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Here is why you replace the upper intake after a catastrophic engine failure. The T25 Torx head screw was stuck in the upper intake manifold, it did not rattle or give any sign of being in there. The piston broke up before the engine fired up. I was able to just replace the one piston and rod...

As for brand loyalty, I am a lifelong Dodge man. I occasionally purchased off brand vehicles for various reasons, but I always came back to Dodge or another Chrysler product. Of over 40 vehicles I have purchased since the '70s, only five were not Chrysler products. With that said, I will say...

The title is just like a Gladiator, you can remove bits and pieces pretty easy. On other brands of vehicles, you also can remove bits and pieces easily, you just have to use a Sawzall. Incidentally, my Gladiator is more fun than almost any other vehicle I have owned since back in the...

As long as they haven't been opened, it MIGHT be okay. Check your state and local laws.

Definitely find out the in service date and if there is power train warranty left. If there is, I would definitely use it. Speaking from personal and professional experience, doing a rear main seal on a Gladiator is pretty good job. I have seen a block machined incorrectly, causing the rear...

Last one I had to take off that was impossible to turn, I just drilled straight into the lug. The lug nut was too damaged by a tire store trying to get it off to be turned with any kind of socket. I drilled all the down for the depth of the lug nut with a small bit to make a pilot hole, then...

Enough with the Boomers vs Gen X nonsense. People are people, each chooses their actions. Odds are that the website that sold and then shorted the tires is not run by a Boomer, but whoever runs it made their choice.

Years ago in a Chrysler Training class, airglbag deployment was one of the subjects we covered. There are so many factors involved in the ACM or ORC making the decision to deploy the airbags. Speed, angle and force of impact, other factors that I can't remember now. The gist of it all was...

I couldn't avoid them, working in the dealership has its own set of disadvantages. But at least they were next of kin to the Neon, so once you got down to the drive train it was simple enough. But I have no personal use for the Loser.

Yep. The modern day automotive engineer sees an unfilled space and says "What can I put in that space that needs to be accessed?" I believe that if the engineers could shrink wrap the vehicle around the power train they would. Oops, they already have, just work on a PT Cruiser, the front half...

I have lost count of how many engines I have installed over the years. The JL and JT have a lot of stuff packed into that area over the bell housing. Anything that eases access to that area is helpful. Good luck.

The right rear shock started leaking on my Gladiator early last year. I warranteed it out, because it was still a bit too new to motivate me to change out the whole set. But I have a brand new set of the red Rubicon shocks that I saved from a Mopar lift installation that I will use when I...

Try this also, or maybe instead: remove the engine mount isolators and then lower the engine. The engine has to be lifted out, but this gains space to access other stuff on the back of the engine, such as grounds and wiring harness guides.

Back then it was a long breaker bar with a longer cheater bar, combined with some serious grunt. Nowadays I use a big breaker bar with a 3/1 torque multiplier. If you want to "pre-crush" the crush sleeve using a press, that works too, as long as you leave a bit of "crush " for actually setting...

I just got a new bolt at a hardware store, but I don't remember the size. I do remember it was a metric grade 10.9 or higher, and I think it was an M14 size. Worked fine, and I recommend getting a self locking nut as well.

Exactly. I have worn Florsheim loafers for about ten years in the shop. The foreman jokes about my "Penny Loafers", but the particular ones I buy don't slip on a wet epoxy shop floor. After my last slip and fall, and months long recovery, I decided that not slipping was a high priority.

Lifting straps can work as long as they are not putting pressure on any breakable or easily damaged parts. The lifting plates make balancing the engine easier. With straps it may be more difficult to get the best angles when pulling or installing the engine.

Definitely was a ticking engine, in this case it was several ticks. I won't make any statements about oil viscosity or types online, but I will say that regular oil and filter changes would have been cheaper than engine replacement.

Looks like a fun evening. Just kidding, I regeared my '01 4x4 Ram about two years after I bought it. Did it the same way you're doing, on jackstands in my garage at home. I worked in management at the time, I could have afforded to have it done, but just didn't want to pay to have something...

It is out of a Wrangler (JL) that came into the shop with a camshaft slow response code and a bonus ticking on both cylinder banks. It was an aftermarket warranty claim, and I can't remember if the warranty company covered it or not. I do remember replacing the engine, which was the only...