Top Five Jobs Best Left to the Experts

TOP FIVE JOBS BEST LEFT TO THE EXPERTS Unless you are an expert DIY mechanic with time on your hands, these are jobs best left to the repair shop or the dealership. If you are considering trying it yourself, check out the difficulty ratings and tool requirements for each on AutoMD.com's How-to Guides. Replace the engine DIFFICULTY Factor Lot of components to remove; requires specialty equipment; today's engines have more and more electronic controls, and it's easy to lose track of all the parts. Takes a lot of "know how". TOOL FACTOR X Cherry picker (engine hoist). TIME FACTOR O Could take days to replace. Replace the transmission DIFFICULTY Factor Transmissions are heavy and difficult to remove. TOOL FACTOR X Transmission jack and could require big equipment such as cherry picker (engine hoist) and vehicle lift. TIME FACTOR© Could take over 6 hours to replace. Replace the clutch DIFFICULTY FACTOR P The transmission must be removed to replace the clutch. Lining up the clutch disc can be tricky. TOOL FACTOR X Requires specialty equipment such as transmission jack, cherry picker, and clutch alignment tool. TIME FACTOR © Could take over 6 hours to replace. Replace A/C components DIFFICULTY Factor Refrigerants are harmful gases and laws prohibit the release of these gases into the atmosphere; clean working conditions are important to prevent contamination; need many safety precautions; not following correct procedures can damage the a/c system. Technician has to be certified to work with refrigerant. TOOL FACTOR X A/C recovery equipment is very expensive. TIME FACTOR © Could take over 4 hours to complete. Perform a wheel alignment DIFFICULTY Factor Requires specialty equipment to perform the job. It is not practical for a DIYer to have this equipment (some repair shops don't even have the equipment). ToOL FACTOR X Wheel alignment rack, caster/camber gauge, specialty adjustment tools. TIME FACTOR © Could take more than 2 hours to complete. AutoMDcom brought to you by