Answers to your car questions
QUESTION
I have an older Ford ½ ton truck and the rear box needs to come off in order to repair the frame. I have tried to remove the bolts but they are spinning and I cannot get a grip on the head of the bolt that is in the rear box. I was going to try and use the torch to cut the bolts but two of the bolts are very close to the gas tank. I was able to remove two but I cannot get the others to come loose because the top of the bolt is spinning. Do you have any idea as to how I can get the bolts removed without doing damage to the rear box?
Bob from St Jacob
ANSWER
An experienced body shop could safely remove the bolts with an acetylene torch but since you are concerned about the gas tank, I would not attempt to use the torch yourself. You can however, use a drill to put a small hole in the top of the bolt and continue to use a larger drill until you have completely or nearly removed the top of the bolt. You can then use a punch to push the bolt down and then remove the rear box. When the box is removed, you can then completely remove the remains of the bolt.
QUESTION
My car was vandalized the other day and I had to have the car towed to a garage. When I came out in the morning, I found that the gas cap was missing and I found traces of what appeared to be sugar on the gas tank nozzle and on the ground. The garage found out that someone (who I suspect is a friend of my ex wife) had put sugar into the gas tank. The garage claims that I will need to replace all of the injectors as well as replace the gas tank. I called the insurance company and they told me that they will remove and clean the gas tank as well as replace the filters but they did not say anything about replacing the injectors. My garage insists that the sugar has melted and made its way into the injectors and that I will definitely have trouble down the road. How do I convince my insurance company that the injectors should be changed as my mechanic has suggested? I have not given the garage the go ahead to do the repairs and my car rental is about to expire. Can you help me with this type of problem?
Larry from Hamilton
ANSWER
I cannot fault the garage for giving you information that has been widely accepted over the years as fact and that is the assertion that sugar will dissolve in gasoline. Sugar will not dissolve in gasoline but it will clump inside of the gas tank. Sugar will not bypass the two filters that are safety mechanisms to prevent any type of contamination reaching the fuel injectors. The fact that the vehicle was never started is also another reason that the fuel injectors were never affected by the sugar that was added to the gas tank. Have your garage fully remove and clean out the gas tank and replace the gas filters and then buy yourself a locking gas cap to prevent any further vandalism by your suspect.
ANSWER
I have a question for you along with the correct answer. How can the insurance companies build such great buildings and stuff them with such incompetent people? The answer is that their employees are indoctrinated with rules that are simply made to shaft their insured clients. Case in point – I had four tires stolen off my car on December 14, 2019 and I am now fighting with my insurance company to have them replaced. They are claiming that the tires, which I had on the car, were worn out and they are only willing to give me a percentage of what the new tires are worth. I have an estimate from the garage dated December 14, 2019 that shows four new tires and rims are needed but the insurance company will not budge on their decision to try and shaft me. Can you do anything for me or are you also in the pockets of big business?
Alex from Hamilton
ANSWER
You have a very unorthodox way of asking for help but your situation did not fit the experience that I have had over the years with insurance people so I thought that I would look into your question. Unfortunately for you, the garage is not willing to go along with your claim that your old tires were like new. As a matter of fact, your garage emailed me an estimate dated November 14, 2019, for eight hundred and forty dollars for four new tires. If I can easily find out this information, do you not think that the insurance company can also do the same? Maybe they already know but are giving you the chance to be straight with them rather than embarrassing you with the knowledge that they know that you are lying to them. According to the garage, the insurance company is going to replace the four steel rims plus give you a percentage on your old tires. Take the deal before the thief realizes that they stole four worn out tires and returns them back to you.
To my readers: Please indicate the town, city or village that you live in. Be advised that not all emails can be answered. Send your questions (including address) by email to: dennis.osullivan@cogeco.ca