AMGtech, your posts are Oppo treasures, especially for those of us who aspire to improve our wrenching skills. I mean it, thanks!

Yes I have... The flames are invisible.

Seriously, if drum brakes are you biggest nemesis, you’re not an average mechanic.

I don’t know why everyone finds them to be so difficult. The hardest part is stretching the springs on reassembly, sort of a pain in the ass, but with the right pliers and a little leverage not such a big deal. I mean, you could be doing inboard discs on an Alfa or Jag, which properly suck.

There is usually a port for external access to the adjuster in the backing plate. An awl or skinny tool of sorts is used to push the adjuster arm out freeing the adjuster wheel to spin backwards. This allows the brakes to collapse and a worn drum can be pulled off without headaches.

No no, it’s horrifically ugly here. The forests were sawed down long ago, the mountains paved over and laced with strip mines. Dystopian Portlandia is ruled by mobs of vegan polyandrous anarchists, and the air is choked with coal soot and smog. Trust me, stay where you are.

California is gorgeous, there is no place like it on Earth. Everyone should stay there.

Lies, nothing but lies... Wonder what CGI program they used to make that video...it’s rainy here 24/7, the sun never shines. Trust me - I live in the Pacific Northwest it’s nothing like what this propoganda filled video is portraying.

I can assure you that it’s absolutely terrible here and that we’d like to recall all of the CGI videos our travel and tourism board released some years ago. It looks nothing like what’s portrayed in these videos. Also, Portland smells like old beer and pulp mills and the job market is horrible, particularly in the…

TO play devil’s advocate, no one should be charging a ‘prep charge’, I’d stay away from dealers that do.

*Obligatory.

The first luxury SUV was introduced as the Mercedes M-Class in 1997

The R-class is not a minivan.

Full Disclosure: I do all of that shit minus the beard.

I was on the Chicago blue line (L train) the other day and saw a dude with an AP Royal Oak Offshore ($35,000 watch) and his wife/fiance had on a Rolex Explorer ($6,000 watch). Her ring was at least 3 karats. I make a very comfortable living, but for a moment I contemplated robbing them.

Random and unrelated: Your Avatar avatar. I like it. Well played, sir.

Internet idiots speak the loudest. They have minimal mechanical skill and don’t know the actual subject matter. I’m too busy wrenching and reading  the actual service manual to try and correct them.

If you’re a semi competent wrench 95% of what you’ve been told about cars on the internet is wrong.

Make sure there are no mustard stains in the back seat.

Says “words have meanings”... calls them “’metal’ of honor winners”