So Fix it

The intake manifold for an delivers fuel and air to the engine in a precise ratio. International Harvester made an eight-cylinder 6.9-liter diesel engine from 1982 until 1987. This engine commonly appears in Ford F series trucks during this period, especially F-250 and F-350 models. The removal of the intake manifold in a Ford truck with a 6.9-liter engine requires you to remove the injection pump and other components to access the intake manifold.

Instructions

1

Remove the cables from the negative terminals of both batteries with a socket wrench. Disconnect the air cleaner from the intake manifold. Plug the air intake of the intake manifold with clean shop rags to keep debris out of the engine.

2

Detach the electrical connectors from the injection pump. Remove the bracket for the fast idle solenoid with a socket wrench, so you can access the mounting bolts for the injector pump. Disconnect the cables for the cruise control and accelerator from the throttle lever, if your vehicle is so equipped. Remove the bracket for the accelerator cable and push it out of the way.

3

Remove the fuel lines, in the elbow inlet and fitting adapter from the injection pump with a socket wrench. Rotate the injection pump out of the way, and disconnect the fuel lines from the injection nozzles. Cap all fuel lines and injection pump fittings with fuel system protective cap set T83T-9395-A to keep debris out of the fuel system.

4

Disconnect the retaining nuts from the the injection pump with tool T83T-9000-B. Detach the injection pump from its adapter, and remove the injection pump from the engine.

5

Disconnect the fuel return lines from the rear injection nozzles on the number seven and number eight cylinders. Detach the fuel return line on the fuel tank, and disconnect the electrical wiring harness from the engine. Remove the ground cables for the engine wiring harness from the left cylinder head.

6

Remove any additional components necessary to access the intake manifold on your vehicle. Disconnect the mounting bolts for the intake manifold with a socket wrench, and remove the intake manifold from the cylinder heads.

Most modern vehicles have sensors within their fluid systems to monitor levels, temperatures and pressures. These sensors --- oil pressure, coolant temperature and brake fluid level, for example --- are under constant pressure and can slowly leak through the threads holding them in place. Loctite 565 thread sealer creates a seal within the threads to prevent this fluid from leaking.

Instructions

1

Remove the component you intend to use the Loctite 565 sealer on, and clean the male and female threads with a clean, lint-free cloth.

2

Apply a medium-sized bead of the Loctite thread sealer around the male leading threads of the component, but do not put sealer on the first threads.

3

Fill the valleys of the threads by spreading the Loctite sealer with a small, firm-bristled paintbrush.

4

Apply a thin bead of sealer to the female threads.

5

Reinstall the removed component. Allow the sealer to cure for at least 24 hours prior to letting any fluid reach this component.

There may be a few different reasons why a muffler on the exhaust system of your vehicle goes bad. Although many new systems are constructed of stainless steel, mufflers can deteriorate from the inside out due to condensation built up inside of them. External muffler deterioration can occur on cars driven on roads where salt is used in excess during winter. No matter what the geographical region, the muffler and other exhaust components are going to require replacement after extended use.

The Basics of Muffler Installation

Every model of every make of car and truck has its own unique exhaust system. This presents certain challenges when trying to replace a muffler. The position of the muffler on most cars is near the back bumper, on the left or right side. However, on a light truck or SUV, the muffler may be found directly behind the catalytic converter, about halfway down the exhaust system. This type of system employs a longer tailpipe that hops over the rear axle.

Before removing the muffler, its important to inspect and study the system to determine what you have to work with, and how youre going to put it back together, as close as possible to its original positioning. Exhaust systems are caully measured and employ flex pipe sections (an accordion-shaped pipe section covered in mesh), or rubber hangers with pipe and muffler hooks (or all of the above). The positioning of the hooks and hangers is important to ensure the system is restored properly after installation of any new exhaust component. The flex sections and rubber hangers are integrated on exhaust systems to allow movement of the system when the motor starts and under heavy torque demand. Engines move around in their cradle quite a bit, and if the exhaust system didnt allow for the movement of the engine, they would snap off.

When installing a new muffler, youll need to make proper measurements to ensure the new muffler is positioned exactly, or as close to exact as possible to the original. This will ensure that the rest of the system is not tweaked slightly due to the new muffler installation. There is very little margin for error allowed on exhaust systems these days.

Flanges, Clamps and Welds

Is the muffler attached to the pipes in front and/or behind it by flange connections, clamps or is it welded? Knowing the answer to this question will determine what tools you will need to successfully install the new muffler.

Flange connections may seem easier to work with, but the bolt or stud connections will undoubtedly be rusty and difficult to separate. Oxyacetylene torches will easily cut through the old bolts or studs, but are dangerous to use unless the car is up on a commercial lift.

