like Stealerships or aka car dealerships. I do my own work so I know what is really needed.
Advertise on the billboard after you employ “ANOTHER”….. the parking lot is full enough as it is!!🤣🤣🤣
You don't need a billboard. Word of mouth is the best advertisement. Beautiful '71 Challenger at the end.
I am constantly amazed at how much work Ray accomplishes 1 handed!
Just imagine how much more he could do with both hands. He would have to film in slo-mo just so we could keep up!
Haha message of the day!
well one out of 2 got your jest.
Next step… use feet.😳
He's a bit of a handed magician!🤣😂🥰😍
Ray here is a trick from Grocery store refer techs. Use a #6 drywall screw to retrieve broken schrader valves.
Why is that the cleanest Chevy Colbalt in existence? Paint looks mint, its almost like someone likes that car.
stayed most time in garage under repairs.
Wasn't north of the Florida-Georgia line ever.
@@SinCitySinner that's dope, can I have dibs if ya ever do sell it? Haha
@@SinCitySinner I missed a 2005 Grand Marquis with 48K for $3500! Dang! lol
@@forgetfulme1719🤣🤣
nice to see a mechanic who doesn't just throw unneeded parts in. I say if you have enough business no need for billboard .
labor costs is just as good as income for services rendered.
I'm yet to find a mechanic that doesn't do that.
I can work on my car for the most part but still not confident in bigger tasks so although I know what needs doing, I still have to rely on someone else spending my money.
@@HaggisMuncher-69-420 I'm lucky that my close friend is a Toyota mechanic and does all my work for a very good price.
It's hard to believe that you have achieved all this success and now you are installing your 3rd lift. The way you are expanding the whole shop will be to small and you'll be expanding into a big new facility. You are the best technician and business builder I've ever seen. You and Wife Unit have done amazing work.
RUclips income is also substantial. Doing a great job playing the game of life!
Epoxy floor…👍🏻
I love this comment.
As a customer, their communication needs improved greatly...! While my truck was there, it was next to impossible to get them to answer the phone... Also, I was never able to speak with the mechanic(Ray) either on the phone or in person...
11:00 I still laugh so hard because a while back Ray specifically called out everyone going "Oh I bet you wouldn't use the brake clean like that if you were the one paying for it" as he proceeded to do exactly what Ray does, which is maximum shiny, regardless of how much brake parts cleaner it takes!
Troy is doing an excellent job keeping the shop clean and organized - even your cart! 😄
Ray is a good teacher, unlike the tech supervising the rookie who did the work on the cobalt originally. Easy mistakes to make when you're inexperienced, but if the master tech doesn't catch them before they go out the door....
After cleaning dust out of drum, the purpose of rear access to drum adjuster is wind it up until the drum locks up, which centres the shoes. Then back off a click at a time until the drum rotates freely. Takes out the trial and error guesswork adjustment.
Awesome to see the third life being installed, seems like yesterday you were posting the "I got fired" Video 👍 Name of the last shop that car was in is "95% Repairs", their motto is "Eh, good enough" 🤪
Did I see that metal piece fall out of that line at 29:22? I cracked the case!
Wait, using brake cleaner .. to clean brakes? Is that even allowed?
It's like keeping gloves in the glove compartment.
@@josepherhardt164 Or fixing air ducts with duct tape.
Heresy! Blasphemy! Improper allocation of resources!
Well, yeaaahh, it's brake clean in a can😅
Man you do good work! When you said the word never seize or goop on the valve thread, you were drilling.
You went the extra mile to save your customer, instead of just replacing the line.
Have a great day!
Eh, it's pretty debatable - parts store retail on the hose is under $150, so there's some savings if it needed to be done Today. If it could wait a couple days to order in the part from The Internet, it's all of $50 and thats almost definitely coming out about even with labor cost.
If I lived close enough to you, you would be my go to mechanic for all my automotive needs. You do great work!!
Me too!
@@davestern2912You do great work too? 😂
I did before I got the "gold watch." Then I stopped work entirely.
