Tag Archive for: DIY

How To Remove A VW Cooling Fan ~ Salvage Yard Tips

This is the first in a series of DIY’s for the Salvage yard. I teamed up with the folks at Pull A Part used auto parts to help teach how to maximize time at the salvage yard. Today I will show you how to pull an electric cooling fan from a Volkswagen. The vehicle we are using for this diy is a MK4 Jetta. Cooling fan failures on a MK4 is somewhat common. This is a pretty easy DIY that only requires basic hand tools.

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Join me today as I show:

  • Where the MK4 cooling fan is located
  • What tools are required to remove the fan
  • The easy way to remove the MK4 fan
  • This can apply to the small fan too
  • More salvage yard DIYs
  • and more


Trouble viewing? Watch “How To Remove A VW Cooling Fan” on Youtube.

For more salvage yard DIYs, be sure to check out the Salvage Yard DIY’s playlist. As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below.Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form!

Don’t forget to follow me at:

Don’t forget to follow me at:

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Why It’s Important To Check or Replace Your Engine Air Filter

Checking and replacing a car’s engine air filter is often overlooked. You may even be able to DIY a car’s air filter with no tools. Today we look at why checking and or replacing your engine air filter is so important. A dirty air filter can lead to reduced performance in your car. In really bad cases if can even cause a check engine light on your car. The folks at Fram asked me to talk about just how important air filter replacement is, and demo replacing mine.

Important links:

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. If you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form!

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How To Replace Spark Plugs, on ANY Car

Replacing spark plugs in a modern vehicle can be very intimidating. But this can be a very easy DIY on just about any car. In this video I will teach you the method I use to replace spark plugs on any car. This will cover removing spark plug wires, cleaning spark plug wells, installing and torquing spark plugs, and reinstalling wires.

We will be working with my 1998 VW GTI with the Vr6 engine.

Important links from the video

Join me today as we learn:

  • How to find your car’s spark plugs
  • Working with spark plug wires
  • Routing plug wires
  • Rules for working clean with spark plugs
  • Installing spark plugs
  • Proper spark plug torque
  • Installing spark plug wires
  • Proper spark plug wire routing
  • and more

Trouble viewing? Watch “How To Replace Spark Plugs, on ANY Car” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below.  Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form!

Don’t forget to follow me at:

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What You Need To Know About Spark Plugs

How to gap and replace spark plugs

Spark plugs are on of those automotive terms that almost everyone has heard of. But do you REALLY know the ins and outs of what a spark plug is? Today we are going to explore the wonderful world of your engine’s spark plugs. Remember that this video is an informative and in-depth video. Your vehicle’s engine may have some additional steps to removing or replacing spark plugs. Some cars even have 2 per cylinder. As always please be careful when working on your car.

Join me today as we discuss:

  • What are the parts of a spark plug?
  • What does a spark plug do?
  • What happens after a spark plug “sparks”
  • How to determine spark plug size
  • What is the reach of a spark plug?
  • Determining heat range of a spark plug
  • What happens when a Spark plug is too hot or cold
  • Spark plug gap tools
  • How to gap a spark plug
  • Removing coils and plugs
  • and more


Trouble viewing? Watch “What You Need To Know About Spark Plugs” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. Again, if you have a question for a show like this, email me Charles(at)humblemechanic(dot)com with Question for Charles in the subject. Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form!

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3m intake cleaner test

Does 3m Intake System Cleaner Really Work?

Today I will be testing 3m Intake System Cleaner. This cleaner is meant to clean the intake manifold, valves, and combustion chamber of 4 stroke engines. We will be cleaning the intake system of my 1998 Volkswagen GTI VR6. The maintenance history of this car is largely unknown. There are many products that claim to clean the intake system of cars. This will be the first test in the series.

About the 3m Intake System Cleaner

This is part of a larger 3m “Fuel System Tune Up Kit“. That kit includes the intake system cleaner, a throttle plate cleaner, and a treatment to add the the fuel tank. The intake cleaner goes in just before the throttle body and sprays the chemical past the throttle and into the intake. If it works right, it should clean much of the intake manifold.

Join me today as we test

  • BE SURE TO FOLLOW ALL SAFETY INFORMATION!
  • Setting your car up
  • Follow the instructions on the car
  • Ease of use
  • Setting up the car
  • Before pictures
  • Running the treatment
  • After pictures
  • Did it work?
  • Does the amount of tailpipe smoke mean anything?
  • and more


Trouble viewing? Watch “Does 3m Intake System Cleaner Really Work?” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. Also if you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form! Don’t forget to follow me at:

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VR6 Coolant Pipe and Thermostat Housing DIY

VR6 Coolant Pipe and Thermostat Housing DIY

IMG_4010This is a DIY on replacing the VW VR6 coolant pipe, aka Crack Pipe, and thermostat housing. on the AAA VR6 engine. We learn how to replace the pipe and a few things to be careful of. This is another video in the MK3 DIY series. You can check out the Mk3 GTI walk around video I did. This is also a DIY that I struggled with. It was one of those jobs that very little goes right. I will probably do a video showing all of that.

Important information before starting this repair:

  • Tools needed for this coolant pipe DIY
  • Eurowise Thermostat Housing
  • Eurowise thermostat housing review
  • Some struggles I had doing this repair
  • Removing the front end is not always necessary, but can make it easier
  • Check out more DIY videos here
  • Here are all the MK3 GTI videos
  • and more

Trouble veiwing? Watch “VR6 Coolant Pipe and Thermostat Housing DIY” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. If you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form! Don’t forget to follow me at:VR6 Coolant Pipe and Thermostat Housing DIY

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Replacing VW 2.5l Vacuum Pump ~ The Easy Way

Failed 2.5 VW vacuum pump

Today we learn how to replace the vacuum pump on 2.5l VW engines. When the 2.5l vacuum pump fails it will cause an engine oil leak. This oil leak can be mistaken for a rear main seal leak. This DIY will apply to the Jetta, Rabbit, Beetle, Passat and Jetta SportWagen with automatic transmissions.

Show resources:

 

Disclaimer:
This is not technically a by the book repair. You really need to watch the entire video before attempting this repair.

Tools needed for this DIY:

  • Ratchet
  • Extentions
  • T30 Torx
  • T25 Torx
  • Hose clamp pliers
  • 10mm socket
  • 12mm socket
  • 13mm socket
  • Torque wrench
  • flat blade screw driver
  • magnetic tray
  • prybar
  • brake cleaner
  • shop towels

Trouble viewing? Watch “Replacing VW 2.5l Vacuum Pump ~ The Easy Way” on YouTube.

As always I love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments section below. If you have an idea for a show you can email me, or use the contact me form! Don’t forget to follow me at:

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