Flaming Metal Chunks! 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche 5.3 4x4 Oil Leaks 

Hate to say it Ray, but 33.3333° is not a third of a circle. 120° is...

I have to use the “smoke wrench” on a daily basis here in Ontario Canada. If you douse the nut with water after heating it, it will break the rust bond by thermal shock. Helps break it loose.

Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray..... so much to learn young grasshopper 🔥

Induction heater is a great addition to any tool box. You can heat fasteners red hot with no flame. Great for rusty exhaust bolts and gas tank strap bolts

I'll bet Eric O. is gonna love this one! 😆

As a UK mechanic It's never a good easy job when the "Gas Axe" has to be applied,I'm glad your videos show customers how some jobs can turn into a huge pain,as they never know this when they come to pay for the work..Nice Job.. Ozzy

What I continually admire and appreciate about your videos is that you show the stubbern parts of the operation that require so much effort. Your persistance is remarkable and helps build confidence for me, at least, when doing something that I thought would go faster. Thanks.

Watching Ray escalate through "Come off", "Please Come off", "I'm not kidding", "You WILL come off" to "You can't hold together if you are molten metal!" Classic! :)

I am a UK time served Blacksmith retired. I was tought to heat nut and stud or bolt to red hot, then pour cold water on it, and the nut will stretch over the still hot stud or bolt, and when both are cold, it will come off finger tight without knackering the threads and to never try to move a hot nut as that endangers threads. i hope this helps. it always worked for me!

It can’t be stuck if it’s liquid. 😂 priceless. Your videos and enough coffee, my day can begin. Great job Ray.

As a DIY'er, I must say that in a strange way, I find some comfort in knowing that even the professional such as Ray can have a job turn into a real pain in the butt. Thanks for sharing this, Ray. The frustration level was real!

This is a good demonstration to show the customers why these jobs take so long. For those people that can't understand why some seemingly simple jobs cost so much. When I was a service writer in a small shop, I spent a remarkable amount of time trying to explain the process and problems encountered. Trying to explain why it costs so much to R&R heads after breaking a few head bolts to the average person is a practice in futility. They need to watch your Vlogs Ray. Nice work!

WooHoo! Best video in a while! We had beatin' we had bangin' we had torchin'! Heck yeayah! What more can you ask of an auto repair video? Thanks, Ray, for the FUN. We appreciate all the work you put in making, editing and posting your videos!

Great video as always. Your videos are part of my morning. Just one thing though… a circle (flexplate) is 360 degrees… so 1/3 of that is 120…just saying… 😜 it’s 33.33% though!!

Watching someone else deal with the same problems I have come to expect when dealing with vehicle repairs here in salty Snowhio is almost as painful as dealing with them myself. I congratulate you on your calm and measured professionalism. A video of myself doing this work would have included many bad words and flying tools. Well done!

3 holes in flywheel one hole is round the other 2 holes are oval. For Torque Converter bolts. For reinstalation you fully tighten the bolt that goes through the round hole. Then other 2 bolts line up automatically because of the oval shaped holes. Then only spin once and done.

33.33 degrees? 120 is more like it, no? 3 x 120 = 360. what a job, glad I decided to go into Electronics, my dad taught me how to use those tools back in 1958 and I thought "Self, is there an easier way to make money?"

Best phrase ever "can't be stuck if it's liquid"

Hey, Ray!! All that rust, I thought I was watching Eric O. for a minute there! Love your vids, you, Eric O., and Derek (VGG) have taught me LOADS of info! Thank you and keep up the great work! Best to you and the Wife Unit!

Now you know what the mechanics go through each and every day in the rust bucket area in the North. Reminds me of what I use to go thru when I did this back in the 50's and 60's. The torch was my favorite tool.

Before you even broke the torch out, I was thinking "Can't be stuck if its liquid."

one thing that's helped with rusty bolts/nuts is heating it, immediately spraying penetrating fluid on the glowing hot bolt/nut. sometimes repeating it once or twice might be necessary but usually works. also you might want to default to heat a lot sooner.