It's not often you can say "nice car" about a Cobalt but it looks good.
What, REEEEEEEEEE!!!🧂🧂🧂You could have added 10 Extra Horse Power by painting the Breaks Drums Red and stenciling Brembo over top !😁
Since 1st of July 1959, the US pound has been defined as 0.045 359 237 kg. It is based on metric unit, just like the inch is defined to be exactly 2.54cm. Metric, but just a bit awkward special case to please US audiences. 🙂
Thank you for the content, these tropic weather repair videos are really nice to watch during the winters we have in Finland - way nicer than doing any repairs outside in -25C/-13F weather.
I think you meant to say 0.45…. kg to the U.S. pound. Same as ~2.2lbs to the kg.
Royal Deluxe...
Ray, it's so great to see you expanding the shop. Honest, "common sense" mechanics are a true joy to find. Maybe someday you'll be like Car Wizard with a nationwide clientele!
Sometimes backwards drill bits work better on removing threaded parts.
If you put up a billboard you'll need to add a 10 bay garage with 3 more Troys.........
And that was a cool car at the end, I'm thinking early 70s dodge........
On GM, Delco moraine rear brakes, you can do the same adjustment without pulling the wheels. Get up to about, 5miles an hour in reverse, and hit the brakes. The adjustment only happens in reverse, from what I remember.
I would expect you even won't need to drive in reverse, just repeatedly hitting the brakes should do it - after all it is supposed to compensate for the shoe wear even when the car is not reversing at all, maybe it would need just a bit more "hits"...
No automatic adjuster I have ever come across on drum brakes works properly. You can prove this for yourself if you have an external access slot, just do whatever you normally do to make the automatic adjuster work, then see how much you need to do to get them right, just like wot Ray’s doing. One point, Ray backed the adjustment off. In my (limited experience) if you leave the brakes very slightly too tight and drive easy round the block, then check again, you’ll find the brakes are spot on, because a few actuations and plenty of road vibration, makes everything settle down and relax a bit.
@@CrimeVid to get the adjusters to work you have to use the parkingbrake,not just slam the trans in park,when you press the parkbrake pedal or lift the parkbrake handle ( or often called ebrake) the brake shoes are moved by the arms innside the drum ,not just the pistons on the brakesylinder, reversing and braking or driving and braking dont matter, that only extend the pistons in the brakesylinder, so the pedal getts lower and lower doe to the extended travel of the pistons,and if your unlucky the pistons wil pop out of the sylinder and all brakes are gone.............. i know by experience
@@CrimeVid The adjusters function is not to be that precise as you can be with manual adjustment. Their point is to keep the slack within reasonable limits the brake system is designed for, even as the shoes are wearing out, without the need of frequent manual readjustment.
You may start with precise adjustment from the getgo, but if the adjusters are not actually working, after a few percent of shoe life the slack becomes beyond what the brakes may tolerate and you may get of of the master cylinder range and have brakes to fail or underperform.
The problem is, the maintenance schedule for the vehicle is designed with an assumption these things work, so it does not ask for brake slack adjustment work needed when the auto adjuster is not working. It just assumes the slack is taken care of automatically by the slack adjuster and for that the adjuster has to work first...
And the adjuster not working is the main concern here, which has not been addressed (at least explicitely, on the video) on this car.
@@annaplojharova1400It only works in reverse, because the mechanism is designed to work as a ratchet.
Not bad on the rear drums And assemblies just some cleaning and re adjustments that is nice also just some maintenance @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Congrats on all the success and progress you’ve been able to make at your shop. Can’t believe it only been about 6 months. I can see Rainman Repairs franchises in your future. God Bless!
Great video! On the brakes, those have automatic adjusters, but you have to use the parking brake to make the adjustment. With an auto trans, most people just put it in park, and never use the parking brake.
I thought that the drum brakes were self adjusting. Put the car in reverse and tap on the brakes to expand the adjuster.
Ray, at 42:57 and 42:58, I think I can see a blue cap in the cowl where you left the high side cap and your socket. Looks like a low side cap to me!
