As far as a value model, they dropped the FWD from the CX-5 which brought down the price a lot.  They also dropped the 2.0 base model.  Personally, for a not offroad vehicle I prefer FWD for the increased fuel economy, lower cost point, and ease of maintenance.  People are going to regret the AWD once the rear axles,…

I was ASE certified in electrical until I let my cert. lapse after changing careers.  There are a lot of study books online and I would highly recommend doing the practice tests as many of the questions seem pulled straight from the practice tests.   Good luck!

You need like 500 stars and to be out of the greys. Only then do you unlock Jalopnik gold. Then you are granted with the privilege to unsubscribe.

I will not be renewing my Jalopnik subscription.  Also, where is everyone going?  My guess is thedrive since that’s where everyone goes.

Well, this is a romantic fan fic I didn’t know about until now.  But y’know that’s the internet.

If they click it sticks.

I mean head studs when you inevitably do the head gasket, pretty much the entire cooling system, making sure to do all the maintenance stuff (fuel filters, oil changes, air filter, etc) and just driving the piss out of it to keep everything clean.

Just wait until you get issues with the EGR cooler.  I highly suggest upgrading the EGR cooler if you want to have a truly reliable 6.0.  They are a known failure point and can end up leaking coolant into the intake stream.

I mean Questionable Alcoholics make mistakes sometimes too.

Hmm, I wonder if the timing chain guides and water pump (with plastic impeller!) have been done yet?  If the water pump hasn’t failed yet, it will.  There’s at least one class action lawsuit about them for the 2.0 engine.

Some people swear by impacts on the Ford 5.4 mod engine (the one notorious for snapping plugs).  I always did them by hand and had the lisle specialty tool for broken plugs close by if things went awry.

I was talking specifically about these NGK plugs which are for Mazda and some other Japanese makes.  Go with the spec in the shop manual.  If Ford says motorcraft are torqued to 20ft-lbs go with that.  I was more trying to get across not to use anti-seize and to not over torque spark plugs, which is more common then…

Go for manufacturer spec, the one I was reading was for a Mazda which has a 13-15 range.  If BMW says 17 plus a quarter turn do that.  A lot of new head bolts are torque to yield where they give torque+degrees.  I had a digital torque wrench that could do both.  The point of my post is more to not overtorque the spark…

Just a friendly reminder that the modern consensus on spark plugs from the manufacturer is to not put anti-seize on them. Back in the day it was common practice to put a little on the threads so you could take them out easier next go round. Now NGK says not to because they put trivalent plating on there. Also like 15…

A manual V8 retro ‘02 thunderbird would’ve been cool had it existed. If they had piggybacked off the mustang platform they could’ve thrown in the 390hp cobra engine and IRS and had an actual badass thunderbird. Instead they used the LS with a destroked Jaguar V8 which at the highest output was 280hp. The last year…

It’s not common for drywall corner beads but rivets are super common in grid ceiling hangers.  They make white ones that match the metal.  Allow for a flush fit so the ceiling tiles don’t get snagged and they are less visible on any exposed area.

I’ve been that mechanic who has to come into the waiting room and deliver the news.  Mid 90's ranger RWD 4-cylinder.  Came in for an oil change, whole undercarriage covered in oil.  Needed a simple oil pan gasket replacement.  Fire up the ‘ol shopkey.  Step 1 remove engine.  Ma’am check the oil frequently and top off…

It’s rod knock you know it when you hear it.

Ford Thunderbird

True, rivets and some kind of sealant/bonding agent are the best for flush mount. I was talking in terms of a direct replacement for a self tapping screw. For a low profile (not quite flush) option they sell nutserts down to M3 size and you could use a round allen head.