Love when people show the real struggles. The exhaust bolts/ nuts 😁😁

I had an old 72 Chevy Nova here in Michigan, got a flat tire, couldn't get the wheel off ( I muscled the lugs off ) the rim would budge, tried the trick of putting 3 lugs on, lower the car, drive a few feet- 100 feet- 1/4 mile- mile. Put the lugs back on drove to an old time gas station/repair shop. Told him what was up and he said $20 he'd take it off, Small hammer- big hammer - sledge hammer - torch to heat it, torch to cut the rim off - ended up removing the drum with the center part of the rim still attached. Mechanic said that was a $75 dollar job but he said $20 so... I gave him $50! Gotta love working on rusty cars.

The joy's of being a mechanic and dealing with rusty nuts and bolts.🤔 You need to come over to the UK, now that would be testing times for you.🤪😜 As always Ray, keep smiling. 😁👍

We've all been there Ray. That's why we have "Oh 💩" drawers in our toolboxes and most importantly, the fire wrench.👍👍

Damn man, what a struggle. New vehicles have so much crammed in such a small space. Insane.

This video shows me that I made the correct decision in joining the military after my apprenticeship. 😅 I did not have the patience to be a motor mechanic. I’ve been in some predicaments where the toys go out the pram, but Ray deals with those every day. Utmost respect.

My last bosses motto...."can't be tight if it's liquid". Living my whole life in North Idaho, rust is a given when working on anything metal outside.

As a 20+ year driveway mechanic in Indiana, I hate to admit it, but it was nice to see you finally have to do some actual work as a mechanic. 😂 I have never owned a car with less than 100k and this is just a typical day of working on the car. Only difference is that every bolt would have been a problem, not just the exhaust. Everything you work on is so unbelievably clean and rust free.

Lessons in rust. Anybody that deals with northern vehicles know. Spray , heat repeat and then some torque. I cant imagine not having rust and corrosion. What little I do on my own cars requires prep. Good work as always.

Finally, a proper rust belt vehicle! This is a mild one too!

Well that was quite an ordeal. Looking forward to part 2

I had to do the rear main on our 07 yukon recently. Broke 3 of the 6 manifold to exhaust bolts. It was a pain!

Usually you make things look easy and I go "I can do this stuff." Then you have to break out torches and cut things... and I go "nope. Nopenopenope." :D

Use the cutting torch to cut two opposite sides off the nut and then you can usually use a cold chisel to break the nut off. As far as I am concerned, all threads anywhere on the exhaust system should come with a generous coating of never seize.

I see in the comments that people take what you say very very literal! Ha It's crazy how much you've had to remove so you can drop the trans and get to the area you need to be. Crazy!!! Your videos are a part of my mornings every morning so thank you for always being there to give me my first laugh of the day, you are awesome!!!

Somewhen I saw a video about removing rusted nuts and bolts. He used heat like you but then he sprayed water on the glowing metal. The sudden contraction seemed to help. That was a hard piece of work!

Holy Cow Ray! The struggle is real and very violent. Thanks for showing what you deal with on some jobs.

I'm not a big bg guy but that in force is very impresive.that's the only stuff I use now.

What a way to start the morning cup of coffee watching Rays videos.

Whats up Ray. When I saw you working with the torch I thought for a second I was watching a SMA video. Those flange bolts got you working a little outside your comfort zone.

This is one of those cases where you have to decide: How bad is the leak versus the $1000+ to fix it.

thankyou Ray,that was intense,,see you in part two, have yourself a great week.👌👍

Great video 👍 All sockets have a 1/16 or more lead taper so shallow nut's are a particular problem,grind the leading edge of the socket it will engage properly.

This guy is the most calm unintimidating Mechanic that I've ever seen on RU-vid I like his videos although I know what I'm doing I do get a lot of tips from him and I recommend his channel because he's funny I like the sounds I like the way he works I like his worth ethic and that fact that he really doesn't like Dealership's ripping people off ... Great vid's bro keep up the good work ...

Suggestion: Ray, next time try a brazing tip when heating a nut for removal. It's smaller and will be easier to get into tight quarters.

Yes, ray, a bolt that has turned to liquid cannot be stuck. I'm glad you have that blowtorch

The factory drive shaft is balanced from factory . I have found if reinstalling factory drive shaft without marking original points the vehicle will get a good vibration. You are a very qualified mech/ tech For those stuck nuts and bolts you should invest in a SOLARY flameless heat induction tool..../ Great for the situation you were in.

I’d love to see ray working on a rust belt car. These florida cars are too solid and not rusty enough for my liking

Little secret... take out the front wheel well liners. Gives you much easier access to those catalytic converter bolts. At least on the passenger side it does👌🏻

You can remove that front drive shaft out without removing sway bar if you go over front differential,

Ray thanks for keeping it real, I’m not sure about the other viewers but I was struggling with you while you were dealing with the exhaust bolts. I would have called it a day too!!