Was looking for this i seen that too.
Nice discussion and demonstration about the rear drums. I learned a lot. I was watching a car repair video yesterday and the guy would speed up the video whenever he was taking things apart and putting them together. I want to see things DONE to learn how to really do things.
Not bad at all on the no parts repair on this video and the last Looks like the Ac working well @Rainman Ray's Repairs
You are THE mechanic that everybody wants. Integrity for days and the job's not done until it's done correctly. 👍😁
In a world so full of people who refuse to get things fixed on their vehicles, it's nice to see a "please do more."
Awesome to see the 3rd lift is going up and thats got to be exciting being it will be operational soon @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Wired it up this morning
@@RainmanRaysRepairs awesome going to be more efficient now
Good jobs - brakes, A/C, gas leaks, schrader replacements - all quality work. Do miss the wife unit, she adds a touch of happiness, cheerfulness, and smiles to the days work !!!! Shop is coming along, lifts propagating, and work increasing. Praying for your business to flourish !!! 😃💯👍
The way you just droped that cleaner bottle ....uuuufff perfection
You are right Ray, you should advertise on that billboard, and also on your truck doors and make some 4 color flyers to hand out. Within reasonable limits, the more you advertise the more business you and your shop will get. You have done a good job of expanding the capabilities of the shop with new doors and a new lift. The advertising will help you keep those new improvements making money for you. Good luck!
RAY! 12:50 installing smudges on the seats broke my heart!
Based on the fact that most previous repairs were botched, upon seeing the rear adjusters bottomed out at the loose end of the spectrum, I would have double-checked against service data to confirm that the auto-adjusters were not put on backwards and are working backwards---IOW they are automatically "un-adjusting" themselves.
From what I saw,and just did some yesterday the adjusters are in the correct position.
Can't put them in backwards, maybe have one with a reverse thread. Seemed like a Monday/Friday job or somebody that knew the basics of doing the work but not to dial it in or everything was good enough.
The way how the ratchet allowed them to tighten, I doubt they will be "unadjusting". More like the thing that is supposed to adjust it, is not engaging at all. But seeing them clean and without any corrosion (the reason why selfadjusters of various kind stop adjusting), I would also guess they are just assembled incorrectly, or some detail (hooking in something, missing component,...) was overlooked.
Home job for sure
They weren't. You can easily tell from the video of Ray adjusting them
Nice work getting that broken valve drilled out and removed from the ac line @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Great job Ray as always…also, as another comment stated, no need to advertise as word of mouth goes a long way. I myself only went to you by your reviews and don’t really look for ads. I’m like most, don’t trust mechanic shops until I found you! Congrats on getting the other lift up!
You lucky guy!! I'd definitely have work done by Ray if I was closer to him! MN is too far away!
How about Ray is here wit an arrow pointing down? Noth8ng wrong with helping people find your store😂
Six months in and he still hasn't hit the door-of-death; the TRUE measure of his success!!! 🤣🤣🤣
I install flagpoles. A nice 50 ft flag pole with an American flag and a custom shop flag would look great going over that bridge
It Truly wood be Great
Why is it so satisfying watching brake clean with good spray pressure? It's like mechanics asmr😂
For you E-body guys, I hope y’all got a good look at that nice 71’ challenger! Thanx for the slo-mo on that dodge Ray!👍
Plum Crazy convertible, even!
@@1crustyoldmsgtretired870 Best color in my opinion.
Go-Wing, R/T stripes, can't remember what engine options were available but maybe a 340.
The color of the Cobalt is, well, Cobalt.
!
Good video. Suggestion. By removing the plug on the backing plate you can adjust the brakes with the drum installed. Its faster that way. Also that little pawl that is on the adjuster is the laver that adjusts the brakes when you back up and put on the brakes. That way the brakes are always in proper adjustment, well in theory anyway.
He mentioned that in the video.
not the back up,part. When I was a kid may decades ago backing up and applying the brakes was how we adjusted the drum brakes.
Most people don't know they should always use the ripem park brake when they park to help keep the rear brakes adjusted.... Thx for sharing....