Clamp connections present a challenge once the clamp is removed because the clamp has crimped the connection in a circular fashion. This crimp needs to be worked out enough to allow separation of the pipe and muffler. Again, use a torch to heat up the crimp (cherry red) and then move the muffler back and forth and lift it up and down to decrease the crimp.

Welded systems also present their own challenge. Very rarely will you find a system welded to the muffler that allows you to cut the pipe in front of the muffler with an exhaust cut-off tool, and then rehang the muffler without compromising its positioning. In many of these cases, special pipes need to be made in order to attach to the inlet of the muffler and to the exhaust pipe. Another easier, but less cost effective suggestion, is to replace the system, from the catalytic converter back, in sections. Most all aftermarket exhaust systems feature the systems in separate components, to make it easier to reinstall.

Not an Easy Job for the Back Yard

For the do-it-yourself exhaust enthusiast, working on an exhaust system while laying on your back is not a fun job. Trying to tackle the challenges presented in Section 2 is going to be frustrating and youer going to lose strength and leverage. Exhaust systems can be hard enough to work on when theyre on a commercial lift, but youll have more strength and leverage and more mobility to move when working with torches.

There are some exceptions to the rule. There are some makes and models where the muffler can simply be cut off and a new one retrofitted back on by employing sleeve connections and clamps. This is hardly ever the rule. And the newer the vehicles, the more complicated and technical the exhaust systems are going to be.

Safety Concerns

There are many safety issues to consider when removing and installing a muffler on a vehicle. Safety glasses or goggles should be worn to prevent rust from getting into your eyes. Safety gloves made of thick leather should be worn to prevent injury to your hands, or when using a torch. The vehicle should be lifted and supported properly on a commercial lift or on jack stands and car ramps. While removing and installing a muffler, youll be shaking the exhaust system around, and a vehicle not properly supported can fall and cause serious or fatal injuries.

When your engine produces hot coolant, it flows through and heats up the core. The core then heats the air for your vehicle. When this part needs replacement, information and instructions on doing so can be beneficial to vehicle owners.

Remove

The top part of the dash and its lower panel have to be removed to access the heater core. The plastic box over the heater core will need to be removed as well.

Replace

A screwed on clamp made of steel holds the heater core in place. After removing the screws and the clamp, gently pull the heater core out, as it will contain some water. Covering your vehicles carpet with some type of sheeting is recommended.

Time Frame

The location of a heater core varies by vehicle type. The heater core has a location thats difficult to access on some vehicles. The time it takes to replace a heater can go well above six hours.

Most newer vehicles, be they cars, trucks or SUVs, come standard with fog lights. These additional headlights are set low in the nose of the vehicle to better illuminate the road directly in front of the vehicle. Fog lights are valuable aides to the improving a drivers vision in foggy, snowy or rainy conditions. Adding euro clear fog lights is a quick and easy repair that personalizes your vehicle and gives it an updated look.

Instructions

1

Park your vehicle in a safe work place. Look for a flat and level surface that has adequate light to work by. Turn off the engine and apply the parking brake.

2

Wait 30 minutes before beginning work to allow the vehicle to cool. Slide underneath the front end of the vehicle and position yourself near the rear of the drivers side fog light.

3

Remove any dust covers or access panels. These can usually be removed by prying them off with a Flathead screwdriver. Once these are removed, locate the wiring harness. The harness will be plugged into the fog light socket. Unplug the harness to access the interior of the fog light assembly.

4

Unscrew the mounting bolts. The bolts hold the assembly in the front bumper of the automobile. On most autos, there will be three bolts which can be removed with a regular wrench. Once the bolts are removed, slide out the old fog light assembly.

5

Insert the euro clear fog light assembly. Place the new assembly into the same place in the bumper from where the old assembly was removed. Attach the mounting bolts, wiring harness and dust cover as they were on the original assembly.

6

Repeat the process for the light on the passengers side.

Horse trailer flooring takes a lot of abuse. It supports animals of several thousand pounds, while the trailer itself is bounced and pounded by the roadway, sometimes at speeds of 60 or 70 miles per hour. Replacing the flooring is done with the same techniques you would use to replace the flooring in any trailer. Use treated lumber for the boards to add life to your trailers floor. If your trailer does not have a rubber mat, adding one can add years to the life of your trailer floor and save wear and tear on the horse.

Instructions

1

Remove the rubber mat from your floor. These are heavy duty rubber, without fasteners to allow for thorough cleaning. Lift the mats and remove them from the trailer. Lift the trailer onto jack stands, or concrete blocks. Using a standard auto jack to lift one end, slip the jack stands under, lift the other end and slip stands under to provide better access to the bolts underneath.