Hey Ray I'm so glad that you have your own shop you are a very good mechanic most mechanic would even tell anybody anything or make up things to do just to make more money off of them I'm glad you are an honest mechanic are hard to come by especially where I live in Ohio I found a good mechanic. Owns his own shop he does let me bring my parts from time to time when you can't get them but I also believe a good tip

Ray.... I'm exhausted (no pun intended!!) just watching your battle of the studs! We all knew that you'd win in the end though😅 Greetings from across the pond!👍

Fun fact, the stubby 3/8 Milwaukee you used on the sway bar bushing is actually rated for 30 more lb/ft compared to the secondary option of the right angle impact

Ray, sometimes you make more work for yourself by using deep sockets and extension bars that are too long for the job. Better tool selection from the beginning would be helpful and less frustrating.

"It can't be stuck if it's liquid"! Love it!

Wow Ray tough one today, but for us your avid devoted viewers it was Danger Fire Sparks Molten Metal all the fun things we love mate so TY. Keep Safe Keep Strong 🦘🦘🦘🦘💖💖💖💖🎇🎇✨✨🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

One tip I learned from an older mechanic is to heat the nut and bolt with a torch and then touch the rusty threads with some wax. I just stole some of my wife’s cooking wax. It works way better than penetrating oil on hot metal

Ray, so sorry with all the rust and issues. Never will I buy from up north. Thank you as always for your hard work fixing my truck

39:10 "I've got enough meat on this stud here that I can extract it, it's not going to be an issue." *OMINOUS FORESHADOWING* :D

Man, those downpipe nuts were vicious. I’ve had a few moments like that with my MG, but with limited access (no lift) and limited torque (wimpy muscles). That sort of thing can really make your day. So yeah, I have a lot of respect for “real” mechanics who deal with this stuff all the time.

just did that with my 79 . your percavarnce prevailed. good job

Now he understands what Wes and Eric O go through all the time. The scary part is that that was just to get to the repair. A "simple" side quest that took forever. How do you charge the customer? If I was Ray, I'd provide usb of this repair with the invoice to give a full understanding of this PITA!

This video convinced me to re-seal the oil cooler block-off plate on my Silverado...and then just keep an eye on the oil level and keep it topped off. A guy can buy a lot of oil and Lucas Oil stop leak for the emotional cost of trying to do this job as a DIYer.

People wonder why I buy 2wd trucks.. A lot less parts underneath to fix, replace and service. Good vid ray!

Ray, love your vids, but I do worry about you using regular sockets on an impact for some of those bolts. Those sockets have been known to shatter violently.

Thanks for sharing the real struggle with us. If we cant see is ok with me as you are the one doing the work and need to see. Another great video thanks for sharing with us.

Reminds me of all the cars I worked on at my shop in Hamilton Ontario, rusty crap, fun wow,

Glad to see you’re finally got a real torch

28:45 Nut splitter. Removes the nut, leaves the stud. then run a thread chaser down the stud to clean it up.

Well that escalated slowly.

Up here in the great rust north (ny)..I found if you just put a 15mm on a impact the vibration usually makes them come right out.. first few times I was scared they would brake..but they come right off.

I think it is fair to say many a day has been ruined by rusted exhaust bolts. Thank god for the glow wrench.

There is another trick that works most of the time for stuck nutz. Heat just the nut till it is cherry red, then quench it cool with water. The nut will come right off. It shocks the rust free between the 2 parts.

I am no mechanic by any means, but these videos make me appreciate what it takes to be a good mechanic. I am more thankful for my mechanic up here in Virginia that keeps my Lexus going at 110K miles without overcharging me or ripping me off.

Florida, torch is a last resort, Northeast Pennsylvania, “gotta do a rear cover gasket, better make sure I have enough oxygen and acetylene”! Lol

holy cow, that was a difficult one. Never give up...

Torches are cool. but note to self. spray bottle of water, garden hose close and handy, fire extinguisher last resort. Torch on.great job!! no fires

Your videos have become apart of my daily routine! Been watching since the Camaro with the loose battery cables!!!