I'm so glad, that you are going forward in your business. Love your videos. Keep going man. 😊
Rainman Ray's Repairs on the billboard would be great.
Might not pay for itself work wise but would look cool.
Reeee. Metal filings in the system. I wish you had removed the line before you drilled it, that would have allowed you to create and then remove debris without forcing the debris into the rest of the system with the blow gun.
That 'lost' cap on the low pressure side was black, and you removed it around 13:20.
Having to drill out the rest of that valve core and then blow it out reminds me of a rebuilt engine I had delivered to my house in the '70s. I had to use a drill and my vacuum to suck out debris that the rebuilding shop had not removed from the oil return holes in the engine heads.
I think I would use the billboard. However, boards that are close to a busy 4 lane highway can be very expensive. Secondarily, putting the shop's name on a high billboard next to a busy road will without a doubt bring the fans to your doorstep. The combination of the Wife Unit and her designies along with a tractor trailer full of merch will undoubtedly give a nice lift to the bottom line. It will be important to seperate the retail side of the shop from the greasy side or you will get nothing done because of the necessary greetings you will have to supply to the hundreds of visitors the sign will recruit.
Dave Lowa
Or you can buy you own billboard.
@@pickles5150 That's what I was thinking. Either that, or make one out of wood just to get noticed, then buy one when the money is right. Even a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood would be better than nothing.
If you go back and watch the last video where Ray checked the low side port, you can see an O-ring fell out from inside the cap. The last guy knew it was leaking but couldn't or wouldn't replace it
Good day to you, Ray.
Glad you filmed the brake repair etc. I thought you'd forgotten about it from yesterday's video.
Definitely advertise on that billboard! Keep up the good work 👍👍👍
Nice work Ray, the previous mechanic had a trifecta of mishaps, including improperly installing the fuel pump, not adjusting the rear brakes, and breaking off a schrater valve on an ac line. But I give them credit for the wax and buff, the shiny black plastic wheel covers, and the tire shine. Looks like a typical used car lot shiny mess.
I have found wasting money on advertising auto repair online and locally gets you little to no new business. Your workmanship and honesty travels like wild fires. Why advertising does not work in auto repair? The general public have a stigma against you all ready without knowing you or your work. As a mobile mechanic customers watch me work and I get to educate them on how vehicles work. Its a great experience for me and the customer. Keep up the good work Ray you will be fine without the advertising.
It doesn't help that so many mechanics either have "game the Yellow Pages" names like AAAA Absolute Best Repairs, or something disingenuous like "Honest Al's Garage.
Every good mechanic I have had has been word-of-mouth "advertising".
"Hey [neighbor], where do you get your car repaired, and are you satisfied with them?"
edit: Another good advertising method is to post some business cards at local diners and coffee shops that have a bulletin board for that purpose. Costs pennies, so even if you only get one referral, it's a steal.
Some top-notch wrenching! Your customer is going to be very happy and I hope thankful
Twist handle ratchets come in handy for tight spaces haven't seen the Stanley in ages I have the bostitch model ratchet which is Stanley @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Ray you need to invest in some left hand drills they were really good when you’re trying to drill something out that is already threaded in place with a right hand thread
Yup. Needs to hit up the industrial supply house for those. Either Grainger or a local outfit.
These last two video's are the reason I enjoy RRR's videos. My father in law was quoted $1500 to fix his auto gear box, he took it to a retired mechanic who double flushed it and replaced the filter and it lasted him another 5 years till he sold it. the last we heard of it was 3 years latter and it was still going strong. Another mechanic I knew throw in his job because he was pissed off by his boss telling him to clean and reset the ignition points and clean, reset spark plugs. Also clean the air filter, the boss then charged the customer for replacing, resetting every thing. Ray keep up the good work ethic and you will do well.
Years ago back in the 70's, I knew a Mechanic Shop that did this on Older people vehicles--just ck the points- clean and reset Gap on Plugs and charge them for New Points and Plugs, he got away with this fraud forever...
