c/used-parts-swap

Found a weird trick for cleaning EGR valves without taking them off

My 2002 Silverado started throwing a P0401 code last week and I was dreading pulling the intake apart. Tried dumping a can of Sea Foam through the vacuum line while the engine was warm and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Cleared the code and the truck's been running smooth for 3 days now. Has anyone else gotten lucky with this method or did I just temporarily mask a bigger problem?

Old timer at the junkyard told me to check the VIN tag before pulling any part and it saved me a ton of hassle

Shoutout to the guy at the Pick-n-Pull in Phoenix who talked me out of buying a junkyard alternator

Spent 4 hours hunting a vacuum leak that was just a loose hose clamp

I was chasing a rough idle on my '92 F150 for way too long, replaced the intake gasket and everything, then realized the clamp on the PCV hose was barely finger-tight after all that work. Took me an entire Saturday afternoon when it should've been a 5 minute fix. Anybody else ever waste a whole day on something that simple?

Is there a right way to clean a used carburetor or am I overthinking it?

I keep seeing people online dunk carbs in berryman's and calling it good, but I had a 1985 Honda CB650 that still had varnish after two soaks. My buddy swears by ultrasonic cleaners while my dad says just use compressed air and elbow grease. Which method actually gets the job done for a carb that's been sitting for 5 years?

Figured out a rusted bolt trick on my old F150 that saved me 3 hours

I was stuck on a lower control arm bolt on my 1998 F150 for two days. Tried PB Blaster, heat, and a breaker bar but nothing worked. Then I grabbed a candle from the kitchen, heated the bolt with a torch, and let the wax melt into the threads. The wax worked like a lubricant and it came loose with a normal ratchet. Has anyone else tried wax on stubborn bolts or is there a better trick out there?

Finally swapped a junkyard alternator onto my '97 Civic and it actually works

Pulled a Denso alternator from a 2000 Civic at Pick-n-Pull for $25 last Saturday. Spent two hours cleaning the contacts with a wire brush and testing the bearings before I even put it on. Fires up perfect now and my battery light finally stays off. Anyone else ever get that weird joy from a cheap junkyard part actually lasting?

My cousin swore welding a cracked engine block with a cheap rod would hold, now I'm out $200 and a good 350

Honestly, my cousin Tony, who's rebuilt like 3 trucks in his driveway, told me to just weld the crack in my small block Chevy instead of buying a new block. He said 'a little JB Weld and a Harbor Freight rod will hold fine, I've done it before.' Ngl, I was skeptical but he seemed so sure. I spent a whole weekend grinding and welding that thing, looked decent enough. First time I really got on the throttle after installing it, the weld split open and dumped all my oil on the freeway. Tbh, I should have just paid the $300 for a used block from the junkyard in Modesto. Anyone else get burned by a family member's 'proven' repair trick?

I finally get why old-timers swear by cleaning carburetor jets with a single strand of copper wire

Had a chat with a retired machinist at the swap meet last Saturday who showed me how just one pass with 22-gauge wire cleared a clogged idle jet on my 350cc Honda that three cans of spray cleaner couldn't touch, and now I'm wondering how many other simple tricks I've been overcomplicating for years - any of you got a go-to method that sounds too simple to work but always does?

Spent 5 hours tracking down a vacuum leak on my old Jeep... turned out to be a $3 grommet

So here's the thing... I was chasing this rough idle on my 1998 Cherokee, probably swapped out the IAC valve and cleaned the throttle body twice, spent maybe 4 hours on it across two weekends. Then a buddy swings by and says 'did you check the PCV grommet?' Took me 20 minutes to pop the old one out and see it was all cracked and letting air in. Now I'm wondering if I should've just taken it to a shop upfront and paid $100 or if that learning process was worth the time. What do you guys think, is the hands-on experience worth burning a whole Saturday messing with stuff?

Bought a junkyard transmission for my old Tacoma for $350, lasted 3 weeks then started whining like crazy

Should I try to rebuild it myself or just cut my losses and hunt down another donor truck?

I used to think welding without a respirator was fine, a guy at the shop changed my mind

Last month I was helping some dude swap a cracked exhaust manifold on his F-150. He saw me welding without a mask and just asked if I liked coughing up black stuff in the morning. Kinda hit different because my buddy's dad actually died from lung issues after years of metal work. Now I wear a respirator every time, even for quick tack welds. Has anyone else ignored safety gear for too long before switching things up?

Hot take: that one Tuesday where I found three working alternators in one scrap run was a fluke I'll never beat

I had this crazy day last month where I pulled three alternators off a pile of junk at the U-Pull-It yard near Springfield. First one was off a 2002 Civic, second from a 98 F-150, and the third was on a random Saturn that looked like it had been sitting there for years. All three tested good on my bench with my little Harbor Freight tester, which never happens. I usually go home empty handed or with one dud that makes a grinding noise after a week. Sold two of them on here for $40 each in the same afternoon. Has anyone else hit a weird lucky streak like that or am I just chasing that high now?

Shoutout to the guy who helped me swap a transmission at the self-service yard

Back in March at the U-Pull-It in Phoenix, a stranger named Dave spent 45 minutes showing me how to line up the bellhousing bolts on a Chevy 4L60E. He even let me borrow his breaker bar when mine snapped on the first try. Has anyone else had a random stranger save a whole afternoon like that?

Junk yard near Denver had a goldmine of OEM alternators last saturday

I was up at Pull-A-Part off Federal Blvd around 9am last weekend looking for a window regulator for my 04 Tacoma. Ended up walking past a row of late 90s Honda Accords and noticed like 8 of them still had their original alternators sitting there. Grabbed one for $25 after a quick bench test with my multimeter, slapped it on my buddies Civic and it fired right up no issues. Anyone else find hidden gems like that buried in a specific yard?