2013 F150 - DIY Transfer Case Fluid Change

2013 F150 -  DIY Transfer Case Fluid Change

Below is my video on how to do a transfer case fluid change on a 2013 Ford F150.

It is very simple and if I can do it in my driveway with minimal tools so can you.

This is the required transfer case fluid. http://amzn.to/2yi1Bat

My review of Spirit Airlines vs. Southwest

I took a trip to visit my family over the weekend and I decided to try Spirit for the first time. Now having reviewed them I saw that many folks had a negative opinion of them.

I would like to say I am currently involved in building the new North Terminal and Concourses for the New Orleans Aviation Board. So I am exposed to a lot of folks who build airports for a living and that have definite opinions about many things. I would say that some of my coworkers are not big fans of Spirit. So I had a somewhat tainted opinion prior to the trip, but I tried not to let that sway my opinion of them.

I decided to try them as an experiment into the super cheap airline. I want to see if it could really save you money, and how hideous could it be? So I did a little research prior to booking the flight.

Almost everyone said to get a big front seat. That the remainder of the seats are the narrowest, least amount of reclining and least amount of legroom of any carrier.

Spirit has big front seats. They do not have any a First Class. You pay extra for the seat, but that is all you get. You still pay for carry on or checked bags. You still pay for snacks and water on the flight. You just get a big seat.

he booking was extremely easy using their website. They clearly tell you what is included and what is extra. You can get these seats as cheaply as you can by deciding to allow them to assign your seat, and printing your own boarding pass at home, or using your smartphone with an electronic boarding pass. Both of these items have a cost if the airline has to do them. $10 to print your boarding passes at the airport.

All of these fees, and pre-planning required of the traveler directly impacts the experience for everyone traveling on your plane. The plane boarded quickly, there was no one complaining about no room in the overhead compartment. Most folks bring one personal item and then check bags, since spirit makes the checked bags cheaper than a carry-on. The less brought onto the plane the quicker the turn around.

 All of the staff for the airline was extremely friendly,  from gate agents to the crew. Then the flight left and departed on time. Not much more that you can expect from an airline.

Now to the real question, did I save any money. I can say unequivocally yes. I had a pleasant experience and I saved money.

The amount of savings depends on the choices you make regarding the "extra's" you choose.
I used Southwest airlines as a basis for comparison. For a trip from New Orleans to Cleveland, I chose a weekend more than 2 weeks away, Leaving Friday afternoon and returning Sunday morning. The cost of this itinerary on SWA was $466. This included all fees and taxes.

The "bare fare" for the same flights on Spirit were $206, which included fees. If you would like to add a carry-on, you would have to add $70 for the round trip. If you have a checked bag, you have to add $60 for the round trip. So you include these items to be apples to apples with South West then your total is $236. You've saved $130.

I however had no luggage to check or carry on. I did however decide to get a "Big Front Seat", and this added $92 to the "Bare Fare". So I spent $298, and I got a very comfortable seat. I save $168 on my trip from New Orleans to Cleveland.

So my overall review of Spirit is that I will definitely use them again. If you need to hit the road on a limited budget, this is definitely an airline that you should check out.

Salvage to Reconstructed Title in Louisiana

Following how to fix salvage vehicles and get them titled as reconstructed.

How to convert a salvage title to reconstructed title in Louisiana

ON AUGUST 13, 2017 BY GENO'S GARAGEIN SALVAGE VEHICLESLEAVE A COMMENT

Buying salvage cars and legally rebuilding them in the State of Louisiana.

To start with a little disclaimer, I am not an attorney and this is my understanding of the process. This article and the associated video

are both for entertainment purposes only. If the article helps you great, and it should help you but I make no guarantees.

I decided that I needed a reliable, economic and inexpensive commuter car at the beginning of the year. I drive about 400 miles a week back and forth to work. This gets expensive when your Ford F150 gets around 14 MPG.

I had a limited amount of money that I wanted to spend, and I wanted something that I could put a bunch of miles on and not have any issue.

I am somewhat mechanically inclined I decided to purchase a salvage title vehicle and then refurbish it and get a rebuilt title so that I could legally drive it.

In the state of Louisiana you do not need a dealer’s license to purchase salvage vehicles at auction, so I decided to keep an eye out on the local Copart auctions. I will write a blog on that process, but I wanted to first write this to help folks in Louisiana since I could find almost no information on the internet that explained the process of converting a salvage title to a rebuilt title.

I purchased a 2013 Ford Focus at Copart with 60,000 miles. It was beat up but not wrecked. It was in a tornado and was totaled because of cosmetic damage. It ran and was able to be driven onto the trailer to get it home. It was beat up and smelled terrible but the price was right.

When I paid for the vehicle and picked it up I was given a Title that was branded as a salvage title. Which means it was not able to be registered for use on the road. I could have filed for a dismantling permit which would have allowed me to part the car out, or I could fix it and then apply to get a rebuilt title. The rebuilt title allows you to register and insure the vehicle in the state of Louisiana.

The first step was to fix the car so that it could pass a DOT safety inspection, or “Brake Tag” as they are called. In my case this required me to replace a damage fender, replace a cracked windshield and replace a broken taillight.

Once the car can pass a safety inspection; it needs to be inspected by a commissioned law enforcement personnel who have successfully completed the Physical Inspection Certification training course.  Which in my case, I took the car to the State Trooper Detachment near my home. To have this inspection I took my salvage title, bill of sale, a list of all parts that were replaced and all receipts for those parts. The Trooper then compared the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) in multiple spots on the vehicle and the VIN on the title and bill of sale. Once that all passes he provided me with an “Affidavit of Physical Inspection”, which required to register the vehicle.

The next item you need is insurance for the vehicle. Since my vehicle was so inexpensive I only have liability on the vehicle. Geico however would have provided full coverage if I would have wanted it.

You then need to take the salvage title, the bill of sale, the “Affidavit of Physical Inspection”, and your receipts and the list of purchased parts to the DMV. And fill out an application for title.

There they will help you file all the paperwork required to get a reconstructed Title. I however went to a local car title company and they assisted me with all the additional paperwork. Since I had all my ducks in order, I could leave the title office with the car registered for road use and with a plate.

I went home, put the plate on the car and drove it to get a safety inspection or Brake Tag. This was an easy step and I received my two year brake tag.

I now drive the vehicle daily and to date I have put 3000 miles on it without any issues.