Ray, as far as the rear brakes go with this one I think you may be dealing with the Chevy drum brakes that don't work as they should. If it is the problem design then what happens is the rear adjusters never actually automatically adjust. I have first hand experience having owned a 2007 Chevy HHR (which is very similar to the Cobalt) for over 100,000 miles now and trying to figure out why it prematurely wears out front brake pads and even warps the front rotors. I have finally come to the conclusion via my experience and also reading HHR owner forums that the rears do not self adjust thus putting what is normally only about 70% brake stress on the fronts well over 90%. The solution I have come to is that I am just going to have to manually adjust them every oil change or two which means jack up each rear side and adjusting via the access port you show in this video. The lack of proper adjustment is so slow it goes unnoticed by the driver but the improvement in brake performance once properly adjusted is quite noticeable.
You are So Right, most Drivers these Days Know Nothing about Vehicle Mechanics, they are Totally Helpless, as an Old Fart, I try to help/teach my younger friends about the mechanics of their Vehicles---I always Tell them-Preventive Maintenance will Save you a Bundle of Money in Long Run...
I don't know about this car but I had a Mazda MX-6 back in the day with rear drums. The adjustment procedure was to move the car slowly in reverse, and then apply the parking brake. Release the parking brake, move forward and apply the service brake and then repeat the first step. A few times with the forward/backward was all that was needed to tighten up the rear drums.
When the e brake takes to many clicks, it's time to adjust the star wheel. Might try backing up and stopping quickly as that is supposed to adjust them, sometimes it works, sometimes not !
@@sparksalot4950, YES, you've hit the nail on the head. With my HHR the number of clicks to set the hand brake is exactly how I can tell it's time to manually adjust the tensioners again. More than three clicks and it's time. With the HHR drums, and probably these Cobalt ones as well seeing as they look identical, the backing up and braking multiple times to auto adjust just doesn't work. Poor design I guess. These are the first drums I've worked on that use that weird upsidedown horseshoe tension spring on the bottom.
💯 % yes promotion of the shop on that billboard would be perfect.
You’re a triple A mechanic mu which is hard to come by and I believe you are honest, thanks for sharing all your videos, I’m a dyi backyard mechanic myself which I don’t know much about cars but been learning by watching you , about the billboard most definitely and more work means you need more manpower.
Definitely advertise! Get your shop on the billboard with some doodlie dos! Jk... But definitely get the word out! Honest, thorough diagnosis, honest repairs...
Another great video Ray! Funny how someone went through all the work redoing the rear brakes to not do the final step of adjusting them. lol Shop is coming along nicely!
I once got a car at flood sale price because the person who replaced the master brake cylinder didn't bleed the lines afterward, so the owner thought it was an un-fixable death trap.
Twenty minutes with my brother in the driver's seat, half a bottle of brake fluid, and a couple of dirty rags later and I had a great car that I should have paid ten times as much to get.
@@MonkeyJedi99I got a decent car because the owner thought it needed head gaskets. It was a broken lower hose clamp! Never ask for a diagnosis over the phone!
Knowledge is powerful!!
Ignorance is painful!
I picked up a car for $250 because the person's "mechanic" couldn't figure out why it ran so rough. All it needed was a couple of vacuum lines.
I miss the dee doo dee doo dee doo from the phone from the old shop. Love your stuff man. Keep up the great work of being an honest mechanic and businessman.
My thought was using an easy out instead of the drill bit to see if you can grab it and unthread it. I may be speaking too early, as I have not finished watching this yet.
One thing about replacing the line is no possible metal shavings contaminating the system. But like you, I try most anything except waiting to fix a problem.
I might have tried reaching down the line with a hook to push the back of the valve half from the backside.
-
edit: Just saw what came out on the drill bit. My idea would not have worked.
I'm in HVAC and I just about fell off the couch here. Metal shavings, compressed air in an open system? "There is a filter in here..." Yeah, no.
Edit: OMG he's blowing compressed air "through" the compressor now. This thing is toast.
@joez.2794 right?
I've gotten many broken Schrader valves out by pressurizing the opposite side of the system with nitrogen and letting the core blow out the other.
I’m a big fan of left handed drill bits for situations like this. It may even have saved that Subaru engine with the snapped off water pump stud. Rather than trying to weld nuts onto it. snap on still sells them I think
Viking/Norseman sells a super high quality set of left hand drills and extractors for a pretty reasonable price. They're made in the USA and come in a nice, convenient case.
I already knew what left-handed drill bits were, but I was splitting my attention when I first read your comment, and thought, "What difference does it make what had I hold the drill in?"
Yeah, I need to wake up.
The broken piece was below the threads.
@@davesvoboda2785 Plus, Ray snapped off an Easy-out in the stud, and those are harder than woodpecker lips.
Only thing that MIGHT possibly drill thru that hardened thing is a carbide drill bit. Maybe.
True. But lefty bits act like Easy outs and the pilot drill simultaneously. He may not have needed anything else. Just grind the stud flat first. Then a good center punch and some patience.
But hindsight is 20/20.
I used to do a lot of brake work for family, friends and acquaintances. Any time I did drum brakes I got them as close as I could by eye then drove the vehicle in reverse, pressed the brake pedal and let the automatic adjusters do their job.
I was told that the rear brakes re-adjust when you go backwards and hit the brakes.
This is true, but lots of people do not back up enough.Pulling through , to park is easier, no worries about hitting stuff.
@@davidhamm5626 its easier to just use the parkbrake ,no not the trans lock (park possision on trans) but the actual parkingbrake ( often called ebrake) just hold the realease and pump and if the self adjusters work as they should you wil feel the pedal getting firmer, if you have rear drumbrakes and the brakepedal goes way down,try putting some clikks on the "e breake" if the pedal gets better the rear breakes needs adjusting.
That 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T convertible was nice
You do care of your customers, saving their money for good base service to their vehicle, like oilchances, filters, brakes, those important things to keep it safe to drive on roads. And they are coming back also.
Be awesome Ray if you do a video on your start up costs, auto labor hourly costs in Florida... information for those who wish to do as you did & start their own auto repair business. Insurance, lease costs, just a ball park series of info for those interested in starting their own business. Awesome what you & your family has accomplished. But also explain how many years you have been in the business. You started out with a great deal of auto mechanical knowledge. Maybe touch upon mechanic licenses you have etc. Thank you, for the videos wow you run into the same issues us backyard mechanics run into working on our own cars.
@Rain Ray's Repairs i found low side cap 42:58 you can see middle winsheld cowlin behind hood gasket.
Shouldn't the adjuster tighten itself after a few cycles on the brake pedal? The same way it is normally supposed to selfadjust for the shoe wear? I get it, it is a good practice to adjust it manually after installation so the play is n9t excessive from the get go, but still after a while I would expect the play to go away by itself.
All that unless there is something wrong with the adjusters, like assembled in a wrong way or so...
Which seems to me to be the real problem with the brakes: The self adjuster to not self adjusting...
Hmmm, yeah I recall that you just drive in reverse then apply the brakes a couple times for the self adjusters to close the gap
I'd guess that they are still set hard against the "closed" position & the spring/ratchet setup is not strong enough to break the nut free from there.
Only issue is they need to start out even from the get go! Start with low drag,if one is at bottom of adjust the one that is set at top will over adjust.
@@petersmart1999 No. Correctly working adjuster will never overadjust it. Each brake has its own, completely independent adjuster.
So unless it is overtightened from the get go when installed, the adjuster won't overtighten it. They are even designed (intentionally) so they stop adjusting when failing. The adjusters are nothing else than some kind of ratcheting mechanism actuated by the shoes travel so the travel should exceed some level for the next tooth to engage. So when too lose, the travel is greater, tooths engage and the adjuster tightens up. When the slack is within spec, the travel is too short to engage the next tooth, so no adjustment is happening at all. At this state it normally spends most of its life, so much the corrosion or other gunk just seizes the mechanism in that position, resulting into adjuster not adjusting for the shoes wear anymore.