2

Cut the bolts, just above the nut, with a reciprocating saw. Tap the bolts up through the floor and pull them out on top with a claw hammer. Remove the floor boards from the trailer, one at a time, laying them out in the same order you removed them, to serve as a template for the new boards.

3

Cut one piece of 2 inch-thick treated lumber for each board. Use boards the same width and cut to the same length as the original using a circular saw. Typical floor boards range from 2-by-6 to 2-by-10, but are usually standard sizes. Drill the bolt holes through each board, using the original board as a template. Use a bit the same thickness as your new bolts.

4

Fit each board into place, working it under any edge flanges to get a smooth fit. Set the board in with its front end tipped up, slide the back end under the edge of the rear door sill and tap it down with a hammer until it drops into place. Tap a bolt down through each hole in the floor boards, through the frame of the trailer. Fit every board and bolt before adding nuts and washers underneath.

5

Fit a washer and nut over the end of each bolt, turning it tight by hand. Fit all washers and bolts, then tighten all nuts with an impact driver. Remove the trailer from the jack stands and replace the rubber mats over the new floor boards.

Pulleys press into place to ensure they do not become loose while you are operating a vehicle. This makes a pulley impossible to remove by hand. A pulley puller uses pulling force to remove the pulley from a mechanical pump. The force travels from the puller to the pulley with a long screw. The screw turns into a threaded base. The force of the screw pulls the pulley from the shaft of the pump.

Instructions

1

Remove the drive belt attached to the pulley. The tools required for the belt removal will depend on the type of pump attached to the pulley.

2

Turn the threaded shaft of the pulley puller counterclockwise to open the puller jaws. Slide the hooked ends of the puller over the back of the pulley. Align the center of the threaded shaft with the center opening of the pulley. Turn the puller screw clockwise to hand tighten the pulley puller.

3

Turn the puller screw clockwise with an adjustable wrench. Continue tightening the screw until the pulley slides free of the pump shaft. Slide the pulley and pulley puller away from the pump shaft.

4

Turn the puller screw counterclockwise with an adjustable wrench. Slide the pulley from the puller when the arms of the puller spread wider than the diameter of the pulley.

A jam nut is used in the same area as a locking washer and performs the same duty. Jam nuts are thinner than a traditional nut and contain a Teflon lining inside to hold tightly to bolt threads and secure it in place. Tightening a traditional nut on top of a jam nut causes stress on the jam nut and reverses the bolt strains so that each nut presses on the threads in opposite directions. Installing jam nuts on mechanical components that vibrate will keep the nuts from loosening.

Instructions

1

Insert a washer onto a hex head bolt and push it down to the head. Insert the threaded end of the hex head bolt into the items you are holding together. Slide a washer onto the end of the bolt threads and push it toward the material it is holding together.

2

Insert a Teflon insert jam nut onto the protruding end of the bolt. Turn the nut clockwise and tighten it by hand. Tighten the jam nut completely with an adjustable wrench.

3

Insert a nut on the protruding end of the bolt. Hand-tighten the nut clockwise and then tighten it completely on top of the jam nut with an adjustable wrench.

Removing parts from your vehicle and replacing them can be a chore, especially if the vehicle is an older model and the bolts holding parts in place have become stripped or stuck in place. Using a standard wrench can prove difficult for parts located in hard-to-reach places. The Ingersoll-Rand 231C impact wrench is a machine that uses the power of compressed air to remove tough bolts from a vehicle and replace them in a secure manner.

Instructions

1

Connect the output hose from the air compressor unit to the connection on the bottom of the Ingersoll-Rand 231C wrench by screwing the connection onto the connector in a clockwise motion. Keep turning until the connection will not turn any more to ensure it is airtight and no air will be lost during operation. The air compressor should be set at 90 psi.

2

Insert the correct-size bit that corresponds to the vehicles bolts onto the connector at the tip of the power wrench. Insert the bit onto the prong and push down until it clicks into place. Use your fingers to try and turn the bit to ensure it is locked into place before using the tool.

3

Push the "R/F" switch on the back of the tool to the side that represents the direction you want the tool to rotate. "R" is for reverse and is used to remove bolts from the vehicle. "F" is for forward and is used to insert bolts.

4

Turn the power dial on the side of the tool to the proper power setting. This dial has numbers from 0 to 5, with 0 representing low power and 5 representing the highest power setting.

5

Place the end of the bit onto the bolt that you wish to remove or insert. Pull the trigger on the handle of the tool and the bit will begin to rotate in the direction that you set in Step 3 with the power that you set in Step 4.