Saw the transmission on the bench yesterday and thought it might be a replacement for the forbidden milkshake F150, but alas it belongs to an avalanche. When that last nut finally creaked I said that's a good sign half a second before you did🤣 exhausting video 🤪

I think i might have put something on the driveway to catch drips ,add oil , and call it a day.

Hi s like these remind me of climbing up a mountain. You find every step and even if it's hard, you keep moving forward. Then when it comes time to climb back down, between gravity and footing, you are never sure you can do it correctly. Pulling bolts and parts out is one thing, but can you get those parts back in and together. 😆

Lots of work for an oil leak 😂 I’d just add as needed but I’m a cheap one. Hope you made good money on this one! Good video

As an retired GM Engineering Technician. I loved the concept and execution of the Avalanche 😍. The only problem was that a lot of things that normal eventually need to be replaced can be stupidity hard to get at and impossible for even experience DIY. I was just waiting for this one we had at our facility. GM level 8 and above get to have a brand new car every three months. And employees were given the chance to buy them at a decent discount.before they were put on dealership lots for sale as fleet vehicles. Anyways had my eyes on one fully equipped ones. Even had the loan all set.was going to even turn my 93, S-10 4x4 blazer in for the cash for clunkers deal. Even though it only had about fifty thousand miles on her and had pretty much been a garage Queen for it's first twenty years. Unfortunately about two weeks at our facility I was actually was in the vehicle when it happened. We were going to lunch. And when I jumped in I noticed a familiar smell. Asked George if he smelled that and he said ya it had started on the way to work this morning. I told him it smells like hot coolant. Witch he agreed and said he was going to drop it off at the dealer. So to make a long story short. It was the Heater core. Apparently the assembler had cocked the hose clamp bending the nipple at the same time 🙄. And they had to Remove the Whole Dashboard. I knew mechanic who was working on it and he knew I was going to be buying it. And he called me and said I should come buy and check out my soon to be mine truck. And as I turned the corner there sat the dash and at least a hundred other things. Bolts,chips, brackets etc,etc,. Needless to say my buddy said I'd be crazy if I bought this vehicle. Telling me about how bad it was built in the beginning. From lose fasteners, even a few broken electrical connections 🤐,etc... he told me it was one of the most teateus frustrating jobs he had to do. All because of pisspoor assemble of the vehicle over all. Of course if you only pay the the worker's peanuts and little training to begin with. You end up buying a new vehicle Sadly NOT Built with PRIDE. If only they had been built in America. But then they would have cost a lot more. No offense to Mexico as I have been to the assembly sites there a few times over the years. So all because of a heater core I never bought one but still love the concept of it. BTW I still have my 1993 S-10 4×4. With now 108K on her and still running prefect. Except for the Shitie Vortex fuel injection system🤬🤬 at least I can replace them in a afternoon and two fuel pumps.

Well Ray, now you know what Eric O deals with every day when it comes to rusted bolts.

Set your acetylene at 5 and oxygen at 40 for number1tip then adjust the flame.

I have always liked 1/2” extensions, they don’t wind up too easy !

A royal night mare here, reminds me why I stopped doing my own repair work here in theNorthern Climes, Haa

It can't be stuck if it's liquid sounds like Eric O dealing with exhaust bolts in the rust belt. 😂 That rig was a wee bit crusty....

The old torch o matic wins again have a good day

Great video. That's what we always deal with up here in the rust belt. Lol 🤣

Nice work Ray. Nothing is ever easy as it seems

As if someone doesn't say enough, it takes a lot of extra time to setup camera and explain videos. Thanks for your patience and time

Ray: "We are pulling the transmission OUT" The labor time: Oh boy here we go

dealing with exhaust mountings is always fun... NOT 😝 but ya gotta do what ya gotta do right? but you got the hard part done now, the rest is eazy peazy 👍

If/when you do get a nut stuck like that and get the gas axe out you can slice down the length of the nut (rather than across) keeping the flame in just the right place and slice the side off the nut without damaging the stud or bolt then give it a clout and it’ll just fall off. I forget who taught me that but it works.

Ray it’s amazing how many videos of the Avalanche on the big lift while you were working on other vehicles, then we just now see you working on it. This video must’ve been in the holding room waiting to be released lol. This was a very exhausting video to watch😂. See you on the rest of the story. While you were put it on the lift, wife unit was hoping that there wasn’t going to be a vehicle Avalanche off of the lift😊

33:50 The sound of hips and knees across Florida every morning.