One happy owner here , great Job Ray !
That "little tab that locks in the adjuster" is actually the automatic adjuster for the drum brakes. These are automatic adjusting, as several others have mentioned.
I have a can of Brake Clean at the shop that I inverted and sprayed out all the propellant.
Now it's just the vapor pressure of the Brake Clean pushing it out.
Really good for getting out enough solvent to work on sealing surfaces when you don't need the physical pressure of knocking stuff away.
Ray must have been early mornig when you did the drill bit trick. The drill didn't push those pieces into the line they cut the pieces into slivers. When you went through and then blew out the line those chunks came out-- you probable didn't see it at the time. Anyway you have the receiver dryer right there it will trap it.
soon 98 degrees air comes out.
You don't need to cinch up those brakes that way. Those are self adjusting. When it's ready put the car in reverse, back up to 5 mph and tap the brakes, do that a few times and they'll adjust themselves.
Great vid Ray. But save your money on the billboard, they don't work. "Word of mouth" is the best and free advertising there is. So just keep doing a great job and your customers will do it for you :)
put sign on your roof and you will get free Advertising......
The billboard YEAH BABY! Rainman rays auto repair, as seen on youtube! with an arrow pointing down at the shop.
Yet another excellent video and customer centric repair! If you need more business, advertise on the billboard, if you have enough and don't need to expand, then no billboard is necessary. I never actually compared those who advertised on billboards with the slimy lawyers who do use them.
Great job on not charging for brakes that aren’t needed! Most or many (seems like most) would’ve said they put new pads on when they didn’t.
Nice work on the Cobalt. You're always putting the customer first. As for the billboard, it usually pays to advertise and let people know you're there, but it would depend on the cost to determine if it's worth it. Of course it would be a good tax deduction.
It's not a tax deduction, it's a business expense.
At 29:21 ish when you was removing the A/C line, it looked like the remants of the valve core fell out
Ray, when you scrub the rear axles with an abrasive pad, why not do the inside of the drum also?
29:00 - Yet again I've seen it, and this time I wanted to speak about it. The dedication to your videography with the right hand, and therefore the use of left hand only for extraction and installation of parts is just amazing. I wanted to convey my awe and appreciation to you because man, I'd have given UP on that extraction waaay before you got halfway through. :)
love the way you clean the hubs Ray, it is important
A good mechanic is like gold these days.
You got a pair brother! To even try to save that line you sir are a awesome mech !!!! God bless ya!! Thx for sharing Yes I know this was a year ago,,,,, Hope your life problem goes ok...
I bought my 08 cobalt for $300 a week ago it runs and drives perfect has 207,000 miles and no engine lights or warning lights, still has a good paint job and leather interior only had to replace front speakers, headlights, rear shocks, and glue some of the interior door panels, I’m hoping it will last for a little while.
Love the cross cleaning action! 10:48
at 7:50 you start spraying the drum.. I swear I started smelling brake cleaner sitting here in my office.. LOL.. Just one of those things that just happens I guess
47:00 You'd have to check your city ordnances, but I've seen buildings painted with company name. Perhaps a large banner on that north wall. Because of signage issues, a lot of places here use 'feather flags'. Those thin, vertical and more importantly, removable banners with company info. They're temporary and don't fall under the same requirements. Hit some of the local businesses with business cards, public works, 84 lumber, There's both a K-8 and the school board offices east on 26th. That many local residents, a targeted mail campaign perhaps?
Absolutely get your name (and/or the business name) on that outdoor ad space. Many people need an honest, skilled technician - rven me, with a lifetime of tools and experience, lost access to a lift and somehow got old when I wasn't looking.
Such a beautiful color!!
No parts required is always nice @Rainman Ray's Repairs
Those rear brakes are auto adjusting, apply brakes while in reverse, actuates that lever that you levered away to adjust them. Or applying the park brake adjusts them on some vehicles as well.
Yes advertise on the bill board. Thank for the cool videos.👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
A cheescloth paint strainer over the end of a tube being "blow out" to find debris will catch pieces